MOVABLE TOOLBOX WITH PADDED CORNERS AND TOP

Abstract

A movable toolbox includes a padding assembly comprising four units including a hollow first padding and a complementary hollow second padding, each padding including first, second and curved outer surfaces, and a wall for forming first and second shock absorbing spaces wherein the first surface of the first padding is adhered to one surface on the corner, the first surface of the second padding is adhered to the other surface on the corner, and the second surface of the first padding is adhered to that of the second padding; and a cap shaped as three-quarters of a dome comprising two abutting surfaces and two hollow legs in the first shock absorbing space of the first padding distal the corner and the first shock absorbing space of the second padding distal the corner respectively. Additionally, a pad is provided on the top surface having four corners urged against the abutting surfaces.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to toolboxes and more particularly to such a toolbox having four corners and a top surface all being padded for protection.

2. Description of Related Art

Typically, four corners of a movable toolbox are sharp. Thus, it is possible of hurting an employee by the corners when the employee collides with the sharp corners in working. Moreover, the rigid corners tend to be damaged due to undesired collision with other objects in working. Thus, arrangements for protecting corners of a movable toolbox are commercially available. However, these conventional arrangements are not designed well to provide supposed protection to the toolbox corners. Hence, an improvement still exists.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a movable toolbox including a top surface, two opposite sides, a front surface, a rear surface, four corners, and a padding assembly, the padding assembly comprising four longitudinal padding units including a hollow first padding structure and a hollow second padding structure complementary to the first padding structure wherein each of the first and the second padding structures includes a first surface, a second surface outwardly extending from the first surface and forming an angle therewith, a curved outer surface adjoining the first and the second surfaces, and an internal wall for dividing an internal space defined by the first, the second, and the outer surfaces into first and second shock absorbing spaces; and wherein the first surface of the first padding structure is adhered to one surface on the corresponding corner, the first surface of the second padding structure is adhered to the other surface on the corresponding corner, and the second surface of the first padding structure is adhered to that of the second padding structure; and a cap shaped as three-quarters of a dome, the cap comprising two inner abutting surfaces being perpendicular to each other, and two hollow legs extending downward from the abutting surfaces wherein the legs are frictionally inserted into the first shock absorbing space of the first padding structure distal the corresponding corner and the first shock absorbing space of the second padding structure distal the corresponding corner respectively.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rectangular pad on the top surface with four corners thereof being urged against the abutting surfaces of the caps.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a movable toolbox incorporating a padding assembly according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the enlarged first padding structure, second padding structure and cap of the padding assembly at the corner shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the first padding structure of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of one corner of FIG. 1 where the first and second padding structures are adhered to corner surfaces and are adhered to each other;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cap of FIG. 2 but viewed from bottom and enlarged;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the upper portion of the padding assembly of FIG. 1 where the cap is about to mount on the tops of the first and second padding structures;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a movable toolbox incorporating a padding assembly according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the assembled toolbox of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a movable toolbox incorporating a padding assembly in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The toolbox comprises a top surface 10, a bottom surface (not shown), two opposite sides 11, a front surface 12, and a rear surface (not shown) and is protected by mounting four padding units 20 and four caps 30 of the padding assembly on four corners as detailed below.

The vertically disposed padding unit 20 and the caps 30 are formed of a flexible material (e.g., rubber, elastomer, etc.) Further, the caps 30 are more rigid. The padding unit 20 comprises a first padding structure 20A and a second padding structure 20B. The first padding structure 20A comprises a sticky first surface 21 adapted to adhere to one surface on the corner, a sticky second surface 22 outwardly extending from the first surface 21 and forming an angle therewith, a curved outer surface 23 adjoining the first and the second surfaces 21, 22 and having a plurality of longitudinal teeth 231, and an internal wall 25 for dividing an internal space defined by the surfaces 21, 22, and 23 into two shock absorbing spaces 24.

The second padding structure 20B is complementary to the first padding structure 20A. The second padding structure 20B comprises a sticky first surface 21 adapted to adhere to the other surface on the corner, a sticky second surface 22 outwardly extending from the first surface 21 thereof and forming an angle therewith, a curved outer surface 23 adjoining the first and the second surfaces 21, 22 thereof and having a plurality of longitudinal teeth 231, and an internal wall 25 for dividing an internal space defined by the surfaces 21, 22, and 23 thereof into two shock absorbing spaces 24. The sticky second surface 22 of the first padding structure 20A is adapted to adhere to that of the second padding structure 20B when adhering the first surfaces 21 of both the first padding structure 20A and second padding structure 20B to the corner surfaces of the toolbox.

The cap 30 has a top surface shaped as three-quarters of a dome. The cap 30 comprises two inner abutting surfaces 31 being perpendicular to each other, and two legs 32 extending downward from the abutting surfaces 31. The hollow leg 32 also has a shock absorbing space 321. The legs 32 are dimensioned to frictionally insert into the shock absorbing space 24 of the first padding structure 20A distal the corner and the shock absorbing space 24 of the second padding structure 20B distal the corner respectively when assembling the legs 32 and the first and second padding structures 20A, 20B together. The abutting surfaces 31 are not longitudinally aligned with the legs 31. Thus, a shoulder between the abutting surface 31 and the leg 32 of the same orientation is urged against the edge of the top surface 10. As a result, a protective padding is mounted at each corner of the toolbox.

The characteristics of the padding assembly are that the formation of the shock absorbing spaces can absorb much shock and jarring when collision to the toolbox occurs. Therefore, the toolbox is substantially free from any damage due to collision when working. Also, an employee working by the toolbox does not need to worry about being hurt by the sharp corners as experienced by the prior art.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a movable toolbox incorporating a padding assembly according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The characteristic of the second preferred embodiment is detailed below. A rectangular pad 40 is additionally provided and is dimensioned to fit on the top surface 10. Four corners of the pad 40 are tightly engaged with the abutting surfaces 31 of the caps 30. Thus, the top surface 10 is protected by the pad 40. Note that the top surface of the flat pad 40 is substantially flushed with the top points of the caps 30.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A movable toolbox including a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, a rear surface, two opposite sides, four corners, and a padding assembly, the padding assembly comprising:

four longitudinal padding means, each of the padding means including a hollow first padding structure and a hollow second padding structure complementary to the first padding structure wherein each of the first and the second padding structures includes a first surface, a second surface outwardly extending from the first surface and forming an angle therewith, a curved outer surface adjoining the first and the second surfaces, and an internal wall for dividing an internal space defined by the first, the second, and the outer surfaces into first and second shock absorbing spaces; and wherein the first surface of the first padding structure is adhered to one surface on the corresponding corner, the first surface of the second padding structure is adhered to the other surface on the corresponding corner, and the second surface of the first padding structure is adhered to that of the second padding structure; and

four caps each shaped as three-quarters of a dome and comprising two inner abutting surfaces being perpendicular to each other, and two hollow legs extending downward from the abutting surfaces,

wherein the legs are frictionally inserted into the first shock absorbing space of the first padding structure distal the corresponding corner and the first shock absorbing space of the second padding structure distal the corresponding corner respectively, the outer surface of each of the first and the second padding structures comprises a plurality of longitudinal teeth, and the abutting surfaces of each of the caps are not longitudinally aligned with the legs thereof directly below.

2-5. (canceled)

6. The movable toolbox of claim 1, further comprising a rectangular pad on the top surface, the pad having four corners urged against the abutting surfaces of each of the caps respectively, and wherein the pad is substantially flushed with the caps.