Actuating work surface for storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11510486-B2
Application number	US-202017130919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2020
Priority date	Dec 13, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

The systems described in this disclosure can be used with a storage system to provide a platform for items and/or papers such as blueprints. A container includes a top panel that is pivotal relative to the container. The container may include additional panels that are pivotal with respect to the top panel and that rotate away from the top panel to extend the platform provided by the top panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising:
a housing;
a top panel defining a top surface;
a left panel pivotal relative to the top panel, wherein the left panel pivotally rotates with respect to the top panel around a first axis between an opened position and a closed position, and wherein a bottom of the left panel and the top surface of the top panel are both facing upwards when the left panel is in the opened position;
a support arm, wherein a first end of the support arm is pivotal relative to a top of the left panel that is opposite the bottom of the left panel;
a support structure comprising a ramp that interfaces against a second end of the support arm opposite the first end, wherein when the left panel is in the opened position the ramp defines an angle with respect to a line that extends from the bottom of the ramp to the first axis of the left panel, and wherein the angle is between 65 and 85 degrees; and
a bottom surface of the container that defines a coupling interface configured to couple the container to a second container.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the top panel defines a first surface, and wherein the left panel defines a second surface that is generally coplanar with the first surface when the left panel is in the opened position.

3. The container of claim 1 further comprising:
a right panel pivotal relative to the top panel, wherein the right panel pivotally rotates with respect to the top panel around a second axis between an opened position and a closed position, and wherein the first axis and the second axis are parallel with respect to each other, and wherein a bottom of the right panel and the top surface of the top panel are both facing upwards when the right panel is in the opened position.

4. The container of claim 3 , further comprising:
a second support arm, wherein a first end of the second support arm is pivotal relative to a top of the right panel that is opposite the bottom of the right panel; and
a second support structure comprising a ramp that interfaces against a second end of the second support arm opposite the first end, wherein when the right panel is in the opened position the ramp defines an angle with respect to a line that extends from the bottom of the ramp to the second axis of the right panel, and wherein the angle is between 65 and 85 degrees.

5. The container of claim 3 , wherein the left panel comprises a first lip that extends towards the second axis of the right panel, and wherein the right panel comprises a second lip that extends towards the first axis of the left panel, and wherein when the left panel and the right panel are in the closed position the first lip and the second lip interface with each other to interfere with opening at least one of the left panel and the right panel.

6. The container of claim 1 , wherein the left panel defines a channel that is sized to receive the support arm when the left panel is in the closed position, and wherein the support structure is disposed within the channel when the left panel is in the opened position.

7. The container of claim 1 , wherein the left panel defines a channel that is sized to receive the support arm when the left panel is in the closed position, the container further comprising:
a biasing element that defines an end of the support arm, wherein the biasing element biases the support arm into the channel when the left panel is in the opened position.

8. The container of claim 1 , wherein housing defines an internal storage compartment, and wherein the support structure comprises a first wall that comprises a protrusion that interfaces with the support arm when the support arm is in the opened position.

9. The container of claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises a wall that interfaces against the second end of the support arm, the wall defines a first width at a top of the wall, a second width that is a maximum width of the wall, and a third width that is a minimum width beneath the second width, and wherein the first width is less than both the second width and the third width, and the second width is greater than the third width.

10. The container of claim 9 , wherein a ratio between the first width and the second width is between 1:6 and 1:2, and wherein a ratio between the second width and the third width is between 1:1 and 3:1.

11. A container comprising:
a housing;
a top panel defining a top surface;
a left panel pivotal relative to the top panel, wherein the left panel pivotally rotates with respect to the top panel around a first axis between an opened position and a closed position, and wherein a bottom of the left panel and the top surface of the top panel are both facing upwards when the left panel is in the opened position, and wherein a top of the left panel defines a channel;
a support arm, wherein a first end of the support arm is pivotally coupled to a top of the left panel that is opposite the bottom, and wherein the support arm rotates with respect to the left panel around a second axis, and wherein the second axis extends through the channel in the left panel;
a biasing element that biases the support arm into the channel when the left panel is in the opened position; and
a bottom surface of the container that defines a coupling interface configured to couple the container to a second container.

12. The container of claim 11 , wherein the biasing element defines an end of the support arm.

13. The container of claim 11 , further comprising:
a right panel pivotal relative to the top panel, wherein the right panel pivotally rotates with respect to the top panel around a third axis, and wherein the first axis and the third axis are parallel with respect to each other.

14. The container of claim 13 , further comprising a locking mechanism that secures the top panel to at least one of the left panel and the right panel when the left panel and the right panel are both in a closed position.

15. The container of claim 11 , wherein the biasing element is disposed between the top panel and the second axis of the support arm when the left panel is in the closed position.

16. A container comprising:
a housing defining an internal storage compartment;
a top panel pivotal relative to the housing, wherein the top panel rotates with respect to the housing around a first axis, the top panel defining a top surface;
a left panel pivotal relative to the top panel, wherein the left panel pivotally rotates with respect to the top panel around a second axis between an opened position and a closed position, and wherein the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis, wherein the left panel defines a first bottom surface and the first bottom surface and the top surface of the top panel are both facing upwards when the left panel is in the opened position, and wherein a top of the left panel defines a channel;
a right panel pivotal relative to the top panel, wherein the right panel pivotally rotates with respect to the top panel around a third axis, and wherein the third axis is perpendicular to the first axis, and wherein the second axis and the third axis are parallel with respect to each other;
a support arm, wherein a first end of the support arm is pivotally coupled to a top of the left panel that is opposite the bottom, and wherein the support arm rotates with respect to the left panel around a fourth axis, and wherein the fourth axis extends through the channel in the left panel;
a biasing element that biases the support arm into the channel when the left panel is in the opened position; and
a bottom surface of the container that defines

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Adams Caleb C

Classifications

• A47B13/088

  Sectional table tops · CPC title

• A47B3/10 Primary

  Travelling or trunk tables · CPC title

• A47B23/044 Primary

  only foldable · CPC title

• B25H3/02

  Boxes · CPC title

• B25H3/021

  comprising a number of connected storage elements · CPC title