U.S. patent application number 10/310790 was filed with the patent office on 2004-06-10 for box with a slidable cover.
Invention is credited to Wang, Sam S..
Application Number | 20040108318 10/310790 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34751679 |
Filed Date | 2004-06-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040108318 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wang, Sam S. |
June 10, 2004 |
Box with a slidable cover
Abstract
A box includes a box body and a cover that is mounted slidably
on an open distal end of the box body and that is formed with a
pair of slits and an elastic arm between the slits. The elastic arm
has a free end with a hook that is elastically engageable with the
open distal end of the box body so that disengagement of the hook
from the open distal end of the box body can be performed using
only one hand.
Inventors: |
Wang, Sam S.; (Tou-Liu City,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BAKER BOTTS LLP
C/O INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
THE WARNER, SUITE 1300
1299 PENNSYLVANIA AVE, NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20004-2400
US
|
Family ID: |
34751679 |
Appl. No.: |
10/310790 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/345.2 ;
220/345.4; 220/351 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2575/363 20130101;
B65D 43/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/345.2 ;
220/345.4; 220/351 |
International
Class: |
B65D 043/12 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A box comprising: an open box body including a base wall and a
peripheral wall that projects from said base wall in a transverse
direction relative to said base wall and that has a distal end
which is distal from said base wall and which confines a box
opening, said peripheral wall including opposite first side wall
portions that extend in a longitudinal direction, and a second side
wall portion transverse to and interconnecting said first side wall
portions; a cover mounted slidably on said distal end of said
peripheral wall so as to be slidable in said longitudinal direction
between a closed position, in which, said cover covers said box
opening, and an open position, in which, said cover is moved away
from said second side wall portion to expose said box opening, said
cover having two opposite first side edges that extend in said
longitudinal direction, and a second side edge that interconnects
said first side edges, said cover being formed with a pair of slits
disposed between said first side edges and extending from said
second side edge in said longitudinal direction so as to form an
elastic arm therebetween, said elastic arm having a base end and a
free end that is opposite to said base end and that is elastically
turnable relative to said base end so as to permit movement of said
free end toward and away from said second side wall portion of said
peripheral wall of said box body, said cover further having a hook
that projects from said free end of said elastic arm in a direction
toward said base wall of said box body so as to engage elastically
said second side wall portion in a snap engagement manner when said
cover is positioned at said closed position; and a rail unit formed
on said first side edges of said cover and said first side wall
portions of said peripheral wall of said box body so as to permit
sliding movement of said cover along said distal end of said
peripheral wall of said box body in said longitudinal
direction.
2. The box of claim 1, wherein said rail unit includes a pair of
rails that are respectively formed on said first side edges of said
cover, each of said rails defining a rail groove that extends in
said longitudinal direction, said rail unit further including a
pair of rail guides that are respectively formed on said first side
wall portions of said peripheral wall of said box body and that are
respectively and slidably received in said rail grooves.
3. The box of claim 2, wherein said cover further has a third side
edge that is opposite to said second side edge in said longitudinal
direction, and a pair of stoppers projecting toward said base wall
of said box body and disposed adjacent to said third side edge and
respectively adjacent to said first side edges of said cover in
such a manner that said stoppers abut respectively against said
rail guides so as to arrest further closing movement of said cover
when said cover is moved to said closed position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a box, more particularly to a
plastic box with a slidable cover.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional box 1 for storing small
articles, such as nails, screws, and the like. The box 1 includes a
box body 11 with two opposite sides that are folded to form a pair
of rail grooves 113, and a cover 12 that has two opposite first
side edges 121 which are slidably and respectively received in the
rail grooves 113 so as to permit sliding movement of the cover 12
between open and closed positions. The aforesaid box 1 is
disadvantageous in that engagement between the cover 12 and the box
body 11 is relatively loose and that undesired removal of the cover
12 can happen quite often.
[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates another conventional box 2 that includes
a box body 21 and a cover 22 that is pivotally connected to a side
edge of a distal end of the box body 21. An interlocking member 221
is formed on the distal end of the box body 21 and the cover 22 so
as to lock the cover 22 upon closing the same. The box 2 can
eliminate the aforesaid loose problem as encountered in the
aforesaid box 1. However, both boxes 1, 2 are difficult to open
using only one hand. Moreover, opening of the conventional box 2 of
FIG. 2 to a desired extent is difficult to control.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a box that is capable of overcoming the aforementioned
drawbacks of the prior art.
[0007] According to this invention, there is provided a box that
comprises: an open box body including a base wall and a peripheral
wall that projects from the base wall in a transverse direction
relative to the base wall and that has a distal end which is distal
from the base wall and which confines a box opening, the peripheral
wall including opposite first side wall portions that extend in a
longitudinal direction, and a second side wall portion transverse
to and interconnecting the first side wall portions; a cover
mounted slidably on the distal end of the peripheral wall so as to
be slidable in the longitudinal direction between a closed
position, in which, the cover covers the box opening, and an open
position, in which, the cover is moved away from the second side
wall portion to expose the box opening, the cover having two
opposite first side edges that extend in the longitudinal
direction, and a second side edge that interconnects the first side
edges, the cover being formed with a pair of slits disposed between
the first side edges and extending from the second side edge in the
longitudinal direction so as to form an elastic arm therebetween,
the elastic arm having a base end and a free end that is opposite
to the base end and that is elastically turnable relative to the
base end so as to permit movement of the free end toward and away
from the second side wall portion of the peripheral wall of the box
body, the cover further having a hook that projects from the free
end of the elastic arm in a direction toward the base wall of the
box body so as to engage elastically the second side wall portion
in a snap engagement manner when the cover is positioned at the
closed position; and a rail unit formed on the first side edges of
the cover and the first side wall portions of the peripheral wall
of the box body so as to permit sliding movement of the cover along
the distal end of the peripheral wall of the box body in the
longitudinal direction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] In drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the
invention,
[0009] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional
box;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another conventional
box;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a box embodying this
invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the box of FIG.
3;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the box of FIG. 3, with a
cover thereof illustrated at a closed position;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the box of FIG. 3, with the
cover illustrated at an open position; and
[0015] FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic views to illustrate how the
cover can be moved using only one hand.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrate a box embodying this invention. The
box 3, which is preferably made from a plastic material, includes:
an open box body 31 having a base wall 30 and a peripheral wall 35
that projects from the base wall 30 in a transverse direction
relative to the base wall 30 and that has a distal end 350 which is
distal from the base wall 30 and which confines a box opening 351,
the peripheral wall 35 including two opposite first side wall
portions 311 that extend in a longitudinal direction, and a second
side wall portion 314 transverse to and interconnecting the first
side wall portions 311; a cover 32 mounted slidably on the distal
end 350 of the peripheral wall 35 so as to be slidable in the
longitudinal direction between a closed position (see FIGS. 5 and
8), in which, the cover 32 covers the box opening 351, and an open
position (see FIGS. 6 and 7), in which, the cover 32 is moved away
from the second side wall portion 314 to expose the box opening
351, the cover 32 having two opposite first side edges 327 that
extend in the longitudinal direction, and a second side edge 328
that interconnects the first side edges 327, the cover 32 being
formed with a pair of slits 322 disposed between the first side
edges 327 and extending from the second side edge 328 in the
longitudinal direction so as to form an elastic arm 323
therebetween, the elastic arm 323 having a base end 320 and a free
end 329 that is opposite to the base end 320 and that is
elastically turnable relative to the base end 320 so as to permit
movement of the free end 329 toward and away from the second side
wall portion 314 of the peripheral wall 35 of the box body 31, the
cover 3 further having a hook 325 that projects from the free end
329 of the elastic arm 323 in a direction toward the base wall 30
of the box body 31 so as to engage elastically the second side wall
portion 314 in a snap engagement manner when the cover 32 is
positioned at the closed position; and a rail unit formed on the
first side edges 327 of the cover 32 and the first side wall
portions 311 of the peripheral wall 35 of the box body 31 so as to
permit sliding movement of the cover 32 along the distal end 350 of
the peripheral wall 35 of the box body 31 in the longitudinal
direction.
[0017] The rail unit includes a pair of rails 33 that are
respectively formed on the first side edges 327 of the cover 32.
Each rail 33 defines a rail groove 330 that extends in the
longitudinal direction. The rail unit further includes a pair of
rail guides 34 that are respectively formed on the first side wall
portions 311 of the peripheral wall 35 of the box body 31 and that
are respectively and slidably received in the rail grooves 34.
[0018] The cover 32 further has a third side edge 321 that is
opposite to the second side edge 328 in the longitudinal direction,
and a pair of stoppers 324 projecting toward the base wall 30 of
the box body 31 and disposed adjacent to the third side edge 321
and respectively adjacent to the first side edges 327 of the cover
32 in such a manner that the stoppers 324 abut respectively against
the rail guides 34 so as to arrest further closing movement of the
cover 32 when the cover 32 is moved to the closed position.
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the cover 32 can be moved
between the closed and open positions using only one hand. As
illustrated in FIG. 7, disengagement of the hook 325 from the
second side wall portion 314 of the peripheral wall 35 of the box
body 31 can be easily performed by using a finger to pull the
elastic arm 323 away from the second side wall portion 314 of the
peripheral wall 35.
[0020] The hook 325 has a curved guide face 326 (see FIG. 6) that
faces toward an edge of the second side wall portion 314 of the
peripheral wall 35 of the box body 31 so as to permit snap
engagement between the hook 325 and the second side wall portion
314 when the cover 32 is moved from the open position (see FIG. 7)
to the closed position (see FIG. 8).
[0021] A hanging tab 36 (see FIG. 4) projects from the second side
wall portion 314 of the peripheral wall 35 of the box body 31, and
is formed with a hole 312 so as to permit hanging of the box 3 on a
wall.
[0022] With the inclusion of the elastic arm 323, the box 3 can be
opened using only one hand, thereby eliminating the drawbacks as
encountered in the aforementioned prior art.
[0023] With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that
various modifications and variations can be made without departing
from the spirit of the present invention.
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