Locking finial and receptacle incorporating the same
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
A01K-039/01
A01K-039/00
출원번호
US-0908947
(2005-06-01)
등록번호
US-7370607
(2008-05-13)
발명자
/ 주소
O'Dell,Furman
출원인 / 주소
Woodstream Corporation
대리인 / 주소
Jacobson Holman PLLC
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
25인용 특허 :
3
초록▼
A receptacle that is adapted to be suspended from a support member includes a housing and a lid to enclose the interior thereof. A flexible cable is secured to the housing and extends though a passageway in a mounting member on the lid so that the lid can move between an open and a closed position.
A receptacle that is adapted to be suspended from a support member includes a housing and a lid to enclose the interior thereof. A flexible cable is secured to the housing and extends though a passageway in a mounting member on the lid so that the lid can move between an open and a closed position. A latch mechanism is associated with the mounting member and can release to allow the lid to slide on the cable and can latch to resist sliding movement of the lid thereby to open the housing for access and close it for use.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A receptacle adapted to be suspended from a support member for the care and maintenance of living things, comprising: (A) a housing having an interior with an access opening therein; (B) a lid adapted to be moved from an open position permitting access to the interior through
What is claimed is: 1. A receptacle adapted to be suspended from a support member for the care and maintenance of living things, comprising: (A) a housing having an interior with an access opening therein; (B) a lid adapted to be moved from an open position permitting access to the interior through the access opening and a closed position enclosing the interior such that said housing and said lid together form an assembled unit; (C) a mounting member disposed on said lid and including a shaft, an enlarged head portion with said shaft extending outwardly therefrom, and a passageway extending axially through said shaft and through said head portion, said head portion having a bore formed partially therethrough that intersects the passageway; (D) a flexible cable secured at a first end portion to said housing and having an opposite second end portion adapted to secure to the support member, said cable extending through the passageway in said mounting member; and (E) a latch mechanism associated with said mounting member and movable between a release position wherein said cable may slide in the passageway and a latch position wherein sliding movement of said cable in the passageway is resisted, whereby, (1) when said lid is in the closed position and said latch mechanism is in the latch position, said lid is retained in the closed position, and (2) when said latch mechanism is in the release position, said lid can be moved between the closed position and the open position; and said latch mechanism including a plunger slideably received in the bore and a spring element that biases said plunger outwardly from the bore with a restorative force so that said plunger can move between a retracted position and an extended position, said plunger having a port therethrough that registers with the passageway when in the retracted position such that in said release position said cable is received through said port for sliding movement in the passageway, said plunger operative to bind against said cable when in the extended position such that in said latch position sliding movement of said cable in the passageway is resisted. 2. The receptacle according to claim 1 wherein said housing includes a bottom panel and a surrounding side wall extending upwardly from said bottom panel, said access opening being located opposite said bottom panel. 3. The receptacle according to claim 2 wherein said side wall terminates in an upper rim defining said access opening. 4. The receptacle according to claim 2 wherein said assembled unit is a bird feeder, said side wall having dispensing openings formed therein whereby food may be dispensed therethrough. 5. The receptacle according to claim 2 wherein the first end portion of said cable is affixed to said bottom panel. 6. The receptacle according to claim 2 wherein said lid has a margin that extends outwardly of said side wall. 7. The receptacle according to claim 6 wherein said lid is dome-shaped in configuration. 8. The receptacle according to claim 1 wherein said shaft is threaded and wherein said lid has a lid opening sized and adapted to receive said shaft therethrough, and including a threaded fastener adapted to threadably engage said shaft to retain said mounting member on said lid. 9. The receptacle according to claim 1 wherein said mounting member is configured as a finial for said lid. 10. The receptacle according to claim 1 wherein said assembled unit is selected from a group consisting of bird houses, bird feeders, butterfly feeders, and bird baths. 11. A method of opening and closing a receptacle for the care and maintenance of living things, the receptacle being configured to be suspended from a support member and including a housing having an interior and an access opening and a lid movable between an open position permitting access to the interior through the access opening and a closed position enclosing the interior such that said housing and said lid together form an assembled unit, comprising: (A) connecting one end portion of a cable to said housing wherein said cable has a second end portion adapted to secure to the support member; (B) extending said cable through said lid; (C) providing a mounting member disposed on said lid and including a passageway extending axially therethrough, said mounting member also having a bore formed partially therethrough that intersects the passageway; (D) providing a latch mechanism associated with said cable and located exteriorly of said housing, said latch mechanism being movable between a release state in which said lid may slide along said cable and a latch state in which sliding movement of said lid relative to said cable is resisted, said latch mechanism including a plunger slideably received in said mounting member bore and biased toward the latch state with a restorative force so that said plunger is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position, said plunger having a port therethrough that registers with the passageway when in the retracted position so that in the release state the cable is received through said port for sliding movement in the passageway; (E) advancing said latch mechanism to the release state by adjusting the plunger to register said port with said passageway to enable the cable to slide in the passageway and so as to move said lid between the open and closed positions; and (F) advancing said latch mechanism to the latch state by allowing said latch mechanism to return to the latch state under influence of said restorative force such that said plunger binds against the cable to resist sliding movement thereof in the passageway. 12. A receptacle adapted to be suspended from a support member for the care and maintenance of living things, comprising: (A) a housing having an interior with an access opening therein; (B) a lid adapted to be moved from an open position permitting access to the interior through the access opening and a closed position enclosing the interior such that said housing and said lid together form an assembled unit; (C) a mounting structure associated with said lid having a passageway extending axially therethrough, said mounting structure having a bore formed partially therethrough that intersects said passageway; (D) a flexible cable secured at a first end portion to said housing and having an opposite second end portion adapted to secure to the support member, said cable extending through the passageway in said mounting structure; and (E) a latch mechanism including a plunger slideably received in the bore and biased outwardly from the bore with a restorative force so that said plunger can move between a retracted position and an extended position said plunger having a port therethrough that receives said cable, said port registering with said passageway when said plunger is in the retracted position so as to allow sliding movement of said cable in the passageway, so that the lid can be moved between the closed and open positions, said plunger operative to bind against said cable when said plunger is in the extended position such that sliding movement of said cable in the passageway is resisted and the lid is retained as positioned, at or between one of the open and closed positions. 13. The receptacle according to claim 12 wherein said assembled unit is a bird feeder. 14. The receptacle according to claim 12 wherein said assembled unit is selected from a group consisting of bird houses, bird feeders, butterfly feeders, and bird baths. 15. The receptacle according to claim 12 wherein said mounting structure is configured as a finial for said lid. 16. The receptacle according to claim 12 wherein said assembled unit is selected from a group consisting of bird houses, bird feeders, butterfly feeders, and bird baths. 17. The receptacle according to claim 15 wherein said finial includes a threaded shaft and said lid has a lid opening sized and adapted to receive said shaft therethrough, and including a threaded fastener adapted to threadably engage said shaft to retain said finial on said lid. 18. The receptacle according to claim 12 wherein said bore is transverse to said passageway and said plunger is biased outwardly by a spring element fitted within said transverse bore. 19. The receptacle according to claim 12 wherein said bore is transverse to said passageway.
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