초록 ▼

A rotary latch for a clamshell housing with truncated circular upper and lower lugs, that can if desired, be made in a single plastic molding and rotatably attached to the housing without any rivets, pins or screws. The upper lug has an arcuate extent of more than 180 degrees and the lower lug has a

A rotary latch for a clamshell housing with truncated circular upper and lower lugs, that can if desired, be made in a single plastic molding and rotatably attached to the housing without any rivets, pins or screws. The upper lug has an arcuate extent of more than 180 degrees and the lower lug has an arcuate extent coaxial with the upper lug but less than 180 degrees. The latch is an annular plastic body that is deformed to snap over and rotatably mount on the upper lug, effected by an annular recess in the body that extends 360 degrees inside around the body so as the body rotates on the upper lug, it never loses contact over any portion thereof. The lower lug is axially offset from the upper lug and the latch body has a latch cup portion that scoops and aligns the lower lug with the upper lug in three orthogonal coordinates. The latch cup portion is also axially offset from the upper lug so it can pass behind the upper lug as the latch body is rotated from a latch position to a release position.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A plastic molded latch assembly for a housing comprising: closely spaced upper and lower lugs for the housing selectively positionable adjacent one another, one of the lugs having an arcuate extent of at least 180 degrees, said one lug being generally arcuate, a generally

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A plastic molded latch assembly for a housing comprising: closely spaced upper and lower lugs for the housing selectively positionable adjacent one another, one of the lugs having an arcuate extent of at least 180 degrees, said one lug being generally arcuate, a generally circular latch body rotatably mounted on said one lug movable rotationally from a latch position to a release position, said body having a latching portion selectively engageable with the other lug to hold the housing selectively in a closed position and being slidably engaging and rotatable on the other lug, and means for rotatably mounting the latch body on the one lug without a central pivot pin separate from the one lug including an arcuate perimeter member in the latch body engageable with a major portion of the one lug perimeter surface in both the latch position and the release position of the latch body, said means for rotatably mounting the latch body on the one lug including means for preventing removal of the latch body from the one lug except by distorting or modifying the latch body including an annular recess in the arcuate member receiving the one lug and having a flange behind and slidably engageable with the one lug, said recess and flange having an arcuate extent of at least 180 degrees, said upper and lower lugs being axially spaced from one another, said other lug having forward and rear alignment surfaces, said latching portion having a recess for receiving the other lug with axially spaced surfaces engageable with the other lug forward and rear surfaces to axially align the other lug.