Closure fasteners – Keepers – With silencing or anti-rattle means
Patent
1996-04-12
1998-03-17
Lindsey, Rodney M.
Closure fasteners
Keepers
With silencing or anti-rattle means
292DIG56, E05B 1502
Patent
active
057278253
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to latch assemblies for securing doors and other closures, particularly but not exclusively on passenger and other vehicles. In the case of vehicles the latch assemblies may be used for passenger doors, or for such closures as boot or trunk lids, tailgates, bonnets and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The latch assembly is usually mounted on the door or other closure to coact with and engage a striker element on the door post or other frame. However, for some applications the latch assembly may be mounted on the fixed post or other frame to coact with a striker carried on the door or other closure, one common example being a vehicle bonnet latch.
In all cases, particularly in connection with vehicles, it is important chat the mechanism of the latch engages the striker positively whenever the door or other closure is closed and that it cannot be accidentally displaced or released from its secured condition. Hence, the striker needs to be brought into accurate alignment with the operative parts of the latch assembly despite the effects of unavoidable, manufacturing tolerances, vibration and flexure of the closure and its frame, and wear and tear.
Furthermore any play between the striker and the latch assembly in the closed condition may result in unacceptable rattles and squeaks and will also cause additional wear on locating surfaces and other parts of the mechanism which will rapidly worsen the condition.
There have been various proposals for accommodating wear and misalignment in latch assemblies and coacting strikers, for example forming interengaging parts thereof of wear resistant plastics materials having a limited degree of resilience, and/or incorporating resiliently loaded displaceable pads or buffers but these intended solutions have not always proved successful in practice as regards effectiveness, resistance to wear in long term use, and ease of manufacture and assembly.
The object of the present invention is co provide a latch assembly of simple and economical construction which is particularly effective, safe and secure in use, has good durability and resistance to wear, and which provides particularly effective and accurate positioning and retention of the striker at the closed condition in a simple manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a latch assembly for operative mounting on a door or other closure or on a frame thereof for releasable engagement with a striker element of the other of the frame or closure to secure the closure in its closed condition, said assembly including a latch body having a mouth in which the striker element is received, and releasable catch mechanism automatically retaining said element at an inward closed position thereof in the month; characterised in that said assembly further includes a pair of spaced jaws constituting opposing side walls of the mouth, at least one said jaw being displaceable and resiliently urged to an outward position in the mouth at which the striker can enter between it and the other said jaw, inward relative movement of the striker to the closed position carrying said at least one jaw inward to be acted on by a wedging formation of the body which urea that jaw towards said other jaw for laterally gripping engagement of the striker.
Preferably both jaws are displaceable, resiliently urged to an outward position, and carried inward to be acted on by opposing wedging formations of the body on said inward movement of the striker for said gripping engagement therewith.
Conveniently the pair of displaceable jaws are linked by a yoke at the innermost end of the mouth, said inward movement of the striker being applied through said yoke to carry both jaws inward in unison.
The displaceable jaws and yoke may be formed as a unitary component, typically a U-section resilient plastics moulding or extrusion.
Preferably the assembly further includes a resilient buffer within the mouth which is abutted by the striker at the closed position, the engagement of the latter with the buffe
REFERENCES:
patent: 3848911 (1974-11-01), Watermann et al.
patent: 4165112 (1979-08-01), Kleefeldt
patent: 4869536 (1989-09-01), Kleefeldt
patent: 4941696 (1990-07-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 5064229 (1991-11-01), Hamada et al.
patent: 5141270 (1992-08-01), Shibata
patent: 5209532 (1993-05-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 5316354 (1994-05-01), Arabia, Jr. et al.
Lindsey Rodney M.
Rockwell Light Vehicle Systems (UK) Ltd.
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