Opening/closing device

An opening/closing system for detachably connecting opposite end portions of a closure member to opposite end portions of a body having an opening, defined within a surface thereof, to be opened and closed by said closure member, comprising:

• a locking shaft fixedly mounted upon said body within the vicinity of each end portion of said body;
• notch means defined within each end of said closure member for engaging a first portion of each locking shaft of said body when each of said ends of said closure member is disposed at a closed position upon said body;
• an operating lever, including pawl means formed upon one end thereof, pivotably mounted upon each of said ends of said closure member for movement between a first position at which said pawl means thereof is engaged with a second portion of its respective locking shaft so as to cooperate with a respective one of said notch means for retaining a respective end of said closure member at said closed position upon a respective end of said body, and a second position at which said pawl means thereof is disengaged from its respective locking shaft so as to permit the respective end of said closure member to be moved from said closed position to an open position;
• and
• spring means operatively connected to each one of said operating levers and engaged with a respective undersurface end portion of said closure member for biasing a respective inner one of said operating levers and said pawl means thereof toward said first position at which said pawl means is engaged with said second portion of its respective locking shaft so as to retain the respective end of said closure member at said closed position upon said respective end of said body,
• whereby when one of said operating levers is pivotably moved toward said second position so as to release said pawl means thereof from its engagement with its respective locking shaft at one end of said body, said closure member can be pivotably opened relative to said body at said one end of said body as a result of pivotal movement about said locking shaft disposed at the other end of said body, while when both of said operating levers are pivotably moved toward said position so as to release both of said pawl means from their engaged positions with said locking shafts at both ends of said body, said closure member can be removed from said body.