Latch assembly

Claim 2

A compartment door latch mechanism comprising: a housing having a cylindrical bore therein, a keeper device engageable latch bolt, pivot means externally mounting the latch bolt on the housing for swinging movement between latched and unlatched positions, a rotary pawl mounted in the cylindrical bore, a cam portion on the latch bolt in communication with the rotary pawl through a slot in the housing, the cam portion in latched position of the latch bolt abutting a surface of the rotary pawl to block unlatching movement of the latch bolt, the rotary pawl having a slot positioned for alignment with the housing slot, key cylinder means rotatably seated in the cylindrical bore and key rotatable between first and second positions, the key cylinder means and the rotary pawl having a lost motion connection therebetween with the rotary pawl being nonresponsive to movement of the key cylinder means between its first and second positions, the key cylinder means being operable when moved beyond the second position to rotate the rotary pawl from latch bolt blocking position to a position in which the cam portion and rotary pawl slot are aligned whereby the cam portion is received within the pawl slot as the latch bolt moves to unlatched position, a first spring means biasing the rotary pawl toward latch bolt blocking position, and a second spring means restoring the key cylinder means to the second position after movement therebeyond.

Claim 3

A compartment door latch mechAnism according to claim 1, in which: the latch bolt is swingable in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore, and the slot in the housing parallels the cylindrical bore longitudinal axis.

Claim 4

A compartment door latch mechanism according to claim 2, in which: the first spring means is positioned between the base of the bore and the contiguous end of the rotary pawl, and the second spring means is positioned between the rotary pawl and the key cylinder means.

Claim 5

A compartment door latch mechanism according to claim 3, in which: the key cylinder means includes a key insertable or withdrawable in either the first or second positions.

Claim 6

A compartment door latch mechanism according to claim 1, in which: the first spring means is positioned between the base of the bore and the contiguous end of the rotary pawl, and the second spring means is positioned between the rotary pawl and the key cylinder means.

Claim 7

A compartment door latch mechanism according to claim 5, in which: the key cylinder means includes a key insertable or withdrawable in either the first or second positions.

Claim 8

A compartment door latch mechanism according to claim 1, in which: the key cylinder means is operable by a key which is insertable or withdrawable in both the first and second positions.

Claim 9

A compartment door latch mechanism according to claim 1, in which: the latch bolt is urged by spring means toward unlatched position so that the cam portion thereof is biased into the rotary pawl slot upon the latter being aligned with the housing slot upon rotation of the rotary pawl by the key cylinder means.

Claim 10

A compartment door latch mechanism having: a housing with an elongated cylindrical bore therein, a keeper device engageable latch bolt pivotally mounted on the housing externally thereof for swinging movement between latched and unlatched positions in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore, a rotary pawl mounted in the cylindrical bore for rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof and having a longitudinally extending slot therein, the latch bolt having a cam portion thereon adapted to communicate with the rotary pawl through a slot in the housing, the housing slot also paralleling the cylindrical bore longitudinal axis, in unlatched position of the latch bolt the cam portion projecting through the housing slot into the rotary pawl slot and in latched position the cam portion projecting through the housing slot and abutting the peripheral surface of the rotary pawl, key cylinder means for rotating the rotary pawl to align the pawl slot with the latch bolt cam portion, and spring means urging the latch bolt toward unlatched position so that the cam portion will drop into the rotary pawl slot upon the latter being aligned with the housing slot, wherein the improvement comprises: the rotary pawl being independent of and longitudinally spaced from the key cylinder means, the key cylinder means being key rotatable between a locked and an unlocked position, the key cylinder means and the rotary pawl having a lost motion connection therebetween with the rotary pawl being nonresponsive to the key cylinder means between its locked and unlocked positions, the key cylinder means being operable when rotated beyond the unlocked position to rotate the rotary pawl into alignment with the housing slot and latch bolt cam portion, and first and second spring means respectively biasing the rotary pawl toward slot and cam portion non-alignment relationship and the key cylinder means to unlocked position after movement therebeyond.

Claim 11

A compartment door latch mechanism having: a housing with an elongated cylindrical bore therein, a keeper device engageable latch bolt pivotally mounted on the housing externally thereof for swinging movement between latched and unlatched positions in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore, a rotary pawl mounted in the cylindrical bore for rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof and having a longitudinally extending slot therein, the latch bolt having a cam portion thereon adapted to communicate with the rotary pawl through a slot in the housing, the housing slot also paralleling the cylindrical bore longitudinal axis, in unlatched position of the latch bolt the cam portion projecting through the housing slot into the rotary pawl slot and in latched position the cam portion projecting through the housing slot and abutting the peripheral surface of the rotary pawl, key cylinder means for rotating the rotary pawl to align the pawl slot with the latch bolt cam portion, and spring means urging the latch bolt toward unlatched position so that the cam portion will drop into the rotary pawl slot upon the latter being aligned with the housing slot, wherein the improvement comprises: the rotary pawl being independent of and longitudinally spaced from the key cylinder means, the key cylinder means being key rotatable between a locked and an unlocked position, the key cylinder means and the rotary pawl having a lost motion connection therebetween with the rotary pawl being nonresponsive to the key cylinder means between its locked and unlocked positions, the key cylinder means being operable when rotated beyond the unlocked position to rotate the rotary pawl into alignment with the housing slot and latch bolt cam portion, and first and second spring means respectively biasing the rotary pawl toward slot and cam portion non-alignment relationship and the key cylinder means to unlocked position after movement therebeyond.

Claim 12

A compartment door latch mechanism according to claim 2, in which: the first spring means is positioned between the base of the bore and the contiguous end of the rotary pawl, and the second spring means is positioned between the rotary pawl and the key cylinder means.