Patent ID: 7338097

Claim:
A latch assembly for a movable closure element, said latch assembly comprising: a housing having a peripheral edge defined in part by two substantially straight top edge portions extending along a first line; a first rotor movable relative to the housing selectively between a) a first latched position, b) a release position, and c) a second latched position between the first latched position and the release position, the first rotor having a U-shaped body with spaced first and second legs, a second rotor movable relative to the housing selectively between a) a first latched position, b) a release position, and c) a second latched position between the first latched and release positions for the second rotor, the second rotor having a U-shaped body with spaced third and fourth legs; and an operating assembly having a latched state and an unlatched state, the operating assembly in the latched state releasably maintaining the first rotor in its first and second latched positions and the second rotor in its first and second latched positions, the first and second legs and third and fourth legs cooperating to produce a scissors action as the first and second rotors are changed from their release positions into each of their first and second latched positions, wherein the first and second rotors in their first and second latched positions define a receptacle with an effective diameter and a center line that is angularly disposed to the first line, wherein with the first and second rotors in their first latched positions, the center line of the receptacle is spaced from the first line a first distance, wherein the center line of the receptacle is situated at a) a first location with the first and second rotors in their first latched position and b) a second location with the first and second rotors in their second latched positions, wherein the first and second locations are spaced from each other a second distance, wherein the effective diameter of the receptacle, with the first and second rotors in their first latched positions, varies from each of i) the first distance, and ii) the second distance by no more than ±40%, and the center line of the receptacle resides outside of both top straight edge portions of the peripheral edge of the housing extending along the first line with the first and second rotors in their second latched positions so that the first and second rotors in their second latched positions maintain a closure element with which the latch assembly is associated latched closed with the closure element noticeably ajar and/or with the latch assembly and a cooperating strike element slightly out of alignment, the first line substantially orthogonal to a line between the first and second locations.