Patent ID: 6772613
Filing Date: 2004-08-10
Classification: B25H,E05B,Y10T

Abstract:
A lock system for a horizontal tool box having first and second body, components, said body components being moveable relative to one another between open and closed positions, said body components defining an enclosed space in the closed position, said tool box having a proximal end and a distal end and utilizing a padlock having a shackle and a padlock body having a key insertion surface, said padlock being moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, said lock system comprising:a support for holding the padlock inside the tool box, said support being secured within the tool box and opening along an outer surface of the toolbox, said support including a bracket, the shackle being received by the bracket such that the bracket secures the shackle to the tool box and the shackle is substantially inaccessible from outside the tool box, said padlock body being slidably disposed within the support such that the key insertion surface of the padlock body is exposed for external access along the proximal end of the tool box, a first flange disposed at substantially the distal end of the box and a second flange disposed at substantially the proximal end of the box, said flanges each having a bore extending therethrough, the flanges being secured to and extending from the second body component, an elongated latch rod having a proximal end and a distal end, said latch rod being supported in the first body component for sliding lateral movement between a release position wherein the latch rod does not engage the flange bores, and a latched position wherein the distal end of the latch rod slidingly engages the first flange bore and the proximal end of the latch rod slidingly engages the second flange bore when the box is in the closed position, the latch rod being disposed relative to the support such that the padlock body blocks the longitudinal movement of the proximal end of the latch rod and maintains the latch rod in the latched position when the body components are in the closed position and the padlock is locked, and the proximal end of the latch rod passes between the shackle and the padlock body to move the latch rod to the release position when the padlock is unlocked, and a handle assessable from the outside of the box and disposed substantially along the proximal end of the box, said handle being coupled to the latch rod such that the handle may be moved to slide the latch rod laterally between the latched and release positions, whereby a user may lock and unlock the padlock and move the latch rod between the latched and release positions from the proximal end of the box.