Patent ID: 7048314

Claim:
A latch arrangement comprising: a latch bolt having a closed position and an open position; a detent having an engaged position capable of retaining the latch bolt in the closed position, a release position at which the latch bolt can move from the closed position and a relatchable position at which movement of the latch bolt to the closed position allows the detent to move to the engaged position; a drive mechanism having a driving abutment rotatable about an axis; a clutch member having a clutch member abutment for selective engagement with the driving abutment, wherein the clutch member selectively operably couples the driving abutment with the detent by selective engagement of the clutch member abutment with the driving abutment; and an actuator operable to move the driving abutment; the latch arrangement having a latched closed position wherein the latch bolt is in the closed position, the detent is in the engaged position, and the clutch member abutment is in a first position, an unlatched closed position wherein the latch bolt is in the closed position, the detent is in the released position, and the clutch member abutment is in a second position, and an unlatched open position wherein the latch bolt is in the open position, the detent is in the relatchable position, and the clutch member abutment is in a third position; and wherein, starting from the latch closed position, powered operation of the actuator causes the driving abutment to engage the clutch member with abutment and the clutch member abutment to engage the detent to cause the clutch member abutment to follow a first arcuate path centered on the axis and to cause the detent to move to the unlatched closed position, subsequent movement of the latch arrangement to the unlatched open position causes the clutch member abutment to follow a second path, and subsequent movement of the latch arrangement to the latched closed position causes the clutch member abutment to follow a third path; and wherein the first path, the second path and the third path are different.