Utility meter enclosure with dual position locks
AssigneeLandis+Gyr Innovations, Inc.
InventorsBahadur Singh Rathore, Nikhil Tanwani
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A utility meter assembly having a base that is secured to a front cover. The assembly includes a dual locking system having a first locking position and a second locking position. In the first locking position, the front cover is removably secured with the base. In the second locking position, the front cover is permanently secured with the base to prevent separation of the two components unless one or both components are destroyed.
Claims19
A utility meter enclosure comprising:
- a front cover;
- a base;
- a plurality of locks positioned on one of the front cover and the base, wherein each of the plurality of locks comprises a resting feature;
- and
- a plurality of receptacles positioned on the other of the front cover and the base, wherein each of the plurality of receptacles comprises a resting ledge, wherein:
- each of the plurality of locks is receivable within one of the plurality of receptacles in (1) a first locking position in which the front cover is temporarily secured with the base and a lower surface of the resting feature abuts a top surface of the resting ledge and (2) a second locking position in which the front cover is permanently secured with the base;
- and
- the utility meter enclosure moves from the first locking position to the second locking position when the lower surface of the resting feature moves past the top surface of the resting ledge, wherein a top surface of the resting feature abuts a bottom surface of the resting ledge in the second locking position.
A dual position lock for a utility meter enclosure, the dual position lock comprising:
- two elastically deformable legs that are separated from one another at a proximal end and that join together at a distal end, wherein a portion of each of the two legs between the proximal end and the distal end is curved;
- two projections, wherein a first of the two projections projects from a first of the two legs and a second of the two projections projects from a second of the two legs and wherein each of the two projections has a planar surface and an angled surface relative to the planar surface;
- and
- a resting feature that extends from the distal end, wherein the resting feature is generally parallel to the planar surface of each of the two projections.
A method of securing a front cover and a base to form a utility meter enclosure, the method comprising:
- positioning the front cover relative to the base;
- partially inserting one lock of a plurality of locks of one of the front cover and the base into a respective receptacle of a plurality of receptacles of the other of the front cover and the base,
- wherein inserting the one lock into the respective receptacle comprises compressing two elastically deformable legs of the one lock toward one another due to engagement of angled sides of the respective receptacle with angled surfaces of two projections of the one lock to retain the utility meter enclosure in a first locking position in which the front cover is temporarily secured with the base and a lower surface of a resting feature of the one lock abuts a top surface of a resting ledge of the respective receptacle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.