Patent ID: 8371626

Claim:
A latch system for use in aircraft, said latch system comprising: a frame; a pin having proximal and distal ends and being slidable relative to the frame between extended and retracted positions, the pin being at least partially inside the frame when at the extended and retracted positions; an interface portion being pivotable relative to the frame between open and closed positions, the interface portion having a handle for moving the interface portion to the open and closed positions; a link pivotably coupled to the pin and the interface portion such that the pin is at the extended position while the interface portion is at the closed position and the pin is at the retracted position while the interface portion is at the open position; and a biasing member operatively coupled to the frame at a first coupling point and the interface portion at a second coupling point, the biasing member having a substantially straight longitudinal axis along which the biasing member can apply at least one of compressive and tensile force between the first and second coupling points; wherein: the interface portion is pivotable relative to the frame at an interface pivot point, such that: (i) the interface pivot point is located on a first side of a straight line between the first and second coupling points when the interface portion is at the closed position such that the biasing member biases the interface portion from leaving the closed position by tensile force applied by the biasing member along its substantially straight longitudinal axis, and (ii) the interface pivot point is located on a second side of the straight line between the first and second coupling points when the interface portion is at the open position such that the biasing member biases the interface portion from leaving the open position by tensile force applied by the biasing member along its substantially straight longitudinal axis.