NZ611238A - Lever Compression Latch - Google Patents

Abstract

611238 A latch controlled by a lever (6) with an over-centre toggle action is disclosed. A base (1) is connected to a hatch and the co-acting striker (4) is attached to a frame. As the lever moves from a closed to an open position a claw (8) that prevented the relative motion of the hatch and the frame rotates out of the striker allowing the relative motion to occur. A compression spring holds the latch in both open and closed positions. rame rotates out of the striker allowing the relative motion to occur. A compression spring holds the latch in both open and closed positions.

Description

NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 Complete Specification Lever Compression Latch 7 July 2013 I, Terence Raymond van der Hoeven, a New Zealand citizen of 58 Attwood Road, Paremoremo, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare this invention to be described in the following statement; Lever Compression Latch (LCL) FIELD This invention relates to a latch that provides a manual driving compression force against a seal on the final closing position of a hinged panel; such as a hatch or door; and then locking the panel in position. However, the prior art and possible applications of the invention, as described below, are given by way of example only.

BACKGROUND Hinged hatches or doors are often fitted with a seal that requires compression when locked closed.

Some existing methods to achieve this are as follows; • Provide sufficient momentum on closing the hatch or door to overcome the seal resistance so a slam latch will engage and lock the panel closed. A common example being a car door being slammed shut.

• A latch design that consists of a rotated handle that is attached to a ramped pawl which contacts a matching ramped striker on rotation to provide a wedged force against the seal.

Friction and a spring typically keep this type of latch locked. This type of latch cannot be 40 slammed in order to lock. The allowable taper due to geometry constants, limits the latched active closing distance. Commercial vessels typically have an exposed lever that is prominent on the hatch. Super-yachts typically employ the use of a removable winch handle.

• Trucks and shipping containers typically employ the use of a rotated torsion bar, driven by 45 an attached lever. The torsion bar has tabs welded at each end that engage against stops, on rotation providing a simple levered force. The lever is locked in position against the door by a gravity toggle. 50 DESCRIPTION The description of a preferred form of the invention to be provided herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, is given by way of example and is not to be taken in any way as limiting the scope or extent of the invention.

Guide example; 1(12) refers to part 1, feature 12 55 Fig 1.

The latch main body consists of two fixed parts; 1. Base. Fixed to the hinged panel via countersunk holes (10). Features fixed pivot (11) and fixed pivot (12). Stops (13) and (14). 2. Tie. Secured to Base via fixed pivots 1(11) and 1(12). The pivot ends are punched to 60 deform as in a rivet to secure the Tie to the Base.

Moving parts; 3. Claw. Features pivot (15), pivot (16), spiral recess (17), spring recess (18). Rotates on fixed pivot 1(11) via pivot (15). 4. Link. Features stub (19). Pinned to Claw via pivot 3(16) and Lever via pivot 5(21) using 65 Pin 6 and Pin 7 respectively.

. Lever. Features pivot (20), pivot (21), stop (22), lever arm (23). Rotates on fixed pivot 1(12) via pivot (20). 6. Pin. Pivot pin between Claw via pivot 3(16) and Link 4. Secured by rivet type ends. 7. Pin. Pivot pin between Lever via pivot 5(21) and Link 4. Secured by rivet type ends. 70 8. Spring. Compression spring fitted between Claw via spring recess 3(18) and Link via stub 4(19).

Latch Striker: 9. Striker. Features bridge (24). Fixed to hatch or door frame via countersunk holes (25).

Engages with Claw 3 via bridge (24) and spiral recess (3)17 in latch operation. 75 Fig 2 : Exploded assembly of LCL parts.

Fig 3: Perspective view of latch in open position.

Fig 4: Perspective view of latch in intermediate position.

Fig 5: Perspective view of latch in closed and locked position.

Fig 6: Cross section of latch in open position; The Base/Lever/Link/Claw assembly of the latch is 80 free to move away from the Striker 9, as dictated by hinges of a hatch or door. As the hatch is closed, the Striker 9, contacts Claw 3, in which the geometry of the spiral recess, 3(17), presents two opposing faces, which on contact with the Striker's bridge feature, 9(24), on rotation of the Claw 3, the moving point of contact between the Striker 9, and the face of the spiral recess remain tangentially perpendicular to the movement of the Striker, while the distance to the point of contact 85 with the Striker and the fixed pivot of the Claw decreases on closing, causing Claw 3 to rotate until resistance of seal stops further movement. See Fig 7. At this time Striker 9 is held captive by Claw 3. If sufficient momentum was applied to close the hatch to cause hatch to travel to its closed position, see Fig 8, latch would lock closed. If resistance of seal prevented full closure manual force applied to Lever 5(23) will apply a significantly greater force to rotate Claw 3, pulling Striker 90 9 to the closed position at which time pin 4(7) moves past the line between fixed pivot 1(12) and pin 4(6), further movement is prevented by the Lever stop 5(22) contacting Base stop 1(14), opening force applied the Claw via the Striker is resisted by Link 4 being over center of the line between pins, therefore locking the latch. See Fig 8. Lifting Lever 5 at 23 will rotate Link 4 anticlockwise releasing Claw 3 and therefore Striker 9. 95 Spring 8 is held captive between Claw 3 and Link 4, maximum compression occurs at an intermediate position, see Fig 7. When Latch is in ether the open or closed position spring has extended therefore applying force to hold Link 4 and Claw 3 apart, stops 13 and 14 on Base 1 dictating both positions. ( Spring not accurately represented in drawings). 100 VARIATIONS While the embodiments described above are currently preferred, it will be appreciated that a wide range of other variations might also be made within the general spirit and scope of the invention and /or as defined by appended claims.

Claims (10)

I Claim:

1. A 'Lever Compression Latch', where force applied to the part, Lever, of the latch, pivots 110 about a fixed center of a part, Base, driving a part, Link, that rotates a part, Claw, also pivoting about a fixed center of the Base, which engages with a part Striker, where a feature of the Claw's geometry includes a spiral recess which presents two opposing faces, which on contact with the Striker's bridge feature, on rotation of the Claw, the moving point of contact between the Striker and the face of the spiral recess remain tangentially 115 perpendicular to the movement of the Striker, while the distance to the point of contact with the Striker and the fixed pivot of the Claw decreases on closing, resulting in the Striker being pulled closer over a significant distance relative to the total depth of the latch, this providing a controlled manual driving compression force against resistance to closure, for example by a seal, closing and locking for example a hinged panel attached to the part, 120 Base, via the Claw acting on the Striker, which is attached to the hinged panels housing frame.

2. A 'Lever Compression Latch' as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Base/Lever/Link/Claw assembly is fixed to a hinged panel, the Base providing mounting holes.

3. A 'Lever Compression Latch' as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Striker is fixed to the panel's housing frame, the Striker providing mounting holes.

4. A 'Lever Compression Latch' as claimed in claim 1, wherein a line connecting the centers 130 of the Link pivots, travels past the fixed Lever pivot's center, on closing, resulting in an over-center lockout.

5. A 'Lever Compression Latch', as claimed in claim 4, where the latch is locked closed, a force applied to the opposite side of the Lever, a lifting force, will release the over-center 135 lockout allowing the Striker to be released from the Claw.

6. A 'Lever Compression Latch', as claimed in claim 1 on closing, where a force applied to the hinged panel, the Claw feature of the spiral recess, on contact with the Striker bridge 140 feature results in the Claw rotating partially, or fully until the Lever Compression Latch is locked, depending on force applied to the hinged panel and resistance met due to for example a seal.

7. A 'Lever Compression Latch', as claimed in claim 1, on closing, where a force applied to 145 the Lever, will drive the Link to rotate the Claw, where the spiral recess, on contact with the Striker bridge feature will pull the Striker home until locked.

8. A 'Lever Compression Latch', as claimed in claim 1, the parts Link and Claw, between which a compression spring is held captive, the spring being at maximum compression 150 midway between the open and closed positions of the latch, therefore the spring actively holding both the open and closed positions of the latch static and stable.

9. A 'Lever Compression Latch', as claimed in claim 1, whereby the Claw feature of the spiral recess features a concave face, the curve of which is similar to the curved face of the 155 contacted bridge feature of the Striker, therefore providing an area contact as opposed to a line contact, allowing a greater force to be transferred between the parts Claw and Striker.

10. A 'Lever Compression Latch' as claimed in any one of the preceding claims substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Terence Raymond van der Hoeven Drawings: