A sash window restrictor (20) has a housing (22) which is to be let into a vertical frame member (10) of one sash (normally the upper, outer sash) of a window, at a position, say, 10 cm above the top rail of the lower sash when the windows are closed. A tab (24) is mounted in the housing and can be retracted into the housing or extended from the housing. A mechanism acts between the tab and the housing and allows the tab to be pressed into the housing and held in the housing for a period of time before the tab is released to allow the tab to extend. With the tab extended, the lower sash (12) can be lifted until it reaches the tab (24) but no further, so that a 10 cm gap will be opened at the bottom of the window.

A window vent stop for use in a sliding sash window or a sliding sash door assembly. The vent stop includes a housing and a tumbler. The housing is adapted to be disposed in a recess in a rail or stile of the window/door. This housing includes a cavity with a bottom wall therein. The tumbler has at least one pivot for pivotally securing the tumbler to the housing for movement between an extended position, to prevent movement of the sliding member, and a retracted position, to allow movement of the sliding member. The tumbler is formed with a protruding spring member for selectively biasing the tumbler. The housing has one or more flexible members extending from each of its end walls to secure the housing within the opening in the sash member.

A preload mechanism for an actuator is disclosed that includes a rotating element configured to rotate about a pivot. The rotating element has a first contact point that is configured to couple to the actuator such that contraction of the actuator displaces the first contact point such that the rotating element rotates from a first position to a second position. The preload mechanism also includes a bias element with a first end that is coupled to a second contact point of the rotating element and a second end configured to be pinned relative to the pivot. The bias element has a line of action extending from the second end through the first end. The line of action has an offset distance that is the minimum distance between the line of action and the pivot. The offset distance has a first value when the rotating element is in the first position and a second value when the rotating element is the second position, the second value being smaller than the first value.

A locking bracket and a lock housing wherein the locking bracket generally comprises a clamping member and a fastening lever that attaches to a wall of a meter box base. The lock housing generally comprises a unitary member with a perpendicular flange. The meter box lid is secured to the meter box base when the locking bracket is secured to the side wall and used in combination with the lock housing and a locking shaft.

An adjustable stop limits sliding sash window/door travel between a closed position and a safe position, where the safe position is a position less than a full-open position. The stop can be installed upon window/door master frames during initial manufacturing, or as an after-market option while the sash windows/doors are in service in a building. The safety stop may be comprised of a housing and a tumbler being pivotally mounted within a cavity in the housing, with a spring to bias the tumbler out of an opening in the housing. Mounting is by a flange extending from the housing, with spacers of varying thickness that are capable of removably attaching thereon to accommodate sash to master frame height differences. A safety member may be added to either the tumbler or housing to create a double action stop, requiring disengagement of the safety member, prior to toggling of the stop.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for securing a box cover to a watthour meter socket box. In certain embodiments, the apparatus has a clamping member that fits over a wall of a meter box and a lock housing that locks to the clamping member after a box cover has been installed thereby securing the cover to the box. Further embodiments relate to a clamping member and a lock housing wherein the clamping member generally comprises a clamp, clamp actuating member, and fastening shelf, and wherein the clamp actuating member may comprise a lever or threaded member to attach the clamping member to a wall of a meter box base. The box cover is secured to the meter box base when the clamping member is secured to the wall and used in combination with the lock housing and a locking shaft.

A door latch and a dishwasher fitted with a door latch are described. The door latch has a body, a pawl provided with a rotating shaft, a first gap being provided between two ends of the rotating shaft, and a mounting slot being provided in one side of the pawl, a first pin mounted on the pawl, the first pin being mounted in the mounting slot in the pawl, a spring having two ends which are connected to the body and the pawl, respectively, a first end of the spring being connected to the first pin through the first gap. During installation of the door latch, assembly of the door latch is quick and easy because the first pin is put into the pin mounting slot in the pawl from the top side of the pin mounting slot, and repair with changing of components is also easy.

A handheld vacuum cleaner(10) includes a main body(22) with a handle(98) and a receptacle(150), a motor assembly(114) positioned within the main body(22), and a battery(138) configured to be selectively received within the receptacle(150) to power the motor assembly(114). The handheld vacuum cleaner(10) also includes a latch(490) movable between a blocking position that prevents removal of the battery(138) from the receptacle(150) and a released position that allows removal of the battery(138) from the receptacle(150). The latch(490) elastically deforms to move between the blocking position and the released position.

A latch having: a fork bolt movably mounted thereto; a detent lever movably mounted thereto, wherein the detent lever prevents the fork bolt from moving from a closed position to an open position when the detent lever is in a latched position; a bell crank lever movably mounted to the latch for movement between a first position and a second position, wherein the bell crank lever moves the detent lever from the latched position to the released position as the bell crank lever moves from the first position to the second position; a release lever movably mounted to the latch for movement between a first position and a second position; and an intermittent pin operatively coupled to bell crank lever and the release lever, wherein movement of the release lever is not transferred to the bell crank lever when the intermittent pin is in the second position.

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.