US20050241974A1

US20050241974A1 - Tool bit cartridge

Info

Publication number: US20050241974A1
Application number: US10/836,439
Authority: US
Inventors: Kun-Chen Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-04-29
Filing date: 2004-04-29
Publication date: 2005-11-03

Abstract

A tool bit cartridge for storing tool bits has a housing (10) and a bin (20) pivotally mounted inside the housing (10) by two pivot pins (26) with nubs and two pivot holes (12) with detents. The bin (20) has multiple compartments (22) to individually store the tool bits to keep the tool bits in order. The pivot pins (26) having multiple nubs and holes (12) with detents can hold the bin (20) steady at a desired angle. Thereby, the bin (20) are be selectively tilted by pulling the bin (20) outward to allow tool bits to be removed conveniently from the housing (10).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool bit cartridge, and more particularly to a tool bit cartridge for storing tool bits, which makes carrying, inserting, selecting and removing tool bits convenient.
2. Description of Related Art
With reference to FIG. 7, a conventional toolbox for storing tools for general use is well known and typically includes a base in the form of an open-top box (60) and a lid (70) pivotally attached to the box (60). The lid (70) has a clip (not shown) or other means to hold the lid (70) shut. The conventional toolbox typically has multiple compartments (80) to hold various tools and components, such as tool bits.
However, the conventional toolbox does not have features to efficiently arrange the various tools. A person cannot conveniently select or remove appropriate tool bits from the toolbox. When tool bits are stored in compartments in the conventional toolbox and are needed for various tools, finding a particular tool bit among many similar tool bits is difficult.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate or obviate the disadvantages of storing tool bits in conventional toolboxes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a tool bit cartridge for storing tool bits that makes carrying, selecting or removing tool bits convenient.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a tool bit cartridge for storing tool bits in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tool bit cartridge in FIG. 1 cartridge;
FIG. 3 is an operational cross-sectional side plane view of the tool bit cartridge in FIG. 1 with a tool bit mounted in the tool cartridge;
FIG. 4 is an operational front plan view of multiple tool bit cartridges in FIG. 2 mounted inside a box;
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the tool bit cartridge in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an operational perspective view of the tool bit cartridge in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional toolbox in accordance with the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A tool bit cartridge for storing tool bits in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing and a bin pivotally mounted inside the housing. The bin has multiple compartments defined inside the bin to accommodate respectively individual tool bits. Therefore, the tool bits are kept in order and make selection of a specific tool bit by a user easy.
With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a first preferred embodiment of a tool bit cartridge for storing tool bits in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing (10) and a bin (20) pivotally mounted on the housing (10).
The housing (10) is a rectangular box and has a top (not numbered), a bottom (not numbered), two opposite sides (not numbered), a back (not numbered), an open front (not numbered), two pivot holes (12), an optional stop bar (14), multiple inner stubs (17) and multiple outer stubs (18). The top, bottom, two opposite sides, back and open front define a cavity (not numbered) inside the housing (10). The pivot holes (12) are defined respectively in the two opposite sides near the bottom. The stop bar (14) is formed on the back and extends forward into the cavity to abut the bin (20) to prevent the bin (20) from inclining into the housing (10) and becoming jammed inside the housing (10). Each opposite side has an inner surface (not numbered) and an outer surface (not numbered). One inner stub (17) is formed on the inner surface of each opposite side and two outer stubs (18) are formed on the outer surface of each opposite side.
The bin (20) is a rectangular case shaped to correspond to the cavity and has a top (not numbered), a bottom (not numbered), a front face (not numbered), a rear face (not numbered), two sidewalls (not numbered), multiple compartments (22), multiple optional windows (24), two stub recesses (25), two pivot pins (26) and multiple optional tabs (23). The multiple compartments (22) are defined uniformly in the bin (20). The bin (20) has multiple circular openings (not-numbered) defined through the top of the bin (20) to communicate respectively with the compartments (22) and served as entrances for the tool bits. The multiple windows (24) are defined in the front face and the rear face of the bin (20) to communicate respectively with the compartments (22) so that a users can see the tool bits through the windows (24) in the front face. The two pivot pins (26) are formed respectively on and extend respectively out from the two sidewalls near the bottom of the bin (20) to engage the two pivot holes (12) of the housing (10) so that the bin (20) pivots in the cavity in the housing (10). The two stub recesses (25) are defined respectively on the two sidewalls near the top of the bin (20) to engage the two inner stubs (17) to detachably hold the bin (20) inside the housing (10). Additionally, the multiple tabs (23) are formed on the top of the bin (20) in front of the circular openings so a person can conveniently pull the bin (20) outward by the tabs (23).
With reference to FIG. 4, the tool bit cartridge can be mounted inside a tool box by wedging the outer stubs (18) against inner walls of the tool box. When the top of the bin (20) with the tool bits (30) is tilted outward, a person can conveniently select and remove the desired tool bit (30). Additionally, the tool bits (30) can be displayed by laying the housing (10) on a flat surface so the bin (20) is upright and the tool bits (30) extend upward for display.
With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, a second preferred embodiment of the tool bit cartridge in accordance with the present invention has a housing (10 a) and a bin (20 a) pivotally mounted inside the housing (10 a).
The housing (10 a) has a structure similar to the one in the first preferred embodiment except each pivot hole (12 a) has an inner surface and multiple detents (not numbered) formed on the inner surface.
The bin (20 a) also has a structure similar to the one in the first preferred embodiment except multiple hexagonal accesses (21 a) are formed on the top of the bin (20 a). Additionally, each pivot pin (26 a) has an outer surface and multiple nubs (not numbered) formed on the outer surface to engage the multiple detents in the pivot holes (12 a) to hold the rack (20 a) in place. Therefore, the bin (20 a) can be held in numerous positions by the nubs on the pivot pins (26 a) being rotated to different detents in the pivot holes (12 a). When the top of the bin (20 a) with the tool bits (30) is tilted outward, a person can conveniently select and remove a desired tool bit (30).
By placing the tool bits (30) individually in the bin (20), the tool bits (30) are arranged orderly in the tool bit cartridge and can be selectively displayed so that a desired tool bit (30) can be removed when the bin (20) tilts outward.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A tool bit cartridge comprising:

a housing (10) having an top, a bottom, two opposite sides, a back, and an open front to define a cavity inside the housing (10) and having:

two pivot holes (12) defined respectively in the two opposite sides near the bottom; and

two inner stubs (17) formed respectively on inner surfaces on the two opposite sides;

a bin (20) pivotally mounted inside the cavity in the housing (10) and being a rectangular case having a top, a bottom, a front face, a rear face, two sidewalls and having

multiple compartments (22) formed in the bin (20);

multiple entrances defined in the top of the bin (20) and respectively communicated with the multiple compartments (22);

two stub recesses (25) defined respectively on two outer surfaces of the two sidewalls to respectively engage the inner stubs (17); and

two pivot pins (26) formed respectively in the two sidewalls to respectively engage the pivot holes (12).

2. The tool bit cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (10) further has a stop bar (14) extending from the back inside the cavity to abut the bin (20).

3. The tool bit cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bin (20) further has multiple windows (24) defined in the front of the bin (20), which communicate respectively with the multiple compartments (22).

4. The tool bit cartridge as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bin (20) further has multiple windows (24) defined in the front of the bin (20), which communicate respectively with the multiple compartments (22).

5. The tool bit cartridge as claimed in claim 4, multiple tabs (23) are formed on the top of the bin (20) in front of the multiple entrance.

6. The tool bit cartridge as claimed in claim 5, wherein multiple outer stubs (18) are formed respectively on outer surfaces on the two opposite sides.

7. The tool bit cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein each pivot hole (12 a) has an inner surface and multiple detents defined on the inner surface; and

each pivot pin (26 a) has an outer surface and multiple nubs formed on the outer surface to engage the multiple detents to hold the bin (20 a) in place.

8. The tool bit cartridge as claimed in claim 7, wherein the multiple hexagonal accesses (21 a) served as the multiple entrances are formed on the top of the bin (20 a).

9. The tool bit cartridge as claimed in claim 7, further having multiple tabs (23 a) are formed on the top of the bin (20 a).

10. The tool bit cartridge as claimed in claim 8, further having multiple tabs (23 a) are formed on the top of the bin (20 a) near the front face of the bin (20 a).