Southco, Inc.

Fabrice Vitry

Colin Latham

Andrew James Thornton

Robin Talukdar

Ivica Sekulovic

Ana Pinto

A slam to close, glove box latch includes a housing, a paddle structure connected to rotate on the housing, a rotary pawl mounted to rotate in the housing, and a lock plate carried by the paddle structure to selectively engage the rotary pawl to inhibit its movement. The rotary pawl is spring biased to the open position. The paddle structure is spring biased to the closed position. The paddle structure includes guideways in which the lock plate operates. When the paddle is moved to the open position, the pawl is released to rotate open and the lock plate is carried to an interference-friction position with the pawl whereby the paddle is held in the open position. When the pawl is closed by the slam action of the latch, the interference-friction with the lock plate is released and the paddle structure returns to the closed position. Biasing is limited to two springs. The volume (envelope) of the latch is minimized.

Rotary pawl glove box latch

A latch having a housing, handle, actuators, pawl and rotary pawl torsion spring and two actuator torsion springs. The rotary pawl torsion spring biases the pawl toward the unlatched or opened position. The handle is pivotally attached to the housing and has two paddles that engage the actuator. The actuator is slidably supported by the housing. Lifting the handle to the open position causes rotating movement of the actuator which in turn causes the pawl to rotate to the unlatched or retracted position.

Load-floor latch

A latching system including a latch assembly and a keeper is disclosed. The latch assembly includes a grabber catch attached to a cup-like housing. In the illustrated embodiment the latch assembly also includes a rectilinearly moving pawl that is actuated by a handle pivotally attached to the cup-like housing. The pawl of the grabber catch and the rectilinearly moving pawl both engage the keeper when the keeper is secured to the latch assembly.

A load floor latch that can be installed in a vehicle floor for storage having a biasing means for actuation but allows slam action closure. The latch comprises an actuation assembly that is attached to a housing or lid and is designed to accommodate a pawl member for engaging and disengaging a frame. The flat lid and out-of-way handle allow extra room within the vehicle and prevent damage or breakage of the latch.

Load floor latch

A latch assembly is re-configurable for plural orientations. A slide lock plate engages a claw-typed pawl. A rotating activation mechanism links an operator handle to the slide plate. The handle causes the activation mechanism to rotate, thereby retracting the sliding lock plate form the pawl. A cam follower, activated by a pocket cam, is rotated with handle operation. A first pinion gear on the sliding lock plate and a friction clutch dampen movement. A rotating paddle/blade cam, substituted for the paddle/blade, has a projecting arm. The second pinion gear engages teeth on the edge of the slide lock plate. A dog leg-shaped projection, added to the handle end of the slide plate, accommodates second teeth facing opposite the first teeth.

Glovebox latch

The present invention relates to a latch having a button pawl shaft for attaching two panels together at two different points. The shaft of the latch has bezels in which the shaft rotates connected to one of the panels. The shaft has pawls at both ends which engage a keeper on a second panel and disengage and clear the keeper when a force is applied to the button on the shaft thereby rotating the shaft. A precompressed torsion spring provides a force on the button at all times. When a user presses on the button thereby rotating the shaft such that the pawls disengage with keepers the spring will rotate the shaft and button back to the same position as that prior to the user applying a force on the button.

Two point latching system

The present invention relates to a latching device for securing two panels together such as those of storage structures in which an enclosure is secured by means of a door or panel which will remain in a closed position until released. The present latching system is usually used in connection with automobile glove boxes or other compartments which are to be secured for storage of items therein. The latching device has a housing, actuation means and a pawl in communication with a movable retention means. The latching device can be electrically or manually operated.

Latching device

A detented and dampened hinge mechanism, with push-pull, and pull-push operation includes a first and second arms pivotally connected to move relative to one another in a scissor fashion between a closed and open positions. A cam and cam follower track establish a detent-type hold at both closed and open positions and add a radial motion component to the general pivotal motion. A damper limits relative movement of the arms. A biasing spring is utilized to bias the first and second arms toward the open position. A free moving anti-gravity ball moves in a channel when a momentum is imparted to the hinge mechanism. With the ball in its normal, lower position, arms are free to move; and moved to an upper position, the arms become locked out from full movement by the interference of the ball. Bumper materials are added.

Momentum lockout detented-dampened hinge

A detented and dampened hinge mechanism with push-pull and pull-push operation is disclosed. The present invention relates generally to a hinge mechanism that includes a first arm and a second arm that are pivotally connected to one another such that the arms can be moved relative to one another between a closed position and an open position. A damper is fitted into a cutout of the second arm such that the damper can engage with a length of teeth of the first arm when the hinge mechanism moves between the open and closed positions. Biasing means is fitted between hooks or bosses of the arms, and biases the first and second arms toward the open position.

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Worcester, United Kingdom

Fabrice Vitry