Striker for use in latch assembly

A striker assembly comprising:

• a housing having a base and a pair of opposed sidewalls extending from the base, the base including one or more openings sized to receive a fastener, each of the sidewalls defining an aperture, the housing further including a pair of ridges defining a channel at an area of coupling between each sidewall and the base;
• a striker having a pair of end portions, the striker extending between the sidewalls with each of the pair of end portions positioned within a respective aperture, each of the pair of end portions having a hole extending diametrically therethrough;
• and
• a single spring having a body and a pair of end portions, each spring end portion extending through the hole in a respective striker end portion, the spring engaged with the housing such that the body of the spring passes through each channel and at least partially encircles an outer edge of each of the openings in the base of the housing,
• wherein the end portions of the striker are movable transversely within the respective aperture away from a centered position of the respective aperture and are biased toward the centered position of the respective aperture.

A latch assembly comprising:

• a latch having a pawl;
• a striker assembly positioned to engage the pawl of the latch, the striker assembly including:
• a housing having opposed sidewalls, each of the sidewalls defining an aperture;
• a striker having a pair of end portions, the striker extending between the sidewalls of the housing with each of the pair of end portions positioned within a respective aperture defined in the sidewalls of the housing, each of the pair of end portions defining a surface extending in a transverse direction;
• and
• a spring having a pair of end portions, each spring end portion contacting the surface of a respective striker end portion, the spring engaged with the housing to bias the end portions of the striker toward a centered position of the respective apertures;
• wherein at least one of the end portions of the striker is movable transversely within the respective aperture away from the centered position of the respective aperture upon contact with the pawl of the latch and is biased toward the centered position of the respective aperture upon release of the pawl of the latch.

A latchable assembly of components having latched and unlatched conditions, the latchable assembly comprising:

• components moveable relative to one another between an open position in the unlatched condition and a closed position in the latched condition;
• a latch having a pawl, the latch being coupled to one of the components;
• a striker assembly positioned to engage the pawl of the latch, the striker assembly being coupled to an other of the components and including:
• a housing having opposed sidewalls, each of the sidewalls defining an aperture;
• a striker having a pair of end portions, the striker extending between the sidewalls of the housing with each of the pair of end portions positioned within a respective aperture defined in the sidewalls of the housing, each of the pair of end portions defining a surface extending in a transverse direction;
• and
• a spring having a pair of end portions, each spring end portion contacting the surface of a respective striker end portion, the spring engaged with the housing to bias the end portions of the striker toward a centered position of the respective apertures;
• wherein at least one of the end portions of the striker is movable transversely within the respective aperture away from the centered position of the respective aperture upon contact with the pawl of the latch as the components are moved from the open position to the closed position;
• and
• wherein the at least one end portion of the striker is biased toward the centered position of the respective aperture upon release of the pawl of the latch as the components are moved from the closed position to the open position.