Tool container system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10603783-B2
Application number	US-201816208637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2018
Priority date	Dec 4, 2017
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A tool container system includes a first tool container and a second tool container. The first tool container has a first base, a first cover pivotably attached to the first base by a first hinge portion, a first base locking member coupled to the base, a first cover locking member coupled to the first cover, and a first latch coupled to the first base and moveable between a first unlocked position in which the first cover is movable relative to the first base between a closed position and an open position, and a first locked position in which the first latch engages the first cover locking member and the first cover is locked to the first base in the closed position. The second tool container is stackable on the first cover of the first tool container and having a second locking member. When the second tool container is stacked on the first tool container, the second tool container is lockable to the first tool container when the first latch is moved to the first locked position to engage both the first cover locking member and the second locking member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tool container system comprising:
a first tool container including
a first base having a first bottom wall, a first peripheral wall coupled to the bottom wall, and first interlocking elements configured to receive a first tool bit holder insert,
a first cover pivotably coupled to the first base by a first hinge portion, the first cover having a first top wall, a second peripheral wall coupled to the top wall, and second interlocking elements configured to receive a second tool bit holder insert,
a first locking member coupled to one of the first base and the first cover, and
a first latch coupled to the other of the first base and the first cover and moveable between an unlocked position in which the first latch is disengaged from the first locking member and the first cover is movable relative to the first base between a closed position and an open position, and a locked position in which the first latch engages the first locking member and the first cover is locked to the first base in the closed position; and

a second tool container stackable on the first tool container and including a second locking member,
wherein, when the second tool container is stacked on the first tool container, the second tool container is lockable to the first tool container when the first latch is moved to the locked position to simultaneously engage the first locking member and the second locking member.

2. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein the first latch is pivotable between the unlocked position and the locked position.

3. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein the first locking member comprises a first projection and the first latch comprises a first recess configured to receive the first projection when the first latch is in the locked position.

4. The tool container system of claim 3 , wherein the second locking member comprises a second projection and the first latch has a second recess spaced from the first recess and configured to engage the second projection when the second tool container is stacked on the first tool container and the first latch is in the locked position.

5. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein the first tool container includes a first lip and the second tool container includes a second lip that is configured to engage the first lip when the second tool container is stacked on the first tool container.

6. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein the first tool container has at least one depression and the second tool container has at least one foot configured to engage the at least one depression when the second tool container is stacked on the first tool container.

7. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein first tool container has a first length and a first width that are the same as a second length and a second width of the second tool container.

8. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein first tool container has a first length and a first width and the second tool container has a second length that is approximately the same as the first width and a second width that is approximately half of the first length, such that when the second tool container is stacked on and locked to the first tool container, the second length is aligned with the first width.

9. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein the second tool container further comprises
a second base having a second bottom wall, a third peripheral wall coupled to the bottom wall, and third interlocking elements configured to receive a third tool bit holder insert,
a second cover pivotably coupled to the second base by a second hinge portion, the second cover having a second top wall, a fourth peripheral wall coupled to the second top wall, and fourth interlocking elements configured to receive a fourth tool bit holder insert,
a third locking member separate from the second locking member coupled to one of the second base and the second cover, and
a second latch coupled to the other of the second base and the second cover and moveable between an unlocked position in which the second latch is disengaged from the third locking member and the second cover is movable relative to the second base between a closed position and an open position, and a locked position in which the second latch engages the third locking member and the second cover is locked to the second base in the closed position.

10. The tool container system of claim 9 , wherein the first locking member is on the first cover, the second locking member is on the second base, and the third locking member is on the second cover.

11. The tool container system of claim 9 , further comprising a fourth locking member separate from the first locking member on the first tool container configured to be engaged by a third latch to lock the first tool container to a third tool container.

12. The tool container system of claim 1 , further comprising a third tool container stackable on the first tool container together with the second tool container, and having a third locking member, wherein the first tool container further includes a fourth locking member coupled to one of the first base and the first cover and a second latch coupled to the other of the first base and the first cover, the second latch moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position, such that when the third tool container is stacked on the first tool container, the third tool container is lockable to the first tool container when the second latch is moved to the first locked position to simultaneously engage the third locking member and the fourth locking member.

13. The tool container system of claim 12 , wherein the second tool container has a second base and a second cover pivotably attached to the second base by a second hinge portion, and the third tool container has a third base and a third cover pivotably attached to the third base by a third hinge portion.

14. The tool container system of claim 13 , wherein, when the second tool container and the third tool container are both stacked on the first tool container, the second tool container and the third tool container are spaced so that the second cover and the third cover can be opened simultaneously.

15. A tool container comprising:
a base having a first bottom wall, a first peripheral wall coupled to the first bottom wall, and first interlocking elements configured to receive a first tool bit holder insert;
a cover pivotably attached to the base by a hinge portion and moveable relative to the base between an open position and a closed position, the first cover having a first top wall, a second peripheral wall coupled to the top wall, and second interlocking elements configured to receive a second tool bit holder insert;
a first locking member coupled to the cover;
a second locking member coupled to the base; and
a latch coupled to the base, the latch having a third locking member and a fourth locking member spaced from the third locking member,
wherein the latch is moveable between a locked position in which the first locking member engages the third locking member to lock the cover to the base in the closed position and an unlocked position in which the first locking member is disengaged from the third locking member to enable the cover to move relative to the base between the open and closed position, and
wherein the cover is configured to receive a second tool container on top of the cover, such that the second tool container is lockable to the cover when the latch is moved to the locked position so that the first third locking member engages the first locking member and the fo

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Brocket Stephen
• But Alfred Yan Leung
• Xiao Leo
• Hao Weigang
• LOURENCO Marco
• Austin Lauren M
• Sabbag Yosi

Classifications

• B25H3/02

  Boxes · CPC title

• B25H3/028

  by sliding extraction from within a common frame · CPC title

• B25H3/003 Primary

  Holders for drill bits or the like · CPC title

• B25H3/021 Primary

  comprising a number of connected storage elements · CPC title

• B65D21/02

  Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together {(stackable containers of polygonal cross-section formed by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/001)} · CPC title