Door latch assembly

In combination with a door hinged at one edge within a door jamb with a latch assembly mounted upon a closing edge and a strike on said jamb registerable with said latch assembly, said latch assembly comprising a housing secured to said door;

• a latch intermediate its ends pivotally mounted upon said housing upon a first axis and at one end projecting from said housing and having an outwardly opening lock chamber, there being a lock aperture within the other end of said latch;
• said latch having a locking position registerable with and receiving said strike, and normally biased toward an unlocked position disengaged from said strike;
• said strike on closing said door engaging and rotating said latch to its locking position;
• a latch retaining means normally biased toward a locking position and retractable to an unlocking position, movably mounted upon said housing and adapted for interlocking retaining registry within said lock aperture when said latch is in its locking position;
• a reciprocal latch means within and mounted upon said housing, normally biased for movement in one direction, adjacent one end having an actuator engageable with said latch retaining means;
• and a movable means upon said housing connected to said latch means for moving the latch means in the opposite direction to its unlocked position disengaging said latch;
• said latch being free to move to its unlocked position on opening of the door relative to said strike;
• said latch retaining means including a pivot member adjacent one end pivotally mounted upon said housing upon a second axis parallel to said first axis;
• means biasing said pivot member toward a locking position, said pivot member being retractable to an unlocked position;
• and a lock pin upon said pivot member parallel to said second axis and adapted for interlocking retaining registry within said lock aperture when said latch is in its locking position.