Latching mechanism for a jet engine thrust reverser door

A latching mechanism for a jet engine thrust reverser having at least one thrust reverser door movably connected to an engine cowling with a reverse thrust opening, the at least one thrust reverser door being movable between a forward thrust position in which the at least one thrust reverser door covers the reverse thrust opening and a reverse thrust position in which the reverse thrust opening is uncovered, the latching mechanism comprising:

• a) a lock bar mounted on one of the at least one thrust reverser door and the cowling, the lock bar having a distal end;
• b) a lock device including a latch member pivotally located on at least one of the thrust reverser door and the cowling, the latch member having a slot engaged by the distal end of the lock bar when the at least one thrust reverser door is in the forward thrust position, the latch member being movable between a latched position wherein the latch member prevents disengagement of the distal end of the lock bar from the slot so as to latch the at least one thrust reverser door in the forward thrust position, and an unlatched position which permits disengagement of the distal end of the lock bar from the slot;
• and,
• c) a hook member mounted on a sub-assembly of the cowling and the lock device, the hook member defining an opening through which the distal end of the lock bar passes when the at least one thrust reverser door moves into the forward thrust position such that the hook member encloses the distal end of the lock bar, the opening being closed by the latch member of the lock device when in the latched position such that the distal end of the lock bar is trapped within the slot regardless of any relative movement between the cowling and the at least one thrust reverser door away from each other.