Patent Publication Number: US-2011062177-A1

Title: Portable storage box

Description:
I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a box, and, more particularly, to a portable storage box for use in automobiles. 
     II. MOTIVATION FOR THE INVENTION 
     In modern era, automobiles, such as cars are widely used by people for commuting from one place to another. People generally spend a lot of time in traveling in cars and other such automobiles. In order to utilize the time in traveling, people indulge in various activities such as reading, making notes, and cutting and storing interesting articles from a newspaper, scratching a lottery ticket, and listening to music. In general, since people spend a substantial amount of time in their automobiles, they tend to keep various items, for example, newspaper articles, pay stubs, business cards, car-parking slips, lottery tickets, and other miscellaneous items in the automobiles thereof. 
     In general, automobiles may not have a dedicated space for storing such items. Accordingly, people may not be able to locate an appropriate place to keep or store such items in automobiles thereof. More specifically, people may tend to spread such items in the automobile, thereby making the automobile look dirty and unorganized. Moreover, such unorganized placement of items in the automobile may result in misplacement thereof, thereby causing unnecessary trouble. Presently, some people use their automobile&#39;s dashboard to keeping such items. However, the automobile dashboard may not provide a convenient and an organized place to keep and store such items. 
     Accordingly, there persists a need for a portable box capable of storing and organizing items in the automobile. 
     Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to obviate the above-mentioned and other disadvantages from existing art and to provide a portable box capable of storing and organizing items like pay stubs, business cards, car-parking slips, lottery tickets and other miscellaneous items in an automobile. 
     III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a portable storage box comprising: a lower portion, where said lower portion includes a base and four sidewalls, where said sidewalls form a storage space; and a lid, where said lid covers the storage space. The lid may be slidably coupled to at least two sidewalls through a channel or a depression configured on a top portion of the at least two sidewalls. In another exemplary embodiment, the lid may be hingedly coupled to one of the sidewalls. The lid may also include a holding mechanism configured on a top surface thereof for manipulating, such as holding and sliding, the lid. Exemplary embodiments o the holding mechanism may include a clip or an aperture configured in the top surface of the lid. 
    
    
     
       IV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and in which: 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a perspective view of a portable storage box in an open position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 1B  illustrates a perspective view of the portable storage box in a closed position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . The preferred embodiments described here in detail for illustrative purposes are subjected to many variations. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. 
     The present invention provides a portable storage box, which may be used to store items, such as lottery tickets, car-parking slips, business cards, pay stubs, newspaper clippings, and the like. It is envisioned that the present invention may be easily incorporated into a multitude of sizes and configurations and adapted for use in automobiles, houses, offices and the like. 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate a perspective view of a portable storage box  100  (hereinafter referred to as box  100 ), according to an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically,  FIG. 1A  illustrates an open position of the box  100  and  FIG. 1B  illustrates a closed position of the box  100 . 
     The box  100  comprises a lower portion  102  and a lid  104 . For the purpose of this description, the box  100  is illustrated to assume a cuboid shape. However, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the box  100  may assume any other geometrical shape apart from a cubical shape, for example, a spherical shape. The lower portion  102  of the box  100  has a base  106  and four sidewalls, such as a sidewall  108 , a sidewall  110 , a sidewall  112 , and a sidewall  114 . The sidewalls  108 ,  110 ,  112  and  114  may stand vertically on contours of the base  106  of the lower portion  102 , thereby configuring a space therebetween. The space may be utilized for storing items. 
     Furthermore, the space configured between the four sidewalls  108 ,  110 ,  112 , and  114  and the base  106  of the box  100  may be a covered by the lid  104 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the lid  104  is slidably coupled to the sidewalls, such as the sidewalls  108  and  110 . More specifically, each of the sidewalls  108  and  110  may include a channel such as a channel  116  configured on a top portion of the sidewalls  108  and  110 . The channels such as the channel  116  may be capable of holding and sliding the lid  104 . Alternatively, the sidewalls such the sidewalls  108  and  110  may include depression configured thereon for enabling the lid  104  to slide therewithin. 
     For the sake of this description, the lid  104  is assumed to be slidably coupled to the sidewalls  108  and  110  of the box  100 . However, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the lid  104  may be coupled to any other sidewall of the box  100 . Further, the lid  104  may be coupled to the other sidewalls, such as, the sidewall  114  of the box  100  by any other mechanism apart for the slidable coupling. For example, the lid  104  may be hingedly coupled to a sidewall such as the sidewall  114  of the box  100 . 
     The lid  104  of the box  100  may include a holding mechanism configured on a top surface  120  thereof for facilitating holding and sliding of the lid  104 . As illustrated and described herein, the holding mechanism may include a clip  118 . Alternatively, the holding mechanism may include an aperture configured in the top surface  120  of the lid  104  for enabling a user to position a finger thereof in the aperture for holding the lid  104 . 
     The box  100  may assume positions such as the open position (illustrated in  FIG. 1A ) and the closed position (illustrated in  FIG. 1B ) depending on a position of the lid  104  on the space configured within the lower portion  102  of the box  100  (herein after referred to as the internal space). In the open position, the lid  104  may be partially or completely removed from the lower portion  102  of the box  100 . More specifically, a user may pull/drag the holding mechanism such as the clip  118  in a direction parallel to the base  106  of the box  100 . Alternatively, when the lid  104  is hingedly coupled to a sidewall, for example, to the sidewall  114 , the lid  104  may be pivotally rotated, thereby removing the lid  104  from the lower portion  102  of the box  100  for exposing the internal space of the box  100 . 
     In the open position, the box  100  may be used to place a plurality of item therein, for example, lottery tickets, car-parking slips, business cards, pay stubs, newspaper clippings, and the like. In the closed position, the lid  104  may completely cover the lower portion  102  thereby concealing the internal space of the box  100  thereof. More specifically, in the closed position of the box  100 , the items may be secured in the internal space without loosing any of them. A small opening or slit remains available when the box  100  is in a closed position. The small opening or slit allows a user to insert a ticket, pay stubs or receipt into the box  100  without requiring the movement of the lid  104 . 
     As disclosed herein, the lower portion  102  and the lid  104  of the box  100  may be made of recyclable plastic material. However, the lower portion  102  and the lid  104  may be made of any other material apart from plastic, for example, a light weight metal, without deviating from the scope of the present invention. Moreover, the box  100  may have dimensions such as a length of about 8.5 inches, a width of about 4.5 inches and a height of about 0.625 inches. However, it will be apparent to those having ordinary skilled in the art that the box  100  may be configured in various sizes to store different items therein. 
     The present invention provides the box  100 , which may be used to store items, such as, lottery tickets, car-parking slips, business cards, pay stubs, newspaper cuttings, and the like in an automobile. Accordingly, the box  100  may be used in an automobile such as a car, home or office to keep and store such items properly and in an organized way at one place. The box  100  may also be used as a sturdy platform for writing. The sleekness of the box  100  may allow a user to place the box  100  over a sun visor in the automobile. The box  100  may also be kept over a dashboard of the car. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.