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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tackle box with pivoted trays that can
be independently pivoted in the tackle box and more particularly, the
invention relates to a tackle box having trays providing for easy access
to a selection of lures or baits stored in the trays and without
cumbersome opening and unfolding of trays as is necessary with known prior
art tackle boxes. Also within the purview of the invention is an alternate
arrangement in which there are upwardly swinging or pivotal cover panels
to allow access to the trays without using guide bars, center dividers or
end receiver members. More particularly, it is a feature of the present
invention to provide a pivoted transparent plastic panel for the top of
the upper tray and similar panels cemented to bottoms of the trays to form
extensions which form an inclined weather cover for the tray below, when
the trays are in a normally tilted arrangement and thus prevent water
accumulation in the trays. These panels also prevent bait from vibrating
out of the trays when the boat is moving rapidly over rough water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various prior art devices and arrangements of conventional tackle box
constructions are known in which there are trays for providing a selection
of lures and these include U.S. patents as follows:
______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 1,858,539
C. L. Dewey
U.S. Pat. No. 2,474,752
O. A. Montgomery
U.S. Pat. No. 2,889,658
D. L Shanks
U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,066
B. Meksula
U.S. Pat. No. 3,182,872
V. N. Brosseau
U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,638
R. M. Schwartz
U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,313
E. W. Fee
U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,579
R. E. Schirmer
______________________________________
These constructions require a cumbersome opening and unfolding of trays for
the selection of lures and none of these known prior art arrangements
disclose all of the specific details of the present invention in such a
way as to bear upon the patentability of any claims of the present
invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a tackle box housing and
closure assembly that will appeal to fishermen in the manner in which
selection of lures is made from any of a series of inclined trays
containing lures, the trays having bottom extensions to cover the next
lower tray.
Another object and advantage of the present invention is to provide a more
practical arrangement of elements forming a tackle box and tray assembly
making it easier for the selection of lures without a cumbersome opening
and unfolding of trays as is found in the use of certain known prior art
devices.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation
as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals
refer to like parts throughout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a tackle box having a cover or
closure assembly for the trays according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of certain details generally
illustrated in FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is an exploded group perspective view of some of the component parts
of the tackle box without the trays.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the tackle box in
closed condition.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the tackle box of FIG. 7 with the upper
side wall pivoted to a partially open position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1-6 a tackle box and
tray assembly 10 having a bottom member 12 being substantially flat
throughout to which laterally spaced end members 14, 16 are fastened, each
including integrally constructed connecting walls 15, 17. The connecting
walls, 15, 17 are central components of spaced end members 14, 16 to form
a U-shaped member and include 90.degree. bends at each of the lateral ends
of the connecting walls 15, 17 formed with the spaced end members 14, 16.
Each end of bottom member 12 has an upstanding flange 20 with each flange
having a pair of end members 14, 16 secured thereto by rivets or screw
fasteners passing through openings 22, 23. When end members 14, 16 are
assembled onto the bottom member 12, the space between the end members 14,
16 is spanned by a U-shaped end channel or receiver 24 having along the
opposite side edges thereof a flange 26 that is supported by and connected
to vertical adjacent edges of the end members 14, 16 by fasteners passing
through openings 28. The U-shaped end receiver 24 forms a slide way along
its U-shaped portion for receiving adjacent distal ends of a pair of guide
bars 30 to be described more particularly below.
Along each side edge of the bottom member 12, there is a set of hinges 32,
34 for connecting a lower side door 36 to the bottom member 12 by
fasteners securing the hinges respectively to the bottom member and the
side door. Also secured to the bottom member 12 along its center is a
vertical divider 38 having a flange element 40 along its lower edge and
having openings 42 in alignment with openings 44 in the bottom member 12
and receiving fasteners therein to secure the two members 12, 38 together.
The central components on the connecting walls 15, 17 constitute a central
panel parallel throughout with the vertical divider 38 and provide a space
or recessed compartment therebetween for receiving respective side covers
82 to be described below when the assembly 10 is opened.
An inverted U-shaped top member 50 having a downwardly opening channel 48
extends across the top of the tackle box 10. Member 50 has end openings 52
for mating with openings 54 in a top support adapter 56 having a U-shaped
member 57 and a plate 59 with openings 52 and 54 receiving fasteners
passing therethrough. The top support adapter 56 also has openings 58 in
the plate 59 aligned with openings 60 at the top end of the U-shaped end
receiver 24. Fasteners secure these openings 58, 60 together.
It is noted that end edges 62 of divider 38 do not extend within the
U-shaped portion or recess of the end receivers 24 but the top edge 64 has
openings 66 that are aligned with openings 68 in handle extensions 70 of a
carrying handle 72, the extensions 70 passing through opening 74 in the
top member 50 and fasteners passing through openings 66, 68 securing the
carrying handle 72 into fixed relation with the divider 38 for carrying
the tackle box 10.
The top support adapter 56 is a plastic or metal formed element having a
generally U-shaped structure at one end containing the openings 54 and
having the plate 59 extending generally from the central segment of the
U-shaped structure of member 57.
The tackle box 10 has on opposite sides thereof an upper side cover
assembly 80 consisting of an arcuate side cover 82 constructed of a
flexible metal or preferably thin sheet plastic material such as aluminum
or conventional plastic, and the like, and having a weather joint
performing also as interlocking lip 84 generally angularly oriented in an
approximate angle of 90.degree. and thus forming a bend with the adjacent
portion of the side cover 82. The interlocking lip 84 is not seen in FIG.
1 since it is retained by the nature of its angular construction within
the recess 48 formed in the top member 50. Also integrally formed and
adjacent the interlocking lip 84 is a strap hinge 86 shown in FIGS. 5 and
6 interconnecting side cover 82 with an upper portion of the guide bar 30
described above, each of the opposite ends of guide bar 30 accordingly
extending and being received within the channel portion formed by the
U-shaped end receiver 24. Thus, the guide bar 30 extends from within one
recess in the U-shaped end receiver 24 at one end to the other end
receiver 24. A curved edge lip 88 extending along each lateral side of the
side cover 82 provides a weather joint protection as the curved edge lip
88 extends over and encompasses a mating curved edge 89 on end members 14,
16 as shown in FIG. 1. Along the bottom edge of the side cover 82, there
is constructed an overhang portion 90 that extends over a recessed portion
92 of the lower side door 36 and by the arrangement of these portions 90,
92 there is provided weather protection from, for example, inclement rain
and water splashing over the side of the boat onto the tackle box, such
that the droplets received on the surface of the cover 82 will roll until
they reach a ground, floor or deck surface. Similarly, although not shown,
the flange 20 may be disposed within the space comprising the tackle box
while the adjacent edges of end members 14, 16 may extend in overlying
relation of the flange 20 and provide a like weather connection. Provided
on the side door 36 is a spaced pair of male snap buttons 94 for engaging
female snap buttons 96 along a matingly engaging undersurface of overhang
portion 90 of the side cover 82 as shown in FIG. 6 and in closed relation
in FIG. 1. The end edges of side door 36 includes a flange 37 with a hole
97 therein to frictionally engage a protuberance 98 formed in the end
walls 14 and 16 thus releasably retaining the door 36 closed.
The tackle box 10 is opened from the closed condition of FIG. 1 by
unsnapping the buttons 96 on the side cover from the buttons 94 on the
side door and by raising the side cover 82, the sheet portion of the side
cover adjacent the top member 50 is fed into the space within the tackle
box 10 by means of the resiliency of the side cover 82 providing a force
or impact upon the guide bar 30 to push or slide its ends downwardly along
the interior portion of the U-shaped end receiver 24, the sides of the
guide bar 30 has one surface sliding along the surface of the divider on
one side while another surface of the guide bar engages the interior side
surface of the adjacent U-shaped end receiver 24 so the guide bar is
capable of moving along the entire length in the recess of the U-shaped
end receivers 24 until the entire interior space on that side of the
tackle box 10 is open when the side cover 82 is received within the tackle
box 10 in the space or recess compartment formed by respective ones of the
connecting walls 15, 17 and the vertical divider 38. Within one purview of
the invention is to provide joinder of the end members 14, 16 to the
U-shaped end receiver 24, also having 90.degree. flanges, such that the
connecting walls 15, 17 are coplanar with respective adjacent portions of
the U-shaped end receiver 24, and a corresponding purpose and function
achieved by these coplanar portions of and receiver 24 may allow
elimination of the respective connecting walls 15, 17. This can be seen
illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 3 illustrates the guide bar 30 lowered about
one-half the distance within the space adjacent the divider 38 on the
right side thereof while on the left side of the divider 38, the guide bar
30 is in its fully raised position while the side cover 82 on the left
side is in a lowered or closed position.
The guide bar 30 is connected to the side cover 82 by the strap hinge 86 or
fastener member such as any conventional hinge structure, or the strap
hinge 86 may be received within an interior portion of the guide bar 30
along a medial recess within the guide bar (not shown) or, as is shown in
FIG. 6, the strap hinge 86 is secured to the guide bar 30 by fasteners,
rivets, or the like.
The construction of the interlocking lip 84 is such that it extends
generally 90.degree. upwardly from the side cover 82 to form its weather
joint lip construction and serving to retain coupling of the side cover
onto the tackle box 10, the lip 84 being sufficiently flexible to assume
the position shown in FIG. 3, while the strap hinge 86 fastens to the
guide bar in a generally opposite 90.degree. bend with respect to the
adjacent surface of the side cover 82.
A plurality of tiered trays 100 are pivotally supported by pivot elements
106 at the upper inner corner of each tray to pivotally connect the trays
100 to the flange 26 in a generally inclined orientation of about
45.degree. as shown. In this way, unwanted water within the tray will
collect at the bottom from where it will drain through small apertures
(not shown). The trays 100 are stably secured in the angular and rest
position shown due to the trays interacting with each other and, where the
respective connecting walls 15, 17 are installed, the walls 15, 17 provide
anutment surfaces contacting a rear wall of the trays 100 for securement
of trays in the angular and rest position, cooperating, of course, with
tray stops 114. The bottommost trays have transparent extensions 112 and
the entire tray bottom may be transparent for allowing and facilitating
full optical or visual access to the two lower compartments, such as a
rack 120 and space 124, described below. Each of the trays 100 has a
transparent extension 112 on the bottom to overlie and close the forward
portion of an underlying tray so that the lures in the next lower tray can
be observed to facilitate selection of baits and removal from the bait
trays 100 and the extension 112 provided downwardly extending tabs by
which the trays can be lifted upwardly. The extensions may extend along
the entire length and be integral with the bottom of the trays 100.
The bottom tray 100 is provided with tray stops 114 secured by fasteners
118 to end members 14, 16 so that the several trays 100 are maintained in
their desired inclined orientation by the tray stops 114. The stops 114
provide a limit to the downward arcuate movement of the several trays 100
so that they are capable of moving only in an upward direction from the
bait tray stop 114. The trays 100 may be compartmented to facilitate
selection of bait or lures and prevent entanglement of the bait or lures.
Also, the top tray is provided with an entire transparent cover 102 to
retain bait therein and to prevent entry of water. The transparent cover
102 has a set of two downwardly extending tabs 105 pivotally engaging with
an upper adjacent surface of the top tray 100. The tabs 105 and the pivots
positioned inside the trays allow the trays to operate without
interference from other components when being pivoted. A removable spinner
bait container or rack 120, trays 100 so that they are capable of moving
only in an upward direction from the bait tray stop 114. The trays 100 may
be compartmented to facilitate selection of bait or lures and prevent
entanglement of the bait or lures Also, the top tray is provided with an
entire transparent cover 102 to retain bait therein and to prevent entry
of water. A removable spinner bait container or rack 120, shown in FIG. 3,
provides storage for spinners and like elements. Also provided within the
tackle box 10 is an open storage area 124, shown in FIG. 3, for receiving
and storing articles.
Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 in which a
tackle box 130 is provided with similar elements such as a top support
channel 134, a handle 136, one piece end members 138 secured to the top
support channel 134 and upwardly extending flanges 140 for engaging with
the end members 138, the flanges 140 being part of a bottom member (not
shown). Side doors 145 are hinged to the bottom member and engage with an
articulated side cover 144 having an upper cover 146 coupled by a hinge
147 to top member 134 and hinge 148 to a lower side cover 150 which
fastens similarly by male and female snap button fasteners 154 to the side
door 145. The lower side cover 150 may be pivoted along the hinge 148
upwardly so that it rests on the upper cover 146 and both covers 146 and
150 pivoted upwardly about hinge 147 to provide access to the tiered,
pivotal, compartmented trays 158, each being provided with a transparent
bottom extension 160 similar to the extension 112 on the trays 100. The
upper and lower side covers 146, 150 are each provided with an edge or
flange 164 that provides and functions as a weather joint.
The assembly and boxes 10, 130 may be constructed in part or entirely by
processes of injection molding of plastics and similar type materials used
generally in the construction and assembly of the box components.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and
accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted
to, falling within the scope of the invention.
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