Hinged lid handling tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10894703-B2
Application number	US-201916677141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2019
Priority date	Feb 15, 2017
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

An ergonomic apparatus for handling a hinged lid that reduces force required to open the hinged lid and bending by a user, maintains the lid in an open position to prevent accidental closure of the lid, and assists with closing the lid. The apparatus has a horizontal member with an attachment means for removably coupling the apparatus to the hinged lid, a vertical member extending from a proximal end of the horizontal member, and a handle in operable communication with the vertical member. The vertical member and handle are configured relative to the horizontal member such that when the vertical member is positioned on a flat surface, the handle is raised above the flat surface by about 10° to 25° and the hinged lid is maintained in an open position having an angle greater than 90° relative to an opening the hinged lid was covering.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for handling a hinged lid comprising:
a horizontal member;
a vertical member extending in a generally vertical direction from a proximal end of the horizontal member at a first acute angle relative to an upper surface of the horizontal member to form a working position where a distal end of the vertical member is forward of an axis orthogonal to the horizontal member at the proximal end of the horizontal member; and
a handle in operable communication with and extending from the distal end of the vertical member at an obtuse angle relative to an internal surface of the vertical member such that when the vertical member is positioned on a flat surface, the handle forms a second acute angle between the handle and the flat surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first acute angle between the vertical member and the horizontal member is 79° to 81°.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the obtuse angle of the handle is 155° to 170°, such that when the vertical member is positioned on the flat surface, the second acute angle between the handle and the flat surface is in a range of 10° to 25°.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal member comprises an attachment means for removably coupling the apparatus to the hinged lid, the attachment means positioned between a center and a distal end of the horizontal member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an anti-slip extension in operable communication with the distal end of the horizontal member, the anti-slip extension having a length that extends past the distal end of the horizontal member and beyond a non-hinged end of the hinged lid.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first stiffener affixed to and extending away from the internal surface of the vertical member, and extending from the proximal end at least a portion of an overall length of the vertical member.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a second stiffener affixed to and extending away from the upper surface of the horizontal member, and extending from the proximal end at least a portion of an overall length of the horizontal member.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one side support having a triangular shape with interior angles corresponding to the first acute angle, the at least one side support affixed to a side of the vertical member and a side of the horizontal member.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one side support has at least one hole through the at least one side support.

10. A method for making an apparatus for handling a hinged lid comprising:
extending a vertical member in a generally vertical direction from a proximal end of a horizontal member forward at a first acute angle relative to an upper surface of the horizontal member to form a working position where a distal end of the vertical member is forward of an axis orthogonal to the horizontal member at the proximal end of the horizontal member; and
positioning a handle in operable communication with and to extend from the distal end of the vertical member at an obtuse angle relative to an internal surface of the vertical member such that when the vertical member is positioned on a flat surface, the handle forms a second acute angle between the handle and the flat surface.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first acute angle between the vertical member and the horizontal member is 79° to 81°.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the obtuse angle of the handle is 155° to 170°, such that when the vertical member is positioned on the flat surface, the second acute angle between the handle and the flat surface is in the range of 10° to 25°.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising positioning an attachment means for removably coupling the apparatus to the hinged lid between a center and a distal end of the horizontal member.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising affixing an anti-slip extension in operable communication with the distal end of the horizontal member, such that the anti-slip extension extends away from the distal end of the horizontal member and beyond a non-hinged end of the hinged lid.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising affixing a first stiffener to an internal surface of the vertical member to extend away from the internal surface of the vertical member and to extend from a proximal end of the vertical member at least a portion of an overall length of the vertical member.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising affixing a second stiffener to an upper surface of the horizontal member to extend away from the upper surface of the horizontal member and to extend from the proximal end of the horizontal member at least a portion of an overall length of the horizontal member.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising affixing at least one side support to a side of the vertical member and a side of the horizontal member, the at least one side support having a triangular shape with interior angles corresponding to the first acute angle between the vertical member and the horizontal member.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising providing at least one hole through the at least one side support.

19. A method for handling a hinged lid comprising:
removably coupling an attachment means of a horizontal member of a hinged lid handling apparatus to a non-hinged end of the hinged lid, such that a connection point between the horizontal member and a vertical member extending from a proximal end of the horizontal member in a generally vertical direction forward of an axis orthogonal to the horizontal member is positioned proximate to a hinged end of the hinged lid;
pulling a handle in operable communication with a distal end of the vertical member to lift the non-hinged end of the hinged lid;
positioning the vertical member on a flat surface, such that the hinged lid is maintained in an open position having an angle greater than 90° relative to an opening the hinged lid was covering and the handle forms an acute angle between the handle and the flat surface in a range of 10° to 25°.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the removably coupling step further comprises extending an anti-slip extension in operable communication with the distal end of the horizontal member and beyond the non-hinged end of the hinged lid.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Schmidt Gary W
• Laggart Edward

Classifications

• B66F11/00

  Lifting devices specially adapted for particular uses not otherwise provided for (ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle B60S9/00) · CPC title

• B66F19/005 Primary

  Lifting devices for manhole covers · CPC title

• B66F15/00

  Crowbars or levers · CPC title