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US 12,624,580 B1Granted
Container latching and locking assemblies
OwnerWayne Knappinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Container latching and locking assemblies may include a latch unit configured for attachment to a container lid of a container. A latch element may be provided in the latch unit. A lock unit may be configured for attachment to a container base of the container. A latch and lock device may be provided in the lock unit. The latch and lock device may be selectively configurable in a latching position in which the latch and lock device engages the latch element to latch and lock the container lid in a closed container position on the container base and an unlatching position in which the latch and lock device disengages the latch element to unlock and unlatch the container lid for opening of the container lid to an open container position on the container base.
Claims20
A container latching and locking assembly suitable for mounting on a container having a container base, a container handle on the container base and a container lid selectively closeable and openable on the container base, the container latching and locking assembly comprising:
- a latch unit comprising:
- a latch unit body configured for attachment to the container lid of the container;
- a latch cavity in the latch unit body;
- and
- a latch element in the latch cavity;
- and
- a lock unit comprising:
- a lock unit housing configured for attachment to the container base of the container, the lock unit housing configured to engage the container handle on the container base;
- a housing interior in the lock unit housing;
- and
- a hasp slot in the lock unit housing and communicating with the housing interior, the hasp slot normally disposed in registration or alignment with the latch cavity in the latch unit body of the latch unit;
- a latch and lock device in the housing interior, the latch and lock device comprising a lock hasp extending from the housing interior through the hasp slot and normally terminating in the latch cavity, the latch and lock device selectively configurable in a latching position wherein the lock hasp engages the latch element and an unlatching position wherein the lock hasp disengages the latch element;
- at least one latch unit fastener configured to attach the latch unit body of the latch unit to the container lid of the container;
- at least one lock unit fastener configured to attach the lock unit housing of the lock unit to the container base of the container;
- and
- wherein at least one of the at least one latch unit fastener and the at least one lock unit fastener comprises at least one bolt, at least one bracket, interfacing slide flanges, at least one rivet or any combination thereof.
13 more elements
A container latching and locking assembly suitable for mounting on a container having a container base, a container handle on the container base and a container lid selectively closeable and openable on the container base, the container latching and locking assembly comprising:
- a latch unit comprising:
- a latch unit body configured for attachment to the container lid of the container;
- a latch cavity in the latch unit body;
- and
- a latch element in the latch cavity;
- a lock unit comprising:
- a lock unit housing configured for attachment to the container base of the container, the lock unit housing comprising:
- a lower housing portion;
- an upper housing portion opposite the lower housing portion, the upper housing portion normally adjacent to the latch unit body of the latch unit;
- a rear housing portion and a front housing portion spaced-apart to each other and extending from the lower housing portion to the upper housing portion, the rear housing portion configured to be oriented toward the container base and the front housing portion configured to be oriented away from the container base of the container;
- a pair of spaced-apart side housing portions extending from the lower housing portion to the upper housing portion between the rear housing portion and the front housing portion;
- a rear housing surface on the rear housing portion;
- a handle channel in the rear housing surface, the handle channel sized and configured to receive and accommodate the container handle on the container base of the container;
- a housing interior in the lock unit housing;
- and
- a hasp slot in the upper housing portion, the hasp slot communicating with the housing interior and normally disposed in registration or alignment with the latch cavity in the latch unit body of the latch unit;
- a latch and lock device in the housing interior, the latch and lock device comprising a lock hasp extending from the housing interior through the hasp slot and terminating in the latch cavity, the latch and lock device selectively configurable in a latching position wherein the lock hasp engages the latch element and an unlatching position wherein the lock hasp disengages the latch element;
- at least one latch unit fastener configured to attach the latch unit body of the latch unit to the container lid of the container;
- at least one lock unit fastener configured to attach the lock unit housing of the lock unit to the container base of the container;
- and
- wherein at least one of the at least one latch unit fastener and the at least one lock unit fastener comprises at least one bolt, at least one bracket, interfacing slide flanges, at least one rivet or any combination thereof.
18 more elements
A container latching and locking assembly suitable for mounting on a container having a container base, a container handle on the container base and a container lid selectively closeable and openable on the container base, the container latching and locking assembly comprising:
- a latch unit comprising:
- a latch unit body configured for attachment to the container lid of the container, the latch unit body comprising:
- a lower body surface;
- an upper body surface opposite the lower body surface;
- a front body surface configured to be oriented away from the container lid of the container;
- a rear body surface configured to be oriented toward the container lid of the container;
- a latch cavity formed in and opening to the lower body surface and the rear body surface;
- and
- a latch element in the latch cavity;
- a lock unit comprising:
- a lock unit housing configured for attachment to the container base of the container, the lock unit housing comprising:
- a lower housing portion;
- an upper housing portion opposite the lower housing portion, the upper housing portion normally adjacent to the latch unit body of the latch unit;
- a rear housing portion and a front housing portion spaced-apart and parallel to each other and extending from the lower housing portion to the upper housing portion, the rear housing portion configured to be oriented toward the container base and the front housing portion configured to be oriented away from the container base of the container;
- a pair of spaced-apart side housing portions extending from the lower housing portion to the upper housing portion between the rear housing portion and the front housing portion;
- a rear housing surface on the rear housing portion;
- a handle channel in the rear housing surface, the handle channel sized and configured to receive and accommodate the container handle on the container base of the container, the handle channel having a pair of handle channel ends opening at the pair of spaced-apart side housing portions, respectively, of the lock unit housing of the lock unit;
- a housing interior in the lock unit housing;
- and
- a hasp slot in the upper housing portion, the hasp slot communicating with the housing interior and normally disposed in registration or alignment with the latch cavity in the latch unit body of the latch unit;
- and
- a latch and lock device in the housing interior of the lock unit housing, the latch and lock device comprising:
- a lock hasp extending from the housing interior through the hasp slot and terminating in the latch cavity, the latch and lock device selectively configurable in a latching position wherein the lock hasp engages the latch element and an unlatching position wherein the lock hasp disengages the latch element;
- a cam lock shaft engaging the lock hasp, the cam lock shaft deployable in the latching position and the unlatching position;
- a lock actuator engaging the cam lock shaft, the lock actuator configured to lock the cam lock shaft in the latching position in a locked configuration and unlock the cam lock shaft in an unlocked configuration of the lock actuator;
- a biometric lock actuator interface interfacing with the lock actuator, the biometric lock actuator interface configured to facilitate selective release and unlocking of the lock actuator;
- and
- the lock actuator comprising a lock actuator knob on the front housing portion of the lock unit housing, the lock actuator knob engaging the cam lock shaft for selective rotation of the cam lock shaft between the latching position and the unlatching position in the unlocked configuration of the lock actuator, the biometric lock actuator interface comprising a fingerprint scan interface having a fingerprint sensor on the lock actuator knob;
- at least one latch unit fastener configured to attach the latch unit body of the latch unit to the container lid of the container;
- at least one lock unit fastener configured to attach the lock unit housing of the lock unit to the container base of the container;
- and
- wherein at least one of the at least one latch unit fastener and the at least one lock unit fastener comprises at least one bolt, at least one bracket, interfacing slide flanges, at least one rivet or any combination thereof.
29 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.