SPRING SHOCK LID STAY

Abstract

A lid stay formed from a housing slidably coupled to a base. The housing has a coupler section for securing said housing to a fixed object, and a connector section for securing the housing to the base. The base is formed from a cylindrical shaped tube defining an interior chamber, having an insertion section constructed and arranged to slidably receive said housing, but prevent the connector section of the housing from passing therethrough. An expanded coil spring is positioned within the interior chamber to maintain the housing and base in an expanded position. The lid stay is for use with a storage container base having a lid pivotally attached thereto. The lid stay biases the lid in an open position and provides resistance when closing the lid.

Claims

1. A lid stay comprising: a cylindrical shaped housing formed from a continuous sidewall defined by a first outer surface having a diameter and an inner surface defining a first interior chamber, a connector section positioned along one end of said housing and a coupler section positioned on an opposite end of said housing, said connector section having an second outer surface that is greater in diameter than said first outer surface of said housing sidewall; a base formed from a cylindrical shaped tube having a continuous sidewall defining a second interior chamber therein with an insert section constructed and arranged to slidably receive said continuous sidewall of said housing and a capture section preventing said connector section from passing therethrough; a cap securable to said insert section of said base; and a spring positioned within said first and second interior chambers, said spring biased in an expanded position; wherein said housing coupler section is secured to a storage container base having a lid to provide ease of lid opening, whereby said spring biases said housing and said base in a normally extended position to stay the lid in an open position and provide spring compression resistance when closing the lid.

2. The lid stay according to claim 1 wherein said cap includes an aperture available for securing said housing to a fixed object with a fastener.

3. The lid stay according to claim 1 wherein said cap is secured to said base with a spin weld.

4. The lid stay according to claim 1 wherein said cap includes a plurality of fingers with end tabs available to engage apertures formed in said base, wherein said end tabs are insertable into said apertures for securing said cap to said base.

5. The lid stay according to claim 1 wherein said coupler section includes an aperture available for securing said housing to a fixed object with a fastener.

6. The lid stay according to claim 1 wherein said capture section is further defined as a rib positioned along an inner surface of the interior chamber of said base, said rib sized to allow said housing sidewall to pass, but prevent said connector section from passing therethrough.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the lid stay positioned on a storage container;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lid stay;

[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the lid stay;

[0015] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of the lid stay cap; and

[0016] FIG. 5 is the embodiment of FIG. 4 assembled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0017] A detailed embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural details and exemplary uses disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representation basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure or use.

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, set forth is the lid stay of the present invention 10 comprising a cylindrical shaped housing to operate as a plunger. The housing 12 is formed by a continuous sidewall 14 with an inner surface 16 defining an interior chamber 18 and a first outer surface 20 forming an inside diameter. A connector section 22 is located along a proximal end 24 of the housing 12, the connector section 22 having a second outer surface 26 that is greater in diameter than that formed by the first outer surface 20 of the sidewall 14. An inner surface 29 of the connector section 22 has a diameter greater than a diameter formed by inner surface 16 of housing 12. The connector section 22, coupler section 30, and sidewall 14 in this embodiment are preferably made of an injection molded plastic. An outer edge 27 of the connector section 22 provides a buttress positioned perpendicular to an axis of the interior chamber 18 extending along the length of the housing 12.

[0019] The coupler section 30 is positioned on the distal end of the housing 12. The coupler section 30 includes an aperture 34 available for securing the housing to a fixed object, such as a storage container base 80.

[0020] A base 40 is slidably coupled to the housing 12. The base 40 is formed from a cylindrical shaped tube 42 having a continuous sidewall 45 defining an interior chamber 44 therein. An insert section 46 is constructed and arranged to slidably receive the housing 12 using a capture section 48 sized to prevent the connector section 22 of the housing 12 from passing through. The capture section 48 employs a rib 50 positioned along an inner surface 52 of the interior chamber 44. The rib 50 is constructed and arranged to allow the housing sidewall 14 to pass, but prevent the connector section 22 from passing through the capture section 48.

[0021] A coil spring 56 is positioned within the interior chamber 18 of the housing 12 and interior chamber 44 of the base 40. The coil spring 56 is constructed to maintain an expanded position so as to maintain a separation between the housing 12 and base 40 in a normally expanded position.

[0022] A cap 60 is securable to the insert section 46. The insert section 46 receives the coil spring 56, and the cap 60 is used to seal the coil spring 56 within the interior chambers 18, 44. In the preferred embodiment, the cap 60 is spin welded to permanently secure the cap 60 to the insert section 46. The cap 60 includes an aperture 62 for ease of connecting the base 40 to an object, such as the lid 82 of the storage container base 80. In operation, the housing coupler section 30 is secured to a storage container base 80 using a fastener 81. Similarly, the cap 60 is attached to the lid 82 of the storage container base 80 by a fastener 86. The spring 56 biases the housing 12 and base 40 in a normally expanded position to allow ease of opening the lid 82. The lid stay 10 maintains the lid 82 in a raised position when the lid 82 is unlatched. The spring 56 of the lid stay 10 provides compression resistance when closing the lid 82 to prevent an uncontrolled closing of the lid. The lid 82 is coupled to the storage container base 80 by at least one hinge 84 to allow pivoting of the lid. In the preferred embodiment, the housing 12, base 40, and cap 60 are formed from plastic; the coil spring 56 is constructed from steel.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, illustrated is an alternative embodiment. The lid stay 200 illustrated maintains the housing 12, base 40, and spring 56 in the same configuration as previously mentioned. In this embodiment, cap 90 includes fingers 92 which are biased outwardly from a base 91 with end tabs 94 operatively associated with receptacles 96 formed along the end of the base 40. The end tabs 94 snap into the receptacles 96 during installation, wherein the outwardly biasing fingers maintain the end tabs in the receptacles to prevent removal of the cap 90 from the base 40. An aperture 98 formed in the cap allows for ease of securing the base 40 to an object.

[0024] The use of the word a or an when used in conjunction with the term comprising in the claims and/or the specification may mean one, but it is also consistent with the meaning of one or more or at least one. The terms comprise (and any form of comprise, such as comprises and comprising), have (and any form of have, such as has and having), include (and any form of include, such as includes and including) and contain (and any form of contain, such as contains and containing) are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a method or device that comprises, has, includes or contains one or more elements, is not limited to possessing only those one or more elements. Furthermore, a device or structure that is configured in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.

[0025] All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.

[0026] One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary, and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims. The term coupled is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.