Patent Application
20230041979
The present invention relates to a container. More specifically, the invention relates to a container with a cover having a stop block.
The general concept of a container having a cover is well known. Such containers can be used in a variety of settings for organizing and transporting goods. In the construction setting, such containers may be used to organize and transport tools or accessories, such as fasteners or drill bits. In such a setting, it is not uncommon for a carpenter to require ongoing access to the interior of the container. Thus, a container having a cover that can remain open without additional intervention from the operator is needed. In the past, this problem has been overcome by containers utilizing a kick stand or leg that can support the cover in an open position. However, such kick stands are expensive to manufacture. The present invention overcomes one or more of these drawbacks.
An aim of the present disclosure is to provide a cost-efficient container having a cover that is movable between a fully closed position and a fully open position, and wherein the cover can also remain open in an intermediate open position without additional intervention from an operator.
To this end, it is proposed a container according to claim 1. Specifically, a container including a lower portion having a bottom and a plurality of walls, all of which define an interior space. The container further includes a cover that is attached to one of the walls via a hinge. The cover is configured to move between a closed position and a fully open position, wherein in said closed position, access to the interior space is prohibited. In the fully open position, access to the interior space is permitted and the cover is at an angle (α) of greater than or equal to 90 degrees with respect to the lower portion. The container is characterized in that the cover includes at least one stop block adjacent the hinge and configured to engage a lip of the wall to which the cover is hinged and hold the cover at an intermediate open position. In the intermediate open position, access to the interior space is permitted and the cover is at an angle (β) of less than 90 degrees with respect to the lower portion.
These and other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. In one embodiment of the invention, the structural components illustrated herein are drawn to scale. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. In addition, it should be appreciated that structural features shown or described in any one embodiment herein can be used in other embodiments as well. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Features of the tool in accordance with one or more embodiments are shown in the drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like elements. The drawings form part of this original disclosure in which:
As best seen in
In a preferred embodiment, the cover 20 further included a secondary stop surface 38 that is adjacent the hinge 22. The secondary stop surface 38 is preferably integrated into the rotative portion 28 of the hinge 22. The secondary stop surface 38 is configured to engage a holding block 40 on the lower portion 12. When the secondary stop surface 38 engages the holding block 40, it both holds the cover 20 in a fully open position and prevents the cover from falling to a fully open position, wherein the angle (α) is greater than 180 degrees.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that the container 10 can further include a myriad of features in common with other containers such as closing means 42. The closing means 42 is configured to secure the cover 20 of the container 10 in its closed position. The closing means 42 may be a latch 44 or other standard closing means.
In operation, the cover 20 of the container 10 of the present disclosure selectively moves back and forth between a closed position and a fully open position. That movement will now be described. Starting from a closed position as shown in
However, should she desire for the cover to remain open at the intermediate open position, she will simply apply pressure to the cover so that it moves from a position just shy of the intermediate open position to a position just beyond the intermediate open position. When this occurs, the stop block 24 will rotate from a position wherein its back surface 50 engages the of the lip 26 to a position, wherein the stop block 24 clears the lip 26 entirely. When the cover 20 reaches this position, the operator can release the cover 20 and as it falls back towards its closed position under the influence of gravity, a bottom surface 52 of the stop block 24 comes into contact with the lip 26. The at least one stop block 24 is sized such that it when the bottom surface 52 thereof engages lip 26, it can support the weight of the cover 20 such that the cover 20 will remain in the intermediate open position and not fall to the closed position. See
Turning now to
Finally, as shown in
Although aspects of the invention have been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21189875.4 | Aug 2021 | EP | regional |
This application claims priority from European Community Design Application No. 008696785-0001, filed Sep. 20, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
