Cam-type door lock with recessed handle

Abstract

A door lock, particularly well suited for releasably retaining a pivotally mounted truck door in a closed position, includes a shaft and its operating means mounted on the door, and a pair of keeper members mounted on the door frame. A pair of cam members are secured to opposite end regions of the shaft. The shaft has a central portion which projects through openings formed in opposite sides of a pan-shaped housing. A handle is secured to the central portion for rotating the shaft to bring the cam members into and out of latching engagement with the keeper members. The handle is moveable between a nested position wherein the handle is nested within a recess defined by the pan-shaped housing, and a projecting position wherein the handle projects forwardly from the recess. A latch mechanism is carried by the housing and includes a latch member mounted for pivotal movement between latched and unlatched positions. The latch member is operable to engage and releasably restrain the handle from moving out of its nested position. A key-operated lock cylinder is carried by the handle, and has a lock member which is movable between locked and unlocked positions as a key is turned in the lock cylinder. The lock member is operable to retain the latch member in its latched position when the handle is in its nested position. A lock member reinforcing structure is provided which not only supports and rigidifies the lock member when the lock member is in its locked position, but also cooperates with the lock member to provide a back-up, secondary locking action which will keep the lock locked even if the primary locking system is disabled, as by tampering. A handle return spring is preferably interposed between the shaft and the housing to bias the handle toward its nested position.