Vehicle access ramp

1 . A latch assembly, comprising:

a latch mounting element, the latch mounting element at least including a housing with a peripheral wall defining a hollow interior and an open end, and a mounting flange extending outwardly from the peripheral wall;

a latch, the latch at least including:

a latch shaft rotatably attached to the peripheral wall,

one or two springs configured to encircle a portion of the latch shaft, and

one or two latch flanges having a proximal edge attached to the latch shaft,

the latch being attached to a distal end of the one or two latch flanges for a rotation with the latch shaft between a retracted position where the latch is disposed within the hollow interior due to a bias force from one or two springs and a deployed position where the latch extends through the open end past an edge of the peripheral wall.

2 . The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mounting flange comprises two mounting flanges, each mounting flange extending outwardly from the peripheral wall.

3 . The latch assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a cable arm attached to the latch shaft for the rotation therewith and an actuating cable attached to the latch to rotate the latch into the deployed position and allow the rotation of the latch into the retracted position.

4 . The latch assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a connection with a latch operating device, the connection configured to allow the latch operating device to rotate the latch from the retracted position into the deployed position.

5 . The latch assembly of claim 4 , further comprising the latch operating device, the latch operating device comprising:

a shaft mounted for a rotational movement;

a force receiving element, the force receiving element mounted on the shaft for the rotational movement therewith;

a lever, the lever mounted on the shaft for the rotational movement therewith; and

an operating spring, the operating spring having one end connected to the lever, the operating spring having another end thereof connectable to a cable.

6 . The latch assembly of claim 5 , further comprising the cable, wherein the operating spring configured to pull the cable in one direction when the shaft rotates due to a force received by the force receiving element, the operating spring being further configured to allow the cable to move in an opposite direction when the force is no longer received by the force receiving element.

7 . The latch assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a ramp support, the ramp support defining each of a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, the shaft attached for the rotational movement to a stationary portion of the ramp support.

8 . The latch assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a ramp, the ramp configured to attach to the ramp support, the ramp configured to rotate about the vertical axis and about the horizontal axis.

9 . The latch assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a latch release, the latch release comprising link attached to the operating spring, an elongated slot through a thickness of the link and a latch release lever rotationally attached to a stationary portion of the ramp support and passed through the elongated slot.

10 . The latch assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a latching and release mechanism, the latching and release mechanism comprising:

a mounting element, the mounting element comprising two edge notches;

a first lever comprising a first latch engaging portion aligned with one edge notch from the two edge notches, the first lever rotatable, in a first rotational connection with the mounting element between a first latched position and a first unlatched position;

a first spring, the first spring biases the first lever into the first latched position;

a second lever comprising a second latch engaging portion aligned with another edge notch from the two edge notches, the second lever rotatable in a second rotational connection with the mounting element between a second latched position and a second unlatched position;

a second spring, the second spring biases the second lever into the second latched position; and

a handle mounted for a slidable movement about the mounting element, the handle further mounted in a rotational connection with each of the first lever and the second lever, the handle configured to move the first lever into the first unlatched position and move the second lever into the second unlatched position.

11 . The latch assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a latching and release mechanism, the latching and release mechanism comprising:

a notch;

a lever comprising a latch engaging portion aligned with the notch, the lever rotatable, in a rotational connection between a latched position and an unlatched position;

a spring, the spring configured to bias the lever into the latched position; and

a handle, the handle in a rational connection with the lever, the handle configured to move the lever into the unlatched position.

12 . The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or two latch flanges comprise two latch flanges.

13 . The latch assembly of claim 12 , wherein the one or two springs comprise two springs, each spring from two springs being disposed at adjacent a respective latch flange from the two latch flanges.

14 . The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or two springs comprise one or more torsional springs.

15 . The latch assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a stop being disposed within the hollow interior, the stop being configured to contact the latch in the retracted position.

16 . The latch assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a cover configured to close the open end, the cover at least including a slot to allow a passage of the latch during movements between retracted and deployed positions.

17 . A latch assembly, comprising:

a latch, the latch comprising:

a housing, the housing comprises a peripheral wall defining a hollow interior and an open end, the peripheral wall comprises a cable access,

a latch shaft, the latch shaft mounted for a rotation within the hollow interior,

a latch lever, the latch lever attached to the latch shaft for the rotation therewith between a retracted position where the latch lever is disposed within the hollow interior and a deployed position where the latch lever extends through the open end past an edge of the peripheral wall,

a cable arm attached to the latch shaft opposite the latch lever, and

two latch springs, each latch spring from the two latch springs configured to encircle a portion of the latch shaft at each end of the latch lever, the each latch spring configured to bias the latch lever into the retracted position;

a cable, the cable comprising one end thereof attached to the cable arm;

a latch operating mechanism, the latch operating mechanism comprising:

a shaft mounted for a rotational movement,

a force receiving element, the force receiving element mounted on the shaft for the rotational movement therewith,

an operating lever, the operating lever mounted on the shaft for the rotational movement therewith, and

an operating spring, the operating spring having one end connected to the operating lever, the operating spring having another end thereof connectable to an opposite end of the cable,

the latch operating mechanism configured to tension the cable in a response to a rotation of the shaft in a first direction and to rotate the latch lever into the deployed position; and

a latching and release mechanism, the latching and release mechanism comprising:

a lever comprising a latch engaging portion, the lever rotatable, in a rotational connection between a latched position and an unlatched position,

a spring, the spring biases the lever into the latched position, and

a handle, the handle being in a rotational connection with the lever, the handle configured to move the lever into the unlatched position.

18 . The latch assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a ramp assembly with a support and a ramp mounted on the support for a rotation between a stowed position and a deployed position, the latch assembly being disposed remotely from the ramp assembly, the latch operating mechanism coupled to the support, the latching and release mechanism attached to an edge of the ramp.