Locking mechanism for storage box and storage box combination

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lock mechanism for a storage box and a storage box combination. The storage box comprises a bottom wall and a side wall extending upwardly from the outer periphery of the bottom wall. The lock mechanism comprises a lock assembly having a locking portion for locking with an external lock engaging portion. The lock assembly is pivotally connected to the bottom wall of the storage box about a pivot axis extending substantially horizontally and has at least a folded state in which the lock assembly is folded against the bottom wall of the storage box and an open state in which the lock assembly is unfolded against the bottom wall of the storage box. In the unlocked state, the lock assembly of the storage box is folded against the bottom wall of the storage box and does not protrude against the side wall of the storage box as in the prior art lock assembly. Therefore, the lock assembly is not easily damaged by external objects and does not affect the overall aesthetic appearance of the storage box.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of storage boxes, in particular to a storage box locking mechanism for connecting multiple storage boxes together and a storage box combination. BACKGROUND

[0002] In order to facilitate handling and transportation, multiple storage boxes (such as tool boxes for storing tools or boxes or cases for storing other items) stacked together are usually locked together by a locking mechanism.

[0003] A container assembly is disclosed in Chinese patent application No. CN201680018142.8 (Publication No. CN107428436A), which includes at least one first container and at least one second container, the at least one first container and the at least one second container being detachably attachable to each other by a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism interacting between the at least one first container and the at least one second container, wherein the at least one first container is configured with a pivotable latching member at a top portion thereof, and the at least one second container is configured with a retaining portion at a corresponding bottom portion thereof, wherein the latching member is pivotable between a locked position, in which the latching member engages the retaining portion, and an unlocked position, in which the latching member is pivotally displaced apart from the retaining portion.

[0004] However, the locking mechanism of the container assembly in the above patent application still has some deficiencies. The latching member in the above is an active component that can swing up and down and protrudes from the side wall of the container, that is, after the container is unlocked, the latching member is generally in a free state, which is easy to be damaged by touching external objects and also affects the overall appearance of the container to some extent. SUMMARY

[0005] The first technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a storage box locking mechanism in which the locking member can be folded relative to the box to avoid damage caused by touching external objects.

[0006] The second technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a storage box combination using the above locking mechanism.

[0007] The technical scheme adopted by the present application to solve the first technical problem is as follows: a lock catch mechanism for a storage box, the storage box comprising a bottom wall and a side wall extending upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall, the lock catch mechanism comprising a lock catch assembly having a locking portion for locking with an external lock catch engaging portion, the lock catch assembly being rotatably connected to the bottom wall of the storage box about a rotation shaft extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and having at least a folded state relative to the bottom wall of the storage box and an unfolded state relative to the bottom wall of the storage box.

[0008] In order to facilitate the user to operate the locking portion of the lock catch assembly to perform locking and unlocking actions, the locking portion of the lock catch assembly is exposed outward relative to the side wall of the storage box when the lock catch assembly is in the unfolded state.

[0009] In order to realize the rotational connection between the lock catch assembly and the storage box and simplify the structure of the lock catch assembly, the lock catch assembly comprises a connecting plate and a lock catch member provided on the connecting plate, the connecting plate having opposite first and second side edges, the first side edge of the connecting plate being rotatably connected to the bottom of the storage box, the second side edge of the connecting plate being exposed outward beyond the side wall of the storage box when the lock catch assembly is in the unfolded state, and the lock catch member being provided on the second side edge of the connecting plate and constituting the locking portion of the lock catch assembly.

[0010] In order to make the locking and unlocking actions of the lock catch member more reasonable and avoid occupying the internal space of the storage box, the second side edge of the connecting plate in the unfolded state extends in the front-rear direction, the lock catch member is slidingly provided on the second side edge of the connecting plate and has a locking state of locking with the external lock catch engaging portion and an unlocking state of releasing the locking with the external lock catch engaging portion by changing the moving position thereof.

[0011] In order to realize the sliding connection between the lock catch member and the connecting plate, the second side edge of the connecting plate in the unfolded state has a first protruding rib protruding upward and extending along the second side edge and a second protruding rib protruding downward and extending along the second side edge, so that the local part of the second side edge of the connecting plate has a cross section in the shape of a side T, and the lock catch member is a sliding sleeve having a cross section in the shape of a C and being sleeved outside the first and second protruding ribs.

[0012] In order to be able to form a limiting fit with the above-mentioned sliding sleeve in the up-down direction, the second protruding rib on the connecting plate is missing to form a notch portion at a portion corresponding to the locking position of the sliding sleeve, and when the sliding sleeve is in the locking state, the external lock catch engaging portion can extend into the position corresponding to the notch portion of the connecting plate in the sliding sleeve.

[0013] In order to avoid the first protruding rib of the connecting plate from being damaged by being touched, a limiting sliding groove extending in the front-rear direction is formed on the top wall of the connecting plate adjacent to the second side edge, and the part of the connecting plate between the limiting sliding groove and the second side edge constitutes the first protruding rib.

[0014] In the folded state of the connecting plate, the first protruding rib of the connecting plate faces downward, and the first protruding rib formed by the above structure does not protrude too much from the top wall of the connecting plate, so it will not be deformed by external pressure, thereby improving the service life of the lock assembly.

[0015] In order to form the first protruding rib of the connecting plate, the two opposite side edges of the C-shaped opening of the sliding sleeve are respectively referred to as the first support edge and the second support edge, and the first support edge or the second support edge of the sliding sleeve is slidingly constrained in the limiting sliding groove. The above structure design enables most of the corresponding support edge of the sliding sleeve to be hidden in the limiting sliding groove, thereby avoiding damage caused by touching external objects.

[0016] In order to limit the sliding sleeve in the front-rear direction and securely position it in the locked position and the unlocked position, the first support edge or the second support edge of the sliding sleeve is spaced apart along the length direction thereof and provided with a first limiting protrusion and a second limiting protrusion, the limiting sliding groove is spaced apart along the length direction thereof and provided with a first limiting stop rib, a second limiting stop rib and a third limiting stop rib, the first limiting stop rib, the second limiting stop rib and the third limiting stop rib all extend along the width direction of the limiting sliding groove, the third limiting stop rib is located between the first limiting stop rib and the second limiting stop rib, in the unlocked state of the sliding sleeve, the first limiting protrusion and the second limiting protrusion on the sliding sleeve abut on the side of the first limiting stop rib and the third limiting stop rib away from each other in the front-rear direction, and in the locked state of the sliding sleeve, the first limiting protrusion and the second limiting protrusion on the sliding sleeve abut on the side of the second limiting stop rib and the third limiting stop rib away from each other in the front-rear direction.

[0017] In order to avoid the lock assembly of the storage box from being damaged by being pressed in the folded state, the bottom wall of the storage box has a support seat extending downward, and the bottom of the support seat has a concave upward receiving recess for accommodating the lock assembly in the folded state.

[0018] In order to ensure the locking firmness between the upper and lower storage boxes, the bottom of the storage box has two groups of the lock assemblies arranged in sequence in the left-right direction, and in the folded state of the two groups of lock assemblies, the second side edges of the connecting plates of the two groups of lock assemblies are close to each other and the first side edges are away from each other, and in the open state of the two groups of lock assemblies, the first side edges of the connecting plates of the two groups of lock assemblies are close to each other and the second side edges are away from each other.

[0019] The technical scheme adopted by the present application to solve the second technical problem is: a storage box combination using the above-mentioned lock catch mechanism, comprising at least two storage boxes stacked one above another, the upper storage box is denoted as the first storage box, and the lower storage box is denoted as the second storage box, characterized in that: a lock catch engaging portion is arranged on the left side wall and / or the right side wall of the second storage box, and the bottom of the first storage box is provided with the lock catch assembly, when the lock catch assembly is in the open state, the lock catch portion of the lock catch assembly can move forward or backward to lock with the lock catch engaging portion on the second storage box, thereby connecting the first storage box and the second storage box together.

[0020] In order to avoid the normal storage space inside the storage box being squeezed due to the arrangement of the lock catch assembly and the lock catch engaging portion, the top of the second storage box is provided with an opening, and a protruding edge is formed on the edge of the top opening of the second storage box, which protrudes outward relative to the side wall of the second storage box, and the protruding edge is partially provided with an inwardly recessed notch for the lock catch in the unlocked state to pass through in the upward and downward directions, and the front side edge or / and the rear side edge of the notch corresponds to the protruding edge portion as the lock catch engaging portion.

[0021] The above structure design makes the locking and unlocking process of the lock catch of the lock catch mechanism move in a direction substantially parallel to the side wall of the first storage box, so that a larger moving space for the lock catch does not need to be separately reserved on the side wall of the storage box, and similarly, the lock catch engaging portion is formed on the protruding edge of the storage box itself, so that the internal space of the storage box is not easily occupied by the arrangement or formation of the above-mentioned moving area or lock catch engaging portion, ensuring the flatness of the inner wall of the storage box and allowing the user to store more items.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present application are that the lock catch assembly of the storage box can be folded on the bottom wall of the storage box, which does not protrude relative to the side wall of the storage box like the lock catch assembly of the prior art, so it is not easy to be touched by external objects and damaged, and it also does not affect the overall aesthetics of the storage box. In the preferred scheme, when locking is needed, the lock catch assembly is rotated to open relative to the storage box, and the lock catch portion can be exposed outside the side wall of the storage box, so that the user can more conveniently perform the locking and unlocking actions, improving the convenience of locking and unlocking. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the bottom of the storage box of the embodiment of the present application after being turned over (the connecting plate is in the open state);

[0024] Figure 2 Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom of the storage box of the embodiment of the present application after being turned over (the connecting plate is in the folded state);

[0025] Figure 3 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a storage box combination according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 4 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the storage box combination of Fig. 1 from another angle (the locking member is in the unlocked state);

[0027] Figure 5 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the storage box combination of Fig. 1 from another angle (the locking member is in the locked state);

[0028] Figure 6 Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of portion A in Fig. 1 (the locking member is in the unlocked position); Figure 5

[0029] Figure 7 Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of portion A in Fig. 1 (the locking member is in the locked position); Figure 5

[0030] Figure 8 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a single storage box according to an embodiment of the present application (one sliding sleeve is in the disassembled state);

[0031] Figure 9 Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a locking member according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 10 Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a connecting plate according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 11 Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the connecting plate of Fig. 8 from another angle;

[0034] Figure 12 Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the connecting plate of Fig. 8 from still another angle;

[0035] Figure 13 Fig. 11 is a sectional view of portion A-A in Fig. 8 (the sliding sleeve is in the unlocked state); Figure 7

[0036] Fig. 12 is a sectional view of portion A-A in Fig. 8 (the sliding sleeve is in the locked state). Figure 14 Figure 7 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The present application will be further described below in conjunction with the embodiments of the drawings.

[0038] ​​​​The specification and claims of this invention use terms indicating direction, such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "side," "top," and "bottom," to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements of the invention. However, these terms are used herein merely for ease of explanation and are determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in this invention can be arranged in different orientations, these terms indicating direction are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limitations. For example, "upper" and "lower" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0039] like Figures 1-14 The diagram illustrates a preferred embodiment of a locking mechanism for a storage box and a storage box assembly according to the present invention. The storage box assembly includes at least two storage boxes 10 stacked vertically. The storage box located on top of the two adjacent storage boxes 10 is designated as the first storage box 10a, and the storage box located below is designated as the second storage box 10b. When the first storage box 10a and the second storage box 10b are stacked, they are connected together by a locking mechanism, thereby facilitating user handling and transportation.

[0040] The first storage box 10a and the second storage box 10b in this embodiment have the same structure, so that any two storage boxes can be connected by a locking mechanism when stacked vertically. The following description takes the first storage box 10a as an example. The first storage box 10a has an opening 1a at the top (the second storage box 10b has an opening 1b). Specifically, the first storage box 10a includes a bottom wall 104 and side walls extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 104. The side walls of the first storage box 10a include a left side wall 101 and a right side wall 102 arranged opposite each other in the left-right direction, and a rear side wall 103. The front side wall of the first storage box 10a is lower than the left and right side walls 101 and 102, and a retrieval opening is formed on the front side of the first storage box 10a (the retrieval opening is connected to the opening 1a). After the two storage boxes are stacked, the user can also freely take out and put in the items in the lower storage box through the retrieval opening. Of course, the retrieval opening can also be set on the rear side of the storage box. The first storage box 10a has a protruding edge 11 at the top opening 1a (that is, at the top edge of the side wall) that protrudes outward relative to the side wall of the first storage box 10a. Since the protruding edge 11 has a certain thickness in both the vertical direction and the internal and external directions of the first storage box 10a, it ensures that the first storage box 10a has high strength at its top opening 1a, making it less prone to deformation due to external pressure.

[0041] In this embodiment, the locking mechanism of the storage box includes a connecting plate 20 and a locking element 30.

[0042] The top portion of the side wall of the lower storage box is provided with a locking joint 33 for cooperating with the locking piece 30 of the locking mechanism. The bottom portion of the upper storage box is provided with the connecting plate 20 as described above, and the locking piece 30 is slidingly arranged on the connecting plate 20. When the upper and lower storage boxes are stacked, the locking piece 30 on the connecting plate 20 of the upper storage box can be locked with the locking joint 33 on the lower storage box.

[0043] The locking joint 33 provided on the second storage box 10b will be described taking the second storage box 10b as an example. The second storage box 10b is provided with a notch 110 locally recessed inward on the top portion of the protruding edge 11 at the opening 1b, and the notch 110 extends through the protruding edge 11 in the up-down direction. Correspondingly, the protruding edge portion corresponding to the front side edge or / and the rear side edge of the notch 110 on the protruding edge 11 constitutes the locking joint 33 as described above. In the preferred embodiment, only the protruding edge portion corresponding to the front side edge or the rear side edge of the notch 110 on the protruding edge 11 is used as the locking joint 33.

[0044] The size of the locking joint 33 of the second storage box 10b in the up-down direction is smaller than the size of the main body of the protruding edge 11 in the up-down direction, specifically, the top portion of the locking joint 33 is flush with the top portion of the main body of the protruding edge 11, and the bottom portion of the locking joint 33 is located higher than the bottom portion of the main body of the protruding edge 11, so that the locking joint 33 and the main body of the protruding edge 11 form a first limiting step 330 at the lower portion of the joint position. The first limiting step 330 can limit the locking piece 30 (i.e. the sliding sleeve) in the front-rear direction, avoiding the problem of excessive displacement of the locking piece 30 during locking and unlocking.

[0045] Referring to Figure 8 The storage box 10a; 10b of the embodiment is a square box body. The two side walls of the storage box 10a; 10b extending in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction are respectively referred to as the first side wall 101 (i.e. the left side wall) and the second side wall 102 (i.e. the right side wall). In the embodiment, the notch 110 is provided on the protruding edge 11 at the top portion of the first side wall 101 and the second side wall 102 of the storage box 10a; 10b.

[0046] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2The bottom of the first storage box 10a is provided with two connecting plates 20, which are respectively referred to as a first connecting plate 20a and a second connecting plate 20b. The first connecting plate 20a and the second connecting plate 20b are sequentially arranged along the left-right direction on the bottom of the first storage box 10a. Each connecting plate 20 has opposite first and second side edges 21 and 22, which extend in the front direction. The first side edge 21 is used to be connected to the bottom of the first storage box 10a. Specifically, the first side edge 21 of each connecting plate 20 is rotationally connected to the bottom of the first storage box 10a through a front-rear extending pivot 24. More specifically, the connecting plate 20 has a folded state in which the connecting plate 20 is folded on the bottom of the first storage box 10a, and an unfolded state in which the connecting plate 20 is unfolded relative to the first storage box 10a. In the folded state, the second side edge 22 of the first connecting plate 20a and the second side edge 22 of the second connecting plate 20b are close to each other, and the first side edge 21 of the first connecting plate 20a and the first side edge of the second connecting plate 20b are in a state of being away from each other. In the unfolded state, the connecting plate 20 extends horizontally, and the second side edge 22 thereof is exposed outside the vertical projection of the bottom of the first storage box 10a. Specifically, the second side edge 22 of the left first connecting plate 20a is exposed outside the left first side wall 101 of the first storage box 10a, and the second side edge 22 of the right second connecting plate 20b is exposed outside the right second side wall 102 of the first storage box 10a.

[0047] Continuing to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The bottom wall 104 of the storage box 10a; 10b has a support seat 12 extending downward by a certain distance (i.e., having a certain height), and the bottom of the support seat 12 has a concave accommodation recess 13. In the folded state of the two connecting plates 20, the connecting plates 20 and the locking member 30 arranged thereon can be accommodated in the accommodation recess 13. Specifically, the position of the connecting plate 20 in the folded state is higher than the bottom surface of the support seat 12 as a whole, so that the locking assembly is not damaged by external pressure when the storage box 10a; 10b is placed on the ground (especially when heavy objects are placed).

[0048] In order to enable the connecting plate 20 to remain in the above-mentioned folded state and unfolded state, and to avoid being easily deflected downward under the action of gravity, the front and rear side walls of the connecting plate 20 are each provided with a positioning protrusion 25, and the inner wall of the accommodation recess 13 of the first storage box 10a is provided with a first positioning recess 131 and a second positioning recess 132. The first and second positioning recesses 131 and 132 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the straight line on which the pivot 24 is located. When the connecting plate 20 is deflected to the folded state, the positioning protrusion 25 on the connecting plate 20 is clamped into the first positioning recess 131, so that the connecting plate 20 remains in the folded state, as described in detail in Figure 2When the connecting plate 20 is deflected to the open state, the positioning protrusion 25 on the connecting plate 20 is clamped into the second positioning recess 132, so that the connecting plate 20 is kept in the open state, which will be described in detail below. Figure 1 .

[0049] The second side edge 22 of each of the two connecting plates 20 of the storage box 10a; 10b extends in the front-rear direction. When the connecting plate 20 is in the open state, the second side edge 22 of the connecting plate 20 has a first protruding rib 221 protruding upward and extending along the second side edge 22, and a second protruding rib 222 protruding downward and extending along the second side edge 22. The connecting plate 20 has a limiting sliding groove 23 adjacent to the second side edge 22 of the connecting plate 20, and the connecting plate portion between the limiting sliding groove 23 and the second side edge 22 of the connecting plate 20 constitutes the first protruding rib 221 described above. The first protruding rib 221 and the second protruding rib 222 are designed such that the second side edge 22 of the connecting plate 20 has a cross section in the shape of a sideways T.

[0050] The locking member 30 is a sleeve with a C-shaped cross section, which is sleeved outside the first protruding rib 221 and the second protruding rib 222 of the connecting plate. The C-shaped opening of the sleeve 30 faces the second side edge 22 of the connecting plate 20. Specifically, the sleeve 30 is sleeved outside the first protruding rib 221 and the second protruding rib 222 of the connecting plate 20. The opposite two side edges of the C-shaped opening of the sleeve 30 are respectively referred to as a first support edge 31 and a second support edge 32, and the first support edge 31 is located at the upper portion of the second support edge 32. The first support edge 31 of the sleeve 30 is slidingly constrained in the limiting sliding groove 23 of the connecting plate 20. The end portion of the second protruding rib 222 of the connecting plate 20 (i.e., the portion of the second protruding rib 222 corresponding to the upper locking position of the sleeve 30) is missing and forms a notch portion 2220, and the presence of the notch portion 2220 forms a second limiting step 2221 between the end portion of the second protruding rib 222 and the main body of the connecting plate 20. See Figure 5 When the sleeve 30 is in the upper locking state, the main body of the connecting plate 20 of the upper storage box abuts against the top of the protruding edge 11 of the lower storage box, the lower portion of the sleeve 30 is located in the notch 110 of the protruding edge 11 of the lower storage box, and the locking engagement portion 33 on the lower storage box (i.e., the second storage box 10b) can extend into the position of the sleeve 30 corresponding to the notch portion 2220 of the connecting plate 20 and abut against the second limiting step 2221 of the connecting plate 20. At the same time, the front side edge or the rear side edge of the notch 110 of the lower storage box can limit the sleeve 30 in the front-rear direction to ensure that the sleeve can accurately slide to the corresponding unlocking position or upper locking position during the locking or unlocking operation.

[0051] See Figures 9-12The first supporting edge 31 of the sliding sleeve 30 is limited in position between the inner wall of the limiting sliding groove 23 of the connecting plate 20 and the limiting protrusion and limiting recess by limiting cooperation, so as to limit the sliding sleeve 30 in the locking position and the unlocking position. Specifically, the first supporting edge 31 of the sliding sleeve 30 is provided with a first limiting protrusion 311 and a second limiting protrusion 312 along the length direction thereof, and the first limiting protrusion 311 and the second limiting protrusion 312 are respectively arranged at the two end positions of the first supporting edge 31 of the sliding sleeve 30.

[0052] Referring to Figure 11 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 , the limiting sliding groove 23 of the connecting plate 20 is provided with a first limiting rib 233, a second limiting rib 234 and a third limiting rib 235 along the length direction thereof, and the first limiting rib 233, the second limiting rib 234 and the third limiting rib 235 all extend along the width direction of the limiting sliding groove 23, wherein the third limiting rib 235 is located at the middle position between the first limiting rib 233 and the second limiting rib 234. In order to ensure the strength of the above-mentioned limiting ribs and avoid deformation problems, the above-mentioned three limiting ribs are all arranged close to the bottom of the limiting sliding groove 23 and are in contact with the bottom and the opposite two side walls of the limiting sliding groove 23. The distance between the first limiting rib 233 and the third limiting rib 235 and the distance between the second limiting rib 234 and the third limiting rib 235 are equal, and both are slightly smaller than the distance between the first limiting protrusion 311 and the second limiting protrusion 312 on the sliding sleeve 30, so that the first limiting protrusion 311 and the second limiting protrusion 312 on the sliding sleeve 30 can be respectively abutted on the side away from the first limiting rib 233 and the third limiting rib 235 when the sliding sleeve 30 is in the unlocking state, as shown in Figure 13 ; similarly, the first limiting protrusion 311 and the second limiting protrusion 312 on the sliding sleeve 30 are respectively abutted on the side away from the second limiting rib 234 and the third limiting rib 235 when the sliding sleeve 30 is in the locking state, as shown in Figure 14 .

[0053] The two ends of the length direction of the limiting sliding groove 23 on the connecting plate 20 are closed, and the first limiting stop rib 233 and the second limiting stop rib 234 in the limiting sliding groove 23 are respectively arranged adjacent to the two ends of the limiting sliding groove 23. Specifically, the first limiting stop rib 233 has a certain spacing with the inner wall of the end position of the limiting sliding groove 23 in the front and back direction, and the size of the spacing is matched with the size of the first limiting protrusion 311 in the front and back direction, so that the first limiting stop rib 233 and the corresponding part of the inner wall of the limiting sliding groove 23 adjacent to the first limiting stop rib 233 jointly define a first limiting recess 231, and when the sleeve 30 is in the unlocked state, the first limiting protrusion 311 of the sleeve 30 can be limited in the first limiting recess 231. Similarly, the second limiting stop rib 234 also has a certain spacing with the inner wall of the other end position of the limiting sliding groove 23 in the front and back direction, and the size of the spacing is matched with the size of the second limiting protrusion 312 in the front and back direction, so that the second limiting stop rib 234 and the corresponding part of the inner wall of the limiting sliding groove 23 adjacent to the second limiting stop rib 234 jointly define a second limiting recess 232, and when the sleeve 30 is in the locked state, the second limiting protrusion 312 of the sleeve 30 can be limited in the second limiting recess 232.

[0054] After the sleeve 30 is limited in the unlocked position by the limiting stop ribs 233; 234; 235, the sleeve 30 will not easily slide, and the user can more easily center and move downward the locking member 30 on the first storage box 10a and the notch 110 on the second storage box 10b. Similarly, after the locking is completed, the sleeve 30 can be limited in the locked position, avoiding the sleeve 30 from being easily opened by touching external objects, and ensuring the reliability of the locking.

[0055] The second supporting edge 32 of the sleeve 30 also corresponds to two limiting protrusions 321; 322, which are respectively located at the two end positions of the length direction of the second supporting edge 32 of the sleeve 30. The purpose of this design is that the user does not need to strictly distinguish the first supporting edge 31 and the second supporting edge 32 of the sleeve 30 when installing the sleeve 30, that is, either of the two opposite side edges of the C-shaped opening of the sleeve can be clamped in the limiting sliding groove 23 of the connecting plate 20 as the "first supporting edge 31".

[0056] As Figure 9As shown, the first supporting edge 31 of the sliding sleeve 30 (the same applies to the second supporting edge 32) and the part where the sliding sleeve 30 is connected to the main body of the sliding sleeve 30 jointly form a part 30a with a "J-shaped cross section", so that when the first storage box 10a and the second storage box 10b are in the stacked state, the J-shaped cross section part 30a of the sliding sleeve 30 of the first storage box 10a is buckled below the bottom of the locking engagement part 33 of the second storage box 10b.

[0057] The locking part 30 on each connecting plate 20 of the storage box 10a; 10b can be provided with two or more, such as Figure 1 As shown, two locking parts 30 are provided at the second side edge 22 of each connecting plate 20 of the first storage box 10a. The two locking parts 30 are sequentially and spaced apart along the length direction of the second side edge 22 of the connecting plate 20, and correspondingly, at least two notches 110 are also provided on the convex edge 11 of the lower storage box, that is, the number of notches 110 is consistent with the number of locking parts 30 on the upper connecting plate 20.

[0058] The installation process of the storage box combination of the present embodiment is as follows:

[0059] The two connecting plates 20 at the bottom of the first storage box 10a are turned outwards by 180° to be unfolded, and the slide sleeve 30 on the second side edge 22 of the connecting plate 20 is moved out of the side wall 101; 102 of the first storage box 10a. During the turning of the connecting plate 20 to the unfolded state, the positioning protrusion 25 on the connecting plate 20 can be clamped into the first positioning recess 131 on the support seat 12 of the first storage box 10a, so that the connecting plate 20 can be kept in the corresponding unfolded state. Then the slide sleeve 30 on the connecting plate 20 is moved to the unlocking position, and after being moved to the position, the first limiting protrusion 311 on the first supporting edge 31 of the slide sleeve 30 abuts against the rear side of the first limiting stop rib 233 in the limiting sliding groove 23 of the connecting plate 20, and the second limiting protrusion 312 abuts against the front side of the third limiting stop rib 235 in the limiting sliding groove 23, so that the slide sleeve 30 is limited in the front-rear direction and kept in the unlocking position. Then the slide sleeve 30 on the first storage box 10a is aligned with the notch 110 on the convex edge 11 of the second storage box 10b below and is moved downward, and after being moved to the position, the slide sleeve 30 is moved from the unlocking position to the locking position, so that the locking engagement part 33 on the lower storage box (i.e. the second storage box 10b) can correspondingly extend into the slide sleeve 30, and at the same time, due to the supporting and expanding effect of the locking engagement part 33 extending into the slide sleeve 30 in the up-down direction, the first limiting protrusion 311 on the first supporting edge 31 of the slide sleeve 30 abuts against the rear side of the third limiting stop rib 235 in the limiting sliding groove 23 of the connecting plate 20, and the second limiting protrusion 312 abuts against the front side of the second limiting stop rib 234 in the limiting sliding groove 23, so that the slide sleeve 30 is again limited in the front-rear direction and cannot be easily unlocked by being touched and slid. At this time, the two storage boxes stacked above and below can be connected together. When it is needed to unlock and separate the two storage boxes locked together, the slide sleeve 30 is moved from the locking position to the unlocking position, and then the upper storage box is pulled upwards, so that the slide sleeve 30 is moved out of the notch 110 of the lower storage box.

[0060] The storage box of the embodiment can be a box body structure with a top opening 1a as shown in the drawings, but it is conceivable that the storage box can also include a cover body covering the top opening 1a of the storage box body, as long as the cover body does not block the notch 110 on the convex edge 11 of the storage box body.

Claims

1. A locking mechanism for a storage box, the storage box (10) comprising a bottom wall (104) and side walls (101; 102) extending upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall (104), characterized in that: The locking mechanism includes a locking assembly having a locking portion for locking with an external locking engagement (33), the locking assembly being rotatably connected to the bottom wall (104) of the storage box (10) in such a way that it can rotate about a pivot (24) extending in a generally horizontal direction relative to the storage box (10), and having at least a retracted state retracted relative to the bottom wall (104) of the storage box (10) and an open state unfolded relative to the storage box (10); The latching assembly includes a connecting plate (20) and a latching member (30) disposed on the connecting plate (20). The connecting plate (20) has a first side (21) and a second side (22) opposite to each other. The first side (21) of the connecting plate (20) is rotatably connected to the bottom of the storage box (10). When the latching assembly is in the open state, the second side (22) of the connecting plate (20) is exposed outside the side wall (101; 102) of the storage box (10). The latching member (30) is disposed on the second side (22) of the connecting plate (20) and constitutes the locking part of the latching assembly. The second side (22) of the connecting plate (20) in the open state extends in the front-back direction. The locking member (30) is slidably disposed on the second side (22) of the connecting plate (20). As its position changes, it has a locked state that locks with the external locking engagement part (33) and an unlocked state that releases the external locking engagement part (33). The connecting plate (20) in the open state has a first rib (221) that protrudes upward and extends along the second side (22) and a second rib (222) that protrudes downward and extends along the second side (22), so that the second side of the connecting plate (20) has a local cross-section in the shape of a side-positioned T, and the locking member (30) is a sliding sleeve with a cross-section in the shape of a C and is sleeved outside the first rib (221) and the second rib (222).

2. The locking mechanism for a storage box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second rib (222) on the connecting plate (20) is missing a notch (2220) at the part corresponding to the locked position of the sliding sleeve. When the sliding sleeve is in the locked state, the external locking engagement part (33) can extend into the sliding sleeve at the position corresponding to the notch (2220) of the connecting plate (20).

3. The locking mechanism for a storage box according to claim 1, characterized in that: A limiting groove (23) extending in the front-rear direction is provided on the top wall of the connecting plate (20) near the second side (22). The connecting plate portion between the limiting groove (23) and the second side (22) of the connecting plate constitutes the first rib (221).

4. The locking mechanism for a storage box according to claim 3, characterized in that: The two opposite sides of the C-shaped opening of the sliding sleeve are respectively referred to as the first support side (31) and the second support side (32). The first support side (31) or the second support side (32) of the sliding sleeve is slidably constrained in the limiting groove (23).

5. The locking mechanism for a storage box according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first support edge (31) or the second support edge (32) of the sliding sleeve is provided with a first limiting protrusion (311) and a second limiting protrusion (312) spaced apart along its length direction. The limiting groove (23) is provided with a first limiting rib (233), a second limiting rib (234), and a third limiting rib (235) spaced apart along its length direction. The first limiting rib (233), the second limiting rib (234), and the third limiting rib (235) all extend along the width direction of the limiting groove (23). The third limiting rib (235) is located at the first... Between the limiting rib (233) and the second limiting rib (234), when the sliding sleeve is in the unlocked state, the first limiting protrusion (311) and the second limiting protrusion (312) on the sliding sleeve respectively abut against the side of the first limiting rib (233) and the third limiting rib (235) that are far apart in the front-back direction. When the sliding sleeve is in the locked state, the first limiting protrusion (311) and the second limiting protrusion (312) on the sliding sleeve respectively abut against the side of the second limiting rib (234) and the third limiting rib (235) that are far apart in the front-back direction.

6. The locking mechanism for a storage box according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The storage box (10) has a downwardly extending support (12) on its bottom wall (104), and the bottom of the support (12) has an upwardly recessed receiving recess (13) for receiving a latch assembly in the closed state.

7. The locking mechanism for a storage box according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The bottom of the storage box (10) has two sets of locking assemblies arranged sequentially in the left-right direction. When both sets of locking assemblies are in the closed state, the second side (22) of the connecting plate (20) of the two sets of locking assemblies is close to each other while the first side (21) is far away from each other. When both sets of locking assemblies are in the open state, the first side (21) of the connecting plate (20) of the two sets of locking assemblies is close to each other while the second side (22) is far away from each other.

8. A storage box assembly employing a locking mechanism for a storage box as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising at least two storage boxes (10) stacked vertically, wherein the upper storage box of the two adjacent storage boxes (10) is designated as the first storage box (10a), and the lower storage box is designated as the second storage box (10b), characterized in that: The second storage box (10b) has a locking engagement part (33) on its left side wall and / or right side wall, and the first storage box (10a) has the locking assembly at its bottom. When the locking assembly is in the open state, the locking part of the locking assembly can move forward or backward to lock with the locking engagement part (33) on the second storage box (10b), thereby connecting the first storage box (10a) and the second storage box (10b) together.

9. The storage box assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The top of the second storage box (10b) has an opening (1b), and a protruding edge (11) is formed at the edge of the top opening (1b) of the second storage box (10b) that protrudes outward relative to the side wall of the second storage box (10b). The protruding edge (11) has a partially recessed notch (110) for the latch (30) in the unlocked state to pass through in the vertical direction. The protruding edge portion corresponding to the front edge and / or rear edge of the notch (110) serves as the latch engagement portion (33).

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