Patent Application
20100108549
The present invention relates to a carrying case or chest, and more particularly to a blow-molded tool chest including an integrally molded frame and a top frame member slideably engaged with left and right frame members.
The blow molding of cases has been a proven commercial process for many years. Blow molded carrying cases are often used to compartmentalize power tools with accessories or multi-component instrument kits. These blow molded cases have the advantage of being lighter weight than carrying cases made of other materials, as the blow molded designs are lighter than cases made of metals such as steel, titanium, copper, or wood and other heavy materials.
Along with being relatively lightweight, most blow molded carrying cases are integrally compartmented in their interiors to retain and position assortments of contents. Examples of such contents would be various power tools and tools used for day-to-day operations, such as a wrench set, screwdriver, washer, or nails.
In order to meet consumer demand, blow molded carrying cases are mass produced and the efficient and cost effective production of these items is a goal for manufacturers. Various designs and improvements in these blow molded carrying cases provide for advantages, which can decrease manufacturing cost and increase sales, as the advantages provide for better and more user-friendly designs for consumers.
Typically, prior art designs for blow molded cases involve the production of separate parts of the carrying cases. The parts are fastened together with fastening devices such as screws, nails, adhesives, and other such devices. This leads to the production of blow molded carrying cases that involve a series of steps for producing the individual parts, which then involves the additional steps requiring assembly of the carrying case with fasteners. These types of designs are demonstrated by prior art designs such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,592 to Lai, which involve the production of a blow molded case whereby two sections of a blow molded frame are fastened together via screws.
Some improved designs have been made to reduce or eliminate the need for fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,386 to Weise discloses blow molding a chest whereby the frame parts are integrally molded together. While Weise does not use fasteners for assembly, Weise discloses assembling a frame by having a fixed snapping mechanism that links a barbed portion with a relief portion to hold the frame together.
In addition to fastening a frame of a blow molded carrying case, some prior art designs contain a plurality of separate drawers that are used to store the components of the blow molded carrying cases. These designs, such as Lai, teach the storage of separate components via a plurality of drawers. However, a problem exists whereupon transport of the cases, the drawers may slide open, since there is the lack of a mechanism to prevent the drawers from sliding during transport.
What is desired, therefore, is a blow molded carrying case or chest which is easy and inexpensive to produce relative to known designs, which includes a mechanism to assemble and fasten the frame of the carrying case without requiring fasteners such as screws or adhesives. It is also desirable to provide a carrying case or chest with a mechanism to prevent drawers from sliding out of the frame.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a blow molded carrying case or chest including a top frame member that slideably engages the frame of the chest to assemble the chest without any fasteners. It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a chest including several drawers and a mechanism to securely hold the drawers closed.
These and other objectives are achieved by providing a blow molded carrying chest including a base frame member, a left frame member and a right frame member attached to the base frame member. Each left and right frame member includes at least one first connector component. The base frame member, the left frame member and the right frame member are molded as a single unit and the left frame member and the right frame member are pivotable with respect to the base frame member. The carrying chest further includes a top frame member, which can be a storage tray. The top frame member includes a body with a left end and a right end, each end containing at least one second connector component. Each of the second connector components is slideably engageable with one of the first connector components. The carrying chest is assembled by the slideable engagement of the at least one first connector component of the right frame member with the at least one second connector component on the right end of the top frame member, and the slideable engagement of the at least one first connector component of the left frame member with the at least one second connector component on the left end of the top frame member. When the first and second connector components are engaged, each of the left and right frame members are retained in an assembled position and secured to the top frame member, which is typically a storage tray.
The top frame member may further include a lid hinged to the body of the top frame member and a handle attached to the lid to facilitate carrying of the chest.
The blow molded carrying chest may further include a plurality of drawers mountable below the top frame member, the drawers slideably mounted upon rails in the left frame member and the right frame member. In some embodiments, the carrying chest includes at least one door hinged to one of the left frame member and the right frame member, adapted to retain the plurality of drawers when the at least one door is closed, and adapted to allow the plurality of drawers to be accessed when the at least one door is open.
In some embodiments, the blow molded carrying chest includes a back frame member. The base frame member, the left frame member and the right frame member, may include grooves for retaining the back frame member.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the left and right frame members includes two or more first connector components, and the top frame member includes two or more second connector components. The slideable engagement of the first and second connector components is preferably conducted in a direction from the back of the chest to the front of the chest.
The first and second connector components may be either a male or female connector components. While the male component can have one of a variety of shapes, a preferred embodiment of the invention contains a male component with a T-shaped design. This T-shaped design contains a vertical member attached to a horizontal member and designed to correspond to a female component.
In some embodiments, each of the first connector components includes an open portion and a lock portion, wherein the open portion is adapted to receive the vertical member of one of the second connector components, and wherein, upon slideable engagement of the top frame member, the vertical member is retained in the lock portion of the first connector component. The lock portion may include an interior cavity for receiving the vertical member, and a top lock member and a bottom lock member defining a channel for slideably receiving the horizontal member.
In some embodiments, the right end and the left end of the top frame member each include at least one tab, wherein each of the tabs engage and is retained in the open portion of one of the first connector components upon slideable engagement of the top frame member. The tabs prevent the top frame member from becoming disengaged with the right and left frame members.
Other objects of the present invention are achieved by a method of assembling a blow molded carrying chest. The method includes the steps of providing a frame including a base frame member, a left frame member and a right frame member attached to the base frame member, wherein the base frame member, the left frame member and the right frame member are molded as a single unit, wherein each of the left frame member and the right frame member contain at least one first connector component. The method further includes providing a top frame member including a body with a right end and a left end, each end containing at least one second connector component, and slideably engaging the second connector components of the right end and the left end of the top frame member with the first connector component of the right frame member and the first component of the left frame member, respectively.
In some embodiments, the method further includes mounting a plurality of drawers into a cavity defined below the top frame member, the drawers sideably mounted upon rails in the left frame member and the right frame member.
The method may further include locking the plurality of drawers into the frame using a set of doors hinged to the left frame member and the right frame member that when in a closed position, lock and retain the plurality of drawers into the frame, and when in an open position, allow the plurality of drawers to be accessed.
Other objects of the invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from consideration of the following drawings and accompanying detailed description.
Referring to
The chest 100 further includes a plurality of drawers 160,165, and 168. Hinged doors 120 and 125 are connected to the left and right frame members to secure the plurality of doors 160, 165, and 168 in a closed position.
The carrying case 100 includes a back frame member 210 secured between the base, right and left frame members. In some embodiments, the back frame member 210 contains hollowed out portions 275 which are incorporated in order to reduce weight and bulk of the carrying chest 100. The hollowed out portions 275 are of little sacrifice to rigidity of the carrying chest 100. In preferred embodiments, the back frame member 210 extends up to the bottom of the top frame member 140, rather than extending up to the top of the chest and adjacent to the back of the top frame member 140. This arrangement also contributes to a reduction in weight and bulk of the carrying chest 100.
The back frame member 210 includes several elongated protrusions 212, 215, and 218, which correspond to grooves 290, 295, and 298 on base frame member 110, right frame member 130, and left frame member 200, respectively. The protrusions of the back frame member 210 engage the grooves during assembly to secure the back frame member 210.
Each of the left frame member 200 and the right frame member 130 include one or more first connector components. In the exemplary embodiment, the first connector components are female connector components 220 and 225 on the left frame member 200 and female connector components 270 and 275 on the right frame member 130. The first connector components receive and/or slideably engage with second connector components of the top frame member 140, in order to assemble the carrying chest 100. Each of the left and right frame members further includes an indentation 230/260 to receive a tab on the top frame member 140. Upon slideable engagement of the top frame member 140, the tabs are retained in open portions of the female connectors 270 and 220 to lock the top frame member 140 in an assembled position.
Referring now to
The male connector components 300/335 are inserted into open portions 510/520 of keyed female connector components 220/225. The open portions 510/520 include an opening with a size and shape approximately equal to or slightly larger than the vertical members 565/575. When the male connectors 300/335 are in the open portions 510/520, the tab 350 fits into an indentation 230.
To engage the locking mechanism of the invention, the male components 330/335 are slid horizontally into locking portions 530/540 of the female components 220/225. Each of the locking portions 530/540 includes a rear interior cavity with a size and shape approximately equal to or slightly larger than the vertical members 565/575. The locking positions 530/540 further include exterior portions adapted to receive the horizontal members 560/575 between top and bottom lock members 580, 585, 590, and 595. The vertical members 565/575 of the male connector components 330/335 slide behind the locked members 580, 585, 590, and 595 into the interior cavity.
The slideable engagement of the top frame member 140 with each of the left and right frame members 200/130 provides for easy assembly of the carrying chest without requiring any fasteners. In some embodiments, the present invention includes a kit comprised of the frame members 140/200/130 and drawers 160/165/168 that may be shipped unassembled to customers. Shipping in an unassembled or flat configuration allows for a reduction in shipping volume and cost. The carrying chest according to the present invention may then be assembled upon receipt by slideably engaging the top frame member 140 with each of the left and right frame members 200/130 as described herein.
While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation and that various changes and modifications in form and details can be made thereto, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.
