초록 ▼

A slam latch and strike assembly for latching together a pair of generally parallel relatively laterally displaceable support members, including a body adapted for connection with one of the support members, a latch member mounted for axial displacement between extended and retracted positions in a

A slam latch and strike assembly for latching together a pair of generally parallel relatively laterally displaceable support members, including a body adapted for connection with one of the support members, a latch member mounted for axial displacement between extended and retracted positions in a transverse opening contained in the body member, a spring biasing the latch member toward the extended position, and a strike member mounted on the other support member adjacent the free end of the latch member when the latch member is in the extended position, the strike and latch members carrying sets of strike teeth and latch teeth that are normally in engagement when the latch is in its extended position, the tips and valleys of the teeth of at least one of the latch and strike teeth sets having curved and convex transverse profiles, thereby to compensate for minor misalignment between the strike and latch members.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A slam latch and strike assembly for releasably connecting together two adjacent support members that are relatively displaceable between a generally planar closed position and a relatively laterally displaced open position, comprising: (a) a generally tubular body adapted fo

What is claimed is: 1. A slam latch and strike assembly for releasably connecting together two adjacent support members that are relatively displaceable between a generally planar closed position and a relatively laterally displaced open position, comprising: (a) a generally tubular body adapted for connection with a first one of said support members, said body having a vertical longitudinal axis and a horizontal divider wall defining upper and lower chambers in said body, said body having at its lower end a wall portion containing a transverse opening communicating with said lower chamber; (b) a latch member mounted in said wall opening for axial displacement between retracted and extended positions relative to said body, said latch member including a first end portion that extends from said housing when said latch member is in said extended position; (c) spring means biasing said latch member toward said extended position relative to said body; (d) release means for displacing said latch toward said retracted position relative to said body, said release means comprising: (1) a handle member arranged in said upper chamber above said divider wall; (2) pivot means connecting said handle for pivotal movement relative to said tubular body, said pivot means including a pivot shaft extending trough at least one shaft opening in said tubular body; (3) rack and pinion means arranged in said lower chamber below said divider wall, said rack and pinion means being operable by said pivot shaft to displace said latch member between its retracted and extended positions; and (4) seal means sealing said shaft opening; and (e) a strike member adapted for connection with a second one of said support members at a location adjacent said latch first end when said latch member is in said extended position, said strike member having a longitudinal axis generally parallel with said body longitudinal axis; (f) said latch member first end portion and said strike member having adjacent generally parallel surfaces each provided with a series of cooperating ratcheting latch teeth and strike teeth, respectively, (1) said latch teeth and said strike teeth being in engagement when said latch is in said extended position and said support members are in said relatively closed position; (2) the ratcheting configuration of said latch teeth and said strike teeth being such as to permit movement of said support members toward said closed position, but to prevent movement of said support members toward said open position; (3) said latch teeth and said strike teeth, when in the engaged condition, having transverse tips contained in vertically spaced horizontal planes, respectively, all of said tips of said latch teeth being curved and convex, thereby to compensate for slight misalignment between said latch and strike members. 2. A slam latch and strike assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said strike member is cylindrical and has a circular cross-sectional configuration, the tips of said strike teeth being circular, said strike member containing a longitudinal bore for receiving a fastening member. 3. A slam latch and strike assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said strike member has a generally polygonal cross-sectional configuration, and the tips of said strike teeth are arcuate and convex. 4. A slam latch and strike assembly for releasably connecting together two adjacent support members that are relatively displaceable between a generally planar closed position and a relatively laterally displaced open position, comprising: (a) a generally tubular body adapted for connection with a first one of said support members, said body having a vertical longitudinal axis and a horizontal divider wall defining upper and lower chambers in said body, said body having at its lower end a wall portion containing a transverse opening communicating with said lower chamber; (b) a latch member mounted in said wail opening for axial displacement between retracted and extended positions relative to said body, said latch member including a first end portion that extends from said housing when said latch member is in said extended position; (c) spring means biasing said latch member toward said extended position relative to said body; (d) release means for displacing said latch toward said retracted position relative to said body, said release means including; (1) a release handle pivotally connected with said body for pivotal displacement about an axis normal to the plane that contains the longitudinal axes of said body and said latch member, said handle being displaceable between a locked position within said body upper chamber and a released position extending from said body chamber; and (2) rack and pinion gear means connecting said latch member with said handle for displacement between said extended and retracted positions relative to said body when said handle is in said locked and released positions, respectively; (e) a strike member adapted for connection with a second one of said support members at a location adjacent said latch first end when said latch member is in said extended position, said strike member having a longitudinal axis generally parallel with said body longitudinal axis; (f) said latch member first end portion and said strike member having adjacent generally parallel surfaces each provided with a series of cooperating ratcheting latch teeth and strike teeth, respectively, (1) said latch teeth and said strike teeth being in engagement when said latch is in said extended position and said support members are in said relatively closed position; (2) the ratcheting configuration of said latch teeth and said strike teeth being such as to permit movement of said support members toward said closed position, but to prevent movement of said support members toward said open position; (3) said latch teeth and said strike teeth, when in the engaged condition, having transverse tips contained in vertically spaced horizontal planes, respectively, all of said tips being curved and convex, thereby to compensate for slight misalignment between said latch and strike members; (g) said body wall transverse opening comprising an axially extending slot contained in the bottom end of said body member; and further including an end plate connected with said body member to close said body member bottom end. 5. A slam latch and strike assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said end plate contains guide means for guiding said latch member during the displacement thereof between said extended and retracted positions relative to said body member. 6. A slam latch and strike assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein the upper end of said body member includes an outwardly extending external annular flange portion adapted for seated engagement with the adjacent surface of the first support member when said body member is mounted in a corresponding opening contained therein, said body member being externally threaded; and further including: (a) lock nut means threadably connected with said body member beneath the first support member, thereby to lock said body member to the first support member. 7. A slam latch and strike assembly as defined in claim 4, and further including a pivot shaft non-rotatably connected with said release handle, said rack and pinion means including a pinion gear non-rotatably connected with said pivot shaft for angular displacement with said release handle, and O-ring seal means mounted on said pivot shaft, thereby to seal the assembly against leakage. 8. A slam latch and strike assembly as defined in claim 6, and further including an annular gasket arranged concentrically about said body, said gasket being compressed between said body annular flange portion and the adjacent surface of the first support member. 9. A slam latch and strike assembly as defined in claim 4, and further wherein said rack and pinion means includes a rack member, said latch member being connected for sliding movement relative to said rack member in the retracted direction against the biasing force of said spring means. 10. A slam latch member as defined in claim 4, wherein said body, latch member, handle member, rack and strike are formed from a corrosion-resistant synthetic plastic material.