LATCH ASSEMBLY

• US 20130099511A1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inteva Products LLC (Renco Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Inteva Products LLC (Renco Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dow, Ian J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,187,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/226
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2015/0493 Overcenter springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/15 with means preventing the detent to return to its latching position before the bolt has moved to the unlatched position
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 3/22 the bolt being spring controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1059 Lever

Abstract

A latch having a fork bolt and a detent lever is provided. The detent lever moves between an engaged position, wherein the detent lever engages the fork bolt and a disengaged position wherein the detent lever is disengaged from the fork bolt. A first spring acts on the detent lever, the first spring has a first biasing position wherein the detent lever is biased into the engaged position and has a second biasing position wherein the detent lever is biased into the disengaged position. The first spring moves between the first biasing position and the second biasing position during unlatching of the latch and the first spring is in the first biasing position during latching of the latch.

Claims

1. A latch comprising:

a fork bolt movable between an open position and a closed position;

a detent lever configured to cooperate with the fork bolt, the detent lever movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, in the engaged position the detent lever engages the fork bolt and in the disengaged position the detent lever is disengaged from the fork bolt;

a first spring acting on the detent lever, the first spring having a first biasing position where the detent lever is biased in the engaged position and having a second biasing position where the detent lever is biased in the disengaged position, the first spring moving between the first biasing position and the second biasing position during unlatching of the latch, the first spring is in the first biasing position during latching of the latch; and

a second spring acting on the fork bolt to urge the fork bolt rotationally towards the open position, the first and second springs cooperating to maintain the fork bolt in the closed position when the latch is latched.

2. The latch of claim 1, wherein the first spring is a torsion spring.

3. The latch of claim 2, wherein the first spring has a center axis which is in a first position when the first spring is in the first biasing position and in a second position when the first spring is in the second biasing position, the first and second positions are each offset from an axis of rotation of the detent lever.

4. The latch of claim 1, wherein the second spring is a torsion spring.

5. The latch of claim 4, wherein the second spring has a center axis which is proximate an axis of rotation of the fork bolt.

6. The latch of claim 1, wherein the first and second springs are torsion springs.

7. The latch of claim 6, wherein:

the first spring has a center axis which is in a first position when the first spring is in the first biasing position and in a second position when the first spring is in the second biasing position, the first and second positions are each offset from an axis of rotation of the detent lever; and

the second spring has a center axis which is proximate an axis of rotation of the fork bolt.

8. The latch of claim 1, wherein the fork bolt has a first arcuate surface and the detent lever has a second arcuate surface, the second arcuate surface configured to cooperate with first arcuate surface to urge the detent lever towards the engaged position as the fork bolt moves towards the closed position.

9. A latch for cooperating with a striker pin, the latch comprising:

a housing;

a fork bolt rotationally mounted to the housing, the fork bolt having a throat portion receptive to the striker pin, the fork bolt being rotatable between an open position and closed position, in the open position the fork bolt is free to move away from or towards the striker pin and in the closed position the fork bolt is secured about the striker pin;

a detent lever rotationally mounted to the housing and configured to cooperate with the fork bolt, the detent lever being rotatable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, in the engaged position the detent lever engages the fork bolt and in the disengaged position the detent lever is disengage from the fork bolt;

a first spring attached at one end thereof to the detent lever and at an other end thereof to the housing, the first spring having a first biasing position where the detent lever is biased in the engaged position and having a second position where the detent lever is biased in the disengaged position, the first spring having a center axis which is in a first position when the first spring is in the first biasing position and in a second biasing position when the first spring is in the second biasing position, the first and second positions are each offset from an axis of rotation of the detent lever, the first spring moving between the first biasing position and the second biasing position during unlatching of the latch, the first spring is in the first biasing position during latching of the latch; and

a second spring attached at one end thereof to the fork bolt and at an other end thereof to the housing, the second spring has a center axis which is proximate an axis of rotation of the fork bolt, the second spring urging the fork bolt rotationally towards the open position.

10. The latch of claim 9, wherein the first spring is a torsion spring.

11. The latch of claim 9, wherein the second spring is a torsion spring.

12. A method of operating a latch comprising:

rotating a fork bolt between an open position and a closed position;

moving a detent lever between an engaged position and a disengaged position;

engaging the detent lever with the fork bolt when the detent lever is in the engaged position;

disengaging the detent lever from the fork bolt when the detent lever is in the disengaged position;

biasing the detent lever in a first bias position where the detent lever is biased in the engaged position and in a second bias position where the detent lever is biased in the disengaged position, wherein the detent lever is biased in the first bias position and the second bias position during unlatching of the latch, and the detent lever is biased in the first bias position during latching of the latch; and

biasing the fork bolt towards the open position.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the biasing the detent lever comprises biasing with a first spring having a center axis, the first spring is in a first spring position when the detent lever is in the first bias position and in a second spring position when the detent lever is in the second bias position, the center axis of the first spring in the first and second spring positions is offset from each other and offset from an axis of rotation of the detent lever.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the biasing the fork bolt comprises biasing with a second spring having a center axis which is proximate an axis of rotation of the fork bolt.