Patent Application
20220041329
The present disclosure relates to a storage container for use on a deck or patio. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a storage container with a bottom panel and four side panels that slide into engagement with one another, and a lid that snaps into engagement with one of the panel for ease of assembly without the need for external hardware during assembly.
Outdoor storage containers for storing household items such as water toys, seat cushions, children toys and the like are known in the art. A common type of such a container is known as a deck box. Deck boxes are utilized for storing such devices on an outdoor deck or patio of a house. To account for the elements and perhaps water from a nearby pool, deck boxes tend to be made of plastic. Assembly of these units can be troublesome due to the amount of external hardware required, such as screws, nuts, bolts, etc. These hardware pieces can be lost during assembly or can become dislodged from the assembled deck box over time, which can be dangerous for young children who access the deck box.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.
The use of directional terms herein are meant to be relative to the orientation shown in the Figures to give context to the interplay and relative location of various regions or parts of the deck box. Such terms include “side,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” etc. These terms are mean to give context to the relative location of indicated parts of the deck box relative to other parts of the deck box as shown in the orientation depicted in the Figures, and are not meant to be limiting on the scope of the deck box in any other fashion unless specifically indicated.
Referring to
The assembled deck box 10 provides a storage device for being placed on an outdoor deck or patio. The engagement of the panels and the lid, given the teachings herein, provides the deck box 10 with the ability to be resistant to the elements (rain, snow, wind, etc.) while safely storing outdoor equipment such as furniture, toys, etc. in a rigid, easy-to-assemble container. Handles may be provided as integrally-molded features on the side panels 16, 18 to allow for transport by the user of the assembled deck box. A locking feature may also be integrally molded therewith, such as a hook extending from the lid 22 that extends through an opening in the front panel 12, as shown in
In one embodiment, each panel 12-20 and the lid 22 is made of a polymeric material such as plastic (e.g., polyethylene) that is blow-molded to shape. Blow molding of each panel 12-20 and the lid 22 enables the panels 12-20 and lid 22 to be hollow, light weight, and with increased buoyancy as opposed to injection molding. In another embodiment, panels and lid of the deck box are formed by injection molding.
One embodiment of an assembly of the deck box 10 will now be described with reference to the remaining figures.
Referring to
A side edge region 36 of the bottom panel 20 has a longitudinal protrusion or the like, generally referred to as a “rail” 38. The bottom panel 20 is provided with two of such rails 38 at opposing side edge regions 36. Each rail 38 is sized to be slideably received within a guide 28 of a corresponding one of the side panels 16, 18. The rail 38 may be T-shaped, as shown in
Each side panel 16, 18 can be identical so that when assembled to the bottom panel, each side panel 16, 18 is assembled from opposing directions, as shown in
With the side panels 16, 18 assembled to the bottom panel 20, the front panel 12 and the back panel 14 can be assembled, as shown in
Similar to the guides 28 described above, the guides 48, 49 can each end to define a stop for engaging with the leading edge of one of the rails of the front and back panels 12, 14.
In one embodiment, the bottom panel 20 is provided with one or more recesses 60 that partially extend into the bottom panel 20 and are concave, facing upward. The front and back panels 12, 14 can each include one or more protrusions or tabs 62 that extend downward and are received by the recess 60. Each recess 60 can be the same or slightly smaller in dimension than the corresponding tabs 62 of the front and back panels 12, 14. This provides additional engagement between bottom panel 20 with the front and back panels 12, 14 after the front and back panels 12, 14 have slid into engagement. This allows a portion of the front and back panels 12, 14 to be fitted within a portion of the bottom panel 20.
With the side panels 16, 18, the front panel 12 and the back panel 14 assembled, the lid 22 can then be assembled to the back panel 14 to complete assembly, as shown in
The lid 22 is assembled to the back panel 14 via a hinge 64 that is integrally molded with the deck box 10. Each of the back panel 14 and the lid 22 can have hinge members that are integrally molded therewith. For example, the back panel 14 can include a first hinge member 66 that is integrally molded therewith, and the lid 22 can include a second hinge member 68 that is integrally molded therewith. The first hinge member 66 can be a male hinge member such as a pin, rod, cylinder, or the like; the second hinge member 68 can be a female hinge member that includes a receptacle, pocket, or groove integrally formed therewith for receiving the first hinge member 66.
The flexibility and relative sizing of the hinge members 66, 68 can enable the lid 22 to snap to the back panel 14 at the hinge 64. In one embodiment, the first hinge member 66 can be formed with an outer diameter that exceeds the unbiased inner diameter of the second hinge member 68. Pressing the first hinge member 66 into engagement with the second hinge member can cause protrusions or arms of the second hinge member 68 to flex and open, increasing in inner diameter to receive the first hinge member 66 in a snapping engagement. In another embodiment, the first hinge member 66 can be formed with flattened regions (described below) that allow the first hinge member to be pressed into the second hinge member 68 without causing flexing of the second hinge member 68.
A hinge 64 is formed when the first and second hinge members 66, 68 are connected together. This hingedly connects the lid 22 to the back panel 14, allowing the lid 22 to pivot with respect to the back panel 14 and open and close the deck box 10. The hinge 64 can include a plurality of spaced apart first hinge members 66 and a corresponding plurality of spaced apart second hinge members 68.
The first hinge members 66 can each be formed to include one or more flat regions 67 thereon. In one embodiment, the first hinge members 66 are generally cylindrical except having a recessed or indented flat region 67 at a central region of the first hinge member 66. Another flat region can be provided on either side of the flat region 67 and on the underside of the first hinge member 66. This provides the first hinge member 66 with a reduced diameter or cross-sectional area at the location of the flat regions 67. The flat regions 67 can facilitate the securement of the lid 22 once assembled. For example, the flat region 67 can facilitate the fit of a central tab of the second hinge member 68 about the first hinge member 66 when the lid 22 is in the orientation shown in
It should be understood that the hinge 64 described above is but one embodiment and the first hinge member 66 and the second hinge member 68 can be swapped in relative location. For example, in another embodiment, the first hinge member 66 is integrally formed with the lid 22 rather than with the back panel 14, and the second hinge member 68 is integrally formed with the back panel 14 rather than with the lid 22.
Each of the panels 12-20 and the lid 22 can be provided with stiffening ribs formed therewith. For example, stiffening ribs 70 are shown in the bottom panel 20 in
A plurality of anchoring sections may also be provided to facilitate the anchoring of the deck box 10 to an underlying surface, such as a wooden deck or patio. For example, the side panels 16, 18 may be provided with a plurality of feet 72 that extend outward therefrom. The feet 72 can have a lower surface that is coplanar with or slightly elevated from the lower surface of the deck box to be adjacent to the underlying surface. Each of the feet 72 can be provided with an aperture 73 defined therein for a screw, bolt, nail, or other fastener to mount the deck box to the underlying surface.
It should be understood that in the embodiments described above, the “guides” and “rails” of the various panels can be interchanged. For example, while the side panels 16, 18 are illustrated to have a guide 28 extending therethrough to receive a rail of the bottom panel 20, the rails can be located on the side panels 16, 18 and the guide can be located in the bottom panel 20. This understanding applies to all embodiments that have a sliding engagement between panels.
It should also be understood that the front and rear panels can be assembled to the bottom panel first, and then each of the side panels can be slid into engagement between the front and back panels. For example, in one embodiment, the bottom panel is provided with a guide or rail, each extending along the length of the bottom panel at the front edge and rear edge. The front and rear panels also each include a guide or rail for sliding into engagement with the bottom panel. The front and rear panels, or the bottom panel, may be provided with stops to limit the sliding movement of the front and rear panels with respect to the bottom panel, similar to the embodiments described above. With the front and rear panels assembled, the side panels can then be assembled to the front and rear panels, which are each provided with guides or rails that extend along their edges in a direction toward the bottom panel. The side panels each include guides or rails for providing a sliding engagement between the side panels and the front and back panels. Each side panel slides into engagement with the edges of the front and back panels, sliding downward toward the bottom panel until contacting the bottom panel. Like the other embodiments described above, the side panels or front and rear panels may be provided with stops to limit the sliding movement of the side panels toward the bottom panel, causing the side panels to cease sliding when they reach the bottom panel.
The embodiments described above allow the panels to be shipped and sold in a stacked, disassembled configuration with the panels stacked on top of one another, for example. This reduces the required packaging space. A purchaser of the deck box would be able to assemble the panels given the teachings above in a relatively short amount of time and with little difficulty, and without the need for external hardware such as screws, bolts, brackets, etc.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes can include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, to the extent any embodiments are described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics, these embodiments are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications.sss
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/576,826 filed Sep. 20, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/431,060 filed Feb. 13, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,427,831 issued on Oct. 1, 2019, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16576826 | Sep 2019 | US |
| Child | 17505727 | US | |
| Parent | 15431060 | Feb 2017 | US |
| Child | 16576826 | US |
