Southco, Inc.

Richard Horton

Hitesh Cherry

Richard B Langkamp, Jr

D Dale Turner

Stefan Matthew Koveal

Jeffrey L Antonucci

Andrew James Thornton

Gert Berg

Robert B Speers

Alan Simchayoff

Matthew Hall

Phil Kempson

Jason Lieu

A latching system for securing two members together includes a housing, a pawl that is pivotally attached to the housing, a locking member, an actuating mechanism, and a rocker switch. The pawl is movable between a closed configuration and an open configuration. The rocker switch is used to control the actuating mechanism. The rocker switch includes an outer housing, an inner housing, a printed circuit board, and a button. The pawl is provided with a torsion spring member that biases the pawl toward the open or disengaged configuration. Energizing the electrical actuating mechanism retracts the locking member out of engagement with the pawl, thus allowing the pawl to rotate under spring bias to the open configuration.

Rotary pawl latch and rocker switch

A latch assembly for releasably securing a first member in a closed position relative to a second member is disclosed. The latch assembly includes a frame, a rotary pawl, a locking member, a handle, and a lock plug. The frame is adapted for attachment to the first member. The handle is pivotally attached to the frame and is movable between a closed position and an open position. The locking member retains the pawl in the latched position when the locking member is in an undeflected configuration. The handle causes the locking member to deflect and release the pawl from a latched position when the locking member is in an unlocked position and the handle is moved to the open position. The lock barrel is supported by the frame and can selectively move the locking member to a locked position where the locking member cannot be actuated by the handle.

Rotary pawl latch

A load floor latch for securing a first closure member to a second closure member panel such that when the first and second closure members are fastened, the latch is opened by actuating the handle and the pawl is retracted into the latch. A biasing device such as a torsion spring acts on a locking arm so as to pivot the locking arm such that it engages a slot on the pawl. This maintains the pawl in the retracted position. When the first closure member to which the latch is attached is closed so as to bring the first closure member into a closed position with respect to the second closure member, a projection on the locking arm contacts a contact member such that the locking arm is pivoted and the locking arm no longer remains in the slot in the pawl. The pawl is then free to extend out of the latch to a latched position by the action of a compression spring and engage a keeper on the second closure member to thus fasten the first and second closure members.

Load floor latch

Latches including a housing, a rotary pawl, catch means for releasably holding the pawl in a closed configuration, and means for operating the catch means are disclosed. The pawl is pivotally attached to the housing and is rotationally movable between a closed or engaged configuration and an open or disengaged configuration. The pawl is provided with a torsion spring member that biases the pawl toward the open or disengaged configuration. In some embodiments the catch means includes a locking member. In other embodiments the catch means includes a pivotally movable trigger. The means for operating the catch means may be electrically powered.

Growing community of inventors

Stourbridge, United Kingdom

Richard Horton