Appeal No. 96-1416
Application 08/118,066
This is an appeal from the final rejection of claims 1 through 5 and 9 through 11.
The other remaining claims in the application, claims 6 through 8 and 12 through 14,
were subject to a restriction requirement and stand withdrawn from consideration.
The invention is directed to a low profile latch mechanism for an aircraft door
panel that minimizes the external structural discontinuities which would tend to increase
the aircraft’s radar cross-section. With reference to Figure 1, threaded insert member
20 is mounted for a free rotation on the back of the access panel or door 110. A
captured floating nut 40 is provided on the inner surface of the frame. One portion of
the floating nut is threaded while the other portion has a smooth cylindrical surface. A
safety lock member 60 is mounted for reciprocal movement on the captured floating
nut. A key 80 is provided to screw the insert member into the floating nut. When the
key is withdrawn, the safety lock member which has a plug that matches the polygonal-
shaped throughbore 26 in the insert member is spring-biased into the insert member
preventing the insert member from loosening.
Claim 1, reproduced below, is further illustrative of the invention.
1. A low profile latch mechanism for an access panel defined by edges of a
frame, the access panel being mounted in pivotable engagement with an adjacent
segment of the frame, the frame having an inner surface and the access panel having
mating edges complementary in configuration to the edges of the frame, an inner
surface, an outer surface, and a minimal access aperture formed therethrough adjacent
one mating edge thereof, comprising:
2
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Last modified: November 3, 2007