Patent ID: 8534718

Claim:
A combination comprising a panel and an easily modified closure latching system, said easily modified closure latching system comprising the combination of two discrete assemblies, one being a bolt mechanism assembly having a backing plate and the other an actuator housing assembly, said combination including complementary means extending through said panel attachably and detachably joining said backing plate of said bolt mechanism assembly to said actuator housing assembly, said panel being adapted to be received in a frame having a striker, said bolt mechanism assembly comprising: said backing plate adapted to be mounted on a complementary surface of said panel, a bolt mechanism assembly housing attached to said backing plate, a sliding bolt assembly carried by said bolt mechanism assembly housing, said sliding bolt assembly being received in said panel, said sliding bolt assembly including a bolt having at one end a cam adapted to extend from an edge of said panel and engage and latch to said striker, said bolt having an actuating pin extending laterally therefrom, a spring in said bolt mechanism assembly housing for biasing said end of the bolt having said cam out of said bolt mechanism assembly housing to latch to the striker, said bolt mechanism assembly housing including passage access for a hammer adapted to compress said spring and withdraw said end of the bolt having said cam to unlatch said cam from said striker; and said actuator housing assembly comprising: an actuator housing having an opening therein, a movable rocker actuator member received in said opening, said movable rocker actuator member having a front digitally accessible surface and a rear surface adapted to face said panel and being digitally inwardly movable in said opening, said rocker actuator member being carried adjacent one of its ends by said actuator housing about a pivotal connection and being digitally inwardly movable at its other end in said opening about said pivotal connection, the hammer being rigidly affixed to and extending at about a right angle from said rear surface of said movable rocker actuator member, said hammer having a ramp at its free end adapted to compress said spring by contact with said laterally extending actuating pin on said bolt upon inward movement of said rocker actuator member to withdraw said bolt sufficiently into said housing to unlatch said cam from said striker.