Systems and methods for covering access ports
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorsBradley D. Chamberlin, Steve Burton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An access port cover system, including a housing for an item, the housing defining interior and exterior regions and including an access port through which access to the item from the exterior region is provided, a cover inhibiting access through the access port from the exterior region to the interior region, and a fastener connectable to the housing and the cover. The fastener has an actuation portion for disconnecting the housing and the cover to permit access through the access port from the exterior region to the interior region, the actuation portion being inaccessible from the exterior region when the fastener is connected to the housing and the cover.
Claims23
An access port cover system, comprising:
- a housing defining an interior region inside of the housing and an exterior region outside of the housing;
- an access port disposed on an exterior wall of the housing through which access to an item in the interior region from the exterior region is provided;
- a cover inhibiting access through the access port from the exterior region to the interior region;
- and
- a fastener connectable to the exterior wall of the housing and the cover, the fastener having an actuation portion for disconnecting the housing and the cover to permit access through the access port from the exterior region to the interior region, the actuation portion disposed in the interior region and being inaccessible from the exterior region when the fastener is connected to the exterior wall of the housing and the cover.
A system, comprising:
- a housing for an item having operational and nonoperational states, the housing including an access port disposed on an exterior wall of the housing through which the item may be accessed from the exterior of the housing;
- a cover connectable to the housing;
- a fastener configured and sized to connect the cover to the housing in a position that inhibits access to the item from the exterior of the housing through the access port, the fastener including an actuation portion for connecting and disconnecting the cover and the housing, the actuation portion being inaccessible from the exterior wall of the housing to disconnect the cover and the housing from the exterior of the housing when the fastener, the cover and the housing are connected and the item is in an operational state.
A method for covering an access port, comprising the steps of:
- connecting a cover to an exterior wall of a housing for an item contained within the housing, in a location that inhibits access to the item through an access port in the housing from an exterior region of the housing by actuating an actuation portion of a fastener in contact with the exterior wall of the housing and the cover;
- and
- ceasing actuation of the fastener actuation portion when the actuation portion is in a location that is inaccessible from the exterior region of the housing when the item is operational.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.