Patent ID: 8220298

Claim:
A self-latching locking system for securely closing a lid on an enclosure, the underside of the lid having a rigid lower surface adapted to face an interior region of the enclosure, the self-latching locking system comprising: a self-latching locking assembly, separate from the lid, comprising a rigid guide frame containing an elongated self-latching slide member, the guide frame having an elongated rigid base plate with fastening means for rigidly securing the base plate to the lower surface of the lid, and an elongated recess on a side of the base plate for facing down away from the lid, the slide member disposed in the recess for axial travel therein, the slide member containing a latch section and an elongated channel section spaced axially from the latch section, the latch section and the channel section carried on an elongated flanged base slidably engaged in the recess of the guide frame for guiding axial travel of the slide member in the guide frame, a resilient spring positioned in the channel section and affixed to the guide frame for applying an axial spring bias toward the latch section of the slide member, the spring normally biasing the latch section to an extended position for contact with the abutment on the enclosure, the slide member adapted to slide axially in the guide frame against the bias of the spring to a retracted position therein, the latch section adapted to contact the abutment with a downward force when the lid is forced down over the opening in the enclosure, the slide member adapted to move with a spring-biased snap-action to the extended position, under the bias of the spring, when said downward force causes the latch section to first retract against the spring bias and then release from contact with the abutment on the enclosure, the latch section in said extended position being retained in a locking position engaged with a locking surface beneath the abutment via the bias of the spring; and an L-bolt rotatably secured to the lid so as to prevent its removal from the lid via access from the exterior of the lid, the L-bolt having an actuator leg thereof coupled to the slide member to control axial travel of the slide member in response to rotation of the L-bolt, the guide frame guiding spring-biased axial travel of the slide member between the extended and retracted positions thereof in unison with rotation of the L-bolt, the L-bolt accessible from the exterior of the lid for rotating the L-bolt to retract the latch section away from its locking position and against the spring bias sufficiently for removing the lid from its closed position on the enclosure.