초록 ▼

A cover retention mechanism for releasably locking a cover to a base such as a gage housing. The cover retention mechanism includes a base lock having a receiver and a receptacle, and a cover lock having a latch attached to an end of a flexible arm. The latch is selectively movable between a retract

A cover retention mechanism for releasably locking a cover to a base such as a gage housing. The cover retention mechanism includes a base lock having a receiver and a receptacle, and a cover lock having a latch attached to an end of a flexible arm. The latch is selectively movable between a retracted position wherein the latch engages the receptacle to prevent rotational movement of the cover with respect to the housing from the closed position toward an open position, and an extended position wherein the latch is removed from the receptacle and the cover is rotatable with respect to the housing from the closed position toward the open position.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cover retention mechanism for selectively locking a cover to a base having a central axis, said cover retention mechanism comprising: a base lock having a receptacle coupled to the base and a receiver, said receptacle including a stop member, said receiver forming a chamber, anda cover lock cou

1. A cover retention mechanism for selectively locking a cover to a base having a central axis, said cover retention mechanism comprising: a base lock having a receptacle coupled to the base and a receiver, said receptacle including a stop member, said receiver forming a chamber, anda cover lock coupled to the cover and having a resiliently flexible locking member, said locking member having a first end and a second end, said first end of said locking member being manually movable with respect to said second end of said locking member, said first end of said locking member including a latch adapted to be located in said receptacle of said base lock when said cover is coupled to said base and said cover is located in a closed position with respect to said base, said cover being not removable from said base by movement of said cover with respect to said base along said central axis when said cover is in the closed position, said cover being selectively movable from the closed position to an open position wherein said cover can be removed from said base by movement of said cover with respect to said base along said central axis by rotating said cover with respect to said base about said central axis, said latch of said cover lock adapted to be located within said chamber of said receiver when said cover is in said open position;whereby when said latch of said locking member is located in said receptacle said latch is adapted to engage said stop member of said base lock to prevent rotation of said cover with respect to said base about said central axis from the closed position to the open position, and whereby said latch can be manually removed from said receptacle of said base lock whereupon said cover can be rotated with respect to said base about said central axis from the closed position to the open position. 2. The cover retention mechanism of claim 1 wherein said receiver of said base lock includes an inclined ramp extending from a radially inwardly located first end to a radially outwardly located second end, said latch of said cover lock adapted to engage said ramp and to slide along said ramp toward said second end of said ramp when said cover is rotated about said central axis from said open position toward said closed position. 3. The cover retention mechanism of claim 2 wherein said stop member of said receptacle includes a distal tip located adjacent said second end of said ramp of said receiver. 4. The cover retention mechanism of claim 2 wherein said inclined ramp includes an outwardly located bottom end and an inwardly located top end. 5. The cover retention mechanism of claim 2 wherein said receiver includes an inner wall and a side wall, said inner wall extending between said first end of said ramp and said side wall, said inner wall including a radially outwardly located bottom end and a radially inwardly located top end, said side wall including a distal end located adjacent an outer edge of the base. 6. The cover retention mechanism of claim 1 wherein said receptacle includes a bottom wall and a side wall, said bottom wall extending between said stop member and said side wall, said side wall extending between said bottom wall and an outer surface of the base. 7. The cover retention mechanism of claim 1 wherein said receptacle includes an opening formed in an inner edge of said base and an opening formed in an outer edge of said base. 8. The cover retention mechanism of claim 1 wherein said latch of said locking member includes an inclined surface adapted to engage said receiver as said cover is rotated about said central axis with respect to said base toward said closed position, said first end of said locking member being moved radially outwardly away from said central axis as said inclined surface of said latch slides along said receiver as said cover is rotated with respect to said housing. 9. The cover retention mechanism of claim 1 wherein said latch of said locking member includes an engagement surface adapted to engage said stop member of said receptacle when said latch is located in said receptacle and thereby prevent rotation of said cover about said central axis with respect to said base from the closed position to the open position. 10. The cover retention mechanism of claim 1 wherein said locking member includes an elongate arm. 11. The cover retention mechanism of claim 1 wherein said first end of said locking member includes a cavity and a tip, said cavity and said tip adapted to facilitate manual movement of said first end of said locking member from a retracted position to an extended position, said latch being removed from said receptacle when said first end of said locking member is in said extended position. 12. The cover retention mechanism of claim 1 wherein said base comprises a housing having an end wall and a side wall, and a rim attached to said side wall. 13. A cover retention mechanism for selectively locking a cover to a base having a central axis, said cover retention mechanism comprising: a base lock having a receptacle coupled to the base and a receiver, said receptacle including a stop member, anda cover lock coupled to the cover and including a resiliently flexible biasing member having a first end and a second end and a latch coupled to said first end of said biasing member, said first end of said biasing member being manually movable with respect to said second end of said biasing member such that said latch is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, said biasing member biasing said latch toward said retracted position, said latch adapted to be located in said receptacle of said base lock when said cover is coupled to said base and said latch is in said retracted position;whereby when said latch of said cover lock is located in said receptacle said latch is adapted to engage said base lock to prevent rotation of said cover with respect to said base about said central axis from a closed position toward an open position and thereby prevent removal of said cover from said base, and whereby said latch can be manually removed from said receptacle of said base lock whereupon said cover can be rotated with respect to said base about said central axis from the closed position toward the open position, said latch adapted to be located in said receiver when said cover is located in said open position. 14. The cover retention mechanism of claim 13 wherein said biasing member comprises an elongate arm member. 15. The cover retention mechanism of claim 14 wherein said cover includes a side wall, said arm attached to said side wall. 16. The cover retention mechanism of claim 13 wherein said receptacle of said base lock includes a stop member, said latch of said cover lock adapted to engage said stop member when said latch is located in said receptacle to prevent rotation of said cover with respect to said base about said central axis from a closed position to an open position. 17. A cover retention mechanism for selectively locking a cover to a base, said cover retention mechanism comprising: a base lock including a receptacle and a receiver, said receiver forming a chamber, anda cover lock including a resiliently flexible locking member having a first end and a second end, said locking member including a latch at said first end of said locking member, said latch being movable between a retracted position and an extended position, said latch adapted to be located in said receptacle of said base lock when the cover is coupled to the base in a closed position to prevent rotation of the cover with respect to the base from the closed position to an open position, the cover being rotatable with respect to the base when said latch is in the extended position from the closed position to the open position, said latch adapted to be located within said chamber of said receiver of said base lock when the cover is in the open position such that the cover can be removed from the base. 18. The cover retention mechanism of claim 17 wherein said receptacle of said base lock includes a stop member, and said latch of said cover lock includes an engagement surface adapted to engage said stop member when said latch is located in said receptacle, said receiver including an inclined ramp, said latch adapted to engage said ramp when said latch is located in said receiver and the cover is rotated with respect to the base from the open position toward the closed position. 19. A cover retention mechanism for selectively locking a cover to a base having a central axis and a rim having an outer surface, said cover retention mechanism comprising: a base lock having a receptacle coupled to the base and a receiver, said receptacle including a stop member, said receiver including a chamber having an opening in the outer surface of the rim of the base, anda cover lock coupled to the cover and having a resiliently flexible locking member, said locking member having a first end and a second end, said first end of said locking member being manually movable with respect to said second end of said locking member, said first end of said locking member including a latch adapted to be located in said receptacle of said base lock when said cover is coupled to said base and said cover is located in a closed position with respect to said base, said cover being not removable from said base by movement of said cover with respect to said base along said central axis when said cover is in the closed position, said cover being selectively movable from the closed position to an open position wherein said cover can be removed from said base by movement of said cover with respect to said base along said central axis by rotating said cover with respect to said base about said central axis, said receiver adapted to receive said latch of said cover lock when said cover is in said open position, said latch of said cover lock adapted to pass through the opening in the outer surface of the rim when said cover is removed from said base by moving said cover with respect to said base along said central axis;whereby when said latch of said locking member is located in said receptacle said latch is adapted to engage said stop member of said base lock to prevent rotation of said cover with respect to said base about said central axis from the closed position to the open position, and whereby said latch can be manually removed from said receptacle of said base lock whereupon said cover can be rotated with respect to said base about said central axis from the closed position to the open position.