Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CONTAINER AND LATCHING SYSTEM
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No.
17/123,746 filed on
December 16, 2020. U.S. Patent Application No. 17/123,746 is a continuation-in-
part
of U.S. Patent Application No. 16/828,282 filed on March 24, 2020, which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application No. 16/006,344 filed on June
12,
2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
62/518,358
filed on June 12, 2017. This application is also a continuation-in-part of
U.S. Patent
Application No. 16/839,311 filed on April 3, 2020, which is a continuation-in-
part of
U.S. Patent Application No. 16/735,013 filed on January 6, 2020, which claims
priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/788,886 filed on
January 6,
2019 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/788,888 filed on January
6,
2019. U.S. Patent Application No. 16/839,311 also claims priority to U.S.
Provisional
Patent Application No. 62/830,203 filed on April 5, 2019. All of the above
referenced
applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Various types of containers and latching systems exist. Containers may
be used for
food, beverages, and other materials or items. Latching systems exist to lock
the
containers in a closed configuration. However, conventional containers and
latching
systems are often not very durable and may not be easy to use. For instance,
containers may not be strong enough to hold certain items and may not be
strong
enough to hold items on top of the container. Additionally, some latching
systems
may engage when a user does not want the system engaged and in other cases may
not
provide a sufficient lock between for the container. In such arrangements,
these and
other deficiencies may render the container and/or latching system virtually
useless.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0003] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a
simplified form
that are further described below in the Detailed Description. The Summary is
not
intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject
matter,
nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject
matter.
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[0004] One aspect of this disclosure may relate to a container comprising: (a)
a base
including: (1) a sidewall structure having a first side, a second side
opposite the first
side, where the sidewall structure having a first end and a second end; (2) a
bottom
portion connected to a first end of the sidewall structure; (3) an opening
formed at the
second end of the sidewall structure, opposite the first end, where the
opening being
configured to allow access to an interior void of the container formed by the
sidewall
structure and the bottom portion; (4) a latch keeper extending from the
sidewall
structure, where the latch keeper having an upper surface, an inner surface
and a
lower surface; (b) a lid, the lid having an open configuration and a closed
configuration, where the lid configured to cover the opening formed at the
second end
of the sidewall structure when the container is in the closed configuration;
and (c) a
latch assembly, where the latch assembly has a locked position and an unlocked
position. The latch assembly may comprise: (1) a latch body pivotally engaged
with
the lid; (2) a locking member slidably engaged with the latch body, the
locking
member being slidable between at least a first position and an second
position, the
locking member configured to lock the lid in the closed configuration when the
locking member is in the first position and configured to unlock the lid when
the
locking member is in the second position; (3) at least one biasing member
engaged
with the latch body and the locking member, the at least one biasing member
biasing
the locking member in the first position; and (4) an activating member engaged
with
the latch body and configured to move the locking member from the first
position to
the second position, the activating member comprising an activating barrel
having a
plurality of raised portions that are spaced apart from one another. The hook
portion
of the locking member may engage the latch keeper when the latch assembly is
in the
locked position. The at least one biasing member may be positioned laterally
in
between the plurality of raised portions. In some examples, the at least one
biasing
member may include two biasing members that are positioned laterally in
between the
plurality of raised portions. The locking member may have at least one
engaging
member that contacts a raised portion of the plurality of raised portions of
the
activating barrel. In addition, the at least one engaging member may include
two
engaging members that are spaced apart from each other creating an opening
between
the two engaging members. Each raised portion of the plurality of raised
portions
may have a substantially triangular shape. In some embodiments, the container
may
include a second latch assembly, wherein the second latch assembly may be
located
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on an opposite side of the container as the latch assembly. As another option,
the
container may include a second latch assembly, wherein the second latch
assembly
may be located on an adjacent side of the container as the latch assembly.
[0005] Additional aspects of this disclosure may relate to a container
comprising: (a) a base
that includes: (1) a sidewall structure having a first side, a second side
opposite the
first side, a third side between the first side and the second side, and a
fourth side
opposite the third side, the sidewall structure having a first end and a
second end; (2)
a bottom portion connected to a first end of the sidewall structure; (3) an
opening
formed at the second end of the sidewall structure, opposite the first end,
the opening
being configured to allow access to an interior void of the container formed
by the
sidewall structure and the bottom portion; (4) a first latch keeper extending
from the
second side of the sidewall structure; (5) a kick out rib on the second side
of the
sidewall structure that extends outward beyond a front surface of the first
latch
keeper; and (6) a second latch keeper extending from the third side of the
sidewall
structure, the second latch keeper having an upper surface, an inner surface,
and a
lower surface; and (b) a lid pivotally connected to the base by a hinge, where
the lid
having an open configuration and a closed configuration. The lid may be
configured
to cover the opening formed at the second end of the sidewall structure when
the
container is in the closed configuration. The lid may have a plurality of
latch
assemblies that include a first latch assembly and a second latch assembly,
where the
first latch assembly and the second latch assembly each have a locked position
and an
unlocked position. The first latch assembly may engage the first latch keeper
when
the first latch assembly is in the locked position. When the lid is being
moved to a
closed position from an open position, the kick out rib may push the first
latch
assembly away from the base to prevent the first latch assembly from binding
as the
lid moves from the open configuration to the closed configuration. The kick
out rib
may have an upper ramped surface that extends outward and downward from
sidewall
structure and a lower ramped surface that converges toward the upper ramped
surface.
A rounded edge may extend between the upper ramped surface and the lower
ramped
surface. When the lid is in the closed configuration, the kick out rib may fit
between
a first raised portion of the sidewall structure and the first latch assembly.
The base
may also include a first ramped surface arranged adjacent a first end of the
first latch
keeper and a second ramped surface arranged a second end of the first latch
keeper.
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The kick out rib comprises a first kick out rib that extends from the first
ramped
surface and a second kick out rib that extends from the second ramped surface.
[0006] Other aspects of this disclosure may relate to a container comprising:
(a) a base that
includes: (1) a sidewall structure having a first side, a second side opposite
the first
side, where the sidewall structure having a first end and a second end; (2) a
bottom
portion connected to a first end of the sidewall structure; (3) an opening
formed at the
second end of the sidewall structure, opposite the first end, where the
opening being
configured to allow access to an interior void of the container formed by the
sidewall
structure and the bottom portion; (4) a pair of wheels connected to the second
side of
the sidewall structure; and (5) a pull handle assembly connected to the first
side of the
sidewall structure; and (b) a lid connected to the base, where the lid has an
open
configuration and a closed configuration. The lid may be configured to cover
the
opening formed at the second end of the sidewall structure when the container
is in
the closed configuration. The pull handle assembly may include: (1) a pull
handle
pivotally attached to the first side of the sidewall structure, (2) a primary
hinge plate
pivotally attached to the pull handle, and (3) a secondary hinge plate
pivotally
attached to the primary hinge plate and the first side. The pull handle
assembly may
have an extended configuration that enables a user to pull the container and a
nested
configuration. The pull handle may be located within a recess on the first
side of the
sidewall structure in the nested configuration. When the pull handle assembly
is in
the nested configuration, an upper surface of the pull handle may be arranged
substantially parallel to an outward facing surface of the first side. The
pull handle
may include a first handle end that is pivotally connected to the first side
of the
sidewall structure, a second handle end opposite the first handle end and a
pull handle
body extending between the first handle end and the second handle end. The
primary
hinge plate may be pivotally connected to the pull handle body at a location
nearer the
first handle end of the pull handle body than the second handle end. In
addition, when
the pull handle assembly is in the nested configuration, the secondary hinge
plate may
be positioned between the pull handle and the first side of the sidewall
structure, and
the secondary hinge plate may be located between the primary hinge plate and
the
first side of the sidewall structure. Additionally, when the pull handle
assembly is in
the nested configuration, the secondary hinge plate and the primary hinge
plate may
be substantially parallel with an upper surface of the pull handle. The
sidewall
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structure may include a third side that extends between the first side and the
second
side, and a fourth side that is opposite the third side, where the third side
includes a
pair of tracks, and each track of the pair of tracks includes a hollow cavity.
The
sidewall structure may also a third side that extends between the first side
and the
second side, and a fourth side that is opposite the third side, where a first
corner is
formed at an intersection of the first side and the third side, and a first
corner support
may extend inwardly from the first corner. The first corner support may
include a
hollow cavity.
[0007] Additional aspects of this disclosure may relate to a container
comprising: (a) a base
that includes: (1) a sidewall structure with a first side, a second side
opposite the first
side, where the sidewall structure has a first end and a second end; (2) a
bottom
portion connected to a first end of the sidewall structure; (3) an opening
formed at the
second end of the sidewall structure, opposite the first end, the opening
being
configured to allow access to an interior void of the container formed by the
sidewall
structure and the bottom portion, and (b) a lid connected to the base, where
the lid has
an open configuration and a closed configuration. The lid may be configured to
cover
the opening formed at the second end of the sidewall structure when the
container is
in the closed configuration. A lid support member may be attached to the lid,
where
the lid support member may include: (1) a primary wall with a front surface
and a rear
surface opposite the front surface, (2) a perimeter wall that connects to the
primary
wall, and (3) a plurality of openings extending through the primary wall that
are
configured to receive a strap to secure an item to the lid support member. The
primary wall may contact an interior surface of the lid in a plurality of
locations, and
the perimeter wall may contact the interior surface of the lid in a plurality
of locations.
As another option, the container may include a lid stay rod assembly that
extends
between base and the lid support member, where the lid stay rod assembly may
be
pivotally attached to the base and also pivotally attached to the lid support
member.
When the lid is in a fully open configuration, the lid stay rod assembly may
prevent
the lid from closing. In some examples, the lid support member may include:
(1) a
front surface with a grid-like shape formed from a plurality of front ribs
that intersect
each other in a generally perpendicular orientation; (2) a rear surface
opposite the
front surface, where a portion of the rear surface contacts an interior
surface of the lid.
A majority of the plurality of front ribs have an opening. The rear surface
may have a
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grid-like shape and may be formed from a plurality of rear ribs that intersect
each
other in a generally perpendicular orientation. The lid support member may
further
include an opening support rib extending behind each elongated opening of the
plurality of elongated openings. The lid support member may further comprise a
plurality connecting members that are positioned between the front surface and
the
rear surface, and where each connecting member connects to and extends between
neighboring front ribs of the plurality of front ribs.
[0008] Aspects of this disclosure may relate to a strap for lifting a
container where the strap
includes a base member having a first end, a second end opposite the first
end, and an
elongated member extending between the first end and the second end. The base
member may be formed from a woven fiber material. The strap may have a first
end
portion located at the first end having a first engaging member, where the
first
engaging member includes a first layered portion, a second end portion located
at the
second end, where the second end portion includes a second engaging member
that
has a second engaging member, which includes a second layered portion. The
strap
may also have a carry handle that includes a first opening and a second
opening,
where the elongated member extends through the first opening and the second
opening. The base member may include a pair of overlap regions arranged on
both
sides of the carry handle, where each overlap region includes a plurality of
layers of
the base member and stitching to join the plurality of layers together. The
carry
handle may be substantially centered along an entire length of the strap.
Additionally,
the first end portion and the second end portion both include stitching that
joins the
first layered portion and the second layered portion. The stitching of the
first layered
portion may be located a fixed distance from the first end defining an inboard
portion
and an outboard portion of the first layered portion, where the inboard
portion has a
first length defined as a distance from a centerline of the stitching to the
first end of
the base member and the outboard portion has a second length defined as a
distance
from the centerline of the stitching to an end of the outboard portion. The
first length
of the inboard portion may be less than the second length of the outboard
portion.
The base member may be a single unitary member, and in some examples, the
strap
may have a variable width along an overall length of the strap.
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[0009] Other aspects of this disclosure may describe a system of a strap for
lifting a container
that include a container having a first side handle that includes a first
elongated
opening on a first side of the container and a second side handle having a
second
elongated opening on a second side of the container opposite the first side,
where the
first elongated opening has a first opening width and the second elongated
opening
has a second opening width. The strap may include a base member having a first
end,
a second end opposite the first end, and an elongated member extending between
the
first end and the second end, the base member having a strap width. The strap
may
also include a first end portion located at the first end having a first
engaging member
that includes a first layered portion, and a second
end portion located at the
second end, where the second end portion includes a second engaging member
that
has a second layered portion. The strap may also include a carry handle with a
first
opening and a second opening opposite the first opening, where the elongated
member extends through the first opening and the second opening. The first end
portion may extend through the first elongated opening and the second end may
extend through the second elongated opening and secure the strap to the
container
using a friction fit. The strap width of the base member at the first end
portion may
be greater than the width of the first elongated opening of the container. The
strap
width may be within a range of 1 percent to 10 percent greater than the first
opening
width. The first engaging member may include stitching located a fixed
distance from
the first end to a centerline of the stitching defining an inboard portion and
an
outboard portion of the first end portion, where the inboard portion has a
first length
defined as a distance from the centerline of the stitching to the first end of
the strap
and the outboard portion has a second length defined as a distance from the
centerline
of the stitching to an end of the outboard portion, where the first length is
less than the
second length. The container may include a first recess offset below a first
top
surface of the first side handle, where the first recess has an inboard recess
portion
that extends toward an interior void of the container from the first elongated
opening
and an outboard recess portion that extends away from the first elongated
opening in a
direction extending away from the interior void of the container, and where an
inboard portion of the first end portion is received in the inboard recess
portion. A
depth of the first recess may be greater than a thickness of the first end
portion. A
majority of the strap may extend below the first side handle.
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[0010] Yet other aspects of this disclosure may relate to a method for
installing a strap on a
container that include: (a) opening a lid from a base of the container, where
the lid is
rotationally coupled to the base; (b) inserting a first end portion of the
strap through a
first elongated opening on a first handle of the base, where the first end
portion is
inserted at a first acute angle to a first top surface of the first handle;
(c) rotating a first
inboard portion of the first end portion onto the first top surface of the
first handle; (d)
rotating a first outboard portion of the first end portion onto the first top
surface of the
first handle; (e) inserting a second end portion of the strap into a second
opening on a
second handle of the base, where the strap is inserted at a second acute angle
to a
second top surface of the second handle; (f) rotating a second inboard portion
of the
second end portion onto the second top surface of the second handle; and (g)
unfolding a second outboard portion of the second end onto the second top
surface of
the second handle. In some examples, the method may also include: (a) placing
the
first inboard portion into a first inboard recess, where the first inboard
recess is offset
below the first top surface of the first handle and extends toward an interior
void of
the container from the first elongated opening; (b) placing the first outboard
portion
into a first outboard recess, where the first outboard recess is offset below
the first top
surface of the first handle and extends away from the interior void of the
container
from the first elongated opening; (c) closing the lid onto the base; and (d)
lifting the
strap by a centrally located strap handle, where a base member of the strap
extends
around the first handle and contacts an outboard surface of the first handle.
The first
acute angle may be between 1 degree and 55 degrees. A width of the first end
portion
may be greater than a width of the first elongated opening.
[0011] According to another aspect, a container is disclosed. The container
may comprise a
molded base that includes a sidewall structure having a first side, a second
side
opposite the first side, a third side extending between an edge of the first
side and an
edge of the second side, and a fourth side opposite the third side, the
sidewall
structure having a first end and a second end; a bottom portion connected to a
first end
of the sidewall structure and configured to support the container on a
surface, and an
opening formed at a second end of the sidewall structure, opposite the first
end, the
opening being configured to allow access to an interior void of the container
formed
by the sidewall structure and the bottom portion. The base may further include
a latch
keeper extending from the sidewall structure, where the latch keeper has an
upper
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surface, an inner surface and a lower surface. The container may also include
a lid
that is pivotal between an open configuration and a closed configuration,
where the lid
has a shape corresponding to a shape of the base and is configured to cover
the
opening formed at the second end of the sidewall structure when the container
is in
the closed configuration. A hinge may be configured to connect the lid to the
base
where the lid is rotatable from the closed configuration to the open
configuration.
The container may further include a latch assembly, where the latch assembly
having
a locked position and an unlocked position.
[0012] The latch assembly may include a latch body that is pivotally engaged
with the lid and
where the latch body having at least one engagement lug. The latch assembly
may
further include a locking member that is slidably engaged with the latch body,
where
the locking member is slidable between at least a downward position and an
upward
position. The locking member may be configured to lock the lid in the closed
configuration when the locking member is in the downward position and
configured
to unlock the lid when the locking member is in the upward position. Still the
latch
assembly further includes a biasing member engaged with the latch body and the
locking member, where the biasing member biases the locking member in a
downward position; and an activating member pivotally engaged with the latch
body
and engaged with the locking member, where the activating member configured to
move the locking member from the downward position to the upward position. The
latch assembly may only be moved from the unlocked position to the locked
position
when the locking member is in the upward position. Another aspect of the latch
assembly is that the at least one engagement lug of the latch body may be
engaged to
the lower surface of latch keeper when the latch assembly is in the locked
position;
and that a hook portion of the locking member may engage the upper surface of
the
latch keeper when the latch assembly is in the locked position.
[0013] Other aspects of this disclosure may relate to the lid of the container
being rotated
from the closed configuration to the open configuration may include rotating
the lid
90 degrees from the closed configuration. In addition, the latch keeper may
further
include a support rib that extends from an exterior surface of the base to the
inner
surface of the latch keeper, where the support rib may be centrally located
relative to
the upper surface of the latch keeper. The locking member may further comprise
at
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least two hook portions, such that when the latch assembly is in the locked
position,
the support rib is positioned between the at least two hook portions of the
locking
member. The base may further comprise at least one ramped surface adjacent the
latch keeper, such that the ramped surface extends downwardly at an angle away
from
an interface surface of the base. The at least one ramped surface forms an
angle
between 30 degrees and 60 degrees relative to the interface surface of the
base. A
gasket may be arranged in a recess formed in at least one of the base and the
lid. As
another feature, the base may further comprise a handle on each of the sides
of the
container, where each handle is integrally molded with the base. The handles
may
have a curved profile underneath an exterior surface of the handle, where the
curved
profile is formed by a plurality of ribs extending from one of the sides of
the sidewall
structure to an interior surface of the handle.
[0014] Other aspects of this disclosure may relate to a container comprising:
a base that
includes a sidewall structure having at least a first side and a second side
opposite the
first side, the sidewall structure having a first end and a second end; a
bottom portion
connected to a first end of the sidewall structure and configured to support
the
container on a surface; and an opening formed at a second end of the sidewall
structure, opposite the first end, the opening being configured to allow
access to an
interior void of the container formed by the sidewall structure and the bottom
portion.
The base may also include a latch keeper extending from the sidewall
structure, the
latch keeper having an upper surface, an inner surface and a lower surface.
The
container may also comprise a lid that is pivotal between an open
configuration and a
closed configuration, where the lid has a shape corresponding to a shape of
the base
and is configured to cover the opening formed at the second end of the
sidewall
structure when the container is in the closed configuration. A hinge may be
configured to connect the lid to the base and about which the lid is rotatable
from the
closed configuration to the open configuration, and a latch assembly that has
a locked
position and an unlocked position. The latch assembly may comprise a latch
body
pivotally engaged with the lid, where the latch body has an at least one
engagement
lug, a locking member that is engaged with the latch body, where the locking
member
is movable between a downward position and an upward position. The locking
member may be configured to lock the lid in the closed configuration when the
locking member is in the downward position and configured to unlock the lid
when
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the locking member is in the upward position. The latch assembly may also have
a
biasing member engaged with the latch body and the locking member, where the
biasing member biases the locking member in a downward position; and an
activating
member pivotally engaged with the latch body and engaged with the locking
member,
where the activating member is configured to move the locking member from the
downward position to the upward position.
[0015] Additional aspects of this disclosure may relate to a base portion of
the container that
includes a plurality of tabs positioned along interior surfaces of the
interior void.
Each tab of the plurality of tabs may extend from one of the interior surfaces
and
comprise an upper support surface and an opening, where the opening of each
tab has
an elongated shape. The upper support surface may be located in an upper
region of
the interior void of the base or at a height that is greater than fifty
percent of a height
of the interior void. In addition, the base may include a pair of tracks are
positioned
on at least an interior surface of at least one sidewall, where the pair of
tracks are
positioned on at least an interior surface of at least two sidewalls.
Similarly, the lid
may comprise a plurality of clips positioned along an interior surface of the
lid, where
each clip includes an engaging member and an elongated opening, where the
elongated opening of each tab of the plurality of tabs may have substantially
the same
width as the elongated opening of each clip. The container may also have a
gasket
arranged in a recess formed in at least one of the base and the lid and a
channel
integrally molded with an exterior surface of the base, where the channel
extends
around an entire exterior surface of the base.
[0016] Still other aspects of this disclosure may relate to a container that
includes a base
having a sidewall structure with at least a first side and a second side
opposite the first
side, the sidewall structure having a first end and a second end, a bottom
portion
connected to a first end of the sidewall structure and configured to support
the
container on a surface; and an opening formed at a second end of the sidewall
structure, opposite the first end, where the opening being allows access to an
interior
void of the container formed by the sidewall structure and the bottom portion.
The
container may also have a lid that is pivotal between an open configuration
and a
closed configuration, where the lid has a shape corresponding to a shape of
the base
and is configured to cover the opening formed at the second end of the
sidewall
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structure when the container is in the closed configuration. The container may
also
include a latch assembly that has a locked position and an unlocked position,
where
the latch assembly includes a latch body pivotally engaged with the lid, a
locking
member engaged with the latch body, where the locking member is movable
between
a downward position and an upward position. The locking member is configured
to
lock the lid in the closed configuration when the locking member is in the
downward
position and configured to unlock the lid when the locking member is in the
upward
position. An activating member may be pivotally engaged with the latch body
and
also engaged with the locking member, where the activating member moves the
locking member from the downward position to the upward position.
[0017] Other aspects of the container described within this disclosure may
include the latch
assembly having a biasing member engaged with the latch body and the locking
member, where the biasing member biases the locking member in a downward
position. The locking member may be slidable between the downward position and
the upward position, where the latch assembly may only be moved from the
unlocked
position to the locked position when the locking member is in the upward
position.
The latch body may include an inner surface and at least one engagement lug,
where
the base includes a latch keeper that comprises an upper surface, an inner
surface and
a lower surface. The at least one engagement lug of the latch body may engage
the
lower surface of latch keeper when the latch assembly is in the locked
position; and
where a lower surface of a hook portion of the locking member engages the
upper
surface of the latch keeper when the latch assembly is in the locked position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limited
in the
accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar
elements and
in which:
[0019] FIG. 1A is a top perspective view of a container according to one or
more aspects
described herein.
[0020] FIG. 1B is a top perspective view of the container of FIG. 1A with the
lid in an open
position according to one or more aspects described herein
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[0021] FIG. 2A is a bottom perspective view of the container of FIG. 1A
according to one or
more aspects described herein.
[0022] FIG. 2B is a side cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 1A
according to one or
more aspects described herein.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the base portion of the container
of FIG. 1A
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0024] FIG. 4A is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the base portion
of the container
of FIG. 1A according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0025] FIG. 4B is a top perspective view of a handle of the container of FIG.
1A according to
one or more aspects described herein.
[0026] FIG. 4C is a top perspective view of portion of a handle according to
one or more
aspects described herein.
[0027] FIG. 4D is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a handle and a
container
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0028] FIG. 5A is a top perspective view of a portion of the lid of the
container of FIG. 1A
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0029] FIG. 5B is a top perspective view of a portion of the base portion of
the container of
FIG. 1A according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0030] FIG. 6A is a bottom rear perspective view of a latch assembly according
to one or
more aspects described herein.
[0031] FIG. 6B is a top rear perspective view of a latch assembly according to
one or more
aspects described herein.
[0032] FIG. 7A is a top front perspective view of a latch assembly according
to one or more
aspects described herein.
[0033] FIG. 7B is a bottom front perspective view of a latch assembly
according to one or
more aspects described herein.
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[0034] FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of a latch assembly according to one
or more aspects
described herein.
[0035] FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of a latch assembly according to
one or more
aspects described herein.
[0036] FIGS. 10A-10D illustrate side cross-sectional views of movement of a
latch assembly
from a locked position to an unlocked position according to one or more
aspects
described herein.
[0037] FIGS. 11A-11C illustrate side cross-sectional views of movement of the
latch
assembly of FIGS. 10A-10D from an unlocked position to a locked position
according
to one or more aspects described herein.
[0038] FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate side cross-sectional views of movement of a
latch assembly
from a locked position to an unlocked position according to one or more
aspects
described herein.
[0039] FIGS. 13A-13C illustrate side cross-sectional views of movement of the
latch
assembly of FIGS. 13A-13C from an unlocked position to a locked position
according
to one or more aspects described herein.
[0040] FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of a container according to one or
more aspects
described herein.
[0041] FIG. 15 is a side cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 14
according to one or
more aspects described herein.
[0042] FIG. 16A is a side cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 14
according to one
or more aspects described herein.
[0043] FIG. 16B is an enlarged view of a portion of the container shown in
FIG. 16A
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0044] FIG. 17A illustrates a top perspective view of an alternate embodiment
of the
container of FIG. 1 with the lid in a closed position according to one or more
aspects
described herein.
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[0045] FIG. 17B illustrates a top perspective view of the container of FIG.
17A with the lid
in an open position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0046] FIG. 18A illustrates a front view of the container of FIG. 17A with the
lid in a closed
position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0047] FIG. 18B illustrates a rear view of the container of FIG. 17A with the
lid in a closed
position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0048] FIG. 18C illustrates a top view of the container of FIG. 17A with the
lid in a closed
position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0049] FIG. 18D illustrates a bottom view of the container of FIG. 17A with
the lid in a
closed position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0050] FIG. 18E illustrates a left side view of the container of FIG. 17A a
closed position
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0051] FIG. 18F illustrates a right side view of the container of FIG. 17A a
closed position
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0052] FIG. 19A illustrates a top view of the base portion of the container of
FIG. 17A with
the lid removed according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0053] FIG. 19B illustrates an enlarged view of the base portion of the
container shown in
FIG. 19A according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0054] FIG. 20A illustrates a bottom rear perspective view of an alternate
embodiment of a
latch assembly according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0055] FIG. 20B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an alternate
embodiment of the
latch assembly of FIG. 20A in a locked position according to one or more
aspects
described herein.
[0056] FIG. 20C illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an alternate
embodiment of a
latch assembly of FIG. 20A in a locked position according to one or more
aspects
described herein.
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[0057] FIG. 21 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the latch
assembly of FIG. 20A in
an unlocked position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0058] FIG. 22A illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the container of
FIG. 17A
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0059] FIG. 22B illustrates enlarged side cross-sectional view through a
handle of the
container of FIG. 17A according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0060] FIG. 22C illustrates a partial view of a bottom perspective view of the
handle of the
container of FIG. 17A according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0061] FIG. 23A illustrates a partial top perspective view of the base portion
of the container
of FIG. 17A according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0062] FIG. 23B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of partial top
perspective view of
FIG. 23A illustrating the base portion of the container of FIG. 17A according
to one
or more aspects described herein.
[0063] FIG. 24A illustrates a top perspective view of the interior of the lid
of the container of
FIG. 17A according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0064] FIG. 24B illustrates an enlarged view of the top perspective view of
FIG. 24A
illustrating a portion of the lid of the container of FIG. 17A according to
one or more
aspects described herein.
[0065] FIG. 25 illustrates a side view of the container of FIG. 17A according
to one or more
aspects described herein.
[0066] FIGS. 26A-26D illustrate a top perspective view of the container of
FIG. 17A in an
open position with various accessories installed according to one or more
aspects
described herein.
[0067] FIG. 27A illustrates a top perspective view of an accessory for the
container of FIG.
17A according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0068] FIGS. 27B and 27C illustrate side cross-sectional views of the
accessory of FIG. 27A
according to one or more aspects described herein.
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[0069] FIG. 28 illustrates a partial top front perspective view of a carry
strap installed onto
the container according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0070] FIG. 29 illustrates a partial top front perspective view of a carry
strap partially
installed onto the container according to one or more aspects described
herein.
[0071] FIG. 30 illustrates a top front perspective view of the carry strap of
FIG. 28 according
to one or more aspects described herein.
[0072] FIG. 31 illustrates a top view of the carry strap of FIG. 28 according
to one or more
aspects described herein.
[0073] FIG. 32 illustrates a bottom view of the carry strap of FIG. 28
according to one or
more aspects described herein.
[0074] FIG. 33 illustrates a front view of the carry strap of FIG. 28
according to one or more
aspects described herein.
[0075] FIG. 34 illustrates a side view of the carry strap of FIG. 28 according
to one or more
aspects described herein.
[0076] FIG. 35 illustrates a top view of an alternate base member of the carry
strap of FIG.
28 according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0077] FIGS. 36A-H illustrate top views of alternate stitching options for the
carry strap of
FIG. 28 according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0078] FIG. 37 illustrates a front, right perspective view of another
exemplary container in a
closed position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0079] FIG. 38A illustrates a front, right perspective view of the container
of FIG. 37 in an
open position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0080] FIG. 38B illustrates an enlarged perspective view of FIG. 38A according
to one or
more aspects described herein.
[0081] FIG. 39 illustrates a front, left perspective view of the container of
FIG. 37 in an open
position with various accessories installed according to one or more aspects
described
herein.
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[0082] FIG. 40 illustrates an enlarged view of the container of FIG. 37
according to one or
more aspects described herein.
[0083] FIG. 41 illustrates a front perspective view of a latch assembly of the
container of
FIG. 37 according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0084] FIG. 42 illustrates a rear perspective view of the latch assembly of
FIG. 41 according
to one or more aspects described herein.
[0085] FIG. 43 illustrates a front perspective view of the latch assembly of
FIG. 41 with
some components removed according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0086] FIG. 44 illustrates a rear perspective view of the latch assembly of
FIG. 41 with some
components removed according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0087] FIG. 45 illustrates a front, right perspective view of another
exemplary container in a
closed position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0088] FIG. 46 illustrates a front, left bottom perspective view of the
container of FIG. 45 in
a closed position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0089] FIG. 47 illustrates a front, right perspective view of the container of
FIG. 45 in an
open position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0090] FIG. 48 illustrates a top view of the base of the container of FIG. 45
according to one
or more aspects described herein.
[0091] FIG. 49 illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of the base
along line 49-49 in
FIG. 48 according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0092] FIG. 50 illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of the base
along line 50-50 in
FIG. 48 according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0093] FIG. 51 illustrates a partial perspective cross-sectional view of the
container of FIG.
47 along line 51-51 according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0094] FIG. 52 illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of the container
of FIG. 47 along
line 52-52 according to one or more aspects described herein.
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[0095] FIG. 53 illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of the container
of FIG. 47 along
line 52-52 in FIG. 47 according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0096] FIG. 54A illustrates a front perspective view of the lid support plate
of the container
of FIG. 47 according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0097] FIG. 54B illustrates a rear perspective view of the lid support plate
of FIG. 54A
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0098] FIG. 54C illustrates an enlarged view of the lid support plate of FIG.
54A according
to one or more aspects described herein.
[0099] FIG. 55 illustrates a front view of the lid support plate with various
accessories
attached according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0100] FIG. 56 illustrates a front view of the lid support plate with various
accessories
attached according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0101] FIG. 57 illustrates a front, right perspective view of another
exemplary container in an
open position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0102] FIG. 58 illustrates a partial front, right perspective view of the
exemplary container of
FIG. 57 according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0103] FIG. 59 illustrates a partial front, right perspective view of the
exemplary container of
FIG. 57 with some components removed according to one or more aspects
described
herein.
[0104] FIG. 60 illustrates a front, left perspective view of another exemplary
container in a
closed position according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0105] FIG. 61 illustrates a partial front left perspective view of the
container of FIG. 60 with
some components removed and with the handle in a partially extended position
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0106] FIG. 62 illustrates a partial front left perspective view of the
container of FIG. 60 with
some components removed and with the handle in an extended position according
to
one or more aspects described herein.
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[0107] FIG. 63 illustrates a partial front left bottom perspective view of the
container of FIG.
60 with some components removed and with the handle in an extended position
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0108] Further, it is to be understood that the drawings may represent the
scale of different
components of one single embodiment; however, the disclosed embodiments are
not
limited to that particular scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0109] In the following description of various example structures according to
the invention,
reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and
in
which are shown by way of illustration various example devices, systems, and
environments in which aspects of the invention may be practiced. It is to be
understood that other specific arrangements of parts, example devices,
systems, and
environments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may
be
made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, while
the
terms "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "side," "rear," and the like may be
used in this
specification to describe various example features and elements of the
invention, these
terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example
orientations shown in the figures or the orientation during typical use.
Additionally,
the term "plurality," as used herein, indicates any number greater than one,
either
disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number.
Nothing in this
specification should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional
orientation
of structures in order to fall within the scope of this invention. Also, the
reader is
advised that the attached drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
[0110] In general, aspects of this invention relate to containers and latching
assemblies for
containers. According to various aspects and embodiments, the containers and
latching assemblies described herein may be formed of one or more of a variety
of
materials, such as metals (including metal alloys), polymers, and composites,
and may
be formed in one of a variety of configurations, without departing from the
scope of
the invention. It is understood that the containers and latching assemblies
may
contain components made of several different materials.
Additionally, the
components may be formed by various forming methods. For example, metal
components, may be formed by forging, molding, casting, stamping, machining,
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and/or other known techniques. Additionally, polymer components, such as
elastomers, can be manufactured by polymer processing techniques, such as
various
molding and casting techniques and/or other known techniques.
[0111] The various figures in this application illustrate examples of
containers and latching
assemblies according to this invention. When the same reference number appears
in
more than one drawing, that reference number is used consistently in this
specification and the drawings refer to the same or similar parts throughout.
[0112] FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2A depict perspective views of a container 2. In one
example, the
container 2 may comprise a base portion 4 and a lid 5 that, in some examples,
may be
coupled, or in some examples may be non-destructively, removably coupled,
thereto.
The base portion 4 may be a structure forming a void for containing articles,
as will
be discussed more fully herein. In some examples, the base portion 4 may be
cuboidal or substantially cuboidal in shape. In other examples, the base
portion 4 may
be prismoidal or substantially prismoidal (e.g., a pentagonal prism, hexagonal
prism,
heptagonal prism, or the like) in shape. In still other examples, the base
portion 4
may be substantially cylindrical in shape or may have a substantially
trapezoidal cross
section. Various other shapes may be used without departing from the
invention.
[0113] The base portion 4 may include a sidewall structure 6 having a first
side 8, a second
side 10 opposite the first side, a third side 12 extending between an edge of
the first
side and an edge of the second side, and a fourth side 14 opposite the third
side. The
sidewall structure 6 may also have a first end 16 and a second end 18. The
sidewall
structure 6 may also include a bottom portion 20 connected to a first end 16
of the
sidewall structure 6 and configured to support the container on a surface such
as a
table, the ground, a vehicle bed, or the like. In some embodiments, the bottom
portion
20 may also and/or alternatively include one or more feet 22 which may support
the
container 2 on a surface such as a table, the ground, a vehicle bed, or the
like. The
feet 22 may be integrally formed with the base 4 or may be attached to the
base 4 after
the base has been formed.
[0114] The base portion 4 further includes a second end 18 defining an opening
19 (shown in
FIG. 3). The opening 19 is configured to allow access to an interior void 21
of the
container 2 formed by the sidewall structure 6 and the bottom portion 20.
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[0115] The container 2 may include a lid 5. The lid 5 is pivotable between an
open
configuration and closed configuration. In some embodiments rotating the lid
from
the closed configuration to the open configuration includes rotating the lid
about 900
from the closed configuration, or about 180 from the closed configuration, or
about
270 from the closed configuration. As shown in FIG. 1, the opening 19 may be
covered by lid 5, when the container is in use (e.g., when the container is in
a closed
configuration). In some arrangements, the lid 5 may connect to the base 4 in a
closed
configuration using a press fit. Additionally, or alternatively, other
securing systems
or devices may be used to secure the lid 5 to the base 4, as will be discussed
more
fully herein.
[0116] In some examples, the lid 5 may be hinged such that it is connected to
(either
removably or permanently) the base 4 at a hinge 37 and may be rotated about
the
hinge 37. The hinge 37 may be one of various types of hinges, including a
continuous
piano hinge, double hinge, ball joint hinge, living hinge, and the like. These
and
various other hinge arrangements may be discussed more fully herein. The hinge
37
may permit the lid 5 to be opened and rotated away from the base portion 4, to
allow
access to the void defined by the base portion 4 (e.g., via opening 19). That
is, the
hinge 37 may facilitate rotation of the lid 5 from a closed configuration of
the
container (e.g., when the lid is in place covering the void 21 formed by the
base 4, as
shown in FIG. 1A) to an open configuration (e.g., when the lid is not covering
the
void 21 formed by the base 4, as shown in FIG. 1B), and vice versa.
[0117] In addition, in some arrangements, the container 2 may include a gasket
30 or other
sealing device. The gasket 30 may be arranged in either the lid 5 or the base
4 and
may aid in sealing the lid 5 and base 4 when the lid 5 is in a closed
configuration. For
example, in one embodiment, the container 2 may be manufactured such that it
is dust
tight when tested for 8 hours and/or waterproof when tested for 30 minutes
under 1
meter of water. In some embodiments, the container 2 may be capable of
achieving
an IP67 (as set forth by International Electrotechnical Commission) rating
which
specifies that there is no ingress of dust or complete protection from dust
when tested
for 8 hours and ingress of water in harmful quantities is not possible when
the
enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time
(up to 1
m of submersion). The IP67 dust test is 8 hours long and the enclosure is
tested in a
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vacuum. The IP67 water test is 30 minutes long and the enclosure is tested
with the
lowest point of the enclosure 1000 mm below the surface of the water, or the
highest
point 150 mm below the surface whichever is deeper
[0118] In some examples, (and as best shown in FIGS. 10A-11C) the gasket 30
may be
seated in a recess 32 formed in at least one of the base 4 and the lid 5 and
extending
around a perimeter of the at least one of the base 4 or the lid 5.
Additionally, in some
example, the container 2 may include a ridge 34 in the opposite of the base 4
or the lid
and extending around a perimeter of the base 4 or the lid 5. The gasket 30 may
be
placed between the recess 32 and the ridge 34. The gasket 30 may aid in
maintaining
a seal between the interior of the container 2 and the outside environment,
and in
some examples may aid in maintaining the temperature of the articles contained
within the container 2. One example gasket arrangement is shown in FIGS. 10A-
11C,
although this and various other gasket arrangements may be used with any of
the
containers described herein.
[0119] As shown, the gasket 30 is arranged in a recess or channel 32 in the
lid 5.
Alternatively, the gasket 30 may be arranged in a recess or channel formed in
the base
4. When the lid 5 is in a closed configuration, the ridge 34 having a shape
corresponding to recess 32 may contact the gasket 30 and compress the gasket
30 and
aid in sealing the lid 5 and base 4 in the closed configuration. In some
examples, the
gasket 30 may be a traditional gasket having a substantially circular cross
section. In
other arrangements, the gasket 30 may include strategically placed cut-outs
that may
reduce or eliminate a need for a vent (e.g., a vent to prevent lid lock).
[0120] In some arrangements the container 2 may include additional features,
such as one or
more handles 40. The handles may be arranged on one or more portions of the
sidewall structure 6, including on opposing sides, such as sides 12 and 14, as
shown.
As best shown in FIGS. 4A-4D the handles 40 may be constructed of first and
second
arms 42, 44 connected by a gripping member 46. The handle 40 may be pivotable
about a hinge 43 passing through a portion of the sidewall structure 6 and
through
each of the first and second arms 42, 44. The handle 40 may also include
features to
reduce movement of, and possible rattling noise associated with, the handle
when the
handle is not in use. As shown in FIGS. 4A-4D, one or both of the arms 42, 44
may
include a raised portion 48 at a distal end of the arm. In some embodiments
the raised
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portion 48 may be attached to a resilient member 50. As best shown in FIGS. 4A
and
4D, the container 2 may include a recessed portion 52. The raised portion 48
may be
configured to be located within the recessed portion 52 of the sidewall
structure 6
when the handle 40 is not in use. This may reduce movement of the handle 40
when
the handle is not in use. However, when a user moves the handle 40 for use,
the
resilient member 50 may retract and allow the user to rotate the handle
outward.
[0121] In other examples, as shown in FIGS. 14-16B and as will be discussed in
more detail
below, the handles 240 may be integrally molded with the base portion 204 and
in
some examples may generally be an undercut formed in the sidewall structure of
the
base 204. In some examples, the undercut forming the handle may include a
recess
extending along substantially all or a majority of the sidewall structure 6.
This may
provide ease of manufacturing the base 204 with the integrally molded handles
240.
In some examples, the integrally molded handles 240 may be flush with an
exterior
surface of the base 204 in order to reduce the risk of breakage.
[0122] In some arrangements, the container 2 may also include one or more
latch assemblies
100. The latch assemblies 100 may have a locked position and an unlocked
position
and may be configured to lock the lid 5 when the lid 5 is in a closed
configuration.
The latch assemblies 100 may include one or more portions integrally formed
with or
otherwise attached to the container 2. As shown in FIGS. 5B and 9, the
container 2
may include a latch keeper 70. The latch keeper 70 may extend from the
sidewall
structure 6 and may form a pocket within the container 2. The latch keeper 70
pocket
has a shape configured to receive a portion of the locking member 130 as will
be
discussed in more detail below. The latch keeper may have an upper surface 72,
an
inner surface 74 and a lower surface 76. As will be discussed in greater
detail below,
the latch assemblies 100 may engage the latch keeper 70 to lock the lid 5 to
the base 4
when the container 2 is in a closed configuration.
[0123] The container 2 may also include various features to improve the
strength and/or
functioning of the container 2. For example, the container may include various
raised
portions wherein certain portions of the base 4 and/or lid 5 extend further
outward
than other parts of the base 4 and/or lid. As best shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A,
and 2B,
the base 4 may include a J-shaped raised portion or wall 59 forming a channel
60, the
raised wall 59 engaged with the sidewall structure 6. The channel 60 may
surround
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the entire perimeter of the container 2. The channel 60 may also include
strengthening members 62 at various locations within the channel. The channel
60
formed by the J-shaped wall 59 may increase the strength of the container 2,
or the
base 4. In some embodiments, and as shown for example in FIG. 2B, the J-shaped
wall 59 may allow for the base 4 to be constructed such that the interior
surfaces 6A
of the sidewall structure 6 are substantially smooth throughout the interior
portion of
the container 2. Thus, for example, substantially all or all of the interior
surface 6A of
sidewall structure 6, including one or all of the first side 8, a second side
10 opposite
the first side, a third side 12, may be substantially flat and/or smooth.
[0124] The container 2 may also include raised portions 64, 66 surrounding the
latching
assemblies 100 and handles 40 respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, the raised
portions
64, 66 may exist on one or both of the base 4 or lid 5. The raised portions
64, 66 may
be raised equal to or greater than the height of the latching assemblies 100
and
handles 40 respectively, such that that latching assemblies 100 and/or handles
40 do
not extend outward beyond the raised portions 64, 66 of the container 2. This
may
protect the latching assemblies 100 and/or handles 40 and reduce breakage of
these
components during use.
[0125] The container 2 may be configured to contain, store, carry, etc., items
including food,
beverages, or any other items. Additionally or alternatively, the container 2
may be
configured to store materials in a solid or a gaseous state, or combinations
thereof,
without departing from the scope of the disclosure described herein.
[0126] The container 2 including the base 4 and lid 5 may be formed from
various materials,
such as one or more metals, alloys, polymers, ceramics, or fiber-reinforced
materials.
In some examples, the base 4 and lid 5 may be formed of a plastic material,
such as
polyethylene, that is molded to form both the base 4 and lid 5 portions. In
some
arrangements, the outer shells of the base 4 and lid 5 portions are formed
using
injection molding or roto-molding/rotational molding processes as would be
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art (not shown). However, various
other
types of molding or other manufacturing processes (e.g., stamping, casting,
forging,
and the like) may be used to form the container 2 without departing from the
invention.
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[0127] In some arrangements herein, the base 4 and lid 5 may include an
exterior surface or
outer shell surrounding and enclosing an insulating portion (not shown), thus
forming
an insulating container. The outer shell may be typically formed from various
materials, such as one or more metals, alloys, polymers, ceramics, or fiber-
reinforced
materials. In some examples, the outer shell may be formed of a plastic
material, such
as polyethylene, that is molded to form both the base 4 and lid 5 portions. In
some
examples, the insulating portion (not shown) may be formed of an insulating
material
that exhibits low thermal conductivity. For instance, the insulating portion
may be
formed of (or filled with) a polymer foam, such as polyurethane foam.
Additional or
other insulating materials may be used without departing from the invention,
including for example, vacuum insulated panels. In some arrangements, the
outer
shells of the base 4 and lid 5 portions may be formed using an injection
molding or
roto-molding/rotational molding processes as would be understood by one of
ordinary
skill in the art (not shown). However, various other types of molding or other
manufacturing processes (e.g., stamping, casting, forging, and the like) may
be used
to form the container without departing from the invention.
[0128] Referring now more specifically to the latch assembly 100, as best
shown in FIG. 8
and FIG. 9, the latch assembly 100 may include multiple components including a
latch body 102, a locking member 130, a biasing member 150, and an activating
member 170. As discussed above, the latch assembly 100 may include a locked
position and an unlocked position.
[0129] The latch body 102 may be pivotally engaged with the lid 5. As shown in
FIG. 9, the
latch body may be pivotally engaged with the lid 5 using hinge 106, however,
any
suitable pivotal engagement may be used. In some embodiments, the hinge 106
may
be removably engaged with the container 2. This hinge 106 may allow a user to
easily remove and replace the latch assembly 100 if it becomes damaged. The
latch
body 102 may include an inner surface 108 and an outer surface 110. The outer
surface may be curved and may generally follow the curve of the sidewall
structure 6
of the container 2. As discussed above the outer surface 110 of the latch body
102
may, in some examples, not extend outward of the outer edge of the sidewall
structure
6 of the container 2. The inner surface 108 may also be curved and may also
include
a number of different features. One exemplary feature that may be included on
the
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latch body 102 may be one or more engagement lugs 112. As will be discussed in
more detail below the engagement lugs 112 may engage the container base 4, or
latch
keeper 70, and may assist in compressing the lid 5 against the base 4 of the
container
2.
[0130] The latch body 102 may also be engaged with the locking member 130. As
shown in
FIG. 8, the locking member 130 may be slidably engaged with the latch body 102
such that the locking member 130 may move between an upward position and a
downward position in a substantially linear path. The locking member 130 may
be
configured to lock the lid 5 in a closed configuration when the locking member
130 is
in the downward position and unlock the lid 5 when the locking member 130 is
in the
upward position.
[0131] As shown primarily in FIG. 8, the locking member 130 may be movably
engaged with
one or more guide members 132 such that the locking member 130 may slide up
and
down the guide members 132. In one embodiment, the locking member 130 may
include apertures 134 passing through the locking member 130 and through which
the
guide members 132 may also pass. The guide members 132 may be engaged with the
latch body 102 at a top end 136 and at a bottom end 138. As shown in FIG. 8
the
guide members 132 are cylindrical rods but any suitable shape may be used that
permits upward and downward movement of the locking member 130. For example,
guide members 132 may be prismoidal or substantially prismoidal (e.g., a
pentagonal
prism, hexagonal prism, heptagonal prism, or the like) in shape. In still
other
examples, the latching assembly 100 may include other devices suitable for
allowing
generally linear movement between the locking member 130 and the latch body
102,
including for example, rails.
[0132] As shown in FIG. 8, the latch assembly 100 may also include at least
one biasing
member 150 engaged with the latch body 102 and the locking member 130. As will
be discussed in more detail below, the biasing member 150 is configured to
bias the
locking member 130 in a downward position. The biasing member 150 may be a
compression spring as shown in FIG. 8, but may in alternative embodiments be
any
suitable device for biasing the locking member 130 in the downward position.
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[0133] The locking member 130 may include a base portion 140 and a hook
portion 142
extending inwards from the base portion 140. The hook portion 142 may include
a
lower surface 144 and an inward facing surface 146. As shown in FIG. 9, when
the
latch assembly 100 is in the locked position, the lower surface 144 of hook
portion
142 of the locking member 130 may engage the upper surface 72 of the latch
keeper
70 and the inward facing surface 146 of the hook portion 142 may engage the
inner
surface 74 of the latch keeper 70. Additionally, when the latch assembly 100
is in the
locked position the upper surface of the engagement lugs 112 may engage the
lower
surface 76 of the latch keeper 70.
[0134] The latch body 102 may also be pivotally engaged with an activating
member 170.
The activating member 170 may also be engaged with the locking member 130 and
may be configured to move the locking member 130 from the downward position to
the upward position. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the activating member 170 may
be
pivotally engaged to the latch body 102 by a hinge 172 extending through the
latch
body 102 and the activating member 170. The activating member 170 may include
a
grip portion 174, an activating barrel 176, and one or more arms 178
connecting the
grip portion 174 and the activating barrel 176. As shown in FIG. 9, the grip
portion
174 is spaced a distance from the sidewall structure 6 of the container 2.
This
distance may allow a user grip the back surface 180 of the grip portion 174
with their
fingers placed between the sidewall structure 6 and the grip portion 174. As
shown in
FIG. 9, the activating barrel 176 of the activating member 170 may engage the
locking member 130. The activating barrel 176 may include a raised portion
182. As
will be discussed in greater detail below, a user may pull the grip portion
174 of the
activating member 170 forward causing the raised portion 182 of the activating
barrel
176 to rotate and lift up the locking member 130. This movement causes the
latch
assembly 100 to unlock and allows the lid 5 to be moved from the closed
configuration to an open configuration.
[0135] Referring now to FIGS. 10A-10D, a procedure for moving an embodiment of
the
latch assembly 100 from the locked position to an unlocked position is shown
with
side cross-sectional views of the latch assembly 100 and portions of the base
4 and lid
5. FIG. 10A depicts the latch assembly 100 in the locked position, FIG. 10B
depicts
the latch assembly 100 unlocking, FIG. 10C depicts the latch assembly 100 in
an
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unlocked position, and FIG. 10D depicts the latch assembly 100 in an unlocked
position and demonstrates an anti-rotation feature. As shown in FIG. 10A, in
the
locked position, the lower surface 144 of hook portion 142 is engaged with the
upper
surface 72 of the latch keeper 70; the inward facing surface 146 of the hook
portion
142 is engaged with the inner surface 74 of the latch keeper 70; and the
engagement
lugs 112 are engaged with the lower surface 76 of the latch keeper 70.
[0136] As shown in FIG. 10B, the latching assembly 100 may be moved to the
unlocked
position by rotating the activating member 170 as shown with arrow 190. This
rotation may be accomplished by a user pulling forward on back surface 180. As
shown in FIG 10B, as the activating barrel 176 rotates, the raised portion 182
engages
the locking member 130 and raises the locking member 130. As shown in FIG.
10C,
the latching assembly 100 is in an unlocked position. As the locking member
130
raises above latch keeper 70, the latch assembly 100 becomes unlocked and the
latch
body 102, including the locking member 130 and the activating member 170, may
rotate forward as indicated by arrow 194.
[0137] FIG. 10D depicts an anti-rotation feature of the latch assembly 100 and
container 2.
As shown in FIG. 10D the latch assembly 100 is in the unlocked position and
has
been rotated further outward from the position shown in FIG. 10C. To restrict
the
rotation of the latch assembly 100, the latch body 102 may include a back
surface 187
configured to engage an anti-rotation surface 7 of the lid once a user has
rotated the
latch assembly 100 a certain rotation away from the locked position. For
example, the
back surface 187 may be configured to engage the anti-rotation surface 7 when
a user
has rotated the latch assembly 100 at least 20 degrees from the locked
position, or at
least 30 degrees from the locked position, or at least 45 degrees from the
locked
position, or at least 90 degrees from the locked position. Advantageously this
anti-
rotation feature may also allow a user to utilize the latch assembly 100 as a
handle to
open the container 2.
[0138] Referring now to FIGS. 11A-11C, a procedure for moving the latch
assembly 100
from an unlocked position to locked position is shown with side cross-
sectional views
of the latch assembly 100 and portions of the base 4 and lid 5. FIG. 11A
depicts the
latch assembly 100 in an unlocked position, FIG. 11B depicts the latch
assembly 100
locking, and FIG. 11C depicts the latch assembly 100 in locked position.
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[0139] As shown in FIG. 11A, and as indicated by arrow 196, in one embodiment
a user may
return the latching assembly 100 to the locked position by pressing on latch
body 102.
As shown in FIG. 11B, as the latch body 102 is pressed inward, the locking
member
130 may contact the latch keeper 70 which may cause the locking member 130 to
raise upward as indicated by arrow 198. In other examples, in addition to
pushing the
latch body 102 inward, a user must also pull activating member 170 outward to
move
the latch assembly 100 to the locked position. In such an embodiment, the
latch
assembly 100 may advantageously only be moved from the unlocked position to
the
locked position when the locking member 130 is moved in the upward position by
the
activating member 170. This may reduce the possibility of accidently locking
the
container 2.
[0140] As shown in FIG 11C, once the hook portion 142 has moved behind the
raised portion
of the latch keeper 70, the biasing members 150 may push the locking member
130 in
a downward direction. As shown in FIG. 11C, the latch assembly 100 is in the
locked
position and the lower surface 144 of hook portion 142 is engaged with the
upper
surface 72 of the latch keeper 70; the inward facing surface 146 of the hook
portion
142 is engaged with the inner surface 74 of the latch keeper 70; and the
engagement
lugs 112 are engaged with the lower surface 76 of the latch keeper 70. When in
a
closed position, the latching assembly 100 is positioned such that the lid 5
abuts the
base 4 of the container 2, thus closing, securing, and/or sealing the
container 2.
Additionally, as the latch assembly moves from the unlocked position (FIG.
11A) to
the locked position (FIG. 11C) the gasket 30 is compressed between the lid 5
and the
base 4 of the container 2. Thus, when the latch assembly 100 is in a locked
position
the gasket 30 is more compressed than when the latch assembly 100 is in an
unlocked
position.
[0141] FIGS. 12A-12C depict a similar procedure to that shown in FIGS. 10A-10C
for
moving an embodiment of the latch assembly 100 from the locked position to an
unlocked position and FIGS. 13A-13C depict a similar procedure to that shown
in
FIGS. 11A-11C for moving an embodiment of the latch assembly 100 from the
locked
position to an unlocked position. In some embodiments, as shown for example in
FIGS. 10A-11C, the activating member 170 may automatically return to a
downward
position as shown in FIG. 10A after it has been rotated outward by a user.
However,
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in other embodiments, the activating member 170 may only move to the downward
position if it is manually pushed inward by a user. Additionally, in some
embodiments, the activating member may extend further outward than the latch
body
102 when the activating member is in the downward position.
[0142] The latch assembly 100, including the latch body 102, locking member
130, and
activating member 170, may each be separately formed and may be formed of
materials such as plastic materials or another suitable material which can be
formed or
molded into the desired shape. The latch assembly 100 may be made of
sufficient
size, thickness and materials of construction to withstand repeated cycles of
stress as
the latch is engage/disengaged with the latch keeper 70 over time. The
containers
described herein include various features that ensure easy and efficient
manufacture
of the containers, while providing durability and wear resistance.
[0143] Figs. 14-16B depict another example container 202 having a latch
assembly 100,
wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements in
container 2
but include 200 series reference numerals. Container 202 is substantially
similar to
container 2 and therefore similar aspects of container 202 are not discussed
again
herein. Container 202, however, may include some differences from container 2.
Container 202, for example, includes handles 240 which may be integrally
molded
with the base portion 204 in the sidewall structure of the base 4. As shown in
FIGS.
14-16B the integrally molded handles 240 may be formed of the J-shaped wall
259
and/or may comprise a portion of the J-shaped wall 259. Thus the integrally
molded
handles 240 may comprise a portion of the channel 260 extending around a
perimeter
of the container 202.
[0144] FIGS. 17A-26D depict another example container 302 having a latch
assembly 400
discussed below, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar
elements in containers 2 and 202 but include 300 series reference numerals.
Container
302 is substantially similar to containers 2 and 202 and therefore similar
aspects of
container 302 are not discussed again herein. Container 302, however, may
include
some differences from containers 2 and 202. Container 302, for example,
includes
handles 340 which may be integrally molded with the base portion 304 on each
side
308, 310, 312, 314 of the sidewall structure 306 of base 304. In addition,
container
302 may comprise a plurality of attachment points for locating and supporting
various
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accessories that may connect to container 302. These attachment points will be
described in more detail below.
[0145] As shown in FIGS. 17B, along with 19A and 19B, the base 304 may include
a latch
keeper 370. The latch keeper 370 may extend from the sidewall structure 306
and
may form a pocket within the base 304. The latch keeper 370 may have a shape
configured to receive a portion of the locking member 430 as will be discussed
in
more detail below. The latch keeper 370 may have an upper surface 372, an
inner
surface 374, a rib 375, and a lower surface 376. The rib 375 may extend from
the
sidewall structure 306 to the lower surface 376 of the latch keeper 370.
Optionally,
the rib 375 may also connect to the upper surface 372 and the lower surface
376 or the
inner surface 374 of the latch keeper 370. The rib 375 may be substantially
centrally
located along the latch keeper 370. The rib 375 may add structural support to
the latch
keeper 370 to improve the durability. As another option, the latch keeper 370
may
include multiple ribs 375 that may be positioned one either side of the pocket
formed
by the latch keeper 370 to provide additional support to the latch keeper 370.
As will
be discussed in greater detail below, the latch assembly 400 may engage the
latch
keeper 370 to lock the lid 305 to the base 304 when the container 302 is in a
closed
configuration.
[0146] In addition, the base 304 may include a plurality of ramped or tapered
surfaces 371
positioned on either side of the latch keeper 370. The ramped surfaces 371 may
angle
downward from the interface surface 336 of the base 304, where the interface
surface
336 may be substantially flat and extend around on at least three sides of the
perimeter of the base 304. The interface surface 336 of the base 304 may
contact the
interface surface 335 of the lid 305 when the container 302 is in the closed
position.
The ramped surface 371 may angle downward from the interface surface 336
approximately 45 degrees or within a range of 30 and 60 degrees, or within a
range of
20 to 80 degrees. The ramped surface 371 may prevent the latch assembly 400
from
getting stuck on the base 304 when closing the container 302 and may also
contact the
lower portion of the latch assembly 400 as the lid 305 is closed to push the
latch
assembly 400 out of the way of the base when the lid 305 is closed as shown in
FIG.
21.
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[0147] The base 304 may further include a plurality of engaging members 337
that extend
from the interface surface 336 of the base 304. The engaging members 337 may
be
positioned outward of the ridge 334. The engaging members 337 may extend into
recesses or cavities 339 on the lid 305. The interaction between the engaging
members 337 and the recesses 339 may provide additional structural support to
strengthen the joint between the lid 305 and the base 304 when the container
302 is in
a closed position and when multiple containers are stacked or additional items
are
placed on top of the container 302. The base 304 may have any number of
engaging
members 337. For example, the exemplary embodiment illustrates four engaging
members 337, but the base 304 may comprise two engaging members, three
engaging
members, five engaging members or greater. The number of recesses 339 on the
lid
305 may be equal to the number of engaging members 337 and located on the lid
305
at a location that corresponds with each engaging member 337 of the base 304.
The
engaging members 337 in the exemplary embodiment have a substantially square
cross-sectional shape, but may have any cross-sectional shape, like a circle,
triangle,
or other polygon. Each engaging member 337 may have a height that is less than
or
equal to the width of the engaging member 337. Additionally, while the
engaging
members 337 and the recesses 339 of the exemplary embodiment are located on
the
first side 308 of the container 302, the engaging members 337 and the recesses
339
may be on any side and may have embodiments where they are positioned on
multiple
sides.
[0148] As another feature, base 304 may have a plurality of tabs 321
positioned along the
interior surfaces 306A of the sidewall structure 306 of the base 304. For
example, as
shown in FIGS. 17B and 19A, the tabs 321A may be positioned in each of the
corners
of the sidewall structure 306. In addition, tabs 321B and 321C may be
positioned
along the interior surface of first side 308 and second side 310. Tabs 321B
and 321C
may be located opposite one another as illustrated in FIG. 19A such that they
are
aligned along a length of the first side 308. As shown in the exemplary
embodiment
of FIG. 19A, the interior portion may comprise eight tabs 321, with tabs 321A
being
located in each of the corners and tabs 321B and 321C being located along the
interior
surface of the sidewalls 308, 310. Tabs 321B and 321C may be generally
centrally
located such that at least one tab 321B, 321C may be placed on near a
centerline of
the container 302, but preferably located on either side of the centerline. As
another
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option, the plurality of tabs 321 may not be aligned with a tab 321 on the
opposite
interior surface, but have a staggered arrangement. The tabs 321 may provide
attachment locations for various accessories as discussed further below.
[0149] Each tab 321 may extend from the interior surfaces 306A of the sidewall
structure 306
and include an upper support surface 323, an opening 324 extending through the
upper support surface 323, and a pair of side surfaces on either end of the
tab 321.
The upper support surface 323 of each tab may provide an engaging surface to
support various accessories within the interior of the container 302, like a
tray 500 as
discussed further below. The upper support surfaces 323 of the plurality of
tabs 321
may be substantially coplanar with each other to allow the support surfaces
323 to
hold an accessory that may extend across the base 304 and be supported by
multiple
tabs 321. The upper support surfaces 323 of the tabs 321 may be positioned in
an
upper region of the interior surfaces 306A at a height that is greater than
fifty percent
of the height of the interior portion of the base portion. As another option,
the upper
support surfaces 323 of the tabs 321 may be positioned at a height that is
greater than
sixty percent of the height of the interior portion of the base portion, or
even greater
than seventy percent of the height of the interior portion of the base
portion. In order
to minimize the impact to the interior space, each tab 321 may have a low
profile such
that each tab 321 may extend a distance of less than one inch from the
interior
surface, or less than 0.5 inches, or even less than 0.25 inches. Additionally,
the
openings 324 may have any shape, but may be preferably elongated in shape. The
openings 324 may provide attachment points for straps or other attachment
means to
further support different accessories.
[0150] As another option a pair of tracks 326 may be positioned along at least
two of the
interior surfaces 306A of the sidewall structure 306. As shown in the
exemplary
embodiment, a pair of tracks may be positioned on each of the interior
surfaces of first
and second sides 308, 310. Each of the pair of tracks 326 may be centrally
located
such that they are aligned with the pair of tracks 326 on the opposing
interior surface.
Each of the tracks 326 may extend from the interior surfaces of the base 304
and have
a height that extends along a majority of the height of the interior portion.
In order to
minimize the impact to the interior space, each track 326 may have a low
profile such
that each track 326 may extend a distance of less than one inch from the
interior
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surface 306A, or less than 0.5 inches, or even less than 0.25 inches. The
pairs of
tracks 326 may support a removable divider wall 510, which may also serve as a
cutting board, to separate the interior of the container into two portions to
better
organize the items being stored. Each of the tracks 326 may have a plurality
of
détentes or protrusions to securely hold the divider wall 510 to prevent it
from moving
and limit any vibration.
[0151] Similar to the example container 302 discussed above, the embodiment of
FIGS 17-
26D may have integrally molded handles 340 that are positioned along each of
the
sidewalls 308, 310, 312, 314. Each of the integrally molded handles 340 may be
formed of the J-shaped wall 359 and/or may comprise a portion of the J-shaped
wall
359. Thus the integrally molded handles 340 may comprise a portion of the
channel
360 extending around a perimeter of the container 302. Thus, the example
container
302 may comprise four handles 340. The handles 340 may be integrally molded
with
the base portion 304. In some examples, each handle 340 may be formed with an
undercut and include a recess extending along substantially all or a majority
of the
sidewall structure 306. This integrally molded handle 340 may simplify the
manufacturing process for the base 304. In some examples, the integrally
molded
handles may be flush with an exterior surface of the base 304 in order to
reduce the
risk of breakage.
[0152] As shown in FIGS. 22A through 22C, each handle 340 may have a curved
interior
profile 345 to provide an ergonomic and comfortable gripping surface for the
user.
The interior profile 345 of the handle may comprise a plurality of handle ribs
347 that
extend from the sidewall to an interior surface of the handle 340, where each
handle
rib 347 may have a curved profile such that the plurality of ribs 347 that are
spaced
apart from each other form the curved interior profile 345 of the handle 340.
Each
rib 347 may have a spacing between the ribs 347 that is less than the width of
each rib
347. Alternatively, each rib 347 may have a spacing between the ribs 347 that
is
equal to or greater than the width of each 347.
[0153] Each handle 340 may have an opening 341 extending through the handle
top surface
343 of the handle 340 where each opening 341 may align with an opening 349 of
the
lid 305. Thus, with the aligned openings 341 of the handle and openings 349 of
the
lid 305 allow locations for a strap or similar device to pass through the
openings 341,
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349 to anchor or tie down the container 302. Each opening 341, 349 may have an
elongated shape and may all have substantially the same length and width.
Thus,
these openings 341, 349 may provide versatility to the user for other
operations
beyond just anchoring the container 302. To further assist with anchoring or
securing
the container 302, the lid 305 may have recesses or channels 351 that align
with the
openings 349 to provide guide surfaces for a strap to tie down the container
302. As
another option, clips 520 may be inserted through the openings 341 to provide
an
additional location to use a hook and loop type connection to add further
versatility of
options to hold additional accessories as shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B.
[0154] The lid 305 of the container 302 may further comprise a plurality of
clips 315
positioned along an interior surface 309 of the lid 305. For example, as shown
in
FIG. 24A, a clip 315A may centrally located on each of the interior surfaces
325 and
while a pair of clips 315B and 315C may be evenly spaced along each of the
interior
surfaces 327, 329. Each of the clips 315 may also extend onto or contact the
lower
interior surface 331 of the lid 305. The clips 315B and 315C may be aligned to
be
located opposite one another. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS.17B
and 24A, the lid 305 may comprise six clips 315, although the lid 305 may
comprise
any number of clips 315. As another option, the plurality of clips 315 may not
be
located opposite one another on the interior surface of the sidewalls and have
a
staggered arrangement. The clips 315 may provide attachment locations for
various
accessories as such as a cargo net or bungie cord net 515, or straps 516 that
include
additional hitch points for securing any further items desired by the user.
[0155] Each clip 315 may extend from interior surfaces of the lid 305 and may
include an
engaging member 317 and an opening 319 extending through the engaging member
317. The openings 319 may be elongated in shape or alternatively may have any
shape. In addition, the openings 319 of the clips 315 may have a similar width
as the
openings 324 of the tabs 321. These openings 319 may provide attachment points
for
straps or other attachment means to further support different accessories as
shown in
FIGS. 26B-26D.
[0156] As discussed above with respect to lid 5, lid 305 may include a recess
332 that may
seat a gasket 330 where the recess 332 extends around a perimeter of the lid
305. The
recess 332 may be positioned within the interface surface 335 of the lid
305.The
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recess 332 may include a plurality of retaining members 333 extending from the
sides
of the recess 332 as shown in FIG. 24B. The retaining members 333 may engage
the
gasket 330 in multiple locations around the perimeter of the recess 332 to
secure the
gasket 330 in the recess 332. Each retaining member 333 may include at least
one
tapered surface such that the retaining member 333 has a thickness near the
top of the
retaining member which is closer to the open end of the recess 332 than the
thickness
in a central portion of the retaining member 333. Additionally, in some
example
embodiments, the container 302 may include a ridge 334 in the base 304
opposite the
recess 332 of the lid 305 extending around a perimeter of the base 304. The
ridge 334
may be positioned on the interface surface 336 of the base 304. The gasket 330
may
be placed between the recess 332 and the ridge 334 when the lid 305 engages
the base
304.
[0157] In some embodiments, the bottom portion 320 may also and/or
alternatively include
one or more feet 322, which may support the container 302 on a surface 1 such
as a
table, the ground, a vehicle bed, or the like. The feet 322 may be formed
separately
from a non-skid material like a rubber or elastomer and attached to the base
304 after
being formed. The feet 322 may have a height that is considered "low profile"
that
allows the container 304 to be slid along one of its edges when the container
302 is
tilted at an angle greater than 15 degrees relative to the surface 1
supporting the
container 302 as shown in FIG. 25. Alternatively, the feet 322 may be
integrally
formed with the base 304.
[0158] FIGS. 20A through FIG. 21 depict an example latch assembly 400 where
like
reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements in latch assembly 100
but
include 400 series reference numerals. Latch assembly 400 is substantially
similar to
latch assembly 100 and therefore similar aspects of latch assembly 400 are not
discussed again herein. Latch assembly 400, as shown in FIG. 20A, may include
multiple components including a latch body 402, a locking member 430, a
biasing
member 450, and an activating member 470. Similar to latch assembly 100
discussed
above, the latch assembly 400 may include a locked position and an unlocked
position.
[0159] The locking member 430 may include a base portion 440 and a plurality
of hook
portions 442 extending inward from the base portion 440. The plurality of hook
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portions 442 may be spaced apart from each other by a gap 441. Each hook
portions
442 may each include a lower surface 444 and an inward facing surface 446. As
shown in FIG. 20B, when the latch assembly 400 is in the locked position, the
lower
surface 444 of each hook portion 442 may engage the upper surface 372 of the
latch
keeper 370 and the inward facing surface 446 of each hook portion 442 may
engage
the inner surface 374 of the latch keeper 370. Further, the rib 375 of the
latch keeper
370 may fit within the gap 441 between each of the hook portions 442 as shown
in
FIG. 20C. Additionally, when the latch assembly 400 is in the locked position
the
upper surface of the engagement lugs 412 may engage the lower surface 376 of
the
latch keeper 370.
[0160] The latch body 402 may include a plurality of ribs 413 along the inner
surface 408
from the upper portion of the inner surface 408 towards the locking member
430. The
ribs 413 may each have a contoured height such that each rib 413 has a lower
height
in an upper region than in the lower region as the rib extends toward the
locking
member 430. The ribs 413 help to strengthen the latch body 402 while reducing
the
overall weight of the latch assembly 400.
[0161] Similar to the latch assembly 100, the latch body 402 may also be
pivotally engaged
with an activating member 470. The activating member 470 may also be engaged
with
the locking member 430 and may be configured to move the locking member 430
from the downward position to the upward position. The activating member 470
may
be pivotally engaged to the latch body 402 by a hinge 472 extending through
the latch
body 402 and the activating member 470. The activating member 470 may include
a
grip portion 474, an activating barrel 476, and one or more arms 478
connecting the
grip portion 474 and the activating barrel 476 where the activating barrel 476
may
include a raised portion 482. The raised portion 482 and activating barrel 476
may be
joined together along a substantially flat contact surface 483. In order to
adequately
support the activating barrel 476, the interior surface 408 of the latch body
402 in that
region may be substantially parallel to the contact surface 483 to support the
contact
surface 483 and thus assist in supporting the activating barrel 476 and keep
the
activating member 470 from rotating backward beyond the outer surface 410 of
the
latch body 402. As another option, the grip portion 474 may include a ridge
475
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extending at least a portion of the length of the grip portion 474 to further
assist a user
in gripping the grip portion 474 without slipping.
[0162] As discussed above, the ramped surface 371 acts to both protect the
latch assembly
from getting stuck on the base 304 as well as acting to help position the
latch
assembly to properly engage the latch keeper 370.
[0163] FIGS. 26A-26D illustrate the container 302 as described above that is
configured with
various accessories. For instance, FIG. 26A illustrates an embodiment of a
storage
system that includes the container 302 and a tray 500 installed where the tray
500 is
supported by the plurality of tabs 321 as well as the divider wall 510
installed
between the pair of tracks 326. FIG. 26B illustrates the system shown in FIG.
26A
with a cargo net 515 attached to the clips 315 of the lid 305. As still
another
embodiment of the storage system is illustrated in FIG. 26C where the
container 302
includes two trays 500 supported by the tabs 321 along with a pair of utility
straps 516
connected to the clips 315 of the lid 305 to provide multiple locations for a
user to
attach and organize any desired items in the container 302. FIG 26D
illustrates
another option where a soft sided storage bag 518 that includes a plurality of
zippered
storage compartments. As discussed above, by providing the multiple attachment
points within the base and the lid, the container 302 may be equipped with a
variety of
options of accessories to provide a storage system to provide an organized
storage
solution for a user.
[0164] FIG. 27A-27C illustrate further details of the tray 500. The tray 500
may have a body
502 with a mounting surface 503 along with a plurality of storage cavities
504. The
storage cavities 504 may have any size and may be configured to have any
number of
cavities 504. For instance, the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 27A-27C
comprises three cavities, where two of the cavities are smaller than the third
cavity.
As another feature of the tray 500, the tray 500 may include a movable handle
505.
The handle 505 may move vertically from an extended position shown in FIG. 27B
to
a contracted or storage position shown in FIG. 27C. In the extended position,
a user
can easily lift the tray 500 out of the container 302 while in the contracted
position,
the tray 500 has a lower height profile or storage. The handle 505 may have a
U-
shaped tube-like structure with two ends 506 that engage into openings 507 in
the
body 502 of the tray. Each end 506 of the tube-like structure may have a
tapered
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surface 508 that allows for installation into the openings 507 and a retaining
surface
509 to keep the handle from being removed and also providing a positive stop
to limit
the vertical movement of the handle 505.
[0165] As another option, as illustrated in FIGS. 28-36-H, a carry strap 600
may attach to
container 302 to allow a user to easily lift and carry the container 302. As
shown, in
FIGS. 28 and 29, carry strap 600 may be installed by inserting an end portion
616 of
each end 604, 606 into openings 341 on opposing side handles 340 of base 304
of
container 302. The carry strap 600 may include a base member 602 having a
first end
604, a second end 606 opposite the first end 604, an elongated member 608
extending
between the first end 604 and the second end 606, and a carry handle 610. The
first
end 604 and the second end 606 may each have an end portion 616 that includes
an
engaging member 618, which helps to secure the strap 600 to the handles 340 of
the
container 302 using a friction fit. As defined herein, the term "friction fit"
may relate
to a means that two components are secured to each other using only the
mechanical
interference or mechanical contact created by the two components when
assembled
together. The carry handle 610 may include openings 612 at each end 614 such
that
the elongated member 608 may extend through each opening 612.
[0166] As shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the carry strap 600 may be installed onto
the container
302 by inserting one of the end portions 616 through the opening 341 of the
handle
340 from below the handle 340, where the end portion 616 may be rotated
relative to
the elongated member 608 onto the top surface 343 of the handle 340. As shown
in
the illustrated example, side handle 340 may include a recess 342 that is
offset below
the top surface 343 that receives the engaging member 618. The engaging member
618 of each end portion 616 may include a layered or folded portion 620. The
elongated member 608 may be folded onto itself and joined together creating an
inboard portion 626 and an outboard portion 628 of the engaging member 618.
The
folded portion 620 may include at least two layers of the elongated member 608
and
have at least one fold. As shown in the illustrated examples, the folded
portion 620
may include three layers of the elongated member 608 and three folds. In other
examples, the folded portion 620 may have more than three layers and three
folds.
The folded portion 620 may be joined using a mechanical element 622 such as
stitching, a grommet, or other means known to one skilled in the art to join
the layers
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together. In the illustrated examples, the stitching 622 may be a bartack
stitch, a
lockstitch, or other stitching known to one skilled in the art. The stitching
622 may
have a width of approximately 2 mm, or within a range of 1 mm and 3 mm to
provide
adequate strength to the joint. The stitching 622 may be located a fixed
distance 624
from the respective end 604, 606 to a centerline 625 of the stitching 622
creating an
inboard portion 626 and an outboard portion 628. The engaging member 618 may
then be rotated relative to the elongated member 608 on either side of the
stitching
622 to secure the strap 600 to the container 302. The bartack stitching 622
may also
help to increase the strength of the joint. Alternatively, the folded portion
620 may be
joined using an adhesive, tape, or other means known to one skilled in the
art. The
adhesive or tape may be used alone or in conjunction with the stitching 622.
As
shown in FIG. 28, once the end portion 616 of the strap 600 is extended
through the
top surface 343 of the handle 340, the engaging member 618 may be rotated
along the
stitching 622 such that the inboard portion 626 may be received in an inboard
recess
portion 342A of recess 342 and the outboard portion 628 may be received in an
outboard recess portion 342B of recess 342. As discussed above, the stitching
622
may be located a fixed distance from the respective end 604, 606 such that the
inboard
portion 626 of the engaging member 618 has a smaller length than the length of
the
outboard portion 628. For example, the length of the inboard portion 626 may
be
within a range of 60 percent and 66 percent of the length of the outboard
portion 628,
or within a range of 55 percent and 70 percent of the length of the outboard
portion
628. The length of the inboard portion 626 may be measured as the length of
the
engaging member 618 from a centerline of the stitching 622 of the engaging
member
618 to its respective end. Similarly, the length of the outboard portion 628
may be
measured as the length of the engaging member 618 from a centerline of the
stitching
622 to an end 629 of the outboard portion 628 located at the fold on folded
portion
620. For example, the length of the inboard portion 626 may be approximately 7
mm,
or within a range of 5 mm to 10, and the length of the outboard portion 628
may be
approximately 11 mm, or within a range of 9 mm and 16 mm.
[0167] To enhance the friction fit between the strap 600 and the openings 341,
the elongated
member 608 of strap 600 may have a width at each end portion 616 that is
greater
than the width of the opening 341 on the handle 340. The width, W 1, of the
elongated
member 608 may be the distance from a first side 630 to a second side 632 of
the
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elongated member 608, while the width, W2, of the opening 341 may be measured
as
the distance across the span between the smaller ends of the elongated opening
341.
In some examples, the width, W 1, of the base member 602 may be approximately
5
percent greater than the width, W2, of the opening 341, or may be within a
range of 3
percent to 7 percent greater than the width, W2, of the opening 341. The
width, W 1,
of the base member 602 may be a constant width, where the width, W 1, may be
approximately 38 mm or within a range of 35 mm to 41 mm, or alternatively,
base
member 602 may have a variable width where the width of the base member 602
may
have a width that is less in a central region that extends through the carry
handle 610
than the width of the base member 602 at the end portions 616 as shown in FIG.
35.
In the illustrated examples, carry strap 600 has a base member 602 with a
constant
width, the elongated member 608 may curl or wrap along an interior surface of
the
carry handle 610 as shown in FIG. 30. This may cause the carry handle 610 to
have a
width that is less than the width of the base member 602 at the end portions
616. In
some examples, the width of the handle 610 may be within a range of 60 to 75
percent
of the width of the base member 602 at the end portions 616.
[0168] As shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, to install strap 600 to the container 302,
the first end
604 of strap 600 may be inserted through an elongated opening 341 on the
handle 340
that is located on a first side of the base 304 of the container 302. The end
portion
616 may extend through the opening 341 above top surface 343 with the majority
of
the elongated member 608 still below handle 340. In some examples, the end
portion
616 may be inserted at an angle through the opening 341 where the end portion
616
forms an acute angle with the top surface 343 of the handle 340 as it is being
inserted
into the opening 341. This acute angle may be within a range of 1 degree and
55
degrees. Next, the engaging member 618 may be rotated relative to the
elongated
member 608 such that the inboard portion 626 of the engaging member 618 lays
flat
within the inboard recess portion 342A of the recess 342 and the outboard
recess
portion 342B of the recess 342. The inboard recess portion 342A may be the
portion
of recess 342 that extends from the elongated opening 341 toward an interior
void of
the container 302, and an outboard recess portion 342B may be the portion of
recess
342 that extends from the elongated opening 341 away from the interior void of
the
container 302. The depth of the recess 342 may be greater than the thickness
of both
the inboard portion 626 and the outboard portion 328. Once a first end 604 of
the
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strap 600 is engaged with the handle 340 on a first side of the base 304, the
process is
repeated by attaching a second end 606 of the strap 600 to the handle 340 on
the
second side of the base 304 opposite the handle 340 with the first end 604
attached.
For example, the second end 606 is inserted through an elongated opening 341
on the
handle 340 that is located on a second side of the base 304 of the container
302 where
the end portion 616 extends up above a top surface 343 and the majority of the
elongated member 608 is below handle 340. Like installing the first end 604,
the
second end portion 616 at end 606 may be inserted where the end portion 616
forms
an acute angle with the top surface 343 of the handle 340 as it is being
inserted into
the opening 341. This acute angle may be within a range of 1 degree and 55
degrees.
Lastly, the second engaging member 618 may be rotated relative to the
elongated
member 608 such that the inboard portion 626 of the engaging member 618 lays
flat
within the inboard portion 342A of the recess 342 and the outboard portion
342B of
the recess 342. The strap 600 is then secured at both ends 604, 606 to their
respective
handles 340 of the base 304. The container 302 may be closed, and the strap
600 may
be grasped by a user by the strap handle 610 to lift the container 302. When
the strap
600 is lifted, the elongated member 608 may wrap around an outer portion of
the
bottom of the handle 340 and contact the outer surface 346 of the handle 340.
[0169] As discussed above, the carry strap 600 may include a base member 602
having a first
end 604, a second end, 606 and an elongated member 608 extending between the
first
end 604 and the second end 606, and a carry handle 610. The carry handle 610
may
be located in a substantially centered position along the overall length, L,
of the carry
strap 600. In addition, the strap 600 may include a pair of overlap regions
634
arranged a fixed distance from ends 614 of the carry handle 610. The overlap
regions
634 may include three layers of the elongated member 608 folded upon itself
and then
joined together. In some examples, the overlap regions 634 may include more
than
three layers. The overlap regions 634 may be permanently joined using
stitching 636
such as a box-x stitch that extends near the perimeter of the overlap region
634 with a
diagonal stitching region extending between the corners of the stitching. The
stitching 636 may have a rectangular shape such that the box-x stitch may be
approximately 30 mm in length or within a range of 28 to 32 mm and may have a
width of approximately 34 mm, or within a range of 32 to 38 mm.
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[0170] As an alternative to the stitching 636 shown in FIGS. 28-34, the
stitching 636 may
have a variety of shapes. For instance, the stitching 636 may be in several
forms such
as: (a) regular or irregular backstitching that is substantially parallel to
the webbing
such as in FIG. 36A; (b) a box stitch with bartack reinforcement on the ends
closest to
the fold as shown in FIG. 36B; (c) a box-s stitch with bartack reinforcement
on the
ends closest to the fold as shown in FIG. 36C; (d) a single bartack or a
series of
bartacks arranged substantially parallel to the fold as shown in FIG. 36D; (e)
regular
or irregular backstitching that is substantially perpendicular to the webbing
such as in
FIG. 36E; (f) a double W stitching pattern as shown in FIG. 36F; (g) a zig-zag
stitching pattern as shown in FIG. 36G; and (h) a circular or pattern bartack
as shown
in Fig. 36H, where the patterned bartack may be any geometric shape, such as
triangular, a quadrilateral, or shape containing more than 4 sides. In
addition, the
bartack pattern of FIG. 36H may include different geometric shapes, such as
having
rectangular and triangular bartacks together in a pattern.
[0171] In some examples, the overlap regions 634 may be joined using stitching
alone, or
may be joined using an adhesive, or may be joined using stitching in
conjunction with
an adhesive. These overlap regions 634 may provide additional strength for the
carry
strap 600 while also keeping the carry handle 610 in a substantially centered
location
along the length, L, of the carry strap 600. The overall length, L, of the
carry strap
600 may have a length to enable the carry strap to clear either the front side
308 or
rear side 310 of the container 302 to not inhibit a second container 302 being
stacked
on top of a first container 302.
[0172] The carry handle 610 may be formed from a polymer wrap around the
elongated
member 608 forming a smooth surface along the bottom side 638 and also have a
slot
640 extending an entire length of the handle 610 along the top side 642. The
carry
handle 610 may have a concave curvature on the bottom side 638 as shown in
FIG.
33. The base member 602 may be formed from a woven fiber material or webbing.
The woven fiber material or webbing may be a single unitary member that forms
the
base member 602 of the carry strap 600. In other example, the base member 602
may
be formed by a plurality of webbing or fabric strips. The strap material may
be
formed from nylon, polypropylene, polyester, or other polymer based material.
The
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woven fiber material or webbing may be solution dyed, piece dyed, greige, on
undyed.
[0173] Additionally, the carry strap 600 as described above may mount similar
to container
202 or may in an alternative example, the carry strap 600 may include a
mechanical
clip or similar mechanical structure to secure the carry strap 600 to any of
containers
described herein 2, 202, and 302.
[0174] FIGS. 37-44 depict another example container 702 having a latch
assembly 800
discussed below, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar
elements in containers 2, 202, 302 but include 7XX series reference numerals.
Container 702 is similar in many aspects to containers 2, 202, and 302, and
therefore
similar aspects of container 702 are not discussed again herein. Similar to
other
containers disclosed herein, lid 705 may be pivotally attached to base 704.
Container
702, however, may include some differences from containers 2, 202, and 302.
Container 702, for example, includes a strap handle 780 attached to each end
of
container 702 as shown in FIG. 40. Each strap handle 780 may attach to the
handle
740 on each end of the container 702. In addition, container 702 may be larger
than
container 302 and may include a plurality of attachment points for locating
and
supporting various accessories that may be installed into container 702
similar to the
accessories installed in container 302 shown in FIGS. 26A-26D.
[0175] Each strap handle 780 may provide a flexible interface to allow a user
to lift and move
container 702. Each strap handle 780 may include a strap portion 781 and a
carry
handle 782 where each end 783 of the strap portion 781 may have an overlap
region
that forms an opening to receive a pin 784. To secure the strap handle 780 to
the
container 702, pin 784 may extend through the opening in each end 783 of the
strap
portion 781 and be received in a clevis portion 785 arranged on either end of
the
handle 740. The strap portion 781 may be similar in material to the base
member 602
and the carry handle 782 may be similar to carry handle 610 of the carry strap
600
described above.
[0176] FIGS. 41-44 depict an example latch assembly 800 where like reference
numerals
refer to the same or similar elements to latch assemblies 100 and 400, but
include 8xx
series reference numerals. Latch assembly 800 is similar to latch assemblies
100 and
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400, and therefore similar aspects of latch assembly 800 are not discussed
again
herein. Latch assembly 800, as shown in FIGS. 41 and 42, may include multiple
components including a latch body 802, a locking member 830, a biasing member
850, and an activating member 870. Similar to latch assemblies 100 and 400
discussed above, the latch assembly 800 may include a locked position and an
unlocked position. The locking member 830 may be slidably engaged with the
latch
body 802 such that the locking member 830 may move between an upward position
or
unlocked position and a downward position or unlocked position in a
substantially
linear path. The locking member 830 may be configured to lock the lid 705 in a
closed configuration when the locking member 830 is in the downward position
or
locked position and unlock the lid 705 when the locking member 830 is in the
upward
position or unlocked position. Alternatively, the latch assembly 800 may be
arranged
in a manner that the slidably arranged locking member 830 may be configured
such
that the locking member 830 may move to an upward position that corresponds to
a
locked position and may move to a downward position that corresponds to an
unlocked position.
[0177] The locking member 830 may include a base portion 840 and a plurality
of hook
portions 842 extending inward from the base portion 840. The plurality of hook
portions 842 may be spaced apart from each other by a gap 841. Each hook
portions
842 may each include a lower surface 844 and an inward facing surface 846.
When
the latch assembly 800 is in the locked position, the lower surface 844 of
each hook
portion 842 may engage the upper surface 772 of the latch keeper 770 and the
inward
facing surface 846 of each hook portion 842 may engage the inner surface of
the latch
keeper 770. Further, the rib 775 of the latch keeper 770 may fit within the
gap 841
between each of the hook portions 842. Additionally, when the latch assembly
800 is
in the locked position the upper surface of the engagement lugs 812 may engage
the
lower surface 776 of the latch keeper 770. Similar to base 304, base 704 may
include
a plurality of ramped or tapered surfaces 771 positioned on either side of the
latch
keeper 770. The ramped surfaces 771 may angle downward from the interface
surface 736 of the base 704.
[0178] As shown in FIG. 41, the latch body 802 may include a plurality of ribs
813 along the
inner surface 808 and may include vertically oriented ribs 813A located
adjacent the
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locking member 830. The ribs 813 may also include a horizontally oriented rib
813B
that extends across a majority of the inner surface 808 or across the entire
inner
surface 808. In addition, rib 813C may be located below rib 813B and extend
intermittently across the inner surface 808 to act as a vertical stop for
locking member
830 when locking member 830 is moved upwards into an unlocked position. The
ribs
813 may also help to strengthen the latch body 802 while reducing the overall
weight
of the latch assembly 800. Rib 813B may include a mount 814 that supports
guide
member 832, where guide member 832 may connect from the mount 814 to the base
840 of locking member 830. In some examples, the guide member 832 may extend
through an opening in the base 840 of the locking member 830. A biasing member
850 may be arranged between the mount 814 of the latch body 802 and the base
840
of the locking member 830, and in some examples, a guide member 832 may
cooperate with the biasing member 850 to allow for smooth movement of the
locking
member 830 relative to the latch body 802. As shown in the illustrated example
of
FIG. 41-44, the biasing member 850 may be a compression spring and a guide
member 832 may have a cylindrical shape that extends through an opening of the
biasing member 850. Similar to latch assemblies 100 and 400, biasing member
850
may be configured to bias the locking member 830 in a downward position or
locked
position. In alternative examples, the biasing member 850 may be any suitable
device
for biasing the locking member 830 in the downward position. As shown in FIGS.
42-44, each latch assembly 800 may include a pair of guide members 832 and a
pair
of biasing member 850.
[0179] Similar to the latch assemblies 100 and 400, the latch body 802 may
also be pivotally
engaged with an activating member 870. The activating member 870 may be
engaged
with the locking member 830 and be configured to move the locking member 830
from the downward or locked position to the upward or unlocked position. The
activating member 870 may be pivotally engaged to the latch body 802 by a
hinge
872 extending through the latch body 802 and the activating member 870. In
some
examples, the activating member 870 may be slidably engaged with the latch
body
802. The activating member 870 may include a grip portion 874, an activating
barrel
876, and one or more arms 878 connecting the grip portion 874. Activating
barrel
876 may include a pair of raised portions 882, where each raised portion 882
may
engage an engaging member 848 that extends from a bottom surface of the base
840
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of the locking member 830. Each raised portion 882 may have a substantially
triangular shape, or in other examples, may have a different geometric shape.
Each
engaging member 848 may be spaced apart from each other creating an opening
849
between the bottom surface of the base 840 and the activating barrel 876. In
some
examples, the distance between the engaging members 848 (distance across
opening
849) may be within a range of 30 mm and 40 mm apart from each other. By
spacing
the engaging members 848 apart from one another, the latch 800 may be more
robust
and better able to stay closed during a high stress event such as a drop
impact because
the load path through the latch 800 may be improved. A portion of each guide
member 832 may extend into opening 849 between the engaging members 848 of the
locking member 830. As shown in FIGS. 43 and 44, the biasing members 850 and
guide members 832 may be located laterally in between the pair of raised
portions
882. This arrangement of raised portions 882 positioned outboard and spaced
apart
from each other may help to improve the durability of the latch assembly 800
to
remain in the locked position when the latch assembly 800 is submitted to
different
environmental stresses such as large shock loads, such as being dropped on a
corner
of the container 702. Similar to the latch assemblies 100 and 400, as the
activating
barrel 876 rotates, the raised portions 882 contact and engage the engaging
members
848 of the locking member 830, which raises the locking member 830. As the
locking member 830 moves upward, the hook portions 842 disengage from the
latch
keeper 770 causing the latch assembly 800 to move from the locked position to
the
unlocked position.
[0180] FIGS. 45-56 illustrate another exemplary container 902 that may be
similar in many
aspects to containers 2, 202, 302, 702, but described with like reference
numerals
refer to the same or similar elements in containers 2, 202, 302, 702 but
include 9XX
series reference numerals. Since container 902 is similar in many aspects to
containers
2, 202, 302, 702, and therefore similar aspects of container 902 are not
discussed
again herein. For examples, container 902 may include strap handle 980 on each
end
of the container similar to the strap handle 780. Container 902 may also
include a
plurality of latch assemblies 800, where the plurality of latch assemblies 800
may be
located on adjacent sides of the container 902. For example, container 902
includes
three latch assemblies 800 on a front side 908 and a single latch assembly 800
on each
side 912, 914 adjacent the front side 908. The front side 908 may be longer
than the
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right and left sides 912, 914. Container 902, however, may include some
differences
from containers 2, 202, 302, 702. In particular, container 902 may be larger
than
containers 2, 202, 302, 702 in both length, width, and volume. Optionally, in
some
examples, containers 2, 202, 302, 702, 902 may have a lid that is removably
connected to the base, where the latches may be arranged along each side of
the body
and the lid, such that the lid may be removed by unlatching the latches on all
of the
latches, such as that latches are arranged on the front side 908, a rear side
910
opposite the front side 908, right side 912 and left side 914 opposite the
right side
912.
[0181] Because of its larger size, container 902 may include a pair of wheel
assemblies 986
to assist a user in easily moving it as shown in FIGS. 45 and 46. The wheel
assemblies 986 may be attached to the bottom portion 920 of the base portion
904 or
may be attached to both the bottom portion 920 and the right side 912 of the
base
portion 904. The wheel assemblies 986 may include a wheel housing 987 and a
wheel
988, where the each wheel 988 may be mounted to the wheel housing 987 prior to
the
wheel housing 987 being mounted to the base portion 904. Each wheel assembly
986
may be secured into a wheel recess 989 on the base portion 904. Each wheel
assembly 986 may be secured within the recess using at least one mechanical
fastener.
[0182] The base portion 904 of container 902 may include a pair of tracks 926
positioned
along at least two of the interior surfaces 906A of the sidewall structure
906. As
shown in the FIGS. 47-49, the interior surfaces 906A may include two pairs of
tracks
926 arranged and aligned opposite each other on each of the interior surfaces
of front
and rear sides 908, 910. Each pair of tracks 926 may be spaced apart from each
other,
where each pair of tracks may receive a removable divider wall 525 shown in
FIG.
57. The removable divider wall 525 for container 902 may be similar to divider
wall
510, but larger to fit container 902. Each track 926 may also extend from the
interior
surfaces 906A of the sidewall structure 906 onto the interior surface of the
bottom
portion 920. In addition, as shown in FIG. 49, each track 926 may include a
hollow
cavity 990 between an outward facing surface 991 of each track 926 and the
outward
facing surface of the sidewall structure 906 and/or the outward facing surface
of the
bottom portion 920 of container 902. The hollow cavity 990 may be formed by a
gas
assist molding process when the base portion 904 is molded. The hollow cavity
990
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may allow each track 926 to have a substantially constant wall thickness. In
some
examples, the hollow cavity 990 may have a length that is greater than a
height, where
the length is measured along the longest dimension of the container 902 and a
height
is measured in a top to bottom direction. The length of the hollow cavity 990
may be
approximately 3 times greater than a wall thickness of each track 926 or
within a
range of 2 times and 4 times greater than the wall thickness of each track
926. The
height of the hollow cavity 990 may be within 1.5 times and 2.5 times greater
than the
wall thickness of each track 926. As discussed above, the tracks 926 may
receive a
removable divider, but may also act as ribs to structurally reinforce the
sidewall
structure 906 of container 902.
[0183] Base 904 may also include a plurality of tabs 921 similar to tabs 321
discussed above
positioned along the interior surfaces 906A of the sidewall structure 906. For
example, as shown in FIG. 48, the tabs may be positioned along each interior
surface
906A of sidewall structure 906. Pairs of tabs 921 may be located opposite one
another in order to support a variety of accessories. As shown in the
exemplary
embodiment of FIG. 48, the interior surfaces 906A may include twelve tabs 921,
however, the number of tabs 921 may be more or less than twelve. In addition,
the
base 904 may include a corner support 992 in each corner of the interior
surfaces
906A. Each corner support 992 may protrude inward from the interior surfaces
906A
toward the interior void of the container 902. The corner supports 992 may
have an
upper surface 993 that is substantially coplanar to an upper support surface
923 of
each tab 921. These corner supports 992 may help support an accessory like
tray 560
or other accessories as desired. As shown in FIG. 50, each corner support 992
may
include a hollow cavity 994 between an outward facing surface 995 of the
corner
support 992 and the outward facing surfaces of the sidewall structure 906 and
bottom
portion 920. The hollow cavity 994 may be formed by a gas assist molding
process
when the base portion 904 is molded similar to hollow cavity 990. The hollow
cavity
990 may allow each corner support 992 to have a substantially constant wall
thickness. In addition, each corner support 992 may extend along a majority of
the
height of the base 904 and extend from the sidewall structure 906 onto the
interior
surface of the bottom portion 920. The corner supports 992 may also help to
strengthen and stiffen the base 904.
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[0184] In some examples, the tracks 926 and corner supports 992 may be formed
with the
sidewall structure 906 as a unitary member. Alternatively, the tracks 926 and
corner
supports 992 may be formed separately and permanently attached using a polymer
welding technique, such as Emabond , or attached using an adhesive or other
permanent joining technique.
[0185] Similar to the other containers disclosed herein, lid 905 may be
pivotally attached to
base 904. In some examples, lid 905 may also have a lid support member 1000.
The
lid support member 1000 may releasably or permanently attach to the interior
surface
909 of the lid 905. Portions of the lid support member 1000 may contact an
interior
surface 909 of the lid 905 to provide additional flexural strength to lid 905
during
loading, such as when heavy items are placed on top of the lid 905. In
addition, the
lid support member 1000 may act as a molle board to allow various accessories
550 or
other items to be releasably connected to the lid support member 1000 to allow
a user
easy access to these items. The various accessories 550 may be secured to the
lid
support member 1000 using straps 1030 that extend through openings in the lid
support member 1000. As shown in FIGS. 55-56, a variety of storage bags or
other
items may releasably attached to the lid support member 1000 using straps
1030.
[0186] As shown in FIGS. 51-56, the lid support member 1000 may include a
primary wall
1001 with a front surface 1002 formed by a plurality of front lateral ribs
1004 and a
plurality front longitudinal ribs 1006, where a majority of the front lateral
ribs 1004
and front longitudinal ribs intersect each other in a generally perpendicular
orientation
forming a grid-like structure. The front surface 1002 may be substantially
planar and
have a grid-like shape where the frontal lateral ribs 1004 form wider portions
on the
front surface 1002 than the frontal longitudinal ribs 1006. The primary wall
1001
may connect to a perimeter wall 1008 where the perimeter wall 1008 may include
apertures 1010 to receive mechanical fasteners to attach the lid support
member 1000
to lid 905. The primary wall may also include a rear surface 1012 located
opposite
the front surface 1002, where the rear surface 1012 may be formed by a
plurality of
rear lateral ribs 1014 and a plurality of rear longitudinal ribs 1016. The
rear surface
1012 may have a grid-like shape and may also be substantially planar and
substantially parallel to the front surface 1002. In addition, the rear
longitudinal ribs
1016 may be arranged in pairs 1018 that are spaced apart from each other with
a
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larger space between the neighboring pair 1018 of rear longitudinal ribs 1016.
A
portion of the rear surface 1012 may contact the interior surface 909 of the
lid 905 to
help provide additional support to the lid 905 when needed. Alternatively, the
lid
support member 1000 may have a plurality of contact members that extend from
the
rear surface 1012 and contact the interior surface 909 of the lid 905 to help
provide
additional support to the lid 905 when needed. These contact members may be
rear
ribs and/or bosses that are releasably or permanently connected to the lid 905
using
mechanical fasteners extending through the primary wall 1001. The mechanical
fasteners may be equally spaced apart from each other, or may be arranged in
an
asymmetric pattern. A plurality of connecting members 1020 may be positioned
between the front surface 1002 and the rear surface 1012. Each connecting
member
1020 may connect to and extend between neighboring rear lateral ribs 1014 and
neighboring pairs 1018 of rear longitudinal ribs 1016. Each connecting member
1020
may also connect to and extend between neighboring front lateral ribs 1004 and
neighboring front longitudinal ribs 1006. Each of the front ribs 1004, 1006
may
include a tapered region that extends from the front surface 1002 to the
adjacent
connecting member 1020. In the illustrated examples, the front and rear
lateral ribs
1004, 1014 are oriented in a generally horizontal direction, while the front
and rear
longitudinal ribs 1006, 1016 are oriented in a generally vertical direction
relative to
the perimeter wall 1008. However, it is contemplated that the lateral ribs
1004, 1014
and the longitudinal ribs 1006, 1016 may be oriented at various angles
relative to the
edges of the perimeter wall 1008. Further, the lateral ribs 1004, 1014 may be
oriented
at various angles to their corresponding longitudinal ribs 1006, 1016, where
in some
examples, the front ribs 1004, 1006 may be oriented at a different angle to
each other
than the rear ribs 1014, 1016 are oriented to each other.
[0187] In addition, a majority of the front lateral ribs 1004 may have a
lateral rib opening
1022 that extends through the rib 1004. The lateral rib opening 1022 may be
located
between the front surface 1002 and an outward facing surface 1024 of each
connecting member 1020. In some examples, each of the front lateral ribs 1004
may
have a lateral rib opening 1022. Each lateral rib opening 1022 may be
elongated in
shape and create a pathway to route a strap 1030 through the rib opening 1022
to
secure an item to the lid support member 1000. Similarly, a majority of the
front
longitudinal ribs 1006 may have a longitudinal rib opening 1026 that extends
through
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the rib 1006. The longitudinal rib opening 1026 may be located between the
front
surface 1002 and an outward facing surface 1024 of each connecting member
1020.
In some examples, each of the front longitudinal ribs 1006 may have a
longitudinal
rib opening 1026. Each longitudinal rib opening 1026 may be elongated in shape
and
create a pathway to route a strap 1030 through the longitudinal rib opening
1026 to
secure an accessory 550 to the lid support member 1000. The plurality of
lateral and
longitudinal rib openings 1022, 1026 create multiple pathways to receive a
strap 1030
in either a longitudinal or a lateral direction to secure an accessory 550 to
the lid
support member 1000. To secure an accessory 550 to the lid support member
1000, a
strap 1030 may be inserted into one of either the lateral or longitudinal rib
openings
1022, 1026 and then the strap 1030 may be wrapped around a portion of the
accessory
desired to be attached and then secured to itself with a hook and loop type
connector
or other type of connection. Alternatively, the accessory 550 may have an
integral or
removable strap 1030 that may be routed through one of the rib openings 1022,
1026
to secure the accessory 550 to the lid support member 1000.
[0188] FIG. 57-59 illustrate another version of exemplary container 902 except
with lid
support member 1100 instead of lid support member 1000. In addition, container
902
of FIGS. 57-59 may include a lid stay rod assembly 1140 and kick out ribs 1170
described below. Similar to the other containers disclosed herein, lid 905 may
be
pivotally attached to base 904 with a hinge. In some examples, lid 905 may
also have
a lid support member 1100. The lid support member 1100 may releas ably or
permanently attach to the interior surface 909 of the lid 905. The lid support
member
1100 may include a primary wall 1102 with a front surface 1104 and a rear
surface
opposite the front surface 1104. The primary wall 1102 may connect to a
perimeter
wall 1108, where the perimeter wall 1108 may include apertures 1110 to receive
mechanical fasteners 1112 to attach the lid support member 1100 to lid 905.
The
primary wall 1102 may contact the interior surface 909 of the lid 905 in a
plurality of
locations. For example, the primary wall 1102 may include rear ribs or bosses
that
extend from the rear surface to contact the interior surface 909 of the lid
905 and help
support the lid 905. These rear ribs and/or bosses may be releasably or
permanently
connected to the lid 905 using mechanical fasteners 1112 extending through the
primary wall 1102. The mechanical fasteners 1112 may be equally spaced apart
from
each other as shown in FIG. 58, or may be arranged in an asymmetric pattern.
The lid
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support member 1100 may provide additional flexural strength to lid 905 during
loading, such as when heavy items are placed on top of the lid 905.
[0189] A plurality of openings 1114 extending through the primary wall 1102
that are
configured to receive a strap or other member used to secure an item, such as
a
storage bag 540, to the lid support member 1100. The openings 1114 may have an
elongated shape. In some examples, the openings 1114 may have a rectangular
shape
with a length that may be two times or three times the width. In addition, an
opening
support rib 1116 may extend across each opening 1114. The opening support rib
1116 may extend behind each opening 1114 and may be spaced a predetermined
distance from the rear surface 1106 creating a gap 1118 between an edge 1120
of the
opening support rib 1116 and an end 1122 of the opening 1114 to route a strap
from
an item attached to the lid support member 1100. The gaps 1118 may be arranged
near both ends 1122 of the openings 1114. In addition, the lid support member
1100
may act to allow various accessories 550 shown in FIGS. 55-56 or other items
such as
storage bag 540 shown in FIG. 57.
[0190] As another option, container 902 may have a lid stay rod assembly 1140
that extends
between base 904 and lid 905 to prevent the lid 905 from accidentally closing
when
the lid 905 is in a fully open configuration (i.e. lid 905 is oriented
approximately
perpendicular to the base 904). The lid stay rod assembly 1140 may be a
telescoping
assembly that automatically locks into a rigid structure when the lid 905 is
opened to
the fully open configuration. The lid stay rod assembly 1140 may require a
user to
activate a release mechanism 1142 to allow the lid 905 to close. The lid stay
rod
assembly 1140 may be pivotally attached to both the lid 905 and the base 904
to allow
the rod assembly 1140 to fold into a storage configuration when the lid 905 is
in the
closed configuration. The lid stay rod assembly 1140 may be arranged near the
right
side 912 of the sidewall structure 906. Alternatively, the lid stay rod
assembly 1140
may be arranged on left side 914 of the sidewall structure 906. While shown in
container 902, a similarly arranged lid stay rod assembly 1140 may be included
in any
of the containers described herein.
[0191] As discussed above, container 902 may include a plurality of latch
assemblies 800
that are positioned on the lid 905 to engage latch keepers 970 positioned on
the front
side 908 of the sidewall structure 906 and on the sides 912, 914 of the
sidewall
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structure 906. When the lid 905 is pivotally connected to the base 904 with a
hinge,
the lid 905 may open with an arc-like movement as it pivots about the hinge.
To
ensure that the latch assemblies 800A arranged on the sides 912, 914 do not
bind
and/or inhibit the opening or closing of the lid 905, sides 912, 914 of the
sidewall
structure may include a kick out rib 1170. Similar to bases 304 and 704, base
904
may include a plurality of ramped or tapered surfaces 971 positioned on either
side of
the latch keeper 970. The ramped surfaces 971 may angle downward from the
interface surface 936 of the base 904. Ramped surfaces 971 may include a first
ramped surface 971 adjacent a first end of the latch keeper 970A and a second
ramped
surface 971 adjacent a second end of the latch keeper 970A. A kick out rib
1170 may
extend from sides 912, 914 of the sidewall structure 906 or may extend from
either or
both of the ramped surfaces 971 that are positioned on either side of the
latch keeper
970A as shown in FIG. 59. The kick out rib 1170 may be arranged on an outboard
portion of the ramped surfaces 971. The kick out rib 1170 may push the latch
assembly 800A away from the base 904 to prevent a latch assembly 800A from
binding as the lid 905 moves from the open configuration to the closed
configuration
or as the lid 905 moves from the closed configuration to the open
configuration.
[0192] As discussed above, each latch assembly 800 may be pivotally engaged
with the lid
905 using a hinge or latch pin 806. Each latch assembly 800 may engage a latch
keeper 970 when the latch assembly 800 is in the locked position. Each latch
keeper
970A may be arranged on sides 912 and 914 of the sidewall structure 906 may
include an upper surface 972, an inner surface, a lower surface 976. In some
examples, the kick out rib 1170 may extend from the ramped surfaces 971 and
may be
arranged on opposite ends of the ramped surfaces 971. Ramped surfaces 971 may
have the same properties as ramped surface 371 described above. As shown in
the
illustrated example, a kick out rib 1170 may extend from an upper portion of
the
ramped surface 971 or may extend from an edge of the interface surface 936 of
the
base 904. Each kick out rib 1170 may extend outward beyond a front surface 977
of
the latch keeper 970. Each kick out rib 1170 may have an upper ramped surface
1172
that extends outward and downward in a diverging manner from the ramped
surface
971 and a lower ramped surface 1174 that converges toward the upper ramped
surface
1172. In some examples, the upper ramped surface 1172 may be substantially
coplanar with the ramped surface 971. A rounded edge 1176 may extend between
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upper ramped surface 1172 and the lower ramped surface 1174. In addition, when
the
lid 905 is in the closed configuration, the kick out rib 1170 may be
positioned
between the latch body 802 of the latch assembly 800 and the raised portion
964 of
the sidewall structure 906.
[0193] When the lid 905 moves from the open configuration to the closed
configuration, a
kick out rib 1170 may contact the latch assembly 800 and push the latch
assembly 800
away from sidewall structure 906 to prevent the latch assembly 800 from
binding or
preventing the lid 905 from closing. Similarly, as the lid 905 moves from the
closed
configuration to the open configuration, the latch assembly 800 may contact a
kick
out rib 1170 to prevent the latch assembly 800 from binding or preventing the
lid 905
from opening. The kick out ribs 1170 may only be present on sides 912, 914 of
the
sidewall structure 906.
[0194] While the lid support members 1000, 1100, lid stay rod assembly 1140,
and kick out
ribs 1170 are described with respect to container 902, these features may be
arranged
on any of the containers described herein.
[0195] FIGS. 60-63 illustrates an alternate version of container 902 except
instead of a strap
handle 980, the container 902 includes a pull handle assembly 1050 that
enables a
user to ergonomically maneuver the container 902. The pull handle assembly
1050
may assist when the container 902 is tilted into a rolling position with the
end
opposite the wheels 988 off the container's resting surface. The pull handle
assembly
1050 may be connected to side 914 of the sidewall structure 906, which is
arranged
opposite side 912 that includes the wheel assemblies 986. A user may grasp
handle
1052 to raise side 914 upward, which shifts the weight of the container 902
onto the
wheels 988 and allows the user to pull the container 902. The pull handle
assembly
1050 may have an extended configuration that enables a user to pull the
container 902
and a nested configuration where the pull handle assembly 1050 is located
within a
recess 996 on side 914. When the pull handle assembly 1050 is in the nested
configuration, an upper surface 1058 of the pull handle 1052 may be
substantially
parallel an outward facing surface of side 914.
[0196] The pull handle assembly 1050 may include a pull handle 1052 pivotally
attached to
side 914, a primary hinge plate 1054 pivotally attached to the pull handle
1052, a
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secondary hinge plate 1056 pivotally attached to both the primary hinge plate
1054
and to side 914. The pull handle 1052 may include a first handle end 1060 that
is
pivotally connected to side 914 of the sidewall structure 906 and a second
handle end
1062 opposite the first handle end 1060 and a pull handle body 1064 extending
between the first handle end 1060 and the second handle end 1062. The first
handle
end 1060 may have a pair of engaging members 1066 that are received into the
clevis
portions 985 on either end of the handle 940. The engaging members 1066 may be
pivotally connected to the clevis portions 985 using a pin. The primary hinge
plate
1054 may be pivotally connected to the pull handle body 1064 at a location
nearer the
first handle end 1060 of the pull handle body 1064 than the second handle end
1062.
The primary hinge plate 1054 and the secondary hinge plate 1056 may nest
together
such that when the pull handle assembly 1050 is in the nested configuration,
the
primary hinge plate 1054 is positioned between the pull handle 1052 and the
secondary hinge plate 1056 and the secondary hinge plate 1056 is located
between the
primary hinge plate 1054 and side 914. A spring and damper may be connected
between the primary hinge plate 1054 and the secondary hinge plate 1056 to
bias the
pull handle assembly 1050 into a nested position. Additionally, when the pull
handle
assembly 1050 is in the nested configuration, the secondary hinge plate 1056
and the
primary hinge plate 1054 are substantially parallel with pull handle 1052. As
previously discussed, when container 902 is equipped with the articulating
pull handle
assembly 1050, side 914 may include a recess 996 that extends a majority of
the
height of side 914 to allow the handle assembly 1050 to nest within the recess
996.
[0197] The pull handle body 1064 may include at least one grip opening 1068
that extend
through the pull handle body 1064 to allow a user to easily grasp the pull
handle
1052. In some examples, the pull handle body 1064 may include multiple grip
openings 1068 to allow a user flexibility in where the pull handle body 1064
may be
gripped. Each opening 1068 may extend across a majority of the length of the
pull
handle body 1064 and may have the same width or have different widths. As
shown
in the illustrated examples, each opening 1068 may be located nearer the first
handle
end 1060 than the second handle end 1062 on the pull handle body 1064. The
primary hinge plate 1054 may be attached to the pull handle body 1064 aft of
the
opening 1068 (nearer the second handle end 1062 than opening 1068).
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[0198] In addition, FIGS. 60-63 illustrate the pull handle assembly 1050 as it
transitions from
a nested configuration shown in FIG. 60 to an extended position in FIGS. 62-
63. FIG.
61 illustrates the pull handle assembly 1050 in a partially extended condition
where
the pull handle 1052 is raised slightly and the primary hinge plate 1054 forms
an
acute angle with the secondary hinge plate 1056. FIGS. 62-63 illustrate the
pull
handle assembly 1050 in an extended configuration. When the pull handle 1052
is
fully extended, the primary hinge plate 1054 may form an acute angle with the
secondary hinge plate 1056. The hinge plates 1054, 1056 may act to limit the
pull
handle 1052 from over rotating while also provide additional strength to the
pull
handle assembly 1050.
[0199] The lid support member 1000 and pull handle assembly 1050 components
may be
formed from polymeric materials, which may be a filled or unfilled polymer.
For
example, the polymeric materials may be a PC-ABS, polyethylene, or other
similar
material. In addition, the lid support member 1000 and pull handle assembly
1050
components can be manufactured by polymer processing techniques, such as
various
molding and casting techniques and/or other known techniques. Alternatively or
optionally, the lid support member 1000 and pull handle assembly 1050 may be
formed of a metallic material such as an aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, or
other
metallic material with a density below 3 g/cc. As another option, the
container
components such as the lid, body, lid support member and pull handle assembly
may
include a structural foam with a composite polymer material with a low density
foamed core and a higher density polymer skin.
[0200] According to one aspect, a container is disclosed. The container may
include a
molded base including: a sidewall structure having a first side, a second side
opposite
the first side, a third side extending between an edge of the first side and
an edge of
the second side, and a fourth side opposite the third side, the sidewall
structure having
a first end and a second end; a bottom portion connected to a first end of the
sidewall
structure and configured to support the container on a surface; and an opening
formed
at a second end of the sidewall structure, opposite the first end, the opening
being
configured to allow access to an interior void of the container formed by the
sidewall
structure and the bottom portion. The container may also include a latch
keeper
extending from the sidewall structure, the latch keeper having an upper
surface, an
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inner surface and a lower surface; a lid, the lid pivotal between an open
configuration
and a closed configuration, the lid having a shape corresponding to a shape of
the base
and configured to cover the opening formed at the second end of the sidewall
structure when the container is in the closed configuration; a hinge
configured to
connect the lid to the base and about which the lid is rotatable from the
closed
configuration to the open configuration. The container may also include a
latch
assembly, the latch assembly having a locked position and an unlocked
position, the
latch assembly comprising; a latch body pivotally engaged with the lid, the
latch body
having at least one engagement lug; a locking member slidably engaged with the
latch
body, the locking member being slidable between at least a downward position
and an
upward position, the locking member configured to lock the lid in the closed
configuration when the locking member is in the downward position and
configured
to unlock the lid when the locking member is in the upward position; a biasing
member engaged with the latch body and the locking member, the biasing member
biasing the locking member in a downward position; and an activating member
pivotally engaged with the latch body and engaged with the locking member, the
activating member configured to move the locking member from the downward
position to the upward position. The latch assembly may only be moved from the
unlocked position to the locked position when the locking member is in the
upward
position. The at least one engagement lug of the latch body may engage the
lower
surface of latch keeper when the latch assembly is in the locked position. The
lower
surface of the locking member engages the upper surface of the latch keeper
when the
latch assembly is in the locked position.
[0201] Rotating the lid from the closed configuration to the open
configuration may include
rotating the lid 900 from the closed configuration. The container may contain
insulation within the sidewall structure. The container may include a second
latch
assembly. The container may include a gasket arranged in a recess formed in at
least
one of the base and the lid. The container may include a channel integrally
molded
with an exterior surface of the base. The channel may extend around an entire
exterior perimeter of the base. The container may also include at least one
handle.
The handle may include a first arm and a second arm, and each of the first arm
and
second arm may include a raised portion at a distal end of the arm.
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[0202] According to another aspect, a container is disclosed. The container
may include a
base including: a sidewall structure having at least a first side and a second
side
opposite the first side, the sidewall structure having a first end and a
second end; a
bottom portion connected to a first end of the sidewall structure and
configured to
support the container on a surface; an opening formed at a second end of the
sidewall
structure, opposite the first end, the opening being configured to allow
access to an
interior void of the container formed by the sidewall structure and the bottom
portion;
and a latch keeper extending from the sidewall structure, the latch keeper
having an
upper surface, an inner surface and a lower surface. The container may also
include a
lid, the lid pivotal between an open configuration and a closed configuration,
the lid
having a shape corresponding to a shape of the base and configured to cover
the
opening formed at the second end of the sidewall structure when the container
is in
the closed configuration; a hinge configured to connect the lid to the base
and about
which the lid is rotatable from the closed configuration to the open
configuration; and
a latch assembly, the latch assembly having a locked position and an unlocked
position. The latch assembly may include a latch body pivotally engaged with
the lid,
the latch body having at least one engagement lug; a locking member engaged
with
the latch body, the locking member being movable between at least a downward
position and an upward position, the locking member configured to lock the lid
in the
closed configuration when the locking member is in the downward position and
configured to unlock the lid when the locking member is in the upward
position; a
biasing member engaged with the latch body and the locking member, the biasing
member biasing the locking member in a downward position; and an activating
member pivotally engaged with the latch body and engaged with the locking
member,
the activating member configured to move the locking member from the downward
position to the upward position.
[0203] The locking member may be slidably engaged with the latch body, the
locking
member being slidable between the downward position and the upward position.
The
latch assembly may only be moved from the unlocked position to the locked
position
when the locking member is in the upward position. The at least one engagement
lug
of the latch body engages the lower surface of latch keeper when the latch
assembly is
in the locked position. The lower surface of the locking member may engage the
upper surface of the latch keeper when the latch assembly is in the locked
position.
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The container may also include a gasket arranged in a recess formed in at
least one of
the base and the lid. The container may also include a channel integrally
molded with
an exterior surface of the base, wherein the channel extends around the entire
exterior
surface of the base. The container may also include at least one handle with
the handle
having a first arm and a second arm, and wherein each of the first arm and
second arm
include a raised portion at a distal end of the arm.
[0204] According to another aspect, a latch assembly for a structure is
disclosed. The
structure may have an open configuration and a closed configuration, the
structure
comprising; and a first portion movable relative to a second portion; a latch
keeper
engaged with the first portion. The latch assembly, the latch assembly having
a
locked position and an unlocked position, the latch assembly may include a
latch body
pivotally engaged with the second portion; a locking member engaged with the
latch
body, the locking member being movable between at least a downward position
and
an upward position, the locking member configured to lock the lid in the
closed
configuration when the locking member is in the downward position and
configured
to unlock the lid when the locking member is in the upward position; and an
activating member pivotally engaged with the latch body and engaged with the
locking member, the activating member configured to move the locking member
from
the downward position to the upward position.
[0205] The latch assembly may also include a biasing member engaged with the
latch body
and the locking member, the biasing member biasing the locking member in a
downward position. The locking member may be slidably engaged with the latch
body, the locking member being slidable between the downward position and the
upward position. The latch assembly may only be moved from the unlocked
position
to the locked position when the locking member is in the upward position.
[0206] The latch body may include an inner surface and the latch keeper may
include an
upper surface, an inner surface and a lower surface. The at least one
engagement lug
of the latch body may engage the lower surface of latch keeper when the latch
assembly is in the locked position; and the lower surface of the locking
member may
engage the upper surface of the latch keeper when the latch assembly is in the
locked
position.
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CA 03203761 2023-05-31
WO 2022/133017
PCT/US2021/063684
[0207] The present disclosure is disclosed above and in the accompanying
drawings with
reference to a variety of examples. The purpose served by the disclosure,
however, is
to provide examples of the various features and concepts related to the
disclosure, not
to limit the scope of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will
recognize that
numerous variations and modifications may be made to the examples described
above
without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
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