초록 ▼

A device for covering a water faucet handle, and thereby denying access to the handle by small children and others lacking the mental discernment to appreciate and consider the consequences of their actions. The device comprises a generally L-shaped mounting member that is placed over the faucet han

A device for covering a water faucet handle, and thereby denying access to the handle by small children and others lacking the mental discernment to appreciate and consider the consequences of their actions. The device comprises a generally L-shaped mounting member that is placed over the faucet handle and attached to a structural wall, and a generally rectangular, box-shaped cover that is hingedly connected to the mounting member. The device is held in its closed and locked position by a pair of spring fingers, defined by two parallel notches in the lateral sidewalls of the cover, wherein the catch member, which is located on the terminal end of each spring finger, is engaged with a catch slot in the spring finger catch that is located on the mounting member. The device is opened by simultaneously applying a lateral force to both spring fingers and rotating the cover downward.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A device for denying access to a water faucet handle comprising;a generally L-shaped mounting member having an upper portion and a lower portion and two side edges; said mounting member further having a pair of side walls extending outwardly from said lower portion; said mounting member having a

1. A device for denying access to a water faucet handle comprising;a generally L-shaped mounting member having an upper portion and a lower portion and two side edges; said mounting member further having a pair of side walls extending outwardly from said lower portion; said mounting member having a faucet handle insertion hole communicating therethrough for insertion of a faucet handle; said mounting member adaptable for mounting on a structural wall; said mounting member having a spring finger catch on each of said side edges; a generally rectangular, cover having, a cover plate a top plate, two lateral sidewalls, and a flange; said top plate, said lateral sidewalls, and said flange extending inwardly from said cover plate thereby forming a box-shape; said cover being hingedly connected to said mounting member; said cover having a spring finger on each of said lateral sidewalls; whereby, when said mounting member is placed over a faucet handle and secured to a structural wall, and said cover is rotated upward such that said spring fingers are inserted into said spring finger catches, said faucet handle cannot be manipulated until lateral force is simultaneously applied to both of said spring fingers causing said spring fingers to deform inwardly thereby disengaging said catch members from said catch slots; and said cover is rotated downward. 2. The device of claim 1 wherein: each of said spring fingers are defined by two parallel notches extending from the edges of said lateral sidewalls, that are opposite said cover plate, towards said cover plate.3. The device of claim 1 wherein: each of said spring finger catches has a catch slot communicating into said spring finger catch from said side edge, each of said spring fingers has a catch member extending laterally from the terminal end of said spring finger; and whereby when said spring finger is inserted into said spring finger catch, said catch member is engaged in said catch slot.4. The device of claim 1 wherein said faucet handle insertion hole is capable accommodating a faucet handle selected from a group of faucet handles having a plurality of shapes and dimensions.5. The device of claim 1 wherein said cover is constructed from a material having an elastic memory sufficient to bias said spring fingers to their original position after said lateral force has been removed.6. The device of claim 1 wherein said cover is constructed from a material sufficiently resistant to deformation that a small child cannot generate a force on said spring fingers sufficient to simultaneously disengage both of said catch members from said catch slots with his or her hands.7. The device of claim 1 wherein said cover is sufficiently wide that a small child cannot manipulate both of said spring fingers with one hand.8. The device of claim 1 wherein said mounting member further includes a layer of adhesive material for attaching said mounting member to a structural wall.9. The device of claim 1 wherein said mounting member further includes a plurality of mounting holes communicating through said mounting member for attaching said mounting member to a structural wall by using fastening devices inserted through said mounting holes.10. A device for denying access to water faucet handles comprising:a mounting member having a bottom edge, a top edge, two side edges, a front surface and a back surface; said mounting member having a faucet handle insertion hole communicating from said back surface to said front surface, a layer of adhesive material on said back surface and a plurality of mounting holes communicating from said front surface to said back surface; said mounting member further having a bottom plate extending outwardly from said front surface along said bottom edge, and two sidewalls each extending outwardly from said front surface along said side edges at a point that is near said bottom edge; each of said sidewalls having a cylindrical shaped nub protruding from said the surface of said sidewalls that is opposite the front surface of said mounting member; said mounting member having a spring finger catch along each of said side edges near said top edge; each of said spring finger catches having a catch slot communicating into said spring finger catch from said side edge; a cover having a cover plate with an upper edge, a lower edge, two lateral side edges, an interior surface and an exterior surface, said cover further having a top plate extending inwardly from said interior surface along said upper edge, two lateral sidewalls extending inwardly from said interior surface along said lateral edges, and a flange extending inwardly from said interior surface near said bottom edge; each of said lateral sidewalls having a round hole communicating therethrough for hinged engagement with said nubs; each of said lateral sidewalls further having a spring finger defined by two parallel notches extending from the edges of said lateral sidewalls, that are opposite said cover plate, towards said cover plate; each of said spring fingers having a catch member extending laterally from the terminal end of said spring finger; whereby, when said mounting member is placed over a faucet handle, such that said faucet handle is inserted into said faucet handle insertion hole, said mounting member is secured to a structural wall, said cover is hingedly engaged to said mounting member, and rotated upward such that said spring fingers are inserted into said spring finger catches and said catch members are engaged in said catch slots, said faucet handle cannot be manipulated until lateral force is simultaneously applied to both of said spring fingers causing said spring fingers to deform inwardly thereby disengaging said catch members from said catch slots; and said cover is rotated downward. 11. The device of claim 10 wherein said faucet handle insertion hole is capable accommodating a faucet handle selected from a group of faucet handles having a plurality of shapes and dimensions.12. The device of claim 10 wherein said cover is constructed from a material having an elastic memory sufficient to bias said spring fingers to their original position after said lateral force has been removed.13. The device of claim 10 wherein said cover is constructed from a material sufficiently resistant to deformation that a small child cannot generate a force on said spring fingers sufficient to simultaneously disengage both of said catch members from said catch slots with his or her hands.14. The device of claim 10 wherein said cover is sufficiently wide that a small child cannot manipulate both of said spring fingers with one hand.15. A device for denying access to water faucet handles comprising:a mounting member having a bottom edge, a top edge, two side edges, a front surface and a back surface; said mounting member having a faucet handle insertion hole communicating from said back surface to said front surface, a layer of adhesive material on said back surface and a plurality of mounting holes communicating from said front surface to said back surface; said faucet handle insertion hole being capable of accommodating a faucet handle selected from a group of faucet handles having a plurality of shapes and dimensions; said mounting member further having a bottom plate extending outwardly from said front surface along said bottom edge, and two sidewalls each extending outwardly from said front surface along said side edges at a point that is near said bottom edge; each of said sidewalls having a cylindrical shaped nub protruding from said the surface of said sidewalls that is opposite the front surface of said mounting member; said mounting member having a spring finger catch along each of said side edges near said top edge; each of said spring finger catches having a catch slot communicating into said spring finger catch from said side edge; a cover having a cover plate with an upper edge, a lower edge, two lateral side edges, an interior surface and an exterior surface, said cover further having a top plate extending inwardly from said interior surface along said upper edge, two lateral sidewalls extending inwardly from said interior surface along said lateral edges, and a flange extending inwardly from said interior surface near said bottom edge; each of said lateral sidewalls having a round hole communicating therethrough for hinged engagement with said nubs; each of said lateral sidewalls further having a spring finger defined by two parallel notches extending from the edges of said lateral sidewalls, that are opposite said cover plate, towards said cover plate; each of said spring fingers having a catch member extending laterally from the terminal end of said spring finger; said cover being constructed from a material having an elastic memory sufficient to bias said spring fingers to their original position after said lateral force has been removed and sufficiently resistant to deformation that a small child cannot generate a force on said spring fingers sufficient to simultaneously disengage both of said catch members from said catch slots with his or her hands; said cover being sufficiently wide that a small child cannot manipulate both of said spring fingers with one hand; whereby, when said mounting member is placed over a faucet handle, such that said faucet handle is inserted into said faucet handle insertion hole, said mounting member is secured to a structural wall, said cover is hingedly engaged to said mounting member, and rotated upward such that said spring fingers are inserted into said spring finger catches and said catch members are engaged in said catch slots, said faucet handle cannot be manipulated until lateral force is simultaneously applied to both of said spring fingers causing said spring fingers to deform inwardly thereby disengaging said catch members from said catch slots; and said cover is rotated downward.