IP Library › Granted Patent US 12669014
Granted Patent B2
US 12669014 · App. 18/406,192 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Hands free gate

Inventors: Mark A. Flannery (Longboat Key, FL); Brian G. Linehan (Saint Paul, MN); Elizabeth R. Volk (Saint Paul, MN)
Assignee: Carlson Pet Products Inc.
E06B11/022E05B1/0053E05B53/001E05B65/0007E05C1/10E06B9/02E06B2009/002Y10S292/29Y10T292/0877Y10T292/0969Y10T292/0995
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12669014
App. No.
18/406,192
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present gate includes a barrier frame and a gate in the barrier frame. The gate is opened by inserting a foot into a foot opening in the gate, which action compresses springs disposed about pivot pins between the gate and the barrier frame and draws an extended latch downwardly and out of a latch receiver that is bottomless, which action unlatches and frees the gate from the barrier frame such that the gate can be swung open. Downward travel of the gate is minimized until a foot pushes a pivoting stop out of the way.

Claims (101)

1 . A latch and latch receiver combination:

a) the latch having a latch end;

b) the latch receiver receiving the latch end of the latch;

c) the latch receiver comprising:

i) a receiver top side, the receiver top side being closed;

ii) a receiver bottom side, the receiver bottom side being opposite of the receiver top side, the receiver bottom side having an opening with a length and width greater than a length and width of the latch end;

iii) a receiver end opening that has a height and width greater than a height and width of the latch end such that the latch end is receivable in the receiver end opening;

iv) a receiver end side that is opposite of the receiver end opening, the receiver end side being closed;

v) a receiver first side, the receiver first side being closed;

vi) a receiver second side that is opposite to the receiver first side, the receiver second side being closed;

vii) a receiver tapering first face adjacent to the receiver first side, the receiver tapering first face leading into the receiver end opening; and

viii) a receiver tapering second face adjacent to the receiver second side, the receiver tapering second face leading into the receiver end opening;

d) such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by the latch traveling out of the receiver bottom side through the opening of the receiver bottom side such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by vertical movement relative to each other; and

e) such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by the latch traveling out of the receiver end opening such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by horizontal movement relative to each other;

f) wherein said combination includes a gated barrier comprising:

i) a barrier frame, the barrier frame defining a barrier plane;

ii) a gate swingably engaged to the barrier frame, the gate defining a gate plane, the gate swingable relative to the barrier frame such that the gate swings out of the barrier plane;

iii) the gate including a swing side and a latch side;

iv) the latch side of the gate having said latch and latch end, the latch side and the swing side of the gate are movable vertically in the gate plane relative to the barrier frame by a spring loaded joint;

v) the barrier frame having said latch receiver engagable with the latch end when the gate is closed; and

g) wherein the gate includes an uppermost portion and a lowermost portion and an imaginary, non-structural horizontal medial line defined solely for reference halfway between the uppermost and lowermost portions, such that, when the latch travels out of the receiver bottom side through the opening of the receiver bottom side, the latch travels toward the imaginary, non-structural horizontal medial line.

2 . The combination of claim 1 , wherein the receiver bottom side is directly opposite of the receiver top side.

3 . The combination of claim 1 , wherein the receiver end side is directly opposite of the receiver end opening.

4 . The combination of claim 1 , wherein the receiver first side is directly opposite of the receiver second side.

5 . The combination of claim 1 , wherein receiver top side is adjacent to the receiver first side and is further adjacent to the receiver second side.

6 . The combination of claim 1 , wherein the receiver bottom side is adjacent to the receiver first side and is further adjacent to the receiver second side.

7 . A latch and latch receiver combination:

a) the latch having a latch end;

b) the latch receiver receiving the latch end of the latch;

c) the latch receiver comprising:

i) a receiver top side, the receiver top side being closed;

ii) a receiver bottom side, the receiver bottom side being directly opposite of the receiver top side, the receiver bottom side having an opening with a length and width greater than a length and width of the latch end;

iii) a receiver end opening that has a height and width greater than a height and width of the latch end such that the latch end is receivable in the receiver end opening;

iv) a receiver end side that is directly opposite of the receiver end opening, the receiver end side being closed;

v) a receiver first side, the receiver first side being closed;

vi) a receiver second side that is directly opposite to the receiver first side, the receiver second side being closed;

vii) the receiver top side being adjacent to the receiver first side and being further adjacent to the receiver second side;

viii) the receiver bottom side being adjacent to the receiver first side and being further adjacent to the receiver second side;

ix) a receiver tapering first face adjacent to the receiver first side, the receiver tapering first face leading into the receiver end opening; and

x) a receiver tapering second face adjacent to the receiver second side, the receiver tapering second face leading into the receiver end opening;

d) such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by the latch traveling out of the receiver bottom side through the opening of the receiver bottom side such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by vertical movement relative to each other; and

e) such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by the latch traveling out of the receiver end opening such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by horizontal movement relative to each other;

f) wherein said combination includes a gated barrier comprising:

i) a barrier frame, the barrier frame defining a barrier plane;

ii) a gate swingably engaged to the barrier frame, the gate defining a gate plane, the gate swingable relative to the barrier frame such that the gate swings out of the barrier plane;

iii) the gate including a swing side and a latch side;

iv) the latch side of the gate having said latch and latch end, the latch side and the swing side of the gate are movable vertically in the gate plane relative to the barrier frame by a spring loaded joint;

v) the barrier frame having said latch receiver engagable with the latch end when the gate is closed; and

g) wherein the gate has an uppermost portion and a lowermost portion, and an imaginary, non-structural horizontal medial line defined solely for reference halfway between the uppermost and lowermost portions, such that, when the latch travels out of the receiver bottom side through the opening of the receiver bottom side, the latch travels toward the imaginary, non-structural horizontal medial line.

8 . The combination of claim 7 , wherein receiver top side is engaged to the receiver first side and is further engaged to the receiver second side.

9 . The combination of claim 8 , wherein the receiver bottom side is adjacent to the receiver first side and is further adjacent to the receiver second side.

10 . A latch and latch receiver combination:

a) the latch having a latch end;

b) the latch receiver receiving the latch end of the latch;

c) the latch receiver comprising:

i) a receiver top side, the receiver top side being closed relative to the latch end;

ii) a receiver bottom side, the receiver bottom side being directly opposite of the receiver top side, the receiver bottom side having an opening with a length and width greater than a length and width of the latch end;

iii) a receiver end opening that has a height and width greater than a height and width of the latch end such that the latch end is receivable in the receiver end opening;

iv) a receiver end side that is directly opposite of the receiver end opening, the receiver end side being closed relative to the latch end;

v) a receiver first side, the receiver first side being closed relative to the latch end;

vi) a receiver second side that is directly opposite to the receiver first side, the receiver second side being closed relative to the latch end;

vii) the receiver top side being adjacent to the receiver first side and being further adjacent to the receiver second side;

viii) the receiver bottom side being adjacent to the receiver first side and being further adjacent to the receiver second side;

ix) receiver top side being engaged to the receiver first side and being further engaged to the receiver second side;

x) the receiver bottom side being adjacent to the receiver first side and being further adjacent to the receiver second side;

xi) a receiver tapering first face adjacent to the receiver first side, the receiver tapering first face leading into the receiver end opening; and

xii) a receiver tapering second face adjacent to the receiver second side, the receiver tapering second face leading into the receiver end opening;

d) such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by the latch traveling out of the receiver bottom side through the opening of the receiver bottom side such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by vertical movement relative to each other; and

e) such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by the latch traveling out of the receiver end opening such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by horizontal movement relative to each other;

f) wherein said combination includes a gated barrier comprising:

i) a barrier frame, the barrier frame defining a barrier plane;

ii) a gate swingably engaged to the barrier frame, the gate defining a gate plane, the gate swingable relative to the barrier frame such that the gate swings out of the barrier plane;

iii) the gate including a swing side and a latch side;

iv) the latch side of the gate having said latch and latch end, the latch side and the swing side of the gate are movable vertically in the gate plane relative to the barrier frame by a spring loaded joint;

v) the barrier frame having said latch receiver engagable with the latch end when the gate is closed; and

g) wherein the gate has an uppermost portion and a lowermost portion, and an imaginary, non-structural horizontal medial line defined solely for reference halfway between the uppermost and lowermost portions, such that, when the latch travels out of the receiver bottom side through the opening of the receiver bottom side, the latch travels toward the imaginary, non-structural horizontal medial line.

11 . The combination of claim 10 , wherein receiver top side is directly adjacent to the receiver first side and is further directly adjacent to the receiver second side.

12 . The combination of claim 11 , wherein the receiver bottom side is directly adjacent to the receiver first side and is further directly adjacent to the receiver second side.

13 . The combination of claim 12 , wherein the receiver end opening is directly adjacent to each of the receiver top side, receiver bottom side, receiver first side, and receiver second side.

14 . The combination of claim 13 , wherein the receiver end side is directly adjacent to each of the receiver top side, receiver bottom side, receiver first side, and receiver second side.

15 . A latch and latch receiver combination:

a) the latch having a latch end;

b) the latch receiver receiving the latch end of the latch;

c) the latch receiver comprising:

i) a receiver outer side, the receiver outer side being closed;

ii) a receiver inner side, the receiver inner side being opposite of the receiver outer side, the receiver inner side having an opening with a length and width greater than a length and width of the latch end;

iii) a receiver end opening that has a height and width greater than a height and width of the latch end such that the latch end is receivable in the receiver end opening;

iv) a receiver end side that is opposite of the receiver end opening, the receiver end side being closed;

v) a receiver first side, the receiver first side being closed;

vi) a receiver second side that is opposite to the receiver first side, the receiver second side being closed;

vii) a receiver tapering first face adjacent to the receiver first side, the receiver tapering first face leading into the receiver end opening; and

viii) a receiver tapering second face adjacent to the receiver second side, the receiver tapering second face leading into the receiver end opening;

d) such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by the latch traveling out of the receiver inner side through the opening of the receiver inner side such that the latch and latch receiver are disengagable by vertical movement relative to each other; and

e) such that the latch and latch receiver are engagable to each other by horizontal movement of the latch and latch receiver relative to each other; and

f) wherein said combination includes a gated barrier comprising:

i) a barrier frame, the barrier frame defining a barrier plane;

ii) a gate swingably engaged to the barrier frame, the gate defining a gate plane, the gate swingable relative to the barrier frame such that the gate swings out of the barrier plane;

iii) the gate including a swing side and a latch side;

iv) the latch side of the gate having said latch and latch end, the latch side and the swing side of the gate are movable vertically in the gate plane relative to the barrier frame by a spring loaded joint;

v) the barrier frame having said latch receiver engagable with the latch end when the gate is closed; and

g) wherein the gate has an uppermost portion and a lowermost portion, and an imaginary, non-structural horizontal medial line defined solely for reference halfway between the uppermost and lowermost portions, such that, when the latch travels out of the receiver inner side through the opening of the receiver inner side, the latch travels toward the imaginary, non-structural horizontal medial line.