An exemplary handle assembly including a handle and a coupling mechanism. The handle includes a shank and a manually graspable portion extending from the shank. The coupling mechanism includes a coupling member and a cam sleeve. The coupling member is mounted to the shank for movement between a coupling position and a decoupling position. The cam sleeve is movably mounted to the shank and covers the coupling member. A radially-inner portion of the cam sleeve includes a cam surface operable to engage the coupling member. The cam surface is configured to drive the coupling member from the decoupling position to the coupling position as the cam sleeve is displaced from a home position to a displaced position.

A locking system, for a cabinet having a plurality of drawers extendably mounted in an interior of the cabinet, includes a bar and a motor unit. The bar is movable to prevent at least some of the drawers from extending out of the cabinet when in a locked position and allowing at least one of the drawers to extend out of the cabinet in an unlocked position. The motor unit is configured to drive an arm coupled to the bar, the arm being drivable to change a position of the bar from the locked position to the unlocked position.

A door-locking mechanism is for locking a door of a cabinet with respect to a main body of the cabinet. The door-locking mechanism includes a supporting component being operatively mountable onto the door, a driving component being operatively moveable with respect to the supporting component between at least first and second configurations, and at least one transmission component being operatively moveable with respect to the supporting component between drawn-in and drawn-out configurations. The door-locking mechanism also includes at least one locking rod being operatively connectable to the at least one transmission component and being movable between disengaged and engaged configurations with respect to a corresponding catch-rod of the cabinet, in response to the at least one transmission component being operated between the drawn-in and drawn-out configurations respectively, via an operation of the driving component from the first to the second configuration.

An animal-resistant latching system for inhibiting animals from accessing food and food containing refuse within containers is disclosed. The device is composed of an access panel containing an opening to which is secured at least one latching members, a cam assembly, a cover, and a bracket. The latching members are positioned so as to inhibit access to the container when the member is in the latched position and allow access to the container when the member is in the unlatched position. The cam assembly communicates with the latching members so as to move the members between the latched and unlatched positions. The cover and bracket are dimensioned and positioned on the access panel in a predetermined manner so as allow human hands access to the cam assembly and unlatch the container while simultaneously inhibiting such access by animals.

Latch mechanisms adapted to prevent unauthorized displacement of a latch bolt from an extended, locked position to a retracted, unlocked position. The latch mechanisms prevent the failure of a latch bolt of one latch mechanism to return to an extended lock position from interfering with the ability of a latch bolt of an inter-related latch mechanism from being able to return to an extended, locked position. Further embodiments provide a mounting bracket mounted to a door to allow the associated latch mechanism to be indirectly secured to the door. Additionally, the mounting bracket may have a plurality of mounting orifices that allow the mounting bracket to be used with a wide range of latch mechanisms, as well as provide adjustable attachment of the latch mechanism to the mounting bracket.

The present invention is directed to a latch mechanism for latching a door or window panel to a frame. The latch mechanism includes: a pair of first members, a first of the pair of first members being located in an upper region of either the door or window panel or the frame, and a second of the pair of first members being located in a lower region of either the door or window panel or the frame and a pair of second members, a first of the pair of second members being located in an upper region of the other of the door or window panel or the frame to the first of the pair of first members and a second of the pair of second members being located in a lower region of the other of the door or window panel or the frame to the second of the pair first members the second members being movable between an unlatched position and a latched position wherein the second members are brought into abutment with, or close proximity to, the respective first members, wherein the first members are adapted to move from the unlatched position to the latched position under a magnetic attraction to the respective second members when the door or window panel is brought into a closed condition and wherein the second members are coupled to a controller via one or more linkage members, wherein actuation of the controller results in moving the second members from the latched position to the unlatched position.

A latch assembly for an access door of a storage compartment in a vehicle, includes a locking bar configured to move into an engaged configuration which enables the access door to be placed and held into a closed position and a disengaged configuration which permits the access door to be placed into an opened position; and an automatic locking mechanism including a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator configured to be coupled to the access door, and further including a locking feature operably coupled to a portion of the locking bar, and configured to engage and disengage the SMA actuator which is electrically energized to move into a locked position to prohibit the locking feature from moving. A latch assembly for an access door of a storage compartment in a vehicle includes an SMA actuator configured to move the locking bar into the disengaged configuration with the storage compartment.

The invention relates to a lock for a fuel tank cap or tailboard in a vehicle, comprising a locking bolt (1) which can be adjusted between an open and a closed position by opening and closing the cap or tailboard. Said fuel tank cap lock, in the housing (2) of the lock, is positively driven counter to the force of a compression spring (4) in the direction of its longitudinal axis (6) and about its longitudinal axis (6).

Latch mechanisms adapted to prevent unauthorized displacement of a latch bolt from an extended, locked position to a retracted, unlocked position. The latch mechanisms prevent the failure of a latch bolt of one latch mechanism to return to an extended lock position from interfering with the ability of a latch bolt of an inter-related latch mechanism from being able to return to an extended, locked position. Further embodiments provide a mounting bracket mounted to a door to allow the associated latch mechanism to be indirectly secured to the door. Additionally, the mounting bracket may have a plurality of mounting orifices that allow the mounting bracket to be used with a wide range of latch mechanisms, as well as provide adjustable attachment of the latch mechanism to the mounting bracket.

A door of a substrate container includes a latching mechanism for operating at least two latch members. The substrate container can be a front opening substrate container or a bottom opening substrate container. The latching mechanism can include a rotatable cam having a first rotational profile out of phase with a second rotational profile such that when the cam is rotated to operate the latch mechanism from the disengaged position to the engaged position, a first latch member engages a first corresponding slot in a door frame prior to a second latch member engaging a second corresponding opening provided in the door frame such that the latch members are operated in a staggered manner. This staggered latching configuration allows for the application of a load provided by the system to be used in the most efficient manner per latch arm or per set of latch arms.