Double Lid for an Assortment Box

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container, such as a toolbox or an assortment box, wherein said container comprises a lower container part and an upper lid part, and wherein said upper lid part is for opening and closing access to said lower container part, said upper lid part comprising two adjacent layers with a mutual distance defining a lid cavity between said layers, said layers being respectively an upper lid surface layer and a lower lid surface layer, wherein the upper lid surface layer is connected to the lower lid surface layer in a releasable manner for accessing said lid cavity, and where at least the upper lid surface layer or lower lid surface layer comprises a transparent material, whereby content in said lid cavity becomes visible through at least said upper or lower lid surface layer.

Claims

1. A container, such as a toolbox or an assortment box, wherein said container comprises a lower container part and an upper lid part and wherein said upper lid part is for opening and closing access to said lower container part, where said upper lid part comprises two adjacent layers with a mutual distance defining a lid cavity between said layers, said layers being respectively an upper lid surface layer and a lower lid surface layer, wherein the upper lid surface layer is connected to the lower lid surface layer in a releasable manner for accessing said lid cavity, and where both the upper lid surface layer and lower lid surface layer comprises a transparent material, whereby content in said lid cavity becomes visible through both said upper and lower lid surface layers, characterised in that said container is adapted to store small containers, where an inner surface of the lower lid surface layer comprises several small areas, so-called U-profiles, each bending slightly out from said lower lid surface layer, and where part of said U-profiles are adapted to come in close contact with an opening of said small containers stored in the lower container part, when the upper lid part engages the lower container part, so that items contained in the small containers will not escape said small containers and the content of the lower container part is identified more precisely.

2. A container according to claim 1 characterised in that the upper lid surface layer and/or lower lid surface layer is substantially plane.

3. A container according to claim 1 characterised in that the mutual distance between the upper lid surface layer and lower lid surface layer is less than 40 mm, or less than 20 mm, or less than 5 mm, or the mutual distance is 0.5 mm.

4. A container according to claim 1 characterised in that the upper or lower lid surface layer is structured, whereby two or more sub-cavities are defined between said layers.

5. A container according to claim 4 characterised in that the two or more sub-cavities are of similar shape and size.

6. A container according to claim 1 characterised in that the lid cavity comprises a means for holding an item contained in the lid cavity.

7. A container according to claim 1 characterised in that the upper lid surface layer is pivotally connected to the lower lid surface layer.

8. A container according to claim 1 characterised in that the upper lid surface layer is connected to the lower lid surface layer by way of a means arranged for translation, such as sliding, of the upper lid surface layer relative to the lower lid surface layer, or vice versa.

9. A container according to claim 1 characterised in that the upper lid part is pivotally connected to the lower container part, and in that said connection between the upper lid part and the lower container part is arranged adjacent to said connection between the upper and lower lid surface layer.

10. A container according to claim 1 characterised in that the upper and lower lid surface layers comprise a connection to adapted the upper and lower lid surface layers to each other.

11. A container according to claim 1 characterised in that the upper and lower lid surface layers comprise a release arranged for releasing the upper and lower lid surface layers from each other.

12. A container according to claim 11 characterised in that the release means is pressure-activated.

13. A container according to claim 1 characterised in that the container is an assortment box for carrying tool assortment, such as nails, screws, electronic components or the like.

Description

[0038] The structure and function of the container and the method of using it will be described in more detail below with references to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings wherein,

[0039] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a container in which the upper and lower lid surface layers are separated from each other, seen in a perspective view.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a container in which the container is seen from below, in a perspective view.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of a container seen from the side, in a perspective view.

[0042] In the figures, the container is shown having a rectangular cross section. However, it should be understood that other cross sections, such as circular, oval, square etc., are also intended within the scope of the present invention.

[0043] In the figures, the embodiments illustrate that the upper lid part may be for a toolbox or an assortment box. The person skilled in the art will understand that the illustrated combination of upper lid part and lower container part is not to be understood as exhaustive and that one kind of upper lid part may be used with several kinds of lower container parts comprising various types of contents, such as tools, nails, screws, spare parts, groceries etc.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention in which the upper and lower lid surface layers are separated, seen in a perspective view. The container 1 has been opened and is seen to comprise two parts, i.e. a lower container part 2 and an upper lid part 3.

[0045] The lower container part 2 is seen to have a substantially rectangular cross section and comprises a bottom part 4 and a first 5, second 5, third 5, and fourth side part 5 being substantially orthogonal to each other and to the bottom part 4. The third side part 5 comprises two angled ends 6,6 and a central part 7 protruding the inner opening 8 of the lower container part 2 thus defining a recess in the third side part 5 arranged for comprising a handle 9 for the container 1.

[0046] The upper lid part 3 comprises a lower 10 and an upper lid surface layer 11. The periphery of the cross section of the lower 10 and upper lid surface layer 11 is seen to have substantially similar shape and size as the periphery of the cross section of the lower container part 2, such that an inner edge 12 of the lower lid surface layer 10 can engage an upper edge 13 of the lower container part 2 when the upper lid part 3 closes the opening of the lower container part 2. The upper lid part 3 may be pivotally connected to the container part 2 by use of a pivotal connection 14, such as hinges 14. When the container 1 is closed, i.e. the lower container part 2 and the upper lid part 3 engage each other, the container 1 may be locked by use of a first and second locking unit. Each of the locking units comprises a sliding part 15,16 and a holding part 15,16. The sliding parts 15,16 may be slid over each their respective holding part 15,16 when the container 1 has been closed. Thus, the container 1 has been locked, and the lower container part 2 and upper lid part 3 cannot be separated before the first and second locking units have been unlocked again. Thus, the user can now pick up the container 1 by the handle 9 and transport the container 1 without there being any risk of the contents of the container 1 falling out.

[0047] The lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11 may be pivotally connected to each other by use of a pivotal connection 17 and engagement means. The pivotal connection 17 may be fixed between the ends of two parallel edges of the lower 10 and the upper lid surface layer 11, whereby the lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11 may be rotated relative to each other, such as with pages of a book.

[0048] The engagement means is illustrated in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 as comprising a first, second, third and fourth engagement means, each comprising a protruding 18,18,18,18 and a receiving part 19,19,19,19. When pivoting the lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11 towards each other, the protruding parts 18,18,18,18 of the first, second, third and fourth engagement means come into contact with the edge 20 of the upper lid surface layer 11. By applying a pressure on the lower lid surface layer 10, the protruding parts 18,18,18,18 will pass the edge 20 of the upper lid surface layer 11 and thus engage with the receiving parts 19,19,19,19 of the upper lid surface layer 11.

[0049] The lower lid surface layer 10 may comprise a release means 21 for releasing at least part of the engagement means and thus facilitate that already engaged lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11 can be separated. The release means 21 may be arranged along an edge of the lower lid surface layer 10 and have an elongated shape. At least part of the engagement means, i.e. two of the protruding parts 18,18 in the exemplary embodiment, may be mounted on or be produced as a part of the release means 21. The release means 21 may furthermore comprise an activation area 22 arranged for activating a release mechanism. The upper lid surface layer 11 may comprise a corresponding opening 23 for providing access to the activation area 22 when the lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11 are engaged with each other. The release mechanism is carried out by a user pressing the activation area 22 e.g. with a finger thus moving the release means 21 and thus moving two of the protruding parts 18,18 away from their corresponding receiving parts 19,19. The lower lid surface layer 10 can now easily be separated from the upper lid surface layer 11. Obviously, it is foreseen within the present invention that the lower lid surface layer 10 may comprise the receiving parts 19,19,19,19 and that the upper lid surface layer 11 may comprise the protruding parts 18,18,18,18 of the engagement means.

[0050] The lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11 define a lid cavity 24 in the space between them which is suitable for comprising an item (not shown). Depending on what the item is, the mutual distance between the lower 10 and upper lid surface layer 11 can vary. If the item is a table of contents, the mutual distance does not necessarily have to be more than the thickness of a piece of paper, and the mutual distance can thus be close to zero, or the lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11 may even meet each other. If on the other hand, the item is an instruction book, a nail or a tool, the mutual distance has to be more than close to zero. In any case, the mutual distance can be slightly less than the thickness of the item so that the item can be kept at place by the pressure of the lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11 comprise a transparent material so that the item can be seen both when the container 1 is open and closed and so that the user can see the contents of the container 1 when the container 1 is closed.

[0051] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, both the lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11 are seen to be plane and define a lid cavity 24. However, the lower 10 and/or upper lid surface layer 11 may comprise several sub-cavities. The sub-cavities may thus each comprise a note identifying the contents of the lower container part 2 at the corresponding location in the lower container part 2. Small container units (not shown) may also be inserted in the lower container part 2 corresponding to the location of the sub-cavities so that the content of the lower container part 2 may be more precisely identified.

[0052] The inner surface 25 of the lower lid surface layer 10 may comprise several small areas 25, so called U-profiles 25, each of which bends slightly out from the lower lid surface layer 10. When the upper lid part 3 engages the lower container part 2, the upper lid part 3 and thus part of the U-profiles 25 may come in close contact with the opening of the small containers, if inserted in the lower container part 2, which means that the items contained in the small containers will not escape the small containers even if the container 1 is moved around.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a container 1 in which the container 1 is seen from below, in a perspective view. For similar parts, similar reference numbers have been used as in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the upper lid part 3 has been pivoted from the lower container part 2 so that the user has access to the inner opening 8 of the lower container part 2. The lower lid surface layer 10 has been separated from the upper lid surface layer 11 by the user pressing the release means 21 and pivoting the lower lid surface layer 10 away from the upper lid surface layer 11. Now, the user has free access to the lid cavity 24 defined by the lower 10 and upper lid surface layers 11 and may insert an item in the lid cavity 24. After insertion of an item in the lid cavity 24, the user can pivot the lower lid surface layer 10 relative to the upper lid surface layer 11 so that said adjacent layers 10,11 meet each other and press said surface layers 10,11 together. The protruding 18,18,18,18 and the receiving parts 19,19,19,19 of the engagement means then engage each other.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of a container 1 seen from the side in a perspective view. For similar parts, similar reference numbers have been used as in the previous figures. In FIG. 3, the upper lid part 3 has been pivoted relative to the lower container part 2 so that the user has access to the inner opening 8 of the lower container part 2. The lower lid surface layer 10 has been pivoted relative to the upper lid surface layer 11. Now, the user may insert an item, such as a table of contents, in the lid cavity 24 defined by the lower 10 and upper lid surface layer 11.

[0055] Modifications and combinations of the above principles and designs are foreseen within the scope of the present invention.