US20080156671A1

US20080156671A1 - Case

Info

Publication number: US20080156671A1
Application number: US11/883,626
Authority: US
Inventors: Conny Jansson
Original assignee: Kapman AB
Current assignee: Kapman AB
Priority date: 2005-02-07
Filing date: 2006-02-01
Publication date: 2008-07-03
Also published as: WO2006083227A1; CN101115412A; CN101115412B; EP1848299A1; NO20073673L; EP1848299A4

Abstract

The present invention relates to a case comprising at least one partition wall. Said at least one partition wall is dismountable and useful as a sitting and/or knee cushion.

Description

The present invention relates to a case comprising at least one partition wall.

PRIOR ART

US, A1, 2002/0162842 shows a storage container comprising a base part, a cover part, a first lid part and a second lid part, each one of all parts being equipped with a set of hinge parts. The parts are jointed to each other in such a way that the cover part and the base part may be folded against each other and be closed, the lid parts forming partition walls between spaces defined in, on one hand, the cover part and on the other hand the lid part. The storage container is not, without further ado, useful as a case and the cover parts are not dismountable and useful as sitting and/or knee cushions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a partition wall in a case, which wall is dismountable and useful as a sitting and/or knee cushion. Hence, the invention embodies a case comprising at least one partition wall, said at least one partition wall being dismountable and useful as a sitting and/or knee cushion.
The case may comprise at least one bottom part and at least one lid part, wherein said at least one partition wall, when the case is closed, may be positioned principally between said at least one bottom part and said at least one lid part. Said at least one bottom part may comprise at least one first space for articles to be stored and/or transported in the case. Said at least one lid part may comprise at least one second space for articles to be stored and/or transported in the case.
Said at least one first space and said at least one second space may be arranged to accommodate at least one tool. Said at least one partition wall may, when the case is closed, prevent any article from moving from said at least one first space to said at least one second space and/or vice versa.
Said at least one bottom part may be jointed to said at least one lid part along a first side. Said partition wall may, in a first end, be releasably jointed with at least one joint device in said at least one bottom part and/or said at least one lid part and/or in at least one hinge device that connects said at least one bottom part with said at least one lid part.
Said partition wall may, at a distance from said first end, be releasably attached with at least one fastening device in said bottom part and said lid part, respectively, wherein said partition wall, if required and when the case is open, can be released from said at least one fastening device and be swung out from the case in order to release said at least one first space and said at least one second space, respectively. Said partition wall may function as a carrier of written information or the like.
Said partition wall may be built up by a first, principally interior, material and a second, principally exterior, material, wherein said second material may cover at least the greater part of a main extension surface of said partition wall. Said first material may be the same as said second material. Said first material may be harder than said second material. Said first material may consist of rigid plastic or the like and said second material may consist of non-rigid plastic or the like.

LIST OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows, in a perspective view, a case according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows, in a front view, a partition wall in the case of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows, in a side view, a locking device on the case of FIG. 1 in the locked state.

FIG. 4 shows, in a front view, the locking device of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows, in a partly sectioned side view, the locking device of FIG. 3 in the unlocked state.

FIG. 6 shows, in a partly sectioned side view, the locking device of FIG. 3 in a semi-locked state.

FIG. 7 shows, in a partly sectioned side view, the locking device of FIG. 3 in the locked state.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

From FIG. 1, it is seen how a case of the type in question looks in the open state. The case comprises a bottom part 1, a lid part 2 and a partition wall 3. In the bottom part 1, spaces 4 a are present and in the lid part 2 spaces 4 b are present for hand tools of different types. The bottom part 1 is jointed to the lid part 2 along a hinge device 5. The partition wall 3 is releasably jointed in the lid part 2 via first joint devices 6, 7 in the form of two pins 6, 7, which are held by snap action by a first and a second fastening device, respectively, in the lid part 2. At a distance from the pins 6, 7, locking devices 8, 9 are present in the form of tongues 8, 9, which as well are held by snap action by a third and a fourth fastening device, respectively, in the lid part 2.
The partition wall 3 may, if required, be released from said third and fourth fastening devices and be swung out from the case, around the pins 6, 7, in order to release said spaces 4 b for hand tools in the lid part 2. The partition wall 3 may also, if desired, simultaneously be released from said first and second fastening devices and accordingly be entirely dismounted from the case, see FIG. 2, wherein the partition wall 3 may be used as a sitting and/or knee cushion upon the use of hand tools in the case and/or in other relevant circumstances.
The partition wall 3 may, after separate use, again be mounted in the lid part 2 by applicable parts of the partition wall 3 being snapped into place in said first, second, third and fourth fastening devices, respectively. Now, the partition wall 3 keeps hand tools, occurring in the spaces 4 in the lid part 2, in place. The case may then be closed by the lid part 2 being turned around the hinge device 5 and simultaneously being lowered down towards the bottom part 1 until the lid part 2 abuts against the bottom part 1 and the parts 1, 2 can be locked to each other by means of at least one of two occurring locking devices 10.
Instead of being releasably jointed and fixed in the lid part 2, the partition wall 3 may, in an analogous way, be releasably jointed and fixed in the bottom part 1. It is also conceivable to have a case where the partition wall 3 is releasably jointed and fixed in an optional part 1, 2 so that a user of the case is given the possibility of choosing. There may also be a case where two partition walls 3 are present, a first partition wall 3 being releasably jointed and fixed in the lid part 2 and a second partition wall 3 being releasably jointed and fixed in the bottom part 1.
Here, it should also be explained how an additional alternative embodiment (not shown) of a case according to the invention looks. In this case, the partition wall 3 is releasably jointed in the hinge device 5 via second joint devices (not shown). At a distance from the second joint devices, second locking devices (not shown) are present, which can co-operate with a fifth and a sixth fastening device (not shown), respectively, in each one of the bottom part 1 and/or the lid part 2. The partition wall 3 may, if required, be released from said fifth and sixth fastening devices and be swung out from the case, around the hinge device 5, in order to release said spaces 4 a, 4 b for hand tools in the bottom part 1 and/or the lid part 2. The partition wall 3 may also, if desired, simultaneously be released from the hinge device 5 and accordingly be entirely dismounted from the case, wherein the partition wall 3, as has been noted above, may be used as a sitting and/or knee cushion upon the use of hand tools in the case and/or in other relevant circumstances. Thus, a great advantage of the present alternative embodiment is that a user of the case is given the possibility of choosing if the partition wall 3 should be attached to the bottom part 1 or the lid part 2 or not attached to any part 1, 2 at all when the case is open and this without needing to provide fastening devices in the parts 1, 2 for joint devices and without the need of two partition walls 3. However, also according to the present alternative embodiment, it is conceivable to use two partition walls 3. It is also conceivable to have a case that also in other respects combines the features according to the present alternative embodiment with the ones according to one or more of the embodiments described above.
The partition wall 3 may work as a carrier of written information or the like. For instance, a list of the tools normally stored in the case may be present on the partition wall 3.
The partition wall 3 is constructed from a first, harder, principally interior, material and a second, softer, principally exterior, material. The first material may be rigid plastic or the like and the second material may be non-rigid plastic or the like, but also any other known expedient materials or combinations of such materials may be possible, for instance different metals, woods and/or textiles.
The other parts of the case, such as, for instance, the bottom part 1 and the lid part 2, are constructed from any known expedient material, such as plastic or the like, or combinations of such suitable materials. The case neither needs to be intended for hand tools or even tools at all, but may be intended for any other suitable purpose.
Each one of said two locking devices 10 has an appearance and a function in accordance with the FIGS. 3-7. Each one of the locking devices 10 is mounted on the bottom part 1 and comprises at least one grip part 11, at least one movable arm 12, at least one fixed arm 13 and at least one spring 14. Said at least one grip part 11 is articulately attached to said at least one movable arm 12, which in turn is articulately attached to said at least one fixed arm 13, which is attached to the bottom part 1. Said at least one spring 14 holds, in the unlocked state, said at least one grip part 11 at a certain distance from not only the bottom part 1 but also the lid part 2.
Upon closure of the case including subsequent locking, an upper part of the grip part 11 can be forced over a fold 15 present on the lid part 2, after which the locking device 10 can be brought to lock together the lid part 2 and the bottom part 1 by snap action by the fact that a lower part of the grip part 11 is pressed against the bottom part 1. Upon unlocking, said lower part of the grip part 11 can instead be retreated from the bottom part 1, after which said upper part of the grip part 11 can be removed from the fold 15 present on the lid part 2.
The locking device 10 is particularly suitable for a tool case of plastic, but a number of other application areas are feasible. The number of locking devices 10 may also vary and the case according to the invention is conceivable having one or more locking devices 10 and/or having one or more locking devices of any expedient known type. Distances between occurring locking devices and their placement on the case or the like may also vary.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown here but may be varied within the scope of the subsequent claims.

Claims

1. Case comprising at least one partition wall, which is dismountable and useful as a sitting and/or knee cushion, characterized in that said partition wall is constructed from a first, principally interior, material and a second principally exterior, material.

2. Case according to claim 1, comprising at least one bottom part and at least one lid part, said at least one partition wall, when the case is closed, being principally between said at least one bottom part and said at least one lid part.

3. Case according to claim 2, wherein said at least one bottom part comprises at least one first space for articles to be stored and/or transported in the case.

4. Case according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said at least one lid part comprises at least one second space for articles to be stored and/or transported in the case.

5. Case according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said at least one first space and said at least one second space is arranged to accommodate at least one tool.

6. Case according to claim 4, wherein said at least one partition wall, when the case is closed, prevents any article from moving from said at lest one first space (4 a) to said at least one second space and/or vice-versa.

7. Case according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said at least one bottom part (1) is jointed to said at least one lid part (2) along a first side.

8. Case according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said partition wall, in a first end, is releasably jointed to at least one joint device in said at least one bottom part and/or said at least one lid part and/or in at least one hinge device that connects said at least one bottom part with said at least one lid part.

9. Case according to claim 8, wherein said partition wall, at a distance from said first end, is releasably attached with at least one fastening device in said bottom part and said lid part, respectively, wherein said partition wall, if required and when the case is open, can be released from said at least one fastening device and be swung out from the case in order to release said at least one first space and said at least one second space, respectively.

10. Case according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said partition wall works as a carrier of written information or the like.

11. Case according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said second material covering at least the greater part of a main extension surface of said partition wall.

12. Case according to claim 11, wherein said first material is harder than said second material.

13. (canceled)

14. Case according to claim 12, wherein said first material consists of rigid plastic or the like and said second material consists of non-rigid plastic or the like.