A two-stage latch is used for a tailgate on a vehicle such as an excavator or skid steer loader. The tailgate forms a cover for an engine compartment or other components of the vehicle, and the two-stage latch has a primary latch dog that will hold the cover fully closed. A secondary catch hook is used and includes a lost motion drive for actuating the latch dog. When opening the tailgate the latch hook engages a retainer bracket and will remain in a holding position so that the cover or tailgate will open slightly when the latch hook is released but cannot be fully opened until the catch hook is manually released from the retainer bracket on the vehicle frame.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
Reference is made to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/576,459, filed May 23, 2000, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
A latching arrangement for a refrigerator door includes a striker unit, a first latch arm and a second latch arm. The striker unit is secured to a cabinet of the refrigerator. The first latch arm is interconnected to the door for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis between a latched position and an unlatched position. In the latched position, the first arm releasably engages a first striker portion of the striker unit. The second latch arm is interconnected to the door for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis between a latched position and an unlatched position. In the latched position, the second latch arm releasably engages a second striker portion of the striker unit.
A lock structure for a door panel has a back panel for separating a passenger compartment and a cargo bed of a vehicle, in which an opening portion is formed to communicate the passenger compartment with the cargo bed. The door panel is provided for opening or closing the opening portion. The lock structure comprises a lock mechanism mounted in the back panel and at an edge of the opening portion, a striker mounted on the door panel for engaging with the lock mechanism, and an unlock mechanism mounted in both the back panel and the door panel for disengaging between the lock mechanism and the striker. According to the structures, the thickness of the door panel can be decreased to ensure the space of the passenger compartment, so that the design or layout of the door panel and the space of the rear seat is not restricted. Further, the user can easily open the door panel.
The present invention proposes an engagement mechanism employed in a first assembly part and a cooperating second assembly part. The engagement mechanism comprises a pivot member assembled in the first assembly part; and an elastic member having a double-wedged surface at an endmost portion thereof which extends outwardly from the projecting portion of the first assembly part. The elastic member is employed to provide an elastic force of maintaining the projecting portion extending outwardly from the first assembly part to engage with the second assembly part. The present invention, via the design of the double-wedged surface of the projecting portion, facilitates easy engagement or disengagement of the engagement mechanism, and overcomes the problem of having to provide extra disengagement arrangement in the prior art.
