A closure may provide controlled access to at least one opening in a lid. The closure may include an activator coupled to the lid, a cover coupled to the lid, and a connecting member coupled to the activator and the cover. The activator, cover and connecting member may form an over center latching m
A closure may provide controlled access to at least one opening in a lid. The closure may include an activator coupled to the lid, a cover coupled to the lid, and a connecting member coupled to the activator and the cover. The activator, cover and connecting member may form an over center latching mechanism. In addition, the activator may be connected to the lid about a first axis of rotation, the cover may be connected to the lid about a second axis of rotation, the connecting member may connected to the activator about a third axis of rotation, and the connecting member may be connected to the cover about a fourth axis of rotation. The distance between the first and second axes of rotation may be constant, and the distance between the third and fourth axes of rotation may change as the cover is moved.
대표청구항▼
1. An apparatus comprising: a lid;at least one opening in the lid; anda closure sized and configured to control access to the at least one opening in the lid, the closure comprising: an activator pivotally coupled to the lid;a cover pivotally coupled to the lid, the cover movable between an open pos
1. An apparatus comprising: a lid;at least one opening in the lid; anda closure sized and configured to control access to the at least one opening in the lid, the closure comprising: an activator pivotally coupled to the lid;a cover pivotally coupled to the lid, the cover movable between an open position and a closed position; anda connecting member including a first portion coupled to the activator and a second portion coupled to the cover, the connecting member including a biasing portion that allows a length of the connecting member to vary, the activator movable between a first position that closes the cover and a second position that opens the cover, the movement of the activator between the first and second positions causing the length of the connecting member to vary;wherein the cover in the closed position is sized and configured to prevent flow through the one or more openings; andwherein the cover in the open position is sized and configured to allow flow through the one or more openings. 2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the activator, the cover and the connecting member comprise an over center latch mechanism. 3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the activator is pivotally connected to the lid about a first axis of rotation, the cover is pivotally connected to the lid about a second axis of rotation, the connecting member is pivotally connected to the activator about a third axis of rotation, and the connecting member is pivotally connected to the cover about a fourth axis of rotation; wherein the first axis of rotation is disposed in a first fixed position relative to the lid and the second axis of rotation is disposed in a second fixed position relative to the lid;wherein a distance between the third axis of rotation and the fourth axis of rotation changes as the cover is moved between the open and closed positions;wherein when a force applied to the activator is sufficient to compress the connecting member, the cover can be moved from the closed position to the open position. 4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the activator further comprises an outwardly extending handle. 5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the biasing portion of the connecting member provides a spring force, the biasing portion biasing the cover to remain in the closed position; wherein movement of the cover from the closed position to the open position requires sufficient force to be applied to the activator to overcome the spring force. 6. The apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the over center latch mechanism locks the cover in the closed position. 7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the activator is pivotally coupled to the lid in a first fixed position; wherein the cover is pivotally coupled to the lid in a second fixed position;wherein a distance between the coupling of the first portion of the connecting member to the activator and the coupling of the second portion of the connecting member to the cover increases and decreases as the activator moves between the first and second positions. 8. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the biasing portion biases the cover in the closed position when the activator is in the first position. 9. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a force must overcome a biasing force of the biasing portion to allow the activator to be moved from the first position to the second position and the cover to be moved from the closed position to the open position. 10. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the closure is an over center latching mechanism; wherein an amount of force applied to the activator must be sufficient to allow the activator to rotate past a center point of the over center latching mechanism to allow the activator to move from the first position to the second position and to dispose the cover in the open position; andwherein an amount of force applied to the activator must be sufficient to allow the activator to rotate past the center point of the over center latching mechanism to allow the activator to move from the second position to the first position and the biasing portion of the connecting member applies to a force to the cover and the activator to secure the cover in the closed position. 11. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the closure is an over center latching mechanism; wherein an amount of force applied to the activator must be sufficient to allow the activator to rotate past a center point of the over center latching mechanism to allow the activator to move from the first position to the second position and to dispose the cover in the open position; andwherein an amount of force applied to the activator must be sufficient to allow the activator to rotate past the center point of the over center latching mechanism to allow the activator to move from the second position to the first position. 12. An apparatus comprising: a lid;one or more openings in the lid; anda closure coupled to the lid, the closure movable between a first position and a second position, the closure comprising: an activator coupled to the lid about a first axis of rotation, the first axis of rotation disposed in a fixed location relative to the lid;a cover coupled to the lid about a second axis of rotation, the second axis of rotation disposed in a fixed location relative to the lid, a constant distance separating the first of rotation and the second axis of rotation, the cover movable between an open position and a closed position; anda connecting member connected to the activator and the cover, the activator, the cover and the connecting member forming an over center latching mechanism, a length of the connecting member changing as the cover moves between the open and closed positions;wherein the cover in the closed position prevents flow through at least one opening of the one or more openings in the lid; andwherein the cover in the open position allows flow through at least one opening of the one or more openings in the lid. 13. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the one or more openings in the lid consists of a single opening in the lid; wherein the cover prevents flow through the single opening in the lid in the closed position; andwherein the cover allows flow through the single opening in the lid in the open position. 14. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the one or more openings in the lid consists of two openings in the lid; wherein the cover prevents flow through at least one of the two openings in the lid in the closed position; andwherein the cover allows flow through the two openings in the lid in the open position. 15. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the one or more openings in the lid consists of two openings in the lid; and wherein the cover closes at least one of the openings in the closed position. 16. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the activator is pivotally coupled to the lid, the cover is pivotally coupled to the lid, the connecting member is pivotally connected to the activator about a third axis of rotation, and the connecting member is pivotally connected to the cover about a fourth axis of rotation; wherein the first axis of rotation is disposed in a first fixed position relative to the lid and the second axis of rotation is disposed in a second fixed position relative to the lid;wherein the third axis of rotation and the fourth axis of rotation moves relative to the lid when the cover is moved between the open and closed positions; andwherein a distance between the third axis of rotation and the fourth axis of rotation changes as the cover is moved between the open and closed positions. 17. The apparatus as in claim 12, further comprising a biasing mechanism that allows a length of the connecting member to change as the activator moves between the first and second positions, the biasing mechanism biasing the cover to remain in the closed position. 18. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein an amount of force applied to the activator must be sufficient to allow the activator to rotate past a center point of the over center latching mechanism to allow the activator to move from a first position to a second position and to dispose the cover in the open position; and wherein an amount of force applied to the activator must be sufficient to allow the activator to rotate past the center point of the over center latching mechanism to allow the activator to move from the second position to the first position and to secure the cover in the closed position. 19. An over center latching mechanism sized and configured to control access to a fluid disposed within a container, the over center latching mechanism comprising: a lid;at least one opening in the lid; anda closure coupled to the lid, the closure comprising: an activator pivotally connected to the lid about a first axis of rotation;a cover pivotally connected to the lid about a second axis of rotation, the cover movable between an open position and a closed position; anda connecting member including a first end pivotally connected to the activator about a third axis of rotation and a second end pivotally connected to the cover about a fourth axis of rotation, the connecting member providing a force that must be overcome to move the cover between the open and closed positions;wherein the first axis of rotation is disposed in a first fixed position relative to the lid and the second axis of rotation is disposed in a second fixed position relative to the lid;wherein a constant distance separates the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation;wherein the third axis of rotation and the fourth axis of rotation move relative to the lid as the cover is moved between the open and closed positions; andwherein a distance between the third axis of rotation and the fourth axis of rotation changes as the cover is moved between the open and closed positions. 20. The over center latching mechanism as in claim 19, wherein an amount of force applied to the activator must be sufficient to allow the activator to rotate past a center point to allow the activator to move from a first position to a second position and to dispose the cover in the open position; and wherein an amount of force applied to the activator must be sufficient to allow the activator to rotate past the center point to allow the activator to move from the second position to the first position and to dispose the cover in the closed position. 21. The over center latching mechanism as in claim 19, wherein the connecting member is a biasing mechanism that biases the cover in the closed position when the activator is in a first position; wherein a force applied to the activator must overcome a biasing force of the biasing mechanism to allow the activator to be moved between a first position and a second position;wherein movement of the activator from the first position to the second position moves the cover from the closed position to the open position;wherein movement of the activator from the second position to the first position moves the cover from the open position to the closed position; andwherein the biasing mechanism biases the cover to remain in the closed position when the activator is in the first position.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (10)
Newman, Duncan, Adjustable closure for a container.
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