초록 ▼

An apparatus having at least one paw hingedly attached to a compartment side of a lid configured for covering a hatch of a compartment. At least one catch is positioned on a wall of said hatch for engagingly receiving the at least one paw. A spring is positioned for urging engagement of the paw with

An apparatus having at least one paw hingedly attached to a compartment side of a lid configured for covering a hatch of a compartment. At least one catch is positioned on a wall of said hatch for engagingly receiving the at least one paw. A spring is positioned for urging engagement of the paw with the catch. The paw includes an angled portion which, upon closing of the lid, rotates the paw to allow the lid to be closed over the hatch and the paw to then engage the catch. A user may rotate the paw to disengage the paw from the catch, to thereby open the lid.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for operating a lid configured for covering a hatch of a compartment a first surface extending along the hatch in a first plane, the lid having a second surface extending substantially in the first plane, and a wall extending from the first surface and generally

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for operating a lid configured for covering a hatch of a compartment a first surface extending along the hatch in a first plane, the lid having a second surface extending substantially in the first plane, and a wall extending from the first surface and generally perpendicular to the first surface, said apparatus comprising: at least one paw hingedly attached to a compartment side of said lid; and at least one catch positioned on the wall of said hatch for engagingly receiving said at least one paw, said paw being directly accessible and operable from outside the hatch through an opening between the lid and the wall to disengage the paw from the catch. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one paw comprises an angled portion configured for urging said at least one paw to rotate away from said at least one catch when said lid is being closed; and for engaging said at least one catch when said lid is in a closed position. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one paw may from an edge of said lid be accessed and disengaged from said at least one catch. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cut-out defined in an edge of said lid for facilitating access to said at least one paw for disengagement of said at least one paw from said at least one catch. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an opening defined in said lid for facilitating access to said at least one paw for disengagement of said at least one paw from said at least one catch. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one spring connected to said at least one paw for urging said at least one paw in engagement with said at least one catch. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one spring connected to said at least one paw for urging said at least one paw away from said lid for engagement with said at least one catch. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one spring connected to said at least one paw for urging said at least one paw toward said lid for engagement with said at least one catch. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one catch is secured adjacent to said compartment. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a lock mechanism attached to said lid, said lock mechanism being operable for preventing said paw from being disengaged from said catch. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a lock mechanism operably attached to said lid for preventing said at least one paw from being disengaged from said at least one catch; and a solenoid operably connected to said lock mechanism for activating said lock mechanism. 12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a lock mechanism operably attached to said lid for preventing said at least one paw from being disengaged from said at least one catch; a lever connected at a first end to said lock mechanism; and a solenoid operably connected to a second end of said lever for activating said lock mechanism. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said compartment is defined within a deck of a boat. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a wall of said hatch comprises a rain lip configured for collecting water that passes over an edge of said lid, and wherein said at least one catch is positioned between said hatch and said rain lip. 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a wall of said hatch comprises a rain lip configured for collecting water that passes over an edge of said lid, and a drain for transferring water collected in said rain lip away from said rain lip, and wherein said at least one catch is positioned between said hatch and said rain lip. 16. A method for operating a lid configured for covering a hatch of a compartment a first surface extending along the hatch in a first plane, the lid having a second surface extending substantially in the first plane, and a wall extending from the first surface and generally perpendicular to the first surface, said method comprising the steps of: closing said lid by pushing said lid towards said hatch until an angled portion of at least one paw hingedly attached to a compartment side of said lid rotates past and then engages at least one catch positioned on the wall of said hatch; and opening said lid by manually and directly acting against said at least one paw through an opening between the lid and the wall to urge said at least one paw away from said catch, and pulling said lid away from said hatch. 17. A latching mechanism for a watercraft having a deck, a hatch in the deck, the deck having a first surface extending along the hatch in a first plane opening into a compartment disposed below at least a portion of the deck, the compartment defined at least in part by a wall extending generally perpendicular to the first surface, and a lid being hinged to the deck and covering at least a portion of the hatch when closed the lid having a second surface extending substantially in the first plane the hatch latching mechanism comprising at least one pawl that is accessible from a deck side of the lid through an opening between the lid and the wall so as to be directly actuated from above, and a catch positioned on to the wall of the hatch below the portion of the deck in a position interacting with the pawl, the pawl being rotatably attached to an inner side of the lid so as to pivot between at least a latched position, in which the pawl engages with the catch, and an unlatched position, in which the pawl is disengaged from the latch, the pawl rotating toward a hinged side of the lid when being disengaged from the catch. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of manually urging said paw away from said catch further comprises the steps of: accessing said at least one paw from an edge of said lid; and urging said at least one paw away from said catch until said at least one paw is disengaged from said at least one catch. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of manually urging said paw away from said catch further comprises the steps of: accessing said at least one paw from a cut-out of said lid; and urging said at least one paw away from said catch until said at least one paw is disengaged from said at least one catch. 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of manually urging said paw away from said catch further comprises the steps of: accessing said at least one paw through an opening in said lid; and urging said at least one paw away from said catch until said at least one paw is disengaged from said at least one catch. 21. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of manually urging said paw away from said catch further comprises urging said at least one paw against the resistance of a spring. 22. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of manually urging said paw away from said catch further comprises urging said at least one paw against the resistance of a spring toward said lid. 23. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of manually urging said paw away from said catch further comprises urging said at least one paw against the resistance of a spring away said lid. 24. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of locking said paw in engagement with said catch. 25. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of electrically activating a mechanism to lock said paw in engagement with said catch. 26. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of electrically activating a leveraged mechanism to lock said paw in engagement with said catch. 27. The latch mechanism of claim 17, wherein the wall of said hatch is integrally defined by the deck of the watercraft. 28. The latch mechanism of claim 17, wherein the wall of said hatch comprises a rain lip configured for collecting water that passes over an edge of said lid, and wherein said catch is positioned between said rain lip and said lid. 29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the paw is biased toward said catch. 30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the paw rotates toward a hinged end when disengaging from the catch. 31. The latch mechanism of claim 17, wherein said pawl comprises an angled portion configured for urging said pawl to rotate away from said catch when said lid is being closed; and for engaging said catch when said lid is in a closed position. 32. The latching mechanism of claim 17, wherein the pawl is biased toward the catch. 33. The latching mechanism of claim 17, wherein the catch includes an angled surface that extends away from the hatch wall in a generally downward direction, and the pawl includes an angled surface that extends upward generally in an outward direction away from a center of the lid, and wherein the angled surfaces of the catch and pawl are disposed so as to interact with one another when the lid is being closed. 34. The latching mechanism of claim 33, wherein the pawl includes an arm that lies between a hinged portion of the pawl and the angled surface of the pawl, and at least the arm is accessible from the deck side of the lid. 35. The latching mechanism of claim 17, additionally comprising means for rotating the pawl relative to the catch when closing the lid. 36. The latching mechanism of claim 17, wherein the pawl is coupled to the lid near a perimeter edge of the lid.