Self-aligning modular latch

• US 9,243,427 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Weber, Frank Dean, Potakowskyj, Christoph, Pollhammer, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton, Kristina
• Assistant Examiner(s): AHMAD, FARIA F
• Application Number:
  US13/012,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20120187128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 292/194, 292/195, 292/341.15, 292/341.17, 292/137, 292/138, 292/163, 292/145, 292/219, 292/220, 292/221, 292/228, 292/201, 292/198, 292/202, 292/216, 292/DIG.11, 292/DIG.61, 312/209, 312/215, 312/216, 361/679.57, 361/679.58
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 15/022 movable, resilient or yieldable adjustable into different discrete positions E05B15/024; yieldable striker for emergency opening E05B65/1026
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0009 with thermo-electric actuators, e.g. heated bimetals
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/006 for covers or panels for manholes E02D29/1427; for holes enabling access to installations in buildings E04F19/08; for pressure vessels F16J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0811 the bolts pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/46 for drawers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/30 for glove compartments
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/32 for console boxes, e.g. between passenger seats
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/02 Lock casings
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/009 Latches with floating bolts, e.g. rings, balls
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 3/24 in the form of a bifurcated member automatic catches with a bifurcated latch E05C19/024; locks with a bifurcated bolt E05B65/0046, E05B85/243
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/51 Bolt guides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/55 Bolt and keeper aligners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/60 Adjustment provisions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/08 Bolts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0908 Emergency operating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0926 Spring projected
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0928 Operating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0934 Rigid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0951 Rigid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/096 : Sliding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0969 : Spring projected
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1014 : Operating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1022 : Rigid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1043 : Swinging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1051 : Spring projected
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1052 : Operating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1053 : Lever and push or pull rod
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1061 : Rigid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1075 : Operating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1078 : Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 : Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/696 : With movable dog, catch or striker
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/699 : Motor controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/702 : Pivoted or swinging

Abstract

A container is disclosed that has a housing and a lid. The lid has a planar portion and a latch that is freely movable parallel to the planar portion of the lid. The latch has a retention feature and a first reference surface that is perpendicular to the planar portion of the lid. There is a latch mechanism coupled to the housing that has an engagement element configured to engage the retention feature of the latch and a first alignment feature having a first alignment surface. The first alignment feature is configured to laterally displace the latch in a first direction such that the first reference surface aligns with the first alignment surface when the lid is brought together with the housing with the fastener laterally displaced away from the engagement element in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

Claims

1. A container having a housing and a lid with a planar portion, the container comprising:

a latch carried by the lid and movable, relative to the lid, parallel to the planar portion of the lid, the latch comprising;

a retention feature; and

a first reference surface perpendicular to the planar portion of the lid; and

a latch mechanism coupled to the housing, the latch mechanism comprising;

an engagement element configured to engage the retention feature when in a first position and release the retention feature when in a second position, the engagement element freely movable between the first and second positions; and

a first alignment feature having a first alignment surface, the first alignment feature configured to laterally displace the latch in a first direction, when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced away from the engagement element in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, such that the first reference surface aligns with the first alignment surface; and

a second alignment feature configured to laterally displace the latch in the second direction when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced in the first direction;

wherein a gap between the first alignment feature and the engagement element in the first direction is less than a thickness of the retention feature of the latch in the first direction, such that the retention feature displaces the engagement element in the first direction toward the second position as the retention feature passes between the first alignment feature and the engagement element.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the first alignment feature is formed as a portion of the housing.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one pocket hole and the latch comprises at least one guide pin that is configured to mate with the at least one pocket hole prior to the latch contacting the first alignment feature, wherein there is sufficient clearance between the at least one guide pin and the at least one pocket hole to allow the latch to be displaced sufficiently to align the first reference surface with the first alignment surface.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the first and second alignment features are formed as portions of the housing.

11. The container of claim 1, wherein the latch mechanism further comprises a biasing element configured to urge the engagement element, in the second direction, to move toward the first position.

12. The container of claim 11, wherein the engagement element is rotatably coupled to the housing.

13. The container of claim 1, further comprising a memory alloy wire actuator coupled between the engagement element and the housing, the memory alloy wire actuator comprising:

a memory alloy wire having first and second ends; and

at least one terminal coupled to one end of the memory alloy wire.

14. The container of claim 1, wherein the latch has a range of motion relative to the lid that is greater than the maximum total of the component tolerances and assembly tolerances that affect the relative position of the latch and the engagement element.

15. The container of claim 14, wherein the component tolerances and assembly tolerances are added together using a Root Sum Square (RSS) method.

5. A container having a housing and a lid with a planar portion, the container comprising:

a latch carried by the lid and movable, relative to the lid, parallel to the planar portion of the lid, the latch comprising;

a retention feature;

a first reference surface perpendicular to the planar portion of the lid;

a second reference surface perpendicular to both the planar portion of the lid and the first reference surface; and

a latch mechanism coupled to the housing, the latch mechanism comprising;

an engagement element configured to engage the retention feature;

a first alignment feature having a first alignment surface, wherein the first alignment feature is configured to laterally displace the latch in a first direction, when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced away from the engagement element in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, such that the first reference surface aligns with the first alignment surface; and

a third alignment feature having a second alignment surface;

wherein the third alignment feature is configured to laterally displace the latch in a third direction being perpendicular to the first direction, when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced in a fourth direction away from the engagement element that is opposite to the third direction, such that the second reference surface aligns with the second alignment surface.

6. The container of claim 5, wherein the latch mechanism comprises a fourth alignment feature configured to laterally displace the latch in the fourth direction when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced in the third direction.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the latch mechanism comprises a second alignment feature configured to laterally displace the latch in the second direction when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced in the first direction.

8. The container of claim 6, wherein the first and third alignment features are formed as portions of the housing.

9. The container of claim 8, wherein the second and fourth alignment features are formed as portions of the housing.

10. The container of claim 5, wherein the housing comprises at least one pocket hole and the latch comprises at least one guide pin that is configured to mate with the at least one pocket hole prior to the latch contacting the first alignment feature, wherein there is sufficient clearance between the at least one guide pin and the at least one pocket hole to allow the latch to be displaced sufficiently to align the first reference surface with the first alignment surface and the second reference surface with the second alignment surface.

16. A mechanism for securing a lid to a housing, the mechanism comprising:

a latch carried by the lid and configured to be movable relative to the lid, the latch comprising;

a retention feature; and

a first reference surface; and

a latch mechanism configured to be coupled to the housing, the latch mechanism comprising;

an engagement element configured to interlock with the retention feature when in a first position and release the retention feature when in a second position, the engagement element freely movable between the first and second positions; and

a first alignment feature having a first alignment surface;

wherein (i) the first alignment feature is configured to laterally displace the latch in a first direction, when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced away from the engagement element in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, such that the first reference surface aligns with the first alignment surface, and (ii) the engagement element is configured to laterally displace the latch in the second direction when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced in the first direction,

wherein a gap between the first alignment feature and the engagement element in the first direction is less than a thickness of the retention feature of the latch in the first direction, such that the retention feature displaces the engagement element in the first direction toward the second position as the retention feature passes between the first alignment feature and the engagement element.

17. A method of closing and securing a lidded container, the method comprising the steps of:

bringing a lid having a planar portion and a latch, carried by the lid, that is movable, relative to the lid, parallel to the planar portion of the lid together with a housing having a latch mechanism and a first alignment feature;

laterally displacing the latch in a first direction, when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced away from an engagement element in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, such that a first reference surface of the latch, the first reference surface being perpendicular to the planar portion of the lid, is aligned with a first alignment surface of the first alignment feature;

laterally displacing the latch in the second direction when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced in the first direction;

laterally displacing the latch in a third direction, when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced away from the engagement element in a fourth direction that is opposite to the third direction, such that a second reference surface of the latch, the second reference surface being perpendicular to the planar portion of the lid and the first reference surface, is aligned with a second alignment surface of the second alignment feature; and

engaging a retention feature of the latch with an engagement element of the latch mechanism when in a first position, and releasing the retention feature when in a second position, the engagement element freely movable between the first and second positions, wherein a gap between the first alignment feature and the engagement element in the first direction is less than a thickness of the retention feature of the latch in the first direction, such that the retention feature displaces the engagement element in the first direction toward the second position as the retention feature passes between the first alignment feature and the engagement element.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of laterally displacing the latch in the fourth direction when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced in the third direction.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of laterally displacing the latch in the second direction when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch laterally displaced in the first direction.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of engaging a retention feature of the latch comprises urging the engagement element to return to the first position after the retention feature has passed between the engagement element and the first alignment feature by applying a force to the engagement element with a biasing element.