Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Hollow or container type article
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-21
2001-08-28
Thomas, Alexander S. (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Hollow or container type article
C428S099000, C324S110000, C361S672000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280805
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
“Not Applicable”.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
“Not Applicable”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to casings for utility meters, and more particularly to a cover apparatus for use on a meter casing to protect the casing and meter from vandalism.
Utility meters are employed in electrical distribution systems to meter the usage of electricity by customers so that the electricity provider can determine how much to charge the customer during a particular billing cycle. Such meters are typically mounted within a housing at the point of use of the electricity, and are typically located within easy access for reading and maintenance. Unfortunately, by positioning the meters within easy access to service providers, they are also easily accessible to vandals and others wishing to damage or tamper with the meters or their housings.
It is known to provide a special housing for meters, wherein protective covers are provided which shield the meter from vandalism and tampering. However, such housings are typically used in the manufacture of new meters, and cannot be easily adapted for use with existing housings. As such, a technical problem is presented as to how to protect existing utility meters in the field from vandalism and tampering. A related problem is that of providing a housing construction that protects the meter from vandalism and tampering without substantially impeding the reading and maintenance work that must be done periodically by authorized service providers.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the technical problems left unaddressed by the prior art, and to provide a cover apparatus that can be retrofit on existing meters to provide protection against vandalism and tampering without requiring modification to the existing meter housing.
In accordance with these and other objects evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, a utility meter cover apparatus is provided for use on a utility meter having a casing presenting a generally cylindrical side wall and a generally circular end wall. The cover apparatus includes a base, a cover, and a lock assembly. The base is generally tubular, being sized and shaped for receipt over the end wall of the casing so that it can be fixed to the side wall by an adhesive or other permanent attachment expedient. The base presents an end opening adapted to provide access to the end wall of the casing, including any windows or hardware that might be presented by or protrude from the end wall. The cover is sized for receipt on the base over the end opening, and is movable relative to the base between a closed position covering the end opening and an open position exposing the end opening. The lock assembly is connected between the base and the cover, and is shiftable between a locked position in which the cover cannot be moved from the closed position and an unlocked position in which the cover can be moved to the open position to allow access to the end face of the meter casing.
By providing a construction in accordance with the present invention, numerous advantages are realized. For example, by providing a cover apparatus having a base sized for affixation to the existing casing of a utility meter, it is possible to retrofit the apparatus on meters already in the field to provide protection to such meters against vandalism and tampering. In addition, by employing an apparatus having a cover movable from the closed and locked position, it is possible for a service provider to easily and quickly gain access to the casing and meter for inspection and maintenance purposes. The shape of the apparatus also permits other components of the meter to be serviced without interference because the profile presented by the cover apparatus is closely matched to that of the casing.
Preferably, the cover of the inventive apparatus is formed of a synthetic resin material that allows the passage of radio frequency waves transmitted by the meter in some applications to a remote receiver mounted elsewhere in the distribution system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1991076 (1935-02-01), Bradshaw
patent: 2044643 (1936-06-01), Sloop
patent: 2359628 (1944-10-01), Daly
patent: 2381329 (1945-08-01), Young et al.
patent: 2882454 (1959-04-01), Davis, III
patent: 3591835 (1971-07-01), Sloop
patent: 3659457 (1972-05-01), Ostrowski
patent: 4747016 (1988-05-01), Sloop, Sr.
Shook Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
Thomas Alexander S.
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