Last assembly and vehicle including such a latch assembly
AssigneeMeritor Light Vehicle Systems (UK) Limited
InventorSidney Edward Fisher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A latch assembly includes a latch bolt, a retaining member and an actuator. The latch bolt is moveable between a closed position at which it is capable of retaining a striker and an open position at which the striker is released. The retaining member is moveable between a retained position at which it retains the latch bolt in at least its closed position and released position at which the latch bolt can move between its opened and closed positions. The actuator is capable of moving the retaining means from its engaged position to its released position, in which, under normal operating conditions of the latch, the actuator is the sole means of releasing the latch.
Claims20
A latch assembly comprising:
- a chassis;
- a latch bolt moveable between a closed position at which the latch bolt is capable of retaining a striker and an open position at which the striker is released;
- a retaining member moveable between a retained position at which the retaining member retains the latch bolt in the closed position and a released position at which the latch bolt is moveable between the open position and the closed position;
- and
- an actuator having a rest position and an unstable equilibrium position and being capable of moving the retaining member from the retained position to the release position;
- and
- a resilient member operable to move the actuator to the rest position, the actuator and the resilient member together defining the unstable equilibrium position of the actuator relative to the chassis,
- wherein operation of the actuator causes the actuator to pass through the unstable equilibrium position before the retaining member achieves the release position.
A latch assembly comprising:
- a chassis;
- a latch bolt moveable between a closed position at which the latch bolt is capable of retaining a striker and an open position at which the striker is released;
- a retaining member moveable between a retained position at which the retaining member retains the latch bolt in the closed position and a released position at which the latch bolt is moveable between the open position and the closed position;
- and
- an actuator having a rest position and an unstable equilibrium position and being capable of moving the retaining member from the retained position to the released position;
- and
- a resilient member operable to move the actuator to the rest position, and the actuator and the resilient member together defining the unstable equilibrium position of the actuator relative to the chassis,
- wherein energy stored in the resilient member when moving from the rest position to the unstable equilibrium position is substantially equal to or greater than the energy required to move the retaining member from the retained position to the released position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.