Abstract:
A can détente for attachment to the base of a can is disclosed and claimed. The can détente facilitates attachment of a can to a can carriage and allows the application of force to the bottom of the can from an external source.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to devices for attaching a container such as a can to another object. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Situations frequently arise that require a container such as a metal can to be securely attached to another object. A wide variety of attachment mechanisms have been designed to accomplish this objective. For example, the object to which the can is attached may carry a strap to secure the can. Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,637 to Hogan, entitled “Improved Marking Syringe”, depicts a latch integral to the object to which the can is to be attached. In the depicted embodiment, the latch extends along the length of the can and a hook at the distal end of the latch retains the can in a can carriage. 
     Each of these can détente mechanisms presents deficiencies that limit the effectiveness of their implementation. The strap configuration is limited by the ability of a strap wrapped about the body of the can to hold the can securely in place, especially during exertion of force on one end of the can or another. 
     The latch configuration is integral to the objects the can is being affixed to, so that when the latch breaks (as plastic latches tend to do), the object itself is most likely rendered useless. In the example depicted in the &#39;637 patent reference above, the latch is integral to a marking syringe. The marking syringe is often used in cold, inhospitable climates, making the plastic from which it was molded relatively brittle. As the latch is bent time after time to release a spent can and replace it with a full can, the latch will fatigue and fail much sooner than any other component of the marking syringe. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a can detente that will hold a can in a secure, predetermined position during exertion of external force on the can, such as during rigorous processing of food animals in less than ideal conditions. 
     There is another need for a can détente that will not endanger the functionality of the object to which the can is attached by repeated installation of cans thereto and the repeated removal of cans therefrom. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objects stated above are obtained by a novel can détente comprising a circular locking disk having a circular disk body The circular disk body has a disk thickness and, optionally, defines therethrough a disk tab. The circular disk body also defines—about its periphery—a disk shoulder having a shoulder thickness greater than the disk thickness. 
     The communication between the disk shoulder and the circular disk body defines a can seat. The disk shoulder further defines, proximal to the can seat, a seat latch for securely detaining an object such as a paint can. 
     An embodiment of the present invention incorporates at least one carriage latch. Each carriage latch is characterized by a first end and a second end, the first end of which is integrally formed to the circular locking disk and extends in a plane generally perpendicular to the circular locking disk. The second end of the carriage latch defines a latch hook for securely—and removably—attaching the can detente to a can carriage. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 depicts a top view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 depicts a side view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 depicts another side view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 depicts a view of an embodiment of the present invention in which the present invention is attached to a can. 
     FIG. 6 depicts another view of an embodiment of the present invention in which the present invention is attached to a can. 
     FIG. 7 depicts an exploded assembly in which an embodiment of the present invention attaches a can to a can carriage. 
     FIG. 8 depicts and assembly in which an embodiment of the present invention attaches a can to a can carriage. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The depicted embodiment of the can détente  100  comprises, generally, a circular locking disk  105  and two carriage latches  110 ,  115 . 
     In terms of composition, the can détente  100  is normally formed of plastic or a plastic variant such that it exhibits a high degree of resiliency while maintaining a lesser degree of flexibility as will be called for in implementation of the invention. More specifically, once the can détente  100  is attached to the base of a can in the manner later described, the material from which the can détente  100  is fabricated must be resilient enough to maintain itself in its interlocked state with the can. At the same time, certain aspects of the can détente  100 , such as the latch hooks,  110 ,  115 , and the disk tab  145  must be flexible enough to withstand a moderate amount of bending. Furthermore, the can détente  100  must be constructed of a material that will retain these important properties in particularly hostile climates, such as extreme cold temperatures such as those in which many food animal herds are reared. It will be understood and appreciated that materials other than plastic or plastic derivatives or compounds may also be used, so long as they demonstrate the performance characteristics described above. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the circular locking disk  105  includes a disk shoulder  120  and a circular disk body  125 . The circular disk body  125  is a generally planar surface having a disk thickness  130 . The disk shoulder  120  is attached to the circular disk body  125  at or proximal to the outer perimeter of the circular disk body  125 . The disk shoulder  120  generally extends about the entire periphery of the circular locking disk  125 , with the exception of portions of the periphery such as those to which latches such as carriage latches  110 ,  115  are attached to the circular disk body  125 , thereby forming a can seat  135 . Ideally, the can seat  135  is sized to accommodate the base of a can (not depicted). 
     Although the depicted embodiment represents a preferred configuration of the disk shoulder  120 , it will be understood that the disk shoulder  120  could effectively accomplish its functionality (later described) without extending about as much of the outer periphery of the circular locking disk  125  as shown. 
     At two or more locations about the inside periphery of the disk shoulder  120 , shoulder tabs  140  are defined. Each shoulder tab is integrally formed with the disk shoulder  120  at a first end, but—unlike other points about the inner periphery of the disk shoulder  120 —does not connect with the circular disk body  125 . As a result, when force is exerted upon a shoulder tab  140 , the shoulder tab  140  tends to bend in the direction dictated by the force. When, for instance, a can having an outside diameter roughly equal to the inner dimension of the disk shoulder  120  is inserted into the disk shoulder  120 , the shoulder tab  140  will yield to the pressure more readily than the portion of the disk shoulder connected to the circular disk body. Because the leading end of the can is likely to have a protruding lip about its periphery, as the lip passes the unconnected end of the shoulder tab  140 , the resiliency of the shoulder tab  140  urges it back into communication with the can itself, thereby “locking” the can détente about the lip of the can. 
     Another feature of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is the disk tab  145 . The disk tab  145  is integrally attached at one end to the circular disk body  125 , and is unattached at its other end. As previously described with reference to desired construction materials for the can détente  100 , the disk tab  145  is flexible enough to pivot about its attachment to the circular disk body  125  in response to a force being exerted against it. When a can is seated in the can seat  135  of the can detente  100 , and a force is applied to the disk tab  145  from the opposite side of the can détente  100  to which the can is attached, the disk tab  145  is urged against the bottom of the can. This action by a force against the disk tab  145  and then against the can may actuate discharge of the contents of the can in the manner later described. 
     Another feature of the depicted embodiment of the present invention are the carriage latches  110 ,  115 . The carriage latches  110 ,  115  are integrally formed with the circular disk body  125  or the disk shoulder  120  of the can détente  100  and extend in a plane generally perpendicular to the circular disk body  125 . Proximal to the end of the carriage latch  110 ,  115 , a latch hook,  150 ,  155  is defined. The latch hook may be any of a wide variety of designs, so long as the latch hook allows easy insertion of the latch hook  150 ,  155  into a hook catch of a can carriage, later described in detail. 
     FIG. 2 depicts a top view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The can détente  100  comprises, as previously described, a circular disk body  125  and a disk shoulder  120 , the inner communication therebetween defining a can seat  135 . A plurality of shoulder tabs  140  are defined by the disk shoulder  120  for retaining a can securely within the can seat  135 . The disk tab  145  allows force external to the can détente  100  to be exerted on the bottom of the can, while carriage latches  110 ,  115  and latch hooks  150 ,  155  retain the can détente  100  in fixed relation to a can carriage (not shown). 
     FIG. 3 depicts a side profile of an embodiment of the can détente  100 , particularly illustrating the disk shoulder  120 , carriage latch  115  and latch hook  155 . 
     FIG. 4 depicts another side profile of an embodiment of the can détente  100 , rotated 90 degrees from the profile view of FIG.  3 . FIG. 4 illustrates a representative configuration including the disk shoulder  120 , carriage latches  110 ,  115  and the latch hooks  150 ,  155 . 
     FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in an attached configuration. More specifically, the can détente  100  is attached to a can  500 . The can  500 , and many other similar containers, are constructed so as to have a can rim  505 . The purpose of the can rim  505  is to securely interconnect the bottom piece (not shown) of the can  500  to the generally tubular body of the can  500 . This interconnection or “crimp” as it is sometimes described results in a can lip  510  having a greater diameter than the diameter of the generally tubular portion of the can  500 . As the can  500  and the can détente  100  are urged together, the can lip  510  contacts the disk shoulder  120  about its inner periphery. As the urging force is increased, the flexible but resilient disk shoulder  120  yields to the pressure and expands to the diameter of the can lip  510 . As the urging force continues, the can lip  510  passes the bottom-most point of the shoulder tab(s)  140 . As the can lip  510  passes the bottom most point of the shoulder tab(s)  140 , the resiliency of the shoulder tab(s)  140  urge the shoulder tab(s)  140  into a position resembling the position they were in prior to exertion of force by the can lip  510  thereon. In a preferred embodiment, the shoulder tab(s) then return to a position approximating the diameter of the generally tubular portion of the can  500 , which is less than the diameter of the can lip  510 , thus holding the can  500  securely in place proximal to the can seat  135 . 
     FIG. 6 depicts another view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention wherein the can détente  100  has been securely interconnected to the can  500 . 
     FIG. 7 depicts an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in a representative operating environment. The can détente  100  attaches to the can  500  at the base of the can proximal to the can lip  510 . As previously described with reference to FIG. 6, the can lip  510  is secured by communication with the shoulder tab(s)  140 . Once the can détente  100  is attached to the base of the can  500 , the assembly is inserted into a can carriage such as can carriage  700 . The can carriage  700  defines at least one latch receiver  705  corresponding dimensionally to the carriage latch  115  and latch hook  155 . After the can/can détente assembly is fully inserted into the can carriage  700 , the latch hook  155  interlocks with a corresponding opening in the latch receiver, and the can  500  is securely interconnected to the can carriage  700 . 
     As the contents of the can  500  are exhausted, force may be exerted upon the latch hook  155 , thereby disengaging it from the latch receiver  705  for removal from the can carriage  700 . 
     FIG. 8 depicts a representative embodiment of the present invention whereby a can détente  100  is fully engaging a can  500  to a can carriage  700 .