Abstract:
A hasp, preferably constructed from plastic, is mounted to a container and to a container lid. The hasp includes a bracket which is preferably mounted to the inside of the container and which includes a plate which extends outwardly from the container. A tongue is attached to the container lid and includes an extended portion which passes through an opening in the bracket plate. A lock may be fastened through an opening in the extended portion to prevent lifting of the lid.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS, IF ANY  
         [0001]    None.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to container closures and more particularly, to a closure for a container having a lid and a closure which is at least partially hidden from view. Still more specifically, the invention relates to a hasp including a bracket and a tongue.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    A wide variety of closures for containers are known. In the present specification, reference will be made specifically to containers which include a container base and a lid, the lid being attached to the container by a hinge along one edge. A variety of closures are known for such containers, such as hasps which include a bracket attached to the container base and a tongue attached to the lid. Most of such prior art closures are made from metal, and corrosion becomes a problem over time. With other container closures made from non-corroding materials, the closure itself may be unsightly and reduce the aesthetic characteristics of the container system.  
           [0006]    Certain prior art hasps are known to the present inventors, including U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,325, issued Apr. 23, 1974, to Lee for “Combination Hinge and Hasp.” In this particular device, a pair of hinge leaves are provided for a single pintel. A padlock is used to secure a rotatable leave to a hasp loop.  
           [0007]    A quick release hasp is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,276 issued Apr. 25, 1995, to Engasser for “Readily Releasable Hasp and Staple”. In this device, the hasp and a staple are slidably engagable with separate mounts which are fastened to the elements to be secured.  
           [0008]    Poe in U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,836 issued Dec. 6, 1988 for “Constraining Tamper Proof Padlock Hasp Apparatus” describes a tamper proof hasp which includes guard plates projecting laterally from hasp plates to restrict access to the shackle by a tampering tool such as a bolt cutter or hacksaw.  
           [0009]    Poe, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,783 issued May 24, 1988, for “Tamper Proof Padlock Hasp Apparatus” describes a different tamper proof mechanism for securing such devices as the hatch boards of a sailboat. This device also uses guard plates.  
           [0010]    In U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,539 issued Nov. 8, 1994, to Widener for “Door Securing Mechanism”, a hasp is characterized by a security bar which passes through apertured tabs to prevent rotation of the planar portion of the hasp. A tongue on the free end of the securing bar receives the lock to prevent removal thereof.  
           [0011]    Kahl and Ferbrache disclose a “Lockable Latch for a Container” in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,040,834 issued Aug. 20, 1991, and 5,125,697 issued Jun. 30, 1992. The device includes a latch assembly for a cooler chest which includes an apertured plate extending horizontally from the container lid. A latch mechanism having a cross-shaped slot is mounted to the container base and is rotatable into a position in which the plate extends through the slot. A padlock may then be applied to prevent opening of the container. The latch assembly includes a complicated molding so that it may function both as a carrying handle and a portion of a container closure and locking mechanism.  
           [0012]    An interior mounted metal bracket element is also known in the art which includes a plate which extends through an opening in a closure panel. When closed, a lock can be inserted through a hole in the plate. This device, pictures of which are submitted with this specification, does not include a separate tongue element.  
           [0013]    While a variety of closures have been described above and many other types are known to the art, corrosion problems exist when closures are made from metal, and many of such closures are entirely or at least substantially visible from the exterior of the container and can make the overall aesthetic appearance unsightly. A closure which eliminates problems with appearance and corrosive effects would represent a significant advance in the art.  
         FEATURES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0014]    It is a primary feature of the present invention to provide a hasp to connect a container having a lid, such as a large deck box, or a cooler, or other containers.  
           [0015]    Another feature of the present invention is to provide a plastic hasp including a bracket and a tongue, which eliminates corrosion problems inherent in some metal hasp products.  
           [0016]    A different feature of the present invention is to provide a hasp in which a tongue automatically seats through a bracket when the lid of the container is closed.  
           [0017]    A still further feature of the present invention is to provide a hasp bracket and tongue which are at least partially hidden from view when the container is closed.  
           [0018]    Another feature of the present invention is to provide a hasp, bracket and tongue arrangement which may be adapted to a wide variety of container and lid designs.  
           [0019]    How the above-referenced and other features are accomplished, individually, collectively, or in various subcombinations, will be described in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the FIGURES. Generally, however, they are accomplished by providing a bracket which is adapted to be attached to the inside upper surface of the container and have a protruding portion including an opening sized to receive a tongue. The protruding portion extends outwardly of the container. The tongue is attached to the lid and is sized and arranged so that the tongue extends through the portion opening when the lid is closed. The tongue includes an opening to receive a padlock or other suitable security device. In the most preferred embodiment, the tongue is mounted to a portion of the container lid which extends beyond the outer vertical surface of a container and the lid includes a skirt which hides all components of the hasp except the lock-receiving opening of the tongue. Other ways in which the above-described features are accomplished will become apparent to those skilled in the art after they have read the following description, and such other ways are deemed to fall within the scope of the present invention if they fall within the scope of the claims which follow. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a top isometric view of the bracket component of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a bottom isometric view of the bracket shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a bottom isometric view of the tongue portion of the hasp of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a top isometric view of the tongue shown in FIG. 3;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a rear view of a panel of a container showing the bracket attached thereto;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the top of the container showing the protruding portion having a tongue receiving opening;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view showing a tongue mounted to the underside of a container lid; and  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view showing the lid closed with the tongue extending through the hasp bracket to expose a lock receiving opening.  
         [0028]    In the various drawings, like reference numbers are used to indicate like components. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0029]    Before beginning the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, several general comments can be made about the applicability and the scope of the present invention.  
         [0030]    First, injection molded polypropylene is the preferred material and method for preparing both components of the hasp of the present invention, but other materials can be used, including other thermoplastic resins. The product can also be manufactured of stamped alloy materials such as steel or aluminum.  
         [0031]    Second, while self-tapping screws are used in the preferred embodiment to attach the two-hasp components to the container and lid, respectively, other attachment techniques can be employed such as integral snap fits, tongue and groove, or heat or sonic welding. Furthermore, other types of fastening systems such as adhesives are also envisioned.  
         [0032]    Third, while the components of the present invention will be used in the illustrations as a self-seating lock for a large container, such as the Rubbermaid® Large Deck Box, the present invention has a much wider applicability. For example, the hasp can be used for containers made from plastics or other materials, such as wood, metal, or metal alloys. Furthermore, the size of the various components and the size of the containers can be widely varied. For example, ice chests, coolers, storage containers, vehicle storage containers, totes for storing camping or other outdoor recreation gear, file storage containers, and other office or educational products which employ a container having a hinged lid can also benefit from the invention.  
         [0033]    Fourth, while the preferred embodiment shows a recess for receiving a bracket portion of the hasp, the recess being located along the upper edge of the container, the bracket portion may be affixed to the top of a container wall or through an opening adjacent the upper portion of the container without departing from the invention&#39;s intended scope.  
         [0034]    Turning now to the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, a bracket  10  is illustrated in FIG. 1. Bracket  10  is generally L-shaped and, in use, includes a vertical portion  12  and a horizontal portion  13 . Four openings  15  are provided in portion  12 , and two openings  16  are provided in portion  13 . Openings  15  and  16  are provided for the self-tapping screw fasteners which will eventually be used to attach bracket  10  to a container shown in later figures. A tongue-receiving opening is located near the free end of portion  13  and is sized and shaped to receive a tongue when the container lid is closed.  
         [0035]    A bottom isometric view of the bracket is shown in FIG. 2. From this view, it can be further appreciated that the bracket  10  is injected molded, and for weight and material reduction and enhanced strength purposes, a series of walls  20 - 23  are molded into the part. Similarly, opening  18  is surrounded by a wall  25 . As best appreciated by simultaneous reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the oval-shaped wall  25  provides an inclined surface  27  which decreases in area from the top of portion  13  to the bottom of wall  25 . The incline provides a guide for the self-seating of the tongue, as will be appreciated as the description continues.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 3 shows the tongue component  30  to include a plate  32  having a skirt  34 . A pair of openings  35  are provided for fasteners. A generally U-shaped extension  38  is located generally perpendicular to plate  32 , and the lower portion of the “U” includes an annular ring  40 .  
         [0037]    An isometric top view of tongue  30  is shown in FIG. 4, the main additional feature being the reinforcements about the openings  35  and the additional detail concerning ring  40 . Opening  40  preferably is round, but oval or other opening shapes are within the scope of the invention.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 5 shows the bracket  10  attached to a container  40  along the upper edge thereof. A recess  42  is provided in the top wall  43  of the container, and bracket  10  is fastened, using screws  14 , both to the vertical surface  44  of the container and through the top edge  45  of recess  42 . The container of the preferred embodiment includes walls which are prepared by blow molding, so screws  14  penetrate a single wall along surfaces  44  and  45  without piercing the exterior surface of the container.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 6 shows an enlarged exterior view of the bracket  10 . What is important to note in this view is that opening  18  extends beyond the outer face surface  50  of the container  40 , so that a tongue may be dropped therethrough as will be described and illustrated later.  
         [0040]    Proceeding next to the placement of tongue component  30 , FIG. 7 shows it mounted by screws  33  to the lower side of edge  54  of a container lid  55 . In the illustrated embodiment, a recess  57  is formed in the lid to receive bracket  30 .  
         [0041]    Finally, in connection with the completed assembly, FIG. 8 is a view extending upwardly along face  50  of the container after the lid  55  has been closed. It will be noted that the only portion of bracket  10  which is visible in this view is skirt  11  formed about the outer, free end of portion  13 . The tongue  30  is also substantially hidden from view except for U-shaped portion  38  and the annular opening  40 . It should also be appreciated that if this view were taken from a horizontal perspective, a skirt  56  provided about the outer edge of lid  55  would conceal all components from view, except the opening  40 .  
         [0042]    Any type of lock, combination, key or otherwise can be inserted through opening  40  to secure the lid in place and prevent unauthorized or inadvertent separation thereof from the container. In situations where security is not an issue, a dowel, hook or other device can be placed through opening  40  to prevent the lid from opening unless the component is removed.  
         [0043]    While the foregoing invention has been described in connection with a single preferred embodiment, numerous changes can be made thereto as has been indicated at the beginning portion of this section of the specification. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited to any particular materials, sizes, end uses, attachment or fastening techniques, but is to be limited solely by the scope of the claims which follow.