Patent Application
20050242104
This invention is generally directed to a handle assembly for use in connection with a storage box.
Handles commonly used on storage boxes protrude outside the dimensions of the storage box when not in use. In addition, these handles include multiple parts which required assembly and therefore increased the time and cost of manufacturing and assembly of the multiple pieces to form the handle assembly.
The present invention provides a handle assembly which overcomes the problems presented in the prior art and which provides additional advantages over the prior art, such advantages will become clear upon a reading of the attached specification in combination with a study of the drawings.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a handle assembly which is cost efficient to manufacture.
Yet another general object of the present invention is to provide a handle assembly which limits the pivotal movement of the handle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a handle which can be formed from a single piece of material.
An further object of the present invention is to provide a handle assembly which does not extend beyond the dimensions of the storage box when the handle is not in use.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a handle assembly which can be used as a security tie down.
A specific object of the present invention is to provide a handle which is comfortable to grasp.
Briefly, and in accordance with the foregoing, the present invention discloses a handle assembly to be mounted to a storage box. The handle assembly includes a mounting bracket permanently secured to the storage box and a handle formed from a single piece of material supported by the mounting bracket.
The organization and manner of the structure and operation of the invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements in which:
While the invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, a specific embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein.
As shown in
The left and right sides 18 of the storage box 12 are identical. The right side 18 of the storage box 12 includes a right wall 26 and a recess 28 in which the handle assembly 10 is positioned. The recess 28 includes an upper wall 30, a lower wall 32, and inner wall 34, a front end wall 36 and a rear end wall 38. The recess 28 generally extends from the front side 14 of the storage box 12 to the rear side 16 of the storage box 12. The upper and lower walls 30, 32 are generally parallel to the bottom 16 of the storage box and extend inwardly from the right wall 26. The upper wall 30 has an outer edge 40 and an inner edge 42. The lower wall 32 has an outer edge 44 and an inner edge 46. An upper shoulder 48 is provided where the right wall 26 meets the outer edge 44 of the upper wall 30. A lower shoulder 50 is provided where the right wall 26 meets the outer edge 44 of the lower wall 32. The inner wall 34 extends from the inner edge 42 of the upper wall 30 to the inner edge 46 of the lower wall 32 and is generally parallel to the right side 26 of the storage box 12. The front end wall 36 and the rear end wall 38 are generally parallel to the front 14 and rear 16 sides of the storage box 12 and extend inwardly from the right wall 26. The inwardly extending dimension of the upper 30, lower 32, front end 36 and rear end 38 walls is slightly larger than the diameter of the material used to form the handle 6. Therefore, when the handle 6 is not in use (as shown in
The mounting bracket 8 of the handle assembly 10 is shown in
The base portion 60 is generally elongated and L-shaped with opposite ends 66, 68. As best shown in
A front stop flange 90 and a rear stop flange 92 extend upwardly from the second member 72. The front stop flange 90 is spaced from the rear stop flange 92. The front stop flange 90 is spaced from the end 66 of the base portion 60 and the rear stop flange 92 is spaced from the end 68 of the base portion 60. The stop flanges 90, 92 are generally perpendicular to the first and second members 70, 72 of the base portion 60. A notch 91 is provided adjacent to the front stop flange 90 and a notch 93 is provided adjacent to the rear stop flange 92. Notch 91 results from formation of the front stop flange 90 and notch 93 results from formation of the rear stop flange 92.
The front mounting element 62 extends from the first member 70 of the base portion 60 proximate the upper edge 74 of the first member 70. The front mounting element 62 extends from the end 66 of the base portion 60. A rounded transition 100 is provided between the first member 70 of the base portion 60 and the front mounting element 62. The front mounting element 62 is also generally elongated and L-shaped. The front mounting element 62 includes a generally vertical first member 102 and a generally horizontal second member 104 which is generally perpendicular to the first member 102. The first member 102 includes an upper edge 106, an inner surface 110 and an outer surface 112. The upper edge 106 of the front mounting element 62 is coplanar with the upper edge 74 of the base portion 60. The inner and outer surfaces 110, 112 of the first member 70 are coplanar with the inner and outer surfaces 78, 80 of the first member 102 of the base portion 60. The second member 104 includes an inner edge 116, an upper surface 118 and a lower surface 120. The second member 104 is generally parallel to and spaced from the second member 72 of the base portion 60. A rounded corner 122 is provided between the first member 102 and the second member 104.
The rear mounting element 64 extends from the first member 70 of the base portion 60 proximate the upper edge 74 of the first member 70. The rear mounting element 64 extends from the end 68 of the base portion 60. A rounded transition 124 is provided between the first member 70 of the base portion 60 and the rear mounting element 64. The rear mounting element 64 is also generally elongated and L-shaped. The rear mounting element 64 includes a generally vertical first member 126 and a generally horizontal second member 128 which is generally perpendicular to the first member 126. The first member 126 includes an upper edge 130, an inner surface 132 and an outer surface 134. The upper edge 130 of the rear mounting element 64 is coplanar with the upper edge of the base portion 60. The inner and outer surfaces 132, 134 of the first member 126 are coplanar with the inner and outer surfaces 78, 80 of the first member 70 of the base portion 60. The second member 128 includes an inner edge 136, an upper surface 138 and a lower surface 140. The second member 128 is generally parallel to and spaced from the second member 72 of the base portion 60. A rounded corner 142 is provided between the first member 126 and the second member 128.
The mounting bracket 8 is preferably integrally formed by stamping and forming a single sheet of sheet metal. Although the mounting bracket 8 has been described as generally L-shaped, it is to be understood that the bracket could be of a variety of shapes. For example, the bracket could be arcuate-shaped.
The handle 6 of the handle assembly 10 is shown in
The grasping portion 150 is generally elongated with a front end 160 and a rear end 162. The front end and rear end portions 152, 154 are generally U-shaped. The front end portion 152 extends upwardly from the front end 160 of the grasping portion 150 and the rear end portion 154 extends upwardly from the rear end 162 of the grasping portion 150. The front mounting portion 156 extends inwardly from the front end portion 152 and the rear mounting portion 158 extends inwardly from the rear end portion 154. An opening 164 is provided between the front mounting portion 156 and the rear mounting portion 158 such that first and second free ends 166, 168 of the handle 6 are provided.
The handle 6 is preferably formed from a single piece of steel tubing. Preferably the tubing from which the handle is formed has a circular cross-section.
To mount the handle assembly 10 to the storage box 12, the handle 6 is aligned with the mounting bracket 8 such that the front and rear mounting portions 156, 158 of the handle 6 are placed along a portion of the inner surface 96 of the elongated corner 94 of the mounting bracket 10. Next, the mounting bracket 8 is aligned with the right side 18 of the storage box 12 such that the inner surface 78 of the vertical member 70 of the base portion 60 and the inner surfaces 110, 132 of the vertical members 102, 126 of the front and rear mounting elements 62, 64 contact the right wall 26 of the storage box 12 and the upper surfaces 118, 138 of the horizontal members 104, 128 of the front and rear mounting elements 62, 64 contact the upper wall 30 of the recess 28 of the storage box 12. With the mounting bracket 8 properly aligned with the storage box 12, the front and rear mounting elements 62, 64 of the mounting bracket 8 are in contact with the storage box 8 and therefore, provide locations for fixedly attaching the mounting bracket 8 to the storage box 12. The mounting bracket 8 is then fixedly attached to the storage box 12 by, for example, riveting the mounting bracket 8 to the storage box 12 or welding the mounting bracket 8 to the storage box 12. Mounting of the handle assembly 10, therefore, requires very few steps and can be quickly and cost efficiently accomplished. Although
With the mounting bracket 8 attached to the storage box 12, the handle 6 is moveably attached to the storage box 12. The handle 6 can move in a front to rear direction and can rotate outwardly from the storage box 12. As the handle 6 moves in the front to rear directions, the front and rear mounting portions 156, 158 of the handle 6 slide along any of the surfaces 86, 78, 96 of the base portion 60 of the mounting bracket 8. This front to rear movement is, however, limited by the contact between the free ends 166, 168 of the handle 6 with the stop flanges 90, 92 of the mounting bracket 8. Because the front to rear movement of the handle 6 is limited by the stop flanges 90, 92, the free ends 166,168 are prevented from moving beyond the respective ends 66, 68 of the bracket 8 and therefore disengagement of the handle 6 from the bracket 8 is prevented.
The contact between the front and rear mounting portions 156, 158 of the handle 6 and the inner surfaces 78, 86, 96 of the base portion 60 provides a pivoting axis about which the handle 6 is rotated. The user grasps the grasping portion 150 of the handle 6 and lifts outwardly and upwardly to rotate the handle 6 to its in use position. Rotation of the handle 6 is limited through the engagement of the end portions 152, 154 of the handle 6 with the lower surfaces 120, 140 of the second members 104, 128 of the front and rear mounting elements 62, 64. Thus, the handle 6 is prevented from rotating more than approximately ninety degrees (90°). By limiting the rotation of the handle 6, the user's hand is spaced from the storage box 12 as the storage box 12 is carried. The user's hand, therefore, does not contact the storage box 12 and therefore additional comfort is provided to the user.
The handle assembly 10 can be used to lift, steer, or drag the storage box 12. When the handle 6 is not in use, the handle 6 can be used as a security tie down. Because the handle 6 lays flat against the side of the storage box 12, if a recess 28 is provided in the storage box 12, the handle does not extend beyond the outer 3 dimensions of the storage box 12.
While this invention has been described for use in connection with a storage box 12, it is to be understood that the handle assembly 10 could also be used in connection with mobile work benches or any other item which may need to be relocated from time to time.
While a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and described, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
