Latch mechanism for front-loading commercial warewasher

Abstract

A latch for a warewasher effects manual movement of a bolt between a retracted position which permits the door to be fully closed and an extended position which either latchingly engages a keeper to secure the door in the closed position, or abuttingly engages the keeper to prevent the door from being inadvertently fully closed. In addition to manual operation, the latch is operated by gravity to extend the bolt from its retracted to its extended position as the door of the warewasher is moved from a horizontal opened position to a vertical position. In this way, the bolt of the latch is extended to abut the keeper of a warewasher if the door is simply moved from the horizontal opened position to the vertical position, but may be easily and quickly closed by manual operation of the latch to retract the bolt followed by complete closure of the door, and then extension of the bolt to secure the door in the fully-closed position. Similarly, gravity operates the latch to retract the bolt from its extended to its retracted position as the door of the warewasher is moved from the vertical position to the horizontal opened position. The automatic retraction of the bolt as the door is moved to its horizontal opened position lessens the possibility of catching the bolt by means of apparel or other articles moved within the room housing the warewasher.