Patent ID: 7770949

Claim:
An aircraft door latch mechanism, comprising: a latch bolt having a longitudinal axis, the latch bolt slidably positionable along the longitudinal axis between each of a retracted position and an extended position, the latch bolt also including a flat engagement surface, a sharp corner at a free end of the latch bolt proximate to the flat engagement surface, and a relief edge extending from the sharp corner, the sharp corner forming a 90 degree corner with the flat engagement surface; a latch pin including a taper portion having a taper angle ranging from an angle greater than zero degrees up to approximately 3.0 degrees with respect to a longitudinal axis of the latch pin, the latch pin positionable in each of a first extended position and a second retracted position; and a catch arm rotatably disposed on a pivot pin and adapted to engage the taper portion of the latch pin when the latch pin is positioned in the first extended position, the catch arm further including: a catch arm body; a first extension including a first aperture; a second extension including a second aperture, the second extension being spaced apart from the first extension and the first and second apertures being aligned; a torsion spring support tube extending between the first and second apertures; a torsion spring disposed on the torsion spring support tube, to provide a biasing force on the catch arm assembly; a centering sleeve extending through the first and second apertures, and through the torsion spring support tube, to enable rotation of the catch arm about a longitudinal centerline of the centering sleeve; a flat face; and a wall protruding transversally from the flat face and into a pocket formed on the catch arm, the wall having a face terminating in a free end, a 90 degree corner is defined between the face and the flat face; the pocket is formed by a portion of the catch arm body, the extensions and by a portion of the flat face so that the 90 degree corner resides within the pocket; in the extended position the engagement surface of the latch bolt extends into the pocket and is in planar abutment with the flat face of the catch arm over an entire length of the flat face of the catch arm, the sharp corner is engaged with the corner of the catch arm, and the relief edge abuts the wall of the catch arm, and when the latch bolt is in the extended position and the relief edge is engaged with the corner of the catch arm, the relief edge is positioned to lie over the torsion spring and is laterally offset from a longitudinal centerline of the centering sleeve.