LATCH MECHANISM FOR RELEASABLY SECURING COVERS OF PORTABLE DEVICES USED IN RUGGED ENVIRONMENTS

A latch mechanism for releasably securing a cover to a housing of a portable device. The latch mechanism includes a plurality of resilient members for retaining the latch mechanism in a locked configuration. The latch mechanism comprising a latch enclosure of the housing for positioning adjacent to the cover and having a plurality of interior surfaces and a latch body positioned in the latch enclosure and configured for reciprocal movement within the latch enclosure between a closed position and an open position. The latch mechanism uses a first resilient member of the plurality of resilient members positioned between the latch body and a first surface of the plurality of interior surfaces for biasing the latch body in a first direction between the open position and the closed position. The latch mechanism also uses a second resilient member of the plurality of resilient members for biasing at least a portion of the latch body in a second direction towards a second surface of the plurality of interior surfaces, such that the first direction and the second direction are laterally relative to one another. The second resilient member biases engagement of a first lock portion with a second lock portion.