Holding assembly for holding movable members

In a holding assembly holding a movable member in a closed position relative to a stationary member and including movable member (17) and a stationary member (18) and a male element (11) fixedly mounted on the other of said movable member (17) and said stationary member (18), the improvement wherein:

• said female element (1) is provided with a central slot (36), a right side wall portion (2) and a left-side wall portion (3) in the element central portion, said wall portions (2,3) sandwiching said slot (36) therebetween;
• said right-side wall portion (2) and said left-side wall portion (3) being provided with a right hole (4) and a left hole (5) respectively;
• and said female element (1) is fixedly mounted on a stationary frame member (18) by dual screws (40, 41) which pass through mounting holes (29,30) provided within the central slot portion of the female element;
• said male element (11) is constructed of a latch support frame (8) which retains a pair of axially slidable latches (12,13), a casing (19) which encloses the latch-support frame (8);
• and a mounting plate (33) which is enclosed by said casing (19);
• said male element (11) is fixedly mounted on a movable member (17) by dual screws (42,43) which pass through mounting holes (31,32) of said casing (19) and also pass through mounting holes (34,35) of the mounting plate (33);
• said latch-support frame (8) is provided with a pair of seat portions (6,7) located in its left-side and its right-side wall portion respectively;
• said seat portions (6) and (7) of the latch-support frame (8) are provided with socket holes (9) and (10) respectively;
• through which the slidable latches (12, 13) extend outwardly;
• a pair of stop projections (22, 23) for preventing said axially slidable latches (12, 13) from entering a central portion of said latch-support frame (8) are provided in said central portion of said latch-support frame (8);
• said latches (12) and (13) mounted in said latch-support frame (8) are axially slidably urged outward by a compression coil spring (14), and are provided with flange portions (20) and (21) in their base-end outer peripheral portions, respectively;
• said flange portions (20) and (21) abut on said seat portions (6) and (7) respectively, so that said latches (12) and (13) are prevented from dropping out of said latch-support frame (8);
• and
• said casing (19) for receiving said latch-support frame (8) therein is provided with a pair of through-holes (15) and (16) through which a pair of semispheric front-end portions (27) and (28) of said axially slidable latches (12) and (13) project respectively, whereby the male element (11) can enter into the slot (36) of the female element (1) and be retained therein by the pair of slidable latches (12, 13) of the male element (11).