Latch apparatus
AssigneeCarlson Pet Products, Inc.
InventorsMark A. Flannery, Brian G. Linehan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wire crate latch apparatus having, in a first embodiment, a pivoting member that is continually drawn to a closed position by gravity and that is deflected into a catch when the door having the pivoting member is swung closed. The latch apparatus further includes upper and lower stops to contain a distal end of the pivoting member and to hold the distal end in the position to hit an oblique portion of the catch when the door is closed. In a second embodiment, a sliding latch apparatus is deflected by a catch and is relatively inaccessible from inside of the wire crate by back plates on the latch and catch.
Claims20
A latch apparatus for latching first and second pieces together, the first and second pieces swingable relative to each other, comprising:
- a) a pivoting member, the pivoting member having a proximal end, a distal end, and an intermediate section between the proximal and distal ends, the pivoting member being on the first piece, the distal end of the pivoting member pivoting up and down in a first plane, said pivoting member including a pivot axis about which the pivoting member pivots;
- and
- b) a catch having an oblique portion, the catch being on the second piece, the oblique portion having an upper end, a lower end, and a first oblique surface extending between the upper and lower ends, the upper end being spaced from the second piece by a first distance and defining a catch space, the lower end being spaced from the second piece by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance, the first plane extending between the upper end and the second piece when the first and second pieces are closed, the first oblique surface extending upwardly and inwardly such that, when the first piece and pivoting member are swinging inwardly, the first oblique surface directs the pivoting member to pivot upwardly and over the upper end of the oblique portion, whereupon the pivoting member falls by gravity into the catch space.
A latch apparatus for latching first and second pieces together, the first and second pieces swingable relative to each other, comprising:
- a) a pivoting member, the pivoting member having a proximal end, a distal end, and an intermediate section between the proximal and distal ends, the pivoting member being on the first piece, the distal end of the pivoting member pivoting up and down in a first plane, said pivoting member including a pivot axis about which the pivoting member pivots;
- b) an upper stop and a lower stop, the upper and lower stops extending from the first piece, the upper and lower stops being spaced apart from each other, the pivoting member disposed between the upper stop and the lower stop, the upper stop stopping pivoting of the pivoting member in one direction, the lower stop stopping pivoting of the pivoting member in the other direction;
- c) a catch having an oblique portion, the catch being on the second piece, the oblique portion having an upper end, a lower end, and a first oblique surface extending between the upper and lower ends, the upper end being spaced from the second piece by a first distance and defining a catch space, the lower end being spaced from the second piece by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance, the first plane extending between the upper end and the second piece when the first and second pieces are closed, the first oblique surface extending upwardly and inwardly such that, when the first piece and pivoting member are swinging inwardly, the first oblique surface directs the pivoting member to pivot upwardly and over the upper end of the oblique member, whereupon the pivoting member falls by gravity into the catch space;
- d) wherein the distal end of the pivoting member is spaced further from the pivot axis than the proximal end of the pivoting member;
- and
- e) a finger receptor on the pivoting member, the finger receptor extending from a surface of the pivoting member, the finger receptor permitting a user to effectuate a pivoting of the pivoting member and a raising of the distal end of the pivoting member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.