Closure fasteners – Bolts – Sliding
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-29
2002-03-19
Dayoan, B. (Department: 3627)
Closure fasteners
Bolts
Sliding
C292S177000, C292S140000, C292S034000, C292S036000, C292S042000, C070S432000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06357806
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a latch device to be equipped in a door of an in-flight meal server (service cart) of an airplane and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1
is a schematic view showing the outline of the in-flight meal server.
The in-flight meal server shown as a whole by the reference number
1
has a box-shaped body
10
, and the body
10
is supported by a caster
12
. A door
20
is fixed to the front and back of the body
10
by a hinge
22
so that it may be opened and closed.
The door
20
may be locked to and unlocked from the body
10
by a latch device
30
.
FIG. 6
is an explanatory view of the door
20
equipped with a conventional latch device.
A latch device
30
has a handle
31
. The handle
31
is fixed so that it may be rotated to the direction moving away from the door through an axis portion
32
on its upper portion. The handle
31
is connected to a lever
36
, and the lever
36
is supported rotatably by a pin
34
.
When the handle
31
is pulled toward a user, the lever
36
connected to the handle
31
rotates to the arrow A direction with the pin
34
at the center of rotation.
A lever
36
is connected to three bolts
41
,
42
and
43
through link rods
45
,
46
and
47
.
The three bolts
41
,
42
and
43
each fit into a catch formed on the body
10
side when protruded, thereby locking the door. When the lever
36
is rotated to the arrow A direction, each link rod pulls in the respective bolt to the door so that the bolt is separated from the catch, and the door is unlocked.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The in-flight meal server is kept at an appropriate position in the galley of the airplane before and after the meal service. At this position, the door is maintained at a locked state by independent primary and secondary devices. Each one of the independent devices is required to satisfy the strength requirement under a predetermined load.
However, in the prior latch device shown in
FIG. 6
, the lever
36
and each bolts
41
,
42
and
43
were directly connected to each other through the link rod, so they were regarded as an independent primary device. Accordingly, a turn retainer positioned in the galley of the airplane was the only secondary device, so there were cases where it was difficult for each of the devices alone to satisfy the strength requirement under the predetermined load.
The present invention provides a latch device solving the problems mentioned above.
The door latch device of the present invention is equipped with a main latch device as the primary device positioned near the handle for operating the latch, and an auxiliary latch device as the secondary device which is connected to the main latch device through a link mechanism. The auxiliary latch device is equipped with an operating portion formed on the surface of the door, a cylinder-shaped body fixed to the interior of the door, a slider inserted slidably to the body, a bolt formed integrally with the slider, a spring biasing the slider to the unlocking direction, and a knob for manually operating the slider so as to secure its independence.
Therefore, by the combination of the turn retainer positioned in the galley of an airplane and the auxiliary latch device as the secondary device, each of the independent devices alone satisfies the strength requirement under the predetermined load.
Further, the operating portion is equipped with a guide groove for guiding the knob, and a lock groove for maintaining the knob in a locked position, as well as a colored plate formed on both sides of the knob for indicating the locked or unlocked state through the guide groove to the exterior.
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Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Dayoan B.
Jamco Corporation
Lugo Carlos
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