US20110139777A1 - Container - Google Patents
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- Publication number
- US20110139777A1 US20110139777A1 US12/636,139 US63613909A US2011139777A1 US 20110139777 A1 US20110139777 A1 US 20110139777A1 US 63613909 A US63613909 A US 63613909A US 2011139777 A1 US2011139777 A1 US 2011139777A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- container
- latch member
- latch
- storage system
- cover
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
- B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
- B65D21/0209—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together stackable or joined together one-upon-the-other in the upright or upside-down position
- B65D21/0228—Containers joined together by screw-, bayonet-, snap-fit or the like
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
- B25H—WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT, e.g. FOR MARKING-OUT WORK; STORAGE MEANS FOR WORKSHOPS
- B25H3/00—Storage means or arrangements for workshops facilitating access to, or handling of, work tools or instruments
- B25H3/02—Boxes
- B25H3/021—Boxes comprising a number of connected storage elements
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D45/00—Clamping or other pressure-applying devices for securing or retaining closure members
- B65D45/02—Clamping or other pressure-applying devices for securing or retaining closure members for applying axial pressure to engage closure with sealing surface
- B65D45/16—Clips, hooks, or clamps which are removable, or which remain connected either with the closure or with the container when the container is open, e.g. C-shaped
- B65D45/20—Clips, hooks, or clamps which are removable, or which remain connected either with the closure or with the container when the container is open, e.g. C-shaped pivoted
- B65D45/22—Clips, hooks, or clamps which are removable, or which remain connected either with the closure or with the container when the container is open, e.g. C-shaped pivoted resilient
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a container storage system, and more particularly, to a container storage system having containers that can be connected together.
- One aspect provides a container storage system having a plurality of containers constructed and arranged to be connected together.
- the plurality of containers has at least a first container and a second container.
- Each container includes a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored and a cover movable between closed and opened positions for closing and opening the opening.
- Each container further includes a latch member movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch member of the first container, when in the latched position, is positioned to a) secure the cover in the closed position and b) connect the container to the second container.
- the container constructed and arranged to be connected to at least one other container.
- the container has a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored and a cover movable between closed and opened positions for closing and opening the opening.
- the container further includes a latch member movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch member, when in the latched position, is positioned to a) secure the cover in the closed position and b) connect the container to the at least one other container.
- the container constructed and arranged to be connected to at least one other container.
- the container has a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored and a cover for closing the opening.
- the container also has a latch member movable between a first position and a second position.
- the container further includes a retaining member constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member, wherein in the first position the latch member engages the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position.
- the latch member when in the second position, is positioned to be able to engage with the least one other container to connect the container to the at least one other container.
- a container storage system including a plurality of containers constructed and arranged to be connected together.
- the plurality of containers has at least a first container and a second container.
- Each container has a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored and a cover for closing the opening.
- Each container also has a latch member movable between a first position and a second position.
- Each container further includes a retaining member constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member, wherein in the first position the latch member engages the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position.
- the latch member of the first container when in the second position, engages with the second container to connect the first container to the second container.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a container storage assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a perspective front view of a container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is a perspective front view of a container of the container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 5 is a perspective front view of the container storage assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 5 ;
- FIG. 7 is a perspective front view of the container storage assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 is a top view of the container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 7 ;
- FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 7 .
- FIG. 1 shows a container storage system 10 that includes a plurality of containers 12 a, 12 b constructed and arranged to be connected together.
- Each container 12 a or 12 b has a container portion 14 with an opening 16 (see FIG. 4 ) into an interior space 18 in which articles to be transported can be stored.
- Each container 12 a or 12 b also includes a cover 20 for closing the opening and a latch member 22 a that is moveable between a first position and a second position.
- Each container 12 a or 12 b also has a retaining member or latch receiving portion 24 a or 24 b constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member 22 a. In the first position, the latch member 22 a engages the retaining member 24 b to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position.
- FIG. 1 only shows two containers 12 a and 12 b of the container storage system 10 , additional containers that are constructed and arranged similarly to containers 12 a and 12 b may be connected to containers 12 a and 12 b. It is also contemplated that additional containers constructed and arranged differently from containers 12 a and 12 b may be connected to containers 12 a and 12 b .
- the containers 12 a and 12 b are generally rectangular in shape. However, any convenient shape may be used.
- the interior space 18 (see FIG. 4 ) of the container portion 14 of each container 12 a and 12 b may be defined by a back wall or side 26 , a left wall or side 28 , a front wall or side 30 , a bottom wall or side 31 , and a right wall or side 32 .
- the interior space 18 may include dividers or inserts 34 (see FIG. 4 ) constructed and arranged to divide the interior space into compartments 36 .
- the dividers 34 may be constructed and arranged to be optionally removable by the user so that the user can insert the dividers 34 at various positions to form various sized compartments.
- the interior space 18 may also include pairs of flanges 35 (see FIG.
- the flanges 35 may have the same height as the dividers 34 , or may be of a greater or smaller height.
- the flanges 35 may be constructed and arranged to receive ribs (not shown) on the dividers 34 .
- the dividers 34 fowl the side walls of boxes or container members with open tops that can be inserted into the container portion 14 .
- these containers or boxes formed by the dividers 34 may have ribs along their edges, wherein the ribs may be inserted into these flanges 35 so as to retain the containers or boxes within the container portion 14 .
- These containers or boxes formed by the dividers 34 may be used to carry items, such as, for example, nails, screws, or other small items. It is also contemplated that these containers or boxes may be removed from the containers 12 a, 12 b to be carried separately.
- the container portion 14 may be made of plastic, metal, wood, other materials, or a combination thereof.
- the containers 12 a and 12 b may have feet 33 attached to the bottom wall 31 that are constructed and arranged to engage a surface. The feet 33 may be made of plastic, rubber, or other materials to provide friction with the surface on which the container 12 a or 12 b is resting.
- periphery ridges 37 may be provided on the periphery of the cover 20 .
- the periphery ridges 37 may be constructed and arranged to abut against the top portions 39 of the back wall 26 , the left wall 28 , the front wall 30 , and the right wall 32 (see FIG. 3 ).
- the top portion 39 of the left wall 28 may be constructed and arranged to fold outwardly to form a U-shape.
- the inner portion 42 of the periphery ridges 38 may abut against at least a portion of the U-shaped top portion 39 .
- the top portions 39 of the back wall 26 , the front wall 30 , and the right wall 32 may be constructed and arranged in a similar manner as the top portion 39 of the left wall 28 .
- the top portions 39 may optionally have other constructions and arrangements.
- the top surface of the cover 20 also includes center ridges 38 .
- the inner portion 40 of the center ridges 38 may be constructed and arranged to abut against the dividers 34 when the cover is in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 3 .
- the cover 20 of the first container 12 a may be reinforced by the ridges 37 and 38 and their abutment with the top portions 39 of the back wall 26 , the left wall 28 , the front wall 30 , and the right wall 32 and the dividers 34 , respectively, when the second container 12 b is stacked on top of the first container 12 a .
- the inner portion 40 of the ridges 38 are constructed and arranged to be positioned at a minimal distance above the dividers 34 when the cover 20 is initially in the closed position, but may abut against the dividers 34 when heavy objects are placed on top of the cover 20 to cause the cover 20 to depress downward.
- the center ridges 38 may optionally have different locations or arrangements.
- each of the containers 12 a and 12 b of the container storage system 10 includes a cover 20 when the containers 12 a and 12 b are connected.
- the cover 20 of any of the containers 12 a and 12 b may optionally be removed such that both, one, or none of the containers 12 a and 12 b have covers 20 when the containers 12 a and 12 b are connected.
- the cover 20 may be pivotally connected to the container portion 14 using hinges, pins, screws, fastenings, bolts, or any other connecting mechanism as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art.
- hinges 29 are constructed and arranged to extend from the rear wall 26 of the container portion 14 (see FIG. 8 ).
- each hinge 29 may also be constructed and arranged to be detachable so that the cover 20 can be detached and removed from the container portion 14 .
- each hinge 29 includes side portions 41 that are pivotally engaged with a middle portion 43 .
- the side portions 41 of the hinges 29 may be connected to the container portion 14 and the middle portion 43 of the hinges 29 may be connected to the cover 20 .
- the middle portion 43 of the hinges 29 may be disconnected from the side portions 41 of the hinges 29 so that the cover 20 can be detached and removed from the container portion 14 .
- Any conventional types of hinges may optionally be used.
- the cover 20 may also be a slide-on cover which is slid on to container portion 14 or a snap-on cover that is snapped on to the container portion 14 . It is contemplated that the methods of mounting the lid 14 on to the container portion 14 may vary and the number of covers 20 may vary. For example, there may be two covers 20 pivotally connected to the container portion 14 wherein each cover 20 may be opened or closed independently of the other.
- the cover 20 may be made of plastic, metal, wood, other materials, or a combination thereof. It is contemplated that all or any of the parts of the container 10 may be made from a molded plastic material.
- each of the containers 12 a and 12 b includes a handle 44 constructed and arranged to enable a user to lift the container 12 a or 12 b.
- a depression 46 may be formed between the front wall 30 and the handle 44 to allow better access to the handle 44 .
- the handle 44 may be made of a flexible material, such as, for example, elastomer, rubber or plastic.
- the handle 44 may be a curved arc, such as shown in FIG. 1 , or may have other shapes (see FIG. 5 ).
- the handle 44 may be a rigid and fixed handle.
- the handle 44 may be pivotally connected to the containers 12 a and 12 b via hinges, pins, screws, fastenings, bolts, or any other connecting mechanism as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art.
- Each of the containers 12 a and 12 b may include a cover latch or latch mechanism 48 constructed and arranged to latch the cover 18 to the container portion 14 .
- the container 12 b includes a pair of snap-on cover latches 48 .
- FIG. 1 shows only container 12 a as having cover latches 48 , it is contemplated that all of the containers 12 a, 12 b, 12 c may have cover latches 48 when they are connected to each other, as shown in FIG. 5 .
- the cover latch 48 may be integrally formed with the cover 20 or may be a separate piece connected to the cover 20 .
- the cover latch 48 may be constructed and arranged to extend downwardly and generally perpendicular to the plane of the cover 20 .
- An opening 52 may be formed in the cover latch 48 and may be constructed and arranged to engage with a latch engaging element 54 , which takes the form of a protrusion in FIG. 1 , on the container portion 14 , so as to latch the cover 20 to the container portion 14 .
- a latch engaging element 54 which takes the form of a protrusion in FIG. 1 , on the container portion 14 , so as to latch the cover 20 to the container portion 14 .
- the user may simply push down the cover 20 towards the container portion 14 so that the protrusion 54 slides against the surface of the cover latch 48 until the protrusion 54 snaps into the opening 52 .
- the user may simply pull the cover latch 48 in a direction away from the protrusion 54 so that the protrusion is no longer engaged with the opening 52 . The user may then lift the cover 20 to the open position.
- the location of the protrusion 54 and the opening 52 may be switched so that the protrusion 54 is located on the cover 20 and the opening 52 , which may also take the form of a depression, is located on the container portion 14 . It is also contemplated that the configuration and number of cover latches 48 may vary in other embodiments.
- the cover latch 48 may be one or more pivotable latches, buckles, or any other latching mechanism.
- each of the containers include the upper retaining member or upper latch receiving portion 24 a and the lower retaining member or lower latch receiving portion 24 b.
- Each of the containers 12 a and 12 b also includes the pivotal latch member 22 a that may be pivoted between the first position, where the latch member 22 a engages the upper retaining member 24 a to inhibit pivotal movement of the latch member 22 a away from the first position, and the second position, where the latch member 22 a of one of the containers 12 a and 12 b engages with the lower retaining member 24 b of another one of the containers 12 a and 12 b to connect the containers 12 a and 12 b.
- the latch member 22 a may be in the first position when the latch member 22 a is not being used to connect the containers 12 a and 12 b .
- the latch member 22 a may be in the second position when the latch member 22 a is being used to connect the containers 12 a and 12 b.
- the latch member 22 a may be pivotably connected to the container portion 14 of each container 12 a and 12 b via a living hinge 56 . It is contemplated that the latch member 22 a may be connected to other parts of the container 12 a or 12 b, such as the cover 20 .
- the latch member 22 a may be pivotably connected to the cover 20 or container portion 14 via hinges, pins, screws, fastenings, bolts, or any other connecting mechanism.
- the retaining members 24 a and 24 b and the latch member 22 a are connected to the left wall 28 and the right wall 32 of the container portion 14 .
- the retaining members 24 a and 24 b and the latch member 22 a may be positioned at other locations, such as, for example, the back wall 26 and the front wall 30 . It is contemplated that there may be retaining members 24 a and 24 b and latch members 22 a on all or any combination of the back wall 26 , left wall 28 , front wall 30 , and right wall 32 .
- the latch member 22 a of container 12 a is disengaged from the retaining member 24 b of container 12 b and is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction (as shown in FIG. 2 ).
- the latch member 22 a of container 12 a may then be engaged with the retaining member 24 a of the container 12 a .
- a tab 57 may be constructed and arranged to extend from the latch member 22 a to facilitate the pushing of the latch member 22 a to engage the latch member 22 a with the retaining members 24 a and 24 b and the pulling of the latch member 22 a to disengage the latch member 22 a from the retaining members 24 a and 24 b.
- the latch member 22 a includes an engaging element 58 , which takes the form of a recess, that is constructed and arranged to engage with the retaining members 24 a and 24 b.
- An upper periphery portion 60 defines the top of the recess 58 in the latch member 22 a.
- a lower periphery portion 62 defines the bottom of the recess 58 in the latch member 22 a .
- the lower periphery portion 62 may be constructed and arranged to engage with either an upper groove 66 or a lower groove 68 of the retaining members 24 a and 24 b.
- the retaining member 24 a, 24 b includes a lip 64 , the upper groove 66 , and the lower groove 68 .
- the engaging member 22 a may be constructed and arranged such that when the engaging member 22 a is engaged with the upper retaining member 24 a, the lower periphery portion 62 of the engaging member 22 a is retained in the lower groove 68 of the retaining member 24 a .
- the lower periphery portion 62 may be retained in the upper groove 66 of the retaining member 24 b.
- the latch member 22 a of container 12 b is in the first position, wherein the latch member 22 a of container 12 b is engaged with the upper retaining member 24 a of container 12 b.
- the lower periphery portion 62 of latch member 22 a of container 12 b is disposed in the lower groove 68 of the retaining member 24 a of container 12 b .
- the latch member 22 a of container 12 a is in the second position, wherein the latch member 22 a is engaged with the lower retaining member 24 b of container 12 b.
- the lower periphery portion 62 of latch member 22 a of container 12 a is disposed in the upper groove 62 of the lower retaining member 24 b of container 12 b.
- the user may simply pivot the latch member 22 a downwards in a counterclockwise direction towards the retaining member 24 a.
- the lower periphery portion 62 that defines the recess 58 of latch member 22 a is constructed and arranged to slide against a lower surface of the lip 64 until the lower periphery portion 62 snaps into the lower groove 68 , thus engaging the latch member 22 a with the retaining member 24 a.
- the user may simply pull the latch member 22 a pivotally upwards in the clockwise direction via the tab 57 . As such, the lower periphery portion 62 is removed from the groove 68 and is slid along the lower surface of the lip 64 until the latch member 22 a is completely disengaged from the retaining member 24 a.
- the user may simply pivot the latch member 22 a upwards in a clockwise direction towards the retaining member 24 b.
- the latch member 22 a is pushed against the retaining member 24 b, the lower periphery portion 62 of the recess 58 slides against an upper surface of the lip 64 until the lower periphery portion 62 snaps into the upper groove 66 , thus engaging the latch member 22 a with the retaining member 24 b.
- the user may simply pull the latch member 22 a pivotally downwards in the counterclockwise direction via the tab 57 .
- the lower periphery portion 62 is removed from the upper groove 66 and is slid along the upper surface of the lip 64 until the latch member 22 a is completely disengaged from the retaining member 24 b.
- the latch member is moveable relative to the container portion 14 via other means.
- the latch member 22 a may be constructed and arranged to be slideable between the first and second positions.
- containers 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c are connected via latch members 22 b, 22 c, and 22 d .
- Latch members 22 b, 22 c , and 22 d are constructed and arranged in the same manner, but are labeled with “ b”, “c” , and “ d ” to better differentiate among them in the description below.
- Each container 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c includes the cover 20 and container portion 14 .
- the covers 20 may optionally be removed so that none, one, or two of the containers have covers 20 when the containers 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c are connected.
- the containers 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c may be similarly constructed and arranged as containers 12 a and 12 b shown in FIG. 1 .
- the latch member 22 b which is pivotally attached to container 12 a, is used to connect container 12 a to container 12 b .
- FIG. 6 only shows the connection between containers 12 a and 12 b, the description below may also be generally applicable to the connection between containers 12 b and 12 c.
- the feet 33 of container 12 b may be disposed against the cover 20 of container 12 a.
- the bottom surface 31 of container 12 b may be disposed against the cover 20 of container 12 a when container 12 b is connected to container 12 a .
- At least a portion of the bottom wall 31 , the back wall 26 , the left wall 28 , the front wall 30 , and the right wall 32 of container 12 b may be disposed on the top portions 39 of the back wall 26 , the left wall 28 , the front wall 30 , and the right wall 32 of container 12 a.
- the latch member 22 b includes a plurality of segments 70 a , 70 b, and 70 c connected via living hinges 72 .
- the segments 70 a, 70 b, and 70 c may optionally be connected using hinges, pins, screws, fastenings, bolts, or any other connecting mechanism. It is contemplated that the number of segments may vary.
- the latch member 22 b or 22 c may be pivoted between the first position, where the latch member 22 b or 22 c engages a retaining member or latch receiving portion 24 c to inhibit pivotal movement of the latch member 22 b or 22 c away from the first position, and the second position, where the latch member 22 b or 22 c of one of the containers 12 a and 12 b engages with a portion of the latch member 22 b or 22 c of another one of the containers 12 a and 12 b to connect the containers 12 a and 12 b .
- the latch member 22 b or 22 c may be pivoted to the first position when the latch member 22 b or 22 c is not being used to connect one of the containers 12 a or 12 b to another one of the containers 12 a or 12 b , this results in being able to prevent the latch member 22 b or 22 c from hindering use of the containers 12 a and 12 b or from getting lost. Another result is the prevention of the latch member 22 b or 22 c from accidentally being removed or dislocated from the containers 12 a and 12 b when the latch member 22 b or 22 c is not being used to connect the containers 12 a and 12 b.
- each of the containers 12 a and 12 b may include the retaining member 24 c, which takes the form of a downwardly facing hook in this embodiment, that is constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member 22 b or 22 c.
- the latch member 22 b or 22 c may include an engaging member 74 , which takes the form of an upwardly facing right hook in this embodiment when the latch member 22 b or 22 c is in the first position, and an engaging member 76 , which takes the form of a upwardly facing left hook in this embodiment when the latch member 22 b or 22 c is in the first position.
- the engaging member 74 of the latch member 22 b or 22 c may be constructed and arranged to engage with the retaining member 24 c when the latch member 22 b or 22 c is in the first position.
- the engaging member 74 of the latch member 22 b of container 12 a may also be constructed and arranged to engage with the retaining member 24 c of container 12 b when the latch member 22 b is in the second position.
- the retaining members 24 c and the latch members 22 b, 22 c, and 22 d are located on the left wall 28 and the right wall 32 of the container portion 14 .
- the retaining members 24 c and the latch members 22 b, 22 c, or 22 d may be positioned at other locations, such as, for example, the back wall 26 and the front wall 30 . It is contemplated that there may be retaining members 24 c and latch members 22 b, 22 c, or 22 d on all or any combination of the back wall 26 , left wall 28 , front wall 30 , and right wall 32 .
- the latch member 22 c of container 12 b is in the first position such that the upwardly facing right hook 74 of the latch member 22 c is engaged with the retaining member 24 c of container 12 b .
- the engaging member 76 of the latch member 22 c is facing upwards and is constructed and arranged to engage with the engaging member 76 of the latch member 22 b .
- the engaging member 76 of the latch member 22 b is facing downwards and is engaged with the upwardly facing engaging member 76 of the latch member 22 c.
- the engaging member 74 of the latch member 22 b is facing away from the container 12 b when it is not being used to engage with any portions of containers 12 a and 12 b.
- the user may simply pull the latch member 22 b or 22 c of the first container 12 a or 12 b downwards so that the engaging member 74 is engaged with the retaining member 24 c of the first container 12 a or 12 b.
- the latch member 22 c is in the first position such that the engaging member 74 of the latch member 22 c is engaged with the retaining member 24 c.
- the user may simply pivot the latch member 22 b upwardly in the clockwise direction and then engage or hook engaging member 76 of the latch member 22 b to engaging member 76 of the latch member 22 c .
- the engaging member 74 of the latch member 22 b may be constructed and arranged to facilitate the lifting of the latch member 22 b to the second position.
- the user may simply pull the latch member 22 b in an upwards direction until the engaging member 76 of the latch, member 22 b is removed from the engaging member 76 of the latch member 22 c . The user may then pivot the latch member 22 b downwards in a clockwise direction to move the latch member 22 b to the first position.
- the latch member 22 b may be engaged with the retaining member 24 c of the container 12 b to connect the containers 12 a and 12 b together.
- the user may further rotate latch member 22 b in the clockwise direction to engage engaging member 74 of the latch member 22 b with the retaining member 24 c of the container 12 b.
- the user may position the engaging member 74 to face upwardly so as to hook into and engage with the downwardly facing retaining member 24 c of container 12 b.
- the user may simply push the engaging member 74 in a downwards direction until the engaging member 74 is unhooked from the retaining member 24 c. The user may then pivot the latch member 22 b downwards in a counterclockwise direction to move the latch member 22 b towards the first position.
- Container 12 b may be connected to container 12 c using latch members 22 c and 22 d in a similar manner as described previously with respect to the latch members 22 b and 22 c of containers 12 a and 12 b, respectively. It is contemplated that additional containers may be connected to the containers 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c in a similar manner.
- the container system 10 has a plurality of containers 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c that are constructed and arranged to be connected together.
- Each of the containers 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c includes the latch member 22 e that when in the latched position (or the second position), is positioned to a) secure the cover in the closed position and b) connect one of the containers 12 a , 12 b, and 12 c to another one of the containers 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c.
- the pivotal latch member 22 e can be pivoted between the first position (or unlatched position), where the latch member 22 e engages the upper retaining member or upper latch receiving portion 24 d to inhibit pivotal movement of the latch member 22 e , and the second position, where the latch member 22 e engages with a) an engaging member 81 (see FIG. 9 ) of its associated cover 20 to latch the cover 20 thereon and/or b) a lower retaining member or latch receiving portion 24 e of another one of the containers 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c to connect the containers 12 a, 12 b, 12 c.
- each container 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c includes the cover 20 and container portion 14 .
- the covers 20 may optionally be removed so that none, one, or two of the containers have covers 20 when the containers 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c are connected.
- the containers 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c may be similarly constructed and arranged as containers 12 a and 12 b shown in FIG. 1 .
- a depression 46 is formed in the front of the container portion 14 .
- a left portion 78 , a back portion 80 , and a right portion 82 define the U-shaped depression 46 .
- the depression 46 may take any other shapes or forms, and may be constructed and arranged to receive the handle 44 .
- the handle 44 extends between the left portion 78 and the right portion 82 .
- the handle 44 may be hollow and may include ribs 84 deployed along the interior surface thereof. The ribs 84 may provide reinforcement for the handle 44 when the handle 44 is grasped by the user.
- the handle 44 includes a back portion 83 having projections 86 with recesses 88 provided therein.
- the projections 86 may be constructed and arranged to extend generally perpendicularly relative to the back portion 83 in an interior space 90 of the back portion 83 .
- the recesses 88 of the projections 86 may be constructed and arranged to receive projections (not shown) located on a front plate 92 .
- the back portion 83 and the front plate 92 may be connected so as to form the handle 44 .
- the handle 44 may optionally be made of plastic, metal, wood, rubber, other materials known in the art, or any combination thereof. Rubber, foam, or other ant-slip materials may be provided on the surface thereof so as to facilitate the grasping of the handle 44 .
- the back portion 83 of the handle 44 are made from a plastic material and the front portion 92 of the handle 44 may be made from a rubber material.
- the pivotal latch member 22 e may be pivotally connected to the container portion 14 of each container 12 a , 12 b, and 12 c.
- the latch member 22 e has a curved cylindrical end 96 that is received in a groove 98 with a curved surface so that the cylindrical end 96 may pivot within the groove 98 .
- the latch member 22 e may also be connected to the container portion 14 using pins, hinges, or other connecting mechanisms that enable pivotal movement.
- the latch member 22 e may optionally be removable from the container portion 14 .
- the latch member 22 e of container 12 c is in the second position (or latched position), where the latch member 22 e is engaged with the engaging member 81 of its associated cover 20 to latch the cover 20 to the container portion 14 .
- the latch member 22 e of container 12 b is also in the second position, where the latch member 22 e is engaged with the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 to latch the cover 20 to the container portion 14 and with the lower retaining member 24 e of the container 12 c to latch the containers 12 b and 12 c together.
- the latch member 22 e of container 12 a is in the first position (or unlatched position), where the latch member 22 e is engaged with the upper retaining member 24 d so as to inhibit pivotal movement of the latch member 22 e away from the first position.
- each latch member 22 e has a generally T-shaped cross-section (as shown), with an elongated body 100 and two fingers 102 , 104 extending in opposite directions from one end of the body 100 .
- a groove 106 may be formed at an area between the finger 102 and the body 100 and may be constructed and arranged to receive the lower retaining member 24 e and/or the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 when the latch member 22 e is in the second position.
- a groove 108 may be formed at an area between the finger 104 and the body 100 and may be constructed and arranged to receive the upper retaining member 24 d when the latch member 22 e is in the first position. It is contemplated that the user may pull or push on the fingers 102 , 104 of the latch member 22 e to pivot the latch members 22 e between the first and second positions.
- each lower retaining member or lower latch receiving portion 24 e takes the form of two portions 115 with an opening 99 provided between the two portions 115 , as shown in FIG. 7 .
- the two portions 115 that form the lower retaining member 24 e are identical and thus the descriptions below with regard to the lower retaining member 24 e will be considered to apply to both portions.
- an outer wall 113 to which the upper retaining member 24 d is attached, extends parallel with respect to the left wall 28 .
- the outer wall 113 may form a part of the side wall 28 .
- the lower retaining member 24 e and the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 are constructed and arranged such that when one of the containers 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c is stacked on top of another one of the containers 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c, the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 is positioned between the two portions 115 of the lower retaining member 24 e of the upper container 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c (within the opening 99 ).
- the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 of container 12 a is positioned between the two portions 115 of the lower retaining member 24 e of container 12 b .
- FIG. 7 the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 of container 12 a is positioned between the two portions 115 of the lower retaining member 24 e of container 12 b .
- the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 takes the form of an elongated lip 97 . As such, this enables the latch member 22 e of the lower container 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c to engage with both a) the engaging member 81 of its associated cover 20 and b) the lower retaining member 24 e of the upper container 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c, which will be described in more detail later.
- the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 includes the lip 97 that is constructed and arranged to engage with the groove 106 of the latch member 22 e when the latch member 22 e is in the second position.
- the lower retaining member 24 e includes a lip 112 that is constructed and arranged to engage with the groove 106 of the latch member 22 e when the latch member 22 e is in the second position.
- the upper retaining member 24 d includes a lip 114 that is constructed and arranged to engage with the groove 108 of the latch member 22 e when the latch member 22 e is in the first position.
- the lip 114 of each container 12 a, 12 b, 12 c extends in a downward direction parallel to the side wall 28 of each container 12 a, 12 b , 12 c.
- the lower retaining member 24 e includes a connecting portion 107 that connects the outer wall 113 with the lip 112 .
- the outer wall 113 , connecting portion 107 , and the lip 112 define a recess 105 that is constructed and arranged to receive a portion of the finger 102 when the latch member 22 e is in the second position.
- the lip 112 of the lower retaining member 24 e of containers 12 a, 12 b, 12 c extends upwardly in a direction perpendicular to the connecting portion 107 .
- the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 includes the elongated lip 97 .
- the lip 97 of the cover 20 is aligned with the lip 112 of the lower latch member 24 e of container 12 b. This enables the latch member 22 e of container 12 a to latch the 1) cover 20 of container 12 a thereto and b) connect container 12 a with container 12 b .
- Containers 12 b and 12 c may also have such configurations so that they may be connected in a similar manner.
- the user may simply pivot the latch member 22 e downwards in a counterclockwise direction (as seen in FIG. 9 ) towards the retaining member 24 d.
- the finger 104 of the latch member 22 e of container 12 a may be pushed against the lip 114 .
- a front surface 121 of the finger 104 may be pushed against an outer surface of the lip 114 until the resiliency of the lip 114 and the finger 104 enables the lip 114 to snap into the groove 108 and thus be retained by the groove 108 .
- the latch member 22 e is inhibited from movement away from this first position.
- the user may simply pull the latch member 22 e pivotally upwards in the clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 9 ) via the finger 102 of the latch member 22 e .
- the resiliency of the lip 114 and the finger 104 enables the lip 114 of the upper retaining member 24 d to snap out of the groove 108 of the latch member 22 e.
- the upper retaining member 24 d is no longer engaged with the latch member 22 e.
- All of the containers 12 a, 12 b, 12 c may optionally have such configurations.
- the user may simply pivot the latch member 22 e upwards in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 9 ) towards the retaining member 24 e .
- the finger 102 of the latch member 22 e of container 12 b may be pushed against the lip 112 of the lower retaining member 24 e of container 12 c.
- the lip 112 is obstructed from view by lip 97 .
- lip 112 of containers 12 b and 12 c have the same construction and arrangement as lip 112 of container 12 a. Specifically, a front surface 109 of the finger 102 may be pushed against an outer surface of the lip 112 until the resiliency of the lip 112 and the finger 102 enables the lip 112 to snap into the groove 106 and thus be retained by the groove 106 . In this position, as can be seen with respect to containers 12 b and 12 c, a portion of the finger 102 of the latch member 22 e of container 12 b is received within the recess 105 of the container 12 c. As such, the latch member 22 e is inhibited from movement away from this second position.
- any one of the containers 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c may be connected to another one of the containers 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c in a similar manner.
- the container 12 c may be connected to container 12 b in a similar manner as described above.
- the user may simply pull the latch member 22 e pivotally downwards in the counterclockwise direction via the finger 104 of the latch member 22 e. Accordingly, the lip 112 of the lower retaining member 24 e is removed from the groove 106 . As such, the finger 102 is removed from the recess 105 of the lower retaining member 24 e, and the lower retaining member 24 e is no longer engaged with the latch member 22 e.
- the latch member 22 e may also engage with the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 in a similar manner as the aforementioned description. Specifically, to engage the latch member 22 e of container 12 b with the lip 97 of the engaging member 81 of its associated cover 20 , the user may simply pivot the latch member 22 e upwards in a clockwise direction towards the engaging member 81 . As such, the finger 102 of the latch member 22 e is pushed against the lip 97 of the engaging member 81 until the resiliency of the lip 97 and the latch member 22 e enables the lip 97 to snap into the groove 106 of the latch member 22 e. The lip 97 is thus retained in the groove 106 and the latch member 22 e is engaged with the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 .
- the engaging member 81 of the cover 20 is positioned between the two portions 115 of the latch member 22 e of the second container 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c located above the first container 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c (see, for example, containers 12 b and 12 c in FIG. 7 ). Therefore, the latch member 22 e of the first container 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c may engage its associated cover 20 as well as another container 12 a, 12 b, or 12 c located above the first container 12 a , 12 b , or 12 c.
- the user may simply pull the latch member 22 e pivotally downwards in the counterclockwise direction via the finger 104 of the latch member 22 e . Accordingly, the lip 97 of the engaging member 81 is removed from the groove 106 and the engaging member 81 is no longer engaged with the latch member 22 e.
- the latch member 22 e, the upper retaining member 24 d, and the lower retaining member 24 e may optionally have other configurations.
- the latch member 22 e may have a loop configuration that engages with a hook configuration of the upper retaining member 24 d and the lower retaining member 24 e.
- the configuration of the latch member 22 and the retaining members 24 e, 24 d may optionally be interchanged.
- the latch member 22 e may include an opening that receives a protrusion of the retaining members 24 d, 24 e .
- the latch member 226 and the retaining members 24 d, 24 e may be engaged using buckle configurations.
- the latch member 22 e and the retaining members 24 d, 24 e may be engaged using snap-fit connections.
Abstract
A container storage system having a plurality of containers to be connected together. The system includes at least a first container and a second container. The first container and the second container each has a cover and a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored. The latch member is movable between a latched and an unlatched position, or a first position and a second position. The latch member of the first container, when in the latched position, is positioned to a) secure the cover in the closed position and b) connect the container to the second container. Each container has a retaining member in the first position, the latch member engages the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member. The latch member, in the second position, is positioned to be able to engage with the least one other container to connect the containers.
Description
- The present invention relates to a container storage system, and more particularly, to a container storage system having containers that can be connected together.
- Numerous container storage systems are known in the art. However, there is a constant need in the industry to improve upon existing container storage systems by making them more efficient, easy to use, modular, and/or multifunctional.
- One aspect provides a container storage system having a plurality of containers constructed and arranged to be connected together. The plurality of containers has at least a first container and a second container. Each container includes a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored and a cover movable between closed and opened positions for closing and opening the opening. Each container further includes a latch member movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch member of the first container, when in the latched position, is positioned to a) secure the cover in the closed position and b) connect the container to the second container.
- Another aspect provides a container constructed and arranged to be connected to at least one other container. The container has a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored and a cover movable between closed and opened positions for closing and opening the opening. The container further includes a latch member movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch member, when in the latched position, is positioned to a) secure the cover in the closed position and b) connect the container to the at least one other container.
- Another aspect provides a container constructed and arranged to be connected to at least one other container. The container has a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored and a cover for closing the opening. The container also has a latch member movable between a first position and a second position. The container further includes a retaining member constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member, wherein in the first position the latch member engages the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position. The latch member, when in the second position, is positioned to be able to engage with the least one other container to connect the container to the at least one other container.
- Another aspect provides a container storage system including a plurality of containers constructed and arranged to be connected together. The plurality of containers has at least a first container and a second container. Each container has a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored and a cover for closing the opening. Each container also has a latch member movable between a first position and a second position. Each container further includes a retaining member constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member, wherein in the first position the latch member engages the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position. The latch member of the first container, when in the second position, engages with the second container to connect the first container to the second container.
- These and other aspects of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form apart of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. In one embodiment, the structural components illustrated herein can be considered drawn to scale. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not a limitation of the invention. In addition, it should be appreciated that structural features shown or described in any one embodiment herein can be used in other embodiments as well. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
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FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a container storage assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective front view of a container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective front view of a container of the container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective front view of the container storage assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment ofFIG. 5 ; and -
FIG. 7 is a perspective front view of the container storage assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 8 is a top view of the container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment ofFIG. 7 ; and -
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the container storage assembly in accordance with the embodiment ofFIG. 7 . -
FIG. 1 shows acontainer storage system 10 that includes a plurality ofcontainers container container portion 14 with an opening 16 (seeFIG. 4 ) into aninterior space 18 in which articles to be transported can be stored. Eachcontainer cover 20 for closing the opening and alatch member 22 a that is moveable between a first position and a second position. Eachcontainer latch receiving portion latch member 22 a. In the first position, thelatch member 22 a engages the retainingmember 24 b to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position. In the second position, thelatch member 22 a of a first of thecontainers 12 a engages with a second of thecontainers 12 b to connect thefirst container 12 a to thesecond container 12 b. AlthoughFIG. 1 only shows twocontainers container storage system 10, additional containers that are constructed and arranged similarly tocontainers containers containers containers containers - As shown in
FIG. 1 , the interior space 18 (seeFIG. 4 ) of thecontainer portion 14 of eachcontainer side 26, a left wall orside 28, a front wall orside 30, a bottom wall orside 31, and a right wall orside 32. Theinterior space 18 may include dividers or inserts 34 (seeFIG. 4 ) constructed and arranged to divide the interior space intocompartments 36. Thedividers 34 may be constructed and arranged to be optionally removable by the user so that the user can insert thedividers 34 at various positions to form various sized compartments. Theinterior space 18 may also include pairs of flanges 35 (seeFIG. 4 ) constructed and arranged to extend from theback wall 26, theleft wall 28, thefront wall 30, and theright wall 32 at different angles so as to form a V shape. Theflanges 35 may have the same height as thedividers 34, or may be of a greater or smaller height. Theflanges 35 may be constructed and arranged to receive ribs (not shown) on thedividers 34. In one embodiment, thedividers 34 fowl the side walls of boxes or container members with open tops that can be inserted into thecontainer portion 14. As such, these containers or boxes formed by thedividers 34 may have ribs along their edges, wherein the ribs may be inserted into theseflanges 35 so as to retain the containers or boxes within thecontainer portion 14. These containers or boxes formed by thedividers 34 may be used to carry items, such as, for example, nails, screws, or other small items. It is also contemplated that these containers or boxes may be removed from thecontainers container portion 14 may be made of plastic, metal, wood, other materials, or a combination thereof. Thecontainers feet 33 attached to thebottom wall 31 that are constructed and arranged to engage a surface. Thefeet 33 may be made of plastic, rubber, or other materials to provide friction with the surface on which thecontainer - As shown in
FIG. 1 ,periphery ridges 37 may be provided on the periphery of thecover 20. Theperiphery ridges 37 may be constructed and arranged to abut against thetop portions 39 of theback wall 26, theleft wall 28, thefront wall 30, and the right wall 32 (seeFIG. 3 ). As shown inFIG. 3 , thetop portion 39 of theleft wall 28 may be constructed and arranged to fold outwardly to form a U-shape. As such, theinner portion 42 of theperiphery ridges 38 may abut against at least a portion of the U-shapedtop portion 39. Thetop portions 39 of theback wall 26, thefront wall 30, and theright wall 32 may be constructed and arranged in a similar manner as thetop portion 39 of theleft wall 28. Thetop portions 39 may optionally have other constructions and arrangements. - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1 , the top surface of thecover 20 also includescenter ridges 38. Theinner portion 40 of thecenter ridges 38 may be constructed and arranged to abut against thedividers 34 when the cover is in the closed position, as shown inFIG. 3 . As such, thecover 20 of thefirst container 12 a may be reinforced by theridges top portions 39 of theback wall 26, theleft wall 28, thefront wall 30, and theright wall 32 and thedividers 34, respectively, when thesecond container 12 b is stacked on top of thefirst container 12 a. Alternatively, in one embodiment, theinner portion 40 of theridges 38 are constructed and arranged to be positioned at a minimal distance above thedividers 34 when thecover 20 is initially in the closed position, but may abut against thedividers 34 when heavy objects are placed on top of thecover 20 to cause thecover 20 to depress downward. Thecenter ridges 38 may optionally have different locations or arrangements. - In one embodiment, each of the
containers container storage system 10 includes acover 20 when thecontainers cover 20 of any of thecontainers containers containers cover 20 may be pivotally connected to thecontainer portion 14 using hinges, pins, screws, fastenings, bolts, or any other connecting mechanism as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art. In one embodiment wherein hinges 29 are used to pivotally connect thecover 20 to thecontainer portion 14, thehinges 29 are constructed and arranged to extend from therear wall 26 of the container portion 14 (seeFIG. 8 ). The hinges 29 may also be constructed and arranged to be detachable so that thecover 20 can be detached and removed from thecontainer portion 14. For example, inFIG. 8 , each hinge 29 includesside portions 41 that are pivotally engaged with amiddle portion 43. Theside portions 41 of thehinges 29 may be connected to thecontainer portion 14 and themiddle portion 43 of thehinges 29 may be connected to thecover 20. As such, themiddle portion 43 of thehinges 29 may be disconnected from theside portions 41 of thehinges 29 so that thecover 20 can be detached and removed from thecontainer portion 14. Any conventional types of hinges may optionally be used. Thecover 20 may also be a slide-on cover which is slid on tocontainer portion 14 or a snap-on cover that is snapped on to thecontainer portion 14. It is contemplated that the methods of mounting thelid 14 on to thecontainer portion 14 may vary and the number ofcovers 20 may vary. For example, there may be twocovers 20 pivotally connected to thecontainer portion 14 wherein each cover 20 may be opened or closed independently of the other. Thecover 20 may be made of plastic, metal, wood, other materials, or a combination thereof. It is contemplated that all or any of the parts of thecontainer 10 may be made from a molded plastic material. - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1 , each of thecontainers handle 44 constructed and arranged to enable a user to lift thecontainer depression 46 may be formed between thefront wall 30 and thehandle 44 to allow better access to thehandle 44. In one embodiment, thehandle 44 may be made of a flexible material, such as, for example, elastomer, rubber or plastic. Thehandle 44 may be a curved arc, such as shown inFIG. 1 , or may have other shapes (seeFIG. 5 ). In another embodiment, thehandle 44 may be a rigid and fixed handle. In some embodiments, thehandle 44 may be pivotally connected to thecontainers - Each of the
containers latch mechanism 48 constructed and arranged to latch thecover 18 to thecontainer portion 14. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 , thecontainer 12 b includes a pair of snap-on cover latches 48. AlthoughFIG. 1 shows onlycontainer 12 a as having cover latches 48, it is contemplated that all of thecontainers FIG. 5 . Thecover latch 48 may be integrally formed with thecover 20 or may be a separate piece connected to thecover 20. Thecover latch 48 may be constructed and arranged to extend downwardly and generally perpendicular to the plane of thecover 20. Anopening 52 may be formed in thecover latch 48 and may be constructed and arranged to engage with alatch engaging element 54, which takes the form of a protrusion inFIG. 1 , on thecontainer portion 14, so as to latch thecover 20 to thecontainer portion 14. To latch thecover 20 to thecontainer portion 14, the user may simply push down thecover 20 towards thecontainer portion 14 so that theprotrusion 54 slides against the surface of thecover latch 48 until theprotrusion 54 snaps into theopening 52. To unlatch thecover 20, the user may simply pull thecover latch 48 in a direction away from theprotrusion 54 so that the protrusion is no longer engaged with theopening 52. The user may then lift thecover 20 to the open position. It is contemplated that the location of theprotrusion 54 and theopening 52 may be switched so that theprotrusion 54 is located on thecover 20 and theopening 52, which may also take the form of a depression, is located on thecontainer portion 14. It is also contemplated that the configuration and number of cover latches 48 may vary in other embodiments. For example, thecover latch 48 may be one or more pivotable latches, buckles, or any other latching mechanism. - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1 , each of the containers include the upper retaining member or upperlatch receiving portion 24 a and the lower retaining member or lowerlatch receiving portion 24 b. Each of thecontainers pivotal latch member 22 a that may be pivoted between the first position, where thelatch member 22 a engages the upper retainingmember 24 a to inhibit pivotal movement of thelatch member 22 a away from the first position, and the second position, where thelatch member 22 a of one of thecontainers member 24 b of another one of thecontainers containers latch member 22 a may be in the first position when thelatch member 22 a is not being used to connect thecontainers latch member 22 a may be in the second position when thelatch member 22 a is being used to connect thecontainers FIG. 1 , thelatch member 22 a may be pivotably connected to thecontainer portion 14 of eachcontainer living hinge 56. It is contemplated that thelatch member 22 a may be connected to other parts of thecontainer cover 20. It is also contemplated that thelatch member 22 a may be pivotably connected to thecover 20 orcontainer portion 14 via hinges, pins, screws, fastenings, bolts, or any other connecting mechanism. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 , the retainingmembers latch member 22 a are connected to theleft wall 28 and theright wall 32 of thecontainer portion 14. However, the retainingmembers latch member 22 a may be positioned at other locations, such as, for example, theback wall 26 and thefront wall 30. It is contemplated that there may be retainingmembers latch members 22 a on all or any combination of theback wall 26, leftwall 28,front wall 30, andright wall 32. - To disconnect the
containers latch member 22 a ofcontainer 12 a is disengaged from the retainingmember 24 b ofcontainer 12 b and is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction (as shown inFIG. 2 ). Thelatch member 22 a ofcontainer 12 a may then be engaged with the retainingmember 24 a of thecontainer 12 a. Atab 57 may be constructed and arranged to extend from thelatch member 22 a to facilitate the pushing of thelatch member 22 a to engage thelatch member 22 a with the retainingmembers latch member 22 a to disengage thelatch member 22 a from the retainingmembers - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 3 , thelatch member 22 a includes an engagingelement 58, which takes the form of a recess, that is constructed and arranged to engage with the retainingmembers upper periphery portion 60 defines the top of therecess 58 in thelatch member 22 a. Alower periphery portion 62 defines the bottom of therecess 58 in thelatch member 22 a. Thelower periphery portion 62 may be constructed and arranged to engage with either anupper groove 66 or alower groove 68 of the retainingmembers - As shown in
FIG. 3 , the retainingmember lip 64, theupper groove 66, and thelower groove 68. The engagingmember 22 a may be constructed and arranged such that when the engagingmember 22 a is engaged with the upper retainingmember 24 a, thelower periphery portion 62 of the engagingmember 22 a is retained in thelower groove 68 of the retainingmember 24 a. Alternatively, when the engagingmember 22 a of one of thecontainers member 24 b of another one of thecontainers containers lower periphery portion 62 may be retained in theupper groove 66 of the retainingmember 24 b. - As shown in
FIG. 3 , thelatch member 22 a ofcontainer 12 b is in the first position, wherein thelatch member 22 a ofcontainer 12 b is engaged with the upper retainingmember 24 a ofcontainer 12 b. Thelower periphery portion 62 oflatch member 22 a ofcontainer 12 b is disposed in thelower groove 68 of the retainingmember 24 a ofcontainer 12 b. InFIG. 3 , thelatch member 22 a ofcontainer 12 a is in the second position, wherein thelatch member 22 a is engaged with the lower retainingmember 24 b ofcontainer 12 b. Thelower periphery portion 62 oflatch member 22 a ofcontainer 12 a is disposed in theupper groove 62 of the lower retainingmember 24 b ofcontainer 12 b. - To engage the
latch member 22 a ofcontainer 12 b with the upper retainingmember 24 a ofcontainer 12 b, the user may simply pivot thelatch member 22 a downwards in a counterclockwise direction towards the retainingmember 24 a. Thelower periphery portion 62 that defines therecess 58 oflatch member 22 a is constructed and arranged to slide against a lower surface of thelip 64 until thelower periphery portion 62 snaps into thelower groove 68, thus engaging thelatch member 22 a with the retainingmember 24 a. To disengage thelatch member 22 a from the retainingmember 24 a, the user may simply pull thelatch member 22 a pivotally upwards in the clockwise direction via thetab 57. As such, thelower periphery portion 62 is removed from thegroove 68 and is slid along the lower surface of thelip 64 until thelatch member 22 a is completely disengaged from the retainingmember 24 a. - To engage the
latch member 22 a ofcontainer 12 a with the lower retainingmember 24 b ofcontainer 12 b so thatcontainer 12 a is connected tocontainer 12 b, the user may simply pivot thelatch member 22 a upwards in a clockwise direction towards the retainingmember 24 b. As thelatch member 22 a is pushed against the retainingmember 24 b, thelower periphery portion 62 of therecess 58 slides against an upper surface of thelip 64 until thelower periphery portion 62 snaps into theupper groove 66, thus engaging thelatch member 22 a with the retainingmember 24 b. To disengage thelatch member 22 a from the retainingmember 24 b, the user may simply pull thelatch member 22 a pivotally downwards in the counterclockwise direction via thetab 57. As such, thelower periphery portion 62 is removed from theupper groove 66 and is slid along the upper surface of thelip 64 until thelatch member 22 a is completely disengaged from the retainingmember 24 b. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the latch member is moveable relative to thecontainer portion 14 via other means. For example, thelatch member 22 a may be constructed and arranged to be slideable between the first and second positions. - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 5 ,containers latch members Latch members container cover 20 andcontainer portion 14. Thecovers 20 may optionally be removed so that none, one, or two of the containers havecovers 20 when thecontainers containers containers FIG. 1 . - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 6 , thelatch member 22 b, which is pivotally attached tocontainer 12 a, is used to connectcontainer 12 a tocontainer 12 b. AlthoughFIG. 6 only shows the connection betweencontainers containers container 12 b is connected tocontainer 12 a, thefeet 33 ofcontainer 12 b may be disposed against thecover 20 ofcontainer 12 a. In some embodiments, thebottom surface 31 ofcontainer 12 b may be disposed against thecover 20 ofcontainer 12 a whencontainer 12 b is connected tocontainer 12 a. In embodiments where thecover 20 ofcontainer 12 a is removed, at least a portion of thebottom wall 31, theback wall 26, theleft wall 28, thefront wall 30, and theright wall 32 ofcontainer 12 b may be disposed on thetop portions 39 of theback wall 26, theleft wall 28, thefront wall 30, and theright wall 32 ofcontainer 12 a. - As shown in
FIG. 6 , thelatch member 22 b includes a plurality ofsegments segments - In this embodiment, the
latch member latch member latch receiving portion 24 c to inhibit pivotal movement of thelatch member latch member containers latch member containers containers latch member latch member containers containers latch member containers latch member containers latch member containers - As shown in
FIG. 6 , each of thecontainers member 24 c, which takes the form of a downwardly facing hook in this embodiment, that is constructed and arranged to engage with thelatch member latch member member 74, which takes the form of an upwardly facing right hook in this embodiment when thelatch member member 76, which takes the form of a upwardly facing left hook in this embodiment when thelatch member member 74 of thelatch member member 24 c when thelatch member member 74 of thelatch member 22 b ofcontainer 12 a may also be constructed and arranged to engage with the retainingmember 24 c ofcontainer 12 b when thelatch member 22 b is in the second position. - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 5 , the retainingmembers 24 c and thelatch members left wall 28 and theright wall 32 of thecontainer portion 14. However, the retainingmembers 24 c and thelatch members back wall 26 and thefront wall 30. It is contemplated that there may be retainingmembers 24 c andlatch members back wall 26, leftwall 28,front wall 30, andright wall 32. - Referring back to
FIG. 6 , thelatch member 22 c ofcontainer 12 b is in the first position such that the upwardly facingright hook 74 of thelatch member 22 c is engaged with the retainingmember 24 c ofcontainer 12 b. The engagingmember 76 of thelatch member 22 c is facing upwards and is constructed and arranged to engage with the engagingmember 76 of thelatch member 22 b. As shown inFIG. 6 , when thelatch member 22 b is in the second position, the engagingmember 76 of thelatch member 22 b is facing downwards and is engaged with the upwardly facing engagingmember 76 of thelatch member 22 c. In the second position, the engagingmember 74 of thelatch member 22 b is facing away from thecontainer 12 b when it is not being used to engage with any portions ofcontainers - When the
latch member containers containers first container latch member first container member 74 is engaged with the retainingmember 24 c of thefirst container FIG. 6 , thelatch member 22 c is in the first position such that the engagingmember 74 of thelatch member 22 c is engaged with the retainingmember 24 c. In this embodiment, to connectcontainers latch member 22 b upwardly in the clockwise direction and then engage or hook engagingmember 76 of thelatch member 22 b to engagingmember 76 of thelatch member 22 c. The engagingmember 74 of thelatch member 22 b may be constructed and arranged to facilitate the lifting of thelatch member 22 b to the second position. To disengage the engagingmember 76 of thelatch member 22 b from the engagingmember 76 of thelatch member 22 c, the user may simply pull thelatch member 22 b in an upwards direction until the engagingmember 76 of the latch,member 22 b is removed from the engagingmember 76 of thelatch member 22 c. The user may then pivot thelatch member 22 b downwards in a clockwise direction to move thelatch member 22 b to the first position. - In the embodiment of
FIG. 6 , if thelatch member 22 c is being used to latchcontainer 12 c to the top ofcontainer 12 b, thelatch member 22 b may be engaged with the retainingmember 24 c of thecontainer 12 b to connect thecontainers latch member 22 b in the clockwise direction to engage engagingmember 74 of thelatch member 22 b with the retainingmember 24 c of thecontainer 12 b. For example, to engage engagingmember 74 of thelatch member 22 b with the retainingmember 24 c ofcontainer 12 b, the user may position the engagingmember 74 to face upwardly so as to hook into and engage with the downwardly facing retainingmember 24 c ofcontainer 12 b. To disengage the engagingmember 74 of thelatch member 22 b from the retainingmember 24 c ofcontainer 12 b, the user may simply push the engagingmember 74 in a downwards direction until the engagingmember 74 is unhooked from the retainingmember 24 c. The user may then pivot thelatch member 22 b downwards in a counterclockwise direction to move thelatch member 22 b towards the first position. -
Container 12 b may be connected tocontainer 12 c usinglatch members latch members containers containers - As shown in
FIG. 7 , in another embodiment, thecontainer system 10 has a plurality ofcontainers containers latch member 22 e that when in the latched position (or the second position), is positioned to a) secure the cover in the closed position and b) connect one of thecontainers containers FIG. 7 , thepivotal latch member 22 e can be pivoted between the first position (or unlatched position), where thelatch member 22 e engages the upper retaining member or upperlatch receiving portion 24 d to inhibit pivotal movement of thelatch member 22 e, and the second position, where thelatch member 22 e engages with a) an engaging member 81 (seeFIG. 9 ) of its associatedcover 20 to latch thecover 20 thereon and/or b) a lower retaining member orlatch receiving portion 24 e of another one of thecontainers containers latch member 22 e when thelatch member 22 e is in the unlatched position. Many of the components of the embodiment shown inFIG. 7 are similar to the components of the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 , and thus will be labeled in a similar manner. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 7 , eachcontainer cover 20 andcontainer portion 14. Thecovers 20 may optionally be removed so that none, one, or two of the containers havecovers 20 when thecontainers containers containers FIG. 1 . - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 7 , adepression 46 is formed in the front of thecontainer portion 14. In this embodiment, aleft portion 78, aback portion 80, and aright portion 82 define theU-shaped depression 46. Thedepression 46 may take any other shapes or forms, and may be constructed and arranged to receive thehandle 44. In this embodiment, thehandle 44 extends between theleft portion 78 and theright portion 82. Thehandle 44 may be hollow and may include ribs 84 deployed along the interior surface thereof. The ribs 84 may provide reinforcement for thehandle 44 when thehandle 44 is grasped by the user. In this embodiment, thehandle 44 includes aback portion 83 havingprojections 86 withrecesses 88 provided therein. Theprojections 86 may be constructed and arranged to extend generally perpendicularly relative to theback portion 83 in an interior space 90 of theback portion 83. Therecesses 88 of theprojections 86 may be constructed and arranged to receive projections (not shown) located on afront plate 92. Accordingly, theback portion 83 and thefront plate 92 may be connected so as to form thehandle 44. Thehandle 44 may optionally be made of plastic, metal, wood, rubber, other materials known in the art, or any combination thereof. Rubber, foam, or other ant-slip materials may be provided on the surface thereof so as to facilitate the grasping of thehandle 44. In one embodiment, theback portion 83 of thehandle 44 are made from a plastic material and thefront portion 92 of thehandle 44 may be made from a rubber material. - As shown in
FIG. 9 , thepivotal latch member 22 e may be pivotally connected to thecontainer portion 14 of eachcontainer latch member 22 e has a curved cylindrical end 96 that is received in a groove 98 with a curved surface so that the cylindrical end 96 may pivot within the groove 98. It is contemplated that thelatch member 22 e may also be connected to thecontainer portion 14 using pins, hinges, or other connecting mechanisms that enable pivotal movement. In one optional embodiment, thelatch member 22 e may optionally be removable from thecontainer portion 14. - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 9 , thelatch member 22 e ofcontainer 12 c is in the second position (or latched position), where thelatch member 22 e is engaged with the engagingmember 81 of its associatedcover 20 to latch thecover 20 to thecontainer portion 14. Thelatch member 22 e ofcontainer 12 b is also in the second position, where thelatch member 22 e is engaged with the engagingmember 81 of thecover 20 to latch thecover 20 to thecontainer portion 14 and with the lower retainingmember 24 e of thecontainer 12 c to latch thecontainers latch member 22 e ofcontainer 12 a is in the first position (or unlatched position), where thelatch member 22 e is engaged with the upper retainingmember 24 d so as to inhibit pivotal movement of thelatch member 22 e away from the first position. - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 9 , eachlatch member 22 e has a generally T-shaped cross-section (as shown), with an elongated body 100 and two fingers 102, 104 extending in opposite directions from one end of the body 100. A groove 106 may be formed at an area between the finger 102 and the body 100 and may be constructed and arranged to receive the lower retainingmember 24 e and/or the engagingmember 81 of thecover 20 when thelatch member 22 e is in the second position. Similarly, a groove 108 may be formed at an area between the finger 104 and the body 100 and may be constructed and arranged to receive the upper retainingmember 24 d when thelatch member 22 e is in the first position. It is contemplated that the user may pull or push on the fingers 102, 104 of thelatch member 22 e to pivot thelatch members 22 e between the first and second positions. - In one embodiment, each lower retaining member or lower
latch receiving portion 24 e takes the form of twoportions 115 with anopening 99 provided between the twoportions 115, as shown inFIG. 7 . The twoportions 115 that form the lower retainingmember 24 e are identical and thus the descriptions below with regard to the lower retainingmember 24 e will be considered to apply to both portions. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 7 , anouter wall 113, to which the upper retainingmember 24 d is attached, extends parallel with respect to theleft wall 28. In some embodiments, theouter wall 113 may form a part of theside wall 28. - The
lower retaining member 24 e and the engagingmember 81 of thecover 20 are constructed and arranged such that when one of thecontainers containers member 81 of thecover 20 is positioned between the twoportions 115 of the lower retainingmember 24 e of theupper container FIG. 7 , the engagingmember 81 of thecover 20 ofcontainer 12 a is positioned between the twoportions 115 of the lower retainingmember 24 e ofcontainer 12 b. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 7 , the engagingmember 81 of thecover 20 takes the form of anelongated lip 97. As such, this enables thelatch member 22 e of thelower container member 81 of its associatedcover 20 and b) the lower retainingmember 24 e of theupper container - In one embodiment, the engaging
member 81 of thecover 20 includes thelip 97 that is constructed and arranged to engage with the groove 106 of thelatch member 22 e when thelatch member 22 e is in the second position. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 9 (seecontainer 12 a), the lower retainingmember 24 e includes alip 112 that is constructed and arranged to engage with the groove 106 of thelatch member 22 e when thelatch member 22 e is in the second position. Similarly, the upper retainingmember 24 d includes alip 114 that is constructed and arranged to engage with the groove 108 of thelatch member 22 e when thelatch member 22 e is in the first position. As shown inFIG. 7 , thelip 114 of eachcontainer side wall 28 of eachcontainer - As shown in
FIGS. 7 and 9 and which can be seen with regard tocontainer 12 a, the lower retainingmember 24 e includes a connectingportion 107 that connects theouter wall 113 with thelip 112. Theouter wall 113, connectingportion 107, and thelip 112 define arecess 105 that is constructed and arranged to receive a portion of the finger 102 when thelatch member 22 e is in the second position. As shown inFIG. 9 , thelip 112 of the lower retainingmember 24 e ofcontainers portion 107. - As mentioned above, the engaging
member 81 of thecover 20 includes theelongated lip 97. As shown inFIG. 7 and which can be seen with regard tocontainers cover 20 ofcontainer 12 a is positioned on top thereof, thelip 97 of thecover 20 is aligned with thelip 112 of thelower latch member 24 e ofcontainer 12 b. This enables thelatch member 22 e ofcontainer 12 a to latch the 1) cover 20 ofcontainer 12 a thereto and b) connectcontainer 12 a withcontainer 12 b.Containers - To engage the
latch member 22 e ofcontainer member 24 d located thereon, the user may simply pivot thelatch member 22 e downwards in a counterclockwise direction (as seen inFIG. 9 ) towards the retainingmember 24 d. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 9 and which will be described with regard tocontainer 12 a, the finger 104 of thelatch member 22 e ofcontainer 12 a may be pushed against thelip 114. Specifically, a front surface 121 of the finger 104 may be pushed against an outer surface of thelip 114 until the resiliency of thelip 114 and the finger 104 enables thelip 114 to snap into the groove 108 and thus be retained by the groove 108. As such, thelatch member 22 e is inhibited from movement away from this first position. - To disengage the
latch member 22 e from the upper retainingmember 24 d, the user may simply pull thelatch member 22 e pivotally upwards in the clockwise direction (as viewed inFIG. 9 ) via the finger 102 of thelatch member 22 e. The resiliency of thelip 114 and the finger 104 enables thelip 114 of the upper retainingmember 24 d to snap out of the groove 108 of thelatch member 22 e. As such, the upper retainingmember 24 d is no longer engaged with thelatch member 22 e. All of thecontainers - To engage the
latch member 22 e ofcontainer 12 b with the lower retainingmember 24 e ofcontainer 12 c, as shown in the embodiment ofFIG. 7 , the user may simply pivot thelatch member 22 e upwards in a clockwise direction (as viewed inFIG. 9 ) towards the retainingmember 24 e. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 9 and which will be described with regard tocontainers latch member 22 e ofcontainer 12 b may be pushed against thelip 112 of the lower retainingmember 24 e ofcontainer 12 c. In this Figure, thelip 112 is obstructed from view bylip 97. However,lip 112 ofcontainers lip 112 ofcontainer 12 a. Specifically, a front surface 109 of the finger 102 may be pushed against an outer surface of thelip 112 until the resiliency of thelip 112 and the finger 102 enables thelip 112 to snap into the groove 106 and thus be retained by the groove 106. In this position, as can be seen with respect tocontainers latch member 22 e ofcontainer 12 b is received within therecess 105 of thecontainer 12 c. As such, thelatch member 22 e is inhibited from movement away from this second position. Any one of thecontainers containers container 12 c may be connected tocontainer 12 b in a similar manner as described above. - To disengage the
latch member 22 e from the lower retainingmember 24 e, the user may simply pull thelatch member 22 e pivotally downwards in the counterclockwise direction via the finger 104 of thelatch member 22 e. Accordingly, thelip 112 of the lower retainingmember 24 e is removed from the groove 106. As such, the finger 102 is removed from therecess 105 of the lower retainingmember 24 e, and the lower retainingmember 24 e is no longer engaged with thelatch member 22 e. - The
latch member 22 e may also engage with the engagingmember 81 of thecover 20 in a similar manner as the aforementioned description. Specifically, to engage thelatch member 22 e ofcontainer 12 b with thelip 97 of the engagingmember 81 of its associatedcover 20, the user may simply pivot thelatch member 22 e upwards in a clockwise direction towards the engagingmember 81. As such, the finger 102 of thelatch member 22 e is pushed against thelip 97 of the engagingmember 81 until the resiliency of thelip 97 and thelatch member 22 e enables thelip 97 to snap into the groove 106 of thelatch member 22 e. Thelip 97 is thus retained in the groove 106 and thelatch member 22 e is engaged with the engagingmember 81 of thecover 20. As mentioned above, when thecover 20 is positioned on top of afirst container member 81 of thecover 20 is positioned between the twoportions 115 of thelatch member 22 e of thesecond container first container containers FIG. 7 ). Therefore, thelatch member 22 e of thefirst container cover 20 as well as anothercontainer first container - To disengage the
latch member 22 e from the engagingmember 81, the user may simply pull thelatch member 22 e pivotally downwards in the counterclockwise direction via the finger 104 of thelatch member 22 e. Accordingly, thelip 97 of the engagingmember 81 is removed from the groove 106 and the engagingmember 81 is no longer engaged with thelatch member 22 e. - The
latch member 22 e, the upper retainingmember 24 d, and the lower retainingmember 24 e may optionally have other configurations. Just for example, thelatch member 22 e may have a loop configuration that engages with a hook configuration of the upper retainingmember 24 d and the lower retainingmember 24 e. The configuration of the latch member 22 and the retainingmembers latch member 22 e may include an opening that receives a protrusion of the retainingmembers members latch member 22 e and the retainingmembers - Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration of one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited thereto, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. In addition, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.
Claims (35)
1. A container storage system comprising:
a plurality of containers constructed and arranged to be connected together, the plurality of containers comprising at least a first container and a second container, the first container and the second container each comprising:
a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored;
a cover movable between closed and opened positions for closing and opening the opening;
a latch member movable between a latched position and an unlatched position;
wherein the latch member of the first container, when in the latched position, is positioned to a) secure the cover of the first container in the closed position and b) connect the first container to the second container.
2. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein the latch member is pivotable between the latched position and the unlatched position.
3. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein each container comprises a latch mechanism to latch the cover to the container portion.
4. The container storage system of claim 3 , wherein the latch mechanism is removable from the container portion.
5. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein the cover is constructed and arranged to snap-on to the container portion.
6. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein each container further comprises a handle constructed and arranged to enable a user to lift the container.
7. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein the cover is detachable from the container portion.
8. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein the cover of each container is pivotally connected to the container portion by a hinge.
9. The container storage system of claim 8 , wherein the hinge is disconnectable so that the cover can be detached from the container portion.
10. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein the interior space of each container is divided into compartments.
11. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein the latch member is removable from the container portion.
12. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein each container comprises a latch receiving portion.
13. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein the cover of each container comprises a latch receiving portion.
14. The container storage system of claim 1 , wherein the second container comprises a latch receiving portion constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member of the first container.
15. The container storage system of claim 14 , wherein the latch receiving portion of the second container comprises a projection constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member of the first container.
16. The container storage system of claim 14 , wherein the latch receiving portion of the second container comprises a recess constructed and arranged to receive a portion of the latch member of the first container.
17. The container storage system of claim 14 , wherein the cover of the first container comprises an engaging member constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member of the first container.
18. The container storage system of claim 17 , wherein the engaging member of the cover is aligned with the latch receiving portion of the second container such that the latch member of the first container, when in the latched position, is positioned to a) secure the cover of the first container in the closed position and b) connect the first container to the second container.
19. A container constructed and arranged to be connected to at least one other container, the container comprising:
a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored;
a cover movable between closed and opened positions for closing and opening the opening;
a latch member movable between a latched position and an unlatched position,
wherein the latch member, when in the latched position, is positioned to a) secure the cover in the closed position and b) connect the container to the at least one other container.
20. A container storage system comprising:
a plurality of containers constructed and arranged to be connected together, the plurality of containers comprising at least a first container and a second container, the first container and the second container each comprising:
a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored;
a cover for closing the opening;
a latch member movable between a first position and a second position;
a retaining member constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member, wherein in the first position the latch member engages the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position;
wherein the latch member of the first container, when in the second position, engages with the second container to connect the first container to the second container.
21. The container storage system of claim 20 , wherein the retaining member is located on a side portion of each container.
22. The container storage system of claim 20 , wherein the latch member comprises a living hinge.
23. The container storage system of claim 20 , wherein the latch member is attached to each container by a living hinge.
24. The container storage system of claim 20 , wherein the latch member comprises a plurality of living hinges.
25. The container storage system of claim 20 , wherein the first container and the second container each further comprises a second retaining member, wherein the latch member of the first container, when in the second position, engages with the second retaining member of the second container to connect the first container to the second container.
26. The container storage system of claim 20 , wherein in the second position, the latch member of the first container engages with the retaining member of the second container to connect the first container to the second container.
27. The container storage system of claim 20 , wherein each container comprises a latch receiving portion.
28. The container storage system of claim 20 , wherein the second container comprises a latch receiving portion constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member of the first container when the latch member is in the second position.
29. The container storage system of claim 28 , wherein the latch receiving portion of the second container comprises a projection constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member of the first container.
30. The container storage system of claim 28 , wherein the latch receiving portion of the second container comprises a recess constructed and arranged to receive a portion of the latch member of the first container.
31. The container storage system of claim 28 , wherein the cover of the first container comprises an engaging member constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member of the first container.
32. The container storage system of claim 31 , wherein the engaging member of the cover is aligned with the latch receiving portion of the second container such that the latch member of the first container, when in the second position, is positioned to a) secure the cover of the first container in the closed position and b) connect the first container to the second container.
33. The container storage system of claim 20 , wherein the cover of each container comprises an engaging member constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member of the same container when the latch member is in the second position.
34. The container storage system of claim 20 , wherein the retaining member of each container comprises a projection constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member.
35. A container constructed and arranged to be connected to at least one other container, the container comprising:
a container portion with an opening into an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored;
a cover for closing the opening;
a latch member movable between a first position and a second position;
a retaining member constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member, wherein in the first position the latch member engages the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position;
wherein the latch member, when in the second position, is positioned to be able to engage with the at least one other container to connect the container to the at least one other container.
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US12/636,139 US20110139777A1 (en) | 2009-12-11 | 2009-12-11 | Container |
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EP12174177.1A EP2508439B1 (en) | 2009-12-11 | 2010-12-07 | Stackable container |
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CN2010206526501U CN201990010U (en) | 2009-12-11 | 2010-12-10 | Container |
US13/566,319 US8602217B2 (en) | 2009-12-11 | 2012-08-03 | Container |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP2347966A1 (en) | 2011-07-27 |
IL209554A0 (en) | 2011-01-31 |
AU2010246445A1 (en) | 2011-06-30 |
EP2347966B1 (en) | 2012-08-29 |
CN201990010U (en) | 2011-09-28 |
AU2010246445B2 (en) | 2014-08-07 |
CA2724147C (en) | 2016-03-29 |
EP2508439B1 (en) | 2014-08-13 |
IL209554A (en) | 2014-12-31 |
EP2508439A1 (en) | 2012-10-10 |
CA2724147A1 (en) | 2011-06-11 |
US20110139666A1 (en) | 2011-06-16 |
US8505729B2 (en) | 2013-08-13 |
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