Patent ID: 7539521

Claim:
A locking mechanism for locking a cover to a main body, comprising: a plurality of spring loaded locking members, each of the plurality of locking members having a top face and being coupled to the main body, each of the plurality of locking members having a bias spring biasing the locking member in a bias direction in a closed position and having a locking leg extending orthogonally to each said bias direction from the top face of the locking member; a lock release device operatively coupled to the plurality of locking members to simultaneously move each of the plurality of locking members against its bias spring, wherein each of the plurality of locking members moves laterally in a different direction, wherein the lock release device moves orthogonally to each of the plurality of locking members, and wherein the lock release device is biased in the closed position by a longitudinal elastic member; and a plurality of latching members adjacent to the top face of the locking members, the plurality of latching members being attached to the cover and separate from the lock release device, each of the latching members being securely gripped by the locking leg of a respective locking member of the plurality of locking members, wherein the lock release device is in partial frictional contact with the plurality of locking members, wherein each of the plurality of latching members is released from the grip of the corresponding locking member when the lock release device is forced in frictional sliding contact with the plurality of locking members against the spring bias of each of the locking members.