Multifunctional work box

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6206063
  • Patent Number
    6,206,063
  • Date Filed
    Monday, January 10, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 27, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Bray; W. Donald
    Agents
    • Browdy and Neimark
Abstract
A multifunctional work box comprises a base and a face board pivoted to the top of the base. The base has a receiving compartment with an opening facing upward. The compartment is intended to keep hand tools. The face board is used to cover the compartment and to serve as a workpiece platform. The face board can be swiveled to enable its underside to face upward.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates generally to a work box, and more particularly to a multifunctional work box which can be used as a workbench, a workpiece holder, a tool container, etc.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The conventional workbench is limited in design in that it can not be used as a tool container. Similarly, the conventional tool box is designed simply for keeping the tool; it is not provided with means enabling it to be used as a workbench, a workpiece holder, and so forth. In addition, the conventional workbench or tool box can not be carried around easily.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional work box which is designed for use as a tool box, a workbench, a workpiece holder, etc.




It is another objective of the present invention to provide a multifunctional work box which can be easily carried around.




In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the foregoing objectives of the present invention are attained by a multifunctional work box comprising a base and a face board pivoted to the top of the base. The base is provided with a receiving compartment having an open top. The face board may be used as a workbench. The face board is provided on the upper surface thereof with a cutting auxiliary device, and in the underside thereof with a clamp for holding a workpiece.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 2

shows an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 3

shows a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 4

shows a side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 5

shows a front schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the state of a first type of use.





FIG. 6

shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the state of a second type of use.





FIG. 7

shows a partial perspective view of the present invention provided with another cutting auxiliary device.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




As shown in all drawings provided herewith, a work box


10


embodied in the present invention comprises a base


20


, a face board


40


, a cutting auxiliary device


50


, and a clamp


60


.




The base


20


has a receiving compartment with an open top


21


. The compartment is provided in the front side wall thereof with a front opening


22


via which a drawer


23


is received in the compartment. The drawer


23


is intended to contain tools and articles. The compartment is provided in the bottom edge of the front side wall thereof and the bottom edge of the rear side wall thereof with a locating plate


24


which is provided with two through holes


241


. The work box


10


can be thus fastened on a workbench by a plurality of fastening bolts, which are received in the through holes


241


of the two locating plates


24


. The compartment of the base


20


is further provided in the left side wall thereof and the right side wall thereof with a saw receiver


25


of a U-shaped cross section for keeping a rough saw


251


and a finishing saw


252


. The base


20


is further provided in the left and the right side wall thereof with a handle


26


to facilitate the holding and the moving of the work box


10


with the hands.




The face board


40


is of a rectangular construction and is disposed in the open top


21


of the compartment of the base


20


. The face board


40


is provided at the center of two short sides thereof with a pivot


42


. The base


20


is provided with two pivot slots


28


corresponding in location to the two pivots


42


of the face board


40


. The face board


40


is fastened pivotally with the base


20


by the pivots


42


which are received in the pivot slots


28


. The compartment of the base


20


is covered by the face board


40


. The face board


40


is provided respectively in two short sides thereof with a retaining pillar


44


which is separated from the pivot


42


by a predetermined distance. The base


20


is provided in the top end thereof with four retaining slots


29


corresponding in location to the retaining pillars


44


. When the upper surface


401


or the underside


402


of the face board


40


faces upward, the retaining pillars


44


are received in the retaining slots


29


so as to locate the face board


40


. The base


20


is further provided in the top end thereof with two retaining pieces


30


fastened pivotally therewith such that the retaining pieces


30


can be swiveled to engage the upper surface of the face board


40


so as to fix the face board


40


which is used as a workbench platform.




The cutting auxiliary device


50


comprises a rectangular bottom plate


51


which is disposed on the upper surface


401


of the face board


40


, and two side plates


52


extending upright from two sides of the bottom plate


51


, thereby resulting in the formation of the cutting space


53


which is defined by the bottom plate


51


and the side plates


52


and is intended to accommodate a workpiece. The two side plates


52


are provided with six tangent slots


54


, which are formed in pair and in six sets, with two tangent slots


54


of any one set being coplanar for receiving a saw blade. The saw blade is capable of working on a workpiece in various angles.




The clamp


60


comprises an outer clamp body


61


, an inner clamp body


66


, and a threaded rod


68


. The outer clamp body


61


is formed of a bottom plate


62


which is disposed in the underside


402


of the face board


40


, two clamping plates


63


forming therebetween an angle of 90 degrees and extending upright from the bottom plate


62


, and a threaded rod seat


64


disposed on the bottom plate


62


for setting up the threaded rod


68


. The inner clamp body


66


has two clamping surfaces


67


parallel to the two clamping plates


63


of the outer clamp body


61


. The inner clamp body


66


is connected with one end of the threaded rod and is driven by the threaded rod to displace toward the two clamping plates


63


. A workpiece


69


is therefore held securely in place by the inner clamp body


66


and the outer clamp body


61


.




The drawer


23


of the base


20


is provided in the top thereof with a tray


32


for collecting the minute particles, such as sawdust. The base


20


is provided in two sides of the top thereof with a metric scale


34


and a British scale


35


for measuring the length of the workpiece.




The face board


40


may be provided with another cutting auxiliary device


80


as shown in

FIG. 7

, or an angle gauge, in place of the cutting auxiliary device


50


and the clamp


60


.



Claims
  • 1. A multifunctional work box comprising:a base having a receiving compartment with an open top whereby said compartment is used to receive at least one article; and a face board pivoted to a top end of said base for covering said compartment and used as a workbench platform whereby said face board can be swiveled such that n upper surface thereof or an underside thereof faces upward wherein said face board is of a rectangular construction and is provided in two longitudinal sides thereof with a pivot; and wherein said base is provided in a top end thereof with two pivot slots corresponding in location to said pivots; and wherein said face board is provided in two longitudinal sides thereof with a retaining pillar which is separated from said pivot by a predetermined distance; and wherein said base is provided in the top end thereof with four retaining slots corresponding in location to said two retaining pillars whereby said retaining pillars are received in said retaining slots at the time when the upper surface or the underside of said face board faces upward.
  • 2. The work box as defined in claim 1 further comprising a cutting auxiliary device mounted on the upper surface of said face board.
  • 3. The work box as defined in claim 2, wherein said cutting auxiliary device comprises a bottom plate disposed on said face board, and two side plates extending upright from two opposite sides thereof such that a cutting space is formed and defined by said bottom plate and said two side plates for accommodating a workpiece whereby said two side plates are provided with at least one tangent slot for receiving a saw blade, with said tangent slots of said two side plates being coplanar.
  • 4. The work box as defined in claim 1 further comprising a clamp mounted in the underside of said face board for holding a workpiece on place.
  • 5. The work box as defined in claim 4, wherein said clamp comprises an outer clamp body, and inner clamp body, and a threaded rod, said outer clamp body being formed of a bottom plate disposed in the underside of said face board, two clamping plates forming a predetermined angle and extending upright from said bottom plate, and a threaded rod seat mounted on said bottom plate for securing said threaded rod, said inner clamp body having two clamping surfaces parallel to said clamping plates of said outer clamp body whereby said inner clamp body is connected with one end of said threaded rod such that said inner clamp body is driven by said threaded rod to displace toward said two clamping plates, so as to hold the workpiece between said inner clamp body and said outer clamp body.
  • 6. The work box as defined a claim 5, wherein said angle formed by said two clamping plates is preferably 90 degrees.
  • 7. The work box as defined in claim 2, wherein said face board is of a rectangular construction and is provided in two longitudinal sides thereof with a pivot; and wherein said base is provided in a top end thereof with two pivot slots corresponding in location to said pivots.
  • 8. The work box as defined in claim 7, wherein said face board is provided in two longitudinal sides thereof with a retaining pillar which is separated from said pivot by a predetermined distance; and wherein said base is provided in the top end thereof with four retaining slots corresponding in location to said two retaining pillars whereby said retaining pillars are received in said retaining slots at the time when the upper surface or the underside of said face board faces upward.
  • 9. The work box as defined in claim 1, wherein said base is provided in a top end thereof with at least one retaining piece fastened pivotally therewith such that said retaining piece can be rotate to engage the upper surface of said face board.
  • 10. The work box as defined in claim 9 further comprising four retaining pieces disposed in pair on two opposite sides of the top end of said base.
  • 11. The work box as defined in claim 1, wherein said base is provided in one side wall thereof with an opening in communication with said compartment for disposing a drawer in said compartment via said opening.
  • 12. The work box as defined in claim 11, wherein a top of said drawer is provided in with a tray for collecting dust passing through a gap between said base and said face board.
  • 13. The work box as defined in claim 1, wherein said base is provided in one side wall thereof with a saw receiver of a U-shaped cross section for keeping a saw.
  • 14. The work box as defined in claim 1, wherein said base is provided in a bottom edge of two opposite side walls thereof with a locating plate which is provided with at least one through hole for receiving a fastening bolt whereby said fastening bolt is used to fasten said base on a workbench platform.
  • 15. The work box as defined in claim 1, wherein said base is provided in two opposite side walls thereof with a handle to facilitate the holding of said base with the hands of a person.
  • 16. The work box as defined in claim 1, wherein said base is provided in a top thereof with a metric or British scale.
  • 17. A multifunctional work box comprising:a base having a receiving compartment with an open top whereby said compartment is used to receive at least one article; and a face board pivoted to a top end of said base for covering said compartment and used as a workbench platform whereby said face board can be swiveled such that an upper surface thereof or an underside thereof faces upward; wherein said base is provided in a tip end thereof with at least one retaining piece fastened pivotally therewith such that said retaining piece can be rotated to engage the upper surface of said face board.
  • 18. A multifunctional work box comprising:a base having a receiving compartment with an open top whereby said compartment is used to receive at least one article; and a face board pivoted to a top end of said base for covering said compartment and used as a workbench platform whereby said face board can be swiveled such that an upper surface thereof or an underside thereof faces upward; wherein said base is provided in one side wall thereof with an opening in communication with said compartment for disposing a drawer in said compartment via said opening; and wherein a top of said drawer is provided with a tray for collecting dust passing through a gap between said base and said face board.
  • 19. A multifunctional work box comprising:a base having a receiving compartment with an open top whereby said compartment is used to receive at least one article; and a face board pivoted to a top end of said base for covering said compartment and used as a workbench platform whereby said face board can be swiveled such that an upper surface thereof or an underside thereof faces upward; and wherein said base is provided in one side wall thereof with a saw receiver of a U-shaped cross section for keeping a saw.
  • 20. A multifunctional work box comprising:a base having a receiving compartment with an open top whereby said compartment is used to receive at least one article; and a face board pivoted to a top end of said base for covering said compartment and used as a workbench platform whereby said face board can be swiveled such that an upper surface thereof or an underside thereof faces upward; wherein said base is provided in a bottom edge of two opposite side walls thereof with a locating plate which is provided with at least one through hole for receiving a fastening bolt whereby said fastening bolt is used to fasten said base on a workbench platform.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Number Name Date Kind
2587829 Fox et al. Mar 1952
2610761 Fleming Sep 1952
2740517 Evans Apr 1956
4252239 Snyder Feb 1981
4733703 Cimino Mar 1988
5329929 Miller et al. Jul 1994
5595228 Meisner et al. Jan 1997