Patent ID: 7494164

Claim:
A latch for use in a window comprising a top sash and a bottom sash slidably mounted in a window frame, the latch comprising: a housing comprising a faceplate, a pair of opposed sidewalls, each sidewall defining a pawl mounting recess, a bottom wall extending between the sidewalls, an aperture defined by the faceplate that opens into a first cavity defined by the housing, a pair of retention arms disposed within the first cavity, each retention arm having a proximal end adjacent the bottom wall and a distal end extending both toward the faceplate and inwardly toward a longitudinal center plane of the housing, and a pair of mounting arms disposed within the first cavity, each mounting arm comprising a proximal end adjacent the bottom wall and a distal end extending both toward the face plate and inwardly toward the longitudinal center plane of the housing, the mounting arms being disposed on opposing sides of the first cavity; and a pawl pivotably received in the first recess, the pawl comprising a top surface, an engagement surface, a pair of retention recesses formed on opposing sides of the pawl, and a pair of mounting pins disposed on opposing sides of the pawl, each mounting pin being pivotally received in one of the pawl mounting recesses, wherein the distal ends of the mounting arms engage the pawl adjacent a respective mounting pin such that the mounting pins are pivotably secured in the pawl mounting recesses as the pawl is pivoted between a first position in which the top surface is coplanar with the faceplate and a second position in which the pawl extends beyond the faceplate such that the engagement surface is transverse to the faceplate, wherein the distal ends of the retention arms engage a respective retention recess when the pawl is in the first position, thereby retaining the pawl in the first position.