Patent ID: 9677590
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: F16B,Y10T

Claim:
1. A female latch member, comprising: an aperture having a central axis and a cylindrical inside surface; a first upper wall portion and circumferentially-spaced second, third and fourth lower wall portions extending radially from said inside surface, guide and limit surfaces of each lower wall portion facing respective guide and limit surfaces of the upper wall portion to form first, second and third channels, said first, second and third channels being substantially identically shaped and evenly distributed by about 120 degrees, each of said first, second and third channels having in order a first vertical upper limit defined between a respective upwardly-sloping guide surface and a first limit surface of the upper wall portion, a second vertical lower limit defined between a downwardly-sloping guide surface and a second limit surface of a respective lower wall portion, and a third vertical upper limit defined between a respective upwardly-sloping guide surface and a third limit surface of the upper wall portion, and further wherein a horizontal distance (D one or more electronic or optical sensors associated with at least one of said first, second or third channels, the one or more sensors configured to assist in recognizing positions of said first, second or third vertical limits relative to at least one of said three related pins.