A lock includes a housing assembly, an actuatable lock assembly and a latching assembly. The actuatable lock assembly is positionable in at least a closed orientation and an open orientation. The latching assembly further includes a latch, a cam and a motor. The latch, having a cam profile, is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the locked position, the actuatable lock assembly is maintained in the closed orientation. In the unlocked position, the actuatable lock assembly is positionable into an open orientation. The cam is rotatably mounted and has a first follower configured to intermittently coact with the cam profile of the latch, to, in turn, move the latch between the locked position and the unlocked position. The motor is coupled to the cam. Actuation of the motor causes rotation of the cam, resulting in movement of the latch between the locked and unlocked positions.

A domestic appliance (for example, a microwave oven), comprising: a housing; a front door; a retention mechanism (for example including a latch), located within the housing and engageable with the door; wherein the retention mechanism is movable between a first configuration, in which the door is retained in a closed position, and a second configuration, in which the door is non-engaged; an electromechanical actuator (for example a relay), adapted to move the retention mechanism out of said first configuration; and a controller (for example a microprocessor coupled to the relay, the microprocessor being operable in responsive to one or more signals to activate the relay, and thereby release the door from the closed position. Under spring bias, the door thus opens to about 30-45 degrees. The microprocessor-controlled door opening may be operable in three or more modes, including: actuation of a touch switch, remote control, or a microwave end of cooking.

A latching system used for a rotary closure of a shoe.

A latch assembly includes a frame and a pawl including a surface for receiving a striker and being movably coupled to the frame between an open and a closed position. A trigger is mounted to the frame and is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein, in the locked position of the trigger, the trigger is positioned to retain the pawl in the closed position. A striker bar is movably coupled to the trigger and is positioned to be contacted by the striker, wherein the striker bar is configured to move in the course of moving the striker into the pawl. A device for sensing a position of the striker bar, wherein the position of the striker bar is indicative of the position of the striker and the position of the trigger.

A latch assembly includes a rose, a handle rotatably coupled to the rose and rotatable around a rotation axis, and a latch. A biasing member is disposed within the rose and engaged with the latch. The biasing member being selectively connectable to the rose. When the biasing member is connected to the rose, the latch is pivotable around the rotation axis between a latched position and an unlatched position via the handle. The latch biased towards the latched position. When the biasing member is disconnected from the rose, the handle and the latch are rotatable together around the rotation axis between at least a left-handed configuration and a right-handed configuration. The biasing member connecting to the rose to secure the handle and the latch in either the left-handed configuration or the right-handed configuration.

A drawer slide with lock mechanism has an elongated outer slide member extendably coupled to an inner slide member. A latch arm or pin is fixed to the inner slide member for latching by a lock mechanism fixed to the outer slide member. The lock mechanism uses a latch receiver that rotates with respect to the lock mechanism and is in a travel path of the latch arm. A lever arm rotates with respect to the lock mechanism and is positionable to block rotation of the latch receiver in a locked position to retain the latch arm. A motor drives a cam to position the lever arm to free the latch receiver from the locked position.

A drawer slide with lock mechanism has an elongated outer slide member extendably coupled to an inner slide member. A latch arm or pin is fixed to the inner slide member for latching by a lock mechanism fixed to the outer slide member. The lock mechanism uses a latch receiver that rotates with respect to the lock mechanism and is in a travel path of the latch arm. A lever arm rotates with respect to the lock mechanism and is positionable to block rotation of the latch receiver in a locked position to retain the latch arm. A motor drives a cam to position the lever arm to free the latch receiver from the locked position.

A household electric appliance in which a door key is operated in association with an opening/closing operation of a door and is drawn into an inside of the door in the door opening operation is provided. The household electric appliance includes a main body having a space therein, a door coupled to the main body to be rotatable about a first rotation axis to open and close, respectively, the space, and a door key coupled to one of the main body and the door, the door key rotatable about a second rotation axis, so that a rotation of the door about the first rotation axis causes the door key to rotate about the second rotation axis.

A household electric appliance in which a door key is operated in association with an opening/closing operation of a door and is drawn into an inside of the door in the door opening operation is provided. The household electric appliance includes a main body having a space therein, a door coupled to the main body to be rotatable about a first rotation axis to open and close, respectively, the space, and a door key coupled to one of the main body and the door, the door key rotatable about a second rotation axis, so that a rotation of the door about the first rotation axis causes the door key to rotate about the second rotation axis.

A sliding door lock system has a centrally-disposed operator. The operator has a casing with a trigger retractably extended from the casing. An operator mechanism disposed in the casing is operatively engaged with the trigger. A lock remotely disposed from the operator has a housing. A pair of opposed locking hooks extend from the housing and a spring biases each hook into an unlocked position. A block pivotably connected to the housing is configured to engage the hooks when the hooks are in a locked position. An elongate member operably connects the operator mechanism to the block.