Abstract:
A tool storage rack provides receiving bays for positioning tools therein. An elastomeric portion of the rack provides gripping and cushioning for the tool and further provides gripping for lessening the chance of movement or sliding of the rack from position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. 62/269,040 filed Dec. 17, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates to tools and more particularly to a rack for assisting in the storage of tools such as hand tools. 
         [0003]    Hand tools are often kept in tool boxes or tool drawers for storage when not being used. As the number of tools a user has increases, keeping the tools organized becomes more of a challenge. Simply throwing the tools into the drawer or box quickly becomes problematic as the user has to dig through a pile of tools to find a particular tool of interest as the number of tools gets larger. Also, with the tools placed in haphazard fashion, it becomes harder to recognize whether a tool is present in the box or drawer. A user might not realize that a tool has not been returned to the box or drawer, when a disorganized pile of tools is present. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    In accordance with the disclosure, a tool storage rack provides spaced receiving bays for holding tools. An elastomeric base provides a cushioned grip to the tools and to grip to hold the rack in position in the tool drawer/box. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present disclosure to provide an improved tool storage rack. 
         [0006]    It is a further advantage of the present disclosure to provide an improved tool storage rack that organizes hand tools in a tool drawer or box. 
         [0007]    It is yet another advantage of the present disclosure to provide an improved rack for storing pliers and the like in a tool box or tool drawer. 
         [0008]    The subject matter of the present device is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and embodiments thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tool storage rack in accordance with the disclosure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the elastomeric liner shown removed from engagement with the base member; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3 , an end view of the elastomeric liner removed from the base member 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an end view of the base portion without the elastomeric liner installed; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the base portion  12  taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the assembly of the elastomeric tool base portion with the main body portion of the tool storage rack; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a tool storage rack having  10  tool receiving bays with various types of pliers stored therein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    The system according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a rack member with plural storage positions and an elastomeric liner providing cushioning and anti-skid properties to the tool storage rack. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a tool storage rack  10 , the rack comprises a base member  12  having plural vertically extending dividers  14 ,  14 ′, etc., which have walls that define tool receiving bays  16 ,  16 ′, etc. The dividers have a larger vertical height relative to the bottom of the base member at rear portions  15  thereof, and then via an angled transition region  17  move to a lower height portion  19  toward the front thereof. The base member is suitably made of a plastic in a preferred embodiment. Mounted to the base member at the lower portion thereof is an elastomeric liner member  18 , shown in perspective in  FIG. 2 , suitably made of rubber, engaged to the base member in a fitting arrangement. The liner member  18  defines a floor to the tool storage rack and provides a cushioned resting surface against which stored tools can rest. The front and rear faces of the liner comprise rectangular parallelepipeds  20 ,  22  extending substantially the length of the liner, with web-like portions  24  extending between the parallelepipeds. The length of the parallelepipeds is such that then ends thereof extend slightly beyond the outermost edges of the outermost web-like portions  24 ,  24 ′ at opposite ends of the elastomeric liner. Transverse slots  26 ,  26 ′, etc. extend across the web-like portions  24  from the front parallelepiped to the rear parallelepiped, spaced apart from one another substantially the same distance as the spacing of the dividers  14 . 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , an end view of the elastomeric liner removed from the base member, a face of the parallelepiped  20  define 2  a vertical exterior wall portion  28 , that transitions to a horizontal direction via a curved portion  30 , continuing as a gentle concave up curved center web region  32 , extending to the other side of the liner to curve down  30 ′ to the vertical edge  28 ′ of the other parallelepiped  22 . In the central portion of web is a thicker region of the web that transitions as a concave down bottom face curve  36  from the thinner outer portion  34  to a thicker central portion  38 . The outermost portion  40  of the central web portion  38  is slightly thicker than the centermost portion  42 , with the bottom profile of the centermost portion defining a slight concave down curve. 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , an end view of the base portion without the elastomeric liner installed, the profile of a given vertically extending divider  14  is such that a right angle notch portion  29 ,  31  is defined at the lower most portion of the left and right edges of the divider. The profile of the notch portion substantially matches the cross section profile of parallelepipeds  20  and  22 , such that when the elastomeric liner is installed in the base portion, top and inner face portions of the parallelepipeds and the notch portions  28 ,  30  mate to provide a secure nesting engagement between the elastomeric liner and the base portion at the positions of the vertically extending dividers. The vertical height of the parallelepipeds is slightly larger than the vertical height defined by the notch portion, so that the bottoms of the parallelepipeds protrude slightly to provide grip on a work surface. The parallelepipeds accordingly act as both part of a locking member to secure the liner and the base together and as feet members for contacting the work surface. An optional cut-out portion  32  may be provided in a central portion of the divider, suitably the non-edge dividers  14 ′ being so configured. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a cross sectional view of the base portion  12  taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 13 , a position between adjacent ones of the vertically extending dividers  14 , the profile of the base portion in this region is described. The base has a substantially vertical wall portion  44  which transitions via a concave down curved portion  46  to a concave up profile  48  that transitions down via concave down curved profile  52 , defining a region of width  50  from edge to edge. An open gap portion  54  is provided, transitioning to a concave down curved portion  60 , leading to concave up region  62  extending up to concave down curved portion  64  which ends in vertical wall portion  66 , with an edge to edge width  68 . The widths of  50  and  68  are suitably substantially equal, while with width  54  is suitably twice of width  50  or  68 , in a particular embodiment. 
         [0021]      FIG. 6 , a perspective view of the assembly of the elastomeric tool base portion with the main body portion of the tool storage rack, illustrates that the elastomeric liner may be provided separately from the base portion, and the storage rack is assembled by lowering the elastomeric base over the top of the base  12 , passing the divider members  14 ,  14 ′, etc. through the slots  26 ,  26 ′, etc. 
         [0022]    Once the elastomeric liner is lowered into position on the base member, the substantially rectangular shaped portions of the parallelepipeds seat within the notches  28 ,  30  defined in the base portion, to secure the engagement between the liner and base. Further, the profile of the liner aligns with the profile of the base such that concave down curve  36  of the liner seats with the concave down curved profile  52  of the base (and the corresponding other side of the liner seats with concave down curved portion  60 . 
         [0023]    The tool storage rack of the present disclosure is useful, for example, as an organizer for pliers. Referring to  FIG. 7 , a view of a tool storage rack having  10  tool receiving bays, various types of pliers may be stored in the rack for easy access and organization. Some of the pliers, end cutting pliers  70 , diagonal cutting pliers  72 , needle nose pliers  74 , slip-joint pliers  76 , linesman pliers  78 , larger diagonal cutter  80 , larger needle nose pliers  82  and  84 , are stored by placing the handle portion of the pliers between a set of adjacent dividers  14 . Other pliers, utility pliers  86  and  88 , are larger, or have different handle configurations, and are instead put into the rack by placing the pliers head portion into the receiving bays defined by adjacent dividers  14 . The lower height front portion  19  of the rack allows easier access to the handles of the smaller tools, while the higher rear portions  15  provide additional support to the handles or tool head of larger tools placed in the rack, such that larger tools are not inclined to tip over into adjacent tool bays. 
         [0024]    The vertical dividers maintain the pliers separate from one another, reducing tangling, while the elastomeric liner helps to provide a frictional gripping function so that the pliers are less likely to unintentionally slide out of the rack. A typical user might position the rack within a tool drawer, and place the pliers in the rack. The organized placement maximizes storage by organizing the pliers upright in the toolbox drawer, unentangled with other tools. The elastomeric liner of the base grips the tools and the drawer to keep it all in place. Further, the elastomeric nature of the liner reduces the noise produced when putting a tool into the rack. The rack can accommodate a wide variety of tools. The user can, for example immediately recognize if any tools are missing by a quick glance at the tool rack. The plastic/elastomeric materials that the rack is constructed from provide fuel and solvent resistance so that the rack is not damaged when used in environments with exposure to such. Suitable dimensions in a particular embodiment are 10 inch overall length, 3.75 inch height, and 3 inch depth, although other sizes may be employed to accommodate different tool sizes. 
         [0025]    While a preferred embodiment of the technology has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the technology.