Latch mechanism

Claim 2

A latching arrangement for use in securing a drawer of a cabinet in either an open or closed position comprising: a latching member pivotally secured to the cabinet frame adjacent the position of the drawer, said latching member having a latching arm; a rear latch stop mounted on the rear portion of the side of said drawer nearest said latching member and positioned to be engageable by said latching arm of said latching member; a front latch stop mounted on the front portion of the side of said drawer nearest said latching member and positioned to be engageable by said latching arm of said latching member; and camming means in which said latching arm is cammed into locking engagement with said rear latch stop as said drawer reaches an open position and in which said latching arm is cammed into locking engagement with said front latch stop as said drawer reaches a closed position, said latching member further including a release means by which said latching arm may be released from locking engagement with said rear latch stop and said front latch stop.

Claim 3

The latching arrangement of claim 1 wherein said camming means comprises: a. in the case of the engagement of the latching member with said rear latch stop in which said drawer is secured in its open position, a camming surface on the forward portion of said latch stop which is engaged by said latching arm as said drawer is opened; and b. in the case of the engagement of the latching member with said front latch stop in which said drawer is secured in its closed position, a camming surface of said latching member which engages a part of said drawer to cause said latching arm to engage said front stop as said drawer is closed.

Claim 4

The latching arrangement of claim 2 wherein the part of said drawer which is engaged by the camming surface of said latching member comprises a notch in the front of said drawer of which the bottom surface is aligned to cam up the camming surface of said latching member as said drawer is closed.

Claim 5

The latching arrangement of claim 3 wherein the means to release said latching member comprises a latching release lever which is accessible on the side of said drawer when said drawer is in its fully open position and which extends forwardly through said notch in the front of said drawer when said drawer is in its fully closed position.

Claim 6

The latching arrangement of claim 4 wherein said latching member camming surface is the lower surface of said latching release lever.

Claim 7

The latching arrangement of claim 1 wherein the camming means includes camming surfaces on said front latch stop and said rear latch stop which are engageable by said latching arm as said front latch stop is engaged as said drawer is closed and as said rear latch stop is engaged as said drawer nears its fully open position.

Claim 8

The latching arrangement of claim 1 including a spring means which is engageable between said latching member and said cabinet frame and is effective to bias said latching arm to its locking position.

Claim 9

A latching arrangement for use in securing a drawer of a cabinet in either an open or closed position comprising: a latching member pivotally secured to the cabinet frame adjacent the position of the drawer, said latching member having a latching arm; a rear latch stop mounted on the rear portion of the side of said drawer nearest said latching member and positioned to be engageable by said latching arm of said latching member and of a configuration so that the latching arm will pass over and drop into locking position as said drawer is opened; a front latch stop mounted on the front portion of the side of said drawer nearest said latching member and positioned to be engageable by said latch arm of said latching member and of a configuration so that the latching arm will pass over and drop into locking position as said drawer is closed; means to restrain said latching member to enable said latching arm to drop only as far as a locked position with respect to said latch stops and during th times said latching arm is free of said latch stops; and camming means in which said latching arm is cammed into locking engagement with said rear latch stop as said drawer reaches an open position and in which said latching arm is cammed into locking engagement with said front latch stop as said drawer reaches a closed position, said latching member further including a release means by which said latching arm may be released from locking engagement with said rear latch stop and said front latch stop.

Claim 10

A latching arrangement for use in securing a drawer of a cabinet in either an open or closed position comprising: a latching member pivotally secured to the cabinet frame adjacent the position of the drawer, said latching member having a latching arm; a rear latch stop mounted on the rear portion of the side of said drawer nearest said latching member and positioned to be engageable by said latching arm of said latching member and of a configuration so that the latching arm will pass over and drop into locking position as said drawer is opened; a front latch stop mounted on the front portion of the side of said drawer nearest said latching member and positioned to be engageable by said latch arm of said latching member and of a configuration so that the latching arm will pass over and drop into locking position as said drawer is closed; means to restrain said latching member to enable said latching arm to drop only as far as a locked position with respect to said latch stops and during th times said latching arm is free of said latch stops; and camming means in which said latching arm is cammed into locking engagement with said rear latch stop as said drawer reaches an open position and in which said latching arm is cammed into locking engagement with said front latch stop as said drawer reaches a closed position, said latching member further including a release means by which said latching arm may be released from locking engagement with said rear latch stop and said front latch stop.

Claim 11

The latching arrangement of claim 8 in which said restraining means comprises a stationary bracket member for said drawer upon which the bottom surface of said latching member abuts as said latching member and attached latching arm pivot to the down position.

Claim 12

The latching arrangement of claim 8 in which said restraining means comprises an engaging arm which abuts against a side column of said cabinet as said latching arm reaches the down position.

Claim 13

The latching arrangement of claim 8 further comprising a washer member which is used in pivotally seucring said latching member to the cabinet frame, said washer member having a sleeve which is insertable in a drill hole in said latching member and further having a groove around which a spring is wrapped, said spring being attached to said latching member at one end and said cabinet at the other to bias said latching arm to a down position.