Patent ID: 9303681
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: A01M,B60D,B63B,B66C,F16B

Claim Text:
1. A retainer apparatus for removably engaging a first article to a second article, the second article having an aperture therethrough, said apparatus comprising: (a) a beam having a longitudinal axis, said beam including a first end portion and an opposing second end portion, wherein said longitudinal axis spans therebetween said first end portion and said second end portion, said first end portion is affixed as an open ended hook, said hook being defined by an inside surface forming a void, wherein said hook has a cantilever section terminating in a tip end portion and an opposing extension arm terminating in an eyelet with a partial peripheral margin, said eyelet facilitates a first pivotal movement about a first pivotal axis that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, wherein said beam second end portion further comprises a cavity having a cavity pivotal axis that is parallel to said first pivotal axis, said beam second end portion terminating in a second end distal portion, wherein operationally said eyelet is pivotally attached the first article, said open ended hook is solely removably engagable with the second article aperture via slidable contact with said inside surface to be within said void, further operationally said cavity is manually moved away from the second article thereby causing said first pivotal movement to help dislodge the second article aperture from said void; and (b) a flexible finger extension constructed of an elongated element that is bent to form an open ended perimeter, wherein said elongated element terminates in a primary end portion, going to a perimeter section, and terminates in an opposing secondary end portion, wherein said primary and secondary end portions overlap one another and are capable of independent movement in relation to one another via imparting movement in said perimeter section, said primary end portion has a primary pivotal attachment to said extension arm positioned adjacent to said partial peripheral margin, said primary end portion primary pivotal attachment having primary pivotal movement is about an primary pivotal axis that is parallel to said first pivotal axis, said secondary end portion has a secondary pivotal attachment to said extension arm positioned adjacent to said eyelet, said secondary end portion secondary pivotal attachment having secondary pivotal movement is about an secondary pivotal axis that is parallel to said first pivotal axis, said primary pivotal axis and said secondary pivotal axis are offset from one another to create movement in said perimeter section, wherein said primary end portion and said secondary end portion are free ends relative to one another with said primary end portion disposed inward of said secondary end portion such that said primary end portion, said perimeter section, and said secondary end portion all together substantially form an Archimedean spiral in shape, wherein a portion of said perimeter section removably contacts said tip end portion, wherein said flexible finger extension has a longwise Archimedean axis that spans said primary end portion, said perimeter section, and said secondary end portion, said Archimedean axis has a total length spanning between said primary end portion and said secondary end portion with a midpoint of said total length defined as a vertex, wherein an acute angle is formed along said Archimedean axis for said perimeter section emanating from said vertex, said primary pivotal axis primary pivotal attachment is coincident with said longwise axis on one leg of said acute angle and said secondary pivotal axis secondary pivotal attachment is coincident with said longwise axis on an opposing leg of said acute angle, wherein operationally said movement in said perimeter section causes a bias in said finger extension to urge said portion of said perimeter section to contact said tip end portion in a closed hook default state in a bias direction requiring manual force to intervene to separate said portion of said perimeter section from said tip end portion placing said hook in an open state, said acute angle is structurally present in both the default state and the open state, said finger extension is operational to removably close off a distance between said partial peripheral margin and said tip end portion to positively retain the second article within said hook via the second article aperture.