Patent ID: 6964577

Claim:
A latch functioning to releasably connect a first parallel plate to a second parallel plate, said latch comprising: a pivotable cam arm vertically mountable to the second plate; said cam arm having a spring bias when mounted, with a return position about perpendicular to the second plate, and having a pair of opposing cam follower pins extending from the cam arm; a pair of latch arms rigidly affixable to a first plate; wherein a movement of the first plate towards the second plate cause the pair of latch arms to straddle the cam follower pins; said pair of latch arms each having an inward facing mirrored upper latch piece, followed by a space sufficient to allow the cam follower pins to pass between the upper latch piece and a lower latch piece; wherein a first open neutral position is defined as a mechanically fixed first separated distance D between the first and second plates; a first closed position is defined as a distance D minimum between the first and second plate wherein the cam follower pins ride on a bottom surface of the lower latch piece and rest adjacent to the upper latch piece(s) and the cam arm is biased sideways; a second open position is defined as a distance D−x between the first and second plate wherein the cam follower pins are captured by the lower latch piece, thereby stopping the plates from moving apart greater than distance D−X; a second closed position is defined as a start of a release cycle wherein the plates are returned to distance D minimum, the cam arm is biased vertically, and the cam follower pin travel along a bottom edge of the upper latch piece to a rest position adjacent to the upper latch piece; and a third open position is defined as a return to the first open position wherein the cam follower pins pass down the lower latch piece and under the lower latch piece, wherein the arm is then biased back to the slightly off a 90° orientation to the second plate, and the plates are returned to distance D.