Abstract:
A latching device which comprises a cabinet door catch member and a cabinet probe member that is adapted to engage the catch member. The probe member includes a floating shaft that is disposed axially in a housing, and which includes a projection that is shaped and positioned to engage a groove in the catch member when the door is closed. Provision is made for automatic separation and opening of the cabinet door when the catch member is released by the probe member shaft. Release of the catch member is effected by a single smart rap on the outside of the door. The device is simple, reliable and economical to produce.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to latching devices and more particularly, to devices for latching a cabinet door or panel. 
     2. Background 
     There presently exist a number of different devices for temporarily holding a cabinet door closed. Some of these devices utilize a magnetic catch for placement on a door which engages a post or plate that is attached to a wall or door frame. Others use forms of mechanical clasping elements as a catch to clasp a member that is attached to an opposing surface. In some devices, a projecting portion of the device has to be manually pulled to release a closed door. This takes appreciable force as do most of the other devices. 
     However, the most widely used latches for kitchen cabinets today are simple metal clamp and roller devices that are inexpensive, tend to break with usage and have a relatively short useful life. 
     It would therefore be useful to have available an inexpensive cabinet door latching device that is reliable in operation and has a long useful life. It also would be helpful if the latching device required little applied force to release a closed cabinet door. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is a latching device with two parts: a catch member and a probe member. The catch member is installed on the inner surface of a cabinet door, with the probe member installed into a portion of the cabinet frame opposing the catch member. The catch member contains provision for snaring a hooked member or equivalent. Opposing the catch member is the probe member, which consists of an elongated housing that contains an axially disposed floating shaft connected to a closed end of the housing. The shaft is adapted to hook on to and engage the catch member when the cabinet door and catch member are pushed against the cabinet frame. The probe member also includes provision for automatically separating the cabinet door from the frame after the catch member is released from the shaft. A single smart push on the cabinet door is all that is required to release the catch member. The door can not be opened by pulling or shaking the door. 
     Accordingly, it is a prime object of the present invention to provide a latching device for holding cabinet doors closed, that requires little applied force for closure or release. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a latching device that is sturdy and has a long useful life. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a latching device that is adaptable to various cabinet door closure configurations. 
     An advantage of the invention over other latching devices is its relatively low cost. 
     Another advantage of the invention is safety in the prevention of young children from opening latched cabinet doors that are accessible to them. 
     Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from studying the following portion of the specification, the claims and the attached drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention latching device, particularly showing a catch member installed on a cabinet door and ready to engage the end of a probe member that is installed opposite on a surface that simulates part of a cabinet support wall; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a catch member according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a probe member according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-section elevation view of the present invention latching device installed, with the probe member engaging the catch member and holding a cabinet door closed; particularly exaggerating component features and spacing to ease understanding of the device operation; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the probe member, particularly showing some components in cross-section view for clarity; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the invention catch member; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a probe member according to the present invention, attached to a mount for fastening to a cabinet; and 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a catch member according to the present invention, attached to a mount for fastening to a cabinet door. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention is a push-to-release latching device which may be typically applied to holding a cabinet door closed. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the invention latching device comprises two parts: a catch member  2  and a probe member  4 , which are shown installed on two members  6 ,  8  that are connected by a hinge. One member represents a portion of a cabinet door  6  on which is installed the catch member  2 . The other member represents a portion of a cabinet frame  8  which opposes the catch member, and on which the probe member  4  is installed. 
     A catch member  2  and a probe member  4  are shown respectively, in FIGS. 2 and 3. The catch member  2  is a cylindrical body having an axial, conical shaped orifice  16  in one end and including a deep annular groove  14  cut in the orifice wall. The probe member  4  comprises a housing shell  18 , a sleeve  10  which fits inside the shell  18  and protrudes out of an opening in one end of the shell, a tapered floating shaft  12  that is disposed axially inside the shell  18 , a cap member  22  that is fastened to the distal end of the shell  18 , a helical spring  20  which applies pressure to one end of the sleeve  10 , and a fastening screw  24  that loosely attaches the shaft  12  to the cap  22 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, when a movable cabinet door  6  with an installed catch member  2 , is rotated and pushed steadily against a stationary cabinet frame  8  having an installed probe member  4 , the probe member sleeve  10  is pushed a little way inwards, compressing the spring  20 . At the same time, the tip end of the floating shaft  12  enters the catch member orifice  16 , and the shaft head  38  falls by gravity into a groove  14  inside the orifice  16 , catching on an edge of the groove  14 . At the same time, the compressed spring  20  exerts pressure on the sleeve  10  which transfers the pressure to the face of the catch member  2  and thereby grips a wall of the groove  14  firmly against the shaft head  38 , preventing movement of the cabinet door away from the cabinet frame  8 . 
     The foregoing action latches the cabinet door  6  closed tight against the cabinet frame  8  and the resulting latched state is illustrated in FIG.  4 . 
     If the cabinet door  6  was made to shake violently as in an earthquake, or attempts were made to pull the door open by force, the catch member groove  14  would continue to retain the head  38  of the shaft  12  as shown in FIG. 4, and the cabinet door  6  would not open. 
     In order to open a latched cabinet door, all that is needed is to give the door a single smart push. This action pushes the shaft head  38  out of the groove  14  and centers the shaft head in the catch member orifice  16 , releasing the shaft. The compressed spring  20  immediately expands and pushes the probe member sleeve  10  forward against the catch member  2  face, and thus automatically pushes the cabinet door  6  open and away. 
     It should be noted that the spring  20  exerts no pressure at any time on the shaft  12 , but only on the sleeve  10 . Thus, in addition to exerting force against the face of the catch member, the spring  20  and sleeve  10  provide a means for separating the cabinet door automatically from the frame upon release of the shaft  12  from the catch member  2 . The benefits of this approach are several. The spring compressive force is relatively low and there is no resistance to shaft penetration of the catch member orifice. Therefore, the force needed to push the cabinet door to latch it closed will also be low. 
     Similarly, only a single smart, slap against the back of the catch member in a cabinet door is required to release the door, which then springs open. 
     The counter intuitive approach of this slap or push to-release method, has the added safety benefit of preventing small children from opening a latched cabinet door by pulling on the door handle or on any exposed door release mechanism, such as exists on several available latching devices. In the present invention the door release mechanism is totally hidden when the cabinet door is latched. 
     Refer now to FIG. 5 which is an exploded view of the probe member  4 , and to FIG. 6 which is a cross section view of the catch member  2 . Several of the probe member components are shown in cross section view or are partially cut away to expose significant areas. 
     A cap member  22  is shown to include a threaded portion  44  with which to engage with the threaded portion  32  in one end of the shell  18 . A concentric annular shoulder  46  is provided for screwing the cap member  22  on to the shell  18 . An axial hole bored through the cap member  22  includes an inwardly beveled end portion  48  to loosely seat the similarly beveled end  43  of the shaft  12 . 
     The shaft  12  includes an axial threaded opening  42  in its beveled end  43 , which is engaged by a fastening screw  24  to fasten the shaft  12  loosely to the cap member  22  and allow the shaft  12  to float from one end. The shaft, which is tapered from its beveled end  43  to its distal end, also includes a cone shaped head  38  on its distal end, with a narrow neck.portion  40  immediately behind the head  38 . This provides a substantial edge surface for engaging the groove  14  in the catch member orifice  16 . 
     The shell  18  includes an axial bore  26  that extends from one end, which is threaded  32 , to near the shell distal end  30 . An opening  28  is made in the shell distal end, concentric with the bore axis, to hold a protruding sleeve  10  that is contained axially within the shell bore  26 . 
     The sleeve  10  is tubular in shape  34  and is sized to fit slidingly through the shell end opening  28 . A concentric rim flange  36  is provided on one end, both to retain the sleeve in the shell and to form a surface against which a helical metal spring  20  acts when the probe member  4  is assembled. 
     For some applications, it might be desirable for either the probe member  4  or the catch member  2  to be installed using attached mounts. In response, a typical configuration of a probe member  4  with attached mount  50  is shown in FIG. 7, and a catch member  2  with an attached mount  50  is shown in FIG.  8 . The mounts  50  each include a plurality of through holes  52  for attaching the devices with screws to a cabinet door or frame. 
     The device parts are fabricated from a rigid, hard material and may be machined or formed, according to the material selected. Because of the low stress on the device elements, little breakage or wear is expected over time and the device life should be long. The device elements are also simple and economical to produce, resulting in an inexpensive latching device being made available to the average household user. 
     From the foregoing description, it is believed that the preferred embodiment achieves the objects of the present invention. Various modifications and changes may be made to the invention latching device described above which are apparent to those skilled in the art. These alternatives and modifications are considered to be within the scope of the appended claims and are embraced thereby.