An animal resistant latching system for use with a container to inhibit access to the interior of the container by animals, the latching system comprising:
- an access panel having a first and a second side and an opening formed between the first and second sides wherein the access panel is adapted to be moved between an open and a closed position with respect to the container;
- at least one latching member that is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position wherein the at least one latching member is coupled to the access panel at a location wherein the at least one latching member inhibits movement of the access panel to thereby inhibit access to the container in the latched position and wherein the at least one latching member permits movement of the access panel to thereby allow access to the container in the unlatched position;
- a cover that is mounted on the second side of the access panel so as to cover the opening in the access panel wherein the cover has side walls that extends outward from the plane of the second side of the access panel and an outer surface that interconnects the side walls so as to define a space positioned above the opening in the access panel and a cover opening that permits access into the space defined by the cover from the outside of the container;
- a cam assembly having a cam body and a lever extending from the cam body, wherein the cam assembly is mounted to a first side of the access panel and wherein the cam body is coupled to the at least one latching member such that movement of the cam assembly results in movement of the at least one latching member between the latched and unlatched positions and wherein the lever is positioned so as to be accessible through the opening in the cover so as to allow a person to move the cam assembly from the outside of the container so as to urge the at least one latching member from the latched position to an unlatched position, and wherein the lever is positioned so as to be accessible from the first side so as to be accessible through the opening in the cover so as to allow a person to move the cam assembly from the inside of the container so as to urge the at least one latching member from the latched position to the unlatched position;
- wherein the cover opening permits access to the lever of the cam assembly via the opening in the access panel, wherein the cover opening is dimensioned so as to permit a human hand access to the lever via the opening in the access panel to manipulate the at least one latching member from the latched position to the unlatched position and is further dimensioned so as to inhibit a bear having a set of claws from accessing the lever to manipulate the at least one latching member from the latched position into the unlatched position;
- and
- a bracket positioned on the second side of the access panel adjacent the cover opening wherein the bracket extends outward from the second surface of the panel and wherein the bracket is spaced from the cover opening a distance that is selected to permit human access to the cover opening as a result of a human bending their fingers but inhibit access by bears as the bracket extends outward from the second surface of the panel and is spaced from a cover distances selected so that an access angle to the opening is greater than a critical angle that a bear can bend their claws but less than the angle by which a human can bend their fingers.