U.S. patent application number 12/496213 was filed with the patent office on 2011-01-06 for utility box lid.
This patent application is currently assigned to Plano Molding Company. Invention is credited to John Hennessey WHALEN.
Application Number | 20110000919 12/496213 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43411670 |
Filed Date | 2011-01-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110000919 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WHALEN; John Hennessey |
January 6, 2011 |
UTILITY BOX LID
Abstract
A utility box lid is provided which includes multiple storage
levels. The utility box includes a plurality of inner compartments
configured to receive lift out trays, which when inserted form the
multiple storage levels. The utility box has a plurality of split
covers, each one hinged by a separate, individual hinge, where the
hinges are positioned relatively in parallel with the diameter of
the bucket.
Inventors: |
WHALEN; John Hennessey;
(Sheridain, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCGUIREWOODS, LLP
1750 TYSONS BLVD, SUITE 1800
MCLEAN
VA
22102
US
|
Assignee: |
Plano Molding Company
Sheridain
IL
|
Family ID: |
43411670 |
Appl. No.: |
12/496213 |
Filed: |
July 1, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/500 ;
220/324; 220/826 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 43/0212 20130101;
B65D 25/32 20130101; B65D 2543/00296 20130101; B65D 2543/00796
20130101; B65D 51/28 20130101; B65D 2543/00685 20130101; B65D
2543/0062 20130101; B65D 2543/00092 20130101; B65D 2543/00731
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/500 ;
220/826; 220/324 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/04 20060101
B65D025/04; B65D 51/00 20060101 B65D051/00; B65D 45/16 20060101
B65D045/16 |
Claims
1. A utility box that is configured to be inserted into a bucket or
can, comprising: an inner compartment configured to hold a lift out
tray; and a split cover configured to open and close, wherein the
split cover comprises at least one of a hinge side and a latch
side.
2. The utility box according to claim 1, wherein the inner
compartment comprises: a tray support rib configured to hold the
lift out tray.
3. The utility box according to claim 2, wherein the tray support
rib is configured on a wall of the inner compartment proximate the
hinge side.
4. The utility box according to claim 2, wherein the tray support
rib is configured on a wall of the inner compartment proximate the
latch side.
5. The utility box according to claim 1, wherein the inner
compartment comprises two inner compartments, and wherein the split
cover comprises two split covers.
6. The utility box according to claim 1, further comprising: a lift
out tray configured to be held by at least one tray support
rib.
7. The utility box according to claim 5, further comprising: two
lift out trays configured be held by a plurality of tray support
ribs configured in the two inner compartments.
8. The utility box according to claim 1, wherein the utility box
comprises multiple levels of storage.
9. The utility box according to claim 1, wherein the utility box
comprises four levels of storage.
10. The utility box according to claim 1, wherein a floor of the
inner compartment is removable to provide access to contents within
the bucket.
11. A unitary structure comprising a utility box and a bucket,
comprising: an inner compartment configured to hold a lift out
tray; and a split cover configured to open and close, wherein the
split cover comprises at least one of a hinge side and a latch
side.
12. The unitary structure according to claim 11, wherein the inner
compartment comprises: a tray support rib configured to hold the
lift out tray.
13. The unitary structure according to claim 12, wherein the tray
support rib is configured on a wall of the inner compartment
proximate the hinge side.
14. The unitary structure according to claim 12, wherein the tray
support rib is configured on a wall of the inner compartment
proximate the latch side.
15. The unitary structure according to claim 11, wherein the inner
compartment comprises two inner compartments, and wherein the split
cover comprises two split covers.
16. The unitary structure according to claim 11, further
comprising: a lift out tray configured be held by at least one tray
support rib.
17. The unitary structure according to claim 15, further
comprising: two lift out trays configured be held by a plurality of
tray support ribs configured in the two inner compartments.
18. The unitary structure according to claim 11, wherein the
utility box comprises multiple levels of storage.
19. The unitary structure according to claim 11, wherein the
utility box comprises four levels of storage.
20. A utility box having a substantially circular perimeter,
comprising: an inner compartment configured to hold a lift out
tray; and a split cover configured to open and close, wherein the
split cover comprises at least one of a hinge side and a latch
side, and wherein the split cover comprises a portion that includes
a substantially circular shape.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a multi-purpose utility box
configured to fit on existing buckets, cans, or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many regard proper storage as key to safeguarding valuables
from loss, damage, or the like, as well as finding the valuables
when they are needed or desired. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No.
6,460,287, issued Oct. 8, 2002, to Louie, is directed to a
combination tackle box and fish container lid; U.S. Pat. No.
5,802,760, issued Sep. 8, 1998, to Campbell, is directed to a
fishing bucket; U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,057, issued May 26, 1998, to
Dancer, is directed to a fishing accessory container; U.S. Pat. No.
5,659,995, issued Aug. 26, 1997, to Hoffman, is directed to a
bucket sized fisherman's tackle box; U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,098,
issued Aug. 20, 1996, to Jordan, is directed to a container with
stackable trays and adjustable partitions; U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,922,
issued Feb. 7, 1995, to Jordan, is directed to a container with
stackable trays; U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,892, issued Aug. 16, 1994, to
Zaffina, is directed to a tackle box and assembly; U.S. Pat. No.
4,911,295, issued Mar. 27, 1990, to Venegoni, is directed to a
bucket organizer tray; U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,148, issued Jul. 26,
1988, to Love, is directed to a fishing accessory container; and
U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,845, issued Aug. 14, 1973, to Van Leeuwen, is
directed to a fishing bucket.
[0003] An unfulfilled need exists for a versatile utility box that
may be integrated with existing buckets, cans, and/or the like, to
maximize usable storage space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to an aspect of the invention, an apparatus is
provided that comprises a utility box which may be configured as a
lid for a bucket (such as, e.g., 1 gallon, 2 gallon, 3 gallon, 4
gallon, 5 gallon, 6 gallon, or any other capacity). The utility box
may be divided into multiple levels of storage (e.g., 4 levels).
The main body of the utility box may include a plurality of inner
compartments (such as, e.g., two equal (or unequal) size
compartments), each having a separate split cover. A plurality of
lift out trays (e.g., two) may be provided, each of which may be
configured to be held by one or more tray support ribs in an
associated inner compartment of the utility box. The split covers
may each be hinged by separate, individual hinges, where the hinges
may be positioned relatively in parallel with the diameter of the
bucket. The split covers may include an integrally formed latch and
the base of the utility box may include an integral hang tab that
is configured to receive the latch. At least one floor of the lower
storage areas of the utility box may be removable to provide access
to the bucket contents without removing the utility box.
[0005] Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the
invention may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the
following detailed description and drawings. Moreover, it is noted
that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following
detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further
explanation without limiting the scope of the invention as
claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention, are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and together with the detailed description serve to
explain the principles of the invention. No attempt is made to show
structural details of the invention in more detail than may be
necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention and the
various ways in which it may be practiced.
[0007] FIG. 1 shows a perspective side view of an example of an
eco-friendly utility box mated to a bucket, according to principles
of the invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 shows a perspective cross-section cut side view of
the eco-friendly utility box mated to the bucket of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 shows a perspective side view of the eco-friend
utility box of FIG. 1, according to principles of the
invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 shows a perspective side view of an example of a lift
out tray which may be used with the eco-friendly utility box of
FIG. 1, according to principles of the invention; and
[0011] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the eco-friendly utility box of
FIG. 1, according to principles of the invention.
[0012] The present invention is further described in the detailed
description that follows.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The embodiments of the invention and the various features
and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with
reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples that are
described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and
detailed in the following description. It should be noted that the
features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to
scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other
embodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if not
explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components and
processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily
obscure the embodiments of the invention. The examples used herein
are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which
the invention may be practiced and to further enable those of skill
in the art to practice the embodiments of the invention.
Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be
construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined
solely by the appended claims and applicable law. Moreover, it is
noted that like reference numerals represent similar parts
throughout the several views of the drawings.
[0014] It is common practice in the home building industry to
provide building materials (such as, e.g., joint compound, paint,
plaster, adhesives, stains, and the like) in buckets or cans, which
frequently end up in landfills. The buckets or cans are typically
made from materials comprising plastics, metals, or the like. The
buckets and cans may have various capacities, typically ranging
from, for example, a gallon to six gallons. Since many of these
materials degrade very slowly, the buckets and cans are presenting
significant environmental issues. For example, the buckets and cans
are filling landfills with matter that may take hundreds, if not
thousands of years to degrade.
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a perspective side view of an example of an
eco-friendly utility box 115 that may be mated as a lid to a bucket
110, according to principles of the invention. As seen, the utility
box 115 may be inserted into the bucket 110 to form a unitary
storage structure 100. The utility box 115 and/or the bucket 110
may comprise a material, such as, for example, but not limited to,
plastic, metal, wood, fiberglass, glass, ceramic, stone, or the
like. At least one floor of the lower storage areas of the utility
box 115 may be removable (or openable) to provide access to the
bucket contents without removing the utility box.
[0016] The utility box 115 may comprise a pair of split covers
150A, 150B. Each of the split covers 150A, 150B may include a
hinged side 130A, 130B, respectively, and a latched side 140A,
140B, respectively. The hinged sides 130A, 130B, may have a
longitudinal axis (e.g., along the z-axis) which is substantially
parallel to the diameter of the bucket 110 and substantially
parallel to the plane formed by the x-axis and z-axis. Each of the
split covers 150A, 150B may comprise a hinge mechanism 135 (such
as, e.g., a pivot hinge, butt/mortise hinge, continuous hinge,
piano hinge, concealed hinge, butterfly hinge, parliament hinge,
strap hinge, H hinge, HL hinge, or the like) to allow for pivoting
of the split covers 150A, 150B about the longitudinal Z-axis of the
split covers 150A, 150B (i.e., about the longitudinal axis of the
hinged sides 130A, 130B). The split covers 150A, 150B may be
configured to be coupled to the utility box 115 via a snap-lock
fastening mechanism (not shown), which may be provided on either
(or both) the hinged sides 130A, 130B and/or the latched sides
140A, 140B. The utility box 115 may further include a molded on
hang tab 137, which may be configured to be removable, and a cored
thru hole 139 for aerator tube access to the bucket 110.
[0017] The bucket 110 may include, for example, but is not limited
to, a five gallon (or any practical capacity) bucket. The bucket
110 may comprise a substantially cylindrical shape, as shown, e.g.,
in FIG. 1, or it may comprise any other shape, including, for
example, but not limited to, a rectangular shape (e.g., rectangular
buckets or cans provided with certain food goods, such as, e.g.,
cheeses, or the like). The bucket 110 may comprise a pivoting
handle 120 for carrying the bucket 110. According to an aspect of
the invention, the bucket 110 may be provided with the utility box
115 as a unitary structure 100. Alternatively, a user may obtain a
new bucket 110 or remove the contents (such as, e.g., joint
compound, plaster, paint, food goods, or the like) from an existing
bucket 110 and insert the utility box 115 into the bucket 110. The
user may clean the bucket 110 before inserting the utility box 115
into the bucket 110.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a perspective cross-section cut side view of
the unitary structure 100, comprising the utility box 115 mated to
the bucket 110, as shown in FIG. 1. The utility box 115 may
comprise an engaging member 250 (such as, e.g., but not limited to,
a lip, a tongue, a groove, or the like) along its perimeter to
lockably engage a lip member 260 along the perimeter of the bucket
110, thereby fastening the utility box 115 to the bucket 110. As
seen in FIG. 2, the utility box 115 may comprise at least one lift
out tray 170 (170A, 170B). The lift out trays 170A, 170B may each
be configured to be placed in the utility box 115, as shown, e.g.,
in FIG. 2, such that the lift out trays 170A, 170B create four
levels of storage in the utility box 115. For example, when
inserted into the utility box 115, the lift out trays 170A, 170B
may create two upper levels 210, 220 of storage and two lower
levels 230, 240 of storage. At least one floor 340 (shown in FIG.
3) of the lower levels 230, 240 may be removable (or openable) to
provide access to the contents of the bucket 110 without removing
the utility box 115. The floor 340 may be configured to open by
means of, for example, but not limited to, a hinge, a tongue-groove
arrangement (e.g., for a sliding floor portion), or the like.
[0019] It is noted that the utility box 115 is not limited to four
levels of storage, but, instead may include any number of levels of
storage (such as, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, or the like). In this regard,
the lift out trays 170A, 170B may comprise multi-level trays (not
shown). For example, the lift out tray 170A (or 170B) may be
inserted into a further tray that is deeper in the y-direction
(e.g., along the y-axis) than the lift out tray 170A (or 170B), but
less than the depth of the utility box 115, thereby providing a
three level storage. A further lift out tray may be provided that
has a smaller depth along the y-direction than the lift out tray
170A (or 170B), which may be inserted in the lift out tray 170A (or
170B) to create an additional level of storage. The lift out tray
170A (or 170B) may include one or more further tray support ribs
(not shown) for receiving and holding further lift out trays.
[0020] FIG. 3 shows a perspective side view of the utility box 115
of FIG. 1, according to principles of the invention. As seen in
FIG. 3, the utility box 115 may comprise a latch 310 and a latch
receiver 320, which may be configured to lockably receive the latch
310. The latch 310 may be integrally formed (e.g., molded) with the
split cover 150, or it may be affixed to the split cover 150 by
means of, for example, but not limited to, an adhesive (e.g., glue,
cement, epoxy, or the like), a mechanical structure (e.g., bolt,
nut, screw, nail, rivet, or the like), or the like. The latch
receiver 320 may be integrally formed (e.g., molded) with the
utility box 115 body (or base), or it may be affixed to the utility
box 115 body by means of, for example, but not limited to, an
adhesive (e.g., glue, cement, epoxy, or the like), a mechanical
fastener (e.g., bolt, nut, screw, nail, rivet, or the like), or the
like.
[0021] The utility box 115 may comprise a plurality of tray support
ribs 330, as shown in, e.g., FIG. 3. The tray support ribs 330 may
be provided on any one or more sides of the inner compartment of
the utility box 115, so as to support the lift out tray 170A (or
170B). Further, the tray support ribs 330 may comprise various
lengths along the y-direction, as well as various thicknesses, so
as to provide support for multiple trays in a single compartment of
the utility box 115. For example, the tray support ribs 330 may
comprise a first set of four tray support ribs on the inner
compartment wall proximate the hinged side 130 and a second set of
four tray support ribs on the inner compartment wall proximate the
latched side 140. Two of the tray support ribs of the first set of
four tray support ribs may have a first length (such as, for
example, but not limited to, four inches) and the remaining two
tray support ribs of the first set of four tray support ribs may
have a second length (such as, for example, but not limited to, six
inches), with the second set of tray support ribs having similar
lengths. In this instance, the shorter tray support ribs may hold a
first lift out tray 170A (or 170B) and the longer tray support ribs
may hold a further lift out tray (not shown). The tray support ribs
330 may be integrally formed (e.g., molded) with the utility box
115 body, or the support ribs 330 may be affixed to the utility box
115 body by means of, for example, an adhesive (e.g., glue, cement,
epoxy, or the like), a mechanical fastener (e.g., bolt, nut, screw,
nail, rivet, or the like), or the like.
[0022] FIG. 4 shows a perspective side view of an example of a lift
out tray 170, which may be used with the utility box 115, shown in
FIGS. 1-3, according to principles of the invention. The lift out
tray 170 may comprise one or more inserts 410 and a tray 420. The
inserts 410 may be configured to engage a recessed portion in the
tray 420 upon insertion. Further, the inserts may be integrally
formed (e.g., molded) with the tray 420. The lift out tray 170,
including the inserts 410 and tray 420, may comprise one or more
materials comprising, for example, but not limited to, plastic,
metal, wood, fiberglass, glass, ceramic, stone, or the like.
[0023] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the utility box 115 of FIG. 1,
according to principles of the invention.
[0024] Although the utility box 115 has been described with two
inner compartments which are configured to receive lift out trays
170, it is noted that the utility box 115 may comprise any number
of inner compartments (such as, e.g., one, two, three, four, or
more). In this regard, the utility box 115 may comprise any number
of split covers 150 configured to cover the inner compartments
(such as, e.g., one, two, three, four, or more).
[0025] While the invention has been described in terms of exemplary
embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the
invention can be practiced with modifications in the spirit and
scope of the appended claims. These examples given above are merely
illustrative and are not meant to be an exhaustive list of all
possible designs, embodiments, applications or modifications of the
invention.
* * * * *