Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – With spring motor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-24
2003-02-18
Mansen, Michael R. (Department: 3654)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
With spring motor
C242S388100, C242S388500, C242S388600, C242S400000, C439S501000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06520444
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a toolbox which may be used both by hobbyists and industrial handworkers.
2. Discussion of Background Information
In the private and the industrial sector, it has long been known to operate special tools and devices electrically. These include, for example, drills, grinders, saws, and machines for tightening and removing screws or nuts, as well as other devices, such as lights, heaters, and pumps (e.g., also for preparation of a working substance, such as compressed air for pneumatically driven tools or a pressurized hydraulic oil for hydraulically activated tools). The expression “tool” used hereinafter also includes the aforementioned devices. Usually, connection to an electric network is necessary as a source of current for such tools. This applies in any case for high-performance tools, for whose operation using a battery is inadequate. Frequently, operation of such tools is only temporarily necessary such that a permanently installed electrical line is not reasonable for this.
Since the appropriate connection point to the electrical network is often not located in the immediate vicinity of the site where the tool is to be operated, the length of the connection cable provided on the tool is frequently inadequate. Consequently, this cable must be supplemented by an extension cable. Thus, it is in many cases necessary for the tool to always have the extension cable available. This must then always be transported with the tool and must not get lost.
It is also known to store and transport tools of the type mentioned in toolboxes specifically provided therefor. There is not usually adequate space for extension cables in such toolboxes.
DE 8227725 U1 describes a foldout toolbox for accommodating a hand drill and its accessories. The toolbox also includes an immovably attached and removable cable reel for the electrical connection of the drill. The cable end of the cable reel that is provided with an electrical plug is passed through one side wall of the toolbox. The other cable end can be pulled out of the toolbox when its cover is open.
This prior art does, in fact, make it superfluous to provide a separate extension cable for the drill and to transport it separately each time to the site where the drill is to be used. However, the use of the cable reel is only possible when the cover of the box is open. This is, however, disadvantageous with a toolbox which contains, on the one hand, other valuable devices besides the drill (or another electrically driven tool), such as a drill dust vacuum, drill cassettes, drills for various materials, as well as cutting, grinding, and polishing attachments, and, on the other hand, must frequently be used by professional handworkers at outdoor construction sites and assembly sites. Since a wide variety of individuals have access to such sites, experience has shown that it is not possible to prevent a tool which is accessible for hours everyday, for example, in an open toolbox, from being stolen repeatedly.
In addition, naturally, considerable amounts of dust and other contaminants, which are obviously undesirable, can penetrate into such a toolbox whose lid is open, in particular at a construction site. The risk also exists at a construction site where water is frequently present that moisture or water can get into the open toolbox. In the case of a toolbox containing electrical devices, this even results in a significant danger to individuals working therewith.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Consequently, the present invention provides a toolbox which can also be designed in the form of a tool chest which includes an extension cable in the form of a cable reel for an electrical tool stored therein or another electrical tool, which can also be used with the cover closed or even locked and simultaneously prevents both unwanted looking into the toolbox or even unauthorized access to the contents of the box and, also penetration of dust, dirt, moisture, and water into the toolbox.
The invention is directed to a toolbox with an electrical cable arranged in the interior of the toolbox, which is wound on at least one cable reel rotatably attached in the toolbox, and a cable wind-up arrangement. A first cable pass-through opening is provided in one wall of the toolbox, through which a first connection end of the electrical cable with an electric plug is passed through from the interior of the toolbox to the outside. Moreover, a second cable pass-through opening is provided in the wall of the toolbox, through which a second connection end of the electrical cable with an electrical coupling is passed through from the interior of the toolbox to the outside.
The electrical cable used according to the invention includes a first cable section with a first connection end on which the electrical plug is arranged, and of a second cable section with a second connection end, on which the electrical coupling is provided. The two cable sections may be quite different in length.
The toolbox according to the invention is also equipped with a cable wind-up arrangement. This can, for example, be a handle or an appropriate recess on the periphery of the cable reel, with the aid of which the cable reel can be manually rotated. Alternatively, the cable reel may also include a spring mechanism, by which the unwinding of the cable by pulling against this spring force occurs with the action of a known latch when the desired cable length is reached and the winding up of the cable occurs by spring force alone.
According to a special embodiment, the cable wind-up arrangement is designed with a single wind-up mechanism for simultaneous unwinding and winding of the cable section with the electrical plug and of the cable section with the electrical coupling.
According to a further embodiment, a first cable reel with an associated first cable wind-up device is designed for the cable section with the electrical plug and a second cable reel with an associated second cable wind-up device is designed for the cable section with the electrical coupling. In this case, the two cable reels can be arranged in one half of the toolbox (either in the part referred to as the mounting portion in the following description of the drawing or in the part referred to as the cover portion therein), or the first cable reel in the mounting portion and a second cable reel in the cover portion of the toolbox or vice versa. In each case, the electrical cable on the first cable reel is electrically connected to the electrical cable on the second cable reel.
Preferably, the cable reel is or the cable reels are releasably attached in the toolbox (for example, by a wing nut or a wing bolt or a snap lock between the cable reel and its axis of rotation), possibly along with the respectively associated cable wind-up arrangement. The first and the second cable pass-through openings are designed in each case in the form of a slot extending to the outside edge of the respective side wall of the tool chest, through which the electrical cable can be drawn out and can be pushed back in again perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. Thus, the toolbox offers the capability, as needed, of removing the cable reel or the cable reels with the entire electrical cable as well as the electrical plug and the electrical connection from the toolbox and to replace it there after use. Thus, the electrical cable is even more versatile. When the cable reel or the cable reels are attached in the toolbox, the electrical cable is always available as mentioned above wherever the toolbox with the tool stored therein is located. If the cable reel or the cable reels have been removed from the toolbox, that cable reel may be used as a conventional cable reel. Such use can be very expedient in the individual instance, for example, when, because of very restricted space, the electrical cable is to be used without the toolbox.
It has also proved advantageous for that portion of the interior of the toolbox in which at least one cable reel is arranged to be separated fr
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Mansen Michael R.
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