Separable elements held together by a sliding latch

Claim 2

A container, comprising: (a) first and second container portions which are relatively movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and the container portions cooperating when they are in a closed configuration to define a compartment, and the container portions having first edges which are juxtaposed when the compartment is closed and separated when the compartment is open; (b) a rail fixed to the first edge of a first one of the container portions, said rail extending linearly along said edge for a significant length but being interrupted by two adjacent gaps; (c) a pair of posts fixed to the first edge of the second container portion and positioned so as to be insertable within the two rail gaps when the two container portions are in their closed configuration, and said posts having a transverse configuration which matches the transverse configuration of the rail, whereby said posts may be described as forming geometric extensions of the rail when the two container portions are closed; and (d) the first and second container portions being configured identically and each portion having both a rail at one location and a pair of posts at another location, and wherein the container portions are oriented during assembly of the container so that they are 180 degrees apart, and the first and second container portions having second edges which are permanently joined together with at least one hinge pin, and the posts affixed to one container portion are located at one end of the container and the posts affixed to the other container portion are located at the opposite end of the container; and (e) slide closure means mounted on the first and second container portions so as to be carried thereby at all times, and said slide closure means having an interiorly facing opening adapted for engaging said linear rail and for being captured by said rail, and said slide closure means having an interior configuration which is slightly larger than the transverse cross section of the rail so as to be slideable along the rail, and said slide closure means having a first position at which the pair of posts are free to move transversely with respect to the rail such that the two container portions may be opened, and the slide closure means being movable to a second position at which it completely envelope the two posts and at least a portion of the rail, whereby the slide closure means may preclude opening of the container by virtue of preventing transverse movement of the posts with respect to the rail.

Claim 3

The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is a rail and a slide closure means associated with each end of the container, and the two slide closure means are oriented in opposite directions, such that one slide closure means is moved in a first direction in order to be latched and the other slide closure means is moved in the opposite direction in order to be latched, whereby any vibration that might tend to open one slide closure means would also tend to tighten the other slide closure means.

Claim 4

The container as claimed in claim 1 and further including a central handle which is positioned so as to be adjacent to and aligned longitudinally with the rail, and the handle being configured so as to constitute an approximate extension of the rail but being sized so as to serve as a stop at one end of the rail, said stop being effective to preclude loss of the slide closure means off the adjacent end of the rail.

Claim 5

The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the slide closure means is installable on and removable from its associated rail only by temporarily deforming the rail, and wherein the slide closure means is permanently captured by the rail as long as the rail is maintained straight.

Claim 6

A slide-type latching mechanism, comprising the combination of: (a) a non-planar rail affixed to a base, and the rail being interrupted by a gap and the gap being sufficiently long as to receive a slide, whereby the slide and rail may become engaged so as to hold the slide on the rail but permit relative movement of the slide with respect to the rail; (b) an elongated slide having a length which is at least slightly greater than the length of the gap in the rail, and the slide having a longitudinal cavity that opens downwardly into the bottom of the slide, and the cavity being partially bounded by at least one locking element that is configured and positioned so as to establish in the slide a transverse cross-section which complements the cross section of the non-planar rail, and the bottom of the slide having a short and centrally located transverse opening that is as wide as the top of the rail; (c) a post extending upwardly from the base at approximately the center of the rail gap, and the post being configured so that it functions as a geometric extension of the rail; (d) the rail and the slide constituting two structural members having an inherent resilience, and the resilience of at least one of said two members being sufficient as to permit temporary deformation in order that one end of the slide may be inserted into the rail gap and the slide may be positioned so that its transverse opening may be juxtaposed with and envelop the post, and the memory of the temporarily deformed member being such as to cause it to return to its original configuration after the slide has been forced into engagement with the rail, whereby the slide may become captured so as to envelop the rail and be slidable therealong; (e) structural means for filling at least a portion of the rail gap when the captured slide has been moved longitudinally along the rail and away from the rail gap, and said structural means having an external shape which permits it to fit within the longitudinal cavity of the slide, and said structural means being captured and held by the slide when the slide has been subsequently moved to a latching position wherein it rests over the rail gap, whereby anything that is fixed to said structural means will be held adjacent the base when the slide is moved to its latching position over the structural means; and (f) the post in the center of the rail gap having a top that is offset in a longitudinal direction with respect to the lower portion of the post, such that the vertical face of the post is not linear, whereby any structural means that matches the configuration of the post and fills the rail gap will be secured against movement in at least two directions along different axes before the slide is moved to its latching position and secured against movement in three directions after the slide is moved to its latching position.

Claim 7

A slide-type latching mechanism, comprising the combination of: (a) a non-planar rail affixed to a base, and the rail being interrupted by a gap and the gap being sufficiently long as to receive a slide, whereby the slide and rail may become engaged so as to hold the slide on the rail but permit relative movement of the slide with respect to the rail; (b) an elongated slide having a length which is at least slightly greater than the length of the gap in the rail, and the slide having a longitudinal cavity that opens downwardly into the bottom of the slide, and the cavity being partially bounded by at least one locking element that is configured and positioned so as to establish in the slide a transverse cross-section which complements the cross section of the non-planar rail, and the bottom of the slide having a short and centrally located transverse opening that is as wide as the top of the rail; (c) a post extending upwardly from the base at approximately the center of the rail gap, and the post being configured so that it functions as a geometric extension of the rail; (d) the rail and the slide constituting two structural members having an inherent resilience, and the resilience of at least one of said two members being sufficient as to permit temporary deformation in order that one end of the slide may be inserted into the rail gap and the slide may be positioned so that its transverse opening may be juxtaposed with and envelop the post, and the memory of the temporarily deformed member being such as to cause it to return to its original configuration after the slide has been forced into engagement with the rail, whereby the slide may become captured so as to envelop the rail and be slidable therealong; (e) structural means for filling at least a portion of the rail gap when the captured slide has been moved longitudinally along the rail and away from the rail gap, and said structural means having an external shape which permits it to fit within the longitudinal cavity of the slide, and said structural means being captured and held by the slide when the slide has been subsequently moved to a latching position wherein it rests over the rail gap, whereby anything that is fixed to said structural means will be held adjacent the base when the slide is moved to its latching position over the structural means; and (f) the post in the center of the rail gap having a top that is offset in a longitudinal direction with respect to the lower portion of the post, such that the vertical face of the post is not linear, whereby any structural means that matches the configuration of the post and fills the rail gap will be secured against movement in at least two directions along different axes before the slide is moved to its latching position and secured against movement in three directions after the slide is moved to its latching position.

Claim 8

The slide-type latching mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rail has a transverse cross section which is shaped generally like a T, and the longitudinal cavity of the slide is generally C-shaped in its transverse cross section.

Claim 9

The slide-type latching mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the T-shaped rail is substantially symmetrical by virtue of having a web that rises upward from the base and intersects the rail's head at substantially the midpoint thereof, whereby the mechanical restraining capability of the T-shaped rail with regard to the slide is essentially the same to either side of the rail.

Claim 10

The slide-type latching mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the slide is characterized by substantial stiffness and the rail is characterized by much more resilience than the slide, whereby the rail is temporarily deformed much more than the slide during installation of said slide onto the rail.

Claim 11

The slide-type latching mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the slide has a resilience that is so low that the slide may be considered to be essentially rigid, and the rail and its supporting base are sufficiently flexible as to provide all of the temporary deformation that is necessary to permit a rigid slide to be inserted into a gap that is shorter than the slide.

Claim 12

The slide-type latching mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transverse opening in the bottom of the elongated slide is located and sized so that the slide may be inserted into the rail gap with either end first, whereby the slide may be described as bi-directional when it is being positioned over the post during installation.