Patent ID: 11933082
Assignee: STRATTEC SECURITY CORPORATION
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E | IPC E

Claim 17:
18. A method of operating a cinching latch assembly, the cinching latch assembly having a forkbolt biased to rotate between a primary latched position, a secondary latched position, and a fully released position, wherein the secondary latched position is rotationally between the primary latched position and the fully released position, wherein the forkbolt includes a hook portion, wherein the method comprising:
moving the forkbolt from the fully released position, in which a striker is positioned above and spaced from the hook portion of the forkbolt, to the secondary latched position, in which the striker is positioned underneath the hook portion of the forkbolt, and then to the primary latched position;
rotating a cinch lever until a surface of the cinch lever contacts a latch lever pin on a second end of a lift lever, wherein the lift lever is configured to pivot about a pivot point; and
rotating the cinch lever further such that the latch lever pin is raised, forcing the lift lever to rotate about the pivot point, and forcing a first end of the lift lever to be lowered away from a striker prior to the forkbolt moving to the secondary latched position from the fully released position, such that striker remains spaced from and positioned above the lift lever at all times as the striker moves to the secondary latched position from the fully released position.