Abstract:
Described is a latch assembly that can be mounted within a door structure or in an adjacent frame structure of a vehicle to secure a suicide-type car door to an adjacent door panel. The latch assembly includes first and second blocks mounted adjacent and spaced from one another. A rod is actuatable between the two blocks by a user. Locking mechanisms allow the rod to be secured in a desired position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/890,431 filed Feb. 16, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The embodiments of the present invention relate to door accessories and kits, more specifically, to a latch assembly that is particularly useful in a suicide-type door to secure the door to an adjacent door panel. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Custom cars such as hot rods, muscle cars, old time cars and the like are very popular throughout the United States and other parts of the world. Such custom cars may be constructed and built from kits or may be stock cars that were manufactured by the well-known automotive car companies (e.g., Ford). Many custom cars (e.g., 1967 Ford Thunderbird) employ what is referred to as “suicide” doors. A suicide door is a car door that is hinged about the rear edge, i.e., the edge closer to the rear of the vehicle. Accordingly, a suicide door opens by swinging the door from front to back. Suicide doors may also be installed on vehicles which were not manufactured with them in place. In other words, suicide doors may be installed as an aftermarket product on vehicles. There is, however, a safety concern with respect to suicide doors opening if they inadvertently become unlatched while the car is moving. 
     Thus, there exists a need for an effective door locking mechanism that can be easily installed and operated to maintain the doors of cars in a secure and locked position when desired. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, a first embodiment of the present invention discloses a latch assembly comprising: a first block having a first aperture therethrough; a second block having a second aperture, said first and second block adapted to be mounted to a vehicle; and a rod held by said first block and actuatable through the first aperture in the first block and received by the second aperture in the second block. The blocks include countersunk holes for receiving fastening means such as screws and rivets to facilitate securing the blocks to portions of a car. The rod can further include grooves, slots and a ball handle to facilitate actuation of the rod through the apertures. In other embodiments, the latch assembly further includes one or more spacers. 
     Other variations, embodiments and features of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description, drawings and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates perspective views of various components of a suicide door latch assembly according to the presently disclosed invention; 
         FIGS. 2-3  illustrate perspective and schematic views of the suicide door latch assembly in a secure and locked position, respectively; 
         FIGS. 4-5  illustrate perspective and schematic views of the suicide door latch assembly in an open and disengaged position, respectively; and 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a spacer for aligning the blocks of the suicide door latch assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential character thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. 
     Initial reference is made to  FIG. 1  illustrating the various components of a suicide door latch assembly  10  according to the embodiments of the presently disclosed invention. The latch assembly  10  includes a securing block  12 , a receiver block  14  and a shaft or rod  16  that is partially received by a ball handle  18 . Ideally, each of the components  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  are constructed of stainless steel. Alternatively, the components  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  can be made of aluminum, brass, metal or other suitable materials. 
     Both the securing block  12  and receiver block  14  include a plurality of countersunk holes  20  disposed about the edges of the blocks  12 ,  14  for receiving various fastening means such as screws and rivets (not shown). Ideally, the blocks  12 ,  14  can be mounted to a door, door frame, door jamb, door post or other suitable locations on the subject car (not shown). In the alternative, instead of using screws or rivets, the blocks  12 ,  14  can be integrated or permanently attached, using an adhesive or similar means, to the car door or door panel. 
     The securing block  12  includes an aperture  22  therethrough for receiving the rod  16  with the aperture  22  sized to accommodate the diameter of the shaft  16 . In one embodiment, the aperture  22  is open at both ends of the securing block  12  and extends the entire length of the securing block  12 . Likewise, the receiver block  14  also includes an aperture  24  sized to accommodate the diameter of the rod  16 . The receiver block  14  can, but need not, extend the entire length of the receiver block  14  because the receiver block  14  need not receive the entire length  32  of the rod  16 . In other words, while the entire length  32  of the rod  16  can be received by the securing block  12  via aperture  22  therethrough, the aperture  24  of the receiver block  14  need only receive a portion of the rod  16 . 
     The securing block  12  further includes a plurality of ball plungers  26  for providing spring-like action as they make contact with the rod  16  as the rod  16  is actuated through the aperture  22  of the securing block  12 . This becomes more evident in subsequent figures and discussion. Although ball plungers  26  are described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that spring plungers and other plunger-like accessories may be used. Furthermore, although four ball plungers  26  are illustrated, there can be more or fewer means of actuating the rod  16  as necessary. 
     As described earlier, the rod  16  can include a ball handle  18  or other type of handle means for facilitating actuation of the rod  16 . In one embodiment, the ball handle  18  has a spherical diameter  34  of about 2 cm. However, the ball handle  18  may be any shape and size, as desired, to facilitate movement and actuation of the rod  16 . The rod  16  further includes a plurality of circumferential grooves  30  spaced longitudinally along the rod  16 . The grooves  30  being spaced correspondingly to the spacing of the plurality of ball plungers  26  on the securing block  12  for reasons which become more evident in subsequent figures and discussion. In one embodiment, the rod  16  has a length  32  of about 10 cm, but can be shorter or longer depending on the distance between the blocks  12 ,  14  after they are mounted on the vehicle. The rod  16  also includes an elongated slot  28  disposed along the rod  16 . As with the grooves  30 , the ball plungers  26  may engage the longitudinal slit  28  to facilitate movement and actuation of the rod  16 . 
       FIGS. 2-5  illustrate the suicide door latch assembly  10  in a mounted arrangement. Preferably, the securing block  12  is physically mounted to a car door frame, door jamb or door post using screws inserted through the countersunk holes  20  and the receiver block  14  is physically mounted to a car door using screws inserted through the countersunk holes  20 . In a secure and locked position as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the rod  16  engages both securing block  12  and receiver block  14  thereby maintaining the car door in a closed position preventing it from opening accidentally or intentionally. In an open and disengaged position as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the rod  16  engages only the securing block  12  but not the receiver block  14  thereby allowing the car door to be opened and closed without interference from the rod  16  or the blocks  12 ,  14 . 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrating perspective and schematic views, respectively, of the door latch assembly  10  in a secure and locked position. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the rod  16  extends the entire length of the securing block  12  via the aperture  22  and is partially received within the aperture  24  of the receiver block  14 . In addition, the ball plungers  26  within the securing block  12  operably engage the circumferential grooves  30  of the rod  16  as best shown in the schematic of  FIG. 3 . In this secured and locked position, the ball plungers  26  exert sufficient pressure against the grooves  30  such that the rod  16  does not intentionally or unintentionally slip out of the blocks  12 ,  14 . Ideally, each ball plunger  26  includes a spring-biased element  27  that is directed toward the interior of the aperture  22  for engaging with the recess of the groove  30 . In doing so, the ball plunger  26  ensures that the rod  16  does not freely move about the blocks  12 ,  14 . As such, in the secure and locked position, the car door is safely secured to an adjacent door panel and cannot be readily opened. 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrating perspective and schematic views, respectively, of the door latch assembly  10  in an open and disengaged position. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the rod  16  extends the entire length of the securing block  12  via the aperture  22  but does not engage any portion of the receiver block  14 . To toggle between the secure and locked position ( FIGS. 2-3 ) and the open and disengaged position ( FIGS. 4-5 ), a user pushes or pulls on the ball handle  18  facilitating actuation of the rod  16  in and out of the apertures  22 ,  24 . At times, the user may have to rotate the ball handle  18  to align the slot  28  with the ball plungers  26 . Like with the grooves  30 , the ball plungers  26  can also operably engage the slot  28  to facilitate in the actuation of the rod  16 . In one embodiment, both the grooves  30  and the slot  28  function to prevent the rod  16  from intentionally or unintentionally moving about the blocks  12 ,  14 . When the ball plungers  26  engage the circumferential grooves  30 , there is longitudinal resistance since the grooves  30  are lateral to the rod  16 . By aligning the ball plungers  26  with the slot  28 , the pressure exerted by the spring-biased elements  27  are reduced in the longitudinal direction, i.e., about the length  32  of the rod  16 . Therefore, the rod  16  can be more readily toggled and freely moved about the blocks  12 ,  14 . In other instances, the slot  28  may not be necessary and the door latch assembly  10  can function sufficiently with the ball plungers  26  and the grooves  30 . 
     Although a ball handle  18  has been shown to facilitate actuation of the rod  16  between the secure and locked position ( FIGS. 2-3 ) and the open and disengaged position ( FIGS. 4-5 ), one skilled in the art will appreciate that the rod  16  can be actuated or driven electronically by implementing a push button in place of the ball handle  18  by incorporating additional electronic components (not shown). Other known manual or electronic actuation elements may also be incorporated instead of the ball handle  18 . In some instances, the ball handle  18  may not be necessary and the rod  16  can be actuated by pushing or pulling any portion of the rod  16 . 
     When the rod  16  is received by the securing block  12 , it may have a limited range of motion because it is securely received within the aperture  22  and the ball springs  26  operably engage the grooves  30  and slot  28 . Therefore, since it has limited range of motion, there may be potential misalignment if there are substantial height differences between the car door and the car door panel when the blocks  12 ,  14  are mounted to the vehicle. Therefore, one or more spacers  40  may employed as illustrated in  FIG. 6  for aligning the blocks  12 ,  14  to one other. The spacers  40  are coupled to the blocks  12 ,  14  and mounted to the car. The spacers  40  include a plurality of slots  42  for aligning the spacers  40  with the slots  20  of the blocks  12 ,  14 . The spacers  40  can be constructed of stainless steel or aluminum and can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and thicknesses. In one embodiment, a spacer  40  is employed to minimize any offsets in terms of alignment of the rod  16  through the apertures  22 ,  24  of the blocks  12 ,  14  by adding height to either block  12 ,  14  thereby allowing the rod  16  to align smoothly within the apertures  22 ,  24 . It is appreciated that more than one spacers  40  may be utilized within the door latch assembly  10 . 
     Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to several embodiments, additional variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in the following claims.