Safety release for automobile trunk

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing and particularly to FIGS.
1 and 2, one form of the luggage compartment safety release, generally designated 12, is shown installed on an automobile trunk lid 10.
The luggage compartment in this illustration is at the rear of the automobile adjacent to taillight 11.
It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be employed in conjunction with any deck lid or closure for motor vehicle luggage compartments, regardless of the location of the compartment on the vehicle.
The invention also contemplates utilization of the safety release on many other types of storage compartments, whether on other types of vehicles, such as trucks or trailers, or in stationary structures such as houses and buildings.
In the illustrated embodiment, the safety release 12 is installed between a conventional key tumbler assembly 20 and a trunk latch assembly 30.
The key tumbler is usually mounted directly upon the outer panel 13 of the deck lid 10 and in many automobile models, the latch is mounted upon an inner panel 14.
In many instances, the inner panel consists merely of a depending bracket secured to the interior face of the panel 13.
The latch assembly 30 may be secured to the inner panel or bracket 14 by any conventional fastening means, such as by threaded bolts 16.
In most locking mechanisms now in use, the latch assembly is connected to the tumbler assembly by a unitary latch shaft (not shown) of rectangular cross section which extends between the two components through inner panel aperture 15.
The safety release of the present invention replaces that unitary shaft.
The outer end of the tumbler assembly 20 includes a keyhole 21 for receiving a key which actuates the lock mechanism in the usual fashion to open the deck lid for access to the trunk compartment.
It is to be understood therefore that the tumbler and latch assemblies illustrated in the drawing are of conventional design.
The present invention is directed to the release mechanism generally designated 12