Patent Description:
Latches are well known mechanisms for selectively securing the upper and lower portions of containers, like accessory toolboxes. There are two types of latches: one-piece and two-piece. One-piece latches are typically fixed to the lower portion of the container. When an operator wishes to close or secure the upper portion of the container, she applies pressure to an upper portion of the latch causing the same to engage and secure the upper portion. Examples of one-piece latches can be found in <CIT> which discloses a latch for a tool accessory case, and a container according to the preamble of claim <NUM>. Similarly, <CIT>, which discloses a toolbox locking apparatus. This one-piece mechanism has the advantage in that it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. However, one-piece latches have a drawback in that they have a high profile. When the container is in its open position, such as that shown in <FIG> herein, the upper portion of the latch is well above the surface of container. For ease of access, is not uncommon for operators to store accessory toolboxes on a shelf or cubby while they are in their open position. Such shelves or cubbies are often sized only to receive the open container. The high profile one-piece latch will hit the shelf or cubby above and prevent the container from being completely stored on the desired shelf.

Two-piece latches solve the problem in that they typically have a movable ring with an upper engagement portion. The ring is attached to the lower portion of the container. When an operator desires to secure the container, she swings the ring and upper engagement portion up so that it can engage and secure the upper portion of the container. The movable nature of the ring and upper engagement portion allows the latch to present a low profile when the container is open. However, the two piece nature this type is often more expensive to manufacture. It would be advantageous to have an inexpensive one-piece type latch that can present a low profile when it is not securing the upper and lower portions of a container and said container is in its open position.

In addition, it should be appreciated that structural features shown or described in any one embodiment herein can be used in other embodiments as well. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Features of the invention in accordance with one or more embodiments are shown in the drawings, in which like reference numerals.

<FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG> depict various views of a container <NUM> and latch <NUM> according to the present invention. The latch <NUM> is configured to selectively bind the lower portion <NUM> and upper portion <NUM> of the container <NUM>. The latch includes a base <NUM> having a front face <NUM>, a rear face, <NUM>, a connected end <NUM>, and a selectively engageable binding end <NUM>. As best seen in <FIG>, the rear face <NUM> further includes a upward hook <NUM> that is adjacent the connected end <NUM>, a downward hook <NUM> that is centrally positioned on the rear face <NUM>, and a binding tooth <NUM> that is adjacent the binding end <NUM>. The upward hook <NUM> and downward hook <NUM> are configured to engage the lower portion <NUM> of the container <NUM> and permit both axial and pivotal movement of the latch <NUM>. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the upward hook <NUM>, downward hook <NUM> and binding tooth <NUM> may also be positioned in other places on the rear face <NUM> without departing from the scope of the invention.

The axial movement of the latch <NUM> is between an upward potion and a low profile position. In the upward position, the binding end <NUM> is high enough that the binding tooth can engage and bind the upper portion <NUM> of the container <NUM>. In the low profile position, the binding end <NUM> is too low to engage and bind the upper portion <NUM> of the container <NUM>.

The pivotal movement of the latch <NUM> is about the connected end <NUM> such that the binding end <NUM> can move between a disengaged and engaged position. In the disengaged position, the binding end is distal from the upper portion <NUM> of the container <NUM> such that the lower and upper portions <NUM>, <NUM> cannot be bound together. In the engaged position, the binding end <NUM> is adjacent the upper portion <NUM> of the container such that the binding took <NUM> can engage the upper portion <NUM> of the container <NUM> and bind the lower and upper portions <NUM>, <NUM> together.

As best seen in <FIG>, which shows cutaway views of the latch <NUM>, the axial movement is facilitated by the upward hook <NUM> and downward hook's <NUM> engagement to a protrusion <NUM> on the lower portion <NUM> of the container <NUM>. Likewise, as shown in <FIG>, the pivotal movement of the latch <NUM> is also facilitated by the upward hook <NUM> and downward hook's to the protrusion <NUM>. In a preferable embodiment, the upper hook <NUM> is shaped to engage an lower cavity <NUM> that is defined by the protrusion <NUM>. For example, the upper hook <NUM> may include a rounded bulb <NUM> that is configured to engage lower cavity <NUM>. Similarly, the downward hook <NUM> may also be shaped to engage an upper cavity <NUM> defined by the protrusion <NUM>. For example, the downward hook may include a rounded bulb <NUM> that is configured to engage the upper cavity <NUM>.

In a preferable embodiment, the binding of the lower and upper portions <NUM>, <NUM> is achieved by the binding tooth <NUM> engaging a protrusion <NUM> on the upper portion <NUM> of the container <NUM>. Preferably, the binding tooth engages a clasping tooth <NUM> that is positioned on protrusion <NUM>. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the clasping tooth <NUM> could also be replaced with a clasping depression (not shown) that is configured to receive the binding tooth.

In yet another preferable embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the latch <NUM> may also include vertical guides <NUM>. Said vertical guides <NUM> may be positioned on the rear face <NUM> outside the upward hook <NUM> and downward hook <NUM>. The vertical guides <NUM> are configured to guide the axial movement of the latch between its upward and low profile positions.

In addition to a standalone latch, the present invention also contemplates a container with said latch. As best seen in <FIG>, the container <NUM> includes a lower portion <NUM> and an upper portion <NUM> connected to one another by a hinge <NUM>. The lower portion <NUM> and upper portions <NUM> are free to move about the hinge <NUM> such that when the two portions come into contact with one another, they define an interior space <NUM>. The latch <NUM> of container <NUM> is configured to selectively bind the lower <NUM> and upper <NUM> portions and limit access to the interior space <NUM>. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the latch <NUM> of container <NUM> includes all of the elements and functionality of the stand alone latch as described above. Therefore, it is not necessary to repeat all said elements and functionality here.

We will now describe the industrial applicability of the latch and container. While on a jobsite, an operator will often need to have ongoing access to the interior space of toolbox. For example, she may be working with a variety of sockets, drill bits or accessories that are stored in an accessory toolbox. Because the job may require a variety of different tools, she may need to consistently come back to her accessory toolbox to swap out the correctly sized accessory. When working in this manner, the accessory toolbox or container <NUM> is maintained in its open configuration. However, space on a jobsite is sometimes limited. In these situations, it may be necessary for an operator to store the container <NUM> on a shelf or in a cubby that is out of the way. Such shelves may be height limited to allow for multiple shelves in a single confined space. To store an open accessory toolbox on a shelf such as this, it is necessary that the latch on said toolbox does not interfere with the shelves. If the latch does interfere with the shelves, it prevents the container from being fully inserted into the shelf. For example, as shown in <FIG>, the height of the shelf may be less than h1 but greater than h2. When this happens, prior art latches that have a fixed height h1 interfere with the shelf when the container is inserted therein. To avoid this issue, the present invention discloses a container having latches that can move between an upward position (the latch on the left in <FIG>) and the low profile position (the latch on the right in <FIG>). In the upward position, the latch <NUM> may be at a height h1. In the low profile position, the latch <NUM> can move down to a lower height h2. When the latch is in its low profile position h2, the container can be easily stored on a shelf without the latch interfering with the same.

We will now describe the operation of the latch <NUM>. A container <NUM> such as that depicted in <FIG> is a common toolbox configured to permit the easy transport of sockets, drill bits, tools and/or other accessories. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the latch on the right has been removed to show additional details about how the latch <NUM> engages the container <NUM> and moves between its various positions e.g., upward position, low profile position, disengaged position and engaged position. As depicted in <FIG>, the latch <NUM> on the left is in its upward and engaged positions wherein it is binds the upper portion <NUM> of the container <NUM>, to the lower portion <NUM>.

When an operator desires to open the latch <NUM>, she pulls the binding end <NUM> of the latch <NUM> away from the container. More specifically, she pulls the binding end <NUM> away from the upper portion <NUM> of the container <NUM>. As best seen in <FIG>, when the operator pulls the binding end <NUM> away from the upper portion <NUM>, the binding tooth <NUM> flexes a bit to overcome the clasping tooth <NUM> that is positioned on the protrusion <NUM>. Once the binding tooth <NUM> overcomes the clasping tooth <NUM>, the latch is no longer in its engaged position. Instead, the latch <NUM> is now in its disengaged position. In this position, the upper portion <NUM> of the container is now free to be moved away from lower portion <NUM> and the interior space <NUM> is accessible.

Critically, when the latch <NUM> is in its disengaged position, the connected end <NUM> remains engaged to the lower portion <NUM> of the container. This engagement is achieved via the upward hook <NUM>, the downward hook <NUM> and protrusion <NUM>. As the latch is pivoted from the engaged position to the disengaged position, the upward hook <NUM> engages the bottom of the protrusion <NUM>, and the downward hook <NUM> engages the top of the protrusion <NUM>. The spacing between upward hook <NUM> and the downward hook <NUM> is such that when the latch <NUM> is in its disengaged position, said hooks <NUM>, <NUM> simultaneously engage the protrusion <NUM> and secure the connected end thereto. In a preferred embodiment, the upward hook <NUM> may further include a rounded bulb <NUM> that is configured to engage a lower cavity <NUM> that is defined by the protrusion <NUM>. The engagement of the rounded bulb <NUM> into the lower cavity <NUM> helps further secure the latch to the protrusion. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the rounded bulb <NUM> positioned in the lower cavity <NUM> also helps facilitate the pivoting movement of the latch <NUM>.

Once the latch <NUM> has been moved from its engaged position to its disengaged position, and the container <NUM> has been opened, the latch may be pivoted back toward the container such that the latch is in an upright or vertical position such as that shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The latch on the left in <FIG> is in its disengaged and upward position. In this position, the height of the latch as measured from the bottom of the lower portion <NUM> to the top or binding end <NUM> of the latch may be h1. As stated above, this height may be too high to allow the entire container and latch to be stored on a shelf or in a cubby. When this occurs, as shown on the right hand side of <FIG>, an operator of the present invention may lower the latch <NUM> such that its height is h2 (also measured from the bottom of the lower portion <NUM> to the top or binding end <NUM> of the latch). <FIG> show the detailed movement of the latch <NUM> from its upward position (<FIG>) to its low profile position (<FIG>). In <FIG>, the upward hook <NUM> is engaged to the bottom of protrusion <NUM>. This engagement prevents further upward axial movement of the latch. To move the latch <NUM> into its low profile position, the latch is pressed downward such that the downward hook <NUM> engages the protrusion <NUM>. In a preferred embodiment, the latch <NUM> may move from its upward position to its low profile position under the force of gravity. The one or more vertical guides <NUM> may guide such movement. In yet another preferred embodiment, the downward hook <NUM> may further include a rounded bulb <NUM> that is configured to engage an upper cavity <NUM> defined in the protrusion <NUM>. This engagement allows the height h2 of the low profile position to be even lower. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the space between the upward and downward hooks <NUM>, <NUM> is such that no matter where the latch <NUM> is in its axial spectrum (i.e., from the upward position h1 to its low profile position h2), the hooks make it difficult to remove the latch from the protrusion <NUM>.

When the operator is finished with her work and desires to close and secure her toolbox, she simply does all the aforementioned steps in reverse. First, she raises the latch from its low profile position to its upward position. Then she pivots the binding end <NUM> of the latch <NUM> away from the container <NUM> to permit the upper portion <NUM> of the container to move about hinge <NUM> to its closed position. Next she pivots the binding end <NUM> of the latch back toward the upper portion <NUM>. Pressure can then be applied to the binding end <NUM> such that the binding tooth <NUM> flexes, overcomes and becomes engaged to the clasping took <NUM> of protrusion <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A container (<NUM>) comprising:
a lower and upper portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) connected to one another by a hinge (<NUM>) such that when the lower and upper portions (<NUM>, <NUM>) come into contact with one another, they define an interior space (<NUM>);
a latch (<NUM>) configured to selectively bind the lower and upper portions (<NUM>, <NUM>) together and limit access to the interior space (<NUM>), said latch comprising:
a base (<NUM>) having a front face (<NUM>), a rear face (<NUM>), a connected end (<NUM>), and a selectively engageable binding end (<NUM>), and wherein the rear face (<NUM>) further includes an upward hook (<NUM>) (<NUM>), a downward hook (<NUM>), and a binding tooth (<NUM>); and
wherein the upward hook (<NUM>) and the downward hook (<NUM>) are configured to engage the lower portion (<NUM>) of the container (<NUM>) and permit a pivotal movement of latch (<NUM>); and
wherein said pivotal movement is about the connected end such that binding end (<NUM>) can move between a disengaged and an engaged position, wherein in said disengaged position, the binding end (<NUM>) is distal from the upper portion (<NUM>) of the container (<NUM>) such that the two portions (<NUM>, <NUM>) cannot be bound together, and in said engaged position, the binding end (<NUM>) is adjacent the upper portion (<NUM>) of the container (<NUM>) such that the binding tooth (<NUM>) can engage the upper portion (<NUM>) of the container (<NUM>) and bind the two portions (<NUM>, <NUM>) together; and
characterised in that the upward hook (<NUM>) and the downward hook (<NUM>) are configured to permit also an axial movement of latch (<NUM>); and
wherein said axial movement is between an upward position and a low profile position, wherein in said upward position, the binding end (<NUM>) is high enough that the binding tooth (<NUM>) can engage and bind the upper portion (<NUM>) of the container (<NUM>), and in said low profile position, the binding end (<NUM>) is too low to engage and bind the upper portion (<NUM>) of the container (<NUM>).