초록 ▼

Apparatus and methods for engaging and disengaging various members to each other are described herein. The preferred apparatus and methods reduce the number of components and/or sub-assemblies in hinged apparatus and methods and other applications, and simplify and improve the quality and efficiency

Apparatus and methods for engaging and disengaging various members to each other are described herein. The preferred apparatus and methods reduce the number of components and/or sub-assemblies in hinged apparatus and methods and other applications, and simplify and improve the quality and efficiency of installation and removal of latches associated with the hinged elements or members. The latching/locking system and methods of the invention also enable selective relatively permanent engagement of the hinged elements or members to each other, and can permit selective transition between the foregoing hinged and locked relationships. Improved latches are disclosed, with interchangeability, keying to assist assembly, and other features. Methods of fabrication and assembly are disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A latch for selectively engaging and disengaging a first container component to a second container component, the latch being operable from a first side and a second opposing side, the latch comprising: a central body portion having a first central body chamber and a second central body chamber s

1. A latch for selectively engaging and disengaging a first container component to a second container component, the latch being operable from a first side and a second opposing side, the latch comprising: a central body portion having a first central body chamber and a second central body chamber spaced from the first central body chamber, and a first recess positioned on a first side of the central body portion and a second recess positioned on a side opposite the first side, the first recess separated from the second recess by a central web wherein the first recess forms in part a first hand grasp portion to enable a user to linearly compress the latch on a first side of the central body portion and the second recess forms a second hand grasp portion to enable a user to linearly compress the latch on a second side of the central portion;a first catch element extending outward from a first end of the central body portion;a plunger element connected to a second end of the central body opposing the first end, the plunger element having a first arm having an interior chamber and an opening at a first end and a closed second end distal from the first end and a second arm having an interior chamber and an opening at a first end and a closed second end distal from the first end, the second arm spaced from the first arm, the first arm connected proximate the second end of the first arm to proximate the second end of the second arm by a bridge, wherein the first arm is in sliding relationship with the first central body chamber of the central body portion and the second arm is in sliding relationship with the second central body chamber of the central body portion; and,a force expansion member acting to force the bridge of the plunger element in a direction away from the catch element extending from the first end of the central body, the force expansion member having a first portion positioned in the interior chamber of the first arm and the first central body chamber of the central body portion, and a second portion positioned in the interior chamber of the second arm and the second central body chamber of the central body portion. 2. The latch of claim 1, wherein the force expansion member being compressible by application of compressive forces on the central body and the plunger element. 3. The latch of claim 2, wherein the first arm is cylindrical and the second arm is cylindrical. 4. The latch system of claim 2, wherein the first thing is a drop door within a collapsible container sidewall and the second thing is a collapsible container sidewall. 5. The latch system of claim 2, wherein the first thing is a sidewall and the second thing is a collapsible container. 6. The latch of claim 3, wherein the central body portion includes at least one catch element that is positioned offset from one of a horizontal centerline and a vertical centerline of the latch. 7. The latch of claim 3, wherein the catch element has an asymmetric shape. 8. The latch system of claim 3, including at least one detent member on the plunger element engaging a corresponding detent track on the central body portion to permit movement of the plunger element toward the central body portion and to limit movement of the plunger element away from the central body portion. 9. The latch of claim 3, wherein the force expansion member includes a first spring positioned in the interior chamber of the first arm and a second spring positioned in the interior chamber of the second arm. 10. The latch of claim 9, wherein the first chamber is cylindrical and the second chamber is cylindrical. 11. The latch system of claim 5, further including a drop door positioned within the sidewall. 12. The latch system of claim 11, wherein the drop door includes: a first pocket substantially the same as the first pocket of the sidewall to selectively removably receive a latch at least substantially identical to the first latch to selectively engage and disengage the drop door to the sidewall or a first plug to relatively more permanently engage the drop door to the sidewall. 13. The latch system of claim 12, further including a plurality of similarly sized and shaped pockets on said drop door and said sidewall, a plurality of latch assemblies interchangeably usable within any of said pockets. 14. The latch system of claim 13, further including a plurality of plugs interchangeable with the first plug to replace respective latch assemblies and thereby relatively more permanently engage the sidewall, container, and drop door elements. 15. The latch of claim 1, wherein the first arm of the plunger element has a first distal end that extends beyond the bridge and the second arm of the plunger element has a second distal end that extends beyond the bridge. 16. The latch of claim 1, wherein the latch further includes a second catch element spaced from the first catch element. 17. A latch compressible from a first side and a second side comprising: a first member;a second member having a first arm with an internal chamber and an opening at a first end and a second end distal from the first end and a second arm with an internal chamber and an opening at a first end and a second end distal from the first end, the first arm spaced from the second arm by a bridge connected proximate the second end of the first arm and proximate the second end of the second arm; anda central body joined to the first member so that the first member extends outward from a first end of the central body in a first direction, and movably connected at a second end opposite the first end to the second member by a third member, the central body including a first central body chamber for receiving the first arm of the second member and a second central body chamber for receiving the second arm of the second member, and a first recess positioned on a first side of the central body portion and a second recess positioned on a side opposite the first side, the first recess separated from the second recess by a central web wherein the first recess forms in part a hand grasp portion to enable a user to linearly compress the latch on a first side of the central body portion and the second recess forms a hand grasp portion to enable a user to linearly compress the latch on a second side of the central portion,wherein the third member is positioned within the first and second central body chambers of the central body and the interior chamber of the first arm and the interior chamber of the second arm to force the second member in a direction opposite from the first direction and into engagement with a first container component, to enable engagement of the first member with a second container component,wherein movement of the central body toward the second member compresses the third member to permit engagement and disengagement of the first container component from the second container component. 18. The latch of claim 17, wherein the second member includes a bridge between the first arm and the second arm. 19. The latch of claim 17, wherein the first chamber is cylindrical and the second chamber is cylindrical. 20. The latch of claim 17, wherein said latch includes a catch element keyed to be received in a pocket only in a predetermined alignment. 21. The latch of claim 20, wherein said keying is accomplished by offsetting the catch element from one of the horizontal and vertical centerlines of the latch member. 22. The latch of claim 17, wherein the latch is spring-loaded to permit it to be relatively completely collapsed for insertion into a pocket and further including means to prevent said relatively complete collapse during actuation of the latch to disengage a first and second container component from each other. 23. The latch of claim 19, wherein the first container component is a drop door and the second container component is a side wall. 24. The latch of claim 18, wherein the second member includes a detent member to engage a corresponding detent track on the central body. 25. The latch conversion system of claim 18, wherein the first thing includes access ports to permit manipulation of the latch member from opposite sides of the first thing when the first latch is positioned in the pocket. 26. The latch conversion system of claim 25, wherein the latch member includes a first recess on one side and a second recess on an opposite side to facilitate manipulation of the latch member to disengage the first and second thing from each other. 27. A container assembly, including at least one sidewall, at least one drop door positioned within a corresponding opening in said sidewall, at least one set of interfering strictures acting between the drop door and the sidewall to engage each other when inward and or outward forces are applied on one or both of the sidewall and drop door, and at least one locking plug holding the sidewall and the drop door and the set of interfering structures in operative alignment. 28. The container assembly of claim 27, in which the interfering structures generally form a tongue-and-groove cross-section. 29. The container assembly of claim 27, including at least one hinge member mountable between the sidewall and the drop door, and at least one latch member mountable in place of the at least one locking plug to permit the drop door to move in a hinged relationship with respect to the sidewall. 30. The latch mechanism of claim 27 in combination with a collapsible container sidewall having a drop door access panel, in which the plurality of locations include receiving areas on both the sidewall and the drop door access panel, and the receiving areas are keyed to correspond to the keyed latch mechanism to require a desired orientation of the latch mechanism in order to assemble it into any receiving area. 31. A collapsible container assembly, comprising: a sidewall having at least one connector-receiving area; a drop door positioned within said sidewall and having at least one connector-receiving area; a plurality of uniform latch members usable in any such connector-receiving area. 32. The collapsible container assembly of claim 31, in which said latch members include catch portions keyed correspondingly to said connector-receiving areas, said keying ensuring that said latch members can only be assembled with said connector-receiving areas in an operable orientation. 33. The collapsible container assembly of claim 31, in which said latch members are readily removable from engagement with said connector-receiving areas. 34. The collapsible container assembly of claim 31, further including a plurality of uniform plug members usable in at least said drop door connector-receiving area to relatively more permanently engage the drop door to the sidewall. 35. The system of claim 31, in which said second thing is adjacent to a third thing, and said plurality of latches are engageable with corresponding secondary latch-receiving structures on said second thing, said plurality of latches and said corresponding secondary latch-receiving structures configured and positioned to selectably hold said second thing in a desired engagement with said third thing. 36. The system of claim 35, in which said first thing is a drop door, said second thing is a sidewall, and said third thing is an adjacent sidewall. 37. The system of claim 31, including a plurality of locking members interchangeably mountable in said plurality of corresponding latch-receiving structures on said first thing, said locking members and latch-receiving structures configured and positioned to relatively permanently hold said first thing in a desired engagement with said second thing. 38. An engagement system, including a plurality of locking members interchangeably mountable in a plurality of corresponding locking member-receiving structures on a first thing, said first thing being adjacent to a second thing and said locking members and locking member-receiving structures configured and positioned to relatively permanently hold said first thing in a desired engagement with said second thing. 39. The system of claim 38, in which said second thing is adjacent to a third thing, and said plurality of locking members are engageable with secondary locking member-receiving structures on said second thing, said locking members and said secondary locking member-receiving structures configured and positioned to relatively permanently hold said second thing in a desired engagement with said third thing. 40. The system of claim 38, in which said first thing is a drop door, said second thing is a sidewall, and said third thing is an adjacent sidewall. 41. The system of claim 38, including a plurality of latch members interchangeably mountable in said plurality of corresponding locking member-receiving structures on said first thing, said latch members and locking member-receiving structures configured and positioned to selectably hold said first thing in a desired engagement with said second thing. 42. The system of claim 38, in which the locking members and the locking member-receiving structures are keyed to require that they be assembled in a desired orientation relative to each other. 43. A convertible container sidewall, including a first part and a second part, at least one pocket formed on said first part to interchangeably receive a latch or a locking member, said first part, said second part, said pocket, said latch, and said locking member being configured and positioned so that (a) selection and use of the latch selectably holds the first part in a desired relationship with said second part, and (b) selection and use of the locking member relatively permanently holds the first part in a desired relationship with said second part.