Tool item container

A container (10) adapted for holding, storing, and dispensing various elongated tool bits (28) or other such tool items includes a base (12) with a hinged cover (18) that is substantially completely enclosed within the base (12) when the hinge cover (18) is pivoted to its fully open position by way of a hinge assembly (36, 38) that is also substantially completely unclosed within the base (12). Provisions are made for substantially preventing or at least minimizing any tendency of the tool items (28) to fall or slide loose from their respective tool item receptacles (24) when the container (10) is tipped or inverted. In addition, the tool item receptacles (24) include a number of flats (60) therein for grippingly and releasingly receiving the tool items (28). Such tool item receptacles (24) are also configured to have a large draft angle (64) on their exterior surfaces within a hollow interior space in the base (12) in order to facilitate the ease of removal of a base (12) during injection molding or other forming.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to containers for holding and 
storing various tool or other such items, and more particularly to such 
containers adapted for holding and storing elongated tool items, such as 
drill bits, driver bits, and the like, as well as chucks or extensions for 
such bits. In addition, the present invention relates to such containers 
that are adapted to be placed on a work surface or hung or suspended on a 
hook or other elongated external member, while providing convenient access 
to, and dispensing of, the tool items in the container. 
Various display and storage chests, boxes, cases, and other such containers 
have been provided in the past for holding, storing, and dispensing tool 
items, such as drill bits, driver bits, or other similar elongated tool 
items. Frequently, such containers have included a base portion with some 
sort of hinged cover movable between closed and open positions in order to 
contain or provide access to the contents. However, many of such previous 
containers have presented various disadvantages, such as their inability 
to sufficiently grip the tool items so they do not fall out of their tool 
bit receptacles when the case or container is tipped or turned sideways or 
upside down. Other disadvantages of such prior containers include hinged 
covers that when opened are unsightly, occupy too much space, or 
inordinately interfere with work operations being performed nearby. In 
addition, such previous cases have often had exposed, external hinges for 
the hinged cover that are unsightly and easily broken or damaged while 
performing work operations in the vicinity of the container, as well as 
potentially interfering with such operations. Finally, such previous 
containers have often been difficult, time-consuming or unduly expensive 
to injection mold or otherwise produce. 
The present invention seeks to overcome the disadvantages of the previous 
containers as outlined above. Accordingly, a container for holding a 
plurality of elongated tool items includes a base and a hinged cover, with 
the base having a first or lower base portion with a plurality of tool 
item openings for removably receiving one or more tool items and a second 
or upper base portion protruding from the first base portion and to form a 
generally L-shaped configuration. The hinged cover includes at least one 
and preferably two stop tabs protruding from an edge area such that when 
the cover is pivotally moved between its fully closed position with the 
stop tab or tabs abutting the second or upper base portion and a fully 
open position wherein the stop tabs abut the first or lower base portion, 
the cover is maintained in its proper position and orientation. In a 
preferred form of the invention, the first or lower base portion has an 
elongated cover-receiving opening formed adjacent its edges such that the 
cover is substantially completely enclosed within the first or lower base 
portion when in the fully open position. The preferred hinge assembly for 
pivotally interconnecting the cover and the base resides within a hollow 
interior space in the base so that the hinge is substantially enclosed 
within the interior of the first or lower base portion and protected from 
damage therein. By way of these arrangements, the hinge and cover are 
protected within the lower base portion so they cannot be easily damaged 
during the course of performing work operations in the vicinity of the 
cover, as well as being out of the way in order to avoid interfering with 
such work operations. 
The preferred cover has at least one discontinuity, preferably in the form 
of an elongated rib, extending along a portion of its inside surface in 
order to provide an interference that minimizes or substantially 
eliminates small tool items housed within the container from sliding out 
of the tool item openings when the container is turned sideways or upside 
down. In addition, the cover is preferably transparent or at least 
translucent or semi-transparent so that the tool items are at least 
partially visible when the cover is in its closed position. 
As mentioned above, the preferred first or lower base portion is at least 
partially hollow and includes a plurality of generally cylindrical hollow 
protrusions that extend generally inwardly into the interior space, with 
the hollow cylindrical protrusions opening into the exterior side of the 
base and thus serving as receptacles for the tool items in the first or 
lower base portion. These hollow cylindrical tool item-receiving 
protrusions each include at least one and preferably two or more flat 
interior surfaces extending longitudinally within the hollow cylinder and 
generally parallel to the cylinder's centerline axis in order to 
grippingly engage tool items having a wide variety of cross-sectional 
shapes. In addition, the exterior surface of such generally cylindrical 
hollow protrusions preferably converge from a relatively larger exterior 
diameter portion generally adjacent the interior surface of the first or 
lower base portion to a relatively smaller exterior diameter portion 
generally adjacent the free end wall of the hollow cylindrical protrusion. 
This results in the exterior surface of each of the cylinder walls 
intersecting the interior surface of the first or lower base portion at a 
draft angle of greater than 90 degrees. Such improved draft angle is 
highly advantageous during the injection molding or other such production 
methods used to manufacture the container according to the present 
invention. Finally, the preferred base includes a number of gauging or 
sizing openings formed therein for gauging or sizing drill bits, driver 
bits, or other tool items. Such gauging openings are preferably located on 
the first or lower base portion in such a position to be exposed 
regardless of the open or closed position of the hinged pivotal cover. 
Additional objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will 
become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, 
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIGS. 1 through 10D illustrate a preferred exemplary embodiment of a tool 
items container according to the present invention, shown for purposes of 
illustration. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the 
following discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims, that 
the principles of the present invention are equally applicable to other 
tool item containers adapted for holding, storing and dispensing a wide 
variety of tool items or tool bits. 
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate, in perspective views, a tool item container 10 
having a base 12 and a cover 18, with the cover shown in closed and open 
positions, respectively. The base 12 preferably includes a lower base 
portion with side walls that slope outwardly and downwardly to a preferred 
enlarged pod portion in order to provide enhanced stability for the tool 
item container. In addition, the preferred upper base portion 16 includes 
a hang-hole 22 so that the tool item container 10 can alternatively be 
suspended or hung from a peg, hook, or other such elongated external 
member. An upper base portion 16 protrudes in a generally upward direction 
from the lower base portion 14, such that together the upper and lower 
base portions 14 and 16 are arranged in a generally L-shaped configuration 
when viewed from either side of the tool item container 10. 
The cover 18 is pivotally interconnected with the base 12 and preferably 
includes one or more stop tabs 20 that engage the upper base portion 16 
and the lower base portion 14 when in its respective fully closed and 
fully opened positions. 
The lower base portion 14 includes a number of tool item or tool bit 
openings 24 formed therein, for grippingly receiving drill bits 28 or 
other such elongated tool or bit items. The lower base portion 14 also 
includes a cover-receiving slot or opening 30 formed therein in a 
partially surrounding relationship with the tool item or tool bit openings 
24 to receive the cover 18 as it is pivotally moved from its closed 
position, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, to its fully open position, 
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5. In addition, the lower base portion 14 
preferably includes a boss 34 protruding upwardly therefrom and 
surrounding each of the tool bit openings 24 in order to provide enhanced 
support and to assist in preventing the tool items from falling or sliding 
free from their respective tool bit openings 24 when the tool item 
container 10 is tipped, turned sideways, or held in an inverted, 
upside-down orientation. The lower base portion 14 also preferably 
includes a number of gauging or sizing openings 32, which are exposed and 
accessible regardless of the open or closed position of the cover 18, and 
which assist the user in determining sizes of drill bits or other tool 
items. 
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the cover 18 is pivotably interconnected with the 
lower base portion 14 by way of a hinge pin on the exterior of the cover 
18, which is snapped or otherwise inserted into a hinge socket 38 on an 
interior surface of the lower base portion 14 in order to pivotally 
interconnect the cover 18 with the lower base portion 14. It should be 
noted that the positions of the hinge pin 36 and the hinge socket 38 can 
alternatively be reversed, with the hinge pin 36 being positioned on the 
interior surface of the lower base portion 14 and correspondingly with the 
hinge socket 38 being located on an exterior surface of the cover 18. 
As is perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 4, the cover 18 preferably includes 
one or more elongated discontinuities or ribs 42, which substantially 
prevent or at least minimize the tendency of a tool item 28 sliding or 
falling free from its respective tool item opening 24 when the tool item 
container 10 is tipped or inverted. This feature is further enhanced by 
the provision of the above-mentioned bosses 34 surrounding the tool item 
openings 24, such that the vertical distance between the rib or ribs 42 
and one or more of the bosses 34 is longer than the length of the smallest 
tool item intended to be held or stored in the tool item container 10. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the cover 18 also preferably includes a latch 46, which 
is snappingly and releasably engageable with a latch tab 48 on the upper 
base portion 16. Such latch assembly releasably retains the cover 18 in 
its fully closed position until it is intended to be opened by the user. 
As is perhaps best illustrated in FIGS. 7 through 10D, the tool item 
openings 24 are provided by way of generally cylindrical hollow 
protrusions 50 that protrude into the at least partially hollow interior 
space of the preferred lower base portion 14. The inner cylindrical wall 
52 of each of the protrusions 50 is provided with one or more, and 
preferably three, flats 60 that extend longitudinally for at least a 
substantial portion of the longitudinal or axial length of the generally 
cylindrical protrusions 50. As is illustrated in FIG. 9 through FIG. 10D, 
the flat 60 provide for a secure releasable gripping engagement with tool 
items inserted into the tool item openings 24 and are capable of 
accommodating tool bits or items having a wide variety of cross-sectional 
shank shapes. In addition, a hole or opening 56 is preferably provided in 
the bottom, free end wall of the generally cylindrical protrusions 50 in 
order to prevent the accumulation of dust, chips or other debris within 
the tool item openings 24. 
The preferred generally cylindrical protrusions 50 also include an outer 
cylindrical wall surface 54 shaped such that the exterior diameter of each 
protrusion 50 converges to a smaller exterior diameter generally adjacent 
the bottom wall of the generally cylindrical protrusion 50. This results 
in a convergence angle illustrated in exaggerated form and indicated by 
reference numeral 62 in FIG. 8, as well as increased or improved draft 
angle 64 formed between the outer or exterior cylindrical wall surface 54 
of each protrusion 50 with the lower interior surface of the lower base 
portion 14. The draft angle 64 is preferably substantially greater than 90 
degrees, as is illustrated in exaggerated form in FIG. 8. Such improved 
draft angle greatly simplifies and improves the ease of withdrawing an 
injection molded base 12 from the mold during production and manufacturing 
of the tool item container 10. 
The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary 
embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. 
One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and 
from the accompanying drawings and claims, that various changes, 
modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from 
the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.