Irrigation control box with offset hinge assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10498115-B2
Application number	US-201816115481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

An irrigation control box can include a housing base having a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a top sidewall, a bottom sidewall, and a back wall. The box can include at least one hinge post. An offset hinge assembly can include a hinge assembly frame defining a hinge assembly interior, a first attachment structure positioned at least partially within the hinge assembly interior and configured to releasably attach to the at least one hinge post, and a rotational attachment point. A facepack can include at least one hinge point configured to mate with the rotational attachment point. In some cases, the facepack is configured to rotate about rotational attachment point of the offset hinge assembly with respect to the housing base when the housing base and facepack are each attached to the offset hinge assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An irrigation control box configured to releasable receive a facepack, the irrigation control box comprising:
a housing having a plurality of side walls and a back wall forming an interior for receiving at least a portion of the facepack;
at least one hinge post disposed in the interior and supported by the housing, the at least one hinge post having an engaging portion; and
a hinge assembly having:
at least one engagement feature to selectively move from at least a first position to a second position, the at least one engagement feature engaging with the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post when in the first position so as to secure the hinge assembly relative to the housing and disengaging from the engaging portion when in the second position so as to allow the hinge assembly to be separated from the housing, the at least one engagement feature being biased towards the first position,
a mating feature configured to engage with the facepack so as to allow the facepack to rotate relative to the hinge assembly, and
a biasing portion, the biasing portion being configured to bias the at least one engagement feature towards the first position.

2. The irrigation control box of claim 1 , further comprising:
a facepack configured to engage with the mating feature; and
a cover configured to couple to the housing so as to rotate about a first axis between a closed condition and an open condition, the cover and the housing surrounding the facepack when the cover is in the closed condition.

3. The irrigation control box of claim 2 , wherein the facepack rotates about a second axis different than the first axis when the facepack is engaged with the mating feature and the cover is in the open condition.

4. The irrigation control box of claim 1 , wherein the hinge assembly is configured to be pressed into engagement with the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post without the need for other user manipulation of the hinge assembly or the housing.

5. The irrigation control box of claim 4 , wherein the engagement includes contact between the at least one hinge post and a sloped surface of the hinge assembly.

6. The irrigation control box of claim 1 , wherein the biasing portion is formed as an integral part with the at least one engagement feature.

7. The irrigation control box of claim 1 , further comprising a fixed wall positioned at least partially within the hinge assembly and extending oblique or perpendicular to a direction in which the biasing portion biases the at least one engagement feature.

8. The irrigation control box of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hinge post is positioned to oppose the biasing of the at least one engagement feature towards the first position at least when the hinge assembly is being pressed on to the at least one hinge post but prior to the at least one engagement feature engaging with the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post.

9. The irrigation control box of claim 1 , wherein the at least one engagement feature deflects into engagement with the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post under force of the biasing portion when the at least one engagement feature engages with the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post.

10. An irrigation control box comprising:
a housing base having:
a first sidewall;
a second sidewall;
a top sidewall extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall;
a bottom sidewall extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall opposite the top sidewall;
a back wall connected to one or more of the first, second, top, and bottom sidewalls; and
at least one hinge post supported by the housing base and extending away from the back wall, the at least one hinge post having an engaging portion;

a hinge assembly having:
a plurality of walls defining an interior;
at least one engagement feature positioned at least partially within the interior to releasably attach to the at least one hinge post;
at least one biasing portion that biases the at least one engagement feature toward engagement with the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post;
at least one hinge mating feature; and
a module, the module including the at least one biasing portion and the at least one engagement feature; and

a facepack comprising at least one facepack mating feature that mates with the hinge mating feature, the facepack being rotatable about the at least one hinge mating feature with respect to the housing base when the housing base and the facepack are each attached to the hinge assembly.

11. The irrigation control box of claim 10 , wherein the at least one engagement feature deflects toward the at least one biasing portion and against a biasing force of the at least one biasing portion as the at least one hinge post is releasably attached to the at least one engagement feature.

12. The irrigation control box of claim 10 , wherein the at least one biasing portion is a leaf spring.

13. The irrigation control box of claim 10 , wherein the at least one biasing portion is formed as an integral part with the at least one engagement feature.

14. An irrigation control box comprising:
a housing base having at least one hinge post, the at least one hinge post having an engaging portion;
a facepack having at least one hinge point;
a hinge assembly comprising:
one or more hinge mating points configured to rotatably mate with the at least one hinge point of the facepack such that the facepack rotates about an axis of rotation with respect to the housing base; and
a releasable attachment point configured to releasably attach to the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post and being positioned such that the axis of rotation of the facepack is positioned further from the housing base than the releasable attachment point when the releasable attachment point is releasably attached to the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post; and
a module having a biasing portion and the releasable attachment point, the biasing portion being configured to apply a biasing force to the releasable attachment point to maintain the releasable attachment point in a first position.

15. The irrigation control box of claim 14 , wherein the hinge assembly is configured to be pressed into engagement with the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post without the need for other user manipulation of the hinge assembly or the housing base.

16. The irrigation control box of claim 14 , wherein the at least one hinge post is positioned to oppose the biasing of the releasable attachment point towards the first position at least when the hinge assembly is being pressed on to the at least one hinge post but prior to the releasable attachment point engaging with the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post.

17. The irrigation control box of claim 14 , wherein the releasable attachment point deflects into engagement with the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post under force of the biasing portion when the releasable attachment point engages with the engaging portion of the at least one hinge post.

Assignees

• Hunter Industries

Inventors

• Paul Michael F

Classifications

• A01G25/165

  Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations · CPC title

• H02B1/38

  Hinged covers or doors · CPC title

• H02B1/44 Primary

  Hinged covers or doors · CPC title

• H05K5/0017

  with operator interface units · CPC title

• H05K5/0226 Primary

  Hinges · CPC title