Recessed three-point latching mechanism and method for a storage locker

A method for latching an enclosure having a generally box-like interior compartment and a hingedly attached door, said door having inner and outer surfaces and a periphery that is surrounded by upper, lower and jamb portions of said enclosure, said door including a recessed cup that contains an aperture communicating between said inner and outer surfaces of said door, said cup being displaced inwardly into said interior compartment from said outer surface of said door, said method comprising the steps of:

• disposing a lever within said aperture of said recessed cup such that an exposed portion of said lever is contained entirely within said cup, and such that an unexposed portion of said lever communicates with said interior compartment;
• movably retaining a bracket adjacent to said interior surface of said door so as to be actuatable by said unexposed portion of said lever;
• securing a center latch to said bracket, said center latch having a first latching position for engaging said jamb portion of said enclosure, and having a second unlatched position for disengaging said center latch from said jamb portion of said enclosure;
• pivotally securing a pivot bar adjacent to said interior surface of said door at a substantially median point of said pivot bar;
• operatively coupling said pivot bar to said bracket for transforming motion of said bracket as induced by motion of said exposed portion of said lever to a rotational motion of said pivot bar;
• and
• radially extending at least two lock rods pivotally affixed at proximal ends thereof adjacent to opposite ends of said pivot bar for transforming said rotational motion of said pivot bar to a translational motion of said lock rods, said lock rods having a first locked position in conjunction with said first latched position of said center latch for engaging said upper and lower portions of said enclosure adjacent distal ends of said lock rods, and said lock rods having a second unlocked position in conjunction with said second unlatched position of said center latch for disengaging said distal ends of said lock rods from said upper and lower portions of said enclosure
• whereby manual actuation of said exposed portion of said lever causes said center latch to move to said second unlatched position and said lock rods to move to said second unlocked position to enable said door to be opened.

A locker including side, top, bottom and back panels forming a generally box-like interior compartment with a hingedly attached door having inner and outer surfaces and a door periphery that is surrounded by upper, lower and jamb portions of said locker, said door including a recessed cup having an aperture communicating between said inner and outer door surfaces and displaced inwardly into said interior compartment from said outer surface of said door, wherein the improvement, in combination, comprises:

• a three-point latching mechanism including a lever extending through said aperture, said lever having an exposed portion disposed entirely within said recessed cup, and an unexposed portion communicating with said interior compartment of said locker;
• a bracket actuatable by said unexposed portion of said lever movably retained adjacent to said interior surface of said door, said bracket including a center latch having a first latched position for engaging said jamb portion of said locker and a second unlatched position for disengaging said center latch from said jamb portion of said locker;
• a pivot bar pivotally secured about a substantially median point thereof adjacent to said interior surface of said door, said pivot bar being coupled to said bracket for transforming a motion of said bracket that is induced by motion of said exposed portion of said lever to a rotational motion of said pivot bar;
• and
• at least two radially extending lock rods pivotally affixed at proximal ends thereof adjacent opposite ends of said pivot bar for transforming said rotational motion of said pivot bar to a translational motion of said lock rods, said lock rods having a first locked position in conjunction with said first latched position of said center latch for engaging said upper and lower portions of said locker adjacent distal ends of said lock rods, and said lock rods having a second unlocked position in conjunction with said second unlatched position of said center latch for disengaging said distal ends of said lock rods from said upper and lower portions of said locker.