Portable file box

A portable file box including sidewalls, endwalls and a bottom wall defining a box interior. The sidewalls and endwalls are provided with a rim portion on the upper ends thereof. The sidewall rim portions are flanged outwardly to define a cover side support ledge thereon and are each provided with an aperture adjacent the support ledge. The endwall rim portions are provided with downwardly extending cut-out portions therein. Two cover members are provided each having opposed laterally extending pivot members adjacent one end and a handle member extending outwardly from the other end. The cover members are arranged in end-to-end relation such that the sides are supported on the ledges, the pivot members are received in the apertures, and the handle members extend through the cut-out portions, respectively. One of the cover members can be removed from the box without removing the other. The file box may be provided with a file support ledge below the cover support ledge for suspending files therefrom. The apertures are shaped to prevent the pivot members therein from moving past each other during opening or closing movement of the cover members to preclude binding thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: 
The present invention relates to a portable file box and, more 
particularly, to a portable file box provided with a support ledge on its 
inner perimeter for supporting a pair of cover members pivotally connected 
with the sides of the box. 
Portable file boxes are useful for storing and transporting files 
containing documents or the like. A desirable feature of such file boxes 
is to provide a means for suspending files in the box in an organized 
manner which allows easy access to individual files when needed. Another 
desirable feature of such file boxes is to provide a cover for the box 
which protects the contents of the box from moisture and dust, and which 
enables easy access to the box interior. File boxes should to be 
lightweight, durable and inexpensive to manufacture. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Portable file boxes are well known in the patented prior art as evidenced, 
for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,962. The '962 patent discloses a 
portable file box provided with means for suspending files therein, and a 
hinged cover which is supported on a ledge formed on the sidewalls. While 
the box has many desirable features, the cover requires a hinge which 
connects two cover members to enable the covers members to pivot. The 
hinge significantly increases the time and cost of manufacturing the 
cover, and also does not enable one cover member to be replaced if damaged 
without replacing the entire cover. In addition, the file box does not 
provide a handle for the cover which can be easily and inexpensively 
manufactured, and which cooperates with the box to maintain the cover in a 
closed position. 
The present invention was developed to overcome the disadvantages of the 
prior art by providing a new and improved portable file box and cover 
which is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a 
portable file box including sidewalls, endwalls and a bottom wall defining 
a box interior. The sidewalls and endwalls are provided with a rim portion 
on the upper ends thereof. The sidewall rim portions are flanged outwardly 
to define a cover side support ledge thereon, and the sidewalls are each 
provided with an aperture adjacent the support ledge. The endwall rim 
portions are provided with downwardly extending cut-out portions therein. 
Two cover members are provided each having opposed laterally extending 
pivot members adjacent one end and a handle member extending outwardly 
from the other end. The cover members are arranged in end-to-end relation 
such that the sides are supported on the ledges, the pivot members are 
received in the apertures of the sidewalls, and the handle members extend 
through the cut-out portions of the endwalls. 
According to a more particular object of the invention, the file box is 
provided with a file support ledge below the cover support ledge for 
suspending files of the type having downwardly extending tabs on the ends 
of laterally projecting support arms. 
A further object of the invention is to enable the handle members and 
endwalls to be frictionally engaged when the cover members are in a closed 
position. 
Yet another object of the invention is to have the pivot members and the 
handle members integrally formed with the cover members. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a cover which does not 
require a hinge to connect the cover members, thereby enabling the removal 
of one cover member from the box without removing the other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to the drawings, more particularly to FIG. 1, in which like 
reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, 
there is shown the file box and cover of the present invention generally 
designated by the numeral 2. The file box 2 includes a pair of opposed 
sidewalls 4, a pair of opposed endwalls 6 and a bottom wall 8 defining a 
box interior. The file box 2 can be made of any suitable material which is 
durable, light weight and inexpensive. Preferably, the sidewalls, endwalls 
and bottom wall are integrally formed of an injection molded, high impact 
synthetic plastic material. 
The sidewalls 4 and endwalls 6 include a rim portion 10 which preferably is 
integrally formed on the upper portion thereof. The rim portion 10 is 
flanged outwardly on the sidewalls 4 to define a cover side support ledge 
12 thereon. The rim portion 10 has an upper edge portion 14 which extends 
upwardly from the outside edge of the side support ledge 12 thereby 
defining the upper edge of the box 2. The sidewall rim portions 10 each 
have an aperture 16 therein located adjacent the side support ledge 12. 
The rim portion 10 on each of the endwalls 6 includes a downwardly 
extending cut-out portion 18 therein. 
Referring now more particularly to FIG. 2, the sidewalls 4 preferably 
include a collar portion 20 which flanges outwardly from the sidewalls 4 
thereby defining a file support ledge 22 below the side support ledge 12. 
The rim portion 10 flanges outwardly from the collar portion 20. 
Preferably, the file support ledge 22 includes an upwardly extending lip 
24 on the inner edge thereof for enabling the file support ledge 22 to be 
used to support files 26 of the type having downwardly extending tabs 28 
on the ends of laterally projecting support arms 30. In addition to 
providing support ledges 12 and 22, the flanged rim portion 10 and collar 
portion 20 provide a gripping means on the outside of the file box 2 for 
use when transporting the file box from one place to another. A cover 
generally designated by the numeral 32 is provided for covering the 
interior of the file box 2. The cover 32 includes two cover members 32a 
and 32b which each include a pair of opposed laterally outwardly extending 
pivot members 34a and 34b adjacent one end thereof and handle members 36 
extending longitudinally outwardly from the other end thereof. Preferably, 
the pivot members 34a and 34b and the handle members 36 are integrally 
formed with the cover members 32a and 32b of a suitable material, such as 
a synthetic plastic material. The cover 32 may be made of a transparent 
material to allow inspection of the file box 2 contents without opening 
the cover 32. 
Referring now more particularly to FIG. 3, the cover members 32a and 32b 
are arranged in end-to-end relation, wherein each covers a portion of the 
file box interior. The cover members 32a and 32b are not connected to each 
other, thereby enabling one of the cover members to be removed from the 
file box 2 without removing the other. The sides of the cover members 32a 
and 32b are supported on the side support ledges 12, respectively. As 
shown most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5, the pivot members 34a and 34b are 
rotatably received in the apertures 16 to enable the cover members 32a and 
32b to be pivoted about the pivot members 34a and 34b to an open or closed 
position. 
The handle members 36 extend through the cut-out portions 18 in the 
endwalls 6 when in the closed position to enable the cover members 32a and 
32b to be easily pivoted to an open position. Preferably, the handle 
members 36 are textured with, for example, raised laterally extending 
gripping lines 40 on the upper and lower surfaces thereof for enabling the 
handle members 36 to be easily gripped when opening and closing the cover 
members 32a and 32b. The cut-out portions 18 preferably are shaped to 
frictionally engage the handle members 36 when in the closed position, 
thereby to releasably retain the cover members 32a and 32b in the closed 
position. The cut-out portions 18 may also include, for example, inward 
protrusions on the sides thereof to enable the handle members 36 to 
snap-fit therein. 
Preferably, the apertures 16 in the sidewalls 4 only extend partially 
through the rim portion 10 as shown in FIG. 5, but they may extend fully 
through the rim portion 10 if desired. By centrally locating the apertures 
16 on the length of the sidewalls 4, the cover members 32a and 32b can be 
made identical in size and shape to one another. Preferably, the pivot 
members 34a and 34b are cylindrical in shape so that they are easily 
rotatable to enable the cover members to smoothly open and close. The 
pivot members 34a and 34b should be positioned on the cover members 32a 
and 32b such that the ends of the cover members engage or are closely 
adjacent one another when the cover members are in the closed position, 
thereby providing a cover which is substantially waterproof and dustproof. 
By providing the cover members 32a and 32b as hereinbefore described, the 
cover will allow access to either the forward half or rearward half of the 
file box 2 without having to remove the entire cover 32. 
Preferably, the cover members 32a and 32b are each selectively pivotable to 
a fully open position when the other cover member is in the closed 
position. When in the fully open position, the two cover members 32a and 
32b are in a flat stacked relation such that one cover member is supported 
on the other, and each of the handle members 36 extend through a common 
cut-out portion 18 in one of the endwalls 6. When one of the cover members 
32a or 32b is in the fully open position, preferably the cut-out portions 
18 are constructed to frictionally engage both the handle members 36, 
thereby to releasably retain the handle member 36 therein. 
Preferably, the apertures 16 have a substantially oval shape wherein the 
width of the apertures 16 is slightly greater than, and the height of said 
apertures 16 is slightly less than, the combined diameters of the 
cylindrical pivot members 34a and 34b which are received therein, 
respectively. As shown most clearly in FIG. 6, by providing such oval 
apertures 16, the pivot members of one cover member are not able to 
laterally move past the pivot members of the other cover member, but 
instead are forced to remain substantially in their respective relative 
positions, thereby precluding the possibility of the cover members 32a and 
32b from binding against each other during opening and closing thereof. 
Referring now more particularly to FIG. 6, there is shown the cover member 
32b in a fully open position and the preferred non-binding position of the 
respective pivot members 34a and 34b when in the fully open position. 
Owing to the fact that the height of the aperture 16 is less than the 
combined diameters of the pivot members 34a and 34bthe pivot member 34a is 
not able to move under pivot member 34b, and pivot member 34b is not able 
to move over pivot member 34athereby maintaining their respective relative 
positions within the apertures 16. Moreover, due to the fact that the 
width of the apertures 16 are slightly greater than the combined diameters 
of pivot members 34a and 34b and the sides of the apertures 16 have a 
substantially curved shape, the cover members 32a and 32b can each 
independently be easily and smoothly pivoted to a fully closed, fully open 
or any other desired position therebetween without the possibility of 
binding on each other. 
While both the endwalls 6 and the sidewalls 4 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 as 
preferably being provided with flanged rim portions 10 and collar portions 
20, the provision of both of these portions on only the sidewalls 4 would 
be sufficient to provide satisfactory operation and utility of the present 
invention. By including a flanged rim portion 10 on the endwalls 6, a 
cover end support ledge 42 (FIG. 3) is defined for supporting the outer 
ends of the cover members 32a and 32b. Although a file support ledge need 
not be provided on the endwalls 6, the same would be useful for storing 
different size suspended files. 
While in accordance with the patent statute, the preferred forms and 
embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will 
be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and 
modifications may be made without deviating from the inventive concepts 
set forth above.