Self-aligning modular latch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12196007-B2
Application number	US-202318490114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2023
Priority date	Jan 24, 2011
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanism for securing a lid to a housing, the mechanism comprising:
a latch being moveable relative to the lid, the latch extending from the lid and comprising a retention feature having a first reference surface; and
a latch mechanism portion coupled to the housing, the latch mechanism portion comprising:
an engagement element, freely movable between a first position and a second position, configured to engage the retention feature in the first position to restrict vertical movement of the lid, and disengage from the retention feature in the second position to permit vertical movement of the lid;
a first alignment feature having a first alignment surface, the first alignment feature configured to displace the latch such that the first reference surface aligns with the first alignment surface;
a second alignment feature configured to displace the latch in a second lateral direction; and
a third alignment feature, the third alignment feature configured to displace the latch in a third direction, when the lid is moved toward the housing.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first alignment feature is configured to displace the latch when the lid is moved toward the housing such that the first reference surface aligns with the first alignment surface.

3. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first alignment feature configured to initially displace the latch in a first lateral direction away from the engagement element and then in a second lateral direction that is opposite to the first lateral direction towards the engagement element, such that the first reference surface aligns with the first alignment surface.

4. The mechanism of claim 3 , wherein the first alignment feature is configured to initially displace the latch in the first lateral direction when the lid is moved toward the housing and before the latch contacts the first alignment feature.

5. The mechanism of claim 3 , wherein the first alignment feature is configured to displace the latch in the second lateral direction when the lid is moved toward the housing and after the latch contacts the first alignment feature.

6. The mechanism of claim 3 , wherein the retention feature engages and displaces the engagement element in the second lateral direction toward the second position as the retention feature passes between the first alignment feature and the engagement element.

7. The mechanism of claim 3 , wherein the third alignment feature has a second alignment surface.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 , wherein the third alignment feature configured to displace the latch in the third direction being perpendicular to the second lateral direction, when the lid is moved toward the housing with the latch 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.

9. The mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the third alignment feature is formed as a portion of the housing.

10. The mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the latch mechanism portion comprises a fourth alignment feature configured to displace the latch in the fourth direction when the lid is moved toward the housing with the latch displaced in the third direction.

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

12. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the second alignment feature is formed as a portion of the housing.

13. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises a second reference surface perpendicular to the first reference surface.

14. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to contain medications and to be inserted into a drawer of an automated dispensing machine.

15. A method comprising:
moving a lid comprising a first latch mechanism portion comprising a latch extending from the lid and being moveable relative to the lid, toward a housing, the latch comprising a retention feature having a first reference surface, and the housing comprising a second latch mechanism portion comprising a first alignment feature and an engagement element freely movable between a first position and a second position;
engaging the latch against the first alignment feature and a second alignment feature to laterally displace the latch such that the first reference surface aligns with a first alignment surface of the first alignment feature;
displacing the latch via a third alignment feature in a third direction when the lid is moved toward the housing when the lid is brought together with the housing with the latch displaced in a fourth direction away from the engagement element that is opposite to the third direction; and
directing the engagement element to the first position such that the engagement element interlocks with the retention feature to restrict vertical movement of the lid.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising engaging the latch against the first alignment feature and the second alignment feature when the lid is moved toward the housing.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein engaging the latch against the first alignment feature and the second alignment feature further comprises initially displacing the latch in a first lateral direction via the first alignment feature away from the engagement element.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising initially displacing the latch in the first lateral direction when the lid is moved toward the housing and before the latch contacts the first alignment feature.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein engaging the latch against the first alignment feature and the second alignment feature further comprises displacing the latch in a second lateral direction that is opposite the first lateral direction toward the engagement element after displacing the latch in the first lateral direction.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising displacing the latch in the second lateral direction when the lid is moved toward the housing and after the latch contacts the first alignment surface.

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Weber Frank Dean
• Potakowskyj Christoph
• Pollhammer Johannes

Classifications

• E05B47/0009

  with thermo-electric actuators, e.g. heated bimetals · CPC title

• Y10S292/55

  Bolt and keeper aligners · CPC title

• Y10S292/60

  Adjustment provisions · CPC title

• Y10S292/51

  Bolt guides · CPC title

• G07F17/0092

  for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles (medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00) · CPC title