Vehicle door lock assembly

• US 5,171,048 A
• Filed: 03/08/1991
• Issued: 12/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastern Company The
• Original Assignee: Eastern Company The
• Inventors: Weinerman, Lee S., Pastva, John V. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US07/666,793
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 292/27, 292/53, 292/45, 292/169.11, 292/24, 292/25, 292/30, 292/49, 292/124, 292/DIG. 46
• US Class Current: 292/45
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 3/34 with simultaneously operating double bolts locks for sliding wings with bolts pivoting about an axis parallel to the wings E05B65/0835, comprising simultaneously pivoting double hook-like locking members E05B65/0858
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0829 Cam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0849 Operating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0978 Specifically related to vehicle closure

Abstract

A door lock assembly includes a housing-carried set of interactive operating components for mounting on a closure for releasingly engaging a keeper that is carried by structure located adjacent to an opening through which access is controlled by positioning the closure selectively in open and closed positions. The lock assembly is "slam-capable" in that its operating components include a pair of oppositely pivoted, spring-biased jaws that are movable into latching engagement with the keeper as the closure is closed. The lock housing includes a pair of interfitting, cast metal housing members that cooperate to define a housing assembly that has a keeper-receiving formation along a curved end region thereof. Channel-like central formations are defined on the hollow interior of the housing assembly for mounting operating components that include a pair of opposed jaw members that function to latchingly interengage portions of the keeper when the closure is in its closed position. The central formations define a slide channel that selectively movably mounts one of two embodiments of a stamped slide. In one embodiment, the stamped slide is a one-piece member. In an alternate embodiment, the slide is formed by a pair of snap-together stamped components.

Claims

1. A lock assembly, comprising:

a) housing means including first and second housing members having wall portions thereof that extend in spaced, substantially parallel planes for defining a hollow housing interior that is bounded at least in part by formation means for protectively housing and operably mounting selected operating components of the lock assembly within the hollow interior, with the housing means having first and second end regions thereof that are spaced one from the other along an imaginary center plane that extends substantially centrally through the hollow interior and substantially perpendicular to said spaced parallel planes, with the housing means including passage-defining means located near said first end region for defining a keeper-receiving passage that extends along an imaginary passage axis that extends within the center plane and extends substantially perpendicular to said spaced parallel planes, with the keeper-receiving passage being configured to receive portions of a keeper therein when the housing means and the keeper portions are moved relatively toward each other, with the passage-defining means including opposed first and second wall portions that face toward each other and extend along opposite sides of said passage axis and along opposite sides of said center plane so as to be located substantially symmetrically about the center plane, with the passage-defining means also defining opposed first and second latch-member-receiving passages that open through the opposed first and second wall portions into opposite sides of the keeper-receiving passage, with the housing means including lock operator mounting means located near said second end region for mounting lock operator means for rotation about a lock operator axis that extends within the center plane and extends substantially perpendicular to the spaced parallel planes, and with said wall portions of the housing means cooperating to define said hollow housing interior such that it includes first and second communicating portions that are adjacent to each other but are located on opposite sides of said center plane, with the first and second communicating portions cooperating to define a common central chamber that extends from a first end region thereof to a second end region thereof in a manner that is substantially symmetrical in configuration with respect to said center plane, with the housing means having opposed pairs of guide surfaces extending in parallel, end-to-end directions and being arranged symmetrically about the center plane so as to provide slide-guide surfaces at various locations within the central chamber, with the first and second latch-member-receiving passages opening into the first end region of said first and second portions of the central chamber, respectively, to thereby communicate the keeper-receiving passage with a first end region of the central chamber, and with the lock operator mounting means including aligned holes formed through the first and second housing members and opening into the second end region of the central chamber;

b) operating component means connected to the housing means and having at least portions thereof that are protectively housed by the central chamber, including;

i) first and second latch members pivotally connected to the housing means for movement about parallel pivot axes that are spaced equidistantly from the center plane but are located on opposite sides thereof within the first end region of the central chamber, with the latch members each having a base portion that extends from the location of the associated pivot axis in a direction extending away from said center plane toward an associated abutment location with the abutment locations being near opposite peripheral portions of the first end region of the central chamber, and with the latch members having abutment formations connected thereto at said abutment locations, with the latch members also having oppositely curved hook-shaped latching formations that extend away from the base portions and into the latch-member-receiving passages, and with the latch members also having keeper engagement formation means defined on distal end regions of the latching formations for releasably latchingly engaging keeper portions that may be positioned so as to extend into the keeper-receiving passage;

ii) latch member biasing means interposed between the housing means and the first and second latch members for biasing the latch members oppositely about their associated pivot axes to bias the keeper engagement formations toward each other so as to extend into latching engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage;

iii) slide means slidably supported within the central chamber of the housing means and having abutment means connected thereto for extending into the first end region of the central chamber for abuttingly engaging the abutment formations of the latch members for concurrently pivoting the first and second latch members in opposite directions about their associated pivot axes to effect "unlatching" movement of the first and second latch members from engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage, with the aforesaid unlatching movement serving to retract the keeper engagement formation means into the latch-member-receiving passages to release their engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage, with said "unlatching" movement of the latch members resulting from sliding type of corresponding unlatching movement executed by the slide means being moved within the central chamber in a direction extending away from the first end region thereof and toward the second end region thereof, and with the slide means having first driving formation means that extends transversely within the second end region of the central chamber a location near said lock operator axis;

iv) slide biasing means interposed between the housing means and the slide means for biasing the slide means away from the second end region of the central chamber and toward the first end region of the central chamber so that said sliding type of unlatching movement of the slide means is opposed by the slide biasing means;

v) lock operator means pivotally connected to the housing means for pivoting about the lock operator axis, with the lock operator means having second drive formation means for extending into said second end region of the housing means and into driving engagement with the first driving formation means for effecting unlatching movement of the slide means in response to pivotal unlatching movement of the lock operator means about said lock operator axis;

c) said slide means includes a sheet metal stamping that is characterized by a generally U-shaped configuration that is symmetric about the center plane in that it includes first and second leg formations that are mirror images of each other, that define a plurality of edge surface formations for extending into sliding engagement with said slide-guide surfaces at said various locations within the central chamber, that have oppositely extending foot-like formation means that are located within the first end region of the central chamber for defining said abutment formation means, and that extend into the second end region of the central chamber where the first and second leg formations join with an integrally-formed bridging leg that extends transversely through the second end region of the central chamber so as to cross the center plane relatively near to the lock operator axis, with the bridging leg being configured to define at least a portion of the first driving formation means, with the first and second leg formations being substantially flat and extending in a substantially common plane that parallels said spaced, substantially parallel planes of the housing means except that, at locations midway along the lengths of the first and second leg formations, a first pair of upwardly turned, tab-like formations is provided for engaging the slide biasing means, and a second pair of upwardly turned, tab-like formations is provided for enhancing the area of contact between said edge surfaces of the first and second leg formations and a selected pair of said opposed slide-guide surfaces, and with the bridging leg extending in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to said common plane so as to define a relatively flat, thin bridging leg that is drivingly engaged by the lock operator means to effect unlatching movement of the slide means in response to pivotal movement of the lock operator means about the lock operator axis, with the thin, flat bridging leg defining a pair of opposed, substantially flat surfaces on opposite sides thereof that extend substantially perpendicular to said common plane; and

,

d) said slide means additionally includes reinforcing means connected to the bridging leg for extending into juxtaposition with at least one of the pair of opposed, substantially flat surfaces of the bridging leg for reinforcing and for enhancing the strength of the bridging leg.

2. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein the slide means and the reinforcing means all comprise integral portions of the same one-piece member formed as a stamping from sheet metal.

3. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein the slide means and the reinforcing means comprise separately formed, snap-together components stamped from sheet metal.

4. The lock assembly of claim 3 wherein the component that forms said reinforcing means provides gripping of U-shaped cross-section that is configured so as to snugly sandwich major portions of the bridging leg between overlying surfaces of the U-shaped gripping means.

5. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein:

a) the housing means has an end wall portion that bounds the second end region of the central chamber at a location near the center plane;

b) the reinforcing means includes sheet metal structure that joins with but extends away from the U-shaped bridging leg toward said end wall portion; and

,

c) a stop surface is defined by said sheet metal structure for engaging said end wall portion when the slide means is at the full limit of its range of unlatching movement.

6. A lock assembly, comprising:

a) housing means including first and second housing members having wall portions thereof that extend in spaced, substantially parallel planes for defining a hollow housing interior that is bounded at least in part by formation means for protectively housing and operably mounting selected operating components of the lock assembly within the hollow interior, with the housing means having first and second end regions thereof that are spaced one from the other along an imaginary center plane that extends substantially centrally through the hollow interior and substantially perpendicular to said spaced parallel planes, with the housing means including passage-defining means located near said first end region for defining a keeper-receiving passage that extends along an imaginary passage axis that extends within the center plane and extends substantially perpendicular to said spaced parallel planes, with the keeper-receiving passage being configured to receive portions of a keeper therein when the housing means and the keeper portions are moved relatively toward each other, with the passage-defining means including opposed first and second wall portions that face toward each other and extend along opposite sides of said passage axis and along opposite sides of said center plane so as to be located substantially symmetrically about the center plane, with the passage-defining means also defining opposed first and second latch-member-receiving passages that open through the opposed first and second wall portions into opposite sides of the keeper-receiving passage, with the housing means including lock operator mounting means located near said second end region for mounting lock operator means for rotation about a lock operator axis that extends within the center plane and extends substantially perpendicular to the spaced parallel planes, and with said wall portions of the housing means cooperating to define said hollow housing interior such that it includes first and second communicating portions that are adjacent to each other but are located on opposite sides of said center plane, with the first and second communicating portions cooperating to define a common central chamber that extends from a first end region thereof to a second end region thereof in a manner that is substantially symmetrical in configuration with respect to said center plane, with the housing means having opposed pairs of guide surfaces extending in parallel, end-to-end directions and being arranged symmetrically about the center plane so as to provide slide-guide surfaces at various locations within the central chamber, with the first and second latch-member-receiving passages opening into the first end region of said first and second portions of the central chamber, respectively, to thereby communicate the keeper-receiving passage with a first end region of the central chamber, and with the lock operator mounting means including aligned holes formed through the first and second housing members and opening into the second end region of the central chamber;

b) operating component means connected to the housing means and having at least portions thereof that are protectively housed by the central chamber, including;

i) first and second latch members pivotally connected to the housing means for movement about parallel pivot axes that are spaced equidistantly from the center plane but are located on opposite sides thereof within the first end region of the central chamber, with the latch members each having a base portion that extends from the location of the associated pivot axis in a direction extending away from said center plane toward an associated abutment location with the abutment locations being near opposite peripheral portions of the first end region of the central chamber, and with the latch members having abutment formations connected thereto at said abutment locations, with the latch members also having oppositely curved hook-shaped latching formations that extend away from the base portions and into the latch-member-receiving passages, and with the latch members also having keeper engagement formation means defined on distal end regions of the latching formations for releasably latchingly engaging keeper portions that may be positioned so as to extend into the keeper-receiving passage;

ii) latch member biasing means interposed between the housing means and the first and second latch members for biasing the latch members oppositely about their associated pivot axes to bias the keeper engagement formations toward each other so as to extend into latching engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage;

iii) slide means slidably supported within the central chamber of the housing means and having abutment means connected thereto for extending into the first end region of the central chamber for abuttingly engaging the abutment formations of the latch members for concurrently pivoting the first and second latch members in opposite directions about their associated pivot axes to effect "unlatching" movement of the first and second latch members from engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage, with the aforesaid unlatching movement serving to retract the keeper engagement formation means into the latch-member-receiving passages to release their engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage, with said "unlatching" movement of the latch members resulting from sliding type of corresponding unlatching movement executed by the slide means being moved within the central chamber in a direction extending away from the first end region thereof and toward the second end region thereof, and with the slide means having first driving formation means that extends transversely within the second end region of the central chamber a location near said lock operator axis;

iv) slide biasing means interposed between the housing means and the slide means for biasing the slide means away from the second end region of the central chamber and toward the first end region of the central chamber so that said sliding type of unlatching movement of the slide means is opposed by the slide biasing means;

v) lock operator means pivotally connected to the housing means for pivoting about the lock operator axis, with the lock operator means having second drive formation means for extending into said second end region of the housing means and into driving engagement with the first driving formation means for effecting unlatching movement of the slide means in response to pivotal unlatching movement of the lock operator means about said lock operator axis;

c) said slide means is defined, at least in part, by a sheet metal stamping that has a generally U-shaped configuration that is symmetric about the center plane in that it includes first and second leg formations that are mirror images of each other, that define a plurality of edge surface formations for extending into sliding engagement with said slide-guide surfaces at said various locations within the central chamber, that have oppositely extending foot-like formation means that are located within the first end region of the central chamber for defining said abutment formation means, and that extend into the second end region of the central chamber where the first and second leg formations join with an integrally-formed bridging leg that extends transversely through the second end region of the central chamber so as to cross the center plane relatively near to the lock operator axis;

d) said bridging leg is relatively thin and flat, extends in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to said common plane, and defines a first and second opposed, substantially flat surfaces on opposite sides thereof that extend substantially perpendicular to said common plane, with the first of said flat surfaces being positioned to be drivingly engaged by the lock operator means for effecting unlatching movement of the slide means in response to pivotal movement of the lock operator means about the lock operator axis; and

,

e) said slide means additionally includes reinforcing means connected to the bridging leg for extending into supporting engagement with at least the second of the pair of opposed, substantially flat surfaces of the bridging leg for reinforcing and enhancing the strength of the bridging leg.

7. The lock assembly of claim 6 wherein the first and second leg formations are substantially flat and extend in a substantially common plane that parallels said spaced, substantially parallel planes of the housing means except that, at locations midway along the lengths of the first and second leg formations, a pair of upwardly turned, tab-like formations is provided for engaging the slide biasing means.

8. The lock assembly of claim 6 wherein the first and second leg formations are substantially flat and extend in a substantially common plane that parallels said spaced, substantially parallel planes of the housing means except that, at locations midway along the lengths of the first and second leg formations, a pair of upwardly turned, tab-like formations is provided for enhancing the area of contact between said edge surfaces of the first and second leg formations and a selected pair of said opposed slide-guide surfaces.

9. The lock assembly of claim 6 wherein the the slide means and the reinforcing means all comprise integral portions of the same one-piece member formed as a stamping from sheet metal.

10. The lock assembly of claim 6 wherein the slide means and the reinforcing means comprise separately formed, snap-together components stamped from sheet metal.

11. A lock assembly, comprising:

a) housing means including first and second housing members having wall portions thereof that extend in spaced, substantially parallel planes for defining a hollow housing interior that is bounded at least in part by formation means for protectively housing and operably mounting selected operating components of the lock assembly within the hollow interior, with the housing means having first and second end regions thereof that are spaced one from the other along an imaginary center plane that extends substantially centrally through the hollow interior and substantially perpendicular to said spaced parallel planes, with the housing means including passage-defining means located near said first end region for defining a keeper-receiving passage that extends along an imaginary passage axis that extends within the center plane and extends substantially perpendicular to said spaced parallel planes, with the keeper-receiving passage being configured to receive portions of a keeper therein when the housing means and the keeper portions are moved relatively toward each other, with the passage-defining means including opposed first and second wall portions that face toward each other and extend along opposite sides of said passage axis and along opposite sides of said center plane so as to be located substantially symmetrically about the center plane, with the passage-defining means also defining opposed first and second latch-member-receiving passages that open through the opposed first and second wall portions into opposite sides of the keeper-receiving passage, with the housing means including lock operator mounting means located near said second end region for mounting lock operator means for rotation about a lock operator axis that extends within the center plane and extends substantially perpendicular to the spaced parallel planes, and with said wall portions of the housing means cooperating to define said hollow housing interior such that it includes first and second communicating portions that are adjacent to each other but are located on opposite sides of said center plane, with the first and second communicating portions cooperating to define a common central chamber that extends from a first end region thereof to a second end region thereof in a manner that is substantially symmetrical in configuration with respect to said center plane, with the housing means having opposed pairs of guide surfaces extending in parallel, end-to-end directions and being arranged symmetrically about the center plane so as to provide slide-guide surfaces at various locations within the central chamber, with the first and second latch-member-receiving passages opening into the first end region of said first and second portions of the central chamber, respectively, to thereby communicate the keeper-receiving passage with a first end region of the central chamber, and with the lock operator mounting means including aligned holes formed through the first and second housing members and opening into the second end region of the central chamber;

b) operating component means connected to the housing means and having at least portions thereof that are protectively housed by the central chamber, including;

i) first and second latch members pivotally connected to the housing means for movement about parallel pivot axes that are spaced equidistantly from the center plane but are located on opposite sides thereof within the first end region of the central chamber, with the latch members each having a base portion that extends from the location of the associated pivot axis in a direction extending away from said center plane toward an associated abutment location with the abutment locations being near opposite peripheral portions of the first end region of the central chamber, and with the latch members having abutment formations connected thereto at said abutment locations, with the latch members also having oppositely curved hook-shaped latching formations that extend away from the base portions and into the latch-member-receiving passages, and with the latch members also having keeper engagement formation means defined on distal end regions of the latching formations for releasably latchingly engaging keeper portions that may be positioned so as to extend into the keeper-receiving passage;

ii) latch member biasing means interposed between the housing means and the first and second latch members for biasing the latch members oppositely about their associated pivot axes to bias the keeper engagement formations toward each other so as to extend into latching engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage;

iii) slide means slidingly supported within the central chamber of the housing means and having abutment means connected thereto for extending into the first end region of the central chamber for abuttingly engaging the abutment formations of the latch members for concurrently pivoting the first and second latch members in opposite directions about their associated pivot axes to effect "unlatching" movement of the first and second latch members from engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage, with the aforesaid unlatching movement serving to retract the keeper engagement formation means into the latch-member-receiving passages to release their engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage, with said "unlatching" movement of the latch members resulting from sliding type of corresponding unlatching movement executed by the slide means being moved within the central chamber in a direction extending away from the first end region thereof and toward the second end region thereof, and with the slide means having first driving formation means that extends transversely within the second end region of the central chamber a location near said lock operator axis;

iv) slide biasing means interposed between the housing means and the slide means for biasing the slide means away from the second end region of the central chamber and toward the first end region of the central chamber so that said sliding type of unlatching movement of the slide means is opposed by the slide biasing means;

v) lock operator means pivotally connected to the housing means for pivoting about the lock operator axis, with the lock operator means having second drive formation means for extending into said second end region of the housing means and into driving engagement with the first driving formation means for effecting unlatching movement of the slide means in response to pivotal unlatching movement of the lock operator means about said lock operator axis;

c) said slide means includes a sheet metal stamping that is characterized by a generally U-shaped configuration that is symmetric about the center plane in that it includes first and second leg formations that are mirror images of each other, that define a plurality of edge surface formations for extending into sliding engagement with said slide-guide surfaces at said various locations within the central chamber, that have oppositely extending foot-like formation means that are located within the first end region of the central chamber for defining said abutment formation means, and that extend into the second end region of the central chamber where the first and second leg formations join with an integrally-formed bridging leg that extends transversely through the second end region of the central chamber so as to cross the center plane relatively near to the lock operator axis, with the bridging leg being configured to define at least a portion of the first driving formation means, with the first and second leg formations being substantially flat and extending in a substantially common plane that parallels said spaced, substantially parallel planes of the housing means except that, at locations midway along the lengths of the first and second leg formations, a first pair of upwardly turned, tab-like formations is provided for engaging the slide biasing means, and a second pair of upwardly turned, tab-like formations is provided for enhancing the area of contact between said edge surfaces of the first and second leg formations and a selected pair of said opposed slide-guide surfaces, and with the bridging leg extending in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to said common plane so as to define a relatively flat, thin bridging leg that is drivingly engaged by the lock operator means to effect unlatching movement of the slide means in response to pivotal movement of the lock operator means about the lock operator axis;

d) additionally including reinforcing means connected to the bridging leg for enhancing the strength of the bridging leg; and

,

e) wherein the slide means and the reinforcing means comprise separately formed, snap-together components stamped from sheet metal.

13. The lock assembly of claim 11 wherein the component that forms said reinforcing means provides gripping means of U-shaped cross-section that is configured so as to snugly sandwich major portions of the bridging leg between overlying surfaces of the U-shaped gripping means.

12. A lock assembly, comprising:

a) housing means including first and second housing members having wall portions thereof that extend in spaced, substantially parallel planes for defining a hollow housing interior that is bounded at least in part by formation means for protectively housing and operably mounting selected operating components of the lock assembly within the hollow interior, with the housing means having first and second end regions thereof that are spaced one from the other along an imaginary center plane that extends substantially centrally through the hollow interior and substantially perpendicular to said spaced parallel planes, with the housing means including passage-defining means located near said first end region for defining a keeper-receiving passage that extends along an imaginary passage axis that extends within the center plane and extends substantially perpendicular to said spaced parallel planes, with the keeper-receiving passage being configured to receive portions of a keeper therein when the housing means and the keeper portions are moved relatively toward each other, with the passage-defining means including opposed first and second wall portions that face toward each other and extend along opposite sides of said passage axis and along opposite sides of said center plane so as to be located substantially symmetrically about the center plane, with the passage-defining means also defining opposed first and second latch-member-receiving passages that open through the opposed first and second wall portions into opposite sides of the keeper-receiving passage, with the housing means including lock operator mounting means located near said second end region for mounting lock operator means for rotation about a lock operator axis that extends within the center plane and extends substantially perpendicular to the spaced parallel planes, and with said wall portions of the housing means cooperating to define said hollow housing interior such that it includes first and second communicating portions that are adjacent to each other but are located on opposite sides of said center plane, with the first and second communicating portions cooperating to define a common central chamber that extends from a first end region thereof to a second end region thereof in a manner that is substantially symmetrical in configuration with respect to said center plane, with the housing means having opposed pairs of guide surfaces extending in parallel, end-to-end directions and being arranged symmetrically about the center plane so as to provide slide-guide surfaces at various locations within the central chamber, with the first and second latch-member-receiving passages opening into the first end region of said first and second portions of the central chamber, respectively, to thereby communicate the keeper-receiving passage with a first end region of the central chamber, and with the lock operator mounting means including aligned holes formed through the first and second housing members and opening into the second end region of the central chamber;

b) operating component means connected to the housing means and having at least portions thereof that are protectively housed by the central chamber, including;

i) first and second latch members pivotally connected to the housing means for movement about parallel pivot axes that are spaced equidistantly from the center plane but are located on opposite sides thereof within the first end region of the central chamber, with the latch members each having a base portion that extends from the location of the associated pivot axis in a direction extending away from said center plane toward an associated abutment location with the abutment locations being near opposite peripheral portions of the first end region of the central chamber, and with the latch members having abutment formations connected thereto at said abutment locations, with the latch members also having oppositely curved hook-shaped latching formations that extend away from the base portions and into the latch-member-receiving passages, and with the latch members also having keeper engagement formation means defined on distal end regions of the latching formations for releasably latchingly engaging keeper portions that may be positioned so as to extend into the keeper-receiving passage;

ii) latch member biasing means interposed between the housing means and the first and second latch members for biasing the latch members oppositely about their associated pivot axes to bias the keeper engagement formations toward each other so as to extend into latching engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage;

iii) slide means slidably supported within the central chamber of the housing means and having abutment means connected thereto for extending into the first end region of the central chamber for abuttingly engaging the abutment formations of the latch members for concurrently pivoting the first and second latch members in opposite directions about their associated pivot axes to effect "unlatching" movement of the first and second latch members from engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage, with the aforesaid unlatching movement serving to retract the keeper engagement formation means into the latch-member-receiving passages to release their engagement with such keeper portions as may be positioned to extend into the keeper-receiving passage, with said "unlatching" movement of the latch members resulting from sliding type of corresponding unlatching movement executed by the slide means being moved within the central chamber in a direction extending away from the first end region thereof and toward the second end region thereof, and with the slide means having first driving formation means that extends transversely within the second end region of the central chamber a location near said lock operator axis;

iv) slide biasing means interposed between the housing means and the slide means for biasing the slide means away from the second end region of the central chamber and toward the first end region of the central chamber so that said sliding type of unlatching movement of the slide means is opposed by the slide biasing means;

v) lock operator means pivotally connected to the housing means for pivoting about the lock operator axis, with the lock operator means having second drive formation means for extending into said second end region of the housing means and into driving engagement with the first driving formation means for effecting unlatching movement of the slide means in response to pivotally unlatching movement of the lock operator means about said lock operator axis;

c) said slide means is defined, at least in part, by a sheet metal stamping;

d) wherein the bridging leg extends in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to said common plane so as to define a relatively flat, thin bridging leg that is drivingly engaged by the lock operator means to effect unlatching movement of the slide means in response to pivotal movement of the lock operator means about the lock operator axis;

e) wherein the slide means and the reinforcing means comprise separately formed, snap-together components stamped from sheet metal.

14. The lock assembly of claim 12 wherein the component that forms said reinforcing means provides gripping means of U-shaped cross-section that is configured so as to snugly sandwich major portions of the bridging leg between overlying surfaces of the U-shaped gripping means.