Induction activated cover assembly

• US 8,188,689 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itouchless Housewares and Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Michael Shek
• Inventors: Shek, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDA, RINA I
• Application Number:
  US12/569,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 318/3, 318/9, 318/12, 318/14, 318/15
• US Class Current: 318/9
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1607 with filling openings
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1623 with means for assisting the opening or closing thereof, e.g. springs spring-actuated swinging wings E05F1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1638 Electromechanically operated lids

Abstract

An induction activated cover assembly includes a main body, a cover, a covering plate and two pivots. The main body has an opening vertically penetrating the main body. A lateral connecting groove is formed on a top surface of the main body. Two through holes are formed on two ends of the connecting groove respectively. The cover is pivotably disposed on the main body. A lateral connecting body is formed on a rear end of the cover, and the connecting body has a connecting body opening facing downward. Two pivot bores are formed on two ends of the connecting body. The covering plate encloses the connecting body opening. A receiving room is defined between the connecting body and the covering plate for the pivots to be received therein. Each pivot inserts through one of the pivot bores and its corresponding through hole to pivot the cover on the main body.

Claims

1. An induction activated cover assembly, comprising:

a main body, having an opening vertically penetrating the main body, a rear chamber being defined by the main body, a lateral connecting groove being formed on a top surface of the main body, the rear chamber and the connecting groove being located behind the opening, two through holes being formed on two ends of the connecting groove respectively;

a cover, pivotably disposed on the main body to move pivotably between an open position and a close position, the opening being open as the cover is at the open position, the opening being closed as the cover is at the close position, a lateral connecting body being formed on a rear end of the cover, the connecting body having a connecting body opening facing downward, two pivot bores being formed on two ends of the connecting body and corresponding to the through holes respectively;

a covering plate, enclosing the connecting body opening, a receiving room being defined between the connecting body and the covering plate;

two pivots, disposed in the receiving room, each pivot inserting through one of the pivot bores and its corresponding through hole to pivot the cover on the main body;

an induction unit for detecting a movement of a target body;

a driving unit, operatively connecting to the induction unit, the induction unit selectively activating the driving unit to drive the cover to pivotably move between the open position and the close position as the induction unit detects the target body moving;

at least one resilient unit, being disposed in the rear chamber, the resilient unit providing the cover with a torque force for the cover to have a tendency to pivotably move to the open position.

2. The induction activated cover assembly of claim 1, wherein a connecting flange being extended from a rear end of the connecting body, the driving unit includes a motor and a deceleration gear set being in a rotational operative relationship with the motor, the deceleration gear set includes a terminal gear unit, a protrusion is radially extended from the terminal gear unit, a link connects the protrusion to the connecting flange;

wherein when the motor is activated, the deceleration gear set is driven to rotate the protrusion between a first position and a second position, driving the cover to pivotably move between the open position and the close position respectively.

3. The induction activated cover assembly of claim 2, wherein a connecting groove has a connecting hole communicating the connecting groove with the rear chamber, the link extends through the connecting hole.

4. The induction activated cover assembly of claim 1, wherein an axle is rotational operatively disposed at a center of the terminal gear unit, the resilient unit is sleeved on the axle, and the resilient unit connects to the axle at one end thereof.

5. The induction activated cover assembly of claim 3, wherein the connecting groove is defined by a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall and two side walls, a height of the front wall is smaller than that of the rear wall, a height drop between the front and rear walls is substantially equal to a thickness of the connecting body, whereby a top surface of the cover is flush with that of a rear portion of the main body as the cover is at the close position.

6. The induction activated cover assembly of claim 5, wherein the connecting hole is formed on the bottom wall and the rear wall, and the through holes are formed on the side walls respectively.

7. The induction activated cover assembly of claim 5, wherein a width of the bottom wall is no smaller than the thickness of the connecting body, whereby the connecting body rests between the front and rear walls as the cover is at the open position.

8. The induction activated cover assembly of claim 1, wherein a power source is disposed in the rear chamber, the power source includes multiple batteries arranged in a row, and the power source electrically connects to the driving unit.

9. The induction activated cover assembly of claim 8, wherein the driving unit is disposed atop the power source.

10. The induction activated cover assembly of claim 1, wherein a front chamber is defined by the main body, the front chamber is located in front of the opening, the induction unit is disposed in the front chamber.

11. The induction activated cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the connecting body has at least one lateral rib disposed near each end of the connecting body, and the covering plate has one rim extending toward the connecting body near each end thereof, each pivot includes a cylinder rod and a larger head disposed at one end of the cylinder rod, each rib is formed with an arc notch, a curvature of the arc notch corresponds to the cylinder rod, the head of each pivot is tightly received between the rib and the rim, and the cylinder rod is settled on the arc notch and inserts through the pivot bore and the through hole, whereby reducing the oscillation of the cover.