US3704906A

US3704906A - Latch device

Info

Publication number: US3704906A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jonathan C Abercrombie
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1970-09-14
Filing date: 1970-09-14
Publication date: 1972-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 1989-12-05
Also published as: ES197309Y; ES197309U

Abstract

Latch device for street lighting luminaires for latching a refractor closure to the luminaire housing. Latch lever arm extending through opening in front of closure member has latch spring detachably connected to it. The spring engages an integrally formed catch on the front surface of the luminaire housing. The lever arm has pivot pins cooperating with spaced upper and lower journal bearings formed on the closure member. The lever arm can be removed through the inner side of the closure member only after the latch spring is detached from the lever arm.

Description

United States Patent Abercrombie u 3,704,906 51 Dec. 5, 1972 l 54] LATCH DEVICE [72] Inventor: Jonathan C. Abercrombie, East Flat Rock,N.C. [73] Assignee: General Electric Company I [22 Filed: Sept. 14,1970

[211 Appl.No.: 71,906

[521 U.s .c1 ..292/247,292/mo.'49 511 int. Cl ..E05c 5/04 [58] Field of Search ..292/247, 257, 258,288,113,

292/DIG. 49, DIG. 42, 71

[56] e References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 323,830 8/1885 Seymour ..292/247 1,901,974 3/1933 Macy ...292/24l X 2,154,001 4/1939 Green ..292/1l3 3,479,701 11/1969 Zerfoss ..292/247 X Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore Attorney-Sidney Greenberg, J. Wesley Haubner, Frank L. Neuhauser, Oscar B. Waddell and Joseph B. Forman [57] ABSTRACT Latch device for street lighting luminaires for latching a refractor closure to the luminaire housing. Latch lever arm extending through opening in front of closure member has. latch spring detachably connected to it. The spring engages an integrally formed catch on the front surface of the luminaire housing. The lever arm has pivot pins cooperating with spaced upper and lower journal bearings formed on the closure member. The lever arm can be removed through the inner side of the closure member only after the latch spring is detached from the lever arm.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUEE '5 I912 SHEET 1 0F 3 PATENTEDHEB" 5 1912' SHEET 3 I]? .3

. LATCH DEVICE The present invention relates 'to a latch device, and more particularly to alatchingmechanism adapted for releasably fastening a closure to a luminaire housing.

It is an object of theiinvention to provide a latch device which has a minimum of :parts, is readily and economically manufactured and installed,is simple and rugged in construction, and reliably and securely fastens the parts of aclosure assembly together while being easily manipulated for opening and closing the same.

It is a particular object of theinvention to provide a latch device of theabove type for therefractor closure assembly in street lighting luminaire.

- Another object of theinvention is to providea latch device of the. above type whereinno fastening hardware isrequirecl to hold the assembly together.

Other objects andadvantages will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

With the above objects in view,'the present invention relates in a preferred embodiment to a closure device comprising a housing, closuremeans movably secured to the housing for movement between closedand open positions relative to the housing, and latching means forreleasably securing the closure means to the housing in closed assembly, the latching means comprising a catch on the housing,'upper and lowerjournal bearing means formed on the closure means defining a pivot axisand each comprising spaced journal bearings, the upper and .:lower :journal bearing means defining a laterally extending openingtherebetween, a lever havthe spring means being movable into latched and unlatched positions upon turning of the lever about the pivot axis in snap-over-center movements.

The invention will be better understood from the fol-. lowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingrdrawings, inwhich:

FIG. lis an elevational-view partly in section of a luminaire embodyingthe invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view partly in section, of Q the front portion of the FIG. 1 luminaire showing the latching deviceof the invention in latched position;

FIG. 1, there is shown a street lighting luminaire in which the invention is embodied and which comprises an elongated upper housing I mounted at its rear end towards the bottom of housing 1, and is suitably FIG. 3 is asimilar view showing the latching device in secured, as by screws 2a or. other means, to the housing. Lamp 5 is arranged within reflector 2 and threadably secured at its baseend to Iampholder 6. The bottom of housing 1 is closed by closure member 4 which is formed at its front end with a retaining frame 4a in which refractor3 is mounted. Closure member 4 is hingedly connected at its rear end to housing 1 by suitable hinge meanstnot shown) for opening and closing movement relativeto the housing. Closure member 4 is releasably attached at its front end by latch mechanism 7. constructed in accordance with the present invention, as more fully described hereinafter. Upon release of latch 7, closure member 4 with refractor 3 retained therein may be swung downwardly about its hinge connection at its rearend, as indicated by the interrupted lines, to provide access to the interior of the luminaire housing for re-lamping or other servicing operations. Upon closing refractor closure 4 and latching it to housing .l,refractor 3 is brought into tight sealing engagement with the gasketed flange 2b of reflector 2.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention,

there is provided alatch mechanism 7 comprising an operating lever arm 8 (see FIG. 5) integrally formed at mediate their ends for' respectively receiving the

free ends

9a, 9b of a bent generally U-shaped latch spring 9. Between

pins

8a, 8b, lever arm 8 is formed with an intermediate journal portion 8m. The end portions of

pins

8a, 8b have flat rear surfaces, and those portions of

pins

8a, 8b outwardly adjacent to flanges 8c, 8d have flat front. faces 83, 8h.

Pins

8a, 8b are further formed with angular projections 8i, 8k spaced inwardly from the ends of the pins. I

Closure member 4, is formed at its front end with a recessed portion 11 for receiving, retaining, and defining operational limits of latch lever 8.

Outer journal bearings

10a and 10b (see FIG. 6) are formed in

bearing bosses

10,10 at opposite sides of recess 11 in closure member 4for receiving theends of

opposite pins

8a, 8b, thus retaining lever arm 8 (see FIG. 4). A lower ledge extends between bearing

bosses

10,10 as seen best in FIG. 6. An upper ledge 12 formed integrally with closure 4 extends above lower ledge 10c parallel thereto and spaced therefrom so as to define an elongated laterally extending opening 14. The ends of ledge 12 which are formed with inner journal bearings 12a, 12b are spaced inwardly of

bosses

10,10, the arrangement being such that both inner and outer journal bearings have a common axis.

Upper housing 1 is recessed in its front end and is formed therein with an integral ledge or catch 1a (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In the installed, latched position of latch mechanism 7 as seen in FIG. 2, lever arm 8 is arranged extending downwardly below closure member 4 with its

pivot pins

8a, 8b engaging journal bearings 12a,

12b and journal portion 8m engaging the underside of ledge 12, and withthe bight portion 9c of spring 9 in engagement with catch la. In being moved to this latching position,lever arm 8 is snapped over center, so that spring 9 resiliently holds housing 1 and closure member 4 in firmly closed assembly.

To release the latch, lever arm 8 is turned in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 2 so as to release spring 9 from housing catch la as shown in FIG. 3 and permit closure 4 to be swung downwardly to open position. During such turning of lever arm 8, the curved portions of the pivot pins opposite fiat surfaces 83, 8h respectively rotatably bear on upper (inner) journal bearings 12a, 12b, and intermediate journal portion 8m bears on the lower surface of ledge 12, as is evident in FIGS. 2 and 3.-

In the assembly of lever arm 8 with closure member 4, projections 8i, 8k on lever arm 8 formed between the pin bearingsurfaces are arranged outwardly adjacent the outer ends of ledge 12, so that during the turning movement of lever arm 8, projections 8i, 8k serve as guides or retaining means for holding lever arm 8 against substantial lateral shifting relative to ledge 12.

.To assemble the latching mechanism, lever arm 8 with spring 9 removed is inserted as shown in FIG. 7

from the inside of closure member 4 through opening 14 between ledge 12 and ledge 10c in the direction indicated by the arrow. The cut-away flat surfaces at the ends of

pins

8a, 8b and the similar cut-away pin surfaces 8g, 8h permit the lever pin portion to clear the upward projections of bosses l0, l0 and the downward projections at the end of ledge 12 so that lever arm 8 may be moved into operative position as shown in FIG. 3 When lever arm 8 is thus installed, spring 9 is readily assembled therewith by pressing together the free ends of the spring and inserting them in recesses 8e, 8f in the lever arm flanges 8c, 8d. With spring 9 thus in place, lever arm 8 cannot be disassembled from closure member 4, since any attempt to'move arm 8 back into closure member 4 when in the position shown in FIG. 3 will result in the free ends of spring 9 coming into contact with

stop bosses

15, 15a formed at opposite sides of recess 1 1 in closure member 4 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Only by first removing spring9 from lever 8 can the latter be moved back into closure member 4 for disassembly therefrom. In such reverse movement of lever arm 8, the latter must be in the position shown in FIG. 3 to enable its cut-away pin surfaces to clear the projections of bosses 10, 10' and ledge 12 as previously described, so that lever arm 8 can be entirely removed.

While the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without actually departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover all such equivalent variations as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A closure device comprising, in combination, a housing, closure means movably secured to said housing for movement between closed and open positions relative to said housing, and latching means for rele sabl securin said losure means and said housing in close assembfi', Sal; latching means comprising a catch on said housing, upper and lower journal bearing means formed on said closure means defining a pivot axis and each comprising spaced journal bearings, said upper and lower journal bearing means defining a laterally extending opening therebetween, a lever having one end thereof formed with opposite laterally projecting pivot pins, said pivot pins arranged in said journal bearings in separable engagement therewith, said lever being turnable about said pivot axis between latched and unlatched positions, said lever being movablethrough said opening when in unlatched position for assembly and disassembly from said closure means, and elongated spring means pivotally secured at one end to said lever and engageable at its other end with said housing catch, said spring means being movable into latched and unlatched positions upon turning of said lever about said pivot axis in snap-over-center movements.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, the journal bearings of said upper journal bearing means being laterally spaced from the journal bearings of said lower journal bearing means.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, the journal bearings of said upper journal bearing means being spaced laterally inwardly from the journal bearings of said lower journal bearing means.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, said spring means being detachably secured at said one end to said lever, and stop means on said closure means adjacent said lever for preventing movement of said spring means through said opening with said lever, whereby disassembly of said lever from said closure means is enabled only after detachment of said spring means therefrom.

5. A device as defined in claim 3, said lever at said one end having projecting retaining means arranged outwardly adjacent said upper journal bearings.

6. A device as defined in claim 5, said projecting pivot pins having recessed end portions for clearing said lower journal bearing means when said lever is moved through said opening in unlatched position.

7. A device as defined in claim 6, said pivot pins having recessed portions inwardly of said end portions for clearing said upper journal bearing means when said lever is moved through said opening in unlatched position.

8. A device as defined in claim 1, said catch comprising a projection integral with said housing.

9. A device as defined in claim 1, said elongated spring means being in bent generally U-shaped form having a bight portion engageable with said housing catch and having laterally extending free ends detachably connected to said lever and projecting laterally therefrom, and stop means on said closure means adjacent said lever for preventing movement of said spring means through said opening with said lever, whereby disassembly of said lever from said closure means is enabled only after detachment of said spring means therefrom.

10. A device as defined in claim 9, said stop means comprising surface means arranged in the path of said projecting free ends of said spring means in movement of said lever toward said opening in unlatched position.

Claims

1. A closure device comprising, in combination, a housing, closure means movably secured to said housing for movement between closed and open positions relative to said housing, and latching means for releasably securing said closure means and said housing in closed assembly, said latching means comprising a catch on said housing, upper and lower journal bearing means formed on said closure means defining a pivot axis and each comprising spaced journal bearings, said upper and lower journal bearing means defining a laterally extending opening therebetween, a lever having one end thereof formed with opposite laterally projecting pivot pins, said pivot pins arranged in said journal bearings in separable engagement therewith, said lever being turnable about said pivot axis between latched and uNlatched positions, said lever being movable through said opening when in unlatched position for assembly and disassembly from said closure means, and elongated spring means pivotally secured at one end to said lever and engageable at its other end with said housing catch, said spring means being movable into latched and unlatched positions upon turning of said lever about said pivot axis in snap-over-center movements.