Patent Application
20100237637
The present invention relates to devices for coupling one object to another, and more particularly to a latching mechanism particularly suitable for latching one object to an underlying object, which latching mechanism may operate in pushbutton fashion to release the latched object.
It is frequently necessary to keep objects coupled together, and to periodically release these objects from the coupled condition. For example, hinged doors and other closures may ordinarily be kept closed, but are opened periodically to afford access to the space sealed by the closure. Conventionally, rotatable hand operated latches may be provided to latch and unlatch a closure from its associated receptacle. However, rotatable latches typically have exposed projecting components which may become entangled with environmental objects, damaged, or lost.
In one example, the hood of a motor vehicle may require a latch which is readily actuated to release the hood for opening. Although passenger vehicles are conventionally provided with latches which engage automatically and which are manually released from the passenger cabin, supplementary latches have been provided for securing the hood. Typically, these latches utilize lanyards and other components which are susceptible to damage and loss due in part to the fact that they project upwardly above the hood surface. Environmental objects can easily become entangled with latch components, which may distort the latch and damage the environmental objects.
It would be desirable in situations such as that regarding exposed hood latches to provide a latch which may be essentially flush with the surface of its associated closure, and which is readily manually actuated. There exists a need for a potentially flushly mounted, manually actuated latch for latching two objects to one another and unlatching the same.
The present invention sets forth a latching arrangement which satisfied the above stated needs. The latching arrangement may comprise a large headed object which is fixed to an object, and a receptacle fixed to another object such as a closure, which releasably entraps the large head of the large headed object.
The large headed object may be entrapped by spherical objects such as ball bearings, which are retained in a surrounding collar bearing passages formed in the wall of the collar. In the latched condition, the ball bearings are so close to the enlarged head that they interfere with the ability of the large head to pass through the collar and escape therefrom.
A pushbutton assembly may telescopically encircle the collar. The pushbutton assembly may have an area displaying a constricted opening which holds the ball bearings in place in the interfering position, so as to assure interference with the enlarged head. Depressing the pushbutton assembly may expose the ball bearings to space into which the ball bearings may move, thereby moving out of the interfering position. The enlarged head may then drop out of engagement with the surrounding collar, with the consequence that the formerly latched objects are now unlatched.
The novel latching arrangement is particularly suited for securing a closure to a cabinet or compartment having an internal space which is closed by the closure. One particular example is for keeping the hood of a motor vehicle closed.
It is an object of the invention to provide a latch which may be manually depressed for actuation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a latch which may be formed substantially flush with an object to which it is attached.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
The latch 10 may be said to comprise stationary parts which are anchored to the environmental substrate 2, and moving parts. The stationary parts may include a housing 12 and a mounting flange 14. The housing 12 is a structural base to which other components of the latch 10 are fixed. The mounting flange 14 provides convenient structure for securing the latch 10 to the environmental substrate 2. The housing 12 has an internal space 16 for containing other components of the latch 10. One of these other components is a receptacle 18. Although depicted as a separate component, the receptacle 18 is fixed to the housing 12. Illustratively, the receptacle 18 may have a flange 20 which is received within a groove 22 formed in the housing 12. Although the housing 12 is depicted as being monolithic, it may be formed in several sections (not shown) which are suitably joined together such as by heat bonding, using fasteners, adhesives, or in other ways. This may be advantageous in that the groove 22 may be formed by space left when several sections are joined, thereby avoiding necessity of forming the groove 22 by molding, internal machining, or in some other way.
The receptacle 18 may be closed at its upper end by a threaded cap 24 which threads to threads 26 formed in the receptacle 18. It should be noted at this point that orientational terms such as upper and lower, left and right, and others refer to the drawings as viewed by an observer. Therefore, orientational terms must be understood to provide semantic basis for purposes of description, and do not limit the invention or its component parts in any particular way.
The lower section of the receptacle 18 entraps an enlarged head 28 of a large headed element 30 which may also comprise a stem 32. The stem 32 serves as a connector which is either directly or ultimately connected to an environmental element (not shown) to which the environmental substrate 2 is releasably coupled by the latch 10. For example, the environmental substrate 2 could be part of the hood of a passenger vehicle (not shown), while the stem 32 may be connected to a component of the engine compartment which is closed by the hood. It should be stated that the stem 32 is shown only in representative capacity, and may comprise a rigid member, a flexible member, or a combination of flexible and rigid members.
A pusher spring 44 seats on the lower surface of the cap 24, and is arranged to push on a piston 46. The piston 46 constantly urges the enlarged head 28 downwardly, under the influence of the pusher spring 44.
Turning now to
Once occupying the relief space, the ball bearings 34 release the enlarged head 28 from interference therewith, due to the linear motion of the pushbutton assembly 40. Once the user's finger is removed, the pushbutton assembly 40 will be moved upwardly to the position it occupied in
It will also be seen that as the pushbutton assembly 40 is depressed, the piston 46 descends sufficiently to obstruct the ball bearings 34 from falling out of the relief space in the absence of the enlarged head 28. Removal of interference formerly provided by the ball bearings 34 enables the enlarged head 28 and the stem 32 of the large headed element 30 to be released by the latch 10. The piston 46 is constrained against loss by interference between a shoulder 50 formed in the piston 46 with a ledge 52 formed in the receptacle 18. The shoulder 50 and the ledge 52 are called out in
In summary, the receptacle 18 selectively entraps the enlarged head 28 within the receptacle 18 by interference and releases the enlarged head 28 from entrapment within the receptacle 18. The receptacle 18 has an intererence element which engages the enlarged head 28 of the large headed element 30 with an exposed manual actuator in the form of the pushbutton assembly 40, actuation of which enables the interference element to release the enlarged head 28 from interference therewith by linear action. To do this manual actuator or pushbutton assembly 40 comprises an abutment surface 38 disposed to engage the interference element and retain the interference element in interfering relationship relative to the enlarged head 28.
A relief space is disposed to enable the interference member to move out of the interfering relationship shown in
The latch 10 is quite compact due to the telescopic engagement of the pushbutton assembly 40 with the receptacle 18 as the former passes through the internal space 16 of the housing 12, and over the receptacle 18.
A lock such as a key lock may be incorporated into the latch 10 if desired so that unauthorized depression of the pushbutton assembly 40 is prevented.
The present invention is susceptible to modifications and variations which may be introduced thereto without departing from the inventive concepts. For example, although the invention has been described with respect to the flange 14 being provided for mounting the housing 12 to the environmental substrate 2, other mountings could be substituted thereof. In such an occurrence, the flange 14 could comprise a trim ring, or may be deleted altogether.
It will be appreciated that the present invention has application to objects other than vehicle hoods. Windows for ships and boats, trailers, aircraft, houses and other objects may utilize the invention. Closures for furniture, vehicles, buildings, sheds, cabinets, furniture, boxes and other articles may utilize the invention. Closures may be of the swinging or hinged type, or may move linearly. For example, drawers may be released and latched using the invention.
In the same vein, there is no reason to limit applicability of the invention to closures. The invention may be used to secure any object to another object. In that regard, the invention may be considered as a re-establishable separation of a link bearing an enlarged head from an object which engages that enlarged head by interference.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible.
