Back to results
US 7,726,707 B2Granted
Rotary pawl latch
AssigneeSouthco, Inc.
InventorsAlan Simchayoff, Richard B. Langkamp, Jr., D. Dale Turner, James H. Vickers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A latch assembly for releasably securing a striker in a rotary pawl latch. The latch assembly includes a housing, a rotary pawl, and an actuator. The housing can have one sidewall having a notch for receiving the striker. A trigger can be pivotally attached to the housing such that the actuator releases the rotary pawl thus opening the latch.
Claims22
A latch capable of releasably securing a first member in a closed configuration relative to a second member by engaging a striker supported on the second member, said latch comprising:
- a housing;
- an actuator;
- and
- a pawl pivotally attached to a wall of said housing and being movable between a closed position and an open position about a pivot-axis, said pawl being provided with a biasing means for biasing the pawl toward the open position, said pawl having an actuator engaging portion and a striker engaging portion being axially adjacent on a similar end of said pawl, said actuator engaging portion being rotatable about said pivot-axis on a first plane perpendicular to said pivot axis and said striker engaging portion being rotatable about said pivot-axis on a second plane parallel to said first plane, and said striker engaging portion being dimensioned and configured to sweep an arc which extends further out from said pivot-axis about which said pawl pivots when said pawl is pivoted than an arc which is swept by said actuator engaging portion when said pawl is pivoted;
- wherein said actuator is pivotally attached to said housing and movable between a pawl-releasing position and a pawl-retaining position, said actuator being provided with a biasing means for biasing the actuator toward the pawl-retaining position, said actuator having a pawl engaging portion, said pawl engaging portion engages said actuator engaging portion such that said actuator is pivoted by said pawl upon pivoting of said pawl to the closed position, and
- wherein when said pawl impacts the striker during closing of the first and second members together, said pawl is moved to the closed position, such that said pawl and said actuator are in an opposing relationship about the striker in the closed position, and said pawl engaging portion retains said pawl in the closed position, and wherein pivoting of said actuator allows said biasing means for biasing the pawl to rotate said pawl to the open position to thereby permit said latch to be disengaged from the striker.
3 more elements
A latch capable of releasably securing a first member in a closed configuration relative to a second member by engaging a striker supported on the second member, said latch comprising:
- a housing;
- an actuator;
- and
- a pawl pivotally attached to said housing and being movable between a closed position and an open position, said pawl being provided with a biasing means for biasing the pawl toward the open position, said pawl comprising a first plate and a second plate, said first plate and second plate being rotatable about a pivot-axis and said first plate being parallel to said second plate, said first plate comprising a striker engaging portion and said second plate comprising an actuator engaging portion said striker engaging portion and said actuator engaging portion being axially adjacent on a similar end of said pawl, and said striker engaging portion being dimensioned and configured to sweep an arc which extends further out from said pivot-axis about which said pawl pivots when said pawl is pivoted than an arc which is swept by said actuator engaging portion when said pawl is pivoted;
- wherein said actuator is pivotally attached to said housing and movable between a pawl-releasing position and a pawl-retaining position, said actuator being provided with a biasing means for biasing the actuator toward the pawl-retaining position, said actuator having a pawl engaging portion, said pawl engaging portion engages said actuator engaging portion such that said actuator is pivoted by said pawl upon pivoting of said pawl to the closed position, and
- wherein when said pawl impacts the striker during closing of the first and second members together, said pawl is moved to the closed position, such that said pawl and said actuator are in an opposing relationship about the striker in the closed position, and said pawl engaging portion retains said pawl in the closed position, and wherein pivoting of said actuator allows said biasing means for biasing the pawl to rotate said pawl to the open position to thereby permit said latch to be disengaged from the striker.
3 more elements
A floating striker housing comprising:
- a top portion having two opposite ends;
- an opposed sidewall extending from each of said two opposite ends of said top portion, each of said sidewalls having an aperture;
- a striker extending through said sidewalls within said apertures and capable of moving within said apertures;
- and
- two floating striker housing springs engaging the housing, each of said two floating striker housing springs has two spring legs extending proximally from the junction of each of said sidewalls and said top portion, and each of said floating striker housing springs having a spring portion for engaging a surface of the striker, wherein said two floating striker housing springs maintain the entire striker parallel to said top portion and in a centering position in said apertures of said sidewalls.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.