LOCKABLE LATCHING DEVICE

• Main Authors: DALLOS, JR. ROBERT, CULVER ROGER HERBERT, BROWN JAMES HOLBROOK, ALEXANDER PAUL W, ZOLNO ARAGORN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.10.2015
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; BLASTING; BOLTS OR FASTENING DEVICES FOR WINGS, SPECIALLY FOR DOORS ORWINDOWS; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; HANDCUFFS; HEATING; KEYS; LIGHTING; LOCKS; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; SAFES; SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; WEAPONS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS

A lockable latching device includes a body defining a cavity therein and having a central longitudinal axis, and a plunger disposed within the cavity. The plunger has a first end and a second end and is translatable with respect to the body along the axis between an open position and a closed position. The device also includes an annular rotator spaced apart from the body along the axis and configured for rotating the plunger about the axis. The device includes an annular latch abutting the rotator that is transitionable between an unlocked state and a locked state. The device also includes an element attached to the latch and formed from a shape memory alloy that is transitionable between an austenite crystallographic phase and a martensite crystallographic phase in response to an activation signal to thereby transition the latch from the locked state to the unlocked state.