IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0363441
(2006-02-27)
|
등록번호 |
US-7726707
(2010-06-22)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Simchayoff, Alan
- Langkamp, Jr., Richard B.
- Turner, D. Dale
- Vickers, James H.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
12 인용 특허 :
11 |
초록
▼
A latch assembly for releasably securing a striker in a rotary pawl latch. The latch assembly includes a housing, a rotary pawl, and an actuator. The housing can have one sidewall having a notch for receiving the striker. A trigger can be pivotally attached to the housing such that the actuator rele
A latch assembly for releasably securing a striker in a rotary pawl latch. The latch assembly includes a housing, a rotary pawl, and an actuator. The housing can have one sidewall having a notch for receiving the striker. A trigger can be pivotally attached to the housing such that the actuator releases the rotary pawl thus opening the latch.
대표청구항
▼
The invention claimed is: 1. A latch capable of releasably securing a first member in a closed configuration relative to a second member by engaging a striker supported on the second member, said latch comprising: a housing; an actuator; and a pawl pivotally attached to a wall of said housing and b
The invention claimed is: 1. A latch capable of releasably securing a first member in a closed configuration relative to a second member by engaging a striker supported on the second member, said latch comprising: a housing; an actuator; and a pawl pivotally attached to a wall of said housing and being movable between a closed position and an open position about a pivot-axis, said pawl being provided with a biasing means for biasing the pawl toward the open position, said pawl having an actuator engaging portion and a striker engaging portion being axially adjacent on a similar end of said pawl, said actuator engaging portion being rotatable about said pivot-axis on a first plane perpendicular to said pivot axis and said striker engaging portion being rotatable about said pivot-axis on a second plane parallel to said first plane, and said striker engaging portion being dimensioned and configured to sweep an arc which extends further out from said pivot-axis about which said pawl pivots when said pawl is pivoted than an arc which is swept by said actuator engaging portion when said pawl is pivoted; wherein said actuator is pivotally attached to said housing and movable between a pawl-releasing position and a pawl-retaining position, said actuator being provided with a biasing means for biasing the actuator toward the pawl-retaining position, said actuator having a pawl engaging portion, said pawl engaging portion engages said actuator engaging portion such that said actuator is pivoted by said pawl upon pivoting of said pawl to the closed position, and wherein when said pawl impacts the striker during closing of the first and second members together, said pawl is moved to the closed position, such that said pawl and said actuator are in an opposing relationship about the striker in the closed position, and said pawl engaging portion retains said pawl in the closed position, and wherein pivoting of said actuator allows said biasing means for biasing the pawl to rotate said pawl to the open position to thereby permit said latch to be disengaged from the striker. 2. A latch capable of releasably securing a first member in a closed configuration relative to a second member by engaging a striker supported on the second member, said latch comprising: a housing; an actuator; and a pawl pivotally attached to said housing and being movable between a closed position and an open position, said pawl being provided with a biasing means for biasing the pawl toward the open position, said pawl comprising a first plate and a second plate, said first plate and second plate being rotatable about a pivot-axis and said first plate being parallel to said second plate, said first plate comprising a striker engaging portion and said second plate comprising an actuator engaging portion said striker engaging portion and said actuator engaging portion being axially adjacent on a similar end of said pawl, and said striker engaging portion being dimensioned and configured to sweep an arc which extends further out from said pivot-axis about which said pawl pivots when said pawl is pivoted than an arc which is swept by said actuator engaging portion when said pawl is pivoted; wherein said actuator is pivotally attached to said housing and movable between a pawl-releasing position and a pawl-retaining position, said actuator being provided with a biasing means for biasing the actuator toward the pawl-retaining position, said actuator having a pawl engaging portion, said pawl engaging portion engages said actuator engaging portion such that said actuator is pivoted by said pawl upon pivoting of said pawl to the closed position, and wherein when said pawl impacts the striker during closing of the first and second members together, said pawl is moved to the closed position, such that said pawl and said actuator are in an opposing relationship about the striker in the closed position, and said pawl engaging portion retains said pawl in the closed position, and wherein pivoting of said actuator allows said biasing means for biasing the pawl to rotate said pawl to the open position to thereby permit said latch to be disengaged from the striker. 3. The latch according to any one of claims 1 and 2 wherein said pawl biasing means is a pawl spring. 4. The latch according to any one of claims 1 and 2 wherein said actuator biasing means is an actuator spring. 5. The latch according to any one of claims 1 and 2 wherein said pawl engaging portion and said actuator engaging portion are dimensioned and configured to permit said pawl and said actuator to be maintained in an intermediate position in which the striker engages said pawl and said actuator engaging portion engages said pawl engaging portion. 6. The latch according to claim 5 wherein the actuator engaging portion has an actuator engaging tooth, and the pawl engaging portion has a first pawl engaging tooth and an adjacent second pawl engaging tooth, wherein when said pawl and said actuator are in the intermediate position said actuator engaging tooth engages between said first pawl engaging tooth and said second pawl engaging tooth. 7. The latch according to any one of claims 1 and 2 wherein said housing has an aperture and said actuator comprises a first actuator plate and an opposed second actuator plate, said first actuator plate and second actuator plate being adjacent to each other and in direct contact with one another such that said actuator has two major exterior surfaces and one of said two major exterior surfaces faces said housing. 8. The latch according to claim 7 wherein the actuator biasing means is a spring having a leg at each of two ends of said spring and one of said legs extends into said aperture in said housing. 9. The latch according to claim 7 wherein one of said first actuator plate and said second actuator plate has a depression and the other of said first actuator plate and second actuator plate has a stud dimensioned and configured for engagement with said depression so as to maintain said first actuator plate and said second actuator plate fixed relative to each other. 10. The latch according to any one of claims 1 and 2 wherein the housing has a u-shaped notch for receiving the striker. 11. The latch according to any one of claims 1 and 2 wherein said striker engaging portion is a first section of said pawl and said actuator engaging portion is a second section of said pawl, wherein said first section and second section being in direct contact with each other and fixed relative to each other. 12. A latch system capable of releasably securing a first member in a closed configuration relative to a second member, wherein said latch system comprises a latch according to any one of claims 1 and 2 and a floating striker housing supporting a striker on the second member, said floating striker housing comprising: a top portion having two opposite ends; an opposed sidewall extending from each of said two opposite ends of said top portion, each of said sidewalls having an aperture for receiving the striker; and two floating striker housing springs, wherein said two floating striker housing springs maintain the entire striker parallel to said top portion and in a centering position in said apertures of said sidewalls whereby said floating striker housing spring permits movement of the striker in said apertures upon impact of said pawl with the striker. 13. The latch system according to claim 12, wherein said floating striker housing further comprises: two sidewall notches on the periphery of each of said sidewalls, each sidewall notch being located proximate the junction of each of said sidewalls with said top portion of said floating striker housing; each of said two floating striker housing springs having two spring legs, wherein each of said spring legs forms a spring loop, each of said spring loops being received and engaged by one of said sidewall notches of each of said two sidewalls; and each of said floating striker housing springs having a spring portion for engaging a surface of the striker. 14. The latch system according to claim 12, wherein said floating striker housing further comprises: a top portion slot which extends through said top portion and which extends between said opposed sidewalls; and said two floating striker housing springs having a u-shaped portion which is biased against a face of said top portion, each of said two floating striker housing springs having two spring legs for engaging a surface of the striker. 15. The latch system according to claim 14 wherein each of said spring legs has a bend proximate an end of said spring leg such that the striker engages said spring leg at a first position between said bend and said end of said spring leg and at a second position between said bend and said u-shaped portion. 16. The latch system according to claim 12, wherein said floating striker housing further comprises: two sidewall protuberances on the periphery of each of said sidewalls, each sidewall protuberance being located proximate the junction of each of said sidewalls with said top portion of said floating striker housing; two floating striker housing springs, each of said floating striker housing springs having two spring legs, each of said spring legs being received and engaged by one of said sidewall protuberances of each of said two sidewalls; and each of said floating striker housing springs having a coil portion for engaging a surface of the striker. 17. A floating striker housing comprising: a top portion having two opposite ends; an opposed sidewall extending from each of said two opposite ends of said top portion, each of said sidewalls having an aperture; a striker extending through said sidewalls within said apertures and capable of moving within said apertures; and two floating striker housing springs engaging the housing, each of said two floating striker housing springs has two spring legs extending proximally from the junction of each of said sidewalls and said top portion, and each of said floating striker housing springs having a spring portion for engaging a surface of the striker, wherein said two floating striker housing springs maintain the entire striker parallel to said top portion and in a centering position in said apertures of said sidewalls. 18. The floating striker housing according to claim 17, further comprising: two sidewall notches on the periphery of each of said sidewalls, each sidewall notch being located proximate the junction of each of said sidewalls with said top portion of said floating striker housing; wherein each of said spring legs forms a spring loop, each of said spring loops being received and engaged by one of said sidewall notches of each of said two sidewalls. 19. The floating striker housing according to claim 17, further comprising: a top portion slot which extends through said top portion and which extends between said opposed sidewalls; and said two floating striker housing springs having a u-shaped portion which is biased against a face of said top portion. 20. The floating striker housing according to claim 19 wherein said spring portion comprises a bend proximate an end of each of said spring legs such that the striker engages each of said spring legs at a first position between said bend and said end of said spring leg and at a second position between said bend and said u-shaped portion. 21. The floating striker housing according to claim 17, further comprising: two sidewall protuberances on the periphery of each of said sidewalls, each sidewall protuberance being located proximate the junction of each of said sidewalls with said top portion of said floating striker housing; said spring legs being received and engaged by one of said sidewall protuberances of each of said two sidewalls; and said spring portion in the shape of a coil. 22. The latch according to any one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising a trigger, said trigger being dimensioned and configured such that pivoting of said trigger pivots said actuator so as to permit the pawl to rotate to the open position.
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