Method and apparatus for attaching a lid to an insulated container
AssigneeThe Coleman Company, Inc.
InventorsJames Michael Boenig, Timothy M. Holub
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connecting device for attaching a lid to an insulated container. The connecting device has a barb arranged and configured to be inserted into a socket and to engage the walls of the socket upon rotation. The barb may engage the walls of the socket by displacing material or engaging receptors, such as threads, in the socket. The geometry of the barb is such that, after rotation, the barb remains connected to the body and lid without the aid of screws, rivets, or other means. The connecting device may also have a sliding or other connector for connecting the connecting device to the lid. The connector may be in the shape of a dovetail and the lid may have a recess configured to receive the dovetail.
Claims4
An insulated container, comprising:
- a body;
- a lid hingedly attached to said body;
- one or more sockets positioned in one of the body or the lid;
- and
- one or more connecting devices equal in number to the sockets, connecting the lid to the body, each connecting device comprising:
- a hinge portion;
- a first connector for connecting to the other of the body and the lid;
- and
- a second connector comprising a barb configured upon rotation to engage and anchor into one of the sockets;
- wherein each barb comprises teeth such that the barb may be inserted into a respective socket, and rotating the barb causes the teeth to engage the walls of the socket, trapping material behind the barb, and causing the barb to become anchored in the socket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.