Patent ID: 7028514

Claim:
A latching apparatus for latching an access structure of a container, said apparatus comprising: a rotatable handle; an outer housing in relative movable engagement with said handle such that the handle is rotatable relative to the outer housing; a barrel positioned in said outer housing in movable engagement with said handle such that rotation of the handle induces rotation of the barrel; a key cylinder in relative movable engagement with said barrel such that the key cylinder is rotatable relative to the barrel, said key cylinder being rotatable by a key relative to the handle between a locked position in which rotation of the handle is inhibited and an unlocked positioned in which rotation of the handle is enabled; a latching member in movable engagement with said barrel such that rotation of the barrel induces movement of the latching member to latch and unlatch the access structure, said latching member being in relative movable engagement with said outer housing such that the latching member is movable relative to the outer housing; an engaging member in movable engagement with said key cylinder such that rotation of the key cylinder induces movement of the engaging member between an engaged position corresponding to the locked position of the key cylinder wherein the engaging member couples the barrel to the outer housing to inhibit rotation of the handle relative to the outer housing and an unengaged position corresponding to the unlocked position of the key cylinder wherein the engaging member does not inhibit rotation of the handle relative to the outer housing; and a stud and slot mechanism disposed between the engaging member and the key cylinder and providing the movable engagement, the mechanism having a stud slidably received within a slot, with the slot having a width greater than the diameter of the stud whereby the stud is substantially in constant engagement with a surface of the slot that moves the engaging member between the engaged and unengaged positions.