Tool container system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11534905-B2
Application number	US-202117333325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2021
Priority date	Dec 4, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

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 and a first peripheral wall coupled to and extending upward from the first bottom wall, the first peripheral wall including a first front wall, a first rear wall generally parallel to the first front wall, and a pair of first generally parallel sidewalls extending between the first front wall and the first rear wall;
a first cover pivotably coupled to the first base,
a first hinge coupled to the first cover and the first rear wall of the first base, the first hinge pivotably coupling the first cover to the first base;
a first locking projection or recess coupled to one of the first front wall of the first base or the first cover opposite the first hinge, and
a first latch coupled to the other of the first front wall of the first base or the first cover opposite the first hinge, the first latch moveable between an unlocked position in which the first latch is disengaged from the first locking projection or recess and the first cover is pivotable 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 projection and recess and the first cover is locked to the first base in the closed position; and

a second tool container that is smaller than the first tool container and stackable on top of a portion of the first cover of the first tool container, the second tool container including a second locking projection or recess, 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 projection or recess and the second locking projection or recess; and
a third locking projection or recess coupled to at least one of the first sidewalls of the first base and configured to be releasably engaged by a second latch coupled to a third tool container to lock the first tool container to the third tool container.

2. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein an interior of the first peripheral wall of the first base includes a plurality of interlocking projections or recesses configured to receive at least one tool bit holder insert.

3. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein the second tool container comprises
a second base having a second bottom wall and a second peripheral wall coupled to and extending upward from the second bottom wall, the second peripheral wall including a second front wall, a second rear wall generally parallel to the second front wall, and a pair of second generally parallel sidewalls extending between the second front wall and the second rear wall,
a second cover pivotably coupled to the second base, and
a second hinge coupled to the second cover and the second rear wall of the second base, the second hinge pivotably coupling the second cover to the second base,
wherein the second locking projection or recess is coupled to the second peripheral wall of the second base.

4. The tool container system of claim 3 , wherein the second locking projection or recess is coupled to the second front wall of the second base.

5. The tool container system of claim 3 , wherein the second locking projection or recess is coupled to one of the second sidewalls of the second base.

6. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein the first tool container and the second tool container are sized so that at least two of the second tool containers are stackable simultaneously directly on the first cover.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein first tool container has a first length and a first width that is less than the first length, the second tool container has a second length and a second width that is less than the second length, and the second length is less than the first length.

10. The tool container system of claim 9 , wherein the second length is approximately equal to the first width and the second tool container front wall is aligned with the first tool container sidewall when the second tool container is stacked on the first tool container.

11. The tool container system of claim 9 , wherein the second length is less or equal to the first length, the second width is less than or equal to the first width, and the second front wall is aligned with the first front wall when the second tool container is stacked on the first tool container.

12. The tool container system of claim 1 , wherein the first tool container further comprises a handle.

13. The tool container system of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth tool container having a fourth length and width that are the same as a first length and width of the first tool container, the fourth tool container being stackable on top of the first cover of the first tool container and having a fourth locking projection or recess,
wherein the first tool container further includes a third latch configured to be moveable between an unlocked position in which the third latch is disengaged from the fourth locking projection or recess, and a locked position in which the third latch engages the fourth locking projection and recess to lock the fourth container to the first container.

14. A first tool container comprising:
a first base having a first bottom wall and a first peripheral wall coupled to and extending upward from the first bottom wall, the first peripheral wall including a first front wall with a first length, a first rear wall generally parallel to the first front wall, and a pair of first generally parallel sidewalls with a first width extending between the first front wall and the first rear wall;
a first cover pivotably coupled to the first base;
a first hinge coupled to the first cover and the first rear wall of the first base, the first hinge pivotably coupling the first cover to the first base;
a first locking projection or recess coupled to one of the first peripheral wall of the first base or the first cover; and
a first latch coupled to the other of the first peripheral wall of the first base or the first cover, the first latch moveable between an unlocked position in which the first latch is disengaged from the first locking projection or recess and the first cover is pivotable 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 projection or recess and the first cover is locked to the first base in the closed position,
wherein the first cover is configured to stackably receive on top of the first cover a second tool container that has a second length less than the first length and a second width less than the first width and that includes a second locking projection or recess, such that 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 projection or rec

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B25H3/003 Primary

  Holders for drill bits or the like · CPC title

• B25H3/02

  Boxes · CPC title

• B25H3/028

  by sliding extraction from within a common frame · 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