Patent ID: 7219935

Claim:
A latch assembly, comprising: a ratchet having latched and unlatched positions; a pawl having a post and being releasably engagable with the ratchet to releasably retain the ratchet in its latched position; and a lever movable to two different positions with respect to the pawl, the lever having an enclosed aperture receiving the post during the entire range of motion of the post and a pivot point about which the lever pivots in both of the two different positions, the pivot point having substantially the same location with respect to the lever in both of the two different positions, the lever pivotable about the pivot point in a first of the two different positions of the lever to move the pawl and to disengage the ratchet, the lever incapable of moving the pawl sufficiently to disengage the ratchet in a second of the two different positions of the lever, and the enclosed aperture allowing lost motion of the post.