Latch assembly, over-center reverse draw

A latch assembly, comprising:

• a housing having opposed and parallel first and second end walls defining a cavity created between the first and second end walls, the housing further including:
• first and second journal members integrally and outwardly extending from the second end wall, each having a through bore coaxially aligned with a central longitudinal axis of the housing;
• and
• first and second swing arm apertures created in the second end wall each outward of one of the first or second journal members;
• a U-shaped swing arm member having a joining end positioned proximate to the first end wall within the cavity and first and second swing arms integrally connected to and perpendicularly oriented with respect to the joining end, each having a first portion positioned in the cavity and a second portion fixed to the first portion and angularly oriented at a swing angle with respect to the first portion, the second portion extending freely through one of the first and second swing arm apertures and slidable toward or away from the housing, each portion having a portion longitudinal axis;
• a keeper/catch member positioned between the first and second swing arm members and rotatably connected to the first and second journal members, the keeper/catch member having a keeper longitudinal axis;
• a biasing member positioned in the cavity aligned in parallel with the central longitudinal axis of the housing and oppositely contacting each of the joining end of the swing arm member and the second end wall of the housing such that the biasing member is normally acting to push the joining end toward the first end wall, thereby pulling the second portion of the first and second swing arm members toward the housing, and is compressed as the second portion of the first and second swing arms extend away from the housing;
• and
• the second portion of both the first and second swing arms, each including a pin aperture located proximate to an arm end receiving a pin to mount the second portion of both the first and second swing arms to a first component;
• wherein rotation of the housing with respect to the pin thereby rotates the keeper/catch member from an initial orientation having the keeper longitudinal axis rotated away from parallel alignment with respect to the second portion longitudinal axis of the first and second swing arms to a second orientation having the keeper longitudinal axis oriented approximately parallel with the second portion longitudinal axis creating a pushing force through the keeper/catch member acting to push a second component toward the first component and acting through the keeper/catch member and the housing creating an over-center locking condition of the housing and to pull the second portion of both the first and second swing arms further out of the first and second swing arm apertures, thereby compressing the biasing member to retain the over-center locking condition.

A latch assembly, comprising:

• a housing including opposed and parallel first and second end walls defining a cavity therebetween, and first and second journal members positioned outside of the cavity, integrally and outwardly extending from the second end wall, each having a through bore in coaxial alignment with each other and axially aligned with a central longitudinal axis of the housing;
• a swing arm member having a joining end continuously positioned in the cavity and movably located proximate to the first end wall, and first and second swing arms perpendicularly oriented with respect to the joining end each having a portion extending partially outside of the cavity slidable toward and away from the housing;
• a biasing member positioned in the cavity and oppositely contacting the joining end and the second end wall, the biasing member normally acting to pull the first and second swing arm members toward the first end wall, the biasing member compressed as the joining end extends away from the first end wall;
• and
• a keeper/catch member positioned between the first and second swing arm members outside of the cavity and rotatably pinned to the through bores of the first and second journal members, the keeper/catch member having a keeper/catch member longitudinal axis that when oriented substantially parallel with a central axis of the portion of the first and second swing arms located outside of the cavity acts to extend the first and second swing arms further outward from the housing and to compress the biasing member, thereby defining a locked position, and when oriented out of alignment with the portion of the first and second swing arms allowing the biasing member to pull the first and second swing arms toward the housing defining a non-locked condition.