Container with stool in lid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10919141-B2
Application number	US-201816034473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2018
Priority date	Jul 13, 2018
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

The present application relates to a container or toolbox having a selectively removable lid. When the user is in need of a stool or step stool, she may unfold a leg assembly and step assembly contained within the lid. When the leg assembly is unfolded into its support position, the lid operates as a stool. Moreover, a step assembly may also be unfolded from the lid. In its deployed position, the step assembly provides an intermediate step beneath the upper surface of the lid. When the job is finished, the leg assembly and step assembly may be folded back into the lid such that the container may be used as a regular toolbox.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container comprising:
a body having a bottom connected to a plurality of walls and defining an interior space;
a lid having an upper surface connected to a plurality of lid walls and defining a lid space, wherein said lid is configured to engage the body to selectively provide or limit access to the interior space; and
a leg assembly comprising a plurality of legs and movable between a non-support position and a support position, wherein in said non-support position, the leg assembly is disposed within the lid space, and in said support position, the legs are extended from and provide support for the lid;
a step assembly movable between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein in said stowed position, the step assembly is disposed within the lid space and in said deployed position, the step assembly provides a step beneath the upper surface of the lid when the leg assembly is in the support position; wherein the step assembly further comprises a step surface and at least one step hinge rotatably engaged to the lid at one end and rotatably engaged to the step surface at the other end, and wherein the at least one step hinge facilitates movement of the step assembly between the stowed position and the deployed position.

2. The container assembly of claim 1 , wherein the leg assembly further includes a foldable leg support disposed between two of said plurality of legs, and movable between a bent position and a horizontal position, wherein in said bent position, the leg assembly may be in the non-support position, and in said horizontal position, the leg assembly is secured in the support position, said foldable leg support including two identical links, wherein each of said links include a body portion disposed between a leg engagement end and a link engagement end, and wherein the link engagement ends of the two links are engaged to one another and the respective leg engagement ends are each engaged to one of the two of the plurality of legs, and wherein respective leg engagement ends and link engagement ends facilitate movement of the foldable leg support between the bent position and the horizontal position.

3. The container assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable engagement of the at least one step hinge to the lid is facilitated by a pin, and wherein the rotatable engagement of the at least one step hinge to the step surface is facilitated by an axle disposed within the step surface.

4. The container assembly of claim 1 , wherein the step surface further includes a leg engaging portion and at least one of the plurality of legs includes a step surface receiving portion, wherein when said step assembly is in the deployed position, the leg engaging portion and step surface receiving portion are in contact with one another.

5. The container assembly of claim 4 , wherein the leg engaging portion is a protrusion extending from the step surface, and wherein the step surface receiving portion is an opening within one of the plurality of legs.

6. A container comprising:
a body having a bottom connected to a plurality of walls and defining an interior space;
a lid having an upper surface connected to a plurality of lid walls and defining a lid space, wherein said lid is configured to engage the body to selectively provide or limit access to the interior space; and
a leg assembly comprising two legs and a hinge, said legs movable between a non-support position in which the leg assembly is disposed within the lid space and a support position in which the legs are extended from and provide support for the lid, said hinge disposed within the lid space and including a main axle defining a first axis and two leg axles extending from said main axle substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to said main axle and defining second and third axes which are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first axis, said main axle having rotatable rib portions adjacent each end, wherein, when said legs move between the non-support position and the support position said legs rotate simultaneously around the first axis and each of said legs rotates individually about one of the second axis and the third axis.

7. The container assembly of claim 6 , wherein the leg assembly further includes at least one support block defining a hinge receiving portion and a leg receiving portion, wherein when one of the plurality of legs is in its support position, the hinge is disposed in the hinge receiving space and the leg is received in the leg receiving space.

8. The container assembly of claim 6 , wherein the leg assembly further includes a leg snap disposed within the lid space and configured to engage at least one of the plurality of legs to selectively secure the leg assembly in its non-support position.

9. The container assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a step assembly movable between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein in said stowed position, the step assembly is disposed within the lid space and in said deployed position, the step assembly provides a step surface beneath the upper surface of the lid when the leg assembly is in the support position.

10. The container assembly of claim 9 , wherein the step assembly further includes a step surface lock disposed within the lid and configured to engage the step surface to selectively secure the step surface in its stowed position.

11. The container assembly of claim 6 , wherein the lid includes a latch configured to engage the body to secure the lid and body to one another, and wherein the latch engages the body such that the upper surface of the lid is not in contact with the body.

12. The container assembly of claim 6 , wherein the upper surface of the lid further includes a handle.

13. The container of claim 6 , each rotatable rib portion including a rounded side and a flat side; and said leg axles extend from the flat sides of the rotatable rib portions.

14. A container comprising:
a body having a bottom connected to a plurality of walls and defining an interior space;
a lid having an upper surface connected to a plurality of lid walls and defining a lid space, wherein said lid is configured to removably engage the body to selectively provide or limit access to the interior space, said lid including a latch configured to engage the body to secure the lid and body to one another when said lid is engaged on said body;
a leg assembly comprising a plurality of legs and movable between a non-support position and a support position, wherein in said non-support position, the leg assembly is disposed within the lid space, and in said support position said legs are extended from and provide support for the lid; and
a step assembly movable between a stowed position in which the step assembly is disposed within the lid space and a deployed position in which the step assembly provides a step surface beneath the upper surface of the lid when the leg assembly is in the support position, said step assembly further including a step surface lock disposed within the lid and configured to engage the step surface to selectively secure the step surface in its stowed position; wherein,
when said body is place on said lid with the bottom surface of said body resting on the upper surface of the lid, said latch is engagable to the body to secure the body and lid together with the interior space of the body accessible.

15. The container assembly of claim 14 , wherein the body further includes a tote handle disposed within the interior space.

16. The container assembly of claim 15 , wh

Assignees

• Stanley Works Israel

Inventors

• Omry Adar
• Evron Nir Joseph
• Birnbaum Miki
• Saigauvker Shalom
• Sarfati Boaz

Classifications

• B25H1/06

  of trestle type · CPC title

• A47C13/00

  Convertible chairs, stools or benches (step-stools requiring conversion between the step and seat functions A47C12/02) · CPC title

• B25H3/02 Primary

  Boxes · CPC title

• B25H1/04

  portable · CPC title