Patent Application
20130277243
The present invention relates to a tool box, and more particularly, to a display and storage tool box.
The conventional tool box is made by hollow and plastic top part and a bottom part is connected to the top part. A handle is connected to the pivots of the top part and a locking unit connected to the top and bottom parts. There are multiple recesses of different shapes defined in the top and bottom parts so as to receive tools such as sockets, bits and wrenches therein. By the locking unit, the tools are positioned between the top and bottom parts and the user carries the tool box by the handle.
However, when the tool box is used for display purposes, the conventional tool box can only be opened by opening the top part relative to the bottom part and this way occupies too much space. The tool boxes cannot attract the customers' attentions and limited number of the tool boxes can be displayed. When removing the tools from the tool box, the tools can only be put on the floor randomly. The tools may be lost or the user has to take a while to find out a specific tool. When the tool box is not in use, the tool box is stored in the cabinet or rack, however, the tool box occupying space requires significant space which is not affordable for some of the users.
The present invention intends to provide a tool box that can be used for display and storage and improves the shortcomings of the conventional tool boxes.
The present invention relates to a tool box and comprises a main part having a connection portion and a locking member which is directly or indirectly connected to the connection portion. A restriction portion and a block extend from the main part. A reception portion is defined therein so as to receive objects therein. A base has a connection portion supporting the restriction portion of the main part and the locking member connects the main part to the base. A recess is defined in the base and the blocks are located above the recess. A positioning portion is located in the base and restricts the locking member. A movable part has a pivot which is rotatably located in the recess of the base. A locking portion of the movable part connects the movable part to the main part. An inner box is located in the movable part so as to receive tools therein.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a tool box which uses a locking member to connect the main part to the base, the main part has blocks located above the recesses of the base to restrict the pivots of the movable part to be pivoted between the blocks and the recesses, so that the movable part is able to be pivoted upward or downward to provide more display area.
The tool box is assembled to form a vase-like status which occupies less space and flowers can be inserted into the main part to have decorative feature. The movable part can be pivoted downward to display the tools 360 degrees and this attracts people's attentions. The movable part and the inner box can be replaced and carried individually.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Referring to
A base 2 has multiple contact portions 22 which support the restriction portion 12 of the main part 1. The restriction portion 12 is a board-like piece and contacts the contact portions 22 of the base 2 to prevent the main part 1 from slipping into the space 20 of the base 2. The restriction portion 12 may also position the main part 1 to the base 2. Multiple recesses 23 are defined in the top of the base 2 and the blocks 13 are located above the recesses 23. Multiple positioning portions 24 are located in the base 2 and restrict the locking member 4. The contact portions 22 and the positioning portions 24 are located on two different positions (the top portion and the lower portion) of the base 2. Preferably, the contact portions 22 and the positioning portions 24 respectively face two sides of two ridges extending from the center of the space 20. The recesses 23 are located above the top of the base 2 and two ribs 231 are located on two sides of the recess 23 to form the recess 23 as a U-shaped recess which is located beneath the blocks 13. Multiple movable parts 3 each have a pivot 31 which is rotatably located in the recess 23 of the base 2. The smallest distance between the top of the rib 231 and the underside of the block 13 is smaller than the diameter of the pivot 31 of the movable part 3. The pivot 31 of the movable part 3 is then restricted in the room 311 defined between the block 13 and the recess 23. The inner box 35 is located in each of the movable part 3 for receiving the tools 5. Each of the movable parts 3 has a resilient locking portion 30 which is locked to the opening of the reception portion 10. The room 311 is located beside the pivot 31 of the movable part 3 and yields to the block 13 or the rib 231 when the movable part 3 is pivoted upward or downward. By the arrangement, when the movable parts 3 can be folded and positioned to the main part 1, or the movable parts 3 are pivoted outward and radially from the main part 1 as shown in
When assembling, the pivots 31 of the movable parts 3 are engaged with the recesses 23 of the base 2 to let the ribs 231 on two sides of the recess 23 be located in the rooms 311. The main part 1 is inserted into the space 20 by the connection portion 11 until the restriction portion 12 and the blocks 13 are respectively in contact the contact portions 22 of the base 2 and the pivots 31 located in the recesses 23. The connection portion 11 of the main part 1 extends beyond the lower end of the positioning portion 24 of the base 2 so that the locking portion 40 of the locking member 4 is directly connected to the connection portion 11 of the main part 1. By rotating the driving portion 41, the locking portion 40 is threadedly connected to the connection portion 11 of the main part 1 until the main part 1 and the base 2 are securely connected to each other. The locking member 4 is in contact the positioning portion 24 of the base 2 and the restriction portion 12 of the main part 1 is in contact with the contact portion 22 of the base 2. The inner boxes 35 with the protrusions 351 are engaged with the holes 31 of the ribs 34 of the movable parts 3 to connect the inner boxes 35 to the movable parts 3 as shown in
When the tool box is put in a room, the dehydrated flower or the root of a plant can be put in the reception portion 10 of the main part 1 so that the tool box performs as a vase as shown in
The reception portion 10 of the main part 1 can also be used as a temporary storage space in which the parts or tools are stored.
When displaying the tools, the user removes the locking portions 30 of the movable parts 3 from the opening of the reception portion 10 of the main part 1, the movable parts 3 are able to be pivoted downward until the pivots 31 of the movable parts 3 are compressed by the blocks 13 and the outer surface of the movable parts 3 are in contact with the floor or the outside of the base 2. The inner boxes 35 of the movable parts 3 and the tools 5 in the inner boxes 35 are displayed around the tool box.
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
