Assemblies for releasably securing a cassette lid to a cassette base

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments provide locking mechanisms allowing the lid of a cassette assembly to be locked to a base of the cassette assembly. Some embodiments provide hinged locks or clips that flex or bend, allowing a lip on the lid to be secured under a protrusion on the base (or vice versa). In some embodiments, a secondary hinge allows the lid to be released. Some embodiments allow the lid to be secured through either of a pushing or twisting action, while others involve only pushing or only twisting.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a cassette lid comprising a number n of cassette lid engagement locations; and   a cassette base comprising n cassette base engagement locations, the cassette base engagement locations sized and shaped to interact with the cassette lid engagement locations so that the cassette base engagement locations receive the cassette lid engagement locations and lock the cassette base to the cassette lid through a twisting action.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cassette lid comprises an outer circumferential lip, and the cassette lid engagement locations are projections extending in radially outward direction beyond an end of the outer circumferential lip. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cassette base comprises a circumferential track, and the cassette base engagement locations each comprise a well recessed or cut out from into the circumferential track. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein each well is sized to receive a corresponding cassette lid engagement location so that the cassette lid engagement locations drop below a level of the circumferential track during an installation operation. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein each well further comprises a lead-in ramp configured to guide a respective cassette lid engagement location into the well. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each cassette base engagement location comprises a stop, the stop comprising a top surface having an angled or rounded side and a bottom surface. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the bottom surface of the stop comprises a tab lock recess configured to receive a corresponding ridge provided on a corresponding cassette lid engagement location. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the ridge extends primarily in a radial direction and has a triangular or semi-circular cross-section. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein each stop comprises a lead-in ramp configured to guide a respective cassette lid engagement location under the bottom surface of the stop. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cassette lid further comprises one or more axially-extending ribs. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cassette lid engagement locations and the cassette base engagement locations are configured to allow deployment of the cassette lid on the cassette base without visually confirming an orientation of the cassette lid relative to the cassette base. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein n is greater than 1, and the cassette lid engagement locations and cassette base engagement locations are sized and shaped to prevent one of the cassette lid engagement locations from failing to engage a corresponding cassette base engagement location when another of the cassette lid engagement locations successfully engages a corresponding cassette base engagement location. 
     
     
         13 . A method of deploying the system of  claim 1 , the method comprising inserting the cassette lid onto the cassette base, and rotating the cassette lid relative to the cassette base to align the cassette lid engagement locations with the cassette base engagement locations. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein rotating the cassette lid relative to the cassette base comprises applying a lateral pushing force in the axial direction to guide the cassette lid engagement locations into corresponding wells in the cassette base. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein rotating the cassette lid relative to the cassette base comprises pushing the cassette lid engagement locations below corresponding stops on the cassette base. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a top surface of the cassette lid engagement locations comprises a ridge sized and shaped to fit into a corresponding recess on a bottom surface of the stops and rotating the cassette lid relative to the cassette base causes the ridge to be received in the recess. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the stops comprise an angled, rounded, or chamfered edge on a bottom surface of a leading edge of the stops, and rotating the cassette lid relative to the cassette base causes a leading edge of the cassette lid engagement locations to meet the bottom surface of the leading edge of the stops and thereby be guided under the stops.