Patent ID: 8876176

Claim:
A latch assembly comprising: a chassis; a latch bolt movably mounted on the chassis for movement between a closed position for retaining a striker and an open position for releasing the striker; a crank shaft assembly rotatably mounted to the chassis about a first axis, the first axis being fixed with respect to the latch assembly; a pawl rotatably mounted to the crank shaft assembly about a second axis, the first axis being offset from the second axis, the second axis being movable with respect to the first axis between a first position and a second position and wherein the pawl moves between an engaged position wherein the pawl is positioned to hold the latch bolt in the closed position and a disengaged position wherein the pawl is positioned to allow the latch bolt to move from the closed position to the open position; wherein the latch bolt is configured to rotate the pawl and the crank shaft assembly about the first axis such that the second axis moves from the second position to the first position as the latch bolt moves from the closed position to the open position; wherein the second axis is in the first position when the latch bolt is in the closed position; and wherein the second axis does not move as the latch bolt is moved into the closed position from the open position.