Patent ID: 6616200
Filing Date: 2003-09-09
Classification: E05B,E05C,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A slide latch assembly comprising:an elongated housing having opposite first and second ends and including a base wall, a pair of side walls that extend from the base wall in a spaced relationship from each other, a pair of retainer walls that extend toward each other from the side walls in a spaced relationship from the base wall and have inner edges space from each other, a pair of pawl extension stops on the base wall respectively adjacent the pair of side walls at the first end of the housing, and a pawl retraction stop on the base wall adjacent the second end of the housing; a latch pawl mounted between the base wall and the retainer walls of the housing for sliding movement between a latched position and an unlatched position, the latch pawl having a pair of spaced extension stops that respectively engage the pair of pawl extension stops on the base wall of the housing to limit movement of the latch pawl in one direction toward the one end of the housing past the latched position, and the latch pawl having a retraction stop that engages the pawl retraction stop on the base wall of the housing to limit movement of the latch pawl in the opposite direction toward the second end of the housing past of unlatched position; and a leaf spring having a pair of legs and a junction between the pair of legs, and a connector that connects the leaf spring leg junction to the housing base wall with the pair of legs of the leaf spring extending into engagement with the pair of spaced extension stops of the latch pawl to bias the latch pawl against movement from the latched position toward the unlatched position.