QUICK-DISCONNECT STORAGE BOX MODULAR STRUCTURE

A storage box modular structure fastened by a biaxial positioning method is provided to facilitate assembling and disassembling a storage box manually and quickly. The storage box is formed by combining panels, and the modular structure is installed between two adjacent panels. A first joint surface and a second joint surface are disposed on the two panels respectively. The modular structure includes a containing hole formed on the first joint surface, a through hole formed between the second joint surface of the panel and an external wall. A fastener and a spring are installed in the containing hole, and the spring drives the fastener to be implemented into the through hole to fasten two panels. An external object is inserted from the external wall into the through hole to push the fastener to resume its original position, so as to separate the two panels and improve the convenience of use.

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Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a quick-disconnect storage box modular structure, in particular to the quick-assembled/disassembled storage box modular structure assembled with a biaxial positioning method and having a through holes, containing holes, and fasteners and springs installed in the containing holes to provide a manual, simple and easy assembling procedure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present, each shopping mall is selling various kinds of combination furniture including a combination storage box formed by assembling a plurality of panels, and the panels are connected by nails or screws.

However, although the aforementioned nails or screws can be used for combining the panels, yet users have to use hand tools such as a hammer and a screwdriver to assemble the panels and align the panels in precise positions, so that the construction is relatively inconvenient and time-consuming.

In addition, most of the combination furniture such as a storage boxes are provided for household use, but members of a family are usually unfamiliar with the assembling process by using the hand tools such as the hammer or screwdriver skillfully. As a result, the combined storage box or furniture may be tilted, loosened, or dislocated.

In view of the aforementioned drawbacks, furniture with a modular structure is introduced into the market, and such furniture generally comprises a containing hole formed on a joint surface of two panels of the furniture, and a holding element is installed into the containing hole for securing a screw.

However, the modular structure simply provides an adjustment effect, but still has the aforementioned problems of requiring hand tools for the construction, and the disassembling process is time consuming. Obviously, the aforementioned conventional way of assembling furniture requires further improvements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a storage box modular structures that can be fastened and assembled easily, conveniently and quickly by a biaxial positioning method, so as to overcome the conventional method that requires a precise alignment and the use of hand tools for the construction, as well as solving the problems of the time-consuming construction, the skewed, loosened or dislocated assembly.

To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention provides a quick-disconnect storage box modular structure formed by combining a plurality of panels, and installed between two adjacent panels, and the two panels have a first joint surface and a second joint surface respectively coupled to each other along a first axis. The modular structure comprises: a containing hole, formed on the first joint surface; a through hole, formed between the second joint surface of the panel and an external wall, and interconnected to the containing hole; a fastener, movably installed into the containing hole; and a spring, installed between an internal wall of the containing hole and the fastener, for driving the fastener to be implanted into the through hole to fasten the two panels, and an external object being inserted from the external wall into the through hole to push the fastener to resume its position, so as to separate the two panels.

With the aforementioned components, a user can align the two panels opposite to each other, and a fastener of one of the panels is elastically and automatically implanted into a through hole of the other panel in order to fasten the two panels to assemble the storage box.

It is necessary to disassemble the storage box, the user can insert a handy external sharp object (such as a toothpick, a paperclip, a pen tip or a pin) into the through hole of the external wall of the panel to push the fastener to resume its original position elastically, so as to separate the two panels.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described as follows:

In one embodiment, the two panels have a protrusion and a recession formed on lateral ends of the two panels respectively and engaged with one another, and the first joint surface is disposed on an internal wall of the recession, and the second joint surface is disposed on the protrusion.

The two panels have a third joint surface and a fourth joint surface disposed at lateral ends of the two panels respectively and attached to each other along a second axis, and the third joint surface and the fourth joint surface have a positioning hole separately, and a positioning element is installed between the positioning holes.

A specific angle is defined between the first axis and the second axis. The protrusion and the recession are disposed at the centers of lateral ends of the two panels respectively, or at positions of different lateral ends respectively.

In another embodiment, a circular rib is formed on a peripheral wall of the fastener and blocked by the second joint surface outside the through hole to stop the fastener to be implanted into the through hole, or the through hole and the panel external wall are interconnected by a tapered neck opening, and the neck opening has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the fastener, such that the fastener is stopped by the internal wall of the through hole.

In another embodiment, the fastener includes a soft ring sheathed on the peripheral wall of the fastener, and implanted together with the fastener into the through hole, and filled between the fastener and the internal wall of the through hole to prevent the two fastened panels from being loosened or shaken.

In addition, a stroke groove is formed on the external wall and along the first axis and interconnected to the through hole for inserting the external object into the through hole, and the external object pushes the fastener along the stroke groove.

In addition, the storage box includes a bottom panel disposed at the bottom of the storage box and one or more positioning holes are formed at the top of the bottom panel, and a positioning element is installed into the positioning hole between the bottom of the storage box and the top of the bottom panel, and the bottom panel includes a plurality of rollers or legs installed at the bottom of the bottom panel.

The storage box includes a groove formed separately on the internal walls of the panels at the lateral end and the grooves are interconnected to each other, and the groove includes a back panel having a friction pad disposed at a lateral side of the back panel and implanted into the groove, so as to form an interference between the lateral side of the back panel and the internal wall of the groove.

Two symmetric through holes are formed on the internal wall at a lateral end of the storage box, and a containing hole is formed at both ends of a door panel separately, and each containing hole of the door panel includes a fastener and a spring for driving the fastener of the door panel to be implanted into the two symmetric through holes and pivotally installing the door panel at the lateral end of the storage box.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention can fasten the panels by a biaxial positioning method and manually assemble and disassemble the storage box quickly to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of Section A-A of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of Section B-B of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an application of a preferred embodiment as depicted in FIG. 1

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an application as depicted in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an application of an additional embodiment as depicted in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an application of another additional embodiment as depicted in FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an application of a further additional embodiment as depicted in FIG. 4;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a bottom panel in accordance to another embodiment as depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a second preferred embodiment the present invention second;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of installing first and second panels of a preferred embodiment as depicted in FIG. 12; and

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of an application as depicted in FIG. 13.

 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1 for an exploded view of a quick-disconnect storage box modular structure in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, as well as FIGS. 2 to 5, the storage box 100 is formed by combining a plurality of panels 10, and a protrusion 31 and a recession 32 are formed at both lateral ends of the panel 10 respectively, and the protrusion 31 and the recession 32 are disposed at positions of the centers of the lateral ends of the panel 101 respectively, and are engaged alternately with each other.

The panel 10 includes a first panel 11 and a second panel 12 adjacent to one another, and the modular structure is installed between at an engaged position of the lateral ends of the first and second panels 11, 12, and a first joint surface 21 and a second joint surface 22 are disposed at lateral ends of the first and second panels 11, 12 respectively along a first axis 91 and attached to one another, and the first joint surface 21 is disposed on an internal wall at the bottom of the recession 32 at a lateral end of the first panel 111, and the second joint surface 22 is disposed on an internal wall of the protrusion 31 at a lateral end of the second panel 12.

A third joint surface 23 and a fourth joint surface 24 are disposed at lateral ends of the first and second panels 11, 121 respectively along a second axis 92 and attached to each other, and the third joint surface 23 is disposed on the bottom at the lateral end of the first panel 111 and proximate to the first joint surface 21, and the fourth joint surface 24 is disposed on the top at the lateral end of the second panel 121 and proximate to the second joint surface 22. A specific angle is defined between the first axis 91 and the second axis 92, wherein the specific angle is an included angle equal to 90 degrees in this preferred embodiment.

The modular structure comprises a containing hole 41, a through hole 51, a fastener 61 and a compression spring 71, wherein the containing hole 41 is formed on the first panel 11 on the first joint surface 21 at the internal wall of the bottom of the recession 32, and the through hole 51 is formed between an external wall 121 of the second panel 12 and the second joint surface 22 at the internal wall of the protrusion 31 and interconnected to the containing hole 41.

The fastener 61 is substantially in a pillar shape and movably installed into the containing hole 41. The spring 71 is installed between the internal wall of the containing hole 41 and the fastener 61, so that the spring 71 can drive the front end of the fastener 61 to be elastically implanted into the through hole 51 to fasten the first and second panels 11, 12.

In an implementation, a user can insert a sharp external object 8 from the external wall 121 of the second panel 12 into the through hole 51 (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7), so that the tip of the external object 8 pushes the fastener 61 to resume its position to separate the first and second panels 11, 12, wherein the external object 8 can be a toothpick, a paperclip, a pen point, a thumbtack or any sharp object with a diameter smaller than or equal to the hole diameter of the through hole 51.

In addition, the third joint surface 23 and the fourth joint surface 24 have one or more positioning holes 231, 241 respectively, and a positioning element 63 substantially in the shape of a pillar is installed between the positioning holes 231, 241.

In the aforementioned structural assembly, a user can align the lateral ends of the first and second panels 11, 12 with each other first, such that the protrusion 31 and the recession 32 can be engaged alternately with each other, and the first joint surface 21 and the second joint surface 22 are attached to each other along the first axis 91, and the third joint surface 23 and fourth joint surface 24 are attached to one another along the second axis 92.

Now, the fastener 61 in the recession 32 of the first panel 11 is driven by the spring 71 and automatically and elastically implanted into the through hole 51 of the protrusion 31 of the second panel 12. In the meantime, both ends of the positioning element 63 are disposed into the positioning holes 231, 241 on the third and fourth joint surfaces 23, 24 respectively, and fixed to the first and second panels 11, 12 by the fastener 61 and the positioning element 63 along the first and second axes 91, 92 respectively to fasten the first and second panels 11, 12

The panels 10 are fastened one by one and combined into the storage box 100. If the user wants to disassemble the storage box 100, the user can insert a handy external object 8 into the through hole 51 from the external wall 121 of the second panel 12 to push the fastener 61 to resume its position, so as to separate the first and second panels 11, 12.

The embodiments of the present invention are described further as follows:

In one embodiment, a circular rib 611a is formed at a peripheral wall of the fastener 61a (as shown in FIG. 8), and the circular rib 611a has a diameter greater than the hole diameter of the through hole 51a, so that the circular rib 611a can stop the fastener 61a to be implanted into the through hole 51a when the fastener 61a is blocked outside the through hole 51a by the second joint surface 22a, so as to prevent the fastener 61a from falling out from the through hole 51a to the outside.

The through hole 51 and the external wall of the second panel 12 are interconnected by a tapered neck opening 511 (as shown in FIG. 9), and the neck opening 511 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the fastener 61, such that the fastener 61 is stopped by the internal wall 510 of the through hole 51 to stop the fastener 61 and prevent the fastener 61 from falling out from the through hole 51 to the outside.

In addition, a soft ring 65 is sheathed on the peripheral wall of the fastener 61 (as shown in FIG. 10) and the soft ring 65 together with the fastener 61 can be implanted into the through hole 51 and filled between the peripheral wall of the fastener 61 and the internal wall to eliminate the gap between the fastener 61 and the through hole 51 to prevent the fastened first and second panels 11, 12 from being loosened and shaken. The ring 65 may not have the neck opening as implemented in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, or may have the neck opening 511 as shown in FIG. 10.

On another embodiment, the panel 10 includes a bottom panel 13 installed at the bottom of the storage box 100, and one or more positioning holes 101, 131 are formed at the bottom of the storage box 100 and the top of the bottom panel 13 (as shown in FIG. 11), and one positioning element 64 is installed between the positioning holes 101, 131 at the bottom of the storage box 100 and the top of the bottom panel 13 to assemble the storage box 100 and the bottom panel 13. In addition, four corners of the bottom of the bottom panel 13 include a plurality of rollers 132 or legs 133 installed thereon.

In another embodiment, the panel 10 also includes aback panel 14, and a groove 102 is formed at a lateral end of the storage box 100 and an internal wall of the panel 10 separately, and both ends of the groove 102 are interconnected to each other, and the back panel 14 is embedded into the groove 102. The back panel 14 includes one or more friction pads 141 formed on the lateral sides of the back panel 14 and implanted into the groove 102, and interference is formed between the lateral side of the back panel 14 and the internal wall of the groove 102 to prevent the back panel 14 from shaking or falling out.

In addition, the panel 10 includes a door panel 15, and two symmetric through holes 52 are formed on an internal wall at another lateral end of the storage box 100, and a containing hole 42 is formed at both ends of the lateral sides of the door panel 15 respectively, and each containing hole 42 of the door panel 15 has one fastener 62 and one spring 72, and the spring 72 can drive the fastener 62 of the door panel 15, such that the fasteners 62 can be implanted into the two symmetric through holes 52 respectively and the door panel 15 is pivotally installed at another lateral end of the storage box 100.

In addition, the panel 10 includes a clapboard 16 installed in the storage box 100, and the internal wall of the storage box 100 and both lateral ends of the clapboard 16 can be fixed by the containing hole 41, the through hole 51, the fastener 61 and the spring 71.

With reference to FIG. 12 for an exploded view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention as well as FIGS. 13 and 14, the protrusion 31b and the recession 32b are disposed at positions of different lateral ends of the first and second panels 11b, 12b, and the containing hole 41b is formed on the first joint surface 21b of an internal wall at the lateral end of the recession 32b of the first panel 11b, and the through hole 51b is formed between an external wall 121b of the second panel 12b and the second joint surface 22b on a sidewall of the protrusion 31b.

In an embodiment, a stroke groove 122b is formed on the external wall 121b along the first axis 91b and interconnected to a through hole 51b for inserting an external object 8 from the stroke groove 122b into the through hole 51b, and the external object 8 can push the fastener 61b along the stroke groove 122b in a direction 41b to resume its position, and the remaining structure and implementation method are the same as those of the first preferred embodiment.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention can fasten the panels 10 by a biaxial positioning and assemble or disassemble the storage box 100 quickly to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art such as the inconvenient and time-consuming assembling and disassembling processes and the issue of having a skewed, loosened or dislocated assembly. The invention can assure the fixation of the panels 10 to improve the convenience of use.

While the invention 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 quick-disconnect storage box modular structure, formed by assembling a plurality of panels, and installed between two adjacent panels, and two of the panels having a first joint surface and a second joint surface coupled with each other along a first axis, and the modular structure comprising:

a containing hole, formed on the first joint surface;
a through hole, formed between the second joint surface of the panel and an external wall, and interconnected to the containing hole;
a fastener, movably installed into the containing hole; and
a spring, installed between an internal wall of the containing hole and the fastener, for driving the fastener to be implanted into the through hole to fasten the two panels, and an external object being inserted from the external wall into the through hole to push the fastener to resume its position, so as to separate the two panels.

2. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1, wherein the two panels include a protrusion and a recession formed on lateral ends of the two panels respectively and engaged with one another, and the first joint surface is disposed on an internal wall of the recession, and the second joint surface is disposed on the protrusion.

3. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1, wherein two of the panels have a third joint surface and a fourth joint surface disposed on lateral ends of the panels along a second axis respectively and attached to each other, and a positioning hole is formed on the third joint surface and the fourth joint surface separately, and a positioning element is installed between the positioning holes.

4. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 3, wherein a specific angle is defined between the first axis and the second axis.

5. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 2, wherein two of the panels have a third joint surface and a fourth joint surface disposed on lateral ends of the panels along a second axis respectively and attached to each other, and a positioning hole is formed on the third joint surface and the fourth joint surface separately, and a positioning element is installed between the positioning holes.

6. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 5, wherein a specific angle is defined between the first axis and the second axis.

7. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 2, wherein the protrusion and the recession are disposed at the centers of the lateral ends of the two panels or at positions at different lateral ends of the two panels respectively.

8. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1, further comprising a circular rib formed at a peripheral wall of the fastener, and blocked outside the through hole by the second joint surface to stop the fastener to be implanted into the through hole.

9. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1, wherein the through hole and the panel external wall are interconnected by a tapered neck opening, and the neck opening has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the fastener, such that the fastener is stopped by the internal wall of the through hole to stop the fastener.

10. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1, further comprising a soft ring sheathed on the peripheral wall of the fastener, implanted together with the fastener into the through hole, and filled between the fastener and the internal wall of the through hole.

11. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 9, further comprising a soft ring sheathed on the peripheral wall of the fastener, implanted together with the fastener into the through hole, and filled between the fastener and the internal wall of the through hole.

12. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1, further comprising a stroke groove formed on the external wall and along the first axis and interconnected to the through hole, and provided for the external object to be inserted into the through hole, and the external object pushes the fastener along the stroke groove.

13. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1, wherein the storage box includes a bottom panel disposed at the bottom of the storage box, and one or more positioning holes are formed at the bottom of the storage box and the top of the bottom panel respectively, and a positioning element is installed into the positioning hole between the bottom of the storage box and the top of the bottom panel, and the bottom panel includes a plurality of rollers or legs installed to the bottom of the bottom panel.

14. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1, wherein the storage box includes a groove formed on an internal wall of each panel at a lateral end, and the grooves are interconnected, and a back panel is embedded into the groove, and the back panel includes a friction pad installed at a lateral side and embeddable into the groove, and an interference is formed between the lateral side of the back panel and the internal wall of the groove.

15. The quick-disconnect storage box modular structure of claim 1, wherein the storage box includes two symmetric through holes formed on the internal walls of the lateral ends respectively, a containing hole formed on both sides of a door panel separately, a fastener is installed in each of the containing holes of the door panel, and a spring implanted into the two symmetric through holes for driving the fastener of the door panel, and the door panel is pivotally coupled to the lateral end of the storage box.

Patent History
Publication number: 20130048632
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 29, 2011
Publication Date: Feb 28, 2013
Inventor: Yi Hsiang Chen (Taoyuan County)
Application Number: 13/219,718
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Removable Fastening Element (220/4.33)
International Classification: B65D 6/24 (20060101);