Extra large tote with wheels and lid combination
11390307 · 2022-07-19
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
B62B5/0013
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B62B5/06
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B62B1/18
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B62B1/24
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B62B1/24
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B62B5/06
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A tote has a hollow main body, a plurality of wheels, and an axle. The hollow main body has a plurality of side walls and a base wall. The base wall defines an open top and a cavity. The open top is circumscribed by a rim. The open top is configured to be covered by a lid. The base wall is bounded by the plurality of side walls. The base wall also includes a pair of outer wheel wells and a central wheel well. The central wheel well is disposed between the outer wheel wells and separated from the outer wheel wells by axle supports. Each of the plurality of wheels is disposed in one of the outer wheel wells and the central wheel well. The axle is connected to each of the wheels. The axle is rotatably supported by the axle supports of the hollow main body.
Claims
1. A tote, comprising: a hollow main body having a plurality of side walls and a base wall defining an open top and a cavity, the open top circumscribed by a rim and configured to be covered by a lid, the base wall bounded by the plurality of side walls and having a pair of outer wheel wells and a central wheel well, the central wheel well disposed between the outer wheel wells and separated from the outer wheel wells by axle supports; a plurality of wheels, each of the wheels disposed in one of the outer wheel wells and the central wheel well; and an axle connected to each of the wheels and rotatably supported by the axle supports of the hollow main body; wherein: the plurality of side walls includes a right side wall, a left side wall, a rear side wall, and a front side wall, and the pair of outer wheel wells, the central wheel well, and the axle supports are disposed in the base wall adjacent to the rear side wall, and each of the axle supports has a first axle side wall, a second axle side wall, and an angled rear wall that connects the first axle side wall and the second axle side wall, the angled rear wall disposed intermediate the rear side wall and the base wall.
2. The tote of claim 1, wherein the first axle side wall has a first axle aperture, and the second axle side wall has a second axle aperture, and the axle is disposed through both the first axle aperture and the second axle aperture.
3. The tote of claim 2, wherein the angled rear wall has an open channel with a curved backwall, the open channel having a first channel side and a second channel side, and the open channel being in communication with the first axle aperture and the second axle aperture and rotatably receiving the axle.
4. The tote of claim 3, wherein the open channel has a channel width and a channel depth, and each of the first axle aperture and the second axle aperture has an axle aperture diameter, the channel width and the channel depth being greater than the axle aperture diameter.
5. The tote of claim 1, wherein the hollow main body has a plurality of stacking supports disposed on the front side wall of the hollow main body.
6. The tote of claim 5, wherein the plurality of stacking supports is disposed on the rear side wall and the front side wall of the hollow main body.
7. The tote of claim 5, wherein each of the stacking supports has a resting surface, the resting surface spaced apart from the rim by a resting support distance.
8. The tote of claim 7, wherein the plurality of stacking supports includes a first set of stacking supports and a second set of stacking supports.
9. The tote of claim 8, wherein each of the first set of stacking supports and the second set of stacking supports has a first rib and a second rib, the first rib spaced apart from the second rib.
10. A stacked combination of totes, comprising: a first tote and a second tote, each of the first tote and the second tote having a hollow main body, a plurality of wheels, and an axle, the hollow main body including a plurality of side walls and a base wall defining an open top and a cavity, the open top circumscribed by a rim and configured to be covered by a lid, the base wall bounded by the plurality of side walls and having a pair of outer wheel wells and a central wheel well, the central wheel well disposed between the outer wheel wells and separated from the outer wheel wells by axle supports, and the plurality of wheels includes a pair of outer wheels and a central wheel, each of the pair of outer wheels disposed in one of the pair of outer wheel wells, the central wheel is disposed in the central wheel well, and an axle connected to each of the wheels and rotatably supported by the axle supports of the hollow main body, and wherein: the plurality of side walls includes a right side wall, a left side wall, a rear side wall, and a front side wall, and the pair of outer wheel wells, the central wheel well, and the axle supports are disposed in the base wall adjacent to the rear side wall, each of the axle supports has a first axle side wall, a second axle side wall, and an angled rear wall that connects the first axle side wall and the second axle side wall, the angled rear wall disposed intermediate the rear side wall and the base wall, and the first tote is disposed inside the cavity of the second tote, each of the pair of outer wheels of the first tote contacts and rests on one of the pair of outer wheel wells of the second tote, and the central wheel of the first tote contacts and rests on the central wheel well of the second tote.
11. The stacked combination of totes of claim 10, wherein each hollow main body of the first tote and the second tote includes a plurality of stacking supports, and each of the stacking supports of the first tote contact and rest on the rim of the second tote, and the base wall of the first tote and the base wall of the second tote are spaced apart and define a gap where each of the stacking supports of the first tote contact and rest on the rim of the second tote.
12. The stacked combination of totes of claim 11, wherein the base wall of the first tote is disposed on a first plane and the base wall of the second tote is disposed on a second plane, and the gap has a gap length sufficient to permit the first plane to be oriented substantially parallel to the second plane.
13. A tote and lid combination, comprising: a tote having a hollow main body, a plurality of wheels, and an axle, the hollow main body including a plurality of side walls and a base wall defining an open top and a cavity, the open top circumscribed by a rim and configured to be covered by a lid, the base wall bounded by the plurality of side walls and having a pair of outer wheel wells and a central wheel well, the central wheel well disposed between the outer wheel wells and separated from the outer wheel wells by axle supports, and the plurality of wheels includes a pair of outer wheels and a central wheel, each of the pair of outer wheels disposed in one of the pair of outer wheel wells, the central wheel is disposed in the central wheel well, and the axle connected to each of the wheels and rotatably supported by the axle supports of the hollow main body; and a lid with a main body selectively disposed over the open top of the tote; wherein: the plurality of side walls includes a right side wall, a left side wall, a rear side wall, and a front side wall, and the pair of outer wheel wells, the central wheel well, and the axle supports are disposed in the base wall adjacent to the rear side wall, each of the axle supports has a first axle side wall, a second axle side wall, and an angled rear wall that connects the first axle side wall and the second axle side wall, the angled rear wall disposed intermediate the rear side wall and the base wall.
14. The tote and lid combination of claim 13, wherein the hollow main body of the tote has a tote handle disposed on the front side wall of the hollow main body, and the main body of the lid has a lid handle disposed on an outer edge of the main body of the lid, the lid handle aligned with the tote handle.
15. The tote and lid combination of claim 14, wherein at least one of the tote handle and the lid handle has bracing disposed therein.
16. The tote and lid combination of claim 13, wherein the hollow main body of the tote has a plurality of latches, each of the latches configured to move between a locked position and unlocked position, the locked position militating against the lid from being removed from the tote.
17. The tote and lid combination of claim 16, wherein the main body of the lid has a plurality of latch-receiving gaps, each of the latch-receiving gaps configured to receive one of the latches, where each of the latches is in the locked position upon being received by one of the latch-receiving gaps and each of the latches is in the unlocked position upon not being received by one of the latch-receiving gaps.
18. The tote and lid combination of claim 17, wherein the plurality of side walls of the tote includes a rear side wall, a right side wall, a left side wall, and a front side wall, and the plurality of latches includes a first latch, a second latch, a third latch, and a fourth latch, and the first latch is disposed on the rear side wall, the second latch is disposed on the right side wall, third latch is disposed on the left side wall, and the fourth latch is disposed on the front side wall.
Description
DRAWINGS
(1) The above, as well as other advantages of the present disclosure, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, particularly when considered in the light of the drawings described herein.
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(18) The following description of technology is merely exemplary in nature of the subject matter, manufacture, and use of one or more inventions, and is not intended to limit the scope, application, or uses of any specific invention claimed in this application or in such other applications as may be filed claiming priority to this application, or patents issuing therefrom. Regarding methods disclosed, the order of the steps presented is exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps can be different in various embodiments, including where certain steps can be simultaneously performed. “A” and “an” as used herein indicate “at least one” of the item is present; a plurality of such items may be present, when possible. Except where otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical quantities in this description are to be understood as modified by the word “about” and all geometric and spatial descriptors are to be understood as modified by the word “substantially” in describing the broadest scope of the technology. “About” when applied to numerical values indicates that the calculation or the measurement allows some slight imprecision in the value (with some approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; nearly). If, for some reason, the imprecision provided by “about” and/or “substantially” is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” and/or “substantially” as used herein indicates at least variations that may arise from ordinary methods of measuring or using such parameters.
(19) As herein, the term “tote” includes a plastic storage tote. However, it should be appreciated that storage containers made of different materials are contemplated and can therefore be included within the scope of this disclosure.
(20) With reference to
(21) Now referring to
(22) The base wall 110 defines an open top 120 and a cavity 122 by being bound by the plurality of side walls 108. The open top 120 can be configured to permit items to be passthrough into the cavity 122. The open top 120 can be circumscribed by a rim 124. The cavity 122 can be configured to selectively store items.
(23) In specific examples, the hollow main body has a body height 126, a body length 128, and a body width 130. As shown in
(24) Now referring to
(25) In some examples, each of the pair of outer wheel wells 134 and the central wheel well 136 has an arched wall 132, shown in particular in
(26) With reference to
(27) The axle 106 can be connected to each of plurality of wheels 104, as shown in
(28) Now referring to
(29) As shown particularly in
(30) While still referring to
(31) As shown chiefly in
(32) While still referencing
(33) In specific examples, the open channel 156 has a channel depth 176 and a channel width 177, as shown in
(34) It is believed without being bound to a particular theory that having the channel depth 176 and the channel width 177 be greater than the axle aperture diameter 164 militates against friction from forming with the axle 106 and the hollow main body 102. In addition, it is believed that this ratio facilitates in a better rotation of the axle 106 where the tote 100 is being transported.
(35) In even more specific examples, the axle aperture diameter 164 can be 0.375 inches. Although this dimension for the axle aperture diameter 164 has been shown to be useful, one skilled in the art can select different dimensions for the axle aperture diameter 164, as desired.
(36) With reference to
(37) In the stacking combination of totes 300, the tote 100 can be disposed inside the cavity 122 of the second tote 101. Each of the pair of outer wheels 138 of the tote 100 contacts and rests on one of the pair of outer wheel wells 134 of the second tote 101. Also, the central wheel 140 of the tote 100 contacts and rests on the central wheel well 136 of the second tote 101. Desirably, this allows the tote 100 to be stacked on top of the second tote 101.
(38) Now referring to
(39) In specific examples, the plurality of stacking supports 166 can be disposed on the front side wall 118 and the rear side wall 116 of the hollow main body 102, shown particularly in
(40) As shown in
(41) In the stacking combination of totes 300, the base wall 110 of the tote 100 can be disposed on a first plane 182. In addition, the base wall 110 of the second tote 101 can be disposed on a second plane 184. The gap length 180 can be sufficient to permit the first plane 182 to be oriented substantially parallel to the second plane 184. Without being bound to a particular theory, it is believed that having the first plane 182 oriented substantially parallel to the second plane 184 facilitates greater stability and structural integrity to the stacking combination of totes 300.
(42) While still referring to
(43) As shown in
(44) In some embodiments, the hollow main body 102 includes a tote handle 190, as shown in
(45) While still referring to
(46) Now referring to
(47) In some examples, the lid handle 416 includes a second lid handle 420. Desirably, this permits the tote 100 to be more easily moved via gripping and pulling both the lid handle 416 and the second lid handle 420. It should be appreciated that one skilled in the art can scale the number, size, and/or shape of the lid handle 416, as desired.
(48) With reference to
(49) Now referring to
(50) As shown in
(51) In particular examples, the plurality of latches 200 includes a first latch 208, a second latch 210, a third latch 212, and a fourth latch 214, as shown in
(52) In more particular examples, the plurality of latch-receiving gaps 422 includes a first latch-receiving gap 424, a second latch-receiving gap 426, a third latch-receiving gap 428, and a fourth latch-receiving gap 430, as shown in
(53) Advantageously, the tote 100 can be easily repositioned by plurality of wheels 104, the tote handle 190, and the lid handle 416. The plurality of stacking supports 166 can facilitate better stacking by providing structural integrity where the tote 100 and the second tote 101 can be in the stacking combination of totes 300. Also, the plurality of latches 200 permits the lid to be secured or unsecured to the tote 100. In addition, it is believed that the cavity 122 of the tote 100 can be larger due to the increased stability from having the pair of outer wheels 138 and the central wheel 140.
(54) While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for purposes of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure, which is further described in the following appended claims.