Tool storage devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10773374-B2
Application number	US-201816149332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2018
Priority date	Jul 22, 2014
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

Tool storage devices. A tool storage device may include a handle assembly including a support arm connected between a body and a handle portion and having a substantially rectangular cross section oriented with first walls extending transverse to the axis having a greater width than second walls extending parallel to the axis. A width of the handle portion may be at least about 50% of a width of the body. The body may include a frame assembly formed of a rigid material, a wall formed of a flexible material and at least partially defining the storage compartment with an open top, and a cover formed of a rigid material connected to the frame assembly to selectively close the open top. A wheel well portion receives each wheel and may cover the width of the wheel and a portion of the circumference of the wheel. A radial clearance between the wheel and a lower end of the wheel well may be no more than about 0.5 inches.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tool bag comprising:
a flexible wall defining a front, a rear, a left side, and a right side;
a bottom frame coupled to the front, rear, left side, and right side of the flexible wall;
a cover coupled to the flexible wall;
wheels supporting the bottom frame for movement over ground, the wheels being rotatable about a longitudinal axis positioned on the rear of the bottom frame; and
a wheel well formed in the bottom frame and covering an axial width of each wheel, a lower gap is formed between the wheel well and the bottom frame, an upper gap is formed between the rear of the flexible wall and the wheel well, and a concave gap that interconnects the lower gap and the upper gap along a perimeter of the wheel, the concave gap transitioning in length between the lower gap and the upper gap, a length of the lower gap being less than a length of the upper gap.

2. The bag of claim 1 , further comprising a skid plate made of metal and disposed between the wheels on the rear of the flexible wall and the bottom frame.

3. The bag of claim 1 , further comprising a skid plate made of impact-resistant plastic and disposed between the wheels on the rear of the flexible wall and the bottom frame.

4. The bag of claim 1 , wherein the length of the concave gap varies from the length of the lower gap of 0.25 inches and the length of the upper gap of 0.8 inches.

5. The bag of claim 1 , wherein the length of the concave gap varies from the length of the lower gap of 0.5 inches and the length of the upper gap of 1 inch.

6. The bag of claim 1 , wherein the cover is flexible and manufactured from a flexible material.

7. The bag of claim 1 , wherein the cover is a rigid cover manufactured from a rigid material.

8. The bag of claim 7 , further comprising a locking assembly including one or more recesses in the rigid cover and a strap engaging the one or more recesses with a locking member adjustably coupled to the strap.

9. The bag of claim 7 , wherein the rigid cover is formed by a two-shot injection molding process to create an elastic material that forms a fluid tight seal with the flexible wall.

10. The bag of claim 7 , further comprising a groove in the rigid cover and extending the length of the cover, the groove being 6 inches wide configured to facilitate the cutting of 2×6 lumber.

11. The bag of claim 7 , further comprising a groove in the rigid cover and extending the length of the cover, the groove being 2 inches wide configured to facilitate the cutting of 2×4 lumber.

12. The bag of claim 7 , further comprising a first groove in the rigid cover and a second groove in the rigid cover parallel to the first groove, when the rigid cover is in an open position the first groove receives a first parallel support arm of a handle and the second groove receives a second parallel support arm of the handle, engagement of the first parallel support arm in the first groove and the second parallel support arm in the second groove releaseably retains the cover in the open position.

13. The bag of claim 7 , further comprising inter-engaging stop surfaces on the flexible wall and the rigid cover, the flexible wall further comprising an internal support frame, the inter-engaging stop surfaces located proximate to an inter-engaging hinge and configured to distribute a load on the rigid cover to the internal support frame of the flexible wall.

14. The bag of claim 7 , wherein the rigid cover is manufactured from a plastic.

15. The bag of claim 7 , wherein the rigid cover is manufactured from a metal.

16. A tool bag comprising:
a flexible wall defining a front, a rear, a left side, and a right side;
a bottom frame coupled to the front, rear, left side, and right side of the flexible wall, the flexible wall and the bottom frame defining a body;
a cover coupled to the flexible wall;
wheels supporting the body for movement over ground, the wheels being rotatable about an axis positioned on the rear of the body;
a wheel well formed in the body and forming a lower gap between the wheel well and the bottom frame, and wherein the wheel well forms an upper gap between the flexible wall and the wheel well, wherein a length of the lower gap is less than a length of the upper gap; and
a handle with parallel support arms telescopingly received by the bottom frame, the handle being connected to the bottom frame in a direction transverse to the axis positioned on the rear of the body, the parallel support arms of the handle forming a rectangular cross-section having a first dimension in a direction parallel to the left side and the right side of the flexible wall and a second dimension in the direction parallel to the front and the rear of the flexible wall, the first dimension being greater than the second dimension.

17. The bag of claim 16 , wherein the flexible wall includes padding in one or more of the front, the rear, or the opposite sides of the body, wherein the padding is configured to protect stored items within the body.

18. The bag of claim 16 , wherein the flexible wall includes an internal support frame configured to support the flexible wall, the internal support frame including vertical pockets configured to store long objects and an elongate pocket along the rear of the flexible wall.

19. The bag of claim 16 , wherein the first dimension of the parallel support arm is 60% greater than the second dimension.

20. The bag of claim 16 , wherein the first dimension of the parallel support arm is 400% greater than the second dimension.

21. The bag of claim 16 , wherein a distance between the parallel support arms is at least 50% of an intersection length of the rear of the flexible wall and the bottom frame.

22. A tool bag comprising:
a wall defining a front, a rear, a left side, and a right side;
a bottom frame coupled to the front, rear, left side, and right side of the wall, the wall and the bottom frame defining a body;
a cover coupled to the wall with an inter-engaging hinge;
wheels supporting the body for movement over ground, the wheels being rotatable about an axis positioned on the rear of the body;
a handle with parallel support arms telescopingly received by the frame, the handle being connected to the frame in a direction transverse to the axis positioned on the rear of the body, the parallel support arms of the handle forming a rectangular cross-section having a first dimension in the direction of the opposite sides of the body and a second dimension in the direction of the rear of the body, the first dimension being greater than the second dimension; and
a wheel well formed in the bottom frame and covering an axial width of each wheel, a lower gap is formed between the wheel well and the bottom frame, an upper gap is formed between the rear of the body and the wheel well, and a concave gap interconnects the lower gap and the upper gap along a perimeter of the wheel, the concave gap transitioning in length between the lower gap and the upper gap, a length of the lower gap being less than a length of the upper gap.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Hoppe Christopher S
• Hyma Steven W
• Squiers Grant T
• Stearns Michael

Classifications

• A45F5/1575

  Holders or carriers for portable tools · CPC title

• A45C13/005

  Hinges · CPC title

• B62B2202/48

  Tools · CPC title

• A45C7/0086

  comprising a plurality of separable elements which can be used independently of one another · CPC title

• B25H3/02 Primary

  Boxes · CPC title