Storage box closure control

• US 4,383,721 A
• Filed: 02/12/1982
• Issued: 05/17/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Knaack Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Knaack Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Weger, Kenneth F. Jr., Knaack, Howard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, George T.
• Application Number:
  US06/348,649
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 220/335, 217/60 R, 312/290, 312/300
• US Class Current: 312/290
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1091 with a gas spring E05F1/1292 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furnitures, e.g. cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/602 for containers
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/385 specially adapted for furniture

Abstract

A closure control for a storage box or the like having a heavy lid selectively movable between a closed position, wherein the lid closes an upwardly opening receptacle for receiving tools and the like, and an open position wherein the lid extends upwardly from a rear wall of the receptacle to provide facilitated access to the interior thereof. Movement of the closure lid between the closed and opened positions is assisted by a sealed pneumatic spring device. The spring device is arranged to provide a controlled rate of extension. The spring device is mounted within the receptacle in such a manner as to be protected against damage from articles placed into the receptacle. In the illustrated embodiment, the spring is located at the rear corners of a parallelepiped receptacle. In the illustrated embodiment, wall structures are provided adjacent the spring to further protect the spring against injury from articles placed in the receptacle. The spring is arranged so as to cause a gentle lowering of the lid such as by inadvertent movement thereof from the open position to the closed position, thereby preventing injury to the user of the storage box.

Claims

1. In a storage box having an upwardly opening receptacle having a rear portion defining a rear wall, and a heavy metal closure swingably mounted to said rear wall for selective positioning in a raised open position and a lowered, receptacle-closing position, the improvement comprising:

an elongate, longitudinally expansible spring having a lower end and an upper end;

means for connecting said lower end to said receptacle rear portion; and

means for connecting said upper end to said closure adjacent said rear wall, said spring developing a lifting force preselected to be slightly less than the downward force caused by the weight of the closure in said receptacle-closing position, slightly more than the downward force caused by the weight of the closure in said open position, and substantially equal to the downward force caused by said closure in an intermediate position intermediate said receptacle-closing and open positions.

2. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said spring includes means for controlling the rate of movement of said closure between said positions.

3. The storage box structure of claim 1 further including wall means disposed adjacent said spring for preventing engagement with said spring of objects placed in said receptacle for preventing damage to said spring by said objects in the use of the storage box.

4. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said receptacle includes a horizontal shelf adjacent said rear wall and having an opening therein, said spring extending through said opening.

5. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said connecting means are constructed to have a break strength less than that of the spring for effectively precluding breaking of the spring in use of the storage box.

6. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said spring is provided with a connecting portion connected to one of said connecting means and being formed of mild steel for permitting limited flexure thereof without fracture in use of the storage box.

7. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said spring extends in a similar upright direction in each of said receptacle-closing and open positions.

8. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said closure is disposed in an upright disposition in said open position.

9. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said closure is disposed in an upright disposition beyond the vertical in said open position.

10. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said receptacle defines a horizontal shelf, and said means for connecting said lower end of the spring extends upwardly from said shelf for disposing said lower end above said horizontal shelf for preventing damage to said lower end by objects placed on said horizontal shelf in the use of the storage box.

11. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said receptacle defines opposite sidewalls and said closure defines end portions aligned with said sidewalls, said means for connecting the upper end of said spring to the closure comprising means for positioning the upper end inwardly of the closure end whereby the spring extends angularly upwardly inwardly from said lower end.

12. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said receptacle defines opposite sidewalls and said closure defines end portions aligned with said sidewalls, a pair of said springs is provided, said springs having their upper ends connected to said closure at said end portions, said means for connecting said upper ends comprising L-shaped supports reversely mounted to said closure at said end portions with said spring upper ends being connected to forwardly projecting legs of the L-shaped supports and said legs being disposed at the portion of the support most remote from the distal edge of the closure end portions.

13. The storage box structure of claim 1 further including a cover wall mounted to said receptacle and extending about said spring lower end for preventing engagement with said spring of objects placed in said receptacle for preventing damage to said spring by said objects in the use of the storage box.

14. The storage box structure of claim 1 wherein said receptacle includes a horizontal shelf adjacent said rear wall and having an opening therein, said spring extending through said opening with said lower end being disposed below said shelf, and structure further including a cover wall extending about said spring lower end for preventing engagement with said spring of objects placed in said receptacle for preventing damage to said spring by said objects in the use of the storage box.

15. In a storage box having an upwardly opening receptacle having a rear portion defining a top edge portion and a rear wall, and a heavy metal closure swingably mounted to said rear wall for selective positioning in a raised, open position and a lowered, receptacle-closing position, said closure having articulated portions including a front portion extending substantially vertically in the different positions of the closure, the improvement comprising:

an elongate, longitudinally expansible spring having a lower end and an upper end;

means for connecting said lower end to said receptacle rear portion; and

means for connecting said upper end to said closure adjacent said rear wall, said spring developing a lifting force preselected to be slightly less than the downward force caused by the weight of the closure in said receptacle-closing position, slightly more than the downward force caused by the weight of the closure in said open position, and substantially equal to the downward force caused by said closure in an intermediate position intermediate said receptacle-closing and open positions, said closure front portion being juxtaposed to said receptacle top edge portion in said intermediate position whereby downward movement of said closure from said open position as by being wind-blown results in a substantially weight-balanced engagement of said closure front portion with said receptacle top edge portion for preventing injury to a user'"'"'s hands or the like disposed therebetween as upon such downward movement.

16. The storage box structure of claim 15 wherein said closure front portion hangs downwardly in said open and intermediate positions.

17. The storage box structure of claim 15 wherein said closure front portion hangs downwardly below said receptacle top edge portion in said receptacle-closing position.

18. The storage box structure of claim 15 wherein said closure has a weight of greater than approximately 75 lbs.

19. The storage box structure of claim 15 wherein said means for connecting the upper end of the spring is positioned on said closure to angle the spring away from said top edge for effectively preventing interference with the biasing action of the spring.

20. The storage box structure of claim 15 further including means for covering at least one end of the spring for preventing engagement with said spring of objects placed in said receptacle for preventing damage to said spring by said objects in the use of the storage box.