U.S. patent application number 13/219718 was filed with the patent office on 2013-02-28 for quick-disconnect storage box modular structure.
The applicant listed for this patent is Yi Hsiang Chen. Invention is credited to Yi Hsiang Chen.
Application Number | 20130048632 13/219718 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47742145 |
Filed Date | 2013-02-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130048632 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Yi Hsiang |
February 28, 2013 |
QUICK-DISCONNECT STORAGE BOX MODULAR STRUCTURE
Abstract
A storage box modular structure fastened by a biaxial
positioning method is provided to facilitate assembling and
disassembling a storage box manually and quickly. The storage box
is formed by combining panels, and the modular structure is
installed between two adjacent panels. A first joint surface and a
second joint surface are disposed on the two panels respectively.
The modular structure includes a containing hole formed on the
first joint surface, a through hole formed between the second joint
surface of the panel and an external wall. A fastener and a spring
are installed in the containing hole, and the spring drives the
fastener to be implemented into the through hole to fasten two
panels. An external object is inserted from the external wall into
the through hole to push the fastener to resume its original
position, so as to separate the two panels and improve the
convenience of use.
Inventors: |
Chen; Yi Hsiang; (Taoyuan
County, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Chen; Yi Hsiang |
Taoyuan County |
|
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
47742145 |
Appl. No.: |
13/219718 |
Filed: |
August 29, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/4.33 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16B 12/26 20130101;
A47B 47/042 20130101; B65D 9/24 20130101; B65D 11/1873
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/4.33 |
International
Class: |
B65D 6/24 20060101
B65D006/24 |
Claims
1. A quick-disconnect storage box modular structure, formed by
assembling a plurality of panels, and installed between two
adjacent panels, and two of the panels having a first joint surface
and a second joint surface coupled with each other along a first
axis, and the modular structure comprising: a containing hole,
formed on the first joint surface; a through hole, formed between
the second joint surface of the panel and an external wall, and
interconnected to the containing hole; a fastener, movably
installed into the containing hole; and a spring, installed between
an internal wall of the containing hole and the fastener, for
driving the fastener to be implanted into the through hole to
fasten the two panels, and an external object being inserted from
the external wall into the through hole to push the fastener to
resume its position, so as to separate the two panels.
2. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1,
wherein the two panels include a protrusion and a recession formed
on lateral ends of the two panels respectively and engaged with one
another, and the first joint surface is disposed on an internal
wall of the recession, and the second joint surface is disposed on
the protrusion.
3. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1,
wherein two of the panels have a third joint surface and a fourth
joint surface disposed on lateral ends of the panels along a second
axis respectively and attached to each other, and a positioning
hole is formed on the third joint surface and the fourth joint
surface separately, and a positioning element is installed between
the positioning holes.
4. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 3,
wherein a specific angle is defined between the first axis and the
second axis.
5. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 2,
wherein two of the panels have a third joint surface and a fourth
joint surface disposed on lateral ends of the panels along a second
axis respectively and attached to each other, and a positioning
hole is formed on the third joint surface and the fourth joint
surface separately, and a positioning element is installed between
the positioning holes.
6. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 5,
wherein a specific angle is defined between the first axis and the
second axis.
7. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 2,
wherein the protrusion and the recession are disposed at the
centers of the lateral ends of the two panels or at positions at
different lateral ends of the two panels respectively.
8. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1,
further comprising a circular rib formed at a peripheral wall of
the fastener, and blocked outside the through hole by the second
joint surface to stop the fastener to be implanted into the through
hole.
9. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1,
wherein the through hole and the panel external wall are
interconnected by a tapered neck opening, and the neck opening has
a diameter smaller than the diameter of the fastener, such that the
fastener is stopped by the internal wall of the through hole to
stop the fastener.
10. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1,
further comprising a soft ring sheathed on the peripheral wall of
the fastener, implanted together with the fastener into the through
hole, and filled between the fastener and the internal wall of the
through hole.
11. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 9,
further comprising a soft ring sheathed on the peripheral wall of
the fastener, implanted together with the fastener into the through
hole, and filled between the fastener and the internal wall of the
through hole.
12. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1,
further comprising a stroke groove formed on the external wall and
along the first axis and interconnected to the through hole, and
provided for the external object to be inserted into the through
hole, and the external object pushes the fastener along the stroke
groove.
13. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1,
wherein the storage box includes a bottom panel disposed at the
bottom of the storage box, and one or more positioning holes are
formed at the bottom of the storage box and the top of the bottom
panel respectively, and a positioning element is installed into the
positioning hole between the bottom of the storage box and the top
of the bottom panel, and the bottom panel includes a plurality of
rollers or legs installed to the bottom of the bottom panel.
14. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1,
wherein the storage box includes a groove formed on an internal
wall of each panel at a lateral end, and the grooves are
interconnected, and a back panel is embedded into the groove, and
the back panel includes a friction pad installed at a lateral side
and embeddable into the groove, and an interference is formed
between the lateral side of the back panel and the internal wall of
the groove.
15. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1,
wherein the storage box includes two symmetric through holes formed
on the internal walls of the lateral ends respectively, a
containing hole formed on both sides of a door panel separately, a
fastener is installed in each of the containing holes of the door
panel, and a spring implanted into the two symmetric through holes
for driving the fastener of the door panel, and the door panel is
pivotally coupled to the lateral end of the storage box.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a quick-disconnect storage
box modular structure, in particular to the
quick-assembled/disassembled storage box modular structure
assembled with a biaxial positioning method and having a through
holes, containing holes, and fasteners and springs installed in the
containing holes to provide a manual, simple and easy assembling
procedure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] At present, each shopping mall is selling various kinds of
combination furniture including a combination storage box formed by
assembling a plurality of panels, and the panels are connected by
nails or screws.
[0003] However, although the aforementioned nails or screws can be
used for combining the panels, yet users have to use hand tools
such as a hammer and a screwdriver to assemble the panels and align
the panels in precise positions, so that the construction is
relatively inconvenient and time-consuming.
[0004] In addition, most of the combination furniture such as a
storage boxes are provided for household use, but members of a
family are usually unfamiliar with the assembling process by using
the hand tools such as the hammer or screwdriver skillfully. As a
result, the combined storage box or furniture may be tilted,
loosened, or dislocated.
[0005] In view of the aforementioned drawbacks, furniture with a
modular structure is introduced into the market, and such furniture
generally comprises a containing hole formed on a joint surface of
two panels of the furniture, and a holding element is installed
into the containing hole for securing a screw.
[0006] However, the modular structure simply provides an adjustment
effect, but still has the aforementioned problems of requiring hand
tools for the construction, and the disassembling process is time
consuming. Obviously, the aforementioned conventional way of
assembling furniture requires further improvements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, it is a primary
objective of the present invention to provide a storage box modular
structures that can be fastened and assembled easily, conveniently
and quickly by a biaxial positioning method, so as to overcome the
conventional method that requires a precise alignment and the use
of hand tools for the construction, as well as solving the problems
of the time-consuming construction, the skewed, loosened or
dislocated assembly.
[0008] To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present
invention provides a quick-disconnect storage box modular structure
formed by combining a plurality of panels, and installed between
two adjacent panels, and the two panels have a first joint surface
and a second joint surface respectively coupled to each other along
a first axis. The modular structure comprises: a containing hole,
formed on the first joint surface; a through hole, formed between
the second joint surface of the panel and an external wall, and
interconnected to the containing hole; a fastener, movably
installed into the containing hole; and a spring, installed between
an internal wall of the containing hole and the fastener, for
driving the fastener to be implanted into the through hole to
fasten the two panels, and an external object being inserted from
the external wall into the through hole to push the fastener to
resume its position, so as to separate the two panels.
[0009] With the aforementioned components, a user can align the two
panels opposite to each other, and a fastener of one of the panels
is elastically and automatically implanted into a through hole of
the other panel in order to fasten the two panels to assemble the
storage box.
[0010] It is necessary to disassemble the storage box, the user can
insert a handy external sharp object (such as a toothpick, a
paperclip, a pen tip or a pin) into the through hole of the
external wall of the panel to push the fastener to resume its
original position elastically, so as to separate the two
panels.
[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described as
follows:
[0012] In one embodiment, the two panels have a protrusion and a
recession formed on lateral ends of the two panels respectively and
engaged with one another, and the first joint surface is disposed
on an internal wall of the recession, and the second joint surface
is disposed on the protrusion.
[0013] The two panels have a third joint surface and a fourth joint
surface disposed at lateral ends of the two panels respectively and
attached to each other along a second axis, and the third joint
surface and the fourth joint surface have a positioning hole
separately, and a positioning element is installed between the
positioning holes.
[0014] A specific angle is defined between the first axis and the
second axis. The protrusion and the recession are disposed at the
centers of lateral ends of the two panels respectively, or at
positions of different lateral ends respectively.
[0015] In another embodiment, a circular rib is formed on a
peripheral wall of the fastener and blocked by the second joint
surface outside the through hole to stop the fastener to be
implanted into the through hole, or the through hole and the panel
external wall are interconnected by a tapered neck opening, and the
neck opening has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the
fastener, such that the fastener is stopped by the internal wall of
the through hole.
[0016] In another embodiment, the fastener includes a soft ring
sheathed on the peripheral wall of the fastener, and implanted
together with the fastener into the through hole, and filled
between the fastener and the internal wall of the through hole to
prevent the two fastened panels from being loosened or shaken.
[0017] In addition, a stroke groove is formed on the external wall
and along the first axis and interconnected to the through hole for
inserting the external object into the through hole, and the
external object pushes the fastener along the stroke groove.
[0018] In addition, the storage box includes a bottom panel
disposed at the bottom of the storage box and one or more
positioning holes are formed at the top of the bottom panel, and a
positioning element is installed into the positioning hole between
the bottom of the storage box and the top of the bottom panel, and
the bottom panel includes a plurality of rollers or legs installed
at the bottom of the bottom panel.
[0019] The storage box includes a groove formed separately on the
internal walls of the panels at the lateral end and the grooves are
interconnected to each other, and the groove includes a back panel
having a friction pad disposed at a lateral side of the back panel
and implanted into the groove, so as to form an interference
between the lateral side of the back panel and the internal wall of
the groove.
[0020] Two symmetric through holes are formed on the internal wall
at a lateral end of the storage box, and a containing hole is
formed at both ends of a door panel separately, and each containing
hole of the door panel includes a fastener and a spring for driving
the fastener of the door panel to be implanted into the two
symmetric through holes and pivotally installing the door panel at
the lateral end of the storage box.
[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can
fasten the panels by a biaxial positioning method and manually
assemble and disassemble the storage box quickly to overcome the
aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment
of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG. 2;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of Section A-A of FIG.
3;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of Section B-B of FIG.
3;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an application of a
preferred embodiment as depicted in FIG. 1
[0028] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an application as
depicted in FIG. 4;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an application of an
additional embodiment as depicted in FIG. 4;
[0030] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an application of
another additional embodiment as depicted in FIG. 4;
[0031] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an application of a
further additional embodiment as depicted in FIG. 4;
[0032] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a bottom panel in accordance
to another embodiment as depicted in FIG. 1;
[0033] FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a second preferred embodiment
the present invention second;
[0034] FIG. 13 is a schematic view of installing first and second
panels of a preferred embodiment as depicted in FIG. 12; and
[0035] FIG. 14 is a schematic view of an application as depicted in
FIG. 13.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0036] With reference to FIG. 1 for an exploded view of a
quick-disconnect storage box modular structure in accordance with
the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, as well as
FIGS. 2 to 5, the storage box 100 is formed by combining a
plurality of panels 10, and a protrusion 31 and a recession 32 are
formed at both lateral ends of the panel 10 respectively, and the
protrusion 31 and the recession 32 are disposed at positions of the
centers of the lateral ends of the panel 101 respectively, and are
engaged alternately with each other.
[0037] The panel 10 includes a first panel 11 and a second panel 12
adjacent to one another, and the modular structure is installed
between at an engaged position of the lateral ends of the first and
second panels 11, 12, and a first joint surface 21 and a second
joint surface 22 are disposed at lateral ends of the first and
second panels 11, 12 respectively along a first axis 91 and
attached to one another, and the first joint surface 21 is disposed
on an internal wall at the bottom of the recession 32 at a lateral
end of the first panel 111, and the second joint surface 22 is
disposed on an internal wall of the protrusion 31 at a lateral end
of the second panel 12.
[0038] A third joint surface 23 and a fourth joint surface 24 are
disposed at lateral ends of the first and second panels 11, 121
respectively along a second axis 92 and attached to each other, and
the third joint surface 23 is disposed on the bottom at the lateral
end of the first panel 111 and proximate to the first joint surface
21, and the fourth joint surface 24 is disposed on the top at the
lateral end of the second panel 121 and proximate to the second
joint surface 22. A specific angle is defined between the first
axis 91 and the second axis 92, wherein the specific angle is an
included angle equal to 90 degrees in this preferred
embodiment.
[0039] The modular structure comprises a containing hole 41, a
through hole 51, a fastener 61 and a compression spring 71, wherein
the containing hole 41 is formed on the first panel 11 on the first
joint surface 21 at the internal wall of the bottom of the
recession 32, and the through hole 51 is formed between an external
wall 121 of the second panel 12 and the second joint surface 22 at
the internal wall of the protrusion 31 and interconnected to the
containing hole 41.
[0040] The fastener 61 is substantially in a pillar shape and
movably installed into the containing hole 41. The spring 71 is
installed between the internal wall of the containing hole 41 and
the fastener 61, so that the spring 71 can drive the front end of
the fastener 61 to be elastically implanted into the through hole
51 to fasten the first and second panels 11, 12.
[0041] In an implementation, a user can insert a sharp external
object 8 from the external wall 121 of the second panel 12 into the
through hole 51 (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7), so that the tip of the
external object 8 pushes the fastener 61 to resume its position to
separate the first and second panels 11, 12, wherein the external
object 8 can be a toothpick, a paperclip, a pen point, a thumbtack
or any sharp object with a diameter smaller than or equal to the
hole diameter of the through hole 51.
[0042] In addition, the third joint surface 23 and the fourth joint
surface 24 have one or more positioning holes 231, 241
respectively, and a positioning element 63 substantially in the
shape of a pillar is installed between the positioning holes 231,
241.
[0043] In the aforementioned structural assembly, a user can align
the lateral ends of the first and second panels 11, 12 with each
other first, such that the protrusion 31 and the recession 32 can
be engaged alternately with each other, and the first joint surface
21 and the second joint surface 22 are attached to each other along
the first axis 91, and the third joint surface 23 and fourth joint
surface 24 are attached to one another along the second axis
92.
[0044] Now, the fastener 61 in the recession 32 of the first panel
11 is driven by the spring 71 and automatically and elastically
implanted into the through hole 51 of the protrusion 31 of the
second panel 12. In the meantime, both ends of the positioning
element 63 are disposed into the positioning holes 231, 241 on the
third and fourth joint surfaces 23, 24 respectively, and fixed to
the first and second panels 11, 12 by the fastener 61 and the
positioning element 63 along the first and second axes 91, 92
respectively to fasten the first and second panels 11, 12
[0045] The panels 10 are fastened one by one and combined into the
storage box 100. If the user wants to disassemble the storage box
100, the user can insert a handy external object 8 into the through
hole 51 from the external wall 121 of the second panel 12 to push
the fastener 61 to resume its position, so as to separate the first
and second panels 11, 12.
[0046] The embodiments of the present invention are described
further as follows:
[0047] In one embodiment, a circular rib 611a is formed at a
peripheral wall of the fastener 61a (as shown in FIG. 8), and the
circular rib 611a has a diameter greater than the hole diameter of
the through hole 51a, so that the circular rib 611a can stop the
fastener 61a to be implanted into the through hole 51a when the
fastener 61a is blocked outside the through hole 51a by the second
joint surface 22a, so as to prevent the fastener 61a from falling
out from the through hole 51a to the outside.
[0048] The through hole 51 and the external wall of the second
panel 12 are interconnected by a tapered neck opening 511 (as shown
in FIG. 9), and the neck opening 511 has a diameter smaller than
the diameter of the fastener 61, such that the fastener 61 is
stopped by the internal wall 510 of the through hole 51 to stop the
fastener 61 and prevent the fastener 61 from falling out from the
through hole 51 to the outside.
[0049] In addition, a soft ring 65 is sheathed on the peripheral
wall of the fastener 61 (as shown in FIG. 10) and the soft ring 65
together with the fastener 61 can be implanted into the through
hole 51 and filled between the peripheral wall of the fastener 61
and the internal wall to eliminate the gap between the fastener 61
and the through hole 51 to prevent the fastened first and second
panels 11, 12 from being loosened and shaken. The ring 65 may not
have the neck opening as implemented in the embodiment as shown in
FIG. 4, or may have the neck opening 511 as shown in FIG. 10.
[0050] On another embodiment, the panel 10 includes a bottom panel
13 installed at the bottom of the storage box 100, and one or more
positioning holes 101, 131 are formed at the bottom of the storage
box 100 and the top of the bottom panel 13 (as shown in FIG. 11),
and one positioning element 64 is installed between the positioning
holes 101, 131 at the bottom of the storage box 100 and the top of
the bottom panel 13 to assemble the storage box 100 and the bottom
panel 13. In addition, four corners of the bottom of the bottom
panel 13 include a plurality of rollers 132 or legs 133 installed
thereon.
[0051] In another embodiment, the panel 10 also includes aback
panel 14, and a groove 102 is formed at a lateral end of the
storage box 100 and an internal wall of the panel 10 separately,
and both ends of the groove 102 are interconnected to each other,
and the back panel 14 is embedded into the groove 102. The back
panel 14 includes one or more friction pads 141 formed on the
lateral sides of the back panel 14 and implanted into the groove
102, and interference is formed between the lateral side of the
back panel 14 and the internal wall of the groove 102 to prevent
the back panel 14 from shaking or falling out.
[0052] In addition, the panel 10 includes a door panel 15, and two
symmetric through holes 52 are formed on an internal wall at
another lateral end of the storage box 100, and a containing hole
42 is formed at both ends of the lateral sides of the door panel 15
respectively, and each containing hole 42 of the door panel 15 has
one fastener 62 and one spring 72, and the spring 72 can drive the
fastener 62 of the door panel 15, such that the fasteners 62 can be
implanted into the two symmetric through holes 52 respectively and
the door panel 15 is pivotally installed at another lateral end of
the storage box 100.
[0053] In addition, the panel 10 includes a clapboard 16 installed
in the storage box 100, and the internal wall of the storage box
100 and both lateral ends of the clapboard 16 can be fixed by the
containing hole 41, the through hole 51, the fastener 61 and the
spring 71.
[0054] With reference to FIG. 12 for an exploded view of a second
preferred embodiment of the present invention as well as FIGS. 13
and 14, the protrusion 31b and the recession 32b are disposed at
positions of different lateral ends of the first and second panels
11b, 12b, and the containing hole 41b is formed on the first joint
surface 21b of an internal wall at the lateral end of the recession
32b of the first panel 11b, and the through hole 51b is formed
between an external wall 121b of the second panel 12b and the
second joint surface 22b on a sidewall of the protrusion 31b.
[0055] In an embodiment, a stroke groove 122b is formed on the
external wall 121b along the first axis 91b and interconnected to a
through hole 51b for inserting an external object 8 from the stroke
groove 122b into the through hole 51b, and the external object 8
can push the fastener 61b along the stroke groove 122b in a
direction 41b to resume its position, and the remaining structure
and implementation method are the same as those of the first
preferred embodiment.
[0056] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can
fasten the panels 10 by a biaxial positioning and assemble or
disassemble the storage box 100 quickly to overcome the drawbacks
of the prior art such as the inconvenient and time-consuming
assembling and disassembling processes and the issue of having a
skewed, loosened or dislocated assembly. The invention can assure
the fixation of the panels 10 to improve the convenience of
use.
[0057] While the invention has been described by means of specific
embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made
thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the
scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.
* * * * *