EP1584425B1 - Portable container - Google Patents

Abstract

The portable carrying box (10) has a pivotable U-shaped carrying handle (14), each member (16) of which on its free end has a clamp (18) gripping under a retainer (22) on the side wall of the box. The clamp has an arc-shaped section with a curvature which corresponds to a curvature of the circular arc drawn through the free end of the handle member during pivoting of the handle, or is greater than this, so that when the handle pivots from the horizontal to the vertical position the retainer comes to lie on the clamp element to finally act as a stop.

Description

The invention relates to a portable mobile box with a pivotable between a folded horizontal position and a deployed vertical position U-shaped handle according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a mobile box is apparent, for example, from EP 0 668 129 A1.

From DE 198 07 170 A1 a box-shaped portable box with a pivotable U-shaped handle is known. At the free end of each handle leg a hook is provided, which engages under a retention on the side wall of the box for lifting the box. The retention is formed by a cylindrical pin, which is enclosed in a fixed seat for lifting the box from the hook. Between the legs of the carrying handle, a lid of the box is hinged in a slot, so that the carrying handle is pivotally supported by hinges on the lid. To open the box, remove the carrying handle from the retentions by sliding the carrying handle down in its vertical position so that the retention on the upwardly open side of the hook is guided out of the hook. The handle is after loosening the retention only with the lid in connection, whereupon the box can be opened by lifting the lid. During the lifting of the lid, the position of the handle is arbitrary. For attaching the handle to the retentions, a circular movement of the carrying handle is carried out in the vertical position of the carrying handle, with which the retentions are introduced when pulling the carrying handle into the hook openings and enclosed by the respective hook.

The disadvantage here, however, is the complex required movement of the carrying handle for hooking the hook elements to the retentions, ie that a pivoting movement of the carrying handle is coupled to the axis of rotation with a displacement of the carrying handle in the longitudinal direction of the handle legs.

The object of the invention is to provide a portable mobile box with a pivoting handle, wherein the swivel axis forming swivel does not absorb weight forces when lifting the mobile box and the handling of the handle is easy.

According to the above object is achieved by a portable mobile box according to appended claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments emerge from the respective subclaims.

The basic idea of the invention is to provide a portable mobile box with a pivotable U-shaped carrying handle, on each of whose free leg ends a bracket is arranged which engages under retention on the side walls of the mobile box solely by pivoting the carrying handle. The axis of rotation extends through both handle legs at a distance from the free end of the respective handle leg, so that during pivoting of the handle, the free end of the leg describes a circular arc, wherein the bracket member has a curvature which substantially corresponds to the curvature of the arc or bigger than this one is. Since the retention rests against an inner surface of the stirrup element, the term "curvature of the stirrup element" primarily depends on the stirrup element having a curved inner surface whose curvature substantially corresponds to or is greater than the curvature of this circular arc.

The retention is arranged on the side wall of the mobile box so that the pivoting movement of the carrying handle from the horizontal position to the vertical position, the retention is applied to the inner surface of the bracket element and is guided on continuation of the pivotal movement of the handle on the inner surface until the retention with the Carrying handle thigh forms a stop.

Due to this construction, it is only necessary for the retention by the bracket member, that the carrying handle is pivoted about its axis of rotation. A pushing movement of the carrying handle is not required to reach under the retentions.

The pivot joints provided for pivoting the carrying handle are arranged in an embodiment of the mobile box without cover (description in detail later) on the side walls of the mobile box. It is considered advantageous that the respective handle leg is held with a snap closure on the hinge part of the side wall. Such a quick-release can consist of a pin with plug-in nut can be plugged thereon, or be a threaded pin with a knurled nut or a wing nut, which can be screwed by hand without the aid of further tools on the threaded pin.

According to the invention, it is realized that the carrying capacity of the mobile box is not transmitted to the carrying handle via the swivel joints, since the weight of the mobile box is transmitted to the carrying handle exclusively by the engagement of the respective retention element. Thus, the pivot of the handle is not stressed by the weight of the mobile box. The provision of the rotary joint is used exclusively to define the pivotal movement of the handle and thus the definition of the radius of the circular arc, with which the free end of the handle leg is pivotable to reach under the retention.

The carrying handle is further so far into the interior of the mobile box pivotable that the carrying handle can be folded to below the top of the mobile box, so that a stacking of multiple mobile boxes is possible.

The length of the circular arc-shaped bracket element is advantageously chosen and matched to the arrangement of the axis of rotation that the strap end does not protrude with the handle extended over the top of the mobile box.

It is further considered advantageous that the legs of the carrying handle have a length such that the actual handle, ie the connecting bar between the carrying handle legs within the mobile box comes to lie in the immediate vicinity of a mobile box wall when the carrying handle is folded. This facilitates filling and unloading of the mobile box with objects, since the carrying handle in the folded-in state does not block access to the interior of the mobile box.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the stirrup element at the end of the curved inner surface has a step for partially receiving the retention, which step forms a detent of the carrying handle with the retention. This means that by lifting the mobile box on its carrying handle, the retention can slip into a locking recess formed by the step, whereby the carrying handle in the raised state of the mobile box is no longer pivotable. Only by discontinuing the mobile box, the retention can be solved by relieving the handle from this locking recess.

The step may alternatively be formed so deep that the lock only by a slight depression of the handle down, i. a displacement of the carrying handle in its unfolded state in the direction of the carrying handle legs is released downwards.

The retention can be provided in any shape, in particular as a circular or square pin.

It is further considered advantageous that a pocket is formed on the side wall having the retention, on the outside of which a pocket is accommodated, in which the retention is accommodated. The retention can be arranged on the side wall or on the inner wall of the pocket or the retention is fixed on both sides on the side wall and on the inner wall of the pocket. Thus, the leadership of the bracket element takes place to undercut the retention in this bag. This has the advantage that no objects abut the bracket element in a disturbing manner and can prevent a pivoting movement of the handle. Also, the bracket element is better protected against wear.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the mobile box comprises a cover which can be placed on it and which can be pivotably connected at its rear edge to the rear wall of the mobile box. In order for the carrying handle to be able to act on the retainers with its legs through the lid, the lid has two openings for passing through the leg ends of the carrying handle. At these breakthroughs according to an advantageous embodiment further provided hinge elements, where the carrying handle legs are articulated for pivoting the carrying handle.

As already described above with regard to an embodiment of the mobile box without cover, it is possible, in conjunction with a quick-lock, with which the carrying handle is anchored to its legs in the hinges, the carrying handle optionally on a hinge element of the side wall of the Mobilbox, or to fix a hinge element of the lid. The possibility of a quick mounting and dismounting of the carrying handle in the various hinges, the Mobilbox can be used quickly and easily once with a lid and without a lid.

In the above embodiment of a lidded mobile box, the lid does not receive weighting forces when lifting the box. This is further excluded that the lid warps or deformed by acting on the mobile box lifting forces. The weight is transferred from the mobile box to the carrying handle solely by the fact that the bar elements engage under the retention on the side walls of the mobile box.

According to a further advantageous embodiment it is provided that the lid has a recess for receiving the carrying handle in its folded horizontal position. This allows folding of the carrying handle into the recess of the lid, so that closed with a respective lid mobile boxes are stacked when the carrying handle is folded respectively.

• Fig. 1 eine perspektivische Ansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Mobilbox mit teilweise weggeschnittenem Deckel und einem einzelnen Tragegriff in vier verschiedenen Stellungen;
• Fig. 2 die erfindungsgemäße Mobilbox aus Fig. 1 mit in den Boxendeckel eingeklapptem Tragegriff;
• Fig. 3 Ansichten eines erfindungsgemäßen Bügelelements für eine Mobilbox ohne Deckel;
• Fig. 4 zwei verschiedene Stellungen des in Fig. 3 gezeigten Bügelelements;
• Fig. 5 eine Schnittansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Mobilbox mit Deckel;
• Fig. 6 eine schematische Draufsicht der erfindungsgemäßen Mobilbox aus Fig. 2, und
• Fig. 7 einen schematischen Schnitt gemäß Schnittlinie B-B aus Fig. 6, wobei der Deckel leicht von der Mobilbox angehoben ist.

The invention will now be explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this show:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mobile box according to the invention with partially cutaway lid and a single handle in four different positions.
• 2 shows the mobile box according to the invention from FIG. 1 with the carrying handle folded into the box lid;
• 3 views of a bracket element according to the invention for a mobile box without cover;
• Fig. 4 shows two different positions of the bracket element shown in Figure 3;
• 5 shows a sectional view of a mobile box according to the invention with lid;
• Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of the mobile box according to the invention from Fig. 2, and
• Fig. 7 is a schematic section along section line BB of Fig. 6, wherein the lid is slightly lifted from the mobile box.

In Fig. 1, a mobile box 10 according to the invention is shown, the carrying handle 14 is shown in four different pivot positions. On the mobile box is a cover 12, which, however, for the sake of clarity partially cut away drawing in the upper lid area. On a respective side wall 11 of the mobile box 10, a retention 22 is provided which can be engaged by a bracket element 18.

Fig. 2 shows the mobile box according to the invention from Fig. 1, wherein the carrying handle 14 is folded in a recess 34 of the lid 12. As shown, the carrying handle 14 is fully retractable in the recess 34 so that a plurality of mobile boxes 10 are stackable. Clearly visible is also a pocket 24 on the outside of the side wall 11 of the mobile box. The pocket 24 is open at the top so that the bracket element 18 can protrude from above into the pocket 24 and can engage under the retention arranged in the pocket by pivoting the carrying handle 14. The retention can be arranged on the side wall or on the inner wall of the pocket or the retention is fixed on both sides on the side wall and on the inner wall of the pocket.

Fig. 3 shows a stirrup element 18 in greater detail in three different views:

The left upper view shows a side wall 11 of the mobile box 10 in plan view from the outside. Towards the outside, the side wall 11 has a pocket 24 formed thereon, in which the retention 22 is arranged and the bracket element 18 of the carrying handle 14 is guided. For reasons of clarity, the front wall of the pocket 24 is partially broken off graphically in order to show the ironing element 18 guided in the pocket. The carrying handle 14 is pivotally held on its leg 16 by a pin 26 forming an axis of rotation g (see right upper figure). The axis of rotation g extends through the respective handle leg 16 at a distance f to the free end of the leg, which distance defined during pivoting of the handle a running through the free end of the leg arc a. The bracket member 18 has a Stirrup portion with a curved inner surface 21, whose curvature is substantially equal to or greater than the curvature of this circular arc. When choosing the curvature and the length of the stirrup element 18, it is important that the stirrup element fulfills the function that by the pivotal movement of the handle 14 from its horizontal position to the vertical position, the retention 22 abuts the inner surface 21 of the stirrup element 18 and at Continuation of the pivoting movement of the carrying handle 14 on the inner surface 21 can be performed until the retention 22 with the handle legs 16 forms a stop (see in particular Fig. 4), so that the carrying handle beyond its vertical position can not be further pivoted. As a result, only a pivoting movement of the carrying handle is required, with which the retention automatically comes to rest on the inner surface of the bracket element and thus the retention is undermined solely due to the pivoting movement.

The length of the strap is advantageously chosen so that the strap end does not project beyond the upper edge of the mobile box when the carrying handle 14 is unfolded (see left upper illustration in FIG. 3).

As already mentioned, the pin 26 does not absorb any weight forces from the mobile box 10, so that the carrying force from the mobile box 10 to the carrying handle 14 takes place exclusively via the respective retention 22, which is engaged by the strap element 18 for lifting the mobile box 10.

According to the embodiment shown, the stirrup element 18 has a step 32 at the end of the curved inner surface 21, so that the retention 22 with the stirrup element forms a detent in the unfolded vertical position of the carrying handle 14. In this regard, the pin 26 is guided in a slot provided at the end of the leg 16 of the carrying handle, so that the carrying handle is slightly liftable in the retention below, so that the retention 22 slides when lifting the handle into the lock formed by the step 32 , This is done in practice mostly by the weight of the mobile box. However, it may alternatively be provided to arrange the retention 22 relative to the bracket element at a distance or to provide the inner surface 21 so that by pivoting the carrying handle 14 in its vertical position, the retention 22 with increasing force against the curved inner surface 21 of Ironing member 18 is pressed so that upon reaching the vertical position of the handle 14, the retention 22 slides due to this voltage in the locking recess. The bracket member 18 forms a kind of spring element with a clamping force against the retention. When the retention 22 to the bracket member 18 is in the locked position, the carrying handle 14 can not be folded. Only by lowering the mobile box 10 with an optionally slight depression of the carrying handle 14 in the direction of the longitudinal axis of its legs 16, the retention 22 is raised via the step 32 on the inner surface 21, whereby the carrying handle 14 can be folded into the horizontal position. Alternatively, the interaction of retention and locking step be provided so that the Dearretieren the carrying handle, the carrying handle is pivoted with some force from the lock without a pushing movement of the handle is required.

So that the carrying handle 14 can be completely folded into the mobile box, a recess 28 is provided on the side wall 11, with which it is possible, the leg 16 of the carrying handle 14 with a guided through this recess connecting piece to the inside of the mobile box 10 back to offset (see in particular section AA in Fig. 3).

Fig. 4 shows the detail of Fig. 3, wherein the carrying handle 14 is shown in two different pivoting positions: According to the upper illustration of the carrying handle forms with its legs 16 and the upper edge of the mobile box an angle of about 45 °. The retention 22 rests against the inner surface 21 of the stirrup element 18, wherein the inner surface 21 is curved such that the retention 22 is guided by the pivoting movement of the carrying handle in the unfolded vertical position on the curved inner surface 21.

In the lower illustration of Fig. 4, the carrying handle is shown in its folded horizontal position. As shown in the figure, by the relative arrangement of retention 22 and bracket member 18 by loosening the pin 26 from the bore of the outer wall 25 of the pocket 24 and from the bore, ie the long hole of the leg 16 of the handle, the carrying handle of the Mobilbox 10 are removed, since the bracket member 18 does not fall below the retention 22 in the horizontal position of the handle and is guided past it during lifting. In this context it is advantageous to use a pin 26 with a quick release nut, so that the carrying handle can be quickly assembled and disassembled.

FIG. 5 shows a detail of an embodiment of the mobile box 10 with a lid 12. The detail is a sectional view through the mobile box according to the section line CC of FIG. 6, but the carrying handle 14 is shown unfolded in FIG. 5 in contrast to FIG is. In contrast to the mobile box shown in the preceding figures, in one embodiment of the mobile box with lid, the pin 26 is guided through the lid 12 and the leg 16 of the carrying handle 14, so that the carrying handle is hinged to the lid 12. By this measure, it is possible that the lid can be completely lifted with folded handle with this of the mobile box. In order to completely fold the carrying handle, a recess 34 is provided in the lid 12, in which the carrying handle 14 can be completely received in the folded state.

Fig. 6 shows a portable mobile box 10 with cover 12 in plan view, wherein the carrying handle 14 is folded with its legs 16 in the recess 34 of the lid 12.

In Fig. 7 is a sectional view BB of Fig. 6 is shown. The cover 12 is hinged in this alternative embodiment by means of a hinge 36 to the rear wall of the mobile box 10. The carrying handle 14 is located relative to the lid in its folded position and is received in the recess 34 of the lid. As shown in the figure, the bracket member 18 does not engage the retention 22 when the carrying handle 14 is in its folded position relative to the lid. As a result, the lid of the mobile box can only be raised when the carrying handle 14 is folded, so that the bracket member 18 can be guided past the retention 22. The lid 12 can be opened by a pivoting movement in the direction d over the hinge 36 to open the box when the carrying handle is folded. The arrow e describes the line of movement of the outer edge of the bracket element 18 past the retention 22. If the mobile box is completely closed by the cover 12, then the above explanations apply to the pivoting mechanism of the handle 14 and the locking, as shown in FIGS 5 were made.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

voicemail

11

Side wall

12

cover

14

handle

16

Legs of the carrying handle

18

bracket element

21

curved inner surface

22

retention

24

bag

25

Outside wall of the bag

26

pen

28

Recess in side wall

32

step

34

deepening

36

joint

Claims (9)

1. A portable tote box (10) with a U-shaped carrying handle (14) pivotable between a horizontal down position and vertical up position about an axis of rotation (g), said axis of rotation (g) for pivoting the carrying handle running through the side arms (16) of the carrying handle and each side arm (16) comprising at its free end a bracket element (18) which for lifting the tote box by its carrying handle (14) underclasps retainers (22) provided at the opposing side walls (11) of the tote box,
   characterized in that the bracket element (18) has an arched bracket section having a curvature substantially corresponding to or exceeding the curvature of the circular arc (a) described by the free end of the carrying handle side arm in pivoting the carrying handle, so that due to the pivoting motion of the carrying handle (14) from the horizontal down position into the vertical up position, the retainer (22) comes into contact with the bracket element (18) and in a continuation of the pivoting motion of the carrying handle (14) is guided at the bracket element (18) until the retainer (22) forms with the carrying handle side arm (16) a stop.
2. The tote box as set forth in claim 1,
   characterized in that the bracket element (18) comprises at the inner end a step (32) to partially receive the retainer (22), said step (32) and retainer forming an arrest for the carrying handle (14).
3. The tote box as set forth in claim 1 or 2,
   characterized in that each side wall (11) comprises at its outer side a pocket (24) in which the retainer (22) is received.
4. The tote box as set forth in any of the claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in that the carrying handle (14) is hinged at its carrying handle side arms (16) by pivot mounts arranged at each side wall of the tote box (10).
5. The tote box as set forth in any of the claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in that the tote box (10) includes a lid (12) for mounting on the tote box, the lid (12) featuring two openings through which one side arm (16) each of the carrying handle (14) is guided.
6. The tote box as set forth in in claim 5,
   characterized in that the side arms of the carrying handle (14) are each hinged in a pivot mount at the lid (12).
7. The tote box as set forth in claim 5 or 6
   characterized in that the lid (12) is pivotably hinged by its rear edge at the rear wall of the tote box (10).
8. The tote box as set forth in claim 5, 6 or 7,
   characterized in that the lid (12) has a recess (34) for receiving the carrying handle (14) in its horizontal down position.
9. The tote box as set forth in claim 4 or 6,
   characterized in that each carrying handle side arm (16) is hinged by a quick-release fastener to the corresponding pivot mount.

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