Latch with a built-in adjustment mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9162746-B2
Application number	US-201213630683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Oct 20, 2015
Grant date	Oct 20, 2015

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a latch body and a plurality of locking mechanisms. The latch body has a plurality of channels that extend through the latch body. The plurality of locking mechanisms is housed within the latch body. A locking mechanism in the plurality of locking mechanisms comprises a plate and a spring mechanism. The plate has an opening positioned relative to a corresponding channel in the plurality of channels. The spring mechanism is configured to hold the plate in a locked position within the latch body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first fastener attached to a first structural member and a second fastener attached to a second structural member;
a latch body having a plurality of channels that extend through the latch body;
a plurality of locking mechanisms housed within the latch body, wherein a first locking mechanism in the plurality of locking mechanisms receives the first fastener and a second locking mechanism in the plurality of locking mechanisms receives the second fastener, wherein the first locking mechanism comprises:
a plate having an elongated opening positioned relative to a corresponding channel in the plurality of channels, wherein the elongated opening and the corresponding channel are configured to receive the first fastener;
a pivot feature, wherein the plate is configured to be rotated about the pivot feature to transition the first locking mechanism between a locked and an unlocked configuration; and
a spring mechanism configured to hold the plate in the locked position within the latch body; and

an adjustment mechanism which laterally moves the latch body and the first locking mechanism relative to the first fastener such that the first fastener is laterally adjusted within the elongated opening, wherein manipulation of the adjustment mechanism alters a distance between the first fastener and the second fastener to adjust a width of a gap formed between the first structural member and the second structural member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the latch body further comprises:
a retaining structure configured to hold the plurality of locking mechanisms; and
a cover.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plate is configured to be rotated about the pivot feature into the unlocked position such that the opening in the plate is aligned with the corresponding channel through the latch body within selected tolerances.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a fastener is configured to freely move within the corresponding channel through the latch body when the plate is in the unlocked position and the opening in the plate is aligned with the corresponding channel within the selected tolerances.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pivot feature is associated with at least one of the plate and the retaining structure of the latch body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a fastener that has at least partially passed through the opening in the plate is locked in place when the plate is in the locked position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first structural member comprises a panel forming a sidewall for an interior of an aircraft.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: the adjustment mechanism which laterally moves the second locking mechanism housed within the latch body in a lateral direction relative to the first fastener.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the opening in the plate and the corresponding channel are elongated in the lateral direction.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a housing configured to house the latch body.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongated opening has a shape selected from one of an elongated circular shape, an oval shape, and a rectangular shape and wherein the corresponding channel has a shape selected from one of a circular cylindrical shape, an elongated cylindrical shape, an elliptic cylindrical shape, a hyperbolic cylindrical shape, a parabolic cylindrical shape, and a prism shape.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spring mechanism further comprises:
a plurality of compression springs maintaining the plate in the locked position when the plurality of compression springs are relaxed, wherein rotation of the plate about the pivot feature applies a load to at least one compression spring in the plurality of compression springs so as to transition the plate to the unlocked position, the spring mechanism comprising at least a first spring and a second spring positioned on opposite sides of the plate.

13. A latch comprising:
a housing;
a latch body housed within the housing and having a plurality of channels that extend through the latch body; and
a first locking mechanism receiving a first fastener attached to a first structural member and a second locking mechanism receiving a second fastener attached to a second structural member, wherein the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism are housed within the latch body, wherein the first locking mechanism comprises:
a plate having an elongated opening positioned relative to a corresponding channel in the plurality of channels, wherein the elongated opening and the corresponding channel are configured to receive the first fastener;
a pivot feature, wherein the plate is configured to be rotated about the pivot feature; and
a spring mechanism configured to hold the plate in a locked position within the latch body; and

an adjustment mechanism which laterally moves the latch body and the first locking mechanism relative to the first fastener such that the first fastener is laterally adjusted within the elongated opening, wherein manipulation of the adjustment mechanism alters a distance between the first fastener and the second fastener to adjust a width of a gap formed between the first structural member and the second structural member.

14. The latch of claim 13 , wherein the spring mechanism further comprises:
first and second compression springs positioned on opposite sides of the plate of the first locking mechanism and third and fourth compression springs positioned on opposite sides of the plate of the second locking mechanism.

15. A method for attaching a latch to a number of panels, the method comprising:
applying a load to a spring mechanism in the latch to move a first plate and a second plate in the latch into an unlocked position such that a first fastener attached to a first structural member is allowed to pass through an elongated opening in the first plate and a second fastener attached to a second structural member is allowed to pass through an opening in the second plate, wherein the spring mechanism, the first plate, and the second plate form a locking mechanism that is housed within a latch body;
removing the load applied to the spring mechanism after a selected portion of the first fastener has passed through the elongated opening in the first plate such that the first plate moves into a locked position; and
manipulating an adjustment mechanism to laterally move the latch body and the first locking mechanism relative to the first fastener such that the first fastener is laterally adjusted within the elongated opening, wherein manipulation of the adjustment mechanism alters a distance between the first fastener and the second fastener to adjust a width of a gap formed between the first structural member and the second structural member.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of applying the load to the spring mechanism comprises:
inserting the first fastener through a channel in the latch body corresponding to the elongated opening in the first plate; and
applying a force to the first fastener at the elongated opening of the first plate that causes the load to be applied to the spring mechanism in the latch and move the first plate in the latch into the unlocked position.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of removing the load applied to the spring mechanism comprises:
removing the load applied to the spring mechanism after the selected portion of the first fastener has passed through the elongated opening

Assignees

• Pacini Phillip E
• Branham Russell J
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Pacini Phillip E
• Branham Russell J

Classifications

• B64C1/066 Primary

  Interior liners · CPC title

• F16B5/0088

  with locking means moving substantially perpendicular to the main plane, e.g. pins, screws · CPC title

• E05B2063/0026

  Elongated, e.g. stud-like, striker entering into an opening in which movable detent means engage the elongated striker · CPC title

• Y10T403/602

  by separate spring · CPC title