SELF-LATCHING LOCKING ASSEMBLY

摘要

A locking system for securely closing the lid on an enclosure, such as a grade level box, includes an L-bolt connected to a spring-biased slide member positioned on the underside of the lid. The L-bolt rotates in a slotted housing that securely retains the L-bolt under the lid. The slide member engages an abutment on the inside of the enclosure, when the lid is forced down over an opening in the enclosure, e.g., by foot pressure. Downward force on the lid progressively causes the latch to retract against the spring-bias from contact with the abutment and then snaps the latch into a spring-biased locking position under the abutment. The L-bolt is accessed from outside the lid, rotated by a proprietary socket wrench or similar tool, to retract the latch from its locking position sufficiently for removing the lid from the enclosure.