Interlocking camp box support systems
Camp boxes have end plates adapted to support the boxes in a variety of positions. The end plates on a box have a series of pole receiver holes formed around their edges, so that poles inserted into the holes support the box. The plate edges and/or faces may also include peg receiver holes, so that two boxes may be attached by inserting a peg into a peg receiver hole on an end plate of each box. The pegs and peg receiver holes may include locking mechanisms.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/724,724, filed Oct. 11, 2005 and incorporates it herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns camp boxes and apparatus for supporting and connecting them in various configurations.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of trunks, foot lockers, gear boxes, chuck boxes and the like have been used to hold gear for outdoor activities such as camping. Campers have placed the boxes on tailgates, tables, or sawhorses, or have added legs to the boxes, in order to put the items at a convenient height and keep them away from animals and out of dirt or water. Campers have added shelves and drawers to the boxes.
However, conventional camp boxes are not easily configurable into the variety of orientations and combinations useful for outdoor activities. Boxes that can be placed in various orientations are not stable, and vice versa. Boxes cannot be combined in a flexible manner.
A need remains in the art for improved cabinets or containers and apparatus for supporting and connecting them in various configurations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide improved camp boxes and apparatus for supporting and connecting them in various configurations.
The present invention allows for flexible configurations and orientations by providing end plates on the camp boxes, the end plates having pole receiver holes oriented to allow the box to be supported in various orientations. The plates may extend outward from the box walls, or may be recessed. The plates may form the end walls or be attached to end walls.
The end plates may further include peg receiver holes, for allowing the boxes to be joined in a variety of configurations. The pegs may lock into place. The peg holes may also be used to attach casters, tabletops, lamp hangers, and the like.
The plates may also include leveling devices. The plates will generally be formed of tough, lightweight materials such as plastic, aluminum, or the like.
Multiple handles on the end plates allow the boxes to be lifted conveniently in the various orientations. The handles may be recessed to allow boxes to be attached side by side.
Preferably the boxes are squares or multiples of squares so that the peg holes line up properly in a variety of configurations. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises boxes which are twice as wide as they are tall and deep. This allows two boxes on end to be attached to on box laid out lengthwise.
The boxes may include shelves, drawers, etc., or may include fittings to allow these items to be inserted.
Variations include a second set of pole receiver holes to allow more narrowly spaced legs, and boxes having a different number of sides.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Handles 111 are placed in four positions as shown in
Peg receiver holes 108 are provided in end plates 104, offset from the corners in each direction. This will allow boxes 102 to be attached to each other in various configurations. See
Preferably, end plate 104 also includes peg receiver holes 108, so that more than one box 102 may be joined together in various configurations. Two possible configurations are shown in
The configuration of
Handles 811 are inset in this embodiment, so that adjacent boxes 834, 836 may be connected side-by-side with their end plates 104 flush to each other.
The embodiment of
Claims
1. A configurable camp box comprising:
- a box having six sides wherein two opposing sides include end plates and another of the sides forms a pivoting door;
- wherein the end plates have an outer surface and four edges extending back from the outer surface and the end plates include a series of pole receiver holes extending into the edges at acute angles from the edges, the pole receiver holes constructed and arranged to allow poles for supporting the boxes to be inserted into the holes, and wherein at least two of the edges have at least two spaced apart pole receiver holes each, such that poles inserted into two holes on an edge support the end plate having that edge.
2. The camp box of claim 1 wherein all four edges include two spaced-apart holes each.
3. The camp box of claim 1, wherein the end plates further form peg receiver holes constructed to permit the insertion of connecting pegs.
4. The camp box of claim 3 wherein the end plates form 12 peg receiver holes each, three arrayed around each corner, one of the three offset from its corner along each of the two edges joining at that corner, and the other of the three offset from its corner along the outer surface.
5. A composite camp box configuration comprising at least a first and a second of the camp boxes of claim 4 and wherein:
- the peg receiver holes on the first camp box are aligned with the peg receiver holes on the second camp box when any of the sides of the first box is adjacent to any of the sides of the second box and when corners of the two boxes are aligned; and
- pegs are inserted into the aligned holes on the first box and the second box to connect the two boxes.
6. The camp box of claim 4 wherein the peg receiver holes incorporate a locking mechanism to selectively prevent pegs from being removed from the peg receiver holes.
7. The camp box of claim 1 further comprising handles attached to each end plate.
8. The camp box of claim 7, wherein four handles are attached to each end plate, the four handles oriented to allow the camp box to be lifted in any orientation.
9. The camp box of claim 7 wherein the handles are recessed into the end plates.
10. The camp box of claim 1 further including cables attached to the pivoting door side and sides adjacent to the pivoting door side for holding the pivoting door generally level when the door is opened from a vertical position down into a horizontal position.
11. The camp box of claim 1 wherein the end plates are square and the other box sides are rectangular with lengths an integer multiple of the length of an end plate.
12. The camp box of claim 11 wherein the rectangular sides are twice as long as the end plates.
13. End plates for attaching to each end of a box and supporting the box in different orientations, each end plate comprising:
- a sheet of a rigid material having an outer surface and edges extending back from the outer surface;
- a series of pole receiver holes extending into the edges at acute angles from the edges;
- the pole receiver holes constructed and arranged to allow poles for supporting the boxes to be inserted into the holes; and
- wherein at least two of the edges have at least two spaced apart pole receiver holes, such that poles inserted into two holes on an edge support the end plate having that edge.
14. The end plates of claim 13 wherein all of edges include two spaced-apart holes each.
15. The end plates of claim 13, further comprising a second set of two spaced apart pole receiver holes formed in the same edges where the first set of pole receiver holes were formed, but at different angles than the first set of pole receiver holes.
16. The end plates of claim 13, furthering form peg receiver holes constructed to permit the insertion of connecting pegs.
17. The end plates of claim 16 wherein the end plates are square and form 12 peg receiver holes each, three arrayed around each corner, one of the three offset from its corner along each of the two edges joining at that corner, and the other of the three offset from its corner along the outer surface.
18. The end plates of claim 16 wherein the peg receiver holes incorporate a locking mechanism to selectively prevent pegs from being removed from the peg receiver holes.
19. The end plates of claim 13 further comprising handles attached to each end plate.
20. The end plates of claim 19, wherein four handles are attached to each end plate, the four handles oriented to allow an attached box to be lifted in any orientation.
21. The end plates of claim 19 wherein the handles are recessed into the end plates.
22. A method of providing a configurable camp box comprising the steps of:
- forming a box having six sides wherein two opposing sides include end plates and another of the sides forms a pivoting door;
- forming the end plates to have an outer surface and four edges along the outer surface and extending back from the outer surface, and forming a series of pole receiver holes extending into the edges at acute angles from the edges, the pole receiver holes constructed and arranged to allow poles for supporting the boxes to be inserted into the holes, and forming at least two spaced apart pole receiver holes each in at least two of the edges, such that poles inserted into two holes on an edge support the end plate having that edge.
23. The method of claim 22 further including the step of forming at least two spaced apart pole receiver holes each in all four edges.
24. The method of claim 22, further including the step of forming peg receiver holes constructed to permit the insertion of connecting pegs.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the peg receiver hole forming step forms 12 peg receiver holes in each end plate, three arrayed around each corner, one of the three offset from its corner along each of the two edges joining at that corner, and the other of the three offset from its corner along the outer surface.
26. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:
- forming a second camp box according to claim 22;
- placing the peg receiver holes on the first camp box such that they are aligned with the peg receiver holes on the second camp box when a side of the first box is adjacent to a side of the second box and box corners are aligned; and
- forming a composite camp box configuration comprising at least two camp boxes by placing sides of the boxes adjacent to each other, aligning the peg holes in the adjacent sides, and inserting pegs into the aligned peg holes on the two adjacent sides to connect the two boxes.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 10, 2006
Publication Date: Apr 12, 2007
Inventor: Mark Anschutz (Northglenn, CO)
Application Number: 11/545,713
International Classification: B65D 21/00 (20060101);