Multifunctional container

• US 6,561,328 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ming-Ter Huang
• Original Assignee: Ming-Ter Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Ming-Ter
• Primary Examiner(s): Weaver, Sue A.
• Application Number:
  US10/105,464
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 190/18.A, 190/39, 190/100, 190/106, 190/115, 190/122, 190/123, 190/127, 206/320, 164/45
• US Class Current: 190/18.00A
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/007 with spring means
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/008 for making water- or air-tight
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/02 Interior fittings; Means, e.g. inserts, for holding and packing articles
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/26 Special adaptations of handles A45C13/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/262 for wheeled luggage
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/34 Stays or supports for holding lids or covers open
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2005/148 Other arrangements of the rolling means
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2013/025 for holding portable computers or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/00 Rigid or semi-rigid luggage collapsible or extensible luggage, bags or the like A45C7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/02 Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/14 with built-in rolling means

Abstract

A multifunctional container includes a shell formed of a body piece and a cover piece pivoted to the body piece by a pivoting device, a handle member mounted on the top side of the shell, one or more wheel members mounted on the bottom side of the shell, a downsized pull rod fastened to the shell, and a shock-absorbing pad removably disposed in the interior of the body piece of the shell to locate and protect an electronic device and the like.

Claims

1. A container comprising:

a shell comprised of a cover piece and a body piece;

a shock-absorbing pad disposed in the interior of said body piece and comprised of a space to accommodate a high precision electronic device;

a pivoting device comprising a locating seat and a movable seat, said locating seat provided with a cut, said movable seat provided with a protuberance which is pivoted in said cut of said locating seat by a pivot, said locating seat being fastened to said body piece of said shell, said movable seat being fastened to said cover piece of said shell; and

a handle member comprised of a fixation seat and a handle pivoted to said fixation seat, said fixation seat being mounted on a top side of said shell and provided at two ends with an inverted U-shaped hole, said handle being comprised of a first pivot and a second pivot, with said first pivot being provided at an outer end with a polygonal block comprising a plurality of corners, said handle being pivoted in said U-shaped hole of said fixation seat by said first pivot and said second pivot, said fixation seat provided with an elastic piece which is in turn provided with an inverted triangular slot whereby said corners of said polygonal block of said handle are engaged one after another with said inverted triangular slot of said elastic piece, thereby enabling said handle to be turned by degrees on said two pivots.

2. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said cover piece and said body piece of said shell are comprised of an outer frame and an inner frame, said outer frame being provided at one end with a receiving slot which is in turn provided therein with two hooks opposite in location to each other, said inner frame being provided at one end with a retaining projection or retaining slot whereby said inner frame is joined with said outer frame such that said retaining projection or retaining recess is caught by said hooks of said receiving slot of said outer frame.

3. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said cover piece of said shell is comprised of a frame slot and a waterproof strip disposed in said frame slot;

wherein said body piece of said shell is comprised of a frame projection whereby said frame projection presses against said waterproof strip at the time when said cover piece is joined with said body piece so as to close said shell.

4. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein said shock-absorbing pad is removably disposed in the interior of said body piece.

5. A container comprising:

a shell comprised of a body piece and a cover piece pivoted to said body piece;

a locking device fastened to said shell for locking said cover piece and said body piece;

a shock-absorbing pad disposed in the interior of said body piece of said shell and provided with a space to accommodate an electronic device;

a pivoting device comprising a locating seat fastened to said body piece of said shell, and a movable seat fastened to said cover piece of said shell, said locating seat being provided with a cut, said movable seat being provided with a protuberance whereby said protuberance is pivoted in said cut of said locating seat by a pivot;

a handle member comprised of a fixation seat mounted on a top side of said shell, and a hand grip fastened to said fixation seat;

a pull rod fastened to said shell; and

one or more wheel members mounted in a recess of a bottom said of said shell and comprised of a wheel seat, a wheel frame, a wheel arm, a rotary arm spring, and a wheel, said wheel seat being formed of a plate comprising a shell seat and a wheel chamber, said wheel frame being comprised of a face plate which is provided with two protective plates extending at a right angle in the same direction from said face plate, said protective plates provided with two stop pieces opposite to each other and extending at a right angle from said protective plates, said wheel arm being comprised of a cross plate and two support arms parallel to each other and extending at a right angle from said cross plate such that a top end of said two support arms juts out of said cross plate, and that a bottom end of said two support arms is extended slantingly downwards to facilitate the pivoting of said wheel, said top end of said two support arms and said cross plate being located between said two protective plates, said rotary arm spring comprising a center coil which is disposed between top ends of said two support arms in conjunction with a pivot, said rotary arm spring exerting a pressure on said face plate of said wheel frame, said center coil of said rotary arm spring exerting a pressure on a recess of said two support arms, said wheel arm being exerted on by a spring force of said rotary arm spring to lean toward a bottom of said face plate of said wheel frame, said wheel frame being inserted into said shell seat via said wheel chamber such that said face plate is fastened with said plate of said wheel seat, said wheel being oriented by said wheel arm to locate slightly out of said wheel chamber whereby said wheel arm is actuated by said wheel in motion to swivel, so as to enable said wheel to displace in said wheel chamber, said wheel arm being provided by said rotary arm spring with a recovery spring force enabling said wheel arm to return to an original position thereof after being actuated to swivel.

6. The container as defined in claim 5, wherein said cover piece and said body piece of said shell are comprised of an outer frame and an inner frame, said outer frame being provided at one end with a receiving slot which is provided therein with two hooks opposite in location to each other, said inner frame being provided at one end with a retaining projection or retaining slot whereby said inner frame is joined with said outer frame such that an said retaining projection or retaining recess is caught by said hooks of said receiving slot of said outer frame.

7. The container as defined in claim 5, wherein said cover piece of said shell is comprised of a frame slot and a waterproof strip disposed in said frame slot;

wherein said body piece of said shell is comprised of a frame projection whereby said frame projection presses against said waterproof strip at the time when said cover piece is joined with said body piece to close said shell.

8. The container as defined in claim 5, wherein said shock-absorbing pad is removably disposed in the interior of said body piece of said shell.

9. A container comprising:

a shell comprised of a body piece and a cover piece pivoted with said body piece, said body piece and said cover piece being comprised of an outer frame and an inner frame, said outer frame provided at one end with a receiving slot which is provided therein with two hooks opposite in location to each other, said inner frame provided at one end with a retaining projection or retaining slot whereby said outer frame is joined with said inner frame such that said retaining projection or retaining slot of said inner frame is caught by said hooks of said receiving slot of said outer frame, said cover piece being comprised of a frame slot and a waterproof strip disposed in said frame slot, said body piece being comprised of a frame projection whereby said frame projection presses against said waterproof strip at the time when said cover piece is joined with said body piece to close said shell;

a shock-absorbing pad disposed in the interior of said body piece and comprised of a plurality of receiving slots and a space to dispose an electronic device;

a handle member comprised of a fixation seat and a handle fastened pivotally to said fixation seat which is fastened to a top side of said shell and is provided at two ends with a U-shaped hole, said handle provided with two pivots, one of said two pivots being provided at an outer end with a polygonal block comprising a plurality of corners, said handle being pivoted to said fixation seat by said two pivots which are received in said U-shaped holes, one of said two U-shaped holes being provided with an elastic piece having in the center thereof an inverted triangular slot engaging said corners of said polygonal block of said handle, thereby enabling said handle to be turned in a step-by-step manner;

a pivoting device comprising a locating seat and a movable seat, with said locating seat being provided at one end with a cut, and with said movable seat being provided with a protuberance whereby said protuberance is pivoted in said cut of said locating seat, said locating seat being fastened to said body piece of said shell, said movable seat being fastened to said cover piece of said shell, said locating seat being provided therein with an elastic piece fastened therewith such that an outer end of said elastic piece extends to reach the bottom wall of said cut, said protuberance of said movable seat comprising a polygonal cross section and a plurality of planar surfaces, and angled sides formed at the junctures of each of said planar surfaces, thereby enabling said movable seat to turn by degrees due to action of said planar surfaces, said angled sides and said elastic piece;

a downsized pull rod comprised of two expandable tubular members, and a hand grip fastened to said two tubular members, said tubular members being fastened to a bottom seat located in said shell, said tubular members being comprised of an outer tube and an inner tube slidably fitted into said outer tube, said inner tube being comprised of, in the outer wall of a bottom end thereof, an upper projected ring, a lower projected ring, and two holes for retaining a guide piece whereby said inner tube is fitted into said outer tube such that only said upper projected ring, said lower projected ring, and said guide piece come in contact with the inner wall of said outer tube, said outer tube being provided at an upper end port thereof with a stop ring for stopping said upper projected ring of said inner tube at such time when said inner tube is pulled out of said outer tube via said upper end port of said outer tube, thereby preventing separation of said inner tube from said outer tube; and

one or more wheel members mounted in a bottom side of said shell and comprised of a wheel seat, a wheel frame, a wheel arm, a rotary arm spring, and a wheel, said wheel seat being provided with a plate comprising a hollow shell seat and a wheel chamber, said wheel frame comprised of a face plate and two protective plates extending at a right angle from said face plate such that said protective plates are parallel to each other and that said protective plates are provided at an outer end with a stop piece extending at a right angle therefrom, said wheel arm comprising a cross plate and two support arms extending at a right angle from said cross plate such that said two support arms are parallel to each other, and that a bottom end of said two support arms in slanted to facilitate the pivoting of said wheel, and further that a top end of said two support arms and said cross plate are located between said two protective plates, said rotary arm spring being provided with a center coil which is disposed between said top ends of said two support arms in conjunction with a pivot such that said rotary arm spring puts a pressure on said face plate, and that said center coil puts a pressure on a recess of said two support arms, said wheel arm being exerted on by a spring force of said rotary arm spring to lean toward said face plate of said wheel frame, said wheel frame being located in said shell seat via said wheel chamber such that said wheel is oriented by said wheel arm to move slightly out of said wheel chamber and that said wheel arm is actuated to swivel by said wheel in motion, thereby enabling said wheel to displace in said wheel chamber, said wheel arm being provided by said rotary arm spring with a recovery spring force enabling said wheel arm to return to an original position thereof after being actuated to swivel.

10. A container comprising:

a shell having a body piece and a cover piece pivoted to said body piece;

a locking means affixed to said shell, said locking means for fastening said body piece to said cover piece;

a shock-absorbing pad disposed in an interior of said shell, said shock-absorbing pad having a plurality of receiving slots formed therein and a space formed therein, said space having a size suitable for receiving an electronic device therein;

a handle member mounted to a top side of said shell, said handle member having a fixation seat and a handle fastened to said fixation seat;

a pull rod fastened to one side of said shell;

at least one wheel member fastened pivotally to a bottom side of said shell; and

a pivoting means fastened to said shell for pivoting said cover piece with respect to said body piece, said pivoting means comprising a location seat and a movable seat, said locating seat having a cut, said movable seat having a protuberance which is pivoted in said cut of said locating seat by a pivot, said locating seat having an elastic piece with one end thereof being extended to reach a bottom wall of said cut, said movable seat further provided with a polygonal block having a plurality of planar surfaces and an angled side which is formed at a juncture of two of said planar surfaces whereby said planar surfaces and said angled sides and said elastic piece cooperatively work together to enable said cover piece to swivel on said pivoting means in a step-by-step manner.

11. The container as defined in claim 10, wherein said cover piece and said body piece of said shell are comprised of an outer frame and an inner frame, said outer frame being provided at one end with a receiving slot having two hooks opposite in location to each other, said inner frame being provided at one end with a retaining projection or a retaining slot whereby said inner frame is joined with said outer frame such that said retaining projection or said retaining slot is retained by said hooks of said receiving slot of said outer frame.

12. The container as defined in claim 10, wherein said cover piece of said shell is comprised of a frame slot and a waterproof strip disposed in said frame slot;

wherein said body piece of said shell is comprised of a frame projection whereby said frame projection presses against said waterproof strip when said cover piece is joined with said body piece so as to close said shell.

13. The container as defined in claim 12, wherein said shock-absorbing pad is removably disposed in the interior of said shell.