Anti-tearing retractable arm for a collection box
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsJoram Shenhar, Joel Locknauth Dewnandan, William Albert Tartal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A retractable arm device, system, and method with a locking mechanism for preventing items placed in a device or receptacle from getting stuck, damaged, or torn. The retractable arm includes an inner tube, a pawl, and an outer tube surrounding the inner tube. The inner tube slides within the outer tube and the pawl preventing the retractable arm from moving into an extended position under particular conditions. The retractable arm may be placed in a receptacle for items to prevent the door from being reopened before the door is fully closed.
Claims16
A retractable arm comprising
- an outer tube comprising:
- a channel extending therethrough;
- a first opening formed in a surface of the outer tube proximate a first end of the outer tube;
- and
- a second opening formed in the surface of the outer tube proximate a second end of the outer tube;
- and
- an inner tube slidably disposed at least partially within the channel of the outer tube;
- and
- a pawl pivotably attached to the inner tube, the pawl comprising a curved surface and a planar surface, the pawl configured to protrude at least partially from the first opening when the inner tube is at a first position within the channel, and configured to protrude at least partially from the second opening when the inner tube is at a second position within the channel,
- wherein a portion of the planar surface of the pawl is in contact with an inner surface of the outer tube when the inner tube is in transition from the first position to the second position, and a portion of the curved surface is in contact with the inner surface of the outer tube when the inner tube is in transition from the second position to the first position.
A method of operating a retraceable arm comprising:
- disposing an inner tube at least partially within a channel of an outer tube in a first position, the inner tube having a pawl rotatably connected thereto and the outer tube having a first opening formed therein proximate to a first end of the outer tube and a second opening formed therein proximate to a second end of the outer tube;
- moving a first portion of the inner tube out of the outer tube to an intermediate position;
- rotating the pawl out of the first opening and into the outer tube;
- moving a second portion of the inner tube out of the outer tube to a second, extended position;
- rotating the pawl out of the outer tube to partially extend through the second opening,
- contacting a planar surface of the pawl with an inner surface of the outer tube when the inner tube is transitioning from the first position to the second position;
- and
- contacting a curved surface of the pawl with the inner surface of the outer tube when the inner tube is transitioning from the second position to the first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.