Abstract:
A security box inter alia for tools has a metal box and a lid of the swing and slide type utilizing a pair of box hinges fixed to the box and a pair of lid hinges fixed to the lid, and a pair of intermediate hinges connected to both sets of hinges by links which make all the hinges parallel and enabling the door hinge to lie outside the plane of the door opening. In a variant, there is no intermediate hinge and the lid opening angle is less. The lid and box have interengaging profiled edges which in the closed position mutually obstruct but, when the lid slides to the open position, the profiles separate and the lid is free to swing open.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a national stage application filed under 35 USC 371 based on International Application No. PCT/AU2009/001135, filed Sep. 2, 2009, and claims priority under 35 USC 119 of Australian Patent Application No. 2008904566 filed Sep. 3, 2008, Australian Patent Application No. 2008905376 filed Oct. 17, 2008 and Australian Patent Application No. 2009902823 filed Jun. 10, 2009. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention concerns security boxes with lids which operate using a swing and slide motion as described in the present application. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In our prior application for Patent No. PCT/AU03/001321, we describe safes with two pairs of hinges, wherein one set is mounted on the safe body and the other set is mounted on the door. The two sets of hinges are interconnected to create an offset motion whereby the door is free to both slide left and right and to swing open and closed. 
     The hinges are installed inside the door opening and the door width exceeds the door opening width. The swing and slide motion allows the door to slide first to clear the door opening and then to swing toward the person opening the safe giving access to the safe interior. The geometry of this arrangement permits the door to open say 90-110°. 
     While that application described safes and security doors, this specification is more concerned with toolboxes which are portable, lockers for vehicles such as utes, lockers for the interiors of buildings such as schools, gyms and the like and static equipment lockers for construction sites. 
     Such lockers must open at least through 90° to allow the contents to be accessed and stowed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The apparatus aspect of the invention provides a security box inter alia for tools, the lid being of the swing and slide type, comprising a pair of box hinges fixed to the box interior, a pair of lid hinges fixed to the lid, and a pair of intermediate hinges connected to both the box hinges and the lid hinges by links so that hinge axes are all mutually parallel and the links allow the displacement of the door hinge to lie outside the plane of the box opening when the lid is opened through 90°. 
     The box opening may have a ledge and an upstand at the closing edge and the upstand acts as a landing surface for the lid. 
     The underside of the lid may have a projection which in the locked position underlies the box ledge and slides clear of the ledge in the unlocked position. 
     The box may have a ledge and a upstand at the hinge edge, the ledge providing a mounting area for the box hinges. 
     The lid hinges may be connected to the intermediate hinges by a first link. The box hinges may be connected to the intermediate hinges by a second link. The second link may be longer than the first link in order to give greater throw. 
     The second link may be a bar or angle member. This link positions the intermediate hinge substantially level with the box hinge. 
     The lid hinge may be connected to the underside of the lid at or near the central region of the lid. 
     The lid may have a downwardly facing flange along the closing edge. The depth of the flange may be somewhat less than the depth of the adjacent upstand in order to hide the upstand when viewed from the side. 
     The hinge edge of the upstand may have an outwardly turned flange while the hinge edge of the lid may have an inwardly turned flange which together generate a hook profile. 
     The lid may have a handle joined by a pivoting connector to part of the hinge assembly against which it reacts to slide the lid between the opened and closed positions. The handle may also operate a latch which can be locked by a key. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The numerals of the main parts of this embodiment are the same as our first PCT application No. PCT/AU/2003/001321, which has matured into U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,404,363 and 7,793,600, both of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
       One embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic side view of the lid region of a toolbox in the locked state. 
         FIG. 2  is the same view as  FIG. 1  with the toolbox in the unlocked state. 
         FIG. 3  is the same view as  FIG. 1  with the toolbox in the unlocked state and the lid open. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan of  FIG. 1  with the lid shown as if it were transparent with open/closed latch positions. 
         FIG. 5  is a variant of the toolbox in  FIGS. 1-4 , the opening of which is assisted by gas struts. 
         FIG. 6  is a further variant which substitutes the lid and intermediate hinges with a pin assembly on which the lid slides. 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of a box in the locked position. 
         FIG. 8  is the same view as  FIG. 7  but with the box unlocked and the lid open. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective of the double hinges with the lid raised. 
         FIG. 10  is a side sectional view of a variant box in the locked position. 
         FIG. 11  is the same view as  FIG. 10  with the box in the unlocked position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, the rectangular sheet metal toolbox  2  has a continuous peripheral upstand  4  surrounded by a continuous ledge  6 . The box is closed by a lid  16 . Ledge  6  acts as a landing surface for the lid when the lid opens and closes. A box hinge  22  ( FIG. 4 ) about 300 mm long is welded to the central area of the box ledge and a hinge  26  is welded to the central area of the underside of the lid. 
     In  FIGS. 1-4 , lid hinge  26  is also connected by a short flat steel link  30  to intermediate hinge  32 . This is welded to the top face of flat elongated steel link  36 . Steel link  38  is of Z-section shape with a step or tongue  40  in the front edge. Tongue  40  projects through a window  42  in the link  38  in order to be connected to intermediate hinge  32 . 
     The lid has a rotatable handle  52  which actuates a double armed lever  54 . One end of the lever reacts against a reaction bar  58 . Elongated link  38  transmits reaction to the box and consequently, when the handle is rotated, the only part which can move is the lid which slides to the LEFT to lock and to the RIGHT to unlock. The opposite end of the lever  54  is a hook  60  which engages a slot  62  in the upstand  4 . Key operated lock  66  engages a projection  68  on the lever and arrests handle rotation. 
     Locking is made possible by the provision of an L-section angle  70  welded to the underside of the lid adjacent the front closing edge. The L-section angle  70  underlies ledge  6  and the edge of the lid adjacent the handle  52  is bent to form a flange  72 . The opposite, rear lid edge is bent into a channel section  74 . This forms a hook profile with an outwardly turned flange  76  depending from the upstand  4 . Upright flange  74  moves towards and away from horizontal flange  76  around the rim of the box. Likewise flange  72  moves towards and away from the box upstand  4 . A pry inserted at the front of the box will not lift the lid because L-section angle  70  meets ledge  6 . 
     In use the toolbox resists prying because the hook profile is present at the rear and the overlying lid flange  72  at the front edge may bend upwards but the angle  70  remains beneath the ledge  6 . In the locked position hook  60  engages the front wall of the box and resists prying force aimed at sliding the lid rearwardly out of engagement with the front ledge. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the variant has the same components as  FIGS. 1-4  but in addition has a channel section bracket  74  with a web  80  joining a pair of segments  82  which in turn are welded to the undersurface of Z-link  38 . Segments  82  brace web  80  and provide support. The rear wall of the box has a pair of upright flanges  84 . The flanges support a pair of ties  86  which together with box hinge  22  secure the lid to the box while allowing it to open and close. In other words, flanges  84  anchor ties  86 . Gas struts  88  are also connected between the flanges  84  and the segments. These assist smooth opening of the lid in known manner since gas struts  88  push up the heavy lid as soon as the lid is slid back from the LOCK position. Adjustable bolt  90  extends between web  80  and the overlying tongue  40 . This permits threaded adjustment of the inclination of the lid about the axis of the box hinge  22 . 
     During operation, Z-link  38  pivots on box hinge  22  and as Z-link  38  swings forward, flange  74  approaches the upstand  4  and underlies it when the lid  16  slides shut. The lid has a rotatable handle  52  which actuates a double armed lever  54 . One end of the lever reacts against reaction bar  58  and the reaction surface is step  40 . At the same time L-section angle  70  must be ready to slide under horizontal flange  76 . The handle rotation pushes and pulls on step  40 . The inventor found that the slide motion permitted by link  30  could be eased if adjustment by bolt  90  was made. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the box hinge  22  carries Z-link  38 . The layer between lid  16  and Z-link  38  is E-shaped in plan as shown in our co-pending Australian Application No. 2008904078 which has now become Australian Application No. 2009203066 and corresponding to U.S. Ser. No. 12/462,917, which is incorporated by reference herein. This embodiment allows the use of a sliding lid  16  which relies on slots  100  and pins  102  instead of the triple hinge assembly of  FIGS. 1-5 . 
     In  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9 , lid  16  is hinged differently from the embodiment in  FIGS. 1-6 . Lid hinges  26  are bolted to lugs welded to the lid. The box hinges  22  are welded to a channel section cap  104  fastened to the upstand  4  by bolts. The double hinge gives the required arc of sliding motion to the lid. The box hinges  22  are joined and from the central area between the hinge ends projects a bracket  106  to which reaction link or pivoting connector  58  is pivoted. Arm  108  extends from the bracket  106  in order to reach the gas strut  88  and tie  110 . The key operation and latching are the same as in the embodiments of  FIGS. 1-5  above. 
     As the door closes the L-section angle  70  contacts landing surface  76  and aligns the lid  16  which makes the final slide action precise. Flange  74  underlies cap  104  to prevent rear prying from a pry bar or other tool. Likewise L-section angle  70  underlies ledge  6  to prevent front prying. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the handle  52  in this embodiment reacts against static box hinge  22  sliding the lid  16  left and right. Channel section cap  114  is fastened to upstand  4  by bolts. Channel section cap  114  is the same component as  104  in  FIG. 7  and box hinge  22  is welded to channel section cap  114  as in  FIG. 10 . Flange  74  underlies cap  114  to prevent rear prying from a pry bar or other tool. Comparison of the lock/unlock positions of  FIGS. 1-3  show that the lid movements are reversed in this embodiment, i.e. box hinge  22  remains static and the lid “floats” left and right between LOCK position shown in  FIG. 10  and UNLOCK position shown in  FIG. 11 . In this embodiment the landing surface for the lid is the external portion of ledge  6 . 
     At the side opposite hinge  22  the upstand  4  has an inverted lip  120  which ends in a downwardly projecting hook  122 . The inwardly projecting edge of door  16  has a flange  124  which ends in upwardly projecting hook  126 . This double hook construction is duplicated at flange  128  and cap  130 . The twin mutual obstruction of the hook  126  with hook  122  and flange  128  with welded cap  130  defeat prying at the front of the security box. 
     We have found the advantages of the above embodiment to be:
     1. Good degree of access to the interior.   2. Hinges are internal and inaccessible.   3. Pry resistant construction because the hooks and flanges which withstand the prying forces extend along the full length of one side of the box. The box and lid are mutually supportive in resisting entry.   

     It is to be understood that the word “comprising” as used throughout the specification is to be interpreted in its inclusive form, i.e. use of the word “comprising” does not exclude the addition of other elements. 
     It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. Holes can be provided in the floor or walls of the box for passage of bolts to secure the box to the site or vehicle. These modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within the scope of the invention.