Patent ID: 6729701
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: A62C,E05C,E05F,E05Y,Y10T

Abstract:
A safety cabinet comprising:an enclosure defining an opening; a door rotatably attached to the enclosure, the door movable between an open position and a closed position, the door configured to cover at least a portion of the opening of the enclosure when in the closed position, the door including an outer surface, a recess, a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening; and a latch system ranged with the door to selectively retain the door in the closed position, including: a paddle handle, the paddle handle disposed in the recess of the door such that the paddle handle is substantially flush with the outer surface of the door, the paddle handle having an operating lever to actuate the latch system, first and second slide plates, the first and second slide plates moveably mounted so as to respond to actuation of the operating lever, first and second latch rods, the first and second latch rods respectively mounted to the first and second slide plates, the latch rods being moveable between an extended position and a refracted position, the first and second latch rods being configured to engage the enclosure to selectively retain the door when in the closed position, the latch rods being biased to the extended position such that a portion of the first and second latch rods projects from the first and second openings, respectively, of the door, the latch rods moving to the retracted position upon actuation of the paddle handle, and a bullet slam latch mounted to the paddle handle, the bullet slam latch having a catch, the catch being moveably mounted so as to respond to actuation of the paddle handle and moveable between an extended position and a retracted position, the catch being biased to the extended position such that the catch projects from the third opening of the door, the catch being configured to selectively retain the door when in the closed position, the catch moving to the retracted position upon actuation of the paddle handle, and wherein the latch system is configured such that the door is movable from the open position to the closed position without the actuation of the paddle handle, and the first and second slide plates are movable without the actuation of the paddle handle in response to movement of the first and second latch rods, respectively, from the extended position to the retracted position.