Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02405670 2002-09-27
HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL MOUNTABLE
WEATHERPROOF COVER PLATE
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of the earlier patent application
by
Shotey et aI. entitled "Base for Electrical Outlet and Related Method," serial
number
09/456,089, filed December 6, 1999, and of the earlier patent application by
Shotey et aI.
entitled "Universal Cover Plate," serial number 09/657,352, filed September 7,
2000, the
disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to electrical outlets and, more particularly,
to a
weatherproof cover plate for an electrical outlet configured to be mountable
in both
I S horizontal and vertical orientations by providing a biased hinge and
weatherproofing
features
2. Background Art
Cover plates for electrical devices have been used extensively for many years.
The general construction, operation and usefulness of cover plates are well
known in the
art. Cover plates are generally categorized as either flat cover plates or
bubble cover
plates. Several examples of cover plates are shown and described in U.S.
Patents
5,763,831 to Shotey et al. (Jun. 9, 1998) and 5,527,993 to 5hotey et al., the
disclosures of
which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Varieties of each of these
two styles
CA 02405670 2002-09-27
of cover plates are known to be made weatherproof by manufacturers for use
outside or in
extreme conditions. Weatherproof cover plates, as they axe known in the art
and
approved by the Underwriters Laboratories ("UL"), are cover plates for
electrical devices
or outlets which self close when mounted and, when closed, resist water from
reaching
the electrical device or outlet protected by the cover plate sufficient to
meet and pass the
testing standards established by UL. Weatherproof cover plates are
conventionally
designed and sold for either horizontal or vertical mounting, and not for
both. This
requires cover plate installers and suppliers to maintain stock of both
horizontal and
vertical weatherproof cover plates.
Conventional bubble cover plates are designed so that the weight of the cover
plate lid closes the lid against the base of the cover plate. Accordingly,
bubble cover
plates are designed and installed so that the hinges for the lid are along the
upper edge of
the cover plate when mounted so that gravity pulls the lid shut in compliance
with the UL
standard. For additional weatherproofing protection, a portion of the lid of a
bubble
cover plate is conventionally sized and shaped to overlap a portion of the
base.
Conventional flat cover plates comprise a base for mounting to an outlet box,
a lid
hingedly mounted to the base, and a gasket associated with the lid so that
when the lid is
closed against the base, the gasket contacts the base to resist water flow to
the electrical
components under the lid. For f6lat cover plates, because the lids are
generally smaller
and of lighter weight than those of bubble cover plate lids which are closed
by gravity,
and because the thin profile of a flat cover plate is less conducive to a
latch, some form of
a spring or other biasing device is used to force the lid closed to press and
maintain the
gasket against the base. Without the spring, the lighter lids are subject to
being blown
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CA 02405670 2002-09-27
open by the wind or to remaining slightly open thereby exposing the electrical
outlet to
the weather. Again, however, because IIL requires that the lid keep water from
the
electrical outlet protected by the cover plate, flat cover plates are
conventionally designed
and approved to be installed either horizontally or vertically and not both.
Thus, there is a need for both a weatherproof flat cover plate and a
weatherproof
bubble cover plate in the art which is approved for and may be installed both
horizontally
and vertically.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to embodiments of weatherproof cover plates
which
are installable in both the horizontal and vertical orientations. For
embodiments of a
weatherproof flat cover plate, an apron is disclosed which extends from at
least two sides
of the flat cover plate base to reflect water thereon from the base. For
additional
protection against the weather, the apron may be angled with respect to the
base, a
continuous ridge may extend above the base, and the lid may include a gasket
and a
biased hinge so that the biased hinge presses the gasket against the
continuous ridge to
create a barrier against water passing over the ridge. A removable locking
clip which
secures itself to the base may be used to assist in securing the lid against
the base. For
embodiments of a weatherproof bubble cover plate, a biased hinge is used to
bias the lid
closed upon the base. Embodiments of the bubble cover plate also include one
or more
cord catches in the base and removable knockouts in the lid to accommodate a
cord
attached to an electrical device or outlet within the cover plate to extend to
outside the
cover plate.
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CA 02405670 2002-09-27
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will
be
apparent from the following more detailed description of the particular
embodiments of
the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
S BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TIIE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flat cover plate configured according to an
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an end view of the flat cover plate of FIG. 1 as seen along view
lines 2-2
of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view of the flat cover plate embodiment of FIG. 1 as seen with the
lid
open when viewed along lines 3-3 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 4 is a view of the inside of the base of the embodiment of FIG. 1 as seen
along view lines 4-4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a view of the base of the embodiment of FIG. 1 as seen along view
lines
5-5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a front view of a locking clip configured according to an embodiment
of
the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a cutaway side view of the clip of FIG. 6 as seen along view lines 7-
7 of
FIG.6;
FIG. 8 is side view of the clip of FIG. 6 shown coupled to a lid and base of a
flat
cover plate;
4
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FIG. 9 is a side view of a separated Iid and base of a bubble cover plate
configured
according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 10 is a top view of the base of FIG. 9 as seen along view lines 10-10 of
FIG.
9;
FIG. 11 is an end view of the base of FIG. 10 as seen along view lines 11-I 1
of
FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is an view of the lid of FIG. 9 as seen along view lines 12-I2 of FIG.
9;
FIG. I3 is an end view of the base of FIG. 9 as seen along view lines I3-I3 of
FIG, 12;
FIG. 14 is an end view of the base of FIG. 9 as seen along view lines 14-14 of
FIG. 12;
FIG. 15 is an end view of the base of FIG. 10 as seen along view lines 15-I S
of
FIG. 10;
FIG. 16 is an assembled side view of the cover plate of FIG. 9;
FIG. 17 is an end view of a base of a bubble cover plate with a flattened
comer
similar to the view of FIG. 15;
FIG. I 8 is a top view of a portion of the base of FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is an end view of a base of a bubble cover plate similar to the view
of
FIG. 15, the base using a T-shaped cord catch; and
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CA 02405670 2002-09-27
FIG, 20 is a perspective view of a flat weatherproof cover plate without an
apron.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to
weatherproof
cover plates which may be selectively mounted in both the horizontal and
vertical
orientations. Referring to FIGS. 1-5, illustrating an embodiment of a flat
weatherproof
covex plate 2, the flat cover plate 2 generally includes a lid 4 and a base 6.
The lid 4 is
hingedly coupled to the base 6 by a biased hinge 8 in this embodiment, though
a biased
hinge is not required in all embodiments. The biased hinge 8 continuously
biases the lid
4 into a closed position such as is shown in FIG. 1 using biasing elements 36
best shown
in FIGs. 3-5. The lid 4 includes a stop 10 for preventing the lid 4 from
opening beyond a
desired angle by coming in contact with a first side 12 of the base 6 when the
lid 4 is in an
open position. As will be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art, the
particular
configuration and structure of the biased hinge is not crucial to the
invention and any of
the many hinge configurations lrnown in the art combined with a biasing
device, such as a
coil spring, band spring, elastic member pulling the lid shut, and the like,
are sufficient to
practice the invention.
In the embodiment of the flat cover 2 shown in FIGS. 1-5, an apron extends
from
the base 6 along three sides 12, 14 and 16. The apron in this embodiment does
not
include any openings therein which would allow water to flow into the base.
The apron,
as shown in FIG. 2, may be configured to angle toward the Iid 4 slightly to
cause any
water on the apron to flow away from the base 6 when the cover plate 2 is
mounted to a
6
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box. By only slightly angling the apron toward the lid, water may flow from
the apron,
but the lid 4 can still close against the base 6 while being seated within the
apron. An
angle of between 1 and 15 degrees is sufficient. It is contemplated that in
embodiments
of the invention, the apron will be included along only two adjacent sides of
the base 6.
By including the additional weather protection pxovided by an apron on two
adjacent
sides, the cover plate 2 may still be installed in both a vertical and a
horizontal orientation
and have an apron along an upper edge of the installed cover plate.
As shown in FIG. 4, which illustrates the base 6 of the cover plate 2 as
viewed
along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, the base 6 of the illustrated embodiment of the
invention
includes aplurality ofmounting screw apertures 18, 20, 22 and 24 for
alternatively
mounting the cover plate 2 to a plurality of different configurations of
electrical boxes for
applying the cover plate 2 to a wider variety of electrical outlets and
devices. Knock-out
elements 26 in the base may be selectively removed in the present embodiment
shown in
FIG. 4 to adaptively receive a duplex outlet, a ground fault circuit interrupt
(GFCI) outlet,
a plurality of round outlet sizes, and a single pole double throw switch. The
manipulation
and function of the knock-out elements 26 is more fully shown and described in
the
previous patent application serial number 09/657,352 entitled "Universal Cover
Plate",
the disclosure of which was previously incorporated herein by reference. By
coupling the
versatility of applying this cover plate to a wide variety of outlets with the
ability to
mount this outlet in both the vertical and horizontal orientations and still
meet the UL
testing standards for weatherproof safety, this single cover plate may be used
in place of
an even wider variety of weatherproof cover plates presently used irt the art.
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As is also shown in FIG. 4, the base of the present invention may include
keyhole
mounting screw holes or "slots" 18 to simplify installing of the cover plate.
Each keyhole
slot 18 includes a first aperture large enough for a screw head to pass
through, and a
second aperture having a diameter smaller than a screw head. The second
aperture is
aligned with a mounting screw hole in an electrical box. The use and function
of keyhole
slot apertures with electrical outlet bases is more fully shown and described
in the
previous patent application serial number 09/456,089 entitled "Base for
Electrical Outlet
and Related Method," the disclosure of which was previously incorporated
herein by
reference. While the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 shows the
keyholes
slots 18 in a location for aligning with the electrical box screws of a duplex
outlet, it is
contemplated that any of the other mounting screw holes may be substituted
with a
keyhole slot for use with embodiments of the present invention.
Another feature of the embodiment ofthe invention shown in FIGS. 1-5 for
simplifying installation of all cover plates, and particularly biased hinge
cover plates, is
the opening 30 in the lid 4 shown best in FIGs. 1 and 3. In conventional
installation of
biased hinge cover plates, it is particularly difficult to align the base with
the electrical
box and screw the box mounting screw through the base mounting screw aperture
closest
the biased hinge while the biased hinge is forcing the lid closed. This is
particularly
difficult for duplex weatherproof outlets. By providing openings 30 in the lid
4 of a cover
plate 2 which each align with a box mounting screw aperture 18 in the base 6,
the lid may
be closed for all or a portion of the mounting of the base 6 to the electrical
box.
The opening 30 in the lid 4 may be configured Large enough to insert the screw
threads and head without opening the lid, or may be sized such that the screw
may be
CA 02405670 2002-09-27
started with the lid open, and tightened with the lid closed. Furthermore,
this opening 30
is particularly useful when combined with the use of a keyhole slots 18. For
example, to
install the cover plate 2 shown in FIGs. 1-5, a box mounting screw may be
started into an
electrical box and tightened to a point where only a portion of the screw
threads are not
inserted into the box mounting screw hole. Thereafter, the keyhole slots 18
may be
placed over the box mounting screws and slid into place so that the second,
smaller
aperture of each of the keyhole slots 18 is aligned with the box mounting
screw head.
With the Iid closed, the box mounting screw closest to the hinge 8 may be
tightened
through opening 30 in the lid 4. If a second opening is not provided foz the
box mounting
screw farthest from the hinge 8, the lid may then be opened to partially
tighten that screw.
Because it is most di~cult to tighten the box mounting screw closest to the
hinge 8, it is
most useful to have an opening 30 aligned with the mounting screw aperture in
the base
corresponding to that screw. However, embodiments of the invention may include
openings for any or ail of the mounting screw apertures in the base.
The use of keyhole slots 18 for installing a weatherproof cover plate is
particularly
useful because the lid of the weatherproof cover plate tends to interfere with
inserting the
screws into the box screw holes through the base. By providiztg keyhole slots
18 in the
base, whether or not the lid includes openings 30 therethrough for accessing
the mounting
screw apertures 18, the mounting screws may be partially mounted onto an
outlet box and
then the cover plate can be placed on the outlet box without straggling with
the lid while
starting in the mounting screws into the appropriate holes in the electrical
box. Once the
screws are started into the electrical box, it is much easier to finish
screwing them in
despite interference with the lid. The mounting screws can be completely
tightened from
inside the Iid, or through an opening 30 in the lid.
CA 02405670 2002-09-27
For the particular embodiment shown in FIGs. 1-5, a continuous ridge 32
extends
from the base 6 surrounding the portion of the base through which the outlet
will extend
when the base 6 is installed on an electrical box. The ridge 32 of the present
embodiment
is approximately 2 mm high, though taller and shorter ridges are contemplated
and may
be required depending upon the strength of the bias in closing the Iid and
other
characteristics which will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art from
this disclosure.
The continuous ridge 32 provides an additional weatherproof feature of the
present
embodiment in conjunction with a gasket 34 associated with the lid 4. When the
lid 4 is
pressed closed by the biasing hinge 8, the gasket 34 presses against the
continuous ridge
32 extending from the base 6 to resist water flow thereacross. By placing the
ridge 32
inwardly of some of the box mounting holes 18 and 22, the ridge and gasket
combination
also provides additional protection to isolate the outlet openings from the
box mounting
holes 18 and 22 and prevent water from seeping through those holes 18 and 22
into the
electrical workings of the box while the lid is closed. When the cover plate 2
is mounted
to an electrical box, the mounting holes 20 and 24 within the ridge are each
either filled
with a screw or in communication with the electrical box and, therefore, will
not pose a
threat of water seeping therethrough to the electrical devices protected by
the cover plate
2.
The thickness and resilience of the gasket 34 in the lid 4 and the bias
elements 36
in the hinge 18, and the height of the ridge 32 determine how effectively the
ridge and
gasket combination keeps water from crossing the barrier formed when the lid 4
is in its
closed position against the base. It is also contemplated that in particular
embodiments of
the invention, such as the embodiment of a cover plate 104 shown in FIG. 20,
the apron
extending from the base 6 will not be necessary to reflect water from the base
in a
CA 02405670 2002-09-27
weatherproof horizontal and vertical mountable cover plate because the ridge
and gasket
combination provides a sufficient barrier to water flow. Note that the opening
106 in the
lid of the embodiment shown in FIG. 20 extends to an edge of the lid. So long
as the
opening 106 is placed outside the ridge and gasket seal, water does not pass
to the
electrical outlet or device protected by the lid. The gasket 34 may also
include Bunch-out
sections, such as the round punch-out section indicated by dashed line 38 in
FIG. 3, to
accommodate electrical devices which extend through the base farther than the
ridge and
may cause interference to the lid 4 closing.
In gartacular embodiments of the invention, the lid 4 may also include an
extension 40 to provide a handle by which the lid 4 may be more easily opened.
The
embodiment of the invention shown in FIGs. 1-S also includes a locking clip
aperture 42
in the lid 4 and a corresponding and aligned locking clip aperture 44 in the
base 6. A
novel locking clip 46 is disclosed in FIGs. 6-8 which includes an elongated
body portion
48 having a raised latching section S0, a restraining end 52 having an
aperture S4
therethrough, and a locking end 56 having a locking aperture S8 through which
a padlock,
locking pin, or other mechanism may be used to secure the lid to the base.
Aperture S4 is
not required for the general operation of the clip.
To install the locking clip 46, the locking end S6 is inserted into the
locking clip
aperture 44 in the base 6 and then through the locking clip aperture 42 in the
lid 4 so that
the elongated body portion 48 of the Iocldng clip 46 extends through both
locking clip
apertures 42 and 44. The raised latching section 50 is flexibly coupled to the
elongated
body portion 48 such that when the elongated body portion is inserted into the
locking
clip apertures 42 and 44, the raised latching section SO flexes into alignment
with the
11
CA 02405670 2002-09-27
remainder of the elongated body portion 48 until it completely passes through
the locking
clip aperture 44 in the base. As shown in FIG. 8, once the raised portion 50
passes
through the locking clip aperture 44 in the base, it returns to its original
position to
prevent the locking clip 46 from slipping back out of the locking clip
aperture 44. The
restraining end 52 of the locking clip 46 prevents the locking clip 46 from
completely
passing through the locking clip aperture 44 by coming into contact with the
base 6. The
restraining end 52 may be oriented either toward the edge of the base 6, or
toward the
centerwith equal effectiveness. If directed toward the edge of the base 6, the
aperture 54
in the restraining end may be used to assist in locking the lid 4 to the base
6.
In pa'cular embodiments of the locking clip 46, the elongated body portion 48
is
provided with the length needed for the locking end 56 of the locking clip 46
to extend
beyond the lid 4 and allow the lid to be locked through the locking aperture
58 with a
padlock, pin or other locking mechanism, but not so Long as to prevent the lid
4 from
opening when the locking clip is in place. To remove the locking clip 46 from
the cover
plate, an operator may press or squeeze the raised portion SO back into
alignment with the
elongated body portion 48 and draw the locking clip 46 back through the
locking clip
apertures 42 and 44 in the lid 4 and base 6.
The locking clip may be formed of any resilient plastic or metal which is
pliable
enough to allow for the operation of the resilient member without breaking.
For example,
when made of plastic, the locking clip may be formed by a plastic extrusion
process into a
mold. Alternatively, a plastic locking clip may be die cut from a sheet of
plastic, heated
and shaped accordingly. A metal clip may be formed, for example, by a die cut
and
shaping process. .Methods and materials for forming appropriate resilient
plastic and
12
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metal members which meet the requirements of this invention are known in the
art and
will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art.
FIGs. 9-16 illustrate an embodiment of a weatherproof bubble cover plate 60
which is mountable in both horizontal and vertical orientations. The bubble
cover plate
60 includes a lid 62 and a base b4 ordinarily coupled by a biased hinge 66 as
shown in
FIG. 16. The biased hinge 66 of FIG. 9 is shown uncoupled for clarity.
Conventional
weatherproof bubble cover plates do not have biased hinges because the lids of
conventional weatherproof bubble cover plates are generally approved only for
and are
installed only in an orientation with the hinge at the top and the lid is
sufficiently heavy to
close the lid. Conventional bubble cover plates often also include clasp
members, such as
clasp members 68 and 70, to clasp the bubble cover closed when the weight of
the lid
forces it shut. For embodiments of the invention which include a biased hinge
66, clasp
members 68 and 70 may be included for additional assurance that the lid 62
will remain
' closed against the base 64, but are not needed to maintain the lid 62 closed
in a
weatherproof manner.
The biased hinge 66 of the bubble cover plate 60 embodiment shown in FIGs. 9-
16 includes lid hinge elements 72 and base hinge elements 74. As best
illustrated in
FIGS. 10 and 11, similar to the hinge bias elements 36 of the embodiment shown
in FIGS.
3 and 4, the hinge bias element 76 of the bubble cover plate 60 biases the
hinge bias bar
78 of the lid hinge elements 72 causing the lid to pivot about an axis through
the hinge
pivots 80 when the hinge pivots 80 are seated in the base pivot seats 82.
Because the lid
62 of the bubble cover plate 60 is larger and often heavier than that of a
flat cover, it may
be necessary to use a stronger bias element 76 to close the lid 62 in a
horizontal
13
CA 02405670 2002-09-27
orientation. The specific strength of the spring necessary to close the lid in
a horizontal
orientation may be readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art for
the specific
design of a particular cover plate. Additionally, while only a single bias
element 76 is
shown for the embodiment of FIGS. 9-16, it should be understood that
additional or
S alternative bias elements may be used for a particular application. Same of
these were set
forth in the prior description of possible biasing elements of the flat
weather weatherproof
cover plate.
Also similar to the embodiment of the flat cover plate shown in FIGs. 1-S, the
base 64 of the bubble cover plate 60 includes mounting screw apertures
configured as
keyhole slots 84, and apertures and knockouts for adapting the base 64 fox
either a duplex
outlet or a GFCI outlet. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in
the art that for
embodiments of either the flat or bubble covers the bases may be configured
for use with
a single type of outlet or device, or may be configured for use with a
plurality of outlets or
devices depending upon the desired application. The embodiments shown should
not be
construed to limit the application of the novel principles of the invention to
particular
types of outlets or devices.
The base 64 of the bubble cover plate 60 further includes a cord catch 86
positioned along an upper lip 88, or ridge of the base structure 64 so that a
cord may be
placed in the cord catch 86 to allow the cord to be plugged into a receptacle
or otherwise
attached to an electronic device installed within the cover plate 60 when the
lid is closed.
For stiff cords which do not bend easily when confronted with the lid closing,
a
removable knockout tab 90 may be positioned along a lip 92, or ridge of the
lid 62. In
particular embodiments of the invention, the removable knockout tab 90 covers
the cord
14
CA 02405670 2002-09-27
catch 86 when the lid is in its closed position (see FIG. 16). This allows the
cover to
remain weatherproof for various installed orientations of the cover plate.
As shown in FIGs. 14 and 15, embodiments of the invention may include a
removable knockout tab 90 and corresponding cord catch 84 on a second adjacent
side of
the lid 62 and base 64 of the cover plate 60 in addition to the removable
knockout tab 90
on a first side. By including removable knockout tabs 90 and cord catches 84
on adjacent
sides of the cover plate 60, the weatherproof nature of the cover plate 60 may
be
maintained in either the horizontal or vertical orientation of the cover plate
60 by
removing a knockout tab 90 on the underside of the cover plate 60 after the
cover plate 60
IO is installed.
Additional or alternative removable knockout tabs and cord catches may be used
in the base and lid to accommodate cord access to the closed cover plate from
various
locations or for multiple access points. For example, as illustrated in FIGs.
17 and 18, a
base may be configured to have a flattened corner 92 adjoining two adjacent
sides 94 and
96, the flattened corner 92 having a cord catch 98 disposed along a lip 100,
or upper
ridge, thereof. With the cord catch 98 on a flattened or other-shaped corner
92, the cover
plate may be installed in either a horizontal or vertical orientation using a
single cord
catch opening. Alternatively, a differently shaped cord catch may be used to
accommodate multiple cords, or merely provide more space for a single cord.
For
example, as shown in FIG. 19, a T-shaped cord catch 102 may be used and
accommodate
a cord in each branch of the T. Furthermore, similar to the cord catch 98
shown in FIG.
17, the cord catch may be a backwards J-shaped cord catch to assist in holding
the cord in
the catch. Embodiments of the invention may include cord catches of varying
CA 02405670 2002-09-27
orientations and shapes such as a forward J, backward L, and a U-shaped cord
catch.
Additionally, a cord catch of any embodiment of the invention may further
include a
knock-out section 110 therein which is integrally formed with the base but
includes a
thinned region 112 therearound, similar to knock-out sections 90 included in
the lid 62.
These cord catch knock-out sections 110 may then be used to provide additional
protection until it is desired to pass a cord through the cord catch. The
thinned region 1 I2
allows for removal of the knock-out section 1 I 0 similar to the knock-out
tabs 26 of the
base shown in FIG. 4.
Of course, for any of the various embodiments, the lid of the cover plate
would
need to be configured to match the shape of the cover plate, and a
corresponding
removable knockout tabs in the lid to cover any cord catches in the base may
be desirable.
Additionally, other gaskets may be used to increase the weatherproof
characteristics of a
bubble cover plate, For example, a gasket may be used between the base and the
lid to
furtlier restrict water from entexing a closed cover plate, a gasket may be
positioned near
the hinge area to prevent water from entering gaps along the hinge area, and a
gasket may
be provided in a cord catch 84 to create a flexible seal around a cord passing
therethrough.
The cover plate lids and bases for either the flat cover plate or bubble cover
plate
embodiments may be formed of either metal, plastic or other material by well
known
processes. Gaskets for cover plates may be formed of a resilient water
resistant material
such as foam, rubber, silicon and the like, and may be optionally adhered to
the lid or
other surface by any adhesive known in the ai-t. The biasing members may be
formed of a
- 16
CA 02405670 2002-09-27
resilient material such as spring steel which may be formed into a shape and
has
properties for maintaining the shape or quickly returning to it when counter-
biased.
The embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in order to best
explaia the present invention and its practical application and to thereby
enable those of
ordinary skill in the a~t~t to make and use the invention. However, those of
ordinary skill
in the art will recognize that the foregoing description and examples have
been presented
for the puzposes of illustration and example only. The description as set
forth is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form
disclosed. Many
modifications and variations are possible in light of the teachings above
without departing
from the spirit and scope of the forthconung claims.
17
