US 4,501,378 A · Resilient detented lid latch

Abstract

A latch unit for releasably securing a plastic lid to a tank-like container or for releasably securing another covering over the container. The container may be the tank of an electric vacuum cleaner. There are a plurality of the latch units spaced along the edge of the lid or covering and engageable with a bead around the open end of the tank. Each latch unit includes a cage at the edge of the lid or of the covering and includes a latch element molded of resilient plastic material. One end of the latch element protrudes from the cage and is hand engageable for moving the element between releasing and holding positions. The other end of the element is provided with a hook that engages a cage formation to form a pivot for the element. A normally bowed intermediate section of the element connects opposite ends of the element, and is stressed to provide a biasing force that holds the element mounted to the cage. This biasing force also provides detent forces required to maintain the latch element in the holding or releasing position to which it is operated. A detent at the intermediate section of the element engages an upstanding wall of the cage to hold the element in the releasing position.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A container having an opening and flange means projecting outwardly from said opening, a lid for covering said opening, and a plurality of latch units cooperating with said flange means to operatively secure said lid to said container;

said plurality of latch units mounted to said lid and spaced along the edge thereof;
each of said latch units including cage means fixedly mounted on said lid, and latch means pivotally mounted to said cage means;
said cage means including a wall section spaced outward of a sidewall of said container and having an upper edge;
said latch means including a pivot forming lower section, a manually engageable upper section, and an intermediate section between said upper and lower sections;
said upper section projecting above said upper edge and said intermediate section disposed between said wall section and said sidewall;
means defining a horizontal axis at said lower section about which said upper section is movable between an inner container holding position and an outer container releasing position;
said upper section defining a recess in which said flange means is entered when said upper section is in said holding position;
said upper section also including a formation that cooperates with said upper edge to define detent means for releasably maintaining said upper section in said releasing position.

5 more elements

Clamping means for clamping a covering, or the like, to the open end of a container, wherein the container has a sidewall, and an open end defined by the periphery of the sidewall, and the covering includes an annular portion which overlays the periphery of the sidewall, and the covering includes a flange projecting outwardly over the periphery of the sidewall;

the latch unit comprising cage means fixedly mounted to the covering for providing a support for latch means, and comprising latch means having a bottom end thereof which is pivotally mounted to said cage means;
said cage means including a wall section spaced outward of a sidewall of said container and having an upper edge;
said latch means including a pivot forming lower section, a manually engageable upper section, and an intermediate section between said upper and lower sections;
said upper section projecting above said upper edge and said intermediate section disposed between said wall section and said sidewall;
means defining a horizontal axis at said lower section about which said upper section is movable between an inner container holding position and an outer container releasing position;
said upper section defining a recess wherein said flange is entered when said upper section is in said holding position;
said upper section also including a formation that cooperates with said upper edge to define detent means for releasably maintaining said upper section in said releasing position.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Resilient detented lid latch

Life of this patent

Resilient detented lid latch

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25