Electrical plug to receptacle latch

Claim 1

A latch assembly for securing a multiple pin electrical connection assembly to an electrical receptacle assembly having a multiplicity of respective receptacles for frictionally receiving said pins including in combination, a base on one of said assemblies, a lug on said one assembly spaced from said base, a handle, means mounting said handle on the other of said assemblies for pivotal movement between an open and a closed position around an axis generally parallel to the plane of said base, a drawhook having a hook opening adjacent one end thereof and means pivotally mounting said drawhook on said handle at a point spaced from said axis for movement between a top dead center position remote from said base and a bottom dead center position adjacent to said base in response to movement of said handle from its open position to its closed position, said hook opening receiving said lug with said one hook end between said lug and said base to cause said hook to drive said pins into said receptacles in response to movement of said handle from open to closed position, the distance between said bottom dead center position and said base in the closed position of said handle being less than the distance between said drawhook pivot point and said base in said closed position to cause said one drawhook end to exert a force on said base tending to draw said pins out of said receptacles as said handle moves from said closed to said open position and auxiliary interengageable means on said handle and on said drawhook operative with said drawhook in engagement with said lug for limiting the movement of said handle toward closed position to a position corresponding generally to the top dead center position of said drawhook operative with said drawhook in engagement with said lug for limiting the movement of said handle toward closed position to a position corresponding generally to the top dead center position of said drawhook.