Patent Publication Number: US-2009230699-A1

Title: Latch with Dual Rotary Pawls

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to latch having dual rotary pawls for use in securing twin closure panels of a compartment in the closed position. 
     2. Brief Description of the Related Art 
     In many applications the need arises to fasten one panel to another. For example, in the automotive industry the panels acting as closures for the interior compartments of the vehicle must be secured in the closed position when the compartment is not being accessed. Examples of such compartments include the vehicle&#39;s glove compartment and the center console compartment between a vehicle&#39;s front seats. The closure members for such compartments are selectively secured in the closed position by latches in order to secure the contents of the compartments while allowing a user to selectively open the closure members to access the contents of the compartments. Many latches for this purpose have been proposed in the art. Examples of such latches can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,927,772 and 6,761,278. However, there remains a need in the art for latches that can releasably secure dual closure members of compartments in the closed position. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a latch for releasably securing dual doors of a compartment in the closed position. The latch has two rotary pawls, and each rotary pawl engages a striker rod attached to a respective one of the doors to secure both doors in the closed position relative to the compartment. Some embodiments of the latch according to the present invention are designed for use in applications where the dual doors are linked. In such applications closing one of the doors also moves the other door to the closed position. However, the mechanical linkage between the doors is not perfect and the closing of the doors is not always simultaneous. Often one door will slightly lag behind the other door in closing. The embodiments of the present invention that are designed to work with linked doors are designed to effect proper securing of the doors in the closed position even when one door lags behind the other. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1-23  are views of a first embodiment of a latch with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention and its various components. 
         FIGS. 24-41  are views of a second embodiment of a latch with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention and its various components. 
         FIGS. 42-63  are views of a third embodiment of a latch with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention and its various components. 
         FIG. 64-84  is a view of a fourth embodiment of a latch with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention and its various components. 
         FIGS. 85-98  are views of a fifth embodiment of a latch with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention and its various components. 
         FIGS. 99-114  are views of a sixth embodiment of a latch with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention and its various components. 
         FIGS. 115-120  are views of a seventh embodiment of a latch with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention and its various components. 
         FIGS. 121 and 122  are environmental views showing components of yet another embodiment of the latch of the present invention applied to a dual door glove box. 
         FIG. 123  shows the remote actuation components of the latch of  FIGS. 121 and 122  in relation to the mechanical latching component of the latch. 
         FIG. 124  shows the remote actuator component of the latch of  FIGS. 121 and 122 . 
         FIG. 125  is an isometric view of the latch of  FIGS. 121 and 122 . 
         FIG. 126  is an isometric view of a latch that is a mirror image of the latch of the latch of  FIG. 125  intended for mounting on the right side of the glove box. 
         FIGS. 127-128  are isometric views of the latch of  FIGS. 121 and 122  in the unlatched configuration. 
         FIGS. 129-150  illustrate the operation of the latch of  FIGS. 121 and 122  in cases when one striker lags the other. 
         FIGS. 151-163  are views of the isolated components of the latch of  FIGS. 121 and 122 . 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-23 , a first embodiment of a latch  100  with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention can be seen. The latch  100  is a solenoid operated latch designed to lock two doors  102  and  104  simultaneously, using two rotating pawls  106  and  108 , and is situated between the pivots or hinges of the doors  102 ,  104  with the pawls  106 ,  108  rotating in the same plane. The pawls  106 ,  108  are provided with gear teeth  110 ,  112 , respectively that are in mesh together and cause the pawls  106 ,  108  to rotate in opposite directions to latch and unlatch their respective striker rods  114  and  116 . Therefore only one torsion spring  118  is required to bias both pawls  106 ,  108  toward their unlatched positions. Furthermore, only one locking bar  120  is required for keeping both pawls in the latched position, because once the locking bar  120  engages one of the pawls  106 ,  108  to retain that pawl in the latched position, the other pawl will also be retained in the latched position through the engagement of the gear teeth  110 ,  112 . In the illustrated example, the locking bar  120  engages the pawl  106 , and the torsion spring  118  is in contact with the pawl  108  such that the biasing force of the torsion spring  118  is exerted directly against the pawl  108 . The locking bar  120  is rectilinearly movable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged position the locking bar  120  engages the step  122  formed by the projecting, peripheral wall  124 , when the pawl  106  is in the latched position, to maintain the pawl  106 , and consequently the pawl  108 , in their latched positions. In the disengaged position the locking bar  120  disengages from the step  122  thereby freeing the pawls  106 ,  108  to rotate to their respective unlatched positions under the biasing force of the torsion spring  118 . The peripheral wall  124  projects out from a portion of the periphery of the pawl  106  in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the pawl  106 . As the pawl  108  rotates to the unlatched position due to the biasing force exerted on the pawl  108  by the torsion spring  118 , the gear teeth  110 ,  112  being in mesh, the pawl  106  also rotates to its unlatched position. The locking bar  120  is attached to the operating rod  126 , which is in turn attached to the solenoid  128 . The solenoid  128  is supported by the housing  132 . The locking bar  120  moves rectilinearly between the engaged position and the disengaged position in response to the rectilinear movement of the operating rod  126  between a first position corresponding to the engaged position of the locking bar  120  and a second position corresponding to the disengaged position of the locking bar  120 . The operating rod  126  is guided in its rectilinear movement by the hole  130  in the housing  132 . The annular wall  134  that defines the perimeter of the hole  130  provides a bearing surface that movably supports the operating rod  126  intermediate the locking bar  120  and the end  136  of the operating rod  126  that is distal from the solenoid  128 . The locking bar  120  is positioned to extend through a slot  138  provided in the housing  132 . The operating rod  126  and the pawl  106  are positioned on opposite sides of the slot  138  and the slot  138  allows the locking bar  120  to have access to the pawl  106 . The slot  138  is long enough to allow sufficient clearance to at least accommodate the range of movement of the locking bar  120  between the engaged position and the disengaged position without interference from any part of the housing  132 . The slot  138  also aids in guiding the rectilinear movement of the locking bar  120  and of the operating rod  126 . 
     The housing  132  is in the form of a main plate  133  having a second plate  135  attached thereto. The second plate  135  is perpendicular to the main plate  133 . The solenoid  128  is supported on one side of the main plate  133  and the pawls  106 ,  108  are rotationally supported on the other side of the main plate  133 . The slot  138  is formed in the plate  133 . The hole  130  is formed in the plate  135 . A third plate  137  is supported by the main plate  133  such that the plate  137  is parallel to but spaced apart from plate  133 . The pawls  106 ,  108  are rotationally supported intermediate the plates  133  and  137  with the axis of rotation of each pawl being perpendicular to each of the plates  133  and  137 . The axis of rotation of each pawl  106 ,  108  is parallel to and spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the other pawl. A solenoid support bracket  139  is provided on the side of the plate  133  opposite the side of the plate  133  on which the pawls  106 ,  108  are located. The housing  132  is also provided with mounting holes  141  for attachment of the latch  100  near the opening of the compartment secured by the doors  102 ,  104 . 
     The pawl  106  is rotationally supported through the engagement of half shafts  113  with holes  117  for receiving the half shafts  113  provided in the housing  132 . The half shafts  113  project outward from either side of the pawl  106 . The pawl  108  is rotationally supported through the engagement of half shafts  115  with holes  119  for receiving the half shafts  115  provided in the housing  132 . The half shafts  115  project outward from either side of the pawl  108 . The torsion spring  118  has two coiled portions  145  each of which surrounds a respective half shaft  115 . Extending from each coiled portion  145  is a first spring arm  147  and a second spring arm  149 . The ends of the first spring arms  147  located distally from the respective coiled portion  145  are fixedly located relative to the housing  132 . The ends of the second spring arms  149  located distally from the respective coiled portion  145  are connected by a cross bar  151 . The cross bar  151  is engaged to a notch  153  formed in the pawl  108 . Thus, ends of the second spring arms  149  located distally from the respective coiled portion  145  are fixedly located relative to the pawl  108 . 
     In the unlatched position the pawl claws  140 ,  142 , respectively, of both pawls  106 ,  108  are positioned, due to the biasing force of the torsion spring  118 , such that the pawl claws  140 ,  142  point upward and are out of the way of the striker rods  114  and  116  as the doors  102 ,  104  move toward the closed position relative to the compartment opening. Each of the striker rods  114 ,  116  is in the form of an elongated rod supported at a distance from the interior surface of the respective door  102 ,  104 , by legs extending from each end of the striker rod to the interior surface of the respective door. The return spring  148  of the de-energized solenoid pushes the locking bar  120  against the inner circumference of the peripheral wall  124  of the pawl  106  when the pawl  106  is not in the latched position. As the doors  102 ,  104  move toward their closed positions, the striker rods  114 ,  116  are bought into contact with the cam surfaces  150  and  152  of the pawls  106  and  108 , respectively. Each of the pawls  106  and  108  is rotationally supported by the housing  132  such that each pawl rotates about its own axis of rotation. The contact point between each striker rod  114 ,  116  and the cam surface  150 ,  152  of the respective pawl  106 ,  108 , and the path of each striker rod  114 ,  116 , are offset from the axis of rotation of the respective pawl  106 ,  108 . Therefore, as each striker rod  114 ,  116  impacts the respective cam surface  150 ,  152  due to the movement of the doors  102 ,  104  toward their closed positions, a torque tending to rotate the respective pawl  106 ,  108  toward the latched position is exerted by each striker rod  114 ,  116  on its respective pawl  106 ,  108 . As a result, each pawl  106 ,  108  is rotated to its latched position due to the movement of the doors  102 ,  104  toward their closed positions. As each of the pawls  106 ,  108  rotates to its respective latched position due to the closing of the doors  102 ,  104 , the claw  140 ,  142  of each pawl  106 ,  108  hooks around the respective striker rod  114 ,  116 . Once the pawl  106  completes its rotation to its latched position, the locking bar  120  moves to the engaged position under the bias of the spring  148 . In the engaged position the locking bar  120  is positioned over the step  122  to thereby prevent the rotation of the pawls  106 ,  108  out of their latched positions. Thus, the locking bar  120  holds the latch  100  in the latched configuration with the claws  140 ,  142  hooked around the striker rods  114 ,  116 , respectively, and thereby secures the doors  102 ,  104  in the closed position. 
     When the pawl  106  is not in the latched position, but is at least very near the latched position, the locking bar  120  is maintained in the disengaged position by the peripheral wall  124 . The locking bar  120  slides against the inner circumference of the peripheral wall  124  of the pawl  106  when the pawl  106  is not in the latched position. 
     To open the latch  100  the solenoid is energized. Energizing the solenoid  128  causes the operating rod  126  and the locking bar  120  to be retracted toward the solenoid  128  such that the locking bar  120  is moved to the disengaged position. Thus, energizing the solenoid  128  pulls the locking bar  120  clear of the step  122  and allows the pawls  106 ,  108  to rotate to their unlatched positions under spring force. The locking bar  120  will then come to rest against the inner circumference of the peripheral wall  124  of the pawl  106  when the solenoid  128  is de-energized. The striker rods  114 ,  116  are then free to move away from the latch  100 , thus allowing the doors  102 ,  104  to be opened. As the pawls  106 ,  108  are geared to each other, they will move to the unlatched and latched positions together, irrespective of whether both striker rods  114 ,  116  are in contact with the cam surfaces  150 ,  152  of the pawls  106 ,  108 . Each claw  140 ,  142  is spaced apart from the cam surface  150 ,  152  of the respective pawl  106 ,  108  such that each claw  140 ,  142  and the respective cam surface  150 ,  152  cooperatively define a respective pawl slot  154 ,  156 . The striker rods  114 ,  116  are received in the pawl slots  154 ,  156 , respectively, when the pawls  106 ,  108  are in the latched position and the doors  102 ,  104  are secured in the closed position. The pawl slots  154 ,  156  are wide enough near the tips of the claws  140 ,  142  such that even if only one of the striker rods  114 ,  116  contacts the respective cam surface  150 ,  152  of its respective pawl  106 ,  108  and the other striker rod lags the striker rod that is in contact with its respective cam surface, the lagging striker rod can be hooked and pulled into position by the claw  140 ,  142  of its respective pawl  106 ,  108  to allow the doors  102  and  104  to be secured in the closed position essentially simultaneously. By essentially simultaneous it is meant that there will be no lag between the securing of the door  102  and the securing of the door  104  in their closed positions that will be perceptible to a user during normal use. The achievement of this result is further facilitated by providing for the pawl slots  154 ,  156  to be tapering such that they are widest near the tips of the claws  140 ,  142  and become gradually narrower closer to the closed bottom of the pawl slot. With this geometry once the lagging striker rod is hooked by the respective pawl claw  140 ,  142 , the lagging rod is accelerated such that the lagging rod catches up to the other rod as the pawls  106 ,  108  rotate to their latched positions. The doors  102  and  104  are linked by a mechanism (not shown) such that moving one door to the closed position also moves the other door to the closed position. If the doors  102 ,  104  are being closed by pushing either door by itself, the accumulation of play in the mechanism linking the doors results in one striker rod  114  or  116  lagging behind the other striker rod. In the illustrated example, the claws  140 ,  142  of the pawls  106 ,  108  are designed to hook and pull in their respective striker rod if it lags behind the other such that when the leading striker rod makes contact with its respective pawl the lagging striker rod can be out of the position where it would have made contact with its respective pawl by up to a distance of 5 mm. If the doors  102 ,  104  are being closed by pushing either door by itself, the striker rod of the door that is being pushed by the user will usually lead and the striker rod of the door that is being closed through the action of the linking mechanism will usually lag behind its nominal position. By nominal position it is meant the position the striker rod would have been in had both doors been pushed toward their closed positions in a synchronized manner by the user such that the striker rods would contact their respective pawls simultaneously. 
     The latch  100  can also be used in applications where the doors  102  and  104  are not symmetrical. For example, the distance between one striker rod and the hinge axis of its respective door may be greater than the distance between the other striker rod and the hinge axis of its respective door. This would result in the striker rods moving at different speeds as the doors move to their closed positions. The ratio of the speeds of rotation of the pawls  106 ,  108  can be selected to correspond to the ratio of the speeds of the striker rods  114 ,  116  by properly selecting the gear ratio between the pawls  106  and  108 . In addition, a difference in speed of the striker rods can arise where the mechanism linking the doors  102  and  104  causes the doors  102  and  104  to rotate at different speeds such as when the range of motion of the doors are different by design. Again regardless of how the difference in speed of the striker rods arises, the gear ratio between the pawls  106 ,  108  can be changed, through selection of pawls having the desired gear ratio, to accommodate the difference in speed between the striker rods  114  and  116 . In the illustrated example, the gear ratio between the pawls  106  and  108  is 3:2, since the angular speed of the door  102  is 1.5 times greater than the angular speed of the door  104 . The difference in angular speed of the doors  102  and  104  is a function of the mechanism linking the doors in the illustrated application. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 24-41 , a second embodiment of a latch  200  with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention can be seen. The latch  200  is a solenoid operated latch designed to lock two doors  202  and  204  simultaneously, using two rotating pawls  206  and  208 , and is situated between the pivots or hinges of the doors  202 ,  204  with the pawls  206 ,  208  rotating in the same plane. The pawls  206 ,  208  are provided with gear teeth  210 ,  212 , respectively that are in mesh together and cause the pawls  206 ,  208  to rotate in opposite directions to latch and unlatch their respective striker rods  214  and  216 . Therefore only one torsion spring  218  is required to bias both pawls  206 ,  208  toward their unlatched positions. Furthermore, only one locking bar  220  is required for keeping both pawls in the latched position, because once the locking bar  220  engages one of the pawls  206 ,  208  to retain that pawl in the latched position, the other pawl will also be retained in the latched position through the engagement of the gear teeth  210 ,  212 . In the illustrated example, the locking bar  220  engages the pawl  206 , and the torsion spring  218  is in contact with the pawl  208  such that the biasing force of the torsion spring  218  is exerted directly against the pawl  208 . The locking bar  220  is rectilinearly movable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged position the locking bar  220  engages the step or notch  222  formed in the pawl  206 , when the pawl  206  is in the latched position, to maintain the pawl  206 , and consequently the pawl  208 , in their latched positions. In the disengaged position the locking bar  220  disengages from the step  222  thereby freeing the pawls  206 ,  208  to rotate to their respective unlatched positions under the biasing force of the torsion spring  218 . As the pawl  208  rotates to the unlatched position due to the biasing force exerted on the pawl  208  by the torsion spring  218 , the gear teeth  210 ,  212  being in mesh, the pawl  206  also rotates to its unlatched position. The locking bar  220  is attached to the operating rod  226 , which is in turn attached to the solenoid  228 . The solenoid  228  is supported by the housing  232 . The locking bar  220  moves rectilinearly between the engaged position and the disengaged position in response to the rectilinear movement of the operating rod  226  between a first position corresponding to the engaged position of the locking bar  220  and a second position corresponding to the disengaged position of the locking bar  220 . The operating rod  226  is guided in its rectilinear movement by the hole  230  in the housing  232 . The annular wall  234  that defines the perimeter of the hole  230  provides a bearing surface that movably supports the operating rod  226  intermediate the locking bar  220  and the end  236  of the operating rod  226  that is distal from the solenoid  228 . The locking bar  220  is positioned to extend through a slot  238  provided in the housing  232 . The operating rod  226  and the pawl  206  are positioned on opposite sides of the slot  238  and the slot  238  allows the locking bar  220  to have access to the pawl  206 . The slot  238  is long enough to allow sufficient clearance to at least accommodate the range of movement of the locking bar  220  between the engaged position and the disengaged position without interference from any part of the housing  232 . The slot  238  also aids in guiding the rectilinear movement of the locking bar  220  and of the operating rod  226 . 
     The housing  232  is in the form of a main plate  233  having a second plate  235  attached thereto. The second plate  235  is perpendicular to the main plate  233 . The solenoid  228  is supported on one side of the main plate  233  and the pawls  206 ,  208  are rotationally supported on the other side of the main plate  233 . The slot  238  is formed in the plate  233 . The hole  230  is formed in the plate  235 . A third plate  237  is supported by the main plate  233  such that the plate  237  is parallel to but spaced apart from plate  233 . The pawls  206 ,  208  are rotationally supported intermediate the plates  233  and  237  with the axis of rotation of each pawl being perpendicular to each of the plates  233  and  237 . The axis of rotation of each pawl  206 ,  208  is parallel to and spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the other pawl. A solenoid support bracket  239  is provided on the side of the plate  233  opposite the side of the plate  233  on which the pawls  206 ,  208  are located. The housing  232  is also provided with mounting holes  241  for attachment of the latch  200  near the opening of the compartment secured by the doors  202 ,  204 . The third plate  237  is provided with a slot  243  that registers with and is coextensive with the slot  238 . The locking bar  220  preferably extends through both the slots  238  and  243  such that the locking bar  220  is mechanically supported near both ends for added strength. 
     The pawl  206  is rotationally supported through the engagement of half shafts  213  with holes  217  for receiving the half shafts  213  provided in the housing  232 . The half shafts  213  project outward from either side of the pawl  206 . The pawl  208  is rotationally supported through the engagement of half shafts  215  with holes  219  for receiving the half shafts  215  provided in the housing  232 . The half shafts  215  project outward from either side of the pawl  208 . The torsion spring  218  has two coiled portions  245  each of which surrounds a respective half shaft  215 . Extending from each coiled portion  245  is a first spring arm  247  and a second spring arm  249 . The ends of the first spring arms  247  located distally from the respective coiled portion  245  are fixedly located relative to the housing  232 . The ends of the second spring arms  249  located distally from the respective coiled portion  245  are connected by a cross bar  251 . The cross bar  251  is engaged to a notch  253  formed in the pawl  208 . Thus, ends of the second spring arms  249  located distally from the respective coiled portion  245  are fixedly located relative to the pawl  208 . 
     In the unlatched position the pawl claws  240 ,  242 , respectively, of both pawls  206 ,  208  are positioned, due to the biasing force of the torsion spring  218 , such that the pawl claws  240 ,  242  point upward and are out of the way of the striker rods  214  and  216  as the doors  202 ,  204  move toward the closed position relative to the compartment opening. Each of the striker rods  214 ,  216  is in the form of an elongated rod supported at a distance from the interior surface of the respective door  202 ,  204 , by legs extending from each end of the striker rod to the interior surface of the respective door. The return spring  248  of the de-energized solenoid pulls the locking bar  220  against the outer peripheral profile of the pawl  206  extending from the notch  222  in a direction away from the claw  240  for a portion  224  of the outer periphery of the pawl  206  when the pawl  206  is not in the latched position. As the doors  202 ,  204  move toward their closed positions, the striker rods  214 ,  216  are bought into contact with the cam surfaces  250  and  252  of the pawls  206  and  208 , respectively. Each of the pawls  206  and  208  is rotationally supported by the housing  232  such that each pawl rotates about its own axis of rotation. The contact point between each striker rod  214 ,  216  and the cam surface  250 ,  252  of the respective pawl  206 ,  208 , and the path of each striker rod  214 ,  216 , are offset from the axis of rotation of the respective pawl  206 ,  208 . Therefore, as each striker rod  214 ,  216  impacts the respective cam surface  250 ,  252  due to the movement of the doors  202 ,  204  toward their closed positions, a torque tending to rotate the respective pawl  206 ,  208  toward the latched position is exerted by each striker rod  214 ,  216  on its respective pawl  206 ,  208 . As a result, each pawl  206 ,  208  is rotated to its latched position due to the movement of the doors  202 ,  204  toward their closed positions. As each of the pawls  206 ,  208  rotates to its respective latched position due to the closing of the doors  202 ,  204 , the claw  240 ,  242  of each pawl  206 ,  208  hooks around the respective striker rod  214 ,  216 . Once the pawl  206  completes its rotation to its latched position, the locking bar  220  moves to the engaged position under the bias of the spring  248 . In the engaged position the locking bar  220  is positioned over and into the step  222  to thereby prevent the rotation of the pawls  206 ,  208  out of their latched positions. Thus, the locking bar  220  holds the latch  200  in the latched configuration with the claws  240 ,  242  hooked around the striker rods  214 ,  216 , respectively, and thereby secures the doors  202 ,  204  in the closed position. 
     When the pawl  206  is not in the latched position, but is at least very near the latched position, the locking bar  220  is maintained in the disengaged position by the portion  224  of the outer periphery of the pawl  206 . The locking bar  220  slides against and rides the portion  224  of the outer periphery of the pawl  206  when the pawl  206  is not in the latched position. 
     To open the latch  200  the solenoid is energized. Energizing the solenoid  228  causes the operating rod  226  and the locking bar  220  to be pushed away from the solenoid  228  such that the locking bar  220  is moved to the disengaged position. Thus, energizing the solenoid  228  pushes the locking bar  220  clear of the step  222  and allows the pawls  206 ,  208  to rotate to their unlatched positions under spring force. The locking bar  220  will then come to rest against the portion  224  of the outer periphery of the pawl  206  when the solenoid  228  is de-energized. The striker rods  214 ,  216  are then free to move away from the latch  200 , thus allowing the doors  202 ,  204  to be opened. As the pawls  206 ,  208  are geared to each other, they will move to the unlatched and latched positions together, irrespective of whether both striker rods  214 ,  216  are in contact with the cam surfaces  250 ,  252  of the pawls  206 ,  208 . Each claw  240 ,  242  is spaced apart from the cam surface  250 ,  252  of the respective pawl  206 ,  208  such that each claw  240 ,  242  and the respective cam surface  250 ,  252  cooperatively define a respective pawl slot  254 ,  256 . The striker rods  214 ,  216  are received in the pawl slots  254 ,  256 , respectively, when the pawls  206 ,  208  are in the latched position and the doors  202 ,  204  are secured in the closed position. The pawl slots  254 ,  256  are wide enough near the tips of the claws  240 ,  242  such that even if only one of the striker rods  214 ,  216  contacts the respective cam surface  250 ,  252  of its respective pawl  206 ,  208  and the other striker rod lags the striker rod that is in contact with its respective cam surface, the lagging striker rod can be hooked and pulled into position by the claw  240 ,  242  of its respective pawl  206 ,  208  to allow the doors  202  and  204  to be secured in the closed position essentially simultaneously. By essentially simultaneous it is meant that there will be no lag between the securing of the door  202  and the securing of the door  204  in their closed positions that will be perceptible to a user during normal use. The achievement of this result is further facilitated by providing for the pawl slots  254 ,  256  to be tapering such that they are widest near the tips of the claws  240 ,  242  and become gradually narrower closer to the closed bottom of the pawl slot. With this geometry once the lagging striker rod is hooked by the respective pawl claw  240 ,  242 , the lagging rod is accelerated such that the lagging rod catches up to the other rod as the pawls  206 ,  208  rotate to their latched positions. The doors  202  and  204  are linked by a mechanism (not shown) such that moving one door to the closed position also moves the other door to the closed position. If the doors  202 ,  204  are being closed by pushing either door by itself, the accumulation of play in the mechanism linking the doors results in one striker rod  214  or  216  lagging behind the other striker rod. In the illustrated example, the claws  240 ,  242  of the pawls  206 ,  208  are designed to hook and pull in their respective striker rod if it lags behind the other such that when the leading striker rod makes contact with its respective pawl the lagging striker rod can be out of the position where it would have made contact with its respective pawl by up to a distance of 5 mm. If the doors  202 ,  204  are being closed by pushing either door by itself, the striker rod of the door that is being pushed by the user will usually lead and the striker rod of the door that is being closed through the action of the linking mechanism will usually lag behind its nominal position. By nominal position it is meant the position the striker rod would have been in had both doors been pushed toward their closed positions in a synchronized manner by the user such that the striker rods would contact their respective pawls simultaneously. 
     The latch  200  can also be used in applications where the doors  202  and  204  are not symmetrical. For example, the distance between one striker rod and the hinge axis of its respective door may be greater than the distance between the other striker rod and the hinge axis of its respective door. This would result in the striker rods moving at different speeds as the doors move to their closed positions. The ratio of the speeds of rotation of the pawls  206 ,  208  can be selected to correspond to the ratio of the speeds of the striker rods  214 ,  216  by properly selecting the gear ratio between the pawls  206  and  208 . In addition, a difference in speed of the striker rods can arise where the mechanism linking the doors  202  and  204  causes the doors  202  and  204  to rotate at different speeds such as when the range of motion of the doors are different by design. Again regardless of how the difference in speed of the striker rods arises, the gear ratio between the pawls  206 , 208  can be changed, through selection of pawls having the desired gear ratio, to accommodate the difference in speed between the striker rods  214  and  216 . In the illustrated example, the gear ratio between the pawls  206  and  208  is 3:2, since the angular speed of the door  202  is 1.5 times greater than the angular speed of the door  204 . The difference in angular speed of the doors  202  and  204  is a function of the mechanism linking the doors in the illustrated application. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 42-63 , a third embodiment of a latch  300  with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention can be seen. The latch  300  is a solenoid operated latch designed to lock two doors  202  and  204  simultaneously, using two rotating pawls  306  and  308 , and is situated between the pivots or hinges of the doors  202 ,  204  with the pawls  306 ,  308  rotating in the same plane. The latch  300  is essentially similar to the latch  200 , and for the sake of brevity only those features of the latch  300  that are different from the latch  200  are discussed in detail below. The pawls  306 ,  308  are provided with holes  310 ,  312 , respectively, that are offset or eccentric relative to the axis of rotation of the pawls  306 ,  308 . The holes  310 ,  312  allow each end of the linking bar  311  to be pivotally connected to a respective one of the pawls  306 ,  308 . The linking bar  311  links the pawls  306 ,  308  together such that rotation of one pawl causes the rotation of the other with both pawls  306 ,  308  to rotating in the same direction. The pawls  306 ,  308  are rotationally movable between respective latched and unlatched positions, where they respectively latch and unlatch their respective striker rods  214  and  216 . Therefore only one torsion spring  218  is required to bias both pawls  306 ,  308  toward their unlatched positions. Furthermore, only one locking bar  320  is required for keeping both pawls in the latched position, because once the locking bar  320  engages one of the pawls  306 ,  308  to retain that pawl in the latched position, the other pawl will also be retained in the latched position through the linkage provided by the linking bar  311 . In the illustrated example, the locking bar  320  engages the pawl  306 , and the torsion spring  218  would be in contact with the pawl  308  such that the biasing force of the torsion spring  218  is exerted directly against the pawl  308 . The locking bar  320  is rectilinearly movable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged position the locking bar  320  engages the step or notch  322  formed in the pawl  306 , when the pawl  306  is in the latched position, to maintain the pawl  306 , and consequently the pawl  308 , in their latched positions. In the disengaged position the locking bar  320  disengages from the step  322  thereby freeing the pawls  306 ,  308  to rotate to their respective unlatched positions under the biasing force of the torsion spring  218 . As the pawl  308  rotates to the unlatched position due to the biasing force exerted on the pawl  308  by the torsion spring  218 , due to the linkage provided by the linking bar  311 , the pawl  306  also rotates to its unlatched position. The locking bar  320  is attached to the operating rod  326 , which is in turn attached to the solenoid  328 . The solenoid  328  is supported by the housing  332 . The locking bar  320  moves rectilinearly between the engaged position and the disengaged position in response to the rectilinear movement of the operating rod  326  between a first position corresponding to the engaged position of the locking bar  320  and a second position corresponding to the disengaged position of the locking bar  320 . The operating rod  326  is guided in its rectilinear movement by the hole  330  in the housing  332 . The annular wall  334  that defines the perimeter of the hole  330  provides a bearing surface that movably supports the operating rod  326  intermediate the locking bar  320  and the end  336  of the operating rod  326  that is distal from the solenoid  328 . The locking bar  320  is positioned to extend through a slot  338  provided in the housing  332 . The operating rod  326  and the pawl  306  are positioned on opposite sides of the slot  338  and the slot  338  allows the locking bar  320  to have access to the pawl  306 . The slot  338  is long enough to allow sufficient clearance to at least accommodate the range of movement of the locking bar  320  between the engaged position and the disengaged position without interference from any part of the housing  332 . The slot  338  also aids in guiding the rectilinear movement of the locking bar  320  and of the operating rod  326 . 
     The housing  332  is in the form of a main plate  333  having a second plate  335  attached thereto. The second plate  335  is perpendicular to the main plate  333 . The solenoid  328  is supported on one side of the main plate  333  and the pawls  306 ,  308  are rotationally supported on the other side of the main plate  333 . The slot  338  is formed in the plate  333 . The hole  330  is formed in the plate  335 . A third plate  337  is supported by the main plate  333  such that the plate  337  is parallel to but spaced apart from plate  333 . The pawls  306 ,  308  are rotationally supported intermediate the plates  333  and  337  with the axis of rotation of each pawl being perpendicular to each of the plates  333  and  337 . The axis of rotation of each pawl  306 ,  308  is parallel to and spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the other pawl. A solenoid support bracket  339  is provided on the side of the plate  333  opposite the side of the plate  333  on which the pawls  306 ,  308  are located. The housing  332  is also provided with mounting holes  341  for attachment of the latch  300  near the opening of the compartment secured by the doors  202 ,  204 . The third plate  337  is provided with a slot  343  that registers with and is coextensive with the slot  338 . The locking bar  320  preferably extends through both the slots  338  and  343  such that the locking bar  320  is mechanically supported near both ends for added strength. 
     The pawl  306  is rotationally supported through the engagement of half shafts  313  with holes  317  for receiving the half shafts  313  provided in the housing  332 . The half shafts  313  project outward from either side of the pawl  306 . The pawl  308  is rotationally supported through the engagement of half shafts  315  with holes  319  for receiving the half shafts  315  provided in the housing  332 . The half shafts  315  project outward from either side of the pawl  308 . The torsion spring  218  has two coiled portions  245  each of which would surround a respective half shaft  315  as shown for latch  200 . Extending from each coiled portion  245  is a first spring arm  247  and a second spring arm  249 . The ends of the first spring arms  247  located distally from the respective coiled portion  245  would be fixedly located relative to the housing  332  as was shown in the case of latch  200 . The ends of the second spring arms  249  located distally from the respective coiled portion  245  are connected by a cross bar  251 . The cross bar  251  would be engaged to a notch  353  formed in the pawl  308 . Thus, ends of the second spring arms  249  located distally from the respective coiled portion  245  would be fixedly located relative to the pawl  308 . 
     In the unlatched position the pawl claws  340 ,  342 , respectively, of both pawls  306 ,  308  are positioned, due to the biasing force of the torsion spring  218 , such that the pawl claws  340 ,  342  point upward and are out of the way of the striker rods  214  and  216  as the doors  202 ,  204  move toward the closed position relative to the compartment opening. Each of the striker rods  214 ,  216  is in the form of an elongated rod supported at a distance from the interior surface of the respective door  202 ,  204 , by legs extending from each end of the striker rod to the interior surface of the respective door. The return spring  348  of the de-energized solenoid pulls the locking bar  320  against the outer peripheral profile of the pawl  306  extending from the notch  322  in a direction away from the claw  340  for a portion  324  of the outer periphery of the pawl  306  when the pawl  306  is not in the latched position. As the doors  202 ,  204  move toward their closed positions, the striker rods  214 ,  216  are bought into contact with the cam surfaces  350  and  352  of the pawls  306  and  308 , respectively. Each of the pawls  306  and  308  is rotationally supported by the housing  332  such that each pawl rotates about its own axis of rotation. The contact point between each striker rod  214 ,  216  and the cam surface  350 ,  352  of the respective pawl  306 ,  308 , and the path of each striker rod  214 ,  216 , are offset from the axis of rotation of the respective pawl  306 ,  308 . Therefore, as each striker rod  214 ,  216  impacts the respective cam surface  350 ,  352  due to the movement of the doors  202 ,  204  toward their closed positions, a torque tending to rotate the respective pawl  306 ,  308  toward the latched position is exerted by each striker rod  214 ,  216  on its respective pawl  306 ,  308 . As a result, each pawl  306 ,  308  is rotated to its latched position due to the movement of the doors  202 ,  204  toward their closed positions. As each of the pawls  306 ,  308  rotates to its respective latched position due to the closing of the doors  202 ,  204 , the claw  340 ,  342  of each pawl  306 ,  308  hooks around the respective striker rod  214 ,  216 . Once the pawl  306  completes its rotation to its latched position, the locking bar  320  moves to the engaged position under the bias of the spring  348 . In the engaged position the locking bar  320  is positioned over and into the step  322  to thereby prevent the rotation of the pawls  306 ,  308  out of their latched positions. Thus, the locking bar  320  holds the latch  300  in the latched configuration with the claws  340 ,  342  hooked around the striker rods  214 ,  216 , respectively, and thereby secures the doors  202 ,  204  in the closed position. 
     When the pawl  306  is not in the latched position, but is at least very near the latched position, the locking bar  320  is maintained in the disengaged position by the portion  324  of the outer periphery of the pawl  306 . The locking bar  320  slides against and rides the portion  324  of the outer periphery of the pawl  306  when the pawl  306  is not in the latched position. 
     To open the latch  300  the solenoid is energized. Energizing the solenoid  328  causes the operating rod  326  and the locking bar  320  to be pushed away from the solenoid  328  such that the locking bar  320  is moved to the disengaged position. Thus, energizing the solenoid  328  pushes the locking bar  320  clear of the step  322  and allows the pawls  306 ,  308  to rotate to their unlatched positions under spring force. The locking bar  320  will then come to rest against the portion  324  of the outer periphery of the pawl  306  when the solenoid  328  is de-energized. The striker rods  214 ,  216  are then free to move away from the latch  300 , thus allowing the doors  202 ,  204  to be opened. As the pawls  306 ,  308  are linked to each other, they will move to the unlatched and latched positions together, irrespective of whether both striker rods  214 ,  216  are in contact with the cam surfaces  350 ,  352  of the pawls  306 ,  308 . Each claw  340 ,  342  is spaced apart from the cam surface  350 ,  352  of the respective pawl  306 ,  308  such that each claw  340 ,  342  and the respective cam surface  350 ,  352  cooperatively define a respective pawl slot  354 ,  356 . The striker rods  214 ,  216  are received in the pawl slots  354 ,  356 , respectively, when the pawls  306 ,  308  are in the latched position and the doors  202 ,  204  are secured in the closed position. The pawl slots  354 ,  356  are wide enough near the tips of the claws  340 ,  342  such that even if only one of the striker rods  214 ,  216  contacts the respective cam surface  350 ,  352  of its respective pawl  306 ,  308  and the other striker rod lags the striker rod that is in contact with its respective cam surface, the lagging striker rod can be hooked and pulled into position by the claw  340 ,  342  of its respective pawl  306 ,  308  to allow the doors  202  and  204  to be secured in the closed position essentially simultaneously. By essentially simultaneous it is meant that there will be no lag between the securing of the door  202  and the securing of the door  204  in their closed positions that will be perceptible to a user during normal use. The achievement of this result is further facilitated by providing for the pawl slots  354 ,  356  to be tapering such that they are widest near the tips of the claws  340 ,  342  and become gradually narrower closer to the closed bottom of the pawl slot. With this geometry once the lagging striker rod is hooked by the respective pawl claw  340 ,  342 , the lagging rod is accelerated such that the lagging rod catches up to the other rod as the pawls  306 ,  308  rotate to their latched positions. The doors  202  and  204  are linked by a mechanism (not shown) such that moving one door to the closed position also moves the other door to the closed position. If the doors  202 ,  204  are being closed by pushing either door by itself, the accumulation of play in the mechanism linking the doors results in one striker rod  214  or  216  lagging behind the other striker rod. In the illustrated example, the claws  340 ,  342  of the pawls  306 ,  308  are designed to hook and pull in their respective striker rod if it lags behind the other such that when the leading striker rod makes contact with its respective pawl the lagging striker rod can be out of the position where it would have made contact with its respective pawl by up to a distance of 5 mm. If the doors  202 ,  204  are being closed by pushing either door by itself, the striker rod of the door that is being pushed by the user will usually lead and the striker rod of the door that is being closed through the action of the door linking mechanism will usually lag behind its nominal position. By nominal position it is meant the position the striker rod would have been in had both doors been pushed toward their closed positions in a synchronized manner by the user such that the striker rods would contact their respective pawls simultaneously. 
     In the illustrated example, the ratio of angular displacement between the pawls  306  and  308  is 1:1. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 64-84 , a fourth embodiment of a latch  400  with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention can be seen. The latch  400  is a solenoid operated latch designed to lock two doors  402  and  404  simultaneously, using two rotating pawls  406  and  408 , and is situated between the pivots or hinges of the doors  402 ,  404  with the pawls  406 ,  408  rotating in the same plane. The latch  400  is essentially similar to the latch  300 , except that there is no linkage between the pawls  406  and  408 . Accordingly, pawls  406  and  408  are completely independent, which requires that one torsion spring  418 ,  401  be provided for each pawl  406 ,  408 , respectively. Also, two locking bars  420  and  421  are provided, one for each pawl  406 ,  408 . For the sake of brevity only those features of the latch  400  that are different from the latch  300  are discussed in detail below. The pawls  406 ,  408  are rotationally movable between respective latched and unlatched positions, where they respectively latch and unlatch their respective striker rods  414  and  416 . The torsion springs  418 ,  401  bias the pawls  406 ,  408  toward their unlatched positions. The locking bar  420  is rectilinearly movable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged position the locking bar  420  engages the step or notch  422  formed in the pawl  406 , when the pawl  406  is in the latched position, to maintain the pawl  406  in its latched position. In the disengaged position the locking bar  420  disengages from the step  422  thereby freeing the pawl  406  to rotate to its unlatched position under the biasing force of the torsion spring  418 . The locking bar  421  is rectilinearly movable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged position the locking bar  421  engages the step or notch  423  formed in the pawl  408 , when the pawl  408  is in the latched position, to maintain the pawl  408  in its latched position. In the disengaged position the locking bar  421  disengages from the step  423  thereby freeing the pawl  408  to rotate to its unlatched position under the biasing force of the torsion spring  401 . The locking bars  420 ,  421  are attached to the operating rod  426 , which is in turn attached to the solenoid  428 . The solenoid  428  is supported by the housing  432 . The locking bars  420 ,  421  move rectilinearly between the engaged position and the disengaged position in response to the rectilinear movement of the operating rod  426  between a first position corresponding to the engaged position of the locking bars  420 ,  421  and a second position corresponding to the disengaged position of the locking bars  420 ,  421 . The operating rod  426  is guided in its rectilinear movement by the hole  430  in the housing  432 . The annular wall  434  that defines the perimeter of the hole  430  provides a bearing surface that movably supports the operating rod  426  intermediate the locking bar  420  and the end  436  of the operating rod  426  that is distal from the solenoid  428 . The locking bars  420 ,  421  are positioned to extend through slots  438  (only one shown) provided in the housing  432 . The operating rod  426  and the pawls  406 ,  408  are positioned on opposite sides of the slots  438  and the slots  438  allow the locking bars  420 ,  421  to have access to the pawls  406 ,  408 , respectively. The slots  438  are long enough to allow sufficient clearance to at least accommodate the range of movement of the locking bars  420 ,  421  between the engaged position and the disengaged position without interference from any part of the housing  432 . The slots  438  also aid in guiding the rectilinear movement of the locking bars  420 ,  421  and of the operating rod  426 . 
     The housing  432  is in the form of a main plate  433  having a second plate  435  attached thereto. The second plate  435  is perpendicular to the main plate  433 . The solenoid  428  is supported on one side of the main plate  433  and the pawls  406 ,  408  are rotationally supported on the other side of the main plate  433 . The slot  438  is formed in the plate  433 . The hole  430  is formed in the plate  435 . A third plate  437  is supported by the main plate  433  such that the plate  437  is parallel to but spaced apart from plate  433 . The pawls  406 ,  408  are rotationally supported intermediate the plates  433  and  437  with the axis of rotation of each pawl being perpendicular to each of the plates  433  and  437 . The axis of rotation of each pawl  406 ,  408  is parallel to and spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the other pawl. A solenoid support bracket  439  is provided on the side of the plate  433  opposite the side of the plate  433  on which the pawls  406 ,  408  are located. The housing  432  is also provided with mounting holes  441  for attachment of the latch  400  near the opening of the compartment secured by the doors  402 ,  404 . The third plate  437  is provided with slots  443  that register with and is coextensive with the slots  438 . The locking bars  420 ,  421  preferably extend through both the slots  438  and  443  such that the locking bars  420 ,  421  are mechanically supported near both ends for added strength. 
     The pawl  406  is rotationally supported through the engagement of half shafts  413  with holes  417  for receiving the half shafts  413  provided in the housing  432 . The half shafts  413  project outward from either side of the pawl  406 . The torsion spring  401  has two coiled portions  460  each of which surround a respective half shaft  413 . Extending from each coiled portion  460  is a first spring arm  462  and a second spring arm  464 . The ends of the first spring arms  462  located distally from the respective coiled portion  460  are fixedly located relative to the housing  432 . The ends of the second spring arms  464  located distally from the respective coiled portion  460  are connected by a cross bar  466 . The cross bar  466  is engaged to a notch  468  formed in the pawl  406 . Thus, ends of the second spring arms  464  located distally from the respective coiled portion  460  are fixedly located relative to the pawl  406 . The pawl  408  is rotationally supported through the engagement of half shafts  415  with holes  419  for receiving the half shafts  415  provided in the housing  432 . The half shafts  415  project outward from either side of the pawl  408 . The torsion spring  418  has two coiled portions  445  each of which surround a respective half shaft  415  as shown for latch  400 . Extending from each coiled portion  445  is a first spring arm  447  and a second spring arm  449 . The ends of the first spring arms  447  located distally from the respective coiled portion  445  are fixedly located relative to the housing  432 . The ends of the second spring arms  449  located distally from the respective coiled portion  445  are connected by a cross bar  451 . The cross bar  451  is engaged to a notch  453  formed in the pawl  408 . Thus, ends of the second spring arms  449  located distally from the respective coiled portion  445  are fixedly located relative to the pawl  408 . 
     In the unlatched position the pawl claws  440 ,  442 , respectively, of both pawls  406 ,  408  are positioned, due to the biasing force of the torsion springs  418 ,  401 , such that the pawl claws  440 ,  442  point upward and are out of the way of the striker rods  414  and  416  as the doors  402 ,  404  move toward the closed position relative to the compartment opening. Each of the striker rods  414 ,  416  is in the form of an elongated rod supported at a distance from the interior surface of the respective door  402 ,  404 , by legs extending from each end of the striker rod to the interior surface of the respective door. The return spring  448  of the de-energized solenoid pulls the locking bars  420 ,  421  against the outer peripheral profile of the pawls  406 ,  408 , respectively, extending from the notches  422 ,  423  in a direction away from the claws  440 ,  442  for a portion  424 ,  425  of the outer periphery of the pawls  406 ,  408  when the pawls  406 ,  408  are not in their latched positions. As the doors  402 ,  404  move toward their closed positions, the striker rods  414 ,  416  are bought into contact with the cam surfaces  450  and  452  of the pawls  406  and  408 , respectively. Each of the pawls  406  and  408  is rotationally supported by the housing  432  such that each pawl rotates about its own axis of rotation. The contact point between each striker rod  414 ,  416  and the cam surface  450 ,  452  of the respective pawl  406 ,  408 , and the path of each striker rod  414 ,  416 , are offset from the axis of rotation of the respective pawl  406 ,  408 . Therefore, as each striker rod  414 ,  416  impacts the respective cam surface  450 ,  452  due to the movement of the doors  402 ,  404  toward their closed positions, a torque tending to rotate the respective pawl  406 ,  408  toward the latched position is exerted by each striker rod  414 ,  416  on its respective pawl  406 ,  408 . As a result, each pawl  406 ,  408  is rotated to its latched position due to the movement of the doors  402 ,  404  toward their closed positions. As each of the pawls  406 ,  408  rotates to its respective latched position due to the closing of the doors  402 ,  404 , the claw  440 ,  442  of each pawl  406 ,  408  hooks around the respective striker rod  414 ,  416 . Once the pawls  406 ,  408  complete their rotation to their latched positions, the locking bars  420 ,  421  move to their engaged positions under the bias of the spring  448 . In the engaged positions the locking bars  420 ,  421  are positioned over and into the steps  422 ,  423  to thereby prevent the rotation of the pawls  406 ,  408  out of their latched positions. Thus, the locking bars  420 ,  421  hold the latch  400  in the latched configuration with the claws  440 ,  442  hooked around the striker rods  414 ,  416 , respectively, and thereby secure the doors  402 ,  404  in the closed position. 
     To open the latch  400  the solenoid is energized. Energizing the solenoid  428  causes the operating rod  426  and the locking bars  420 ,  421  to be pushed away from the solenoid  428  such that the locking bars  420 ,  421  are moved to their disengaged positions. Thus, energizing the solenoid  428  pushes the locking bars  420 ,  421  clear of the steps  422 ,  423 , respectively, and allows the pawls  406 ,  408  to rotate to their unlatched positions under spring force. The locking bars  420 ,  421  will then come to rest against the portions  424 ,  425 , respectively, of the outer periphery of the pawls  406 ,  408  when the solenoid  428  is de-energized. The striker rods  414 ,  416  are then free to move away from the latch  400 , thus allowing the doors  402 ,  404  to be opened. Each claw  440 ,  442  is spaced apart from the cam surface  450 ,  452  of the respective pawl  406 ,  408  such that each claw  440 ,  442  and the respective cam surface  450 ,  452  cooperatively define a respective pawl slot  454 ,  456 . The striker rods  414 ,  416  are received in the pawl slots  454 ,  456 , respectively, when the pawls  406 ,  408  are in the latched position and the doors  402 ,  404  are secured in the closed position. 
     The doors  402  and  404  are linked by a mechanism (not shown) such that moving one door to the closed position also moves the other door to the closed position. If the doors  402 ,  404  are being closed by pushing either door by itself, the accumulation of play in the mechanism linking the doors results in one striker rod  414  or  416  lagging behind the other striker rod. In the latch  400  the two pawls are independent of each other and therefore this embodiment does not provide simultaneous closing when one striker rod lags behind. The latch  400  relies on the doors  402  and  404  to have a large over travel to allow the lagging striker rod to finally reach its fully latched position via the help of the mechanism linking the doors. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 85-98 , a fifth embodiment of a latch  500  with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention can be seen. The latch  500  is a solenoid operated latch designed to lock two doors, using two rotating pawls  506  and  508 , and is situated between the pivots or hinges of the doors with the pawls  506 ,  508  rotating in parallel, spaced apart planes. The latch  500  is essentially similar to the latch  400 , except that the axis of rotation of the pawls  506  and  508  are coincident rather than parallel and the locking bars  520  and  521  move pivotally rather than rectilinearly. The latch  500  is designed to engage striker rods that are in line rather than parallel. The pawls  506  and  508  are completely independent, which requires that one torsion spring  518 ,  501  be provided for each pawl  506 ,  508 , respectively. Also, two locking bars  520  and  521  are provided, one for each pawl  506 ,  508 . For the sake of brevity only those features of the latch  500  that are different from the latch  400  are discussed in detail below. The pawls  506 ,  508  are rotationally movable between respective latched and unlatched positions, where they respectively latch and unlatch their respective striker rods. The torsion springs  518 ,  501  bias the pawls  506 ,  508  toward their unlatched positions. The locking bar  520  is pivotally movable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged position the locking bar  520  engages the step or notch  522  formed in the pawl  506 , when the pawl  506  is in the latched position, to maintain the pawl  506  in its latched position. In the disengaged position the locking bar  520  disengages from the step  522  thereby freeing the pawl  506  to rotate to its unlatched position under the biasing force of the torsion spring  518 . The locking bar  521  is pivotally movable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged position the locking bar  521  engages the step or notch  523  formed in the pawl  508 , when the pawl  508  is in the latched position, to maintain the pawl  508  in its latched position. In the disengaged position the locking bar  521  disengages from the step  523  thereby freeing the pawl  508  to rotate to its unlatched position under the biasing force of the torsion spring  501 . The locking bars  520 ,  521  are attached to the plate  526 , which is pivotally supported by the housing  532 . The solenoid  528  is also supported by the housing  532 . The solenoid shaft  570  is pivotally attached to the plate  526  such that rectilinear movement of the solenoid shaft  570  causes pivotal movement of the plate  526 . The locking bars  520 ,  521  move pivotally between the engaged position and the disengaged position in response to the pivotal movement of the plate  526  between a first position corresponding to the engaged position of the locking bars  520 ,  521  and a second position corresponding to the disengaged position of the locking bars  520 ,  521 . 
     The housing  532  has a pair of slots  533  and  535  through which the pawls  506 ,  508  can engage their respective striker rods. A solenoid support bracket  539  is provided on the side of housing  532 . 
     In the unlatched position the pawl claws  540 ,  542 , respectively, of both pawls  506 ,  508  are positioned, due to the biasing force of the torsion springs  518 ,  501 , such that the pawl claws  540 ,  542  point upward and are out of the way of the striker rods as the doors move toward the closed position relative to the compartment opening. 
     The return spring  548  of the de-energized solenoid pushes the locking bars  520 ,  521  against the outer peripheral profile of the pawls  506 ,  508 , respectively, extending from the notches  522 ,  523  in a direction toward the claws  540 ,  542  for a portion  524 ,  525  of the outer periphery of the pawls  506 ,  508  when the pawls  506 ,  508  are not in their latched positions. As the doors move toward their closed positions, the striker rods are bought into contact with the cam surfaces  550  and  552  of the pawls  506  and  508 , respectively. Each of the pawls  506  and  508  is rotationally supported by the housing  532  such that each pawl rotates about its own axis of rotation. The contact point between each striker rod and the cam surface  550 ,  552  of the respective pawl  506 ,  508 , and the path of each striker rod, are offset from the axis of rotation of the respective pawl  506 ,  508 . Therefore, as each striker rod impacts the respective cam surface  550 ,  552  due to the movement of the doors toward their closed positions, a torque tending to rotate the respective pawl  506 ,  508  toward the latched position is exerted by each striker rod on its respective pawl  506 ,  508 . As a result, each pawl  506 ,  508  is rotated to its latched position due to the movement of the doors toward their closed positions. As each of the pawls  506 ,  508  rotates to its respective latched position due to the closing of the doors, the claw  540 ,  542  of each pawl  506 ,  508  hooks around the respective striker rod. Once the pawls  506 ,  508  complete their rotation to their latched positions, the locking bars  520 ,  521  move to their engaged positions under the bias of the spring  548 . In the engaged positions the locking bars  520 ,  521  are positioned over and into the steps  522 ,  523  to thereby prevent the rotation of the pawls  506 ,  508  out of their latched positions. Thus, the locking bars  520 ,  521  hold the latch  500  in the latched configuration with the claws  540 ,  542  hooked around their respective striker rods, and thereby secure the doors in the closed position. 
     To open the latch  500  the solenoid is energized. Energizing the solenoid  528  causes the plate  526  and the locking bars  520 ,  521  to be pulled toward the solenoid  528  such that the locking bars  520 ,  521  are moved to their disengaged positions. Thus, energizing the solenoid  528  pulls the locking bars  520 ,  521  clear of the steps  522 ,  523 , respectively, and allows the pawls  506 ,  508  to rotate to their unlatched positions under spring force. The locking bars  520 ,  521  will then come to rest against the portions  524 ,  525 , respectively, of the outer periphery of the pawls  506 ,  508  when the solenoid  528  is de-energized. The striker rods are then free to move away from the latch  500 , thus allowing the doors to be opened. Each claw  540 ,  542  is spaced apart from the cam surface  550 ,  552  of the respective pawl  506 ,  508  such that each claw  540 ,  542  and the respective cam surface  550 ,  552  cooperatively define a respective pawl slot  554 ,  556 . The striker rods are received in the pawl slots  554 ,  556 , respectively, when the pawls  506 ,  508  are in the latched position and the doors are secured in the closed position. 
     In the latch  500  the two pawls are independent of each other and therefore this embodiment does not provide simultaneous closing when one striker rod lags behind. The latch  500  relies on the doors to have a large over travel to allow the lagging striker rod to finally reach its fully latched position via the help of the mechanism linking the doors. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 99-114 , a sixth embodiment of a latch  600  with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention can be seen. The latch  600  is a solenoid operated latch designed to lock two doors, using two rotating pawls  606  and  608 , and is situated between the pivots or hinges of the doors with the pawls  606 ,  608  rotating in parallel, spaced apart planes. The latch  600  is similar to the latch  500 , except that the pawls are rigidly connected by an angle bracket  671  extending between the pawls and rigidly connecting the pawls together, thus the latch  600  provides for simultaneous latching of double doors. The axis of rotation of the pawls  606  and  608  are coincident as with the latch  500 , but the pawls are not independent. The latch  600  is designed to engage striker rods that are in line rather than parallel. The pawls  606  and  608  are linked such that they move pivotally as one unit, which means that one torsion spring and only one locking bar  620  is required. For the sake of brevity only those features of the latch  600  that are different from the latch  500  are discussed in detail below. The pawls  606 ,  608  are rotationally movable between respective latched and unlatched positions, where they respectively latch and unlatch their respective striker rods. One or two torsion springs (not shown) bias the pawls  606 ,  608  toward their unlatched positions. The bracket  671  rigidly connects the pawls  606 ,  608  as one unit, which may be of one-piece construction. The back of the bracket  671  has a projecting fin  672  that forms a step  622  at one end. The locking bar  620  is rectilinearly movable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged position the locking bar  620  engages the step or notch  622 , when the pawl  606  is in the latched position, to maintain the pawl  606  in its latched position. In the disengaged position a notch  674  in the locking bar  620  registers with the fin  672  and allows the fin  672  to clear the locking bar  620  and for the locking bar  620  to disengage from the step  622  thereby freeing the pawls  606 ,  608  to rotate to their unlatched positions under the biasing force of the torsion spring. The locking bar  620  is attached to the operating rod  626 , which is attached to the solenoid shaft  670  for rectilinear movement with the solenoid shaft  670 . The solenoid  628  is also supported by the housing  632 . The locking bar  620  moves rectilinearly between the engaged position and the disengaged position in response to the rectilinear movement of the operating rod  626  between a first position corresponding to the engaged position of the locking bar  620  and a second position corresponding to the disengaged position of the locking bar  620 . 
     The housing  632  has a pair of slots  633  and  635  through which the pawls  606 ,  608  can engage their respective striker rods. A solenoid support bracket  639  is provided on the side of housing  632 . 
     In the unlatched position the pawl claws  640 ,  642 , respectively, of both pawls  606 ,  608  are positioned, due to spring bias such that the pawl claws  640 ,  642  point upward and are out of the way of the striker rods as the doors move toward the closed position relative to the compartment opening. 
     The return spring  648  of the de-energized solenoid can set up to push or pull the locking bar  620  against the sides of the fin  672  when the pawls  606 ,  608  are not in their latched positions. As the doors move toward their closed positions, the striker rods are bought into contact with the cam surfaces  650  and  652  of the pawls  606  and  608 , respectively. Each of the pawls  606  and  608  is rotationally supported by the housing  632  such that each pawl rotates about its own axis of rotation. The contact point between each striker rod and the cam surface  650 ,  652  of the respective pawl  606 ,  608 , and the path of each striker rod, are offset from the axis of rotation of the respective pawl  606 ,  608 . Therefore, as each striker rod impacts the respective cam surface  650 ,  652  due to the movement of the doors toward their closed positions, a torque tending to rotate the respective pawl  606 ,  608  toward the latched position is exerted by each striker rod on its respective pawl  606 ,  608 . As a result, each pawl  606 ,  608  is rotated to its latched position due to the movement of the doors toward their closed positions. As each of the pawls  606 ,  608  rotates to its respective latched position due to the closing of the doors, the claw  640 ,  642  of each pawl  606 ,  608  hooks around the respective striker rod. Once the pawls  606 ,  608  complete their rotation to their latched positions, the locking bar  620  moves to its engaged position under the bias of the spring  648 . In the engaged positions the locking bar  620  is positioned under and into engagement with the step  622  to thereby prevent the rotation of the pawls  606 ,  608  out of their latched positions. Thus, the locking bar  620  holds the latch  600  in the latched configuration with the claws  640 ,  642  hooked around their respective striker rods, and thereby secures the doors in the closed position. 
     To open the latch  600  the solenoid is energized. Energizing the solenoid  628  causes the operating rod  626  to move rectilinearly and position the notch  674  in registry with the fin  672 , thus freeing the pawls  606  and  608  to rotate to their respective unlatched positions. The striker rods are then free to move away from the latch  600 , thus allowing the doors to be opened. Each claw  640 ,  642  is spaced apart from the cam surface  650 ,  652  of the respective pawl  606 ,  608  such that each claw  640 ,  642  and the respective cam surface  650 ,  652  cooperatively define a respective pawl slot  654 ,  656 . The striker rods are received in the pawl slots  654 ,  656 , respectively, when the pawls  606 ,  608  are in the latched position and the doors are secured in the closed position. 
     In the latch  600  the two pawls move as one unit and therefore this embodiment provides for simultaneous latching when one striker rod lags behind. The pawl slots  654 ,  656  are wide enough near the tips of the claws  640 ,  642  such that even if only one of the striker rods contacts the respective cam surface  650 ,  652  of its respective pawl  606 ,  608  and the other striker rod lags the striker rod that is in contact with its respective cam surface, the lagging striker rod can be hooked and pulled into position by the claw  640 ,  642  of its respective pawl  606 ,  608  to allow the doors to be secured in the closed position essentially simultaneously. The achievement of this result is further facilitated by providing for the pawl slots  654 ,  656  to be tapering such that they are widest near the tips of the claws  640 ,  642  and become gradually narrower closer to the closed bottom of the pawl slot. With this geometry once the lagging striker rod is hooked by the respective pawl claw  640 ,  642 , the lagging striker rod is accelerated such that the lagging rod catches up to the other rod as the pawls  606 ,  608  rotate to their latched positions. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 115-120 , a seventh embodiment of a latch  700  with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention can be seen. The latch  700  is a solenoid operated latch designed to lock two doors  702  and  704  simultaneously, using two rotating pawls  706  and  708 , and is situated between the pivots or hinges of the doors  702 ,  704  with the pawls  706 ,  708  rotating in the same plane. The latch  700  is essentially similar to the latch  400 , but it is more compact. The pawls  706  and  708  are completely independent. For the sake of brevity only those features of the latch  700  that are different from the latch  400  are discussed in detail below. The pawls  706 ,  708  are rotationally movable between respective latched and unlatched positions, where they respectively latch and unlatch their respective strikers  714  and  716 . The strikers are L-shaped and are formed by a supporting post  776 ,  778  and an overhanging catch surface  780 ,  782 . The latch  700  includes a housing  732  that houses a pair of slides  784 ,  786  that are supported for rectilinear movement within the housing  732 . The slides  784 ,  786  have recesses that receive projections  788 ,  790  of the pawls  706 ,  708  such that rectilinear motion of the slides  784 ,  786  causes rotational motion of the pawls  706 ,  708  between their respective latched and unlatched positions. The slides  784 ,  786  can be spring biased toward the open top of the housing  732  to thereby bias the pawls  706 ,  708  toward their unlatched positions. Arrangements similar to that used for latch  400  may be used to selectively retain the pawls  706 ,  708  in their latched positions, or locking bars and a solenoid may be provided that engage the slides  784 ,  786 . 
     In the unlatched position the pawl claws  740 ,  742 , respectively, of both pawls  706 ,  708  are positioned, due to the spring bias applied to the slides  784 ,  786 , such that the pawl claws  740 ,  742  point upward and are out of the way of the strikers  714  and  716  as the doors  702 ,  704  move toward the closed position relative to the compartment opening. As the doors  702 ,  704  move toward their closed positions, the strikers  714 ,  716  are bought into contact with the slides  784 ,  786 , which are pushed into the housing  732 . The contact between each slide and the projections  788 ,  790  causes the rotation of the pawls  706 ,  708  toward the latched position as each slide is pushed into the housing  732 . As a result, each pawl  706 ,  708  is rotated to its latched position due to the movement of the doors  702 ,  704  toward their closed positions. As each of the pawls  706 ,  708  rotates to its respective latched position due to the closing of the doors  702 ,  704 , the claw  740 ,  742  of each pawl  706 ,  708  hooks under the catch surface of the respective striker  714 ,  716 . Once the pawls  706 ,  708  complete their rotation to their latched positions, the pawls are selectively retained in the latched position by an appropriate mechanism as previously discussed. 
     In the latch  700  the two pawls are independent of each other and therefore this embodiment does not provide simultaneous closing when one striker rod lags behind. The latch  700  relies on the doors  702  and  704  to have a large over travel (as shown in  FIG. 120 ) to allow the lagging striker rod to finally reach its fully latched position via the help of the mechanism linking the doors. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 121-143 , a latch  800  with dual rotary pawls according to the present invention can be seen. The latch  800  is an electrically operated latch designed to secure two doors  802  and  804  in the closed position substantially simultaneously, using two rotating pawls  806  and  808 . The latch  800  is designed to be installed between the pivots or hinges of the doors  802 ,  804  with the pawls  806 ,  808  about parallel axes of rotation. Also the pawls  806 ,  808  rotate in the same direction. The pawls  806  and  808  are completely independent. The pawls  806 ,  808  are rotationally movable between respective latched and unlatched positions, where they respectively latch and unlatch their respective strikers  814  and  816 . Each striker  814 ,  816  is attached to a respective one of the doors  802 ,  804 . The strikers are L-shaped and are formed by a supporting post  876 ,  878  and an overhanging catch surface  880 ,  882 . The latch  800  includes a housing  832  that houses a pair of pads  884 ,  886  (also referred to as slides) that are supported for a combination of pivotal and rectilinear movements within the housing  832 . The top openings  801  and  803  of the housing  832  allow the strikers  814 ,  816  to engage the pads  884 ,  886  and the pawls  806 ,  808 . 
     The pads  884 ,  886  have overhanging steps  887  and  889  that are positioned over the tail ends  807 ,  809  of the pawls  806 ,  808  when the pawls are in their unlatched positions. The Pawls  806 ,  808  have L-shaped claws  840 ,  842  that can engage the L-shaped strikers  814 ,  816 , respectively, in interlocking fashion when the pawls are in the latched position. The claw  840  and the tail end  807  of the pawl  806  project outward in opposite directions relative to the axis of rotation of the pawl  807 . Similarly, the claw  842  and the tail end  809  of the pawl  808  project outward in opposite directions relative to the axis of rotation of the pawl  808 . Accordingly, as the pads  884 ,  886  are pushed inward into the housing  832  by each striker contacting a respective pad, the overhanging step  887 ,  889  of each pad  884 ,  886  engages the tail end  807 ,  809  of the respective pawl  806 ,  808  and causes the pawl to rotate toward the latched position. In addition, each of the pawls  806 ,  808  has an open-ended cam groove  811 ,  813  that receives an index projection  891 ,  893  of a respective one of the pads  884 ,  886  during at least a portion of each pawl&#39;s range of movement between its latched and unlatched positions that includes its unlatched position. This arrangement allows the combined pivotal and rectilinear motion of the slides or pads  884 ,  886  to effect the rotational motion of the pawls  806 ,  808  between their respective latched and unlatched positions. The slides  884 ,  886  are spring biased toward the top openings  801  and  803  of the housing  832  to thereby bias the pawls  806 ,  808  toward their unlatched positions through the engagement between the index projections  891 ,  893  and the cam grooves  811 ,  813 . 
     The latch  800  has a single locking bar  820  that engages both pawls to hold the pawls in the latched configuration. Each pawl  806 ,  808  is provided with a cam lobe  815 ,  817  in the shape of a circular sector having two radial surfaces with an arc-shaped surface extending between the two radial surfaces. The locking bar  820  has two catch plates  821 ,  823  that are spaced apart such that each corresponds to a respective pawl  806 ,  808 . The catch plates  821 ,  823  are connected by a connecting member  825  such that the catch plates  821 ,  823  move as a unit. The locking bar  820 , and consequently the catch plates  821 ,  823 , is movable rectilinearly between a retaining position and a release position. When the pawls  806 ,  808  are in their latched positions each catch plate  821 ,  823  engages a respective pawl  806 ,  808  to maintain the pawls in their latched positions when the locking bar  820  is in the retaining position. Each catch plate  821 ,  823  engages the radial surface of the cam lobe of the respective pawl  806 ,  808  that is closest to the claw of the respective pawl when the pawls are in their latched positions and the locking bar  820  is in the retaining position. When the locking bar  820  is in the release position the pawls  806 ,  808  are released from the latched position and can rotate to the unlatched position. When the locking bar  820  is in the release position and any one of the pawls  806 ,  808  is intermediate the latched position and the unlatched position, but is not in the latched position, or is in the unlatched position, the locking bar  820  cannot move to the retaining position, because the arc-shaped surface of the cam lobe  815 ,  817  of the pawl that is not in the latched position will block movement of the locking bar  820  to the retaining position by contact with the respective catch plate  821 ,  823 . This arrangement ensures that the locking bar  820  will not move to the retaining position until both pawls  806 ,  808  are in the latched position. The locking bar  820  is spring biased toward the retaining position. 
     The locking bar  820  is remotely operated by a Bowden cable  906  operated by an electrical actuator  900 . The actuator  900  is of the type known as a linear actuator and uses a rotary electric motor to rectilinearly move the cable connection block  902  via a rack-and-pinion or screw arrangement. The actuator  900  is attached to a support plate  904 . The Bowden cable  906  is a steel cable  908  inside a sleeve  910 . The sleeve  910  is of the type whose length remains essentially constant even when subjected to compressive forces. This can be achieved by providing for a flexible but incompressible layer, for example tightly coiled wire, to form the base layer of the sleeve  910 . A bushing  912  is provided at each end of the sleeve  910 . Each bushing  912  has an annular groove. The support plate  904  has at least one bracket  914  for holding the bushing  912  at one end of the sleeve  910  stationary relative to the support plate  904  by at least in part engaging the annular groove of the bushing. The bushing  912  at the other end of the sleeve to  910  is held stationary relative to the housing  832  by a bracket  916  that is similar to the bracket  914  and is attached to the housing  832 . A coils spring  918  is provided between the bushing  912  supported by the housing  832  and the locking bar  820  to bias the locking bar toward the retaining position. One end of the cable  908  is connected to the cable connection block  902  and the other end of the cable  908  is connected to the locking bar  820  through the coils of spring  918 . 
     Energizing the actuator  900  retracts the cable connection block  902  toward the actuator motor housing  920 . Because the length of the sleeve  910  is fixed, pulling one end of the cable  908  by energizing the actuator  900  causes the retraction of the locking bar  820  to the release position. De-energizing the actuator  900  allows the locking bar  820  to return to the retaining position due to spring bias once the pawls  806  and  808  return to the latched position. In the illustrated example, the cable connection block  902  has provision for connection of multiple Bowden cables  906  such that multiple latches  800  can be operated by a single actuator  900 . Two latches  800  can be mounted on either side of the glove box opening as illustrated. A push button  922  can be mounted on the vehicle&#39;s dashboard to operate the latches  800  via the control and power circuitry in housing  924 . 
     The housing  832  has top openings  801  and  803  and a removable side plate  926 . The side plate  926  has two pockets  928  and  930  each of which supports a respective catch plate  821 ,  823  for rectilinear motion. The pocket  928  is open on the side formed by the side plate  926  such that the cam lobe  815  can be received at least in part in the pocket  928  such that the catch plate  821  can interact with the cam lobe  815  in the fully assembled latch as previously described. The pocket  930  is open on the side formed by the side plate  926  such that the cam lobe  817  can be received at least in part in the pocket  930  such that the catch plate  823  can interact with the cam lobe  817  in the fully assembled latch as previously described. The pocket  928  has a hole in the side opposite the side plate  926 . Similarly, the pocket  930  has a hole in the side opposite the side plate  926 . Each pawl  806 ,  808  has a projection  932 ,  934 , respectively, that fits into the hole formed in the side opposite the side plate  926  of the respective pocket  928 ,  930 . The projections  932 ,  934  in part provide for the rotational support of the pawls  806 ,  808  within the housing  832 . The side of the housing  832  opposite the side plate  926  has two projections  936 ,  938  that register with the holes that receive the projections  932  and  934 , respectively. The projections  936 ,  938  fit into cavities  940  and  942 , respectively, formed in the pawls  806  and  808  to provide for the rotational support of the pawls  806 ,  808  within the housing  832  on both sides of the pawls  806  and  808 . The side plate  926  is provided with screw holes for mounting it to the housing  832 . 
     The paths and orientations of the pads  884 ,  886  as they are pushed into the housing  832  by the strikers  814 ,  816  are determined by the slots  944 ,  946 ,  948 , and  950 . The slots  944  and  948  are formed in the side plate  926  and the slots  946  and  950  are formed in the side of the housing opposite the side plate. The slot  944  receives pins  952  and  954  of pad  884 . The slot  946  receives pins  956  and  958  of pad  884 . The slot  948  receives pins  960  and  962  of pad  886 . The slot  950  receives pins  964  and  966  of pad  886 . The slots  944  and  946  are superimposed and coextensive. Similarly, the slots  948  and  950  are superimposed and coextensive. The slots  944 ,  946 ,  948 , and  950  are kinked at a location near the end of each slot closest to the top openings  801  and  803  of the housing  832 . The kinked slots  944 ,  946 ,  948 , and  950  provides for an initial pivotal movement of the pads  884 ,  886 , but once all the pins are in the lower straight portion of the slots  944 ,  946 ,  948 , and  950  the pads  884 ,  886  maintain a constant orientation throughout the rest of their range of motion. 
     In the unlatched position the pawl claws  840 ,  842 , respectively, of both pawls  806 ,  808  are positioned, due to the spring bias applied to the slides  884 ,  886 , such that the pawl claws  840 ,  842  point upward and are out of the way of the strikers  814  and  816  as the doors  802 ,  804  move toward the closed position relative to the compartment opening. As the doors  802 ,  804  move toward their closed positions, the strikers  814 ,  816  are bought into contact with the slides  884 ,  886 , which are pushed into the housing  832 . The contact between each slide and the tail end  807 ,  809  of the respective pawl  806 ,  808  causes the rotation of the pawls  806 ,  808  toward the latched position as each slide is pushed into the housing  832 . As a result, each pawl  806 ,  808  is rotated to its latched position due to the movement of the doors  802 ,  804  toward their closed positions. As each of the pawls  806 ,  808  rotates to its respective latched position due to the closing of the doors  802 ,  804 , the claw  840 ,  842  of each pawl  806 ,  808  hooks under the catch surface of the respective striker  814 ,  816 . Once the pawls  806 ,  808  complete their rotation to their latched positions, the pawls are selectively retained in the latched position by locking bar  820 . To open the doors  802 ,  804 , the push button is pushed causing the actuator  900  to be energized and the locking bar  820  to be retracted to the release position such that the pawls  806 ,  808  are released to rotate to the unlatched position and thus release the strikers  814 ,  816  to allow the doors to be opened. 
     The latch  800  provides for the complete closing of both doors when one striker lags behind. The latch  800  relies on the doors  802  and  804  having some over travel (within specified limits) to allow the lagging striker to finally reach its fully latched position via the help of the mechanism linking the doors. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 129-150 , the operation of the latch  800  in cases when one striker lags the other is illustrated.  FIGS. 129 ,  136 , and  143 , show the latch  800  with the pawls  806 ,  808  in the unlatched position and with the strikers  814 ,  816  at the beginning of the closing operation.  FIGS. 130 ,  137 , and  144 , show the striker  816  lagging the striker  814  which has already started to depress the pad  884  and cause the rotation of the pawl  806  to a position near the latched position of the pawl  806 . The initial pivotal movement of the pads causes a large rotation of the corresponding pawl toward the latched position, thus leaving a substantial portion of the over-travel of the leading striker available for bringing up the lagging striker. The illustrated embodiment of the latch  800  can accommodate lags of about 5 mm.  FIGS. 134 ,  141 , and  145 , show the striker  816  and the pawl  808  in the latched position and the pad  884  and the striker  814  in an over-travel position. The pawl  806  is also in the latched position and the locking bar  820  is in the retaining position.  FIGS. 133 ,  140 , and  147 , show both strikers  814  and  816  and pads  884  and  886  at maximum over-travel. The index projections  891 ,  893  are out of their respective cam grooves  811 ,  813 , but because the slots  944 ,  946 ,  948 , and  950  preserve the orientation of the pads  884  and  886  during over-travel, the index projections  891 ,  893  can reenter their respective cam grooves  811 ,  813 , upon returning to their normal latched position and during the unlatching process. Thus the pawls remain in their normal latched positions even during over-travel by the strikers  814  and  816 .  FIGS. 135 and 146  illustrate best how if one striker is leading upon opening, then the pawl corresponding to the leading striker keeps the locking bar  820  in the release position to allow the lagging striker to disengage from its corresponding pawl. In the illustrated example, striker  814  is leading and the cam lobe  815  is keeping the locking bar  820  in the release position to allow the lagging striker  816  to disengage from its corresponding pawl  808 . 
     Advantages of this latch are that the size of the latch is reduced, the size of the striker is reduced for accommodating a given lag range, and that the finish is aesthetically pleasing and the mechanism is hidden. 
     The latch  800  can be used with a solenoid rather than the linear actuator. The actuator or solenoid can be made integral with the latch to eliminate the need for Bowden cables. The Bowden cable can be linked directly to a push button for purely mechanical actuation or to provide a mechanical override. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.