Enclosure with double acting hinge mechanism having overcenter latch

In an enclosure structure having a cabinet defining an access opening, and a door for selectively closing said opening defining opposite sides, improved mounting means for mounting the door to the cabinet for releasably retaining the door in a closed position across the opening and permitting the door to be swung open outwardly from either of said sides to an open position, said improved mounting means comprising:

• first hinge pin means fixed to the cabinet at one side of said opening;
• second hinge pin means fixed to the cabinet at the opposite side of said opening;
• a first latch member pivotally mounted to one side of said door for selective positioning in a latching position in latched association with said first hinge pin means and an open position, said latching and open position being oppositely overcentered relative to a center position;
• a second latch member pivotally mounted to the opposite side of said door for selective positioning in a latching position in latched association with said second hinge pin means and an open position, said latching and open positions being oppositely overcentered relative to a center position;
• means on said door cooperating with the latch members to form latch means for retaining the hinge pin means in pivotal relationship with the door when the latch members are in said latching position;
• and
• locking means operably associated with each of said latch member for effectively maintaining either latch member in said latching position in latched enclosing association with its associated said hinge pin means as an incident of positioning of the other of said latch members in the open position thereof, thereby preventing the door from becoming completely unhinged from the cabinet, said locking means comprising a resiliently extensible and contractible rod having one end pivotally connected to said first latch member and an opposite second end pivotally connected to the other latch member, said rod biasing said latch members to said overcentered positions, and a pair of lever means movably mounted on said door and associated one each with the opposite ends of the rod, each lever means having a first portion engageable with the rod end and a second portion disposed in the path of movement of the hinge pin means to cause said first portion to move the rod and thereby pivot the latch member relative to both the rod and the door into the latching position as an incident of the hinge pin means being moved into latching association with the associated said latch member and into concurrent engagement with said lever means second portion, each said latch member being pivoted to the overcenter open position thereof as an incident of the associated said hinge pin means being withdrawn from the latch means, said rod positively retaining the opposite latch member in the closed position whenever either latch member is pivoted to the open position as a result of said hinge pin means.