Cabinet latch

The present invention is directed to a cabinet latch that may be used with a slave door. The latch includes a handle member and a bearing member at substantially right angles to one another. The bearing member includes an upper bearing surface and camming end portion which which engages a channel in the frame of the enclosure and aids in aligning and retaining the slave door in a closed position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a door latch for a cabinet and in 
particular, to a latch that is reversibly mountable, substantially hidden 
from view when engaged, and provides alignment of the door. 
2. Prior Art 
Cabinets such as for electrical equipment typically have opposed doors 
hinged along an outer vertical edge which close and latch along a center 
line. Such doors typically latch together along their center line with a 
latch handle at approximately the midpoint of the doors. The doors 
typically overlap slightly, the outer door being referred to as the 
"Master" door and the covered door being referred to as the "Slave" door. 
The handle may include a linkage for engaging the cabinet frame at both 
the top and bottom for improved multipoint latching. 
However, it can be appreciated that improved latching is accomplished with 
independently actuatable latches placed at both the top and bottom of the 
doors. In particular, it can be appreciated that the slave door, the door 
which must be closed first, should be latchable to improve cabinet 
rigidity and door alignment. Having the first closed door retained also 
improves the safety and ease of use for closing the second door and 
aligning the latching system. It can also be appreciated that for 
aesthetic reasons, such a latch should be hidden and easily mountable to 
the inside of the slave door. By hiding the latches, it is also easier to 
maintain edge seals and create a dust free sealed enclosure. 
It can be seen then, that a new improved latch for a double door cabinet is 
needed. Such a latch should be easily mountable to provide a sealed 
interior by latching at both the top and bottom of the door. Such a latch 
should be reversible to mount to either left-handed or right-handed 
opening doors at either the top or bottom. In addition, such a latch 
should provide for being hidden from view when both doors are closed for 
improved aesthetics. The latch should also provide for alignment at both 
the top and bottom. The present invention addresses these as well as other 
problems associated with cabinet door latches. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a latch device, and in particular, to 
a latch device for an enclosure having a master door and a slave door. The 
latch is configured for mounting to a flange on a slave door near the top 
and/or bottom edge for independently engaging the frame of the enclosure. 
The latch device includes a handle portion and an engaging portion 
extending at substantially right angles to one another. The handle 
includes a grip portion having an orifice formed therethrough configured 
for receiving the fingers of the hand. The engaging portion includes a 
bearing member having an upper bearing surface configured for sliding 
along the inside of the door and an end bearing surface having a rounded 
cam portion. The rounded cam is configured for engaging the channel of the 
enclosure's frame. The rounded cam portion also aligns and positions the 
slave door relative to the enclosure frame to prevent misalignment and 
sagging. Two latches may be utilized to latch at both the upper and lower 
edge of a door for greater rigidity. 
The latch is configured so that the handle portion and the rounded cam 
surface are exposed when in an unengaged position. However, in the engaged 
position, the handle substantially slides into the channel of the frame 
and is hidden from a viewer looking from outside of the enclosure. This 
provides a more aesthetically pleasing appearance for the device. In 
addition, the engaging portion is configured for Age accepting the bearing 
member in either a left or right handed configuration so that the latch 
device may mount to either a left handed or right handed door at either 
the top or bottom without requiring separate left handed and right handed 
parts. 
These features of novelty and various other advantages which characterize 
the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed 
hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of 
the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, 
reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, 
and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated 
and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown 
a cabinet door latch device, generally designated 20. As also shown in 
FIGS. 2 and 3, the latch device 20 includes a handle member 22 and a 
bearing member 24. The handle member 22 attaches to the bearing member 24 
in a reversible fashion for mounting to either left or right handed doors. 
The handle member 22 includes a grip portion 26 as well as an alignment 
portion 30 having recesses 32 and 34 formed at opposing ends. The 
alignment portion 30 also includes a mounting orifice 28 for receiving a 
mounting member such as a screw or bolt for attaching the bearing member 
24 and for mounting to the enclosure. An angled connecting portion 36 
extends between the grip portion 26 and the aligning portion 30. 
The bearing member 24 includes an upper planar bearing surface 40 for 
engaging the interior of the slave door. The bearing member 24 is 
preferably made from a low friction material, such as plastic. At one end 
is formed a "T" shaped rounded camming surface 42 which includes an 
angled, rounded portion around the cross portion of the "T" end which is 
used for aligning and positioning the latch and the slave door, as 
explained hereinafter. The camming surface 42 arcs laterally a nd 
perpendicularly to the upper bearing surface 40. The bearing member 24 
includes an orifice 48 extending therethrough for mounting. The orifice 48 
is aligned with the mounting orifice 28 and receives a bolt or other 
mounting hardware and which serves as a pivot point. The underside of the 
bearing member includes tab like alignment members 44 and 46, shown most 
clearly in FIG. 7, that engage the recesses 32 and 34 at the ends of the 
alignment portion 30 of the handle member 22. The alignment members 44 and 
46 are configured for reversibly mounting and aligning the bearing members 
24 to the handle member 22. The handle member 22 may be turned over to 
mount in either a left or right extending mounting arrangement. 
Referring now to FIGS. 4-6, the latch device 20 typically mounts to an 
enclosure 100 having a frame 102 around the door opening. The opening 
typically includes a slave door 104 which is covered along a flange 106 at 
an edge by a master door 112, shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. As shown in FIG. 4, 
the slave door 104 may have a latch device 20 mounted at either the top 
and/or the bottom edge at an edge flange portion 106. With this 
configuration, the latch device 20 may be utilized to secure the door 104 
at the top and/or bottom depending upon the requirements of the enclosure. 
It can be appreciated that the enclosure frame 102 typically used for 
housing electrical equipment and includes a channel 110 and flanges have 
spaced openings for mounting and/or grounding electrical components, 
enclosure panels or other devices such as may be required. As shown in 
FIG. 7, the latch 20 mounts to the flange 106 of the slave-door 104, 
mounting through and aligning with a mounting orifice 108 in the slave 
door. 
As shown in FIG. 4, when the master door is open and the latch devices 20 
are not engaged, the handle member 22 as well as the bearing camming 
surface 42 are exposed and easily viewed. The grip portion 26 of the 
handle members 22 extends beyond the edge of the flange 106 of the slave 
door 104 and can be easily gripped. The visibility of the grip 26 serves 
as an indication that the latch 20 is not engaged at this position. The 
latch 20 can be moved to the closed position as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 
by rotating the handle member 22 toward the channel 110 of the enclosure 
frame 102. When the latch 20 is in the engaged position, it is 
substantially covered by the frame 102 and the flange 106 as shown in FIG. 
5. This presents an aesthetically pleasing appearance when viewed from the 
usual exterior of the enclosure 100. The substantially entirely hidden 
portion of the latch 20 also is a clear indication that the latch is in a 
fully engaged position. As shown in FIG. 8, when the slave door 104 and 
master door 112 are both closed, the latch 20 is entirely hidden. 
As shown in FIG. 6, although the latch 20 is engaged but substantially 
hidden from view, it can be appreciated that the grip portion 26 may still 
be easily accessed by inserting the fingers into the channel 110 and 
through the opening of the grip portion 26. The latch 20 is rotated to the 
fully disengaged position, shown in FIG. 4, allowing the slave door 104 to 
be opened. 
As shown in FIG. 8, the latch 20 also serves as an alignment member. The 
edge of the camming surface 42 engages the edge of the channel 110 to 
position the slave door 104 in the correctly aligned position. It can be 
appreciated that positioning the latch 20 at the bottom of the door, as 
shown in FIG. 4, prevents the common problem of sagging among side 
pivoting enclosure doors. Should the slave door 104 be tilted slightly off 
center and be too high, the upper latching device 20 will reposition the 
slave door 104 in a correctly aligned position, as shown in FIG. 8. 
It can also be appreciated that the upper bearing surface 40 slides 
substantially freely along the underside of the typically painted inner 
surface of the slave door 104 and provides for easy pivoting between the 
engaged and disengaged positions. The rounded camming surface 42 also 
helps to guide the latch into the channel 110 with less force being 
required. The position of the grip portion 26 also provides a mechanical 
advantage for latching and guiding the camming surface 42. 
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics 
and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the 
foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function 
of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and the changes may 
be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of 
parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated 
by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are 
expressed.