US3339956A

US3339956A - Cabinet cover latch

Info

Publication number: US3339956A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert C Bencene; Malcolm T Phelps
Original assignee: Weber Knapp Co
Current assignee: Weber Knapp Co
Priority date: 1965-11-17
Filing date: 1965-11-17
Publication date: 1967-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 1984-09-05

Description

p 5, 96 R. c. BENCENE ETAL 3,339,956

CABINET COVER LATCH Filed NOV. 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l "l NU HHHHHHHHHWIWWIMWE INVENTORS MALCOLM 7. PHELPS ROBERT c. BENCENE A TTOZQNEYS Sept. 5, 1967 c. BENCENE ETAL 3,339,956

CABINET COVER LATCH Filed Nov. 17, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TORS MALCOLM T. PHELPS ROBERT C. BENCENE A TTOPNE United States Patent Filed Nov. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 508,282 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-127) Jamestown, to Weber-Knapp Company, James- ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A latch assembly including a latch member and associated pivot bracket and spring biasing means mounted for positional adjustment on a base member, the base member serving in conjunction with a sleeve in an associated cabinet structure to slidably support a latch release member in such fashion as to allow the aforesaid positional adjustment of the latch mechanism itself.

This invention relates to cabinet door or cover or lid latch devices; and more particularly to push-button-released type latches which engage spring-loaded cabinet closures; and which upon manual actuation release the closures to pop open.

The invention is applicable for example for use in connection with record player type cabinets or the like, such as are characterized by being of open-top form and provided with spring-counterbalanced tops, covers or lids, which are hinged thereto so as to be movable between vertically standing open and horizontally extending cabinet-closing positions. When in cabinet-closing position the latch device engages a strike carried by the closure, thereupon holding the latter in closed position until subsequently released as by manual pressure on the latch release button; whereupon the closure counterbalance spring mechanism causes the closure to swing to cabinet-open position. Thus, it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to closures of the upwardly swinging lid types, or to closures of the horizontally swinging door types.

Whereas numerous latch mechanisms for the aforesaid purposes have been previously devised, it is an object of the present invention to provide in a latch device as aforesaid an improved overload guard feature, whereby the latch mechanism per se will be amply protected against damage in the'event that the cabinet closure is inadvertently forced open against the latch holding action.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved latch device as aforesaid wherein the manual control component of the latch may comprise any one of a plurality of standard shaped but differently sized fork- I shaped members; whereby upon selection of a member of the proper length (according to the wall thickness dimension of the cabinet part to which the latch mechanism is to be applied), the latch mechanism will be thereby tailored for installation in cabinets having wall structures. of varying thickness dimensions.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved latch mechanism as aforesaid, wherein the latch support hingebracket of the mechanism is positionally adjustable on the main latch base member in improved manner. Hence the base member may be initially installed on the cabinet at approximately the correct position, following which the latch hinge bracket may be finally adjusted relative to the main latch base from externally of the device with ease and facility. This insures that the cabinet closure or lid may be assembled so as to be held in flush (or other preferred relation) to the adjacent cabinet structure, and that the latch and strike devices of the mechanism meet in proper relation in spite of any dimensional variances such as may appear in the parts ice comprising the assembly, deviating from the prescribed specifications therefor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, by way of example, through a cabinet having a vertically hinging lid, equipped with a latch mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as suggested by line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a disassembled view in perspective, of the major components of the latch mechanism; and

FIG. 6 corresponds to FIG. 1 but shows application of the latch mechanism to a different type strike device.

As shown by way of example in the drawing herewith, the invention is illustrated as being embodied in a cabinet comprising a front wall panel 10; a back wall12; side walls 14; and a top cover or lid 15 which is hinged as indicated at 16 (FIG. 1) to the cabinet structure so as to be swingable between horizontal cabinet-closed and open positions as shown by the solid and broken line illustrations, respectively, in FIG. 1. The cabinet cover panel 15 carries a strike 20 of the apertured angle-plate type, illustrated herein as being connected to the lid 15 by wood screws 22. However, it is to be understood that any other suitable type of strike device may be employed for engagement by the latch mechanism of the present invention, as will be explained hereinafter.

The latch device of the invention is shown herein to comprise a main latch support base member 24 which, as best shown in FIG. 5, is of generally box-like form open at one side and at the bottom end thereof. The back wall portion 26 of the base memer 24 is apertured as indicated at 27, 27 to accommodate mounting

screws

28, 28; whereby the base may be mounted against the inside surface of the cabinet front wall portion 10. The opposite

side wall portions

30, 30 of the base member 24 are provided with prongs 32, 32 (FIG. 5) adapted to dig into the relatively softer material of the cabinet front wall panel 10 when tightened thereagainst by means of the screws 28. Thus the base member may be firmly anchored relative to the cabinet front panel 10 at the time of initial installation in the cabinet.

It is a particular feature of the present invention that when the latch support base member is installed it need only be approximately correctly located relative to the lid strike member, without regard to any typical manufacturing inequalities and/ or deviations from dimensional specifications for the cabinet and/or latch mechanism parts; thereby effecting substantial labor cost economies in connection with assembly of the hardware on the cabinet. This desirable result is attained by provision of a separate pivot-bracket member as shown generally at 34 which is drilled and tapped as shown at 36 to accommodate a machine screw 38. The screw 38 slide-fits through a slotted portion 39 of the base member 24, thereby permitting the bracket member 34 to be positionally adjusted on the base member before tightening of the screw 38 and locking of the bracket 34 in position relative to the cover strike 20. Further to guide and hold the bracket in proper alignment while being adjusted, the base member 24 is formed with a guide slot 40 into which a bent finger portion 42 of the bracket slip-fits.

The bracket 34 is also formed with a pivot arm support portion 43 which is apertured to receive a pivot pin 44 upon which is pivotally mounted the latch member 45.

At one end the latch 45 is formed with a jaw portion 46 shaped to operatively engage the cabinet cover strike 20; and at its other end with an abutment 47 upon which fits one end of a compression spring 48. The other end of the spring 48 fits upon an abutment 49 extending from the bracket 34; and thus it will be seen that the latch bar 45 is at all times spring biased towards strike-engaging position.

A combination latch retainer and push device is provided as indicated generally at 50 (FIG. The device 50 comprises a fork-shaped member having parallel tines or legs 5252 joined at a bridge portion 53 which is necked-down as shown at 54 to accommodate thereon a push-button as shown at 55. Each leg 52 is bent to provide a forwardly directed abutment portion 56 intermediately of its length. The front wall panel of the cabinet structure is bored as illustrated at FIGS. 1, 4, to accommodate a metal sleeve or ferrule 57 which in turn slidably supports the push-button 55; and the inside surface of the cabinet wall 10 is counter-bored or recessed as shown at 58 (FIG. 4) to freely accommodate the shoulder portion 53 of the device, while at the same time providing a base upon which the shoulder portions 5656 of the device bear to stop the outward travel of the device 50 in response to action of the spring 48. The ends 60-60 of the leg portions 5252 are arranged to slipfit in guiding relation through apertures as shown at 6262 in the main base member 24.

Hence, when the parts are relatively assembled as illustrated herein, with the fork-shaped control device 50 straddling the latch bar 45, the action of the spring 48 will cause the latch bar to press the leg abutment portions 56-56 against the inner surface of the cabinet wall as shown in FIG. 4. However, upon application of manual pressure against the push-button 55, the latter will cause the latch bar to rock against the action of its spring 48 until the jaw 46 at the opposite end of the latch bar pulls out of engagement with the strike 20, thereby releasing the cabinet cover to rise or pop-up in response to the action of its counter-balance spring 16.

As previously stated, it is a particular feature of the invention that the pivot bracket 34 is vertically shiftable on the main support base member 24. Hence, at the assembly operation the latch parts may be slip-fitted together and the base member 24 may then be jig-positioned on the wall panel 10 and permanently fastened thereon by means of the screws 28--28. Then, to suit the latch mechanism to each installation environment, having regard to manufacturing tolerances and/ or inadvertent dimensional deviations; as a final step of the cabinet assembly operation the pivot bracket lock screw 38 may be loosened to permit the latch bar to be positionally shifted relative to the strike so as to bring the parts into optimum operational alignments, whereupon the screw 38 is tightened to complete the final adjustment and assembly.

Another feature and advantage of the device of the invention is that the latch control device may be easily fabricated to suit any cabinet wall thickness dimensional changes as may be encountered for example in a mass production operation wherein runs of cabinets of different wall thickness may be alternately scheduled. In such cases there will be kept on hand stocks of standard parts and appropriate assortrnents of latch control devices of standard form but of suitably various stem lengths, so that according to the wall thickness dimensions of the cabinets being assembled during any production run the parts of the mechanism will be readily available and fed to the production line in the manner of any standard-parts operation. The term stem lengths as used herein refers to the dimension indicated at 70 (FIG. 5).

It is still another feature of the mechanism of the present invention that the latch jaw portion 46 is so shaped at its strike engaging surface as to be inclined away from perpendicularity relative to the operative centerline of the latch member when in strike engaging position. Therefore, in event that the cabinet cover 15 is inadvertently pressured toward open position while the latch parts are in engagement with the strike member, thereby avoiding damage to the mechanism. FIG. 6 illustrates application of the latch mechanism of the invention to a different form of cabinet lid and strike device. In this case the strike is illustrated at 21 to comprise a simple fiat plate of metal apertured to receive the jaw of the latch bar.

Therefore, it will be apparent that the invention provides an improved latch mechanism, applicable either to up-rising cover or horizontally swinging cabinet door devices, or the like; and that although only one form of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail herein, various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. -In a cabinet or the like having an open face and a cover panel therefor movably mounted thereon and carrying a latch strike device, the improvement compris mg:

a latch mechanism mounted on a wall portion of said cabinet for releasable engagement with said cover strike device wherein said latch mechanism comprises;

a base member rigidly mounted on said wall portion of said cabinet, said base member including opposite side walls engaging said wall portion of the cabinet in outstanding relation thereto, and a back wall joining said side walls and presenting an inner face disposed in spaced relation to said wall portion of the cabinet;

a pivot bracket member mounted on said inner face of said back wall, and including an outstanding arm between said side walls;

a latch member pivotally mounted on said outstanding arm and having a jaw portion adapted to engage in latching relation with said strike member;

spring means biasing said latch member toward strike engaging position;

a sleeve carried by said wall portion of the cabinet;

and a latch release having a push button slidably received in said sleeve being bifurcated to provide a pair of legs straddling said latch member and slidably received through said back wall.

2. A cabinet latch mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring means is seated against said pivot bracket member and said pivot bracket member is adjustably connected to said back wall so that said pivot bracket, said spring means and said latch member may be shifted as a unit relative to said base member and said latch release.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,348,715 8/ 1920 Grending. 1,805,789 5/1931 Stuart et al. 292127 2,199,467 5/ 1940 Saunders 292-221 X 2,494,048 1/ 1950 Ledin 292227 2,880,452 4/ 1959 Forgach 292-127 X 2,947,560 8/1960 Klee 292--'251.5 X

MARVIN A. CHAMPrION, Primary Examiner.

J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner,

Claims

1. IN A CABINET OR THE LIKE HAVING AN OPEN FACE AND A COVER PANEL THEREFOR MOVABLY MOUNTED THEREON AND CARRING A LATCH STRIKE DEVICE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A LATCH MECHANISM MOUNTED ON A WALL PORTION OF SAID CABINET FOR RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COVER STRIKE DEVICE WHEREIN SAID LATCH MECHANISM COMPRISES; A BASE MEMBER RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON SAID WALL PORTION OF SAID CABINET, SAID BASE MEMBER INCLUDING OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS ENGAGING SAID WALL PORTION OF THE CABINET IN OUTSTANDING RELATION THERETO, AND A BACK WALL JOINING SAID SIDE WALLS AND PRESENTING AN INNER FACE DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID WALL PORTION OF THE CABINET; A PIVOT BRACKET MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID INNER FACE OF SAID BACK WALL, AND INCLUDING AN OUTSTANDING ARM BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS; A LATCH MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID OUTSTANDING ARM AND HAVING A JAW PORTION ADAPTED TO ENGAGE IN LATCHING RELATION WITH SAID STRIKE MEMBER; SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID LATCH MEMBER TOWARD STRIKE ENGAGING POSITION; A SLEEVE CARRIED BY SAID WALL PORTION OF THE CABINET; AND A LATCH RELEASE HAVING A PUSH BUTTON SLIDABLY RERECEIVED IN SAID SLEEVE BEING BIFURCATED TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF LEGS STRADDLING SAID LATCH MEMBER AND SLIDABLY RECEIVED THROUGH SAID BACK WALL.