US20060108300A1

US20060108300A1 - Hand tool rack

Info

Publication number: US20060108300A1
Application number: US11/206,669
Authority: US
Inventors: Tina Lin; Charlie Tseng
Original assignee: Lea Way Hand Tool Corp
Current assignee: Lea Way Hand Tool Corp
Priority date: 2004-11-23
Filing date: 2005-08-18
Publication date: 2006-05-25
Also published as: CA2516722A1; TWM273432U

Abstract

The invention relates to a hand tool rack, which comprises a rack base with a plurality of tool slots, a handle and a cover, wherein the tool slots are arranged horizontally from top to bottom, while the hand tools are positioned horizontally to have a greater contact area with the rack than if positioned vertically, thereby increasing the stability for tool storage. The cover may be locked to the rack base to ensure the hand tools are not dropped out. Preferably, a safety pin is provided to pass through the cover and the rack base, and the safety pin must be snipped off by using a tool when the hand tools are taken out for the first time, such that the hand tools exhibited in the rack can be more effectively prevented from being stolen.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hang-type/carry-type rack with the functions of packaging, exhibiting and storing various hand tools.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a wide variety of hand tools of different kinds and specifications. To meet the different requirements of consumers, hand tools of particular kinds or specifications usually need to be packaged and sold as a kit.
Due to customers' different requirement, it is sometimes necessary for the contents of the kit to be visible to the customers, or even to allow the tools to be touched by customers so that they can have a better understanding of the actual quality of the products and avoid a situation that in which quality of the product bought is found not to meet requirements only after it has been paid for and unsealed. Transparent boxes or plastic films are usually used in current packaging so that customers can see the contents packaged inside the packing box. However, due to a layer of packing material, the light may be reflected therefrom or transmit thereinto, thus causing consumers to misjudge the product's quality, and therefore buy an undesired product. Thus, it's necessary for a part of the product to be exposed so that customers may actually touch the product to feel its quality.
However, partial exposure of the exhibited product causes concerns that it will be stolen; therefore, theft-proof design is often necessary.
Moreover, there may be a lot of hand tools included in a kit package. In addition to exhibition, the ease of storage after use is also of concern. Therefore, a rack that can stably hold the tools and is convenient for carrying is needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,303 discloses a conventional theft-proof hand tool rack capable of exhibiting and storing tools. However, when the tool rack is unsealed for use and the latch member (17) is cut, the hand tools in the hand tool rack may drop out once they are touched due to the damage of the latch member (17). Further, when the user lifts the first end (11) of the tool rack to move the whole tool kit, the tools in the tool rack are positioned upright and therefore easily scattered due to shaking by a careless user.
In view of the above disadvantages, there still exists a need to provide a hand tool rack which is easy to manufacture, firmly retains tools in the hand tool rack, and allows a user to easily access the tools therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a hand tool rack including a rack base having a plurality of tool slots, a handle and a cover, wherein said tool slots are arranged in series along a direction orthogonal to the handle (i.e., up-to-down) with each of them parallel to said handle, such that, when the hand tool rack is lifted from the handle, the tool slots are in an up-to-down arrangement with each of them extending horizontally. With the above structure, the hand tools have a greater contact area with the rack than that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,303, therefore increasing the storing stability. The cover can be secured to the rack base to ensure that the hand tools will not drop out.
Further, a safety pin extends through the cover and the rack base, which is snipped off by a cutting tool when a user wishes to acquire the hand tools in a new hand tool rack for first-time use. The safety pin can effectively prevent a person from taking out the hand tools in the rack without permission, especially when the hand tool rack is simply presented for display.
The handle connected to the rack is provided for hanging in a shop exhibition. It is also convenient for customers to grasp or carry. The handle can be integrally formed with the rack base, or detachably connected to the rack base so that handles of different shaping designs can be used to catch the customers' eyes in an exhibition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention at a closed state, and
FIG. 3 is a side view of the present invention at an open state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the rack 10 of the present invention substantially comprises a rack base 12, a cover 14 and a handle 18. The handle 18 is connected to the upper part of the rack base 12. The cover 14 is pivotally connected to an end area of the rack base 12 for at least partly enclosing a tool retaining section of the rack base 12.
The rack base 12 has a plurality of tool slots 50 on the tool retaining section for accommodating tools, which are spaced from each other at equal or predetermined distances. The tool slot 50 is defined by the space between a stabilizing member 22 and a support member 24 opposite to the stabilizing member 22. The stabilizing member 22 extends, preferably vertically, from a surface 20 of the tool retaining section of the rack base 12. The support member 24 extends from the surface 20, and is spaced apart from the stabilizing member 22 at a particular distance that can stably retain hand tools.
The support member 24 may be provided with a restrictor 32, preferably at the free end of the support member 24. The restrictor 32 can work with the stabilizing member 22 to prevent the hand tool in the tool slot 50 from dropping outward. The restrictor 32 is preferably in the form of a hook. An acute angle is preferably provided between the support member 24 and the surface 20 of the tool-retaining section of the rack base 12. The acute angle between the support member 24 and the rack base 12 is preferably between 45 and 90 degrees, and more preferably between 60 and 80 degrees.
The handle 18 can be detachably connected to the upper part of the rack base 12 or be integrally formed with the rack base 12. The detachable structure of the handle 18 can catch the eyes of consumers due to its variable configurations. Thus, the handle 18 may be designed with various configurations to match the package style of the rack 10, so as to increase stability and convenience for grasping and thereby to enhance the purchase desire of consumers. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the handle 18 is fixed and locked to the rack base 12 with screws. Handles with different configurations may be fixed on the rack base 12 through any locking method.
The cover 14 has a pivotal end and a free end, wherein the pivotal end is pivotally connected to the rack base 12 and the free end is engaged with the rack base 12 by a releasable device. The releasable device is preferably in the form of a protrusion 42 at the free end or two protrusions 42 at both sides of the free end of the cover 14. A corresponding concave or a pair of concaves for accommodating the protrusion(s) 42 is/are disposed in the rack base 12 so that the protrusion(s) 42 can be tightly engaged with the corresponding concave(s) through a force closing the cover 14.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rack 10 is preferably provided with a safety pin 16 passing through the free end of the rack base 12 and the cover 14, and the safety pin 16 is preferably formed with enlarged ends, with one of the ends having an elastic structure.
When using the rack 10 of the present invention, the hand tools are disposed or inserted in the tool slots 50. The acute angle between the support member 24 and the rack base 12 can ensure a hand tool W is retained firmly in the corresponding tool slot 50 under the aid of the stabilizing member 22, especially when the rack 10 is carried or hung upright. The restrictor 32 at the free end of the support member 24 may prevent the hand tool W from dropping out of the tool slot 50.
The pivotal end of the cover 14 is pivotally connected to the rack base 12 so that the cover 14 may be rotated between an open position and a closed position. When user wishes access to the hand tool W kept in the tool slot 50, he/she can first apply force to separate the protrusion from the concave 42 so as to open the cover 14, and then push the protrusion 42 back into the concave to close and lock the cover 14.
The rack 10 of the present invention has many advantages. In one aspect, the rack 10 exposes the hand tools therein to the customers so as to allow the customers to observe the appearance, specification and the like of the hand tools, and allow them to touch the tools such that the potential buyers may make sure of the details of the desired hand tool products beforehand. To obtain the hand tool W inserted in the rack 10, the user is supposed to snip off the safety pin 16; otherwise, the cover 14 cannot be opened. Therefore, the safety pin 16 can prevent persons from taking away the hand tools in the rack 10 without permission.
The handle 18 is designed to facilitate the rack 10 being hung on the wall or being carried by the customer, or to attract the customers to purchase the whole hand tool rack package.
Furthermore, in order to attract customers, the appearance design of the handle 18 may be changed. The handle 18 and the rack base 12 may thus be connected together by screws or other methods to allow the handle 18 and the rack base 12 to be detachably assembled. As such, different appearances may be applied to the handle 18 to stimulate the consumers' desire to purchase the whole package.
The aforementioned explanations are directed to the descriptions of preferred embodiments according to the present invention. Since this invention is not limited to the specific details described in connection with the preferred embodiments, changes and implementations to certain features of the preferred embodiments without altering the overall basic functions of the present invention are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, modifications and variations without departing from the spirit of the present invention on the pivotal end position of the cover 14, the releasable mechanism of the free end and the rack base 12, and/or the technical means for the theft-proof mechanism, the shape of the cover 14, the rack base 12, the support member 24 and the stabilizing member 22 and the like, are all within the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A hand tool rack, comprising:

a rack base having a tool-retaining section and a plurality of tool slots spaced from each other on said tool-retaining section, each of said tool slots being defined by a space between a stabilizing member and a support member, both of said members extending from said tool-retaining section and opposite to each other.

2. The hand tool rack of claim 1, further comprising a handle connected to said rack base.

3. The hand tool rack of claim 1, further comprising a cover pivotally connected to said rack base so as to at least partly enclose said tool-retaining section of said rack base.

4. The hand tool rack of claim 3, further comprising a releasable device engaging a free end of said cover with the rack base.

5. The hand tool rack of claim 1, wherein each of said support members comprises a restrictor.

6. The hand tool rack of claim 3, further comprising a safety pin having at least one enlarged end, said safety pin passing through a free end of said rack base said cover.

7. The hand tool rack of claim 2, wherein said handle is an integral part of said rack base.

8. The hand tool rack of claim 2, wherein said handle and said rack base are detachable.

9. The hand tool rack of claim 1, wherein an acute angle is provided between said support member and said tool-retaining section of said rack base.

10. The hand tool rack of claim 9, wherein said acute angle of each said support member ranges from 45 to 90 degrees.

11. The hand tool rack of claim 9, wherein said acute angle of each said support member ranges from 60 to 80 degrees.

12. The hand tool rack of claim 4, wherein said releasable device comprises protrusions on both sides of said free end of said cover, and corresponding concaves on said rack base for engaging with said protrusions.