U.S. patent application number 11/097314 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-13 for portable tool tray with wind blocker.
Invention is credited to Hinman, Eric, Silvas, Romero M..
Application Number | 20050224434 11/097314 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35059474 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050224434 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Silvas, Romero M. ; et
al. |
October 13, 2005 |
Portable tool tray with wind blocker
Abstract
The portable tool tray with wind blocker is a portable
rectangular frame with a tray screen forming its bottom and also
including a wind blocker that can be stored inside the tool tray or
affixed in an upright position perpendicular to the tray to shield
the worker from the wind. The wind blocker is stored inside the
tray by being slid along tracks that are cut along the lower
portion of the tray frame or being inserted within slots laterally
defined within the sidewalls of the tray frame. The tray frame may
have a faceplate that is of lesser height than the rest of the tray
frame to allow the wind blocker to be slid into the tray frame. The
wind blocker is equipped with sliders that allow the wind blocker
to be slid along the tracks or into the slots defined within the
sidewalls.
Inventors: |
Silvas, Romero M.; (San
Angelo, TX) ; Hinman, Eric; (Quebra Dillas,
PR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LITMAN LAW OFFICES, LTD
PO BOX 15035
CRYSTAL CITY STATION
ARLINGTON
VA
22215
US
|
Family ID: |
35059474 |
Appl. No.: |
11/097314 |
Filed: |
April 4, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60560696 |
Apr 9, 2004 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
211/70.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25H 3/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/070.6 |
International
Class: |
A47F 007/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A portable tool tray with wind blocker, comprising: a tray frame
having an end wall and a pair of parallel sidewalls extending from
opposing ends of the end wall, defining a substantially U-shaped
tray frame having an open end and a lower edge; a flange extending
inwardly from the lower edge of the U-shaped tray frame; a wire
mesh screen removably disposed on the inwardly extending flange and
forming a bottom wall of the tool tray; a wind blocker; and means
for slidably disposing the wind blocker screen between the
sidewalls of the U-shaped tray frame.
2. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 1,
wherein the sidewalls have slots defined therein, the means for
sliding including a plurality of sliders attached to the wind
blocker and slidably disposed in the slots.
3. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 2,
wherein the slots extend axially through the sidewalls, defining
opposing tracks.
4. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 2,
wherein the slots extend transversely through the sidewalls.
5. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 1,
further comprising a faceplate removably attached to the open end
of the U-shaped tray frame.
6. The portable tray with wind blocker according to claim 1,
wherein the wire mesh screen is made from expandable metal.
7. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 1,
wherein the wind blocker comprises a frame and a blocker screen
disposed within the frame.
8. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 7,
wherein the screen is made from wire mesh.
9. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 1,
wherein the wind blocker is a solid plate.
10. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 9,
wherein the wind blocker is made of aluminum.
11. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 9,
wherein said solid plate has an aperture defined therein adapted
for receiving a finger.
12. A portable tool tray, comprising: a tray frame having an end
wall and a pair of parallel sidewalls extending from opposing ends
of the end wall defining a substantially U-shaped tray frame having
an open end and a lower edge; a flange extending inwardly from the
lower edge of the U-shaped tray frame; a wire mesh screen removably
disposed on the inwardly extending flange and forming a bottom wall
of the tool tray; a wind blocker having a pair of sliders attached
to and extending laterally from an end thereof; a pair of tracks
defined longitudinally within the sidewalls of the U-shaped tray
frame, the sliders being slidably disposed within the tracks.
13. The portable tool tray according to claim 12, further
comprising a faceplate removably attached to the open end of the
U-shaped tray frame.
14. The portable tray with according to claim 12, wherein the wire
mesh screen is made from expandable metal.
15. The portable tool tray according to claim 12, wherein the wind
blocker comprises a frame and a blocker screen disposed within the
frame.
16. The portable tool tray according to claim 15, wherein the
blocker screen is made from wire mesh.
17. A portable tool tray, comprising: a tray frame having an end
wall and a pair of parallel sidewalls extending from opposing ends
of the end wall, defining a substantially U-shaped tray frame
having an open end and a lower edge, the sidewalls having a pair of
slots normal to the lower edge defined therein at the open end of
the frame; a flange extending inwardly from the lower edge of the
U-shaped tray frame; a wire mesh screen removably disposed on the
inwardly extending flange and forming a bottom wall of the tool
tray; and a wind blocker having a pair of sliders attached to and
extending laterally from an end thereof, the sliders being slidably
disposed in the slots.
18. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 17,
further comprising a faceplate removably attached to the open end
of the U-shaped tray frame.
19. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 17,
wherein the wind blocker comprises a solid plate.
20. The portable tool tray with wind blocker according to claim 19,
wherein said plate has an aperture defined therein adapted for
receiving a finger.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 60/560,696, filed Apr. 9, 2004.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a tool tray, and more
particularly to a lightweight tool tray that is equipped with a
windscreen that shields the worker when deployed and that is stowed
in the tool tray when not in use.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Mariners working aboard commercial cargo vessels and tankers
frequently must work on deck, sometimes in adverse weather
conditions. Mariners, particularly mariners working as tankermen,
spend much of their day on deck exposed to the elements. The
confined nature of a ship means that it is essential for a
tankerman to have a place to set his tools and the components of
whatever piece of machinery or piping he is working on. Some
solutions have included bags and buckets. Buckets present the
problem that often the bucket cannot be placed underneath pipe
manifolds because the piping gets in the way. Tool bags are not
satisfactory, since they get oil and grease on them and are
difficult to clean.
[0006] Tankerman often use drip pans for many of the jobs they
might be assigned on deck. The benefits of a drip pan are that the
tools are easily accessible and can be confined in a designated
area. Tools or disassembled components may be oily, and by placing
them in the drip pan the tankerman can avoid making a mess. A drip
pan or tool tray is particularly helpful on a ship where a tool or
loose part has the possibility of rolling away due to the unstable
nature of a ship at sea. A tool or part that gets away from the
tankerman might fall below a grating, be difficult to retrieve, and
exposes the tankerman to potential injury.
[0007] Another aspect of work aboard a commercial cargo vessel or
tanker is exposure to the wind. Many conventional solutions to this
problem, such as hanging tarps or putting up windscreens, are ill
suited for use aboard ship where workspaces are often confined. The
relevant art does not reveal a tool tray that has a relatively
small windscreen adapted to shield only one worker. There have been
a variety of drip pans, tool trays, and screens for general purpose
use and for particular applications with various advantages and
disadvantages.
[0008] U.S. Design Pat. No. 220,637, issued May 4, 1971 to James B.
Swett et al., shows a drainer tray that does not have a windscreen.
U.S. Pat. No. 477,137, issued Jun. 14, 1892 to W. H. Mesick,
teaches a sink and rack where the rack folds up to rest on the side
of the sink when not in use. U.S. Pat. No. 894,938, issued Aug. 4,
1908 to Martha E. Brockman, describes a dish drainer adapted to be
placed in a sink. U.S. Pat. No. 1,389,908, issued Sep. 6, 1921 to
Harry Shults et al., discloses a dish drainer adapted to rest on
top of a sink.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 1,587,693, issued Jun. 8, 1926 to Edith M.
Beland et al., shows an attachment for sinks that makes a table or
stand out of a sink. U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,284, issued Aug. 16, 1955
to Alfonso P. Molina, teaches a drain tray adapted for the rapid
drying of dishes and glassware. U.S. Pat. No. 2,994,463, issued
Aug. 1, 1961 to Clarence Drader, describes a bread carrier that is
collapsible for easy storage. U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,248, issued Oct.
10, 1961 to William W. Wittie shows a sweater dryer and blocker
that is a foldable rack that permits drying multiple sweaters at
the same time. U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,453, issued May 28, 1968 to
Angelo F. Dantino et al., teaches an adjustable display rack that
is designed for the presentation of foodstuffs. U.S. Pat. No.
3,388,808, issued Jun. 18, 1968 to John R. Radek, describes a
collapsible display tray for the display of merchandise. U.S. Pat.
No. 4,169,532, issued Oct. 2, 1979 to Umberto Scapellati, discloses
a parts tray with a screen over a pan, but does not include a
windscreen.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,529, issued Jun. 12, 1984 to Fredric J.
Spencer et al., shows a portable grill that features a detachable
shelf. U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,327, issued Feb. 11, 1986 to S. Dean
Velten, teaches a collapsible folding barbecue unit featuring
adjustable grilling units. U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,221, issued May 25,
1993 to Charles E. T. Ray, Sr., describes a folding drying rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,035, issued Aug. 3, 1993 to Joseph E. Adams,
Jr., discloses a tire changing tool and workstand featuring a wire
mesh parts tray in a metal frame.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,857, issued Sep. 30, 1997 to Per Sigmund
Stromberg, shows a collapsible container that is stackable when
assembled. U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,047, issued Jun. 30, 1998 to Paul
Bostjancic, teaches a stationary service bench with tool panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,331 B1, issued Dec. 24, 2002 to Ivano Morandi
describes a metal wire shelf with collapsible sides, particularly
for trolleys and the like. German Patent No. 3,121,362, published
on Dec. 16, 1982, discloses a device for cleaning hand tools
featuring a wire screen over a drip pan. German Patent No.
3,200,283, published on Jul. 14, 1983, shows a collapsible grill
that has an upright wire mesh portion that supports a spit.
[0012] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either
singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention
as claimed. Thus a portable tool tray with a wind blocker solving
the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The portable tool tray with wind blocker is a portable
rectangular frame with a tray screen forming its bottom and also
including a wind blocker that can either be stored inside the tool
tray or affixed in an upright position perpendicular to the tool
tray to shield the worker from the wind. The wind blocker is stored
inside the tool tray by being slid along tracks that are cut along
the lower portion of the tray frame or by being inserted within
slots laterally defined within sidewalls of the tray frame. The
tray frame has a faceplate that is of lesser height than the rest
of the tray frame to allow the wind blocker to be slid into the
tray frame. The wind blocker is equipped with sliders that allow
the wind blocker to be slid along the tracks cut into the tray
frame or to be slid into the slots within the sidewalls.
[0014] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to
provide the tankerman with an efficient, centralized location to
keep his tools and disassembled components when working on a
specific task.
[0015] It is another object of the invention to provide a tankerman
with the means to shield himself from wind and flying spray when
working on deck.
[0016] Still another object of the invention is to increase the
productivity of a worker, particularly shipboard personnel, with a
tool tray and attachable wind blocker that increases efficiency and
also provides for safer working conditions.
[0017] It is an object of the invention to provide improved
elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which
is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its
intended purposes.
[0018] These and other objects of the present invention will become
readily apparent upon further review of the following specification
and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a portable
tool tray with wind blocker according to a first embodiment of the
present invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the portable tool
tray with wind blocker according to the first embodiment of the
present invention.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a top view of the portable tool tray with wind
blocker with the windscreen in the process of being placed in the
tool tray for storage.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the portable tool tray with
wind blocker according to a second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0023] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] The present invention is a portable tool tray with wind
blocker, designated generally as 10 in the drawings. As shown in
FIG. 1, the portable tool tray with wind blocker 10 is designed to
provide a shipboard worker, such as a tankerman 12, a convenient
place to rest their tools while, at the same time, providing a wind
blocker when working on such things as a cargo manifold 14.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows the individual components of the portable tool
tray with wind blocker. The tray frame 20 is made of metal,
preferably aluminum or other corrosion resistant alloy, and is
formed in a U-shaped or open-ended rectangular shape with an end
wall 22 and opposing sidewalls 24 and 26. Opposing sidewalls 24 and
26 have a track 28 or slot defined therein extending longitudinally
and terminating just before the ends of the opposing sidewalls 24
and 26. The lower edge of the tray frame 20 has an inwardly
extending flange 25 about its perimeter forming a perpendicular
sill for the tray screen 30 to rest on. Tray screen 30 is shown in
the preferred embodiment as a wire mesh screen. Tray screen 30 may
be removed if the portable tool tray with wind blocker 10 is going
to be used as a containment area or in conjunction with a drip pan.
The tray screen 30 may be made from expandable mesh material.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the open-ended tray frame 20 is closed
by a faceplate 32. Face plate 32 is made of metal, preferably
aluminum, has inwardly extending lugs 33 normal to the face plate
32 so that the face plate 32 may be attached to the open end of the
tray frame 20. Faceplate 32 is attached to tray frame 20 by using
bolts or other securing means through holes 34 defined in the lugs
33 that align with holes defined in the opposing sidewalls 24 and
26 at the open end of frame 20.
[0027] Wind blocker 40 has a wind blocker frame 42 and a wind
blocker screen 44 disposed within the frame 42. Wind blocker screen
44 is a fine wire mesh and is attached to the wind blocker frame 42
by bolts, rivets, or other suitable means. Wind blocker 40 has
dimensions slightly less than the tray frame 20 so that the wind
blocker 40 may rest inside the tray frame 20 when not in use.
Attached to the bottom of the wind blocker 40 is a pair of sliders
46. Sliders 46 are slotted cylindrical bars where the slotted end
fits over the wind blocker frame 42 and the opposite, solid end has
a diameter slightly less than the width of track 28.
[0028] FIG. 3 shows the portable tool tray 10 with the wind blocker
40 in the process of being moved into the storage position. The
sliders 46 run along tracks 28 so that the wind blocker 40 may be
placed in a variety of different positions, from fully extended to
fully inserted above tray screen 30. The sliders 46 rotate
90.degree. within the tracks 28 to block the wind.
[0029] FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the portable tool tray
100. The open-ended tray frame 200 omits the tracks 28 along the
opposing sidewalls 24 and 26. Slots 202 are defined within the open
end portion 204 of each sidewall 24 and 26, extending laterally
through the sidewall 24 or 26 and to the top edge 50 of each
sidewall 24 and 26. Wind blocker 208 attaches to the tray frame
200. Instead of mesh, wind blocker 208 is a solid plate made of
metal, preferably aluminum, and has dimensions slightly less than
the tray frame 200 so that the wind blocker 208 may rest inside the
tray frame 200 when not in use. Attached to the bottom of the wind
blocker 200 is a pair of sliders 46. The sliders 46 have a diameter
slightly less than the width of slots 202. The sliders 46 are
placed within the top portion 206 of the slots 202, thereby
allowing the wind blocker 208 to attach to the tray frame 200. The
wind blocker 208 may then be rotated down or up, depending on the
needs of the user or removed from the tray frame 200 when not
necessary. Wind blocker 208 has an aperture 210 defined within the
blocker 208 so that users are able to easily access the wind
blocker 208 in order to remove it from the tray frame 200.
[0030] It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and
all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *