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US 12,065,860 B2Granted
Latch locking cover for enclosures
AssigneeHubbell Incorporated
InventorsMichael Edward Fisher, Wiley Richard Tipton, Robert Wilton Fox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Enclosure covers for use with direct burial enclosures are provided. The enclosure covers includes a latch assembly that permits the enclosure cover to automatically lock to an enclosure box when installed.
Claims26
A utility enclosure cover assembly comprising:
- a cover dimensioned to rest on a cover receiving ledge of an enclosure box and having an upper surface, a lower surface, a side wall between the upper and lower surfaces, at least one assembly opening extending through the side wall and between the upper and lower surfaces toward an interior of the cover, and at least one tool opening extending from the upper surface to the at least one assembly opening allowing an end of a cover opening tool to be removably inserted by an end user;
- and
- at least one latch assembly positioned within the at least one assembly opening and movable between a locking position and an opening position, wherein the at least one latch assembly is normally biased toward the locking position, and wherein the at least one latch assembly includes:
- a body having a tongue at one end, a spring stem at another end and a cup positioned between the tongue and the spring stem, the cup having a plurality of side walls including a substantially vertical tool contacting wall, a substantially enclosed bottom wall and an open upper surface such that the plurality of side walls, bottom wall and open upper surface define an open container to receive the end of the cover opening tool, the cup being aligned directly below the at least one tool opening such that the cup is accessible from the upper surface of the cover by the cover opening tool as it is removably inserted by an end user through the at least one tool opening into the cup and engages the substantially vertical tool contacting wall;
- a spring positioned on the spring stem that normally biases the latch assembly toward the locking position;
- and
- a latch stop extending from the body that limits movement of the at least one latch assembly within the at least one assembly opening.
4 more elements
A utility enclosure comprising:
- an enclosure box having a cover receiving ledge, and
- an enclosure cover assembly used to cover the enclosure box, the enclosure cover assembly including:
- a cover dimensioned to rest on the cover receiving ledge of the enclosure box, the cover having an upper surface, a lower surface, a side wall between the upper and lower surfaces, at least one assembly opening extending through the side wall and between the upper and lower surfaces toward an interior of the cover, and at least one tool opening extending from the upper surface of the cover to the at least one assembly opening allowing an end of a cover opening tool to be removably inserted by an end user;
- at least one latch assembly positioned within the at least one assembly opening and movable between a locking position and an opening position, wherein the at least one latch assembly is normally biased toward the locking position, and wherein the at least one latch assembly includes:
- a body having a tongue at one end, a spring stem at another end and a cup positioned between the tongue and the spring stem, the cup having a plurality of side walls including a substantially vertical tool contacting wall, a substantially enclosed bottom wall and an open upper surface such that the plurality of side walls, bottom wall and open upper surface define an open container to receive the end of the cover opening tool, the cup being aligned directly below the at least one tool opening such that the cup is accessible from the upper surface of the cover by the cover opening tool as it is removably inserted by an end user through the at least one tool opening into the cup and engages the substantially vertical tool contacting wall;
- a spring positioned on the spring stem that normally biases the latch assembly toward the locking position;
- and
- a latch stop extending from the body that limits movement of the at least one latch assembly within the at least one assembly opening.
5 more elements
A utility enclosure kit comprising:
- an enclosure box having a cover receiving ledge;
- and
- an enclosure cover assembly that can rest on the cover receiving ledge and is used to cover the enclosure box, the enclosure cover assembly including at least one latch assembly movable between a locking position and an opening position allowing the enclosure cover assembly to automatically lock when installed on the cover receiving ledge of the enclosure box, wherein the at least one latch assembly includes a body having a tongue at one end, a spring stem at another end, and a cup between the tongue and the spring stem, the cup having a plurality of side walls including a substantially vertical tool contacting wall, a substantially enclosed bottom wall and an open upper surface such that the plurality of side walls, bottom wall and open upper surface define an open container to receive an end of a cover opening tool, the cup being aligned-directly below at least one tool opening such that the cup is accessible from the upper surface of the cover by the cover opening tool which engages the substantially vertical tool contacting wall;
- and
- the cover opening tool having one end configured to be removably inserted into the open container by an end user and engage the substantially vertical tool contacting wall of the cup to unlock the enclosure cover assembly and configured to remove the enclosure cover assembly from the enclosure box.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.