Patent ID: 6666483
Filing Date: 2003-12-23
Classification: E05B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A latch assembly comprising:a housing having a mouth, a ratchet pivotally mounted to the housing and movable to cooperate with the mouth to pivot between an open condition, a primary closed condition and a secondary closed condition for receiving, engaging and cinching a keeper of a striker, the ratchet biased to the open condition, a pivotally mounted pawl having biasing means for biasing the pawl into engagement with the ratchet for releasably retaining the ratchet in the primary closed condition, a secondary release arm mounted to rotate about a first axis and a second axis, said secondary release arm rotatable about said first axis between a retracted position and an extended position, said secondary release arm rotatable about said second axis between an engaging position and a disengaging position, said secondary release arm biased to the retracted position and biased to the engaging position, said secondary release arm interengaging with said ratchet for coupled movement therewith from the primary closed condition to the secondary closed condition effecting movement of said secondary release arm from the retracted position to said extended position upon said pawl being rotated to disengage from said ratchet, and upon moving said secondary release arm from said engaging position to said disengaging position, said secondary release arm disengages from said ratchet for independent movement enabling said ratchet to rotate from the secondary closed condition to the open condition and back to the primary closed condition, and enabling said secondary release arm to rotate from the extended position to the retracted position.