Security box for use with weapons and method of using the same

Abstract

A storage box for articles that includes a base defining a chamber therein and a door that engages the base and is movable between an open position where the chamber can be accessed and a closed position where access is prevented. A locking mechanism prevents unauthorized opening of the door. A securement assembly is provided on an interior wall of the base to retain articles in predetermined positions. The assembly includes a first member that is fixedly secured to the interior wall and one or more second members that are each releasably engageable with the first member. The second members include various types of article engaging mechanisms so as to retain different types of articles and are able to be moved on the first member to create different article storing configurations within the box.

1 . A storage box for one or more articles comprising:
 a base having a back wall and a peripheral wall extending outwardly from the back wall;   a chamber defined and bounded by the back and peripheral walls; and wherein an opening to the chamber is provided adjacent an upper end of the peripheral wall;   a door engageable with the base, said door being movable to an open position to permit access to the chamber through the opening and movable to a closed position to prevent access to the chamber;   a locking mechanism for selectively locking the door and base together when the door is in the closed position; and   a securement assembly provided on one of the back wall and peripheral wall of the base; said securement assembly being adapted to retain the one or more articles in predetermined positions within the chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The storage box as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the securement assembly comprises:
 a first member that is fixedly secured to the one of the back wall and peripheral wall of the base; and   one or more second members that are each releasably engageable with the first member, wherein each second member is adapted to engage a portion of one of the articles.   
     
     
         3 . The storage box as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the first member comprises a rail that is fixedly secured to the one of the back wall and the peripheral wall of the base. 
     
     
         4 . The storage box as defined in  claim 3 , wherein each second member comprises:
 a rail clip configured to be selectively releasably engaged with the rail; and   an article engaging member that is secured to the rail clip; and wherein the article engaging member is adapted to engage the portion of the one of the articles.   
     
     
         5 . The storage box as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the rail comprises:
 an elongate member having a front surface, a back surface, a top edge, a bottom edge and left and right sides; said elongate member further having a longitudinal axis that extends between the left and right sides thereof; and wherein the back surface is disposed in abutting contact with an interior surface of the one of the back wall and the peripheral wall of the base;   a first flange extends outwardly from the front surface and at a first angle to the longitudinal axis; and   a second flange extends outwardly from the front surface at a second angle to the longitudinal axis, and wherein said first and second flanges are spaced a distance apart from each other; and the rail clip is configured to releasably engage the first and second flanges.   
     
     
         6 . The storage box as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the rail clip comprises:
 a body having an interior surface and an exterior surface;   a recess defined in the interior surface of the body, said recess being at least as wide as a width of the rail;   a tab extending downwardly from the interior surface of the body adjacent a top end of the recess;   a tooth extending upwardly from the interior surface of the body adjacent a bottom end of the recess,   a gap is defined between the tab and the tooth, wherein the gap is smaller than the width of the rail; and   a movement mechanism is provided on the body and is operationally engaged with one of the tooth and the tab, said movement mechanism being moveable between an engaged position where it temporarily increases the size of the gap between the tooth and the tab to at least as wide as the width of the rail, and a disengaged position where the size of the gap between the tooth and the tab is less than the width of the rail.   
     
     
         7 . The storage box as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the rail is receivable in the recess of the body of the rail clip when the movement mechanism is in the engaged position, and the rail is retained in the recess in the body by the tooth and the tab when the movement mechanism is released and returns to its disengaged position. 
     
     
         8 . The storage box as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the movement mechanism includes a spring member provided on the body, and wherein said spring member biases the one of the tooth and the tab into a position where the gap between the tab and the tooth is smaller than the width of the rail; and wherein the spring member is compressible to increase the gap to at least as large as the width of the rail. 
     
     
         9 . The storage box as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the rail clip is selectively slideable along the length of the rail. 
     
     
         10 . The storage box as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the article engaging member comprises one of a magnet, a bracket, a tension clip, a clamp, a J-shaped hook, a shelf, and a length of metal bent to define a receiving space and a support for an article. 
     
     
         11 . The storage box defined in  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral wall of the base comprises a top wall, a bottom wall, a right side wall and a left side wall; and the door includes a front door wall, a top door wall, a bottom door wall, a right side door wall and a left side door wall; and when the door is in the closed position, the bottom door wall at least partially overlaps the bottom wall of the base, the right side door wall at least partially overlaps the right side wall of the base, and the left side door wall at least partially overlaps the left side wall. 
     
     
         12 . The storage box as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the bottom door wall substantially completely overlaps the bottom wall of the base, and the locking mechanism locks the bottom door wall to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         13 . The storage box as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional door that is positioned adjacent the door and is selectively openable to permit access to only a portion of the chamber; and closeable to prevent access to the portion of the chamber. 
     
     
         14 . In combination:
 a storage box for one or more articles comprising:   a base having a back wall and a peripheral wall extending outwardly from the back wall;   a chamber defined and bounded by the back and peripheral walls; and wherein an opening to the chamber is provided adjacent an upper end of the peripheral wall;   a door engageable with the base, said door being movable to an open position to permit access to the chamber and movable to a closed position to prevent access to the chamber;   a locking mechanism for selectively locking the door and base together when the door is in the closed position; and   a securement assembly adapted to retain the one or more articles within the chamber in a desired configuration; and wherein the securement assembly comprises:
 a first member that is fixedly secured to one or both of the back wall and peripheral wall of the base; and 
 a plurality of second members that are each releasably engageable with the first member and adapted to engage a portion of one of the articles; and wherein each second member is selectively positionable on the first member in order to retain the articles in the desired configuration. 
   
     
     
         15 . The combination as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the first member is a rail and each second member comprises:
 a rail clip configured to be selectively releasably engaged with the rail; and   an article engaging member that is secured to the rail clip; and wherein the article engaging member is adapted to engage the portion of the one of the articles.   
     
     
         16 . The combination as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the article engaging member comprises one of a magnet, a bracket, a tension clip, a clamp, a J-shaped hook, a shelf, and a length of metal bent to define a receiving space and a support for an article. 
     
     
         17 . A method of storing articles in a storage box comprising the steps of:
 opening a door of a storage box;   attaching a first article engaging member to a rail that is permanently mounted to an interior wall of the storage box;   engaging an article with the first article engaging member to retain the article in a predetermined position within the storage box;   closing the door of the storage box; and   engaging a locking mechanism to prevent unauthorized access to the article.   
     
     
         18 . The method as defined in  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 attaching a second article engaging member to the rail a spaced distance from the first article engaging member;   engaging the article partially on the first article engaging member and partially on the second article engaging member.   
     
     
         19 . The method as defined in  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of:
 attaching a second article engaging member to the rail a spaced distance from the first article engaging member; and   engaging a second article with the second article engaging member.   
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of:
 attaching one or more of a plurality of article engaging members to one of the rail and a second rail that is permanently fixed to the interior walls of the storage box;   sliding the first article engaging member and the one or more of the plurality of article engaging members along the respective rail or second rail to desired positions; and   engaging one or more of a plurality of the articles on the one or more of the plurality of article engaging members.   
     
     
         21 . The method as defined in  claim 20 , further comprising the step of:
 adjusting the position of the first article engaging member or the one or more of the plurality of article engaging members on the respective rail or second rail to ensure that the article and the one or more of the plurality of articles are stored within the storage box in a desired configuration.