STORAGE CONTAINER WITH ACCESS PANEL

Abstract

A storage container has a base with a wall defining an extra opening into an interior volume of the base, and a hinged access panel that is translucent to provide visual access into the interior volume. The hinged access panel is movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the open position provides physical access into the interior volume through the extra opening and the closed position covers the extra opening.

Claims

1. A storage container comprising: a base having a first opening into an interior volume defined by at least a wall, the wall having a second opening into the interior volume; and an access panel mounted on the wall, the access panel being at least translucent to provide visual access into the interior volume through the panel, the access panel being movable relative to the wall between an open position and a closed position, wherein the open position provides physical access into the interior volume through the second opening and the closed position covers the second opening.

2. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the storage container includes a hinge formation configured to allow the access panel to move between the open and closed positions.

3. The storage container of claim 2, wherein the hinge formation includes pins formed on the access panel and through-holes formed in the wall.

4. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the access panel includes a latch configured for releasable engagement with the wall.

5. The storage container of claim 4, wherein the wall includes a channel configured to releasably engage with the latch.

6. The storage container of claim 4, wherein the latch includes a tab.

7. The storage container of claim 6, wherein the tab has a triangular cross-section.

8. The storage container of claim 6, wherein the tab is configured for engagement with a surface of a channel formed in the wall.

9. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the base includes tapered walls configured to enable the base to nest with another base.

10. The storage container of claim 1, further comprising a detachable lid configured to cover the first opening.

11. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the access panel has a reinforcement portion.

12. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the access panel includes a latch having two tabs and an opening between the two tabs configured to receive a user's fingers.

13. A storage container, comprising: a base having a first opening into an interior volume defined by at least a wall, the wall having a second opening into the interior volume; an access panel pivotally mounted on the wall, the access panel being at least translucent to provide visual access into the interior volume through the panel, the access panel being movable relative to the wall between an open position and a closed position, wherein the open position provides physical access into the interior volume through the second opening and the closed position covers the second opening; and a hinge formation including pins formed in the access panel and through-holes formed in the wall, each blind hold configured to receive a respective pin to hingedly couple the panel and the wall, wherein the access panel has a latch configured to releasably lock the access panel in the closed position.

14. The storage container of claim 13, wherein the latch extends laterally from an upper edge of the access panel and is elastically flexible between a neutral position and a depressed position.

15. The storage container of claim 14, wherein the latch includes a tab.

16. The storage container of claim 15, wherein the wall includes a channel configured to receive the tab.

17. The storage container of claim 15, wherein the access panel is generally transparent.

18. The storage container of claim 13, wherein the base is constructed of polypropylene.

19. The storage container of claim 13, wherein the access panel is constructed of high impact polystyrene.

20. The storage container of claim 13, wherein the access panel is generally rectangular.

21. The storage container of claim 13, further comprising a lid.

22. The storage container of claim 13, wherein the base has tapered walls configured to enable the base to nest with another base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the storage container with a closed access panel, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the storage container of FIG. 1A with an open access panel;

[0034] FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view including an upper lip of the storage of container of FIG. 1A;

[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an access panel of the embodiment of FIG. 1A;

[0036] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1A, taken along line I-I, with the access panel in a closed or locked position;

[0037] FIG. 4B is the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1A, with the access panel in an open or unlocked position;

[0038] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 1A including a through-hole component of a hinge formation formed in an end wall;

[0039] FIG. 6A is an enlarged cross-sectional view FIG. 4A, including a pin component of a hinge formation formed in an access panel in the closed or locked position;

[0040] FIG. 6B is the enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 6A, including a pin component of a hinge formation formed in an access panel in the open or unlocked position; and

[0041] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a storage container according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The present disclosure is directed to various embodiments of a storage container with an access panel. Embodiments of the storage container may also have a fully detachable lid, and tapered walls which allow multiple storage containers to nest and be stackable. In some embodiments, the access panel is configured in a wall of the container to provide visual and physical access to an interior volume of the container and any contents stored therein. In that regard, the access panel may be transparent or at least translucent (translucent and transparent being used interchangeably herein). The container includes a hinge formation that allows the access panel to swing between an open/unlocked position and a closed/locked position. In some embodiments, the access panel may be reattachably detachable from the container, as needed or desired.

[0043] With reference now to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, FIG. 2, a storage container 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes a base 102 with a bottom 108 having opposing end edges 110 and opposing side edges 112, first and second side walls 114, 116 connected to the opposing side edges 112, respectively, and first and second end walls 118, 120 connected to the opposing end edges 110, respectively. The bottom 108 and the walls 114, 116, 118, 120 collectively define an interior volume V which, in some embodiments, may be sealed with a fully detachable lid 104. The base 102 includes an upper lip 134 that surrounds an upper opening into the interior volume of the base 102 and is configured for releasable engagement with a periphery 105 of the lid 104, as described further below. With contents placed in the interior volume V of the container 100, the lid 104 when positioned on and engaged with the upper lip 134 covers the upper opening and seals the contents in the interior volume V for safe storage. To visually or physically access the contents through the upper opening, the lid 104 can be lifted by a user to expose the contents for inspection or removal. The upper opening can be referred to as a first, primary or larger opening into the interior volume of the storage container. Notably, when lid 104 is engaged with the base 102 and the container has another container stacked above it, the user has to unstack the containers and lift the lid before the user is able to access the interior volume through the upper opening.

[0044] With reference now to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the periphery 105 of lid 104 has an outer L-shaped edge 402 and a distal inwardly-facing projection 404 extending into an undercut 406 in the upper lip 134 of the base 102. The fully detachable lid 104 is detached from the base 102 by a user pulling outwardly (e.g., away from the undercut 406) on the inwardly-facing projection 404 to disengage it from the undercut 406 in the upper lip 134 of the base 102. After the inwardly-facing projection 404 has been disengaged from the undercut 406, the lid 104 may be lifted by the user to expose the interior volume of the base 102. In some embodiments, the undercut 406 may have a sufficient depth to accommodate a user's fingers and to allow a user to more easily pull outwardly on the inwardly-facing projection 404. In reattaching the lid 104, the lid may be configured to allow the user to reengage the inwardly-facing projection 404 with the undercut 406 in the upper lip 134 of the base 102 by placing the lid 104 on the base 102 and pressing downwardly on the outer edge 402 of the lid 104 for a snap-fit engagement. Accordingly, the lid 104 may be releasably attached to the upper lip 134 of the base 102.

[0045] As also shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the upper lip 134 of the base 102 may include an inverted channel 408 of a predetermined length that is configured at or near the center of each respective end wall 118, 120. Inward of the undercut 406 with which the projection 404 of the lid engages, the channel 408 is configured to engage with a latch 302 that is formed on the access panel 106 to releasably lock the access panel in the closed position, as described further below. The channel 408 is defined by two opposing side surfaces 410 and a first end surface 412, where the first end surface 412 is contiguous with a second end surface 414 that is outer of and parallel with the first end surface 412. The surfaces 410 reinforce the surface 412 for reliable engagement with the latch 302 of the panel 106 when the latch is under load from the contents inside the container. As also explain below, the channel 408 is accessible to a user for use as a hand grip to carry or pull the container.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first and second side walls 114, 116 and the first and second end walls 118, 120 are tapered to allow the storage container to stackably nest within another similar or identical storage container when the containers are empty and the lids 104 are detached.

[0047] As mentioned above, the storage container 100 advantageously includes a second, secondary or smaller opening 117 into the interior volume of the storage container that is covered by the access panel 106 configured in a wall of the base 102. In some embodiments, the second opening 117 is defined by inner vertical edges 115 and inner horizontal edge 119 of the end wall 118. In some embodiments, the access panel 106 is transparent to serve as a viewing window allowing at least visual access into the interior volume V without removal of the lid 104. The access panel is configured such that a user can move or reposition the panel to allow inspection or removal of the contents inside the container via the second opening 117 while the lid 104 remains engaged with the upper lip 134 of the base 102.

[0048] In some embodiments, the access panel 106 is generally rectangular or trapezoidal with first and second vertical edges 122, 124 and upper and lower horizontal edges 128, 126. Between each vertical edge 122, 124 near the lower horizontal edge 126, a horizontal cylindrical ridge that terminates into a respective pin 320 at the vertical edges is provided as a component of a hinge formation that enables the access panel to swing between open and closed positions. As another component of the hinge formation, each inner vertical edge 115 of the end wall 118 near where it meets the horizontal edge 117 has a horizontal through-hole 502 configured to receive a respective pin 320, as shown in FIG. 5. Each hole 502 is sized to allow axial rotation of the pin 320 within the through-hole, so that the access panel is hinged for rotation about a longitudinal axis of each pin 320. In some embodiments, the hinge formation allows the access panel to swing about 90 degrees between an upright closed position as shown in FIG. 1A and a horizontal open position as shown in FIG. 1B.

[0049] To facilitate assembly and mounting of the access panel 106 onto the first end wall 118 and engagement of each pin 320 into its respective through-hole 502, each through-hole has a chute 503 with side walls 504 that help guide each pin to slide into its respective through-hole. Each through-hole 502 has a depth that is greater than the depth of the chute 503 so that once a pin 320 reaches its through-hole 502 the pin extends into the through-hole and remains engaged with its through-hole. In that regard, the access panel 106 and/or the base 102 may be made of a flexible material with sufficient give that allows a degree of elastic deformation so that the pins 320 are eased into sliding in the chutes toward the through-holes. Although in the illustrated embodiment the chute 503 is linear, it is understood that the chute may be curved, stepped, or jagged, as needed or desired. In some embodiments, the elastic deformation of the construction materials of the base 102 and the panel 106 allows complete detachment and reattachment of the panel from and to the base, as needed or desired.

[0050] In some embodiments, the panel 106 includes lower rim 602 that extends horizontally between the two vertical edges 122, 124. The rim 602 swings inwardly when the panel is swung outwardly and vice versa, and thus accordingly seals a gap between the panel and the inner horizontal edge 119 when the panel 106 is in a closed position.

[0051] With reference now to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the access panel 106 includes a main planar portion 315 and a first and a second outer frame portions 314, 316. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and the second outer frame portions 314, 316 are substantially flat portions slightly offset from the main portion 315 but extending in a direction generally parallel to the first end wall 118. The outer frame portions 314, 316 are configured to overlap and seal the inner vertical edges 115 of the first end wall 118 and abut against the first end wall 118 when the access panel is in the closed position. When the outer frame portions 314, 316 are in contact with the end wall 118, the outer frame portions 314, 316 may reinforce the panel 106 and the base 102 against an external shock or load to the storage container 100 and may help to maintain the contents within the storage container 100. The outer frame portions 314, 316 is configured to form a stop with inner vertical edges 115 of the end wall 118 to prevent a user from inadvertently pushing the access panel past the end wall 118 and into the interior volume of the container. It is understood that the corresponding access panel and the secondary opening may be any suitable shape or size as needed or desired.

[0052] With reference now to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the access panel 106 according to some embodiments includes the latch 302 that extends laterally from the upper edge 128 of the panel along a joint line 317. The latch 302 has a generally planar body with an outer flange 310, and first and second tabs 306, 308 projecting perpendicularly from an upper surface of the latch. Each tab 306 and 308 has a triangular cross-section to facilitate engagement and disengagement with the channel 408 and the tabs are separated by an opening 318. The latch 302 is configured to elastically flex about the joint line 317 between a neutral position where angle is about 90 degrees and a depressed position where angle is less than 90 degrees (e.g., about 75-80 degrees). When the access panel 106 is in the closed position (FIG. 4A), the tabs 306 and 308 are inside the channel 408, abutting the side surface 412 of the upper lip 134 of the base 102. When a user wishes to release the latch 302 and open the access panel 106, the user depresses the flange 310 which releases the tabs 306 and 308 from the channel 408 and allows the access panel to pivot about the hinge formation provided by the pins 320 and the through-holes 502. To close the access panel 106, the user swings the panel 106 upwardly and can either depress the flange 310 to ease the tabs 306 and 308 back into the channel 408 or press the access panel 106 toward the end wall 118 until the tabs click into the channel 408. In the illustrated embodiment, the side surface 412 of the channel 408 has a slightly outwardly sloped surface which cooperates with the triangular cross-sectional shape of the tabs 306, 308 in engagement and disengagement. In other embodiments, the channel 408 and the tabs 306, 308 may have any other suitable shape. In any case, with the access panel 106 in the closed position, a user may still conveniently use the channel 408 as a hand grip by inserting fingers upwardly through the opening 318 in the latch 302 when grasping the upper lip 134 without inadvertently opening the latch 302. In that regard, the flange 310 does not extend beyond the upper lip 134 so that the latch and the upper lip 134 present a comparable profile and the upper lip 134 protects the latch from inadvertent contact that may unintentionally release the latch. However, it is understood that in some embodiments it may desirable for the flange 310 to extend past the upper lip 134.

[0053] In alternate embodiments, additional latch(es) may be provided on the access panel 106 at any other suitable locations on the panel, and/or one or more latches may extend from the end wall 118 at any suitable locations to releasably engage with the panel 106.

[0054] It is also understood that the joint line 317 may include a living hinge (i.e., a thin flexible hinge connected to two relatively rigid pieces and configured to bend along a designed axis of rotation) or any other hinge mechanism that allows the latch to bend along a desired axis or move between a neutral locking position and a flexed unlocked position.

[0055] When the access panel 106 is securely latched to the base, the panel 106 can remain generally coplanar with the proximate wall despite external forces that may otherwise dislodge the access panel 106 from its closed position.

[0056] In some embodiments, the access panel 106 may include one or more strength reinforcing portions 312 that are offset from the main portion 315. The one or more strength reinforcing portions 312 provide structural support for the storage container 100 and help resist a load exerted by the contents of storage container 100 shifting or applied by an external impact. In some embodiments, the one or more strength reinforcing portions 312 may be a single ridge or a series of ridges. In some embodiments, the one or more strength reinforcing portions 312 may be a ridge with a flat peak or plateau.

[0057] In the illustrated embodiment, the access panel 106 is a rectangular shape. In other embodiments, the access panel 106 may have any other suitable shape. For example, the panel 106 may be a circular, a curved, or a polygonal shape. In some embodiments, the storage container 100 may include a plurality of access panels 106 in a single end wall or in more than one end or side wall (as shown in FIG. 7).

[0058] The base 102 may be constructed of any suitable material, including, for example, polypropylene (PP). The access panel 106 may be constructed of any suitable material, including, for example, high impact polystyrene (HIPS), for translucency or transparency characteristics.

[0059] While this invention has been described in detail with particular references to exemplary embodiments thereof, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the invention to the exact forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the art and technology to which this invention pertains will appreciate that alterations and changes in the described structures and methods of assembly and operation can be practiced without meaningfully departing from the principles, spirit, and scope of this invention, as set forth in the following claims. It is understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that any one or more features of an embodiment may be incorporated in addition to or in lieu of any one or more features in another embodiment. Although relative terms such as outer, inner, upper, lower, below, above, vertical, horizontal, and similar terms have been used herein to describe a spatial relationship of one element to another, it is understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the various elements and components of the invention in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. Additionally, as used herein, the term substantially, about, generally and similar terms are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent deviations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, the tasks described above may be performed in the order described or in any other suitable sequence. Additionally, the methods described above are not limited to the tasks described. Instead, for each embodiment, one or more of the tasks described above may be absent and/or additional tasks may be performed. Furthermore, as used herein, when a component is referred to as being on another component, it can be directly on the other component or components may also be present therebetween. Moreover, when a component is component is referred to as being coupled to another component, it can be directly attached to the other component or intervening components may be present therebetween.