Patent ID: 6957836

Claim:
A lock assembly, said lock assembly comprising: a housing; a push rod having a longitudinal axis, said push rod being movably mounted within the housing along said longitudinal axis between a locked position wherein the push rod extends outwardly from the housing and an unlocked position wherein the push rod is positioned substantially within the housing, said push rod being biased toward the unlocked position, said push rod having a circumferential ridge formed thereon, a latch member having a opening having a configuration generally in the shape and dimensionally larger that said circumferential ridge, said latch member being mounted in said housing for radial movement with respect to said longitudinal axis of said push rod between a first position where the opening is aligned with the circumferential ridge and thus allows the circumferential ridge to pass through the opening to allow the push rod to move from its locked position to its unlocked position and a second position where the opening is offset with respect to said circumferential ridge such that the latch member contacts the circumferential ridge to prevent said push rod from moving from its locked position to its unlocked position, said latch member being biased toward said second position, a release mechanism mounted to said housing and engageable by a user to move said latch member from said second position to said first position, a locking mechanism adapted to be activated by a user, said locking mechanism having a blocked position wherein the locking mechanism blocks the latch mechanism from moving the latch member and an unblocked position wherein the release mechanism is free to be moved by a user to move the latch member from its second position to its first position.