Aligning and latching mechanism for a hinged door of a cargo container

Abstract

A mechanism including a latch and keeper adapted to cooperate in an interengaging relationship relative to each other to facilitate aligning and latching of a hinged cargo container door. The latch is attached to one end of a rotatable shaft which is rotatably mounted parallel to an outer face of the door and is substantially immovable in an axial direction in relation to the door. The keeper is attached to a transverse member of a door frame on the cargo container. A device for rotating the shaft and thereby moving the latch into a cooperative relationship with the keeper is also provided. The latch has an elongated wedge-shaped finger defining inner and outer curved camming surfaces. The keeper includes a base portion and first and second projecting portions at each end of the base portion. The keeper defines spaced apart inner and outer curved camming surfaces which define a latch locking zone therebetween. When the latch is in a closed position relative to the respective keeper, the inner curved camming surface on the latch and the inner curved camming surface on the keeper are arranged adajcent and substantially parallel to each other. As such, an opening force is imparted to the door substantially coincident with rotation of the shaft in an opening direction.