Patent ID: 8826857

Claim:
A plasma processing assembly comprising: a lower process body comprising a lower vacuum chamber formed therein; a base hinge member mounted to the lower process body; a hinge body pivotally engaged with the base hinge member and mounted to an upper process body, wherein the base hinge member and the hinge body rotate with respect to one another around a first axis of rotation such that motion of the upper process body is constrained by the base hinge member and the hinge body, and wherein the hinge body comprises a protruding latch engagement member; a self locking latch pivotally engaged with the base hinge member, wherein the self locking latch and the base hinge member rotate with respect to one another around a second axis of rotation and the self locking latch is biased in a bias direction, and wherein: when the hinge body is rotated around the first axis of rotation from a closed position and towards a locked position, the protruding latch engagement member contacts of the self locking latch and rotates the self locking latch around the second axis of rotation opposite to the bias direction; and when the hinge body is rotated around the first axis of rotation into the locked position, the self locking latch rotates around the second axis of rotation in the bias direction and blocks the hinge body from rotating around the first axis of rotation into the closed position.