Patent Publication Number: US-2004040874-A1

Title: Supplementary accessory case for tool chest

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to a supplementary accessory case for tool chest, and more particularly to an accessory case that may be detachably attached to a top of a tool chest for conveniently holding small tools and accessories to increase the value of the tool chest.  
       [0002] A tool chest is an important and necessary item for general servicemen or maintenance men and workers to perform their work efficiently. Various kinds of tools and accessories are held in separated compartments fixedly formed in the tool chest. It is very possible some extra small tools and accessories are needed to perform some works and there is not sufficient space in the tool chest to hold them. Therefore, these extra tools and accessories frequently confuse the workers.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a supplementary accessory case for detachably attached to a top of a tool chest, so that extra small tools and accessories could be conveniently held in the supplementary accessory case and accessed without the need of opening the tool chest.  
       [0004] To achieve the above and other objects, the supplementary accessory case of the present invention mainly includes two separated boxes and two parallel connecting members separately extended between two longitudinal outer sides of the two boxes with an opening defined among them. Each of the two boxes is provided at a transverse outer edge with a projected ear, to which a curved catch hook is rotatably connected. When the supplementary accessory case is positioned on a top of the tool chest, the opening defined by the boxes and the connecting members allows a handle of the tool chest to expose therefrom for holding, and the catch hooks can be turned downward about the projected ears to engage with retaining blocks correspondingly provided on the tool chest and thereby detachably lock the supplementary accessory case to the top of the tool chest.  
       [0005] The curved catch hook includes two symmetrical lugs spaced at an inner edge thereof. The lugs are provided with centered through holes, with which two ends of a fixing pin extended through a hollow shaft are engaged. The hollow shaft includes two arms perpendicularly extended from two-ends of the shaft, and a crossbar connected to and extended between free ends of the two arms. The crossbar is adapted to tightly but rotatably fit in a retaining groove on the projected ear provided on the transverse outer edge of each box, so that the catch hook is connected to the ear by engaging the crossbar with the retaining groove, and may be swung about the crossbar relative to the projected ear. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0006] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein  
     [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a supplementary accessory case for tool chest according to the present invention;  
     [0008]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a catch hook for connecting the supplementary accessory case of the present invention to a tool chest;  
     [0009]FIG. 3 shows the connection of the supplementary accessory case of the present invention to the tool chest; and  
     [0010]FIG. 4 is an assembled side view showing the supplementary accessory case of the present invention has been connected to the tool chest. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0011] Please refer to FIG. 1 that is a perspective view of a supplementary accessory case  100  according to the present invention. As shown, the supplementary accessory case  100  mainly includes two separated boxes  1  located at two outer ends thereof, and two parallel connecting members  2  separately extended between two longitudinal sides of the two boxes  1 , so as to connect the two boxes  1  to each other to provide an integral supplementary accessory case  100 . Each of the boxes  1  is provided at a transverse outer end with a projected ear  11  (see FIG. 2), on which a retaining groove  111  is provided for a catch hook  3  to rotatably connect thereto.  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the catch hook  3 . As shown, the catch hook  3  includes a curved body having two symmetrical lugs  31  spaced at an inner edge thereof. The lugs  31  are provided with centered through holes  311 , with which two ends of a fixing pin  33  extended through a hollow shaft  32  are engaged. The hollow shaft  32  includes two arms  34  perpendicularly extended from two ends of the shaft  32 , and a crossbar  35  connected to and extended between free ends of the two arms  34 . The crossbar  35  is adapted to tightly but rotatably fit in the retaining groove  111  on the projected ear  11  provided on the transverse outer edge of each box  1 , so that the catch hook  3  is connected to the ear  11  by engaging the crossbar  35  with the retaining groove  111 , and maybe swung about the crossbar  35  relative to the projected ear  11 .  
     [0013] Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4. The supplementary accessory case  100  is designed for positioning on a top of a tool chest  4 . For this purpose, the tool chest  4  is provided at two upper transverse edges with two retaining blocks  41  for engaging with the catch hooks  3  when the latter are turned downward. By pushing the downward turned catch hooks  3  inward, the catch hooks  3  are adapted to tightly engage with the retaining blocks  41  to lock the supplementary accessory case  100  to the top of the tool chest  4 . Small-size tools and/or accessories and parts may be directly positioned in the supplementary accessory case  100  instead of an additional tool chest  4 .  
     [0014] Since the supplementary accessory case  100  includes two separated boxes  1  connected to each other via the connecting members  2 , an opening is defined among the two boxes  1  and the two connecting members  2  to allow a handle  42  on the top of the tool chest  4  to expose from the opening when the supplementary accessory case  100  is locked to the top of the tool chest  4 . That is, the tool chest  4  may still be conveniently carried at the handle  42  even the supplementary accessory case  100  is locked to the top thereof. The supplementary accessory case  100  may be moved along with the tool chest  4  to hold extra tools and accessories and parts. The supplementary accessory case  100  not only enables the tool chest  4  to have an increased capacity, but also enables convenient access of the extra tools and accessories and parts without the need of opening the tool chest  4 , allowing user to work in more efficient manner.