Universal latch and sensor system

Abstract

According to one aspect of the invention, a universal latch and sensor system (100, 200, 300) is configured for use with a housing having a panel (102) and a frame (104), and for latching the panel (102) relative to the frame (104). The system includes a latch (200) having a body (208) configured to be mounted to the panel (102) or the frame (104) of the housing. The latch (200) also has a pawl (202) movable relative to the body (208) over a full range of motion including an engaged position and a disengaged position. The system also includes a sensor (310) having a body (208) configured to be mounted to another of the panels (102) or the frame (104) of the housing, and the sensor (310) also has a sensing range over which it is capable of sensing the pawl (202) of the latch (200). The sensor (310) and the latch (200) are configured to be mounted in any of a plurality of orientations in which, when the pawl (202) is in the engaged position, the range of motion of the pawl (202) of the latch (200) at least partially overlaps with the sensing range of the sensor (310), while maintaining a gap between the body (208) of the sensor (310) and the pawl (202) of the latch (200). The sensor (310) is configured to sense the presence or absence of the pawl (202) of the latch (200) when the sensor (310) and the latch (200) are mounted in any of the aforementioned orientations, and when the pawl (202) of the latch (200) moves within the range of motion of the pawl (202) to any position within the sensing range of the sensor (310).

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