U.S. patent application number 12/406020 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-24 for tool box with a tool locking function.
Invention is credited to Eupin WANG.
Application Number | 20090236250 12/406020 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41087821 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090236250 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WANG; Eupin |
September 24, 2009 |
Tool Box with a Tool Locking Function
Abstract
A tool box with a tool locking function comprises a base and a
movable member for holding and storing tools. The base is provided
with plural engaging portions, and the movable member is defined
with plural holding holes cooperating with the engaging portions of
the base. The movable member is movably disposed on the base. By
such arrangements, the tool box with a tool locking function can
fix the tools assuredly, and unclamp the tools by rotation to allow
the tools to be taken out easily. In addition, such a tool box with
a tool locking function is more advantageous in displaying,
carrying and storing of the tools.
Inventors: |
WANG; Eupin; (Sindian City,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Dr. BANGER SHIA
102 Lindencrest Ct.
Sugar Land
TX
77479-5201
US
|
Family ID: |
41087821 |
Appl. No.: |
12/406020 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/372 ;
206/1.5; 220/784 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25H 3/003 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/372 ;
206/1.5; 220/784 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/28 20060101
B65D085/28; A45C 13/10 20060101 A45C013/10; B65D 41/16 20060101
B65D041/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 21, 2008 |
TW |
097110148 |
Claims
1. A tool box with a tool locking function, comprising: a base and
a movable member, plural tools being inserted in the tool box;
wherein: the base is provided with plural engaging portions; the
movable member is defined with plural holding holes for cooperating
with the engaging portions of the base, the movable member is
engaged with the base and moves relative to the base; and an end of
the respective tools is inserted through the holding holes of the
movable member and cooperates with the respective engaging portions
of the base, the movable member and the base move relative to each
other to make the engaging portions and the holding holes clamp and
unclamp the tools.
2. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the base is groove-shaped.
3. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the movable member is disc-shaped.
4. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the base is defined in a periphery thereof with at least
one engaging groove, the movable member is provided on a bottom
thereof with at least one engaging leg to be engaged into the
engaging groove of the base, a width of the engaging groove of the
base is greater than a width of the engaging leg of the movable
member, the movable member is engaged to the engaging groove of the
base by the engaging leg.
5. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the base and the movable member are covered by an outer
cover.
6. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the base and the movable member are engaged to an outer
cover, the base is provided on an outer periphery thereof with at
least one positioning flange, the outer cover is defined with at
least one positioning groove to be engaged with the positioning
flange of the base, the outer cover is covered on the base in such
a manner that the positioning groove is engaged with the
positioning flange.
7. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the movable member is provided with on a periphery thereof
with plural tooth-shaped anti-slip portions.
8. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the base and the movable member are engaged to an outer
cover, the movable member is provided on a periphery thereof with
plural tooth-shaped anti-slip portions, the outer cover is provided
on an inner surface thereof with plural tooth-shaped positioning
portions having a predetermined height, the tooth-shaped anti-slip
portions are mated with the tooth-shaped positioning portions.
9. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the movable member is provided on a lower edge of the
respective holding holes thereof with at least one reinforcing
rib.
10. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim
1, wherein the base is further provided with plural limiting
portions opposite the respective engaging portions thereof.
11. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim
1, wherein the respective engaging portions of the base are an
arc-shaped surface.
12. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim
1, wherein the respective engaging portions of the base are an
inclined surface.
13. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim
1, wherein the base is provided with a hanger on a bottom
thereof.
14. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim
13, wherein the hanger is pivotally arranged.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an accessory for hand tools
such as spanners, screwdrivers, etc, and more particularly to a
tool box with a tool locking function, which can fix the tools by
moving two components thereof to clamp the ends of the tools.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] In order to take out, sort, identify, carry and display
tools conveniently, such as sockets, bits, cutting tools, etc, tool
boxes are used to store them.
[0005] A conventional vertical type tool box is generally defined
with plural vertical holding holes for insertion of the
corresponding tools, thus facilitating storage of different tools
while facilitating taking out the tools during maintenance and
assembly process. However, such holding holes in the tool box can
only hold the tools, but cannot fix them due to lack of engaging
structures, so that when the tool box is moved, the tools are
likely to drop out of the holding holes, thus causing much
inconvenience and loss of the tools.
[0006] Hence, another conventional vertical type tool box with
engaging structures in holding holes was developed on the market.
Due to the engaging structures in the holding holes, after the
tools are placed into the holding holes, the tools will be fixed by
the engaging structures, thus preventing the tools from dropping
out of the tool box during carrying process of the tool box.
Nevertheless, such a tool box with engaging structures is
complicated in structure, inconvenient to assemble, and too
expensive. In addition, the engaging structures still tightly
engage the tools while the tools are taken out of the holding
holes, thus increasing the difficulty in taking the tool out of the
tool box.
[0007] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate
the afore-described disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The technical problems to be solved:
[0009] The existing vertical type tool boxes normally are defined
with plural holding holes for insertion of the tools without any
fixing means, so that the tools cannot be fixed assuredly, thus
causing loss and drop of the tools, in addition, although another
convention tool box which is provided with engaging structures in
the holding holes can fix the tools assuredly, it increases the
difficulty in taking out the tools due to too tight engagement.
[0010] The technical features to solve the above technical
problems:
[0011] The present invention is to provide a tool box with a tool
locking function which comprises a base and a movable member for
holding and storing tools. The base is provided with plural
vertical engaging portions. The movable member is disposed on the
base and defined with plural holding holes cooperating with the
engaging portions of the base. The tools are inserted between the
holding holes and the engaging portions, so that the movable member
can move relative to the base to clamp and unclamp the tools.
[0012] As compared to the conventional vertical type tool boxes,
the present invention has the following advantages:
[0013] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
a tool box with a tool locking function, which utilize a relative
movement of a base and a movable member to make the holding holes
of the movable member and the engaging portions of the base to
clamp and unclamp the tools when the tools are inserted between the
base and the movable member, so as to fix the tools assuredly and
facilitate taking out the tools. Therefore, the tool box in
accordance with the present invention can be operated according to
the requirements of the user, in other words, when the tools are to
be used, the tool box can unclamp the tools for facilitating taking
out the tools, and when the tools are not used, the tool box can
clamp the tools for avoiding the dropping and loss of the
tools.
[0014] The secondary objective of the present invention is to
provide a tool box with a tool locking function, which can
facilitate displaying of the tools by utilizing a hanger provided
on a bottom of the base to hang up the tool box.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool box with a tool
locking function in accordance with the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the tool box with a tool
locking function in accordance with the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the tool box
with a tool locking function in accordance with the present
invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a front view of the tool box with a tool locking
function in accordance with the present invention which holds
tools;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a top view of the tool box with a tool locking
function in accordance with the present invention which holds
tools;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a front view of the tool box with a tool locking
function in accordance with the present invention, showing how the
tools are clamped;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a top view of the tool box with a tool locking
function in accordance with the present invention, showing how the
tools are clamped; and
[0022] FIG. 8 is a perspective view, showing how the hanger of the
tool box with a tool locking function in accordance with the
present invention is used to hang up the tool box.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] The present invention will be clearer from the following
description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings,
which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred
embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a tool box with a tool locking
function comprises a base 10, a movable member 20 and an outer
cover 30 for holding and storing plural tools 40. The base 10 is
groove-shaped and provided with plural engaging portions 11. The
base 10 is defined with at least one engaging groove 12 in a
periphery thereof, and at least one positioning flange 13 on an
outer periphery thereof. As shown in FIG. 8, the base 10 is further
provided with a rotatable hanger 14 on a bottom thereof. The hanger
14 is pivotally arranged, so that it can be pivoted up to a use
position for allowing the base 10 to be suspended, or pivoted down
to a non-use position in which the hanger 14 flatly abuts against
the bottom of the base 10. The movable member 20 is disc-shaped and
defined with plural through holding holes 21 cooperating with the
engaging portions 11 on the base 10. The holding holes 21 are
shaped correspondingly to the tools 40, and each of the holding
holes 21 is provided on a lower edge thereof with at least one
reinforcing rib 22. The reinforcing rib 22 can save material and
improve the strength of the movable member 20 if the movable member
20 is disc-shaped. The movable member 20 is provided with plural
tooth-shaped anti-slip portions 23 on a periphery thereof, and at
least one engaging leg 24 on a bottom thereof to cooperate with the
at least one engaging groove 12 in the base 10. The width of the
engaging groove 12 of the base 10 is greater than that of the
engaging leg 24 of the movable member 20. The outer cover 30 is
covered on the base 10 and sized according to the length of the
tools 40. The outer cover 30 is provided in a bottom of an inner
surface thereof with at least one positioning groove 31 for
cooperating with the at least one positioning flange 13 of the base
10, and on the inner surface of the outer cover 30 is further
provided with plural tooth-shaped positioning portions 32 having a
predetermined height for cooperating with the tooth-shaped
anti-slip portions 23.
[0025] The base 10 is further provided with plural limiting
portions 15 opposite the respective engaging portions 11. The
limiting portions 15 can provide a limit function for avoiding an
excessive displacement of the movable member 20 when the movable
member 20 is moved to unclamp the tools 40.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the movable member 20 is disposed above
the base 10 and engaged to the engaging groove 12 by the engaging
leg 24. Since the width of the engaging groove 12 of the base 10 is
greater than that of the engaging leg 24 of the movable member 20,
the base 10 and the movable member 20 can move relative to each
other after being combined. The tools 40 are inserted in the
holding holes 21 of the movable member 20. The outer cover 30 is
covered on the base 10 and the movable member 20. The positioning
groove 31 of the outer cover 30 is engaged with the positioning
flange 13 of the base 10. The tooth-shaped positioning portions 32
of the outer cover 30 are mated with the tooth-shaped anti-slip
portions 23 of the movable member 20.
[0027] As shown in FIGS. 4-5, when the outer cover 30 is taken down
from the base 10, the tools 40 will be inserted through the holding
holes 21 of the movable member 20, and the ends of the tools 40
will be located against the respective engaging portions 11 of the
base 10. When being moved in a direction where the engaging
portions 11 are disposed, as shown in FIGS. 6-7, the movable member
20 will drive the tools 40 to rotate, at this moment, the base 10
is located on a forward rotation path of the tools 40, so that the
tools 40 can be clamped by the base 10 and the movable member 20 to
be fixed therebetween. After that, the outer cover 30 will be
covered on the base 10. When the tools 40 are to be used, the
movable member 20 will be moved in a reverse direction to increase
the distance between the engaging portions 11 and the respective
holding holes 21 to unclamp the tools 40, at this movement, since
the outer cover 30 is still covered on the movable member 20 with
the tooth-shaped positioning portions 32 mating with the
tooth-shaped anti-slip portions 23, the movable member 20 can be
moved to clamp or unclamp the tools 40 by directly rotating the
outer cover 30.
[0028] The respective engaging portions 11 of the base are designed
to be an arc-shaped surface or an inclined surface, so that when
the holding holes 21 of the movable member 20 push the tools 40 to
move, the arc-shaped or inclined surfaces of the engaging portions
11 can generate a gradually-increased clamping force relative to
the respective holding holes 21.
[0029] After the tools 40 are placed in the base 10 and the movable
member 20 and fixed therebetween, the tool box of the present
invention can be hung up through the hanger 14 of the base 10 for
displaying the tools 40, as shown in FIG. 8.
[0030] As known from the above embodiment, the present invention
has the following advantages:
[0031] 1. The base 10 and the movable member 20 can move relative
to each other, so that when the tools 40 are inserted between the
holding holes 21 of the movable member 20 and the engaging portions
11 of the base 10 through the holding holes 21 of the movable
member 20, the movable member 20 will be moved in one direction to
make the engaging portions 11 of the base 10 and the holding holes
21 apply a clamping force on the respective tools 40 to fix the
tools 40 stably and assuredly, thus preventing the tools 40 from
dropping out of the tool box when carrying the tool box, in
addition, when the tools 40 are to be used, the movable member 20
will be moved in a reverse direction to unclamp the tools 40,
facilitating taking out the tools 40.
[0032] 2. After the base 10 and the movable member 20 hold the
tools 40, the hanger 14 on the bottom of the base 10 can be used to
hang the tool box up to display the tools 40.
[0033] While we have shown and described various embodiments in
accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled
in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing
from the scope of the present invention.
* * * * *