The present invention is concerned with latching cans and securing loads. An embodiment of the invention latches a garbage can lid securely on the can to prevent intrusion by wildlife.
Animals and other wildlife have been the bane of garbage cans maintained out of doors. Many apparatuses and methods have been employed to prevent animals from gaining access to garbage cans and moving garbage outside the can where it can be difficult and unpleasant to move the garbage back into the can.
Thus, there is a need for a garbage can latch and method of use that is both simple to use and effective against undesired entry.
Certain embodiments of the present latch can furthermore be used to retain things other than a garbage can in a closed position. For example, other lids may be secured using the present latch, including cooler lids latched to coolers, equipment and tools may be retained on a trailer or in a truck bed using the present latch, and other things that are amenable to tying-down may be secured or retained using the present latch.
Thus there is also a need for a latch that can be simply used for tying down or clamping needs.
Embodiments of the present latch are directed to systems, methods and apparatuses for latching, tying down, securing, or otherwise retaining one or more objects.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present latch, the latch includes an anchor and a strap. The anchor is for attachment to an object and includes a slot formed therein. The strap has a loop on a first end, a hand grip on a second end, and an insert between the first end and the second end, the insert having a width such that the insert fits into the slot of the anchor.
In accordance with another embodiment of the latch, the latch has an anchor and a strap, the anchor having an insert void for holding an insert on a strap between a first surface and a second surface attached to the first surface. The insert void is open to a slot formed in the second surface from an insert opening on a first side of the anchor to a strap opening on a third side of the anchor opposite the first side. The insert opening at the first side is larger than the insert for placement of the insert into the insert void, and the strap opening at the third side is larger than the strap and smaller than the insert to retain the insert in the insert void of the anchor while the strap passes through the strap opening. The slot is wider than the strap. The strap has a width smaller than the strap opening in the anchor, a length, first and second ends along the length, a connecting apparatus on the first end, a hand grip on a second end, and an insert between the first end and the second end. The insert has a cross section smaller than the insert opening of the anchor, larger than the strap opening in the anchor, and larger than the slot of the anchor, such that the insert can enter the anchor through the insert opening, cannot exit the anchor through the strap opening, and cannot exit the anchor through the slot.
In another embodiment, a latch includes and anchor and a strap, the anchor having a cavity for insertion of a strap and insert therein. The cavity is open through the anchor on a first side and an opposing second side. The anchor has a slot formed therein that extends into the cavity from the first side to the second side and has a width, the first side opening being larger than an insert and the second side opening being smaller than the insert. The slot is wider than a strap to which the insert is attached. The strap has a width smaller than the slot in the anchor, a length, a loop on a first end along the length of the strap, a hand grip on a second end along the length of the strap, and an insert between the first end of the strap and the second end of the strap. The insert is smaller than the cavity of the anchor, has a width smaller than the width of the opening through the anchor on the first side and a depth smaller than the depth of the opening through the anchor on the first side and at least one of a width larger than the width of the opening through the anchor on the second side and a depth larger than the depth of the opening through the anchor on the second side, such that the insert can enter the anchor through the opening through the anchor on the first side and cannot exit the anchor through the opening through the anchor on the second side.
In an embodiment, a method of using the latch includes wrapping a strap having a length and a width around an object and inserting a first end having a hand grip and an insert formed on the strap having a width greater than the strap through an eye at a second side of the strap, pulling the strap by the hand grip so that the strap stretches until the strap passes over and the insert is beyond an anchor and aligned with a slot in the anchor, and inserting the insert into the anchor.
Accordingly, the present invention provides solutions to the shortcomings of prior latching systems, apparatuses, and methods. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate, therefore, that those and other details, features, and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, include one or more embodiments of the invention, and together with a general description given above and a detailed description given below, serve to disclose principles of embodiments of the present latch and methods of using the present latch.
Reference will now be made to embodiments of latch apparatuses, systems, and methods, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Details, features, and advantages of the latch and its use will become further apparent in the following detailed description of embodiments thereof. It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions included herein illustrate and describe elements that are of particular relevance to latch apparatuses, systems, and methods, while eliminating, for purposes of clarity, other elements such as the variety of items that can be retained or clamped using the latch.
Latch systems and apparatuses, and methods for latching are described herein. Any reference in the specification to “one embodiment,” “a certain embodiment,” or any other reference to an embodiment is intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment and may be utilized in other embodiments as well. Moreover, the appearances of such terms in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. References to “or” are furthermore intended as inclusive so “or” may indicate one or another of the ored terms or more than one ored term.
In the embodiment shown in
The back plate 11 illustrated in the embodiment shown in
The strap 1 is elongated and made of a material that is stretchable, such as a form of rubber or rubberized composite. In one embodiment, the strap 1 is made entirely or partially of EPDM rubber. The strap 1 includes a connecting apparatus 51, which in this embodiment is a loop 52 at a first end 56 and a hand grip 54 at a second end 58 of a body 4. The strap 1 also includes an insert 5 along the body between the first end 56 and the second end 58, but nearer the second end 58 than the first end 56 in the embodiment illustrated in
In the embodiment shown in
In operation, the strap 1 may be affixed to the garbage can 30, such as by affixing the strap 1 to the garbage can 30 handle 32 as shown in
When the strap 1 is moved toward the garbage can 30 with the strap 1 stretched and the insert 50 passing across and beyond the anchor 2, the strap 1 may move into the slot 26 through the strap opening 10. The strap opening 10 may be about the same width or wider than the strap 1 so that the strap 1 may be inserted through the strap opening 10.
The anchor 2 can be attached to a surface, such as the front wall 34 of the garbage can 30 illustrated in
In yet another embodiment, the anchor is formed, by molding or casting, for example, on the surface to which the anchor 2 is desired to be attached. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in
In an embodiment, the strap 1 may be designed to be affixed to the handle 32 of the garbage can 30 and to the anchor 2 on the other end to accomplish the goal of keeping the garbage can lid 36 in a closed position. The strap 1 may be fabricated out of any desired material capable of being flexible and expanded or stretched and producing contracting tension force when stretched or expanded. One end 56 of the strap 1 may consist of a connecting apparatus 51, which in this embodiment is an eyelet 52 having an enclosed area capable of allowing the entirety of the remainder of the strap 1 to pass through the eyelet 52. From the eyelet along the length of the strap 1, the strap 1 includes a section 4 of any desired length that spans the distance between the eyelet 52 and the first insert 5. The insert 5 may have more girth than the section 4 that spans the distance between the eyelet 52 and the first insert 5. The insert 5 may be of any desirable shape, size, type, or configuration and may have flat surfaces or shaped surfaces. Thus, the insert may have one flat surface, two flat surfaces, or no flat surfaces as best fits the insert void 40 in the anchor 2 in which the insert 5 is to be disposed and the application in which the insert 5 is used.
In an embodiment of a method of using the latch as it is illustrated in
It should be noted that such a process may be performed to hold any lid or object in place and the garbage can 30 is only used as an example.
Following the first insert 5 there may be any desired number of additional inserts 5 to allow for adjustable strap 1 lengths and various tensions to be applied to the strap 1 in order to accommodate garbage cans 30 and other applications of various shapes and sizes, as may be seen in
More than one insert 5 may be desirable on a strap 1, for example, to accommodate varying distances from the first end 56 of the strap 1 to the anchor 2. For example, in an embodiment, the strap 1 has a body that is 30 inches long from the loop 3 to the insert 5 closest to the loop 3. Each insert in that embodiment has a 4-inch diameter and the length of the body 4 between the inserts 5 is 5 inches. With such an arrangement, if the anchor 2 is located 30 inches to 39 inches from the location where the loop 3 is attached, a user can stretch the strap 1 until the insert 5 closest to the loop 3 is beyond the anchor 2, move the hand grip 7 of the strap 1 until the insert 5 closest to the loop 3 is aligned with the slot 26, and then release the stretching force on the strap 1 such that the insert 5 closest to the loop 3 rests in the slot 26. If the anchor 2 is located 39 inches to 48 inches from the location where the loop 3 is attached, a user can stretch the strap 1 until the center insert 5 is beyond the anchor 2, move the hand grip 7 of the strap 1 until the center insert 5 is aligned with the slot 26, and then release the stretching force on the strap 1 such that the center insert 5 rests in the slot 26. If the anchor 2 is located 48 inches or further from the location where the loop 3 is attached, a user can stretch the strap 1 until the insert 5 closest to the hand grip 7 is beyond the anchor 2, move the hand grip 7 of the strap 1 until the insert 5 closest to the hand grip 7 is aligned with the slot 26, and then release the stretching force on the strap 1 such that the insert 5 closest to the hand grip 7 rests in the slot 26.
In certain embodiments, the body 4 of the strap 1 is the primary stretchable portion of the strap 1. In such an embodiment, portions of the strap 1, such as the loop 3, one or more of the inserts 5, or the grip 7 may be partially or completely made of other materials than the body 4 and may not be stretchable or may be less stretchable than the body 4 of the strap 1. For example, the inserts 5 may be made of metal or plastic that is encompassed by the body 4 material. The hand grip 7 and loop 3 may also be made of metal or plastic and the strap 1 may be formed around that material to make those parts less pliable or give those parts a more rigid form. In another embodiment, the entire strap 1 is made of the same material.
Rounded or partially rounded inserts 5 may be desirable since the rounded corners can assist in guiding the insert 5 into the slot 26 when the insert 5 is not centered on the slot by sliding sideways if the insert 5 encounters a wall 22 or 24 when entering the slot 26. The inserts 5 may be formed in various shapes, including square, rectangular, triangular, round, or oval, and may have shape in all three dimensions, such as a pyramid shape, a top shape, a cylinder shape, a spherical shape, any of those shapes with one side made flat to lie against the surface to which the anchor 2 is attached or formed, or another desired shape that best meets the application in which the latch is used.
The washer 15 may have a hole 42 that has a diameter larger than the post 12 and smaller than the outer diameter of the cap 16 so that the cap 16 presses the washer 15 against the material to which the anchor 2 is to be secured, thereby retaining that material between the anchor 2 and the washer 15.
The anchor 2 may be designed to attach to a vertical side 34 of a garbage can 30 as is illustrated in
In one embodiment, the post 12 of the anchor 2 includes a cutting tip 13 formed to cut a hole in plastic or metal material, for example, thereby creating the hole through which the anchor 2 will extend when affixed. Thus, for example, if the anchor 2 is to be affixed to the front wall 34 of the garbage can 30 of
As may be seen in
Unfastening the latch may be seen by viewing
To install the strap retainer 19, a hole may be made in the garbage can lid 36 or other object to which the strap retainer 19 is to be attached. That hole, like the hole through which an embodiment of the anchor 2 has been described as being mounted, may be created as desired, for example, using a knife of a drill bit or using the cutting tip 66 of the strap retainer 19. The strap retainer 19 post 18 may then be placed through the hole and the cap 62 may be secured over the post 18 to maintain the strap retainer 19 in its desired position. Alternately, the strap retainer 19 may be formed with the lid 36 or on another apparatus to which the strap 1 is desired to be attached.
It should be recognized that other configurations of the strap retainer 19 are contemplated, including any apparatus that holds the strap 1 to the lid 36 or another desired object, whether temporarily or permanently.
As may be seen by reference to
While two lids 94 are illustrated in
The box 90 may be a tool box, dumpster, or any container having a lid 94 that is desired to be held in a closed position.
While the present invention has been disclosed with reference to certain embodiments, numerous modifications, alterations, and changes to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it have the full scope defined by the language of the following claims, and equivalents thereof.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20170081119 A1 | Mar 2017 | US |