IP Library Granted Patent US 12,440,960
Granted Patent B2
US 12,440,960 · App. 18/017,488 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Tool container with magnetic retention assembly for lid

Inventor: Nicholas Ryan Imsand (Huntersville, NC)
Assignee: Apex Brands, Inc.
B25H3/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,440,960
App. No.
18/017,488
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tool container may include a container portion that includes a front wall, sidewalls, and a rear wall. The tool container may further include a lid hingedly attached to the rear wall, a mobility assembly including wheels and a handle assembly, and a magnetic retention assembly configured to hold the lid proximate to the handle assembly to retain the lid in an opened position.

Claims (53)

1. A tool container comprising:

a container portion comprising a front wall, sidewalls, and a rear wall;

a lid hingedly attached to the rear wall, pivotable between an opened position and a closed position;

a mobility assembly comprising wheels and a handle assembly; and

a magnetic retention assembly configured to hold the lid proximate to the handle assembly to retain the lid in the opened position,

wherein the magnetic retention assembly comprises:

a first magnetic strip disposed at a flap of the lid, the flap overlapping with at least a portion of the front wall of the container portion when the lid is in the closed position; and

a second magnetic strip disposed at the portion of the front wall of the container portion,

wherein responsive to the lid being in the opened position, the first magnetic strip aligns with and magnetically operably couples to the handle assembly to hold the lid in the opened position, and

wherein responsive to the lid being in the closed position, the first magnetic strip aligns with and magnetically operably couples to the second magnetic strip to hold the lid in the closed position.

2. The tool container of claim 1 , wherein the handle assembly comprises a plurality of telescoping segments extendible between an extended position and a collapsed position, and

wherein the first magnetic strip is disposed at a portion of the flap that corresponds to a location of one of the telescoping segments of the handle assembly when the handle assembly is in the extended position.

3. The tool container of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic retention assembly is configured to hold the lid proximate to the handle assembly to retain the lid in the opened position and hold the lid proximate to the front wall when the lid is in the closed position.

4. The tool container of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic retention assembly comprises a plurality of magnets retained inside fabric material of the lid.

5. The tool container of claim 1 , wherein the tool container is a tool bag, and the lid, the front wall, the sidewalls, and the rear wall each comprise fabric material.

6. A tool bag comprising:

a container portion comprising a front wall, sidewalls, and a rear wall;

a lid hingedly attached to the rear wall, pivotable between an opened position and a closed position;

a handle assembly comprising a plurality of telescoping segments extendible between an extended position and a collapsed position; and

a magnetic retention assembly configured to hold the lid proximate to the front wall when the lid is in the closed position and also hold the lid in the opened position,

wherein the magnetic retention assembly comprises:

a first magnetic strip disposed at a flap of the lid, the flap overlapping with at least a portion of the front wall of the container portion when the lid is in the closed position; and

a second magnetic strip disposed at the portion of the front wall of the container portion,

wherein responsive to the lid being in the closed position, the first magnetic strip aligns with and magnetically operably couples to the second magnetic strip to hold the lid in the closed position, and

wherein responsive to the lid being in the opened position, the first magnetic strip aligns with and magnetically operably couples to the handle assembly to hold the lid in the opened position.

7. The tool bag of claim 6 , further comprising a mobility assembly comprising wheels,

wherein the first magnetic strip is disposed at a portion of the flap that corresponds to a location of one of the telescoping segments of the handle assembly when the handle assembly is in the extended position.

8. The tool bag of claim 6 , wherein the magnetic retention assembly comprises a plurality of magnets retained inside fabric material of the lid.

9. The tool bag of claim 6 , wherein the tool container is a tool bag, and the lid, the front wall, the sidewalls, and the rear wall each comprise fabric material.

10. The tool bag of claim 9 , wherein the lid is operably coupled to the rear wall via a living hinge.

11. The tool container of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic retention assembly further comprises:

a third magnetic strip disposed at a flap of the lid, the flap overlapping with at least the portion of the front wall of the container portion when the lid is in the closed position; and

a fourth magnetic strip disposed at the portion of the front wall of the container portion.

12. The tool container of claim 11 , wherein responsive to the lid being in the opened position, the third magnetic strip aligns with and magnetically operably couples to the handle assembly to hold the lid in the opened position, and

wherein responsive to the lid being in the closed position, the third magnetic strip aligns with and magnetically operably couples to the fourth magnetic strip to hold the lid in the closed position.

13. The tool bag of claim 6 , wherein the magnetic retention assembly further comprises:

a third magnetic strip disposed at a flap of the lid, the flap overlapping with at least the portion of the front wall of the container portion when the lid is in the closed position; and

a fourth magnetic strip disposed at the portion of the front wall of the container portion.

14. The tool bag of claim 13 , wherein responsive to the lid being in the closed position, the third magnetic strip aligns with and magnetically operably couples to the fourth magnetic strip to hold the lid in the closed position.

15. A tool container comprising:

a container portion comprising a front wall, sidewalls, and a rear wall;

a lid hingedly attached to the rear wall;

a mobility assembly comprising wheels and a handle assembly; and

a magnetic retention assembly configured to hold the lid proximate to the handle assembly to retain the lid in an opened position,

wherein the magnetic retention assembly comprises a first magnetic strip disposed at a flap of the lid, the flap overlapping with at least a portion of the front wall of the container portion when the lid is in a closed position,

wherein the magnetic retention assembly further comprises a second magnetic strip disposed at the flap of the lid, the first magnetic strip being disposed on an outside facing portion of the flap when the lid is in the closed position, and the second magnetic strip being disposed on an inside facing portion of the flap when the lid is in the closed position, and

wherein the front wall further comprises a third magnetic strip, the third magnetic strip being disposed at a top portion of the front wall to interface with the second magnetic strip when the lid is in the closed position.

16. The tool container of claim 15 , wherein the handle assembly comprises a plurality of telescoping segments extendible between an extended position and a collapsed position, and

wherein the first magnetic strip is disposed at a portion of the flap that corresponds to a location of one of the telescoping segments of the handle assembly when the handle assembly is in the extended position.

17. The tool container of claim 15 , wherein responsive to the lid being in the opened position, the first magnetic strip aligns with and magnetically operably couples to the handle assembly to hold the lid in the opened position.

18. The tool container of claim 15 , wherein the magnetic retention assembly comprises a plurality of magnets retained inside fabric material of the lid.

19. The tool container of claim 15 , wherein the tool container is a tool bag, and the lid, the front wall, the sidewalls, and the rear wall each comprise fabric material.

20. The tool container of claim 19 , wherein the lid is operably coupled to the rear wall via a living hinge.

Assignments (7)
NEW SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT Recorded Oct 28, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073377/0567 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NOS. 7444851 AND 11203070 WHICH WERE INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORD PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67310 FRAME 54. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073078/0477 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT NO. 11191173 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67310 FRAME 54. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Aug 22, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068791/0141 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT. NO. 11191173 WAS INCORRCTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 66631 FRAME: 791. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT. Recorded Jun 25, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 067884/0469 →
SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded May 3, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067310/0054 →
SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT Recorded Feb 20, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 066631/0791 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2023
From: IMSAND, NICHOLAS RYAN
To: APEX BRANDS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062675/0107 →