Patent Publication Number: US-6905020-B2

Title: Tool organizer having rotatable tool holders

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a tool organizer, and more particularly to a tool organizer having one or more tool holder members for displaying and/or storing tool elements. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Various kinds of typical tool organizers have been developed for receiving and/or storing tool elements, and comprise a number of chambers or compartments provided therein for receiving different tool elements. 
   For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,651 to Lanius discloses one of the typical tool organizers having a number of compartments provided therein and formed by wall or partition members, and one or more drawers for receiving different tool elements. However, it will be difficult to display or show the tool elements for the public or for customers. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,556 to Loeffel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,007 to Chen, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,005 to Norton disclose the other three of the typical tool organizers having one or more foldable door panels or cover panels, and a number of compartments provided therein and formed by wall or partition members, and one or more drawers for receiving different tool elements. However, it will be difficult to display or show the tool elements for the public or for customers. In addition, the tool organizers may not be assembled by the users themselves. 
   The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional tool organizers. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a tool organizer including one or more tool holder members having central or intermediate rotating axle for rotatably securing or attaching the tool holder members to the tool organizer, and for allowing various tool elements to be displayed and/or stored within the tool holder members. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a tool organizer comprising a housing including an upper plate and a bottom plate, and at least one tool holder including two sides, and a middle axle provided between the two sides thereof and rotatably engaged with the upper and the bottom plates, to stably and rotatably secure the tool holder between the upper and the bottom plates, and the tool holder including a plurality of recesses formed therein for receiving tool elements. 
   The housing includes a plurality of posts secured between the upper and the bottom plates. Each of the upper and the bottom plates includes a plurality of lock channels formed therein, each of the posts includes two ends engaged into the lock channels of the upper and the bottom plates respectively. 
   Each of the upper and the bottom plates includes at least one catch extended into each of the lock channels thereof and engageable into the posts respectively, to secure the posts to the upper and the bottom plates. Each of the posts includes at least one lock depression formed therein to receive the catch of the bottom and the upper plates, and to secure the posts to the upper and the bottom plates. Each of the posts includes two curved side surfaces to allow the tool holders to be suitably retained between the posts. 
   A container may further be provided and received in the housing. The housing includes a bore formed in the upper plate to receive the container into the housing. The upper plate includes at least one lock notch formed therein, the container includes at least one projection extended outwardly therefrom, to engage into the lock notch of the upper plate, and to detachably retain the container in the housing. 
   The container includes a lock slot formed in the projection thereof, and further includes a cover having at least one tongue extended outwardly therefrom, to engage into the lock slot of the container, and to detachably retain the cover to the container. 
   A cover may further be provided and engageable onto the container, to enclose the container. A base may further be provided and to rotatably secure the housing thereon with a shaft. The base includes a plurality of ball bearings provided thereon and engaged with the housing. 
   Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a tool organizer in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the tool organizer; 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of a post for a housing of the tool organizer; 
       FIG. 4  is a front plan schematic view of the tool organizer; 
       FIGS. 5 ,  6  are perspective views illustrating the operation of the tool organizer; and 
       FIG. 7  is a partial exploded view illustrating the operation of a container of the tool organizer. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1-4 , a tool organizer in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing  20  to be pivotally or rotatably secured to a base  10  with such as a hub or shaft  11 . The base  10  includes a hole  12  formed in the central portion thereof for receiving the hub or shaft  11  therein, and a number of balls or ball bearings  14  disposed on the upper and outer peripheral portion of the base  10 . 
   The housing  20  includes a bottom plate  21 , an upper plate  30 , and a number of posts  40  to be secured between the bottom plate  21  and the upper plate  30 . The bottom plate  21  includes a hole  22  formed in the central portion thereof for receiving the shaft  11  therein, and thus for pivotally or rotatably securing the bottom plate  21  of the housing  20  to the base  10 . 
   A fastener  15  may engage through the hole  22  of the bottom plate  21  and may be threaded or secured to the shaft  11 , to rotatably secure the bottom plate  21  to the base  10  with the shaft  11 . The balls or ball bearings  14  of the base  10  are engaged with the bottom plate  21 , for smoothly and stably and rotatably support the bottom plate  21  on top of the base  10 . 
   The bottom plate  21  and the upper plate  30  preferably include a polygonal structure or shape each having three or more, such as eight, sides  23 ,  31  and three or more, such as eight, corners  24 ,  32  formed or defined between the sides  23 ,  31  of the bottom plate  21  and the upper plate  30  respectively. 
   Each of the bottom plate  21  and the upper plate  30  preferably includes a number of cavities  25 ,  33  formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof and close to the sides  23 ,  31  thereof respectively, and preferably arranged in the middle or center portion of the sides  23 ,  31  thereof respectively. The upper plate  30  includes a bore  35  formed in the inner or center portion thereof, and one or more lock notches  37  formed in the inner peripheral portion thereof and communicating with the bore  35  of the upper plate  30 . 
   Each of the bottom plate  21  and the upper plate  30  preferably includes a number of lock channels  26 ,  34  formed in the corners  24 ,  32  thereof respectively, and each having a narrower inner end  27  and a wider outer end  28 , and one or more catches  29  extended into the lock channels  26 ,  34  from the wider outer ends  28  thereof respectively, best shown in FIG.  1 . 
   Each of the posts  40  includes an upper and a bottom ends  41  engageable into the lock channels  26 ,  34  of the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30 , and includes a wider outer portion  42  for engaging in the wider outer ends  28  of the lock channels  26 ,  34  of the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30 , and includes one or more lock depressions  43  formed in either of the upper or the bottom end  41  thereof each to define a lock ear  44  and each to receive a respective catch  29  of the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30 . 
   In assembling, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  5 , the upper and the bottom ends  41  of the posts  40  may be engaged into the lock channels  26 ,  34  of the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30 , and the catches  29  of the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30  may be engaged into the lock depressions  43  of the posts  40  by such as force-fitted engagements, adhesive materials, or by welding processes, such that the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30  may be secured together with the posts  40 . 
   A number of tool holders  50  each includes a middle axle  51  provided between two sides  52  thereof, or extended upwardly and/or downwardly therefrom to rotatably engage into the respective cavities  25 ,  33  of the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30 , and thus to rotatably secure the tool holders  50  in the housing  20 , or between the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30 . The tool holders  50  may thus be rotatably secured in the housing  20  or between the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30  with the middle axles  51  thereof. 
   Each of the tool holders  50  includes a number of recesses  53  formed in one side thereof ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4 ) to receive various tool elements  54  (FIG.  5 ), and includes a flat outer side  55  ( FIGS. 1 ,  6 ) formed or located opposite to the recesses  53  thereof. The tool elements  54  or the recesses  53  and the flat outer sides  55  of the tool holders  50  may thus be selectively rotated and faced outwardly (FIGS.  4 - 6 ). As best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , each of the posts  40  includes two curved side surfaces  45 , for allowing the tool holders  50  to be suitably retained between the posts  40 , and to be suitably rotated relative to the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30  of the housing  20 . 
   It is to be noted that the tool holders  50  may be rotatably secured in the housing  20  or between the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30  with the middle axles  51  which are preferably located in the geometric center or the center of gravity of the tool holders  50  respectively, such that the tool holders  50  may be stably supported between the bottom and the upper plates  21 ,  30  of the housing  20 , to rotate the tool elements  54  inward or outward of the housing  20 . The conventional tool organizers fail to provide one or more tool holders  50  having a middle portion rotatably secured between two plates  21 ,  30  to stably support tool elements  54 . 
   A container  60  may further be provided and engageable into the housing  20  via the bore  35  of the upper plate  30 , and includes one or more projections  61  extended outwardly therefrom, to engage into the corresponding lock notches  37  of the upper plate  30 , and to detachably retain the container  60  in the housing  20 . The container  60  includes a lock slot  63  formed in each of the projections  61  thereof. The container  60  may also be used to receive or store various tool elements  54  therein. 
   A cover  70  includes a handle  71  provided on top thereof for carrying purposes, and includes one or more tongues  73  extended outwardly therefrom ( FIGS. 1 ,  7 ), to engage into the corresponding lock slots  63  of the container  60 , and to detachably secure the cover  70  to the container  60 , and thus to the housing  20 . The cover  70  may be used to retain the tool elements  54  in the container  60 . 
   Accordingly, the tool organizer in accordance with the present invention includes one or more tool holder members having central or intermediate rotating axle for rotatably securing or attaching the tool holder members to the tool organizer, and for allowing various tool elements to be displayed and/or stored within the tool holder members. 
   Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.