Patent ID: 7000956

Claim:
A latch assembly comprising: a chassis; a latch bolt moveable between a closed position at which the latch bolt is capable of retaining a striker and an open position at which the striker is released; a retaining member moveable between a retained position at which the retaining member retains the latch bolt in the closed position and a released position at which the latch bolt is moveable between the open position and the closed position; and an actuator having a rest position and an unstable equilibrium position and being capable of moving the retaining member from the retained position to the release position; and a resilient member operable to move the actuator to the rest position, the actuator and the resilient member together defining the unstable equilibrium position of the actuator relative to the chassis, wherein operation of the actuator causes the actuator to pass through the unstable equilibrium position before the retaining member achieves the release position.