Abstract:
A multi-point door latch adapted to fit in the stile of a door. The multi-point door latch includes a pair of hooks that are allowed to rotably pivot around a pair of eccentric cams. The eccentric cams are allowed to rotate inside of apertures located through the hubs of the hooks. The eccentric cams are geometrically centered inside the hubs of the hooks, and are kept in position via pins that are eccentrically orientated through cams. The multi-point door latch also includes an opening for receiving a turning mechanism. In addition, the turning mechanism is connected to a pair of toothed gear wheels that mesh with a toothed bar. The toothed bar is connected to a synchronizing link which simultaneously rotates the hooks to either an engaged or disengaged position. The multi-point door latch also includes stopping members, which prevent the hooks from rotating passed a certain point when the door latch is not engaged.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to multi-point door latch and more particularly to a multi-point door latch appropriate for use with sliding doors. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally, sliding doors may be kept in a latched position when a latch, preferably mounted on the locking side of the stiles of sliding doors, having a hook or other similar element, engages a keeper on the coupled door jamb. Unlike a single-point door latch that provide the engagement between only one hook or similar element and corresponding keeper, the multi-point latch may engage two or more hooks or similar elements and corresponding keepers. In order to increase the safekeeping function of the latch, at least two hooks should face each other. Such arrangement would preclude vertical movement of doors and therefore, disengagement of a latch and a keeper. There are several inventions that embodied an idea of the latch with hooks facing each other. Most of them include simultaneous operation of two hooks positioned in vertically spaced housing. Hooks are usually pivotally mounted in such manner that movement of a thumb turn key generate corresponding pivotal movement of a twin actuator that in turn activates upper and lower actuators interconnected with upper and lower hook correspondingly. Typically, a gang link connects twin actuator with upper and lower actuators. As a result, most of prior inventions utilize a set of relatively complicated and space-demanding mechanisms to convey a pivotal movement from a thumb turn-key to a twin actuator to upper and lower actuators and thus to retract hooks to engage corresponding keepers. The current invention provides a simple and compact packaging for a latch while avoiding complication of contemporary latches and at the same time does not compromise the security of multi-point door latches. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention may fit in an opening of a lock face of a stile of a sliding door and may be arranged for co-action with a keeper positioned on associated jamb as well as for co-action with a thumb turn-key through generally rectangular drives slots of the hubs sized generally to receive tail member of a thumb turn-key. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, a thumb turn-key may be mounted on the inside surface of the sliding door. A latch may have a housing assembly, upper and lower hooks, and central actuator operative in response to turning movement of tail member to move upper and lower hooks from latched or retracted position to unlatched position; upper and lower cams positioned within upper and lower hooks correspondingly, a link that simultaneously connects central actuator with upper and lower hooks upper and lower cams. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, the housing may have two rectangular plates forming two walls that may define a vertically elongated hollow interior. These walls may be held together by rivets. The housing may be sized to fit within the opening in the lock face of a stile of a sliding door. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, actuator assembly may include an actuator and a synchronizing link. The actuator may be in form of a rack-and-pinion, or an arrangement of a toothed bar that meshes with gear wheel or wheels. One embodiment may include a toothed bar that meshes with two segments of the gear wheel. Each segment may be in form of pivot arm and include a toothed portion and a hub portion. Hub portion of a gear wheel may define trunnions for journaling in suitable apertures in the walls of the housing so as to mount the hub portions of pivot arms for rotation within the housing around pivot axis. Hub portions of the segments may include a rectangular drive slot sized to drivingly receive tail member of the thumb turn-key, and may extend from wall to wall of the housing. The tooth portion of each segment may have several teeth that meshes with the toothed bar in such manner that rotation of the tail member would cause rotation of either segment around its axis, the teeth of segment gear may engaged the toothed bar to move, engaging the second geared segment. Thus, one embodiment may be configured in such way that the rotation of the tail member causes synchronized rotation of geared segments. The toothed bar may be firmly connected with the synchronizing link in such manner that turning movement of the tail member causes the synchronizing link to move in vertical direction along walls of the housing. The synchronizing link may engage both upper and lower actuator as well as upper and lower hooks. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, upper and lower hooks may have a hook portion, an aperture, and a hub portion. An aperture may be configured in the hub portion of the hook. Upper hook may have a pivotal eccentric cam sized to fit the aperture portion of the hook. The pivotal eccentric cam may be configured to freely rotate within the upper hook&#39;s aperture independently from the hook. The hook may rotate around the eccentric cam. The eccentric cam may have a pivotal pin that extends outwardly from both sides of a cam. The ends of both sides of the pin may be rotatably positioned within corresponding aligned apertures made in the both walls of the latch. The geometric center of the pivotal pin of the eccentric cam may be displaced from the geometric center of the eccentric cam. The cam may rotate around a pivotal pin&#39;s axis. Therefore, because of such configuration of the hook, eccentric cam and the pin, the revolving movement of the cam within the aperture of the hook may cause the latter to move back and forth in the direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cam if the hook does not revolve along with the cam. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, the hub portion of an upper hook may have protrusions. An upper eccentric cam may have grooves and protrusions. The hub portion of the upper hook and the upper cam may be interconnected through such grooves and protrusions. It will be seen that turning movement of the cam may move the hub portion, and therefore, the upper hook around the pivotal pin. The geometric center of the hub portion of the upper hook may coincide with geometric center of the eccentric cam. Thus, if the hook revolves around the eccentric cam, such movement may cause the upper hook to travel forwardly and rearwardly within the hollow of the housing to unlatched and latched positions. Similarly, if the eccentric cam engages the hook through the hub portion and the eccentric cam turns around the pivotal pin along with the hook, such turning movement may cause the upper hook to revolve forwardly and rearwardly around its geometrical center within the hollow of the housing in the direction perpendicular to the revolving movement of the hook. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, the hook portion, the aperture portion and the hub portion of the lower hook may be identical to the upper hook except for their orientation within the housing as well as number and positioning of protrusions. When the hooks are in their latched or retracted position, the hook portion of the upper hook may point downwardly and the hook portion of the lower hook may point upwardly. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, a synchronizing link may be in a form of generally elongated rectangular plate that may move vertically along an inner side of one plate of the housing. A synchronizing link may extend from a lower hook to an upper hook in parallel relation to the inner side of the front wall of the latch housing. The synchronizing link may have a protrusion on its lower portion that may activate a lower hook and the other protrusion on its upper portion that may activate an upper hook through a rocker arm and a pushrod. Also, the synchronizing link may have cuts of such shape that surfaces formed by those cuts may engage both upper and lower eccentric cams at the certain point relative to the engagement of upper and lower hooks upon the movement of the synchronizing link. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, the turning movement of the thumb turn-key may engage an actuator. The rotation of geared wheels may move a geared bar. Because a synchronized link is firmly connected to a geared bar, the rotation of the thumb turn-key may cause the back-and-forth movement of a synchronizing link in the vertical direction along walls of the housing of a latch. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, the synchronizing link may engage both upper and lower hooks; it may engage the upper hook through a rocker arm, a pushrod and a protrusion made at the tip of the upper portion of the synchronizing link, and the lower hook through a protrusion made on the inner surface of the lower portion of the synchronizing link. It will be shown that when a turn-key is rotated from unlatched toward latched position a synchronizing link may move upwardly along walls of a housing of a latch. A protrusion made on the tip of the upper portion of the synchronizing link may engage the suspended end of the rocker arm pushing it upward. The opposite end of a rocker arm is pivotally connected to the pushrod which in turn pivotally connected to the hub portion of the upper hook. Because an upper hook is pivotally positioned on the pivotal eccentric cam and may rotate around it, the vertical movement of a pushrod causes the hub portion of an upper hook to rotate around an eccentric cam. Such vertical movement of the synchronizing link may be limited by the travel limiter that may be passed through the elongated aperture made in the upper portion of the synchronizing link and extends through the upper portion of the link in parallel relation to the link. The upper hook may revolve from unlatched vertical position to horizontal latched position in perpendicular relation to the synchronizing link. At the point an upper hook revolves for approximately 90 degrees from unlatched position, the further movement of the synchronized link and therefore the revolving movement of the upper hook are stopped when the travel limiter is pressed against the lower edge of the elongated aperture made in the upper portion of the synchronizing link. A travel limiter, an elongated aperture and their positioning in the lower portion of the synchronizing link may be identical to these of an upper one. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, an eccentric pivot cam may have a flange around one side of the cam. The flange may secure the positioning of the cam within the aperture portion of the hook from one side. The washer that may be frictionally insertably positioned on the cam upon the opposite side may secure the positioning of the cam within the aperture portion of the hook from the other side. The washer of the lower cam may have an extension that may co-act with the protrusion present on the rear edge of the front wall of the plate to prevent the further up-right rotation of the lower hook. The up-right position of both hooks may be necessary to lock both hooks on the latched position. Such locked position of hook may be achieved by moving both hooks in the direction perpendicular to axis of their rotation. The locked position of both hooks may be provided by rotation of the upper and lower cams relative to the upper and lower hooks. The off-center positioning of the center of rotation of such cams would cause both hooks to move toward the back edges of the plates maintaining their up-right position relative to the plates until protrusion made on the rear edges of both plates co-act with hub portions of both hooks and prevent the rotation of such hooks backward to unlatched position. The locked position of both hooks would add extra-security to the latch. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the multi-point door latch engaged with a keeper. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the multi-point door latch. 
         FIG. 3  is a magnified view of the hooks of the multi-point door latch. 
         FIG. 3   a  is a magnified view of the eccentric cams of the multi-point door latch. 
         FIG. 4  is an orthographic view of the eccentric cam of the multi-point door latch. 
         FIG. 5  is side view of the eccentric cam of the multi-point door latch. 
         FIG. 6  is side view of the multi-point door latch, with the spring biasing one of the eccentric cams in a locked position. 
         FIG. 7  is side view of the multi-point door latch, with the spring biasing one of the eccentric cams in a unlocked position. 
         FIG. 8  is a front side view of the multi-point door latch, with the hooks in a closed position. 
         FIG. 9  is a front side view of the multi-point door latch, with the hooks pivoting toward an opened position. 
         FIG. 10  is a front side view of the multi-point door latch, with the hooks in an opened position. 
         FIG. 11  is a reverse side view of the multi-point door latch, with the hooks in an opened position. 
         FIG. 12  is a reverse side view of the multi-point door latch, with the hooks pivoting toward a closed position. 
         FIG. 13  is a reverse side view of the multi-point door latch, with the hooks in a closed position. 
         FIG. 14  is a side view of the multi-point door latch, with the hook engaged with a stopping member. 
         FIG. 15  is a side view of the multi-point door latch, with the hook disengaged from the stopping member 
         FIGS. 16 ,  16 A, and  16 B are views of FIGS.  11 , 12 , and  13  being shown on a single sheet to illustrate the sequence of latch movements in going from the unlocked position to the locked position. 
         FIGS. 17 ,  17 A, and  17 B are the views of  FIGS. 8 ,  9 , and  10  being shown on a single sheet to illustrate the sequence of latch movements in going from the locked position to the unlocked position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A latch may have a housing assembly  1  which in turn may have an upper hook  54 , a lower hook  57 , central actuator  75  operative in response to turning movement of tail member of the thumb turn-key to move upper and lower hooks  54  and  57  from the unlocked or retracted position to the locked position; an upper eccentric cam  76  and a lower eccentric cam  77  positioned within upper and lower hooks  54  and  57  correspondingly, and a synchronizing link  80  that simultaneously connects central actuator  75  with upper and lower hooks  54  and  57  and upper and lower eccentric cams  76  and  77 . 
     The housing may have two generally rectangular plates  2  and  14 , and cover plate  25 . The rear wall  4  of the plate  2  and the front wall  15  of the plate  14  may define a vertically elongated hollow interior  87 . The housing assembly may be sized to fit the space flanked by the rear wall  4  of the plate  2  and the front wall  15  of the plate  14  or otherwise provided by the hollow interior  87 . The plates  2  and  14  may be aligned in parallel relations by the upper elongated separator  31 , the lower elongated separator  44 , the upper traverse separator  23  and by lower traverse separator  24 . The housing may be sized to fit within the opening in the lock face of a stile of a sliding door. 
     The upper elongated separator  31  may have generally rectangular shape and may be positioned in the perpendicular relation to both plates  2  and  14 . The upper elongated separator may be generally defined by two elongated sides  34  and  35  which are positioned in parallel relations to each other, by surfaces  36  and  37  and by surfaces  38  and  39 . The present embodiment of the side  34  may have two sections. Sections  40  and  41  may be separated by a step formed by surfaces that form a 90 degrees angle. It would be shown later that such configuration of the side  34  may be necessary to provide the space between the rear wall  4  of the plate  2  and the upper elongated separator  31  for free movement of the synchronizing link between such rear wall  4  and the section  41  of the side  34  of the upper elongated separator  31 . Section  40  of the side  34  may be adjacent and run parallel to the rear wall  4  of the plate  2 . Section  40  may have protrusions  32  generally cylindrical in shape extending outwardly and sized to insertably receive apertures  8  of the plate  2  of the assembly  1 . The length of the protrusions  32  may be such that when the protrusions  32  are inserted into corresponding apertures  8  of the plate  2 , it would be possible to make heads on the portion protruding from wall  3  of the plate  2  to secure the upper elongated separator  31  to the plate  2 . The side  35  of the separator  31  may be parallel to the side  34  and may extend through the entire width of the plate  2  and may have one section or have two sections. The present embodiment of the side  35  of the upper separator  31  may have two sections. The configuration of these sections  42  and  43  may be identical to the sections  40  and  41  of the side  34  of the separator  31 . The section  42  may have two protrusions  32  identical to protrusions on the section  40  of the side  34  and where protrusions  32  are inserted into corresponding apertures on the plate  14  aligned with apertures made in the plate  2  and then the heads may be formed on their protruding ends. The lower separator  44  may be identical to the upper separator  31 . Separator  31  may have a tapped hole on Face  39 , and separator  44  may have a similarly tapped hole to accept screws  27  for attachment of cover plate  25 . Although positioning of either separator relative to plates  2  and  14  may vary, in the present embodiment both separators are positioned symmetrically relative the geometrical center of the plates  2  and  14  and in such way to minimize the interference with other parts of the housing assembly. 
     There may be additional separators positioned on the periphery of plates  2  and  14  to help to maintain equal distance between the plates. The present embodiment may have three separators  96 ,  97  and  88  generally in shape of a cylinder. Such cylinder may have their height generally equal to the desired width between the plates  2  and  14  and the distance between section  40  and  42  of the elongated separator to keep the same distance between the plates. Maintaining equal distance between plates through the length of the plates may allow jam-free interaction of the different elements of the latch. Separators  96 ,  97 , and  88  may have extensions from each end and may be sized to insertably receive paired aligned apertures  12 ,  18 ,  5 ,  30 ,  6 , and  29 , and the length of such extensions may be sufficient to allow forming heads on the portion protruding from outer walls of the plates. It will be shown later that these traverse separators may also function as pivotal axis or travel limiter for the synchronizing link. The quantity and the positioning of traverse separators relative to plates  2  and  14  may vary. 
     A housing assembly  1  may include central actuators  74  and  75 . Each actuator may be in the form of a toothed pivot arm and a hub portion, where, in the present embodiment, central actuator  74  is shown with toothed pivot arm  83  and hub portion  89 , and central actuator  75  is shown with toothed pivot arm  82  and hub portion  49 . The purpose of the central actuators  74  and  75  is to work in conjunction with the synchronizing link  80 , forming a rack and pinion arrangement, to convert the revolving movement initiated by the turn-key into the vertical movement of the synchronizing link  80  in order to drive the hooks  54  and  57  and engage the keeper. The present embodiment may have a toothed bar  81  that meshes with the toothed pivot arms  82  and  83  of central actuators  75  and  74 . The hub portion  89  of central actuator  74  may define trunnion  45  for journaling in suitable apertures in the plates  2  and  14  of the latch so as to mount the hub portion for rotation within the housing around a pivot axis. Hub portion  49  of central actuator  75  similarly defines trunnion  85  for journaling in suitable apertures in plates  2  and  14 . Trunnions  85  and  45  in hub portions  49  and  89  of central actuators  75  and  74  may include rectangular drive slots  70  and  71  sized to drivingly receive the tail member of the thumb turn-key, and may extend from the front wall  3  of the plate  2  to rear wall  16  of the plate  14  of the housing. The toothed pivot arms  82  and  83  of each actuator may have several teeth  90  and  91  that mesh with the toothed bar  81  in such manner that rotation of the tail member would cause rotation of either actuator around its axis, so that the teeth  90  and  91  engage the toothed bar  81  to move, the bar and synchronizing link  80 . The toothed bar  81  may be firmly connected with the synchronizing link  80  in such manner that turning movement of the tail member causes the synchronizing link  80  to move in vertical direction along the inner face  4  of plate  2  of the latch. The synchronizing link  80  may engage both upper and lower hooks  54  and  57  as well as upper and lower eccentric cams  76  and  77 . It will be shown that sequenced engagement of hooks  54 ,  57  and eccentric cams  76 ,  77 , encompassing both slaved and relative hook/cam motion, is necessary to provide secure locking function of the latch. 
     Upper and lower hooks  54  and  57  may be sized to fit between face  4  of plate  2  and face  15  of plate  14 , and be positioned to engage keepers on the associated jamb. It will be understood that turning movement of the thumb turn-key revolves the central actuators  74  and  75  which moves vertically the toothed bar  81  along with attached synchronized link  80  that engages hooks  54  and  57  in turning movement from the unlatched to latched position to engage keepers on the associated jamb. Also, it will be understood that after the hooks  54  and  57  are rotated from the unlatched to latched position, the further rotation of them is prevented by stops in order to secure the hooks in the upright position. The hooks may ultimately move into the locked position by traveling in a direction perpendicular to the axis of their prior turning movement, when they co-act with eccentric cams. An upper hook  54  may have a hook portion  73 , an aperture  62 , and a hub portion  60  (see  FIG. 3 ). An aperture  62  may be configured in the hub portion  60  of the hook  54 . Upper hook  54  may have a pivotal eccentric cam  76  sized to fit the aperture  62  of the hook  54 . The upper pivotal eccentric cam  76  may be configured to freely rotate within the upper hook&#39;s aperture independently from the hook  54 . The hook  54  may rotate around the eccentric cam. The eccentric cam  76  may have a pivotal pin  78  that extends outwardly from both sides of a cam  76 . The ends of both sides of the pin  78  may be rotatably positioned within corresponding aligned apertures  7  and  19  made in the both plates  2  and  14  of the latch. The geometric center of the pivotal pin  78  of the eccentric cam may be displaced from the geometric center of the eccentric cam  76 . The eccentric cam  76  may rotate around a pivotal pin  78  axis. It will be understood that, if the hook  54  does not revolve along with the cam or revolves at a different speed, then because of the configuration of the hook  54 , eccentric cam  76  and the pin  78 , the revolving movement of the eccentric cam  76  within the apertures  7  and  19  may cause the hook  54  to move in the direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the eccentric cam  76 . The hub portion  60  of the upper hook  54  may have protrusions  65  and  69  designed for co-action with the eccentric cam  76 . The size and positioning of such protrusions may define at which stages of the revolving movement of the hook  54  it may co-act with such eccentric cam  76 . An upper eccentric cam  76  may have a flange  100  on one side of the cam such that the hook  54  can mount to the cylindrical shape of the cam and be pressed flush against the cam&#39;s flange. The flange  100  of upper eccentric cam  76  may have a protrusion or extension which has two edges,  111  and  113 . The upper hook  54  and the upper cam  76  may thus be interconnected through edges  111  and  113  of the cam  76  flange extension, and protrusions  65  and  69  on hook  54 . It will be understood that turning movement of the cam  76  may engage the protrusions on the hub portion  60 , and therefore, the upper hook  54  will rotate around the pivotal pin. The geometric center of the hub portion  60  of the upper hook  54  may coincide with geometric center of the eccentric cam  76 . Thus, if the eccentric cam  76  revolves around its off-geometric center axis and the upper hook  54  remains motionless, such interaction may cause the upper hook  54  to translate in a direction perpendicular to its rotation axis, and may be into or out of the hollow  87  of the housing (sees  FIGS. 6 and 6A ). However, when the speed and direction of rotation of the hook  54  and the cam  76  coincide, such as when the hook is driving the cam ( FIGS. 16 and 16A ) or the cam is driving the hook ( FIGS. 17 and 17A ), the motion of the hook  54  is rotational and is about pin  78  of the eccentric cam  76 . 
     The aperture  63 , hub  61 , and protrusions  66  and  68  of the lower hook  57 , as well as the flange  101  with protrusion or flange extension having edges  112  and  114  on the lower cam  77  may be configured similarly to those of the upper hook  54  and cam  76 . When the hooks are in their unlocked or retracted position, the hook portion  73  of the upper hook  54  and the hook portion  72  of the lower hook  57  shall point out through cover plate  25 , and both hooks may be positioned such that they rotate outward to face each other, or alternatively have their positions reversed such that the hooks rotate outward and face away from each other. 
     A synchronizing. link  80  may be in a form of generally elongated rectangular plate that may move vertically along an inner side of plate  2  of the housing. A synchronizing link may be positioned in overlaying relation to the rear wall  4  of the plate  2  and may extend from a lower hook  57  to an upper hook  54  in parallel relation to the plates  2  and  14  of the housing. The synchronizing link  80  may have a protrusion  92  on its lower Portion that may activate a lower hook  57  and the other protrusion  93  on its upper portion that may activate an upper hook  54  through a rocker arm  94  and a pushrod  95 . The synchronizing link  80  may have cuts of such shape that the surfaces formed by those cuts may interact with both protrusions made in the upper and lower eccentric cams. It will be understood that the positioning of such protrusions  108  and  110  on the eccentric cam  76 , and protrusions  107  and  109  on eccentric cam  77  are such that the synchronizing link  80  edges  115 ,  117 ,  116 , and  118  moving vertically may respectively engage such cam protrusions causing turning movement (see  FIGS. 17 ,  17 A, and  17 B). 
     With the hook in the locked position ( FIG. 17 ), movement of synchronizing plate  80  causes edge  115  of the plate to contact protrusion  108  of cam  76 , and edge  116  of the plate to contact protrusion  107  on cam  77 . This contact causes both cams to rotate relative to the hooks, and causes the hooks to translate outward from the housing and disengage from the keeper. Rotation of the cams and translation of the hooks is continuous maintained as edge  117  of the plate  80  contacts protrusion  110  of cam  76 , and edge  118  of the plate contacts protrusion  107  of cam  77 . Translation of hooks  54  and  57  will occur until edge  113  of cam  76  strikes protrusion  65  of hook  54 , and edge  112  of cam  77  strikes protrusion  68  of hook  57 , at which point the hook&#39;s motion converts from translation out of the housing, to rotation about the cam mounting pins  78  and  79 . (see  FIG. 17A ). 
     It will be seen that the turning movement of the thumb turn-key may move rotatably central actuators  74  and  75 . This rotation may cause the geared bar  81  to move in a vertical direction. Because a synchronized link  80  is firmly connected to a geared bar  81 , the rotation of the thumb turn-key may cause the vertical movement of a synchronizing link  80  along the inner face of plate  2  of the housing of a latch. The synchronizing link  80  may engage both upper and lower hooks  54  and  57 ; it may engage the upper hook  54  through a rocker arm  94 , a pushrod  95  and a protrusion  93  made at the tip of the upper portion of the synchronizing link  80 , and the lower hook  57  through a protrusion  92  made on the inner surface of the lower portion of the synchronizing link  80 . It will be seen that when a turn-key is rotated from unlatched toward latched position a synchronizing link  80  may move upwardly along walls of a housing of a latch. A protrusion  93  made on the tip of the upper portion of the synchronizing link may engage the suspended end of the rocker arm  94  pushing it upward. Rocker arm  94  may have cylindrical extensions from the pivot and may be sized to insertably receive paired aligned apertures  13  and  17  and the length of such extensions may be sufficient to allow forming heads on the portion protruding from wall  3  of plate  2  and wall  16  of plate  14 . The opposite end of a rocker arm  94  is pivotally connected to the pushrod  95  which in turn is pivotally connected to the hub portion  60  of the upper hook  54 . Because an upper hook  54  is rotatably positioned on the pivotal eccentric cam  76  and may rotate around it, the vertical movement of a pushrod  95  causes the hub portion  60  of an upper hook  54  to rotate around an upper eccentric cam  76 . Such vertical movement of the synchronizing link  80  may be limited by separator  96  that may be passed through the elongated aperture  98  made in the upper portion of the synchronizing link  80 . The upper hook  54  may revolve from unlatched position to upright latched position in perpendicular relation to the synchronizing link  80 . At the point an upper hook  54  revolves approximately 90 degrees from unlatched position, the further movement of the synchronized link  80  and therefore the revolving movement of the upper hook  54  may be prevented when separator  96  is pressed against the edge of the elongated aperture  98  made in the upper portion of the synchronizing link  80 . A separator  97 , an elongated aperture  99  and their positioning in the lower portion of the synchronizing link  80  may be identical to these of an upper one. However, in the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, it can be seen that both hooks  54  and  57  are limited from further rotation by separators  96  and  88  upon reaching their unlatched positions. 
     Eccentric cams  76  and  77  may freely rotate because they are not affected by separators  96  and  97 . There are two torsion springs where each correspondingly connects the cams  76  and  77  with the front wall  15  of the plate  14  in such manner that compressing force of the spring  104  is directed toward rear edges of both plates  2  and  14  when both hooks  54  and  57  reach upright latched position. It would be seen that in such embodiment, although both hooks  54  and  57  remains immovable, both eccentric cams  76  and  77  may rotate around their off-center pins  78  and  79 . The springs  104  and  103  may force the cams  76  and  77  to rotate toward the direction where such compression force is minimal. In one embodiment, because of the displaced position of the center of rotation of such cams  76  and  77  relative to their geometrical centers, the rotation of the cams  76  and  77  may cause both hooks  54  and  57  to translate toward the rear edge of the plates  2  and  14  until hub  60  bumpers  58  and  62  of hook  54 , and hub  61  bumpers  59  and  51  of hook  57  are pressed against stops  67  and protrusions  105  and  106 . Protrusions  105  and  106  are formed on surface  4  of plate  2 . Hooks  54  and  57  are then in a locked position, and are resistant to tampering via external attempts to manually rotate the hooks to the unlocked position. 
     It will be understood that when the turn-key is rotated from the latched to unlatched position, in one embodiment the synchronizing link  80  may engage both eccentric cams  76  and  77  through protrusions  107  and  108  positioned on such eccentric cams  76  and  77  to rotate backwardly from locked position. Because both hooks  54  and  57  remain immovable, the rotation of both cams  76  and  77  may cause hub portions  60  and  61  of the hooks  54  and  57  to move toward the front edge of the plates  2  and  14  in the direction perpendicular the axis of rotation of both cams  76  and  77  until hub portions  60  and  61  of both hooks  54  and  57  are disengaged with protrusions  105  and  106  made on the rear edge of both plates  2  and  14  and hooks  54  and  57  may rotate. Then the further movement of the synchronizing link  80  may cause the further rotation of both cams until the engagement between link  80  and protrusions  107  and  108  is terminated. At this point of rotation of both cams, the link  80  engages the second set of protrusions  109  and  110  made on the extending portion  111  and  112  correspondingly of the upper and lower cams  76  and  77 . At this point, the extending portions of the eccentric cams  76  and  77  engage the protrusions  65  and  66  correspondingly of the hub portions  60  and  61  of the hooks  54  and  57 . Thus vertical movement of the synchronized link  80  may cause the rotation of the upper and lower cams  76  and  77  along with both hooks in the direction toward the unlatched position of the upper and lower hooks. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications of the exemplary embodiment are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Different types of the resistance providing elements may be used to supply resistance to the movement of the handle from a “folded” to an “opened” position. Alternative mechanisms may provide for the coupling of various parts of the handle, different types of the engagement between the sliding and the pivotal members, between the sliding member and the assembly body, between the pivotal member and the assembly body or between the assembly body and the handle body. Furthermore, alternative shapes and configuration may be used for the sliding member, the pivotal member, the assembly body or the knob. All such variations and modifications intended to be included within the scope if this invention as defined in the following claims. 
     Other modifications, substitutions, omissions and changes may be made in the design, size, materials used or proportions, operating conditions, arrangement or positioning of elements and members of the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit of this invention as described in the following claims.