Patent ID: 6895789

Claim:
A lockable latch for a safe, comprising: a releasable latch, the latch has a latching hook at a hook end and an anchored end that is pivotally connected to a safe such that the latch pivots in a plane substantially parallel to a side of the safe where it is connected, the latch being spring biased towards a catch-engaging position; a release button, the button can be operated to force the latch to pivot away from the catch-engaging position, thereby releasing the latch; a catch, the catch is connected to a safe base and engages the latching hook when the latching hook is in the catch-engaging position and the catch is in a latch-engaging position; and a lock, the lock interposes a member that blocks pivoting of the latch away from the catch-engaging position when the lock is in a locked position, forcing the latch to remain in the catch-engaging position, and which lock withdraws the member so that the latch is not forced to remain in the catch-engaging position when the lock is in an unlocked position, wherein the member moves substantially relative to the lock when moving between the locked and unlocked positions.