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US 2013/0160365 A1Published application
Gate apparatus with springless automatic return gate
AssigneeCarlson Pet Products, Inc.
InventorsMark A. Flannery, Porter R. Million
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gate apparatus having an automatically returning gate, an upper latch operated by an upper button, and a lower latch operated by an upper finger handle. Each of the latches must be opened to open the gate. The gate returns without the aid of a spring to a position close to the closed position or to the closed position by the structure of a pivot or hinge connection between the gate and the frame of the gate. Gate tubes are rectangular in section for their entire length. Wood panels are included in the gate and excluded from other portions of the gate apparatus to make the gate stand out to the user seeking to open the gate.
Claims20
A gate apparatus, comprising:
- a) a barrier frame in generally a first plane, with the barrier frame having a first vertical support member with a first vertical axis;
- b) a gate swingable into and out of the barrier frame and into and out of said first plane, with said gate having a pivot side and a latch side;
- c) a first pivot connection between the gate and the barrier frame;
- and
- d) a second pivot connection between the gate and the barrier frame;
- e) wherein said first and second pivot connections establish a swing axis on which the gate swings, with said swing axis being oblique relative to the first vertical axis of the first vertical support member such that said swing axis has a horizontal component whereby, after the gate has been opened and released, the gate swings back to said first plane of said barrier frame under the influence of gravity.
3 more elements
A gate apparatus, comprising:
- a) a barrier frame, with the barrier frame having a first end and a second end, with the barrier frame having a lower horizontal support member that engages the first end of the barrier frame to the second end of the barrier frame, with the second end of the barrier frame having an upper portion, with the lower horizontal support member having a lower latch receiver;
- b) a gate swingably engaged to the barrier frame, with the gate having a first end that is swingably engaged to the first end of the barrier frame, with the gate having a second end that is releaseably coupled to the second end of the barrier frame, with the gate having an upper portion and a lower portion, with the lower portion confronting the lower horizontal support member of the barrier frame, with the gate having an upper latch receiver;
- c) a first latch apparatus, with the first latch apparatus fixed on the gate and extending over to the barrier frame to interact with the barrier frame, with the first latch apparatus having a finger handle and a lower latch extending from the lower portion of the gate and interacting with the lower latch receiver of the lower horizontal support member of the barrier frame, with the finger handle being engaged to the lower latch such that a drawing of the finger handle draws the lower latch from out of engagement with the lower latch receiver of the lower horizontal support member of the barrier frame and such that a releasing of the finger handle permits the lower latch to interact with the lower latch receiver of the horizontal support member of the barrier frame;
- and
- d) a second latch apparatus, with the second latch apparatus fixed on the barrier frame and extending over to the gate, with the second latch apparatus having a button on the upper portion of the second end of the barrier frame and an upper latch extending from the upper portion of the second end of the barrier frame and interacting with the upper latch receiver of the gate, with the button being engaged to the upper latch such that a pushing in of the button draws the upper latch from out of engagement with the upper latch receiver of the first latch apparatus and such that a release of the button permits the upper latch to interact with the upper latch receiver of the gate;
- e) wherein, for the gate to be opened, each of the lower latch and upper latch must be disengaged from the barrier frame and gate, respectively.
3 more elements
A gate apparatus, comprising:
- a) a barrier frame, with the barrier frame having a first end and a second end, with the barrier frame having an interconnecting horizontal support member that engages the first end of the barrier frame to the second end of the barrier frame, with the first end of the barrier frame having at least first and second horizontal support members and at least first and second vertical support members, and with the second end of the barrier frame having at least first and second horizontal support members and at least first and second vertical support members;
- b) a first gate swingably engaged to the barrier frame, with the first gate having a first end that is swingably engaged to the first end of the barrier frame, with the first gate having a second end that is releaseably coupled to the second end of the barrier frame, with the first gate having first and second traversing support members, and with the first gate having at least first and second vertical support members engaged to the first and second traversing support members;
- c) wherein each of said support members is tubular;
- and
- d) wherein each of said support members is rectangular in section for generally an entire length of said support member.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.