Ratcheting pawl latch
AssigneeSouthco, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey L. Antonucci, Ralph C. Ulisse, Christopher J. Pinkow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pawl latch assembly with a spring locking member having its own internal spring force for enabling a force from a handle of the assembly to be transmitted to a pawl to engage or disengage a keeper member for opening and closing of the latch, and further having a lock for securing the latch against unauthorized opening.
Claims37
A latch assembly for securing a first panel to a second panel wherein at least one of any of said panels is movable in relation to any other of said panels and wherein at least any one of said panels has a keeper member installed thereon, said latch assembly comprising:
- a) a pawl;
- b) a spring locking member having a body portion and a movable arm portion;
- c) an actuating member;
- and
- d) housing means for housing said pawl, said locking member and said actuating member in cooperating relation with each other for selective engagement and release of said latch assembly with said keeper member;
- e) said spring locking member being carried by said housing means for engagement of said spring locking member with said pawl and with said actuating member, said actuating member being operable to deflect said locking member arm away from said pawl to release the pawl from engagement with a keeper.
A latch assembly for securing a first panel to a second panel wherein at least one of said first panel and said second panel is movable in relation to the other of said first panel and said second panel and wherein at least one of said first panel and said second panel has a keeper member installed thereon, said latch assembly comprising:
- a) a housing with attachment means for attachment to one of said panels;
- b) a pawl rotatably mounted in said housing;
- c) a spring locking member supported on said housing for selectively locking said pawl in position to engage the keeper member and releasing said pawl to disengage the keeper member therefrom, said locking member having a body portion and an arm portion connected to said body portion and extending therefrom, said arm portion being flexibly connected to said body portion to be movable in relation to said body portion;
- and
- d) an actuating member pivotally mounted on said housing and including an arm for engagement with said locking member to selectively release the locking member from engagement with said pawl and thereby release the pawl from engagement with the keeper member.
A latch assembly for securing a first panel to a second panel wherein at least one of said first panel and said second panel is movable in relation to the other of said first panel and said second panel and wherein at least one of said first panel and said second panel has a keeper member installed thereon, said latch assembly comprising:
- a) a pawl member having a pawl body with pivot members extending outwardly in opposite directions therefrom;
- b) a housing having attachment means for attachment to said movable panel, a first slot disposed in said housing for accommodating a pawl member as said pawl member is rotated by the actuation of the paddle;
- a second slot disposed in substantially perpendicular relation to the first slot;
- and a locking flange through which said first slot extends;
- c) a spring locking member carried by the housing and extending through the second slot of the housing, said spring locking member having a body portion and an arm portion extending therefrom;
- d) a pawl member rotatably mounted on said housing for pivotal movement through said first slot between locked and unlocked positions;
- e) a handle pivotally mounted on said housing and including an actuation arm for engagement with said spring locking member;
- f) wherein said spring locking member engages said pawl member, and wherein said actuation arm is selectively engagable with said spring locking member arm to depress said locking member for release of said pawl from the pawl member locked position.
A latch assembly for securing a first panel to a second panel wherein at least one of said first panel and said second panel is movable in relation to the other of said first panel and said second panel and wherein at least one of said first panel and said second panel has a keeper member installed thereon, said latch assembly comprising:
- a) a housing having attachment means for attachment to at least one said movable panel;
- b) a pawl rotatably mounted on said housing;
- c) a spring locking member supported on said housing for selectively locking said pawl in position to engage the keeper member and releasing said pawl to disengage the keeper member therefrom, said locking member comprising a resilient member and having a body portion and an arm portion extending therefrom;
- and
- d) an actuating member pivotally mounted on a mounting member and having an extending arm connected thereto at one end thereof and having at the other end thereof an actuation arm for engagement with said locking member to selectively release the locking member from engagement with said pawl and thereby release the pawl from engagement with the keeper member.
A latch assembly for securing a first panel to a second panel wherein at least one of said first panel and said second panel is movable in relation to the other of said first panel and said second panel and wherein at least one of said first panel and said second panel has a keeper member installed thereon, said latch assembly comprising:
- a) a pawl member having a pawl body with pivot members extending outwardly in opposite directions therefrom;
- b) a housing having attachment means for attachment to one of said first and second panels, a first slot disposed in said housing for accommodating a pawl member as said pawl member is rotated by the actuation of the paddle;
- a second slot disposed in substantially perpendicular relation to the first slot;
- and a locking flange through which said first slot extends;
- c) a spring locking member carried by the housing an extending through the second slot of the housing;
- d) a pawl member rotatably mounted on said housing for pivotal movement through said slot between locked and unlocked positions;
- e) a handle pivotally mounted on said housing and including an actuation arm for engagement with said spring locking member;
- f) a pawl spring carried on said pawl for biasing said pawl to retract from engagement with the keeper member when the locking member disengages the pawl;
- g) wherein said spring locking member engages said pawl member, and wherein said actuation arm is selectively engagable with said spring locking member to depress said locking member for release of said pawl from the pawl member locked position;
- h) wherein said pawl includes pivot means for rotatably mounting said pawl to said housing;
- and
- i) wherein said locking member comprises a flexible member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.