Dust collecting device

Claim 2

The improvement in a portable internal combustion engine, comprising: a casing containing at least part of the engine, said casing comprising a body and a cover closably and openably connected to the body; an engine fuel tank located within said casing; said fuel tank having an inlet port for admitting fuel to the fuel tank, and a closure detachably positioned to close the inlet port; said inlet port and said closure being concealed by said cover except when the cover is opened; and latch means associated with said cover and responsive to the position of said closure on the inlet port to releasably retain the cover in closed position only when the closure is blocking said inlet port, whereby the cover cannot be retained closed while the closure is detached from the inlet port.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein: said latch means comprises a first latching surface associated with said cover; a latch engaging member having a second latching surface associated with said casing and selectably engaged by said first latching surface to retain the cover closed as the cover is moved to the closed position; means movably mounting said latch engaging member in spaced relation to said inlet port so that the latch engaging member is moved toward the inlet port blocking position of said closure in response to said engagement by the first latching surface, as the cover is moved to the closed position; said latch engaging member having a closure engaging surface which contacts the closure in position blocking the inlet port and there holds the latch engaging member in a first position for said latching engagement by said first and second latch engaging surfaces; said movable mounting means permitting the latch engaging member to move beyond said first position to a second position if the closure is not in position for blocking the inlet port and for contact by said closure engaging surface at the first position; and said latch engaging member in said second position being inoperative for said latching engagement, so that the cover can be latched to the closed position only when the closure is in position blocking the inlet port of the fuel tank.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2, wherein: said closure engaging surface of the latch engaging member forms a fulcrum about which the latch engaging member moves for said latching engagement when contacting said closure at said first position.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising: a release member manually operable to move said latch engaging member about the fulcrum when at the first position, so as to unlatch said latching engagement and permit opening said cover; and resilient means operative to bias said release member in opposition to said manual operation, so that the latch engaging member can keep the cover latched in the closed position in the absence of said manual engagement.