Frictionless Cabinet Latch

Abstract

A flush mounted sliding bolt latching mechanism held in engagement with a spring and disengaged by a pivoting recessed handle with offset lever arm or a pivoting anti-friction rocker arm.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to a new and novel recessed latching mechanism adapted to use on any type of interior door cabinet or panel which is particularly adapted to use on interior doors in a passenger airplane. A sliding bolt latch is held in engagement with a spring. A recessed handle is pivotally mounted with an offset lever arm extending beyond the pivot point. The lever arm extends down into a recess in the sliding bolt to contact the bolt and limit the spring actuated outward travel of the sliding bolt. Raising the recessed handle moves the lever arm to actuate the sliding bolt in a direction against the spring to disengage the latch. The latch may also be moved by a striker acting against a rocker arm rotatably pinned to a support structure. The rocker arm is slotted to accept a pin fastened to and near the end of the sliding bolt. The pivoting rocker arm imparts rectilinear movement to the sliding bolt allowing the bolt with rocker arm to move past the striker. Spring action then reciprocates the sliding bolt to latch the bolt against the back of the striker plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1, is a plan view of a flush mounted latching mechanism with part of the mechanism shown in phantom.

FIG. 2, is a cross sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3, is a side elevation partly in section showing an alternate means of mounting a rocker arm with a sliding bolt latch.

FIG. 4, is a partial plan view of the flush mounted latching mechanism of FIG. 1, in an alternate embodiment with the end of the sliding bolt shortened.

FIG. 5, is a side elevation, partly in section, of the alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A flush mounted latching mechanism 10, best shown in FIG. 1, may be mounted on a cabinet door, not shown. Mechanism structure 12, has projection 14, shaped to accept and to provide sliding surfaces for a sliding bolt 16. The sliding bolt in one preferred embodiment is yoke shaped and has a rounded tail stock 18, and outwardly extending arms 20, and 22. Rib 24, with slot 26, sized to closely accept the tail stock of the sliding bolt acts as a stop for spring 28, which encircles the tail stock and resiliently pushes against sliding bolt 16, at raised area 30.

Recessed handle 32, is pivotally mounted on pin 34, which is mounted to the structure 12, at 36, and 36a. The recessed handle has an offset lever arm 38, which extends down into the recess between sliding bolt arms 20, and 22, to contact the base 40, of the sliding bolt 16.

A rocker arm 42, is rotatably mounted by pin 44, to the projection 14, of structure 12. A slot 46, in the rocker arm allows pin 48, to extend through the rocker arm. The slot may be open ended as shown or may be closed. The pin extends between and is fastened to arms 20, and 22, of the sliding bolt 16.

In operation the latching mechanism 10, is moved against a striker, not shown, with concave surface 50, of the rocker arm 42 contacting the striker. This causes the rocker arm to pivot about pin 44, to provide leverage for anti-friction movement against pin 48, to move sliding bolt 16, against spring 28, to allow the end of the bolt and the rocker arm to move away from the striker. Once past the striker the spring reciprocates the sliding bolt so that it enters the recess behind the striker plate and the ends of the bolt become a latch in combination with the striker. To disengage the latch recessed handle 32, is lifted to rotate around pin 34, and move lever arm 38, against the base 40, of the sliding bolt. The action pushes the bolt against the spring's force, moves the sliding bolt to clear the striker and allow the cabinet door to be opened. Upon releasing the recessed handle the spring reciprocates the sliding bolt and the lever arm 38, limits the travel of the bolt.

In another embodiment see FIG. 3, the sliding bolt is rotated 180 degrees so that the sectional view would now show arm 22, structural projection 14, would now be slotted 52, in the area of the rocker arm 42, to allow the rocker arm to pivot about a new fastening point for pin 44. This alternate embodiment operates in the same manner as previously described, but the cabinet door now approaches the striker from the opposite direction.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown still another embodiment. The ends of sliding bolt arms are cut off as shown at 20a, and 22a; so that the rocker arm 42a, extends beyond 20a and 22a, to now become the fastener member in conjunction with the striker. The rocker arm 42a, is modified. Slot 46a, now becomes an interior instead of an open ended slot as was shown in 46. The upper concave surface 54a, now becomes the contact surface with the striker when the mechanism is in the latched position.

It is apparent to one skilled in the art that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the broad principles of the invention as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A flush mounted cabinet latching mechanism with recessed handle for actuating a sliding bolt latch the end of which has an anti-friction rocker arm for actuating the sliding bolt upon contact with a striker, the mechanism comprising:

a. a yoke shaped sliding bolt,

b. a spring urging the open ended arms of the yoke shaped sliding bolt outward,

c. a recessed handle pivotally mounted and having an offset lever arm extending into, and in contact with, the base of, the slot between the open ended arms, such that movement of the lever arm moves the sliding bolt against the spring,

d. a pivot pin located near the end of and extending between the open ended arms, and

e. a rocker arm slotted to accept the pin extending between the open ended arms, and rotatably pinned to the support structure.

2. A flush mounted cabinet latching mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein: the rocker arm extends beyond the open ended arms of the sliding bolt to become a latch member.

3. A flush mounted cabinet latching mechanism as recited in claim 2, wherein the sliding bolt is rotated 180 degrees and the pin for pivoting the rocker arm is mounted to the support structure at a point to retain the relationship between the sliding bolt and the rocker arm.

4. A flush mounted latching mechanism for passenger transport aircraft interior doors comprising:

a. a slideably mounted yoke shaped latch bolt;

b. a yoke pin between the double armed end of the yoke and extending through a slot in,

c. a rocker arm rotatably pinned to the latch mechanism structure such that contact of the rocker arm against a striker causes rotation of the rocker arm to act against the yoke pin to slide the latch bolt,

d. a recessed handle, having an offset lever arm in contact with the base of the yoke, and being pivotally mounted such that rotation of the handle acts through the offset lever arm to slide the latch bolt to disengage the latch, and

e. a spring resiliently urging the latch bolt into engagement.

5. A flush mounted latching mechanism for passenger transport aircraft interior doors as recited in claim 4, wherein: the rocker arm extends beyond the latch bolt to become the latching means in combination with the striker.

6. A flush mounted latching mechanism for passenger transport interior doors as recited in claim 5, wherein: the attach point, on the latching mechanism structure, of the pivoting pin for the rocker arm is relocated on the opposite side of the latch bolt and the latch bolt is turned over to provide latching from the opposite direction.

7. A flush latching mechanism for passenger transport aircraft interior doors with recessed handle for actuating a sliding bolt latch the end of which has an anti-friction rocker arm for actuating the sliding bolt upon contact with a striker, the mechanism comprising:

a. a yoke shaped sliding bolt,

b. a spring urging the open ended arms of the yoke shaped sliding bolt outward,

c. a recessed handle pivotally mounted and having an offset lever arm extending into, and in contact with, the base of, the slot between the open ended arms, such that movement of the lever arm moves the sliding bolt against the spring,

d. a pivot pin located near the end of and extending between the open ended arms, and

e. a rocker arm slotted to accept the pin extending between the open ended arms, and rotatably pinned to the support structure, such that contact of the rocker arm with a striker imparts rectilinear movement to the sliding bolt latch to first clear then engage the striker due to reciprocal movement imparted by the spring.