Patent ID: 8231152

Claim:
A latch extension apparatus for releasably locking a hinged hatch panel or liftgate of a vehicle in a partially open position, the hatch panel or liftgate of the vehicle having a conventional lock mechanism with a striker bolt and latch claw, the latch extension apparatus comprising a) a first arm and a second arm forming a pair of arms, said pair of arms having jaws at a jaw end, and opposable handles at a handle end; b) a pivotable coupling joining said arms between said jaw end and said handle end, said pivotable coupling enabling a scissors action of said arms between an open position and a closed position defined thereby; wherein each of said arms is configured with a jaw member having a crescent-shaped jaw tip that defines a striker bolt-receiving slot therein, said jaw member of said first arm cooperatively engaging said jaw member of said second arm so as to enable receiving the striker bolt of the vehicle lock in said slots in the open position, and, forming an annular collar with annulus defined by said surrounding jaw tips in the closed position, the annular collar for circumferentially engaging and retaining the striker bolt of the vehicle lock in said annulus; said opposable handles each comprise a first end joined to said jaw member at said pivotable coupling, an extension member and a second end terminating in a crossbar joined orthogonally to said extension member at an elbow, said crossbar being generally hemi-cylindrical in cross-section substantially along its length and having a generally flat inside face such that said flat inside faces of said crossbars of said opposable handles apposingly seat against each other and form a split striker bar when the second ends are brought together in the closed position, said split striker bar being substantially cylindrical in cross-section along its length and having dimensions to be inserted and clamped to the latch claw of the vehicle by a pivoting motion of the latch extension apparatus on said striker bolt, wherein said motion is contained in a single plane; and further wherein said jaw ends and said handle ends cooperate so that: i) in said closed position, said jaw end is configured to enclose the striker bolt of the vehicle and said handle end is configured to form said split striker bar for insertion into and locking in the lock mechanism of the vehicle, and ii) in said open position, as by releasing the split striker bar from the lock mechanism of the vehicle with a key, the apparatus may be disengaged from the vehicle by the opening of the jaws cooperatively with the handles.