The present invention is directed to a portable storage case and, more particularly, to a storage case comprising a self opening lid and a movable display support for supporting and displaying at least one item.
BACKGROUND
Various types of storage cases have been used in the past and are known in the art. For example, hard plastic cases have been disclosed for carrying small tools such as screwdrivers and other implements, such as writing implements, cutting implements, and the like. Other forms of plastic cases including soft, transparent plastic cases have been disclosed for holding a plurality of writing implements of different colors. While providing sufficient utility, such storage cases generally lack an eye-catching appeal often desired by modern consumers, and particularly desirable with either upscale products or in the premium promotion market.
Tool boxes, such as boxes utilized for drill bits or screwdriver heads have included manually openable covers which are directly linked to display racks such that upon the manual opening of the case, one or more racks are simultaneously raised to an inclined position. Again, while functional, such toolboxes are not particularly eye catching and lack any particularly visually appealing movement during operation.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a portable storage case for one or more items which is attractive and provides an eye-catching visual appearance during operation. The item(s) may be one or more implements. As used herein, the term “implement” is used to indicate an article used in some activity, such as an instrument, tool or utensil. The term “item” includes, but is not limited to, implements, jewelry, watches.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to portable storage cases comprising a base and a lid which is automatically movable by a damped, spring-biased lid mechanism. Upon actuation of a release, the lid automatically moves from a closed position to an open position. The storage cases also comprise a display support which is pivotally movable with respect to the base and is moved during at least part of the time that the lid is moving from the closed to the open position. The display support releasably supports at least one item and, according to certain embodiments described below, supports a plurality of items. In preferred embodiments, movement of the display support only commences after the lid has moved for some predetermined time, distance or angle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates one preferred embodiment of the present invention in the open configuration.
FIG. 2 illustrates the embodiment of FIG. 1 in the closed configuration.
FIG. 3 is an exploded, top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is an exploded, bottom view of portions of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a closed configuration.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5.
FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate the sequential opening of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
FIGS. 9A-9D are cross sectional views illustrating the relative movement of the movable portions of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein the display support releasably supports a single writing implement.
FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein the display support releasably supports a cutting implement.
FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein the display support releasably supports a piece of jewelry.
FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention in the open configuration wherein the lid is rotated beyond 180°.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention is directed to portable storage cases. For illustration purposes, a number of storage cases are illustrated. Each of the illustrated storage cases comprises a base and a lid comprising a damped, spring-biased lid mechanism. The lid is pivotally connected to the base and, upon releasing a latch or other lid restraining device, the lid automatically moves from a closed position to an open position. A display support for removably supporting at least one item, e.g. an implement, is also pivotally connected to the base. During at least part of the time that the lid is moving from the closed to the open position, movement of the lid causes movement of the display support.
According to one embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 1-9, a display support releasably supports a plurality of screwdrivers. In this embodiment, the display support is designed to support six screwdrivers, for example, three flat head screwdrivers and three Phillips-head screwdrivers having different sized heads. While the illustrated display support holds six screwdrivers, only three are shown in phantom to avoid obscuring the other elements in the drawing. The display support is pivotally connected to a base 10. FIG. 1 shows this embodiment in the open position, while FIG. 2 shows the lid in the closed position. FIG. 3 is an exploded view. In the closed configuration shown in FIG. 2, projections 21 on the forward end of lid 20 are releasably engaged by latch assembly 40 which is also pivotally connected to base 10 by pins 41 (best shown in FIG. 3). Depression of release button 42 causes latch assembly 40 to rotate forwardly about the axis defined by pins 41 sufficiently to allow projections 21 on lid 20 to clear the latch assembly thereby allowing lid 20 to open.
Lid 20 is normally urged into the open position shown in FIG. 1 by a plurality of pre-tensioned coil springs 22 which form part of a damped, spring-biased lid mechanism. According to this embodiment, each spring 22 is positioned within a fixed drum 24. Drum 24 comprise projections 25 which are received within generally rectangular recesses 15 of base 10. The configuration of projections 25, when positioned in recesses 15, in conjunction with the interlocking engagement of projections 25 with projections 16 on endcap 17, prevents drums 24 from rotating relative to base 10. Each coil spring 22 comprises a cross wire at each end thereof which respectively engage slots (not shown) in each of drums 24 and in recesses 29 located in the rearward end of lid 20. Since drums 24 do not rotate, the ends of the springs connected to drums 24 do not rotate while the ends of the springs connected to recesses 29 in lid 20 are able to rotate with rotation of the lid 20.
When the release button 42 is depressed, the pre-torsioned coil springs 22 will urge lid 20 from the closed position shown in FIG. 2 to the open position shown in FIG. 1. In order to provide a smooth, damped motion to the lid, a viscous grease or some other viscous material is placed between the outer surface of drums 24 and the inner surface of recesses 29. The viscous material in these areas will slow, i.e. damp, the speed of the opening lid and prevent the lid from snapping open. The damped motion of lid 20 as it moves from the closed position to the open position provides an easily observable, eye catching and pleasing visual effect.
While the lid is described herein as “comprising” a lid mechanism, this terminology is not intended to indicate that the lid mechanism is contained or located exclusively within recesses of the lid such as recesses 29 shown in FIG. 3.
According to this embodiment, as lid 20 is moving to the open position, display support 30 is also raised into a tilted position as shown in FIG. 1 in order to provide better visual access as well as physical access to the item(s) supported on display support 30. According to this embodiment, however, the movement of the display support 30 from a generally horizontal position within base 10 to the inclined position shown in FIG. 1 is not entirely contemporaneous with the opening of the lid 20 from the closed position to the open position. In this embodiment, lid 20 rotates about 40° to about 60° from the position shown in FIG. 2, before movement of display support 30 to the inclined position commences. In other embodiments, the lid rotates at least about 20°, preferably at least about 30°, and most preferably at least about 45° before movement of the display support commences. Alternatively, the lid moves for at least about 0.5 seconds, preferably for at least about 0.8 seconds, and most preferably for at least about one second before the display support commences movement. This delayed movement of the display support allows a person viewing from the front of the storage case to view the implements for a brief moment before the display support starts to move. Then, as the lid continues to move toward the fully open position, the display support 30 is simultaneously lifted into its inclined position. This subsequently commencing movement of a second element i.e. display support, of the storage case further enhances the eye catching visual appeal of the overall device while tending to focus a user's vision on the item(s) stored within the case.
The lifting of display support 30 and, in particular, with respect to this embodiment, the delayed movement of display support 30 with respect to the movement of lid 20 is effected by an actuator 50 and a lifting arm 60 best shown in the exploded view of FIG. 3. The relationship between the actuator 50, the lifting arm 60, the lid 20 and the base 10 is also shown in FIG. 4 which is an exploded, bottom view of certain parts of the storage case. As shown in FIG. 4, actuator 50 is connected to lid 20 such that when lid 20 rotates, actuator 50 is also moved. Lifting arm 60 is pivotally connected to lid 20 and moves when engaged by actuator 50, or, according to this embodiment, in response to gravity or the weight of a display support when a force is not being applied by actuator 50.
The relative positions of the lid 20, actuator 50 and lifting arm 60 when the storage case is in the closed position, are shown in FIG. 6 which is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5. As shown toward the rear of the storage case (the left side in FIG. 6), actuator 50 is connected at its upper end to the rearward portion of lid 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the leading, i.e. forward, edge 52 of actuator 50 does not engage the lower surface 62 of lifting arm 60 when the lid is in the closed position.
FIGS. 8A-8D provide a sequential illustration of the storage case as the lid moves from the closed position shown in 8A, to a partially open position in FIG. 8B where the display support has not yet begun to move, to a more open position in FIG. 8C wherein the display support has started to move, and finally to the fully open position in FIG. 8D. FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate a plurality of implements 8, in this example screwdrivers releasably supported by display support 30.
FIGS. 9A-9D are cross-sectional views of the storage case with the position of the lid in FIGS. 9A-9D corresponding to the positions of the lid in FIGS. 8A-8D, respectively. In FIG. 9A, the leading edge 52 of actuator 50 and the bottom surface 62 of lifting arm 60 are in the same position as shown in FIG. 6. In FIG. 9B, leading edge 52 of actuator 50 has moved somewhat and is approaching the lower surface of lifting arm 60, but is still not in contact with lifting arm 60, therefore, display support 30 has not yet started to move. As shown in FIG. 9C upon further rotation of lid 20, leading edge 52 of actuator 50 has engaged lifting arm 60 which has, in turn, engaged a lower surface of display support 60 and has lifted display support 60 into an inclined position. As shown in FIG. 9D, the lid 20 is fully rotated to the open configuration and lifting arm 60 has inclined display support 30 into its final position.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-9, the base 10 has a right side edge 11, a left side edge 12, a forward lip 13 and bottom surface 19. When the latch assembly 40 and lid 20 are connected to base 10, the base forms a housing comprising a generally open top which is selectively covered or exposed by lid 20. Other forms of bases may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention. As used herein, the term “storage case” is not limited to fully enclosed structures. While an enclosed case is preferable for many applications, the term “base” as used herein is not limited to structures which form a fully enclosed structure in conjunction with other elements of the storage case.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the display support 30 also comprises a cover 35 for covering at least a portion of the item(s) releasably supported by the display support 30. In this illustrated embodiment, cover 35 covers the lower portion of the screwdrivers in order to better maintain the screwdrivers in position on the display support 30.
According to another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 10, the display support 130 supports a single item, in this embodiment a writing implement.
According to another embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 11, the display support 230 supports a cutting implement. According to a further embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 12, the display support 330 can also be designed to support a piece of jewelry. From the present description, it will be appreciated that the specific angles can be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, by modifying the construction and/or spatial relationships between the lid, actuator, lifting arm and/or display support, the display support can be caused to start its upward movement earlier with respect to the rotation of the lid. In fact, if desired, the display support could be caused to move upon initial movement of the lid.
Furthermore, the final positions of the lid and the display support can be modified. For example, the lid which is shown in a generally vertical position with respect to the bottom surface 19 of base 10, in FIG. 9D, can be rotated to a greater or lesser degree. For example, the lid can also be rotated beyond 180 degrees in order to incline the base 10 relative to a horizontal surface as shown in FIG. 13. Also, by modifying the length of lifting arm 60 and/or the engagement of the actuator 50 and lifting arm 60, the display support can be positioned at different final angles.
The present invention is useful with a wide variety of items such as a hand tool, cutting implement, writing implement, business card, watch or jewelry.
Patent Application
20090026210
