FR2728239A1 - SUPER-STABLE STORAGE BIN - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stackable storage bin for various objects, such as screws, tools and others, this bin allowing a storage volume equal to the total interior volume of the bin, as well as the superposition of half-bins and bins. stably. This tray (1) is provided with grooves (8) formed in the thickness of the side walls (5) to receive internal partitions (10) making it possible to compartmentalize the tray, and not protruding towards the inside of the tray so as not to penalize the storage volume. This container (1) further comprises retaining elements provided at the front and at the rear of the container making it possible to carry a half-container (40). These retaining elements include lugs (25) provided on a label protector (20) and protuberances (32) provided on a rear stop (30). Application: Storage of any object for industrial and / or domestic use.

Description

SUPER-STABLE STORAGE BIN

  The present invention relates to a stackable storage bin for various objects comprising a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls, and removable positioning means of internal partitions and retaining means arranged to allow placing another similar tray on this tray for the purpose of superimposing them, these retaining means comprising an internal shoulder provided at least on the upper edge of the two lateral walls, the front wall of said container comprising means for gripping said container and for identifying the objects 'it contains. The stackable storage bins are well known and can easily store and differentiate all kinds of products and objects, both industrial and domestic, such as hardware, tools, toys, paper, floppy disks, etc. They are generally rectangular and made of synthetic material for economic reasons, weight, shape and color. The bins used in particular for tools and do-it-yourself are generally provided with internal partitions making it possible to store in the same bin different objects or the same article according to its dimensions. These partitions are removable and are mounted in the tray by sliding in grooves provided in the side walls of the tray. The grooves are made in relief inside said tray. Therefore, when the partition walls are not mounted, these grooves can penalize the storage volume for example to store larger objects or sheets that remain attached to these grooves, or interfere with the hand of the user to enter objects. On the other hand, these bins are arranged to be stored easily on cabinet shelves or the like, these bins can be stacked or not, or be used as drawers. To facilitate their handling, their front face is provided with a gripping element also to identify the contents. When the bins are stored or transported from one workstation to another, they can be stacked on top of each other. Depending on the items to be stored, there are of course several sizes of trays including half-bins, that is to say, bins having a width equal to half that of a normal tray but an identical length. Therefore, it is common to want to put two half-bins on a normal tray. The currently known bins are not arranged to properly support two half-bins placed side by side, since these half-bins are supported on two sides perpendicular to each other. The other two sides being free, there is therefore a certain risk of switching from half-tank to

the inside of the tank that carries it.

  The object of the present invention is to improve the storage bins of the prior art by providing a storage volume corresponding to the total internal volume of said bins, this volume being free from any roughness or parasitic relief, and allowing

  the superposition of half-bins and normal bins.

  This purpose is achieved by a storage bin as defined in the preamble, characterized in that said removable partition positioning means comprise grooves formed in the thickness of the side walls so as not to exceed to

inside said tray.

  The grooves are advantageously arranged in a plane

  perpendicular to the bottom of said tray and regularly spaced.

  In a preferred embodiment, the retaining means further comprise retaining elements provided at the front of the tray and arranged to at least partially carry the front portion of the bottom of a second tray placed on said tray, this second tray

  having a width less than that of said tray.

  The front retainers are advantageously arranged on

  the means for gripping and identifying said tray.

  The gripping and identification means may comprise a removable label guard on which are disposed said front retaining elements. Preferably, the front retaining elements comprise at least one lug directed towards the inside of the tray and whose upper face

  is arranged in the same plane as that of the inner shoulder.

  In the preferred embodiment, the retaining means further comprise retaining elements provided at the rear of the tray and arranged to at least partially carry the rear portion of the bottom of a second tray placed on said tray (1), this second ferry

  having a width less than that of said tray.

  The rear wall of said tray may comprise a removable rear stop, on which are disposed said rear retaining elements. The rear retention elements advantageously comprise at least one protuberance directed towards the inside of the tray and whose upper face is arranged in the same plane as that of

the inner shoulder.

  The present invention and its advantages will become more apparent in the

  following description of an exemplary embodiment, with reference to

  attached drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a top view of the tray according to the invention, - Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view along the line 11-11 of Figure 1, - Figures 3a and 3b are respectively a rear view and a profile view of a label guard, - Figures 4a and 4b are respectively a front view and a side view of a rear stop,

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line V-

  V of Figure 6 illustrating a stack of half-bins and bins according to the invention, and - Figure 6 is a partial view in longitudinal section according to the

  line VI-VI of Figure 5 of said stack.

  Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the tray 1 according to the invention preferably has a rectangular shape and is made of a rigid plastic material molded or injected. It comprises a bottom 2 and four walls perpendicular to said bottom, a front wall 3, a rear wall 4 and two side walls 5, 6. The top of the tray is open to allow free access to the objects it contains. To facilitate the gripping of small objects, the bottom 2 comprises corrugations 7. The side walls 5, 6 are provided with removable positioning means of internal partitions 10 to possibly compartmentalize the tray. These removable positioning means are in the form of grooves 8, regularly spaced, arranged in a plane substantially perpendicular to the bottom 2 of the tray and arranged to receive the side edges 9 of the removable partitions 10. These grooves 8 are integrated in said walls, 6 so that they do not protrude into the interior of the tray 1, but form a relief 11 outside of the tray 1. Therefore, the inner face 12 of said side walls is free from any roughness and relief towards the inside the tank. The internal partitions 10 consist of substantially rectangular plates made of a transparent or non-transparent synthetic material whose thickness is at least equal to the width of the grooves 8 and whose height is equal to the height of the side walls of the tray in order to allow the superposition of bins. The lateral sides 9 of each partition are profiled to slide in the grooves 8. The upper edge 13 of the side walls 5, 6 and rear 4 of the tray 1 is provided with an outward recess defining a peripheral shoulder 14. This shoulder 14 is located in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom 2 of said tray and allows to retain the bottom of another tray

laid on him.

  On the other hand, the tray 1 has on its front wall 3 a gripping element 15, integral with said wall and which, in the example illustrated, extends substantially over its entire width and in the extension of the upper edge 13. This element has an inverted L-shaped section and the edge 16 of its front face is folded to define a housing 17 for receiving a label and / or a label protector 20. This label protector 20, illustrated by FIGS. 3a and 3b, is a separate element and it is removable. It also has an inverted L-shaped section intended to be applied to the gripping element 15 when it is introduced into the housing 17. This label protector 20 is preferably made of a transparent synthetic material to reveal the inscriptions carried on a label (not shown) placed on the rear of its front face 21 and under its flat face 22. This flat face 22, perpendicular to the end face 21 and intended to be applied on the corresponding flat face 19 of the gripping element 15 has at its free end an abutment element 24 of rectangular section such that its lower part can be housed in a shoulder 18 provided between the end wall 3 and the gripping element 15 of the container 1, and that its upper part is protruding with respect to this face 22. This abutment element 24 is further provided, on its inner face with

  tray, retaining elements in the form of at least two lugs 25.

  These lugs are positioned so that the plane defined by their upper surface is substantially merged with the plane defined by the peripheral shoulder 14 of the tray 1. These lugs 25 can support the front portion of the bottom of a second tray superimposed on the first . The front of this second tank is thus held down by the lugs 25 and forward by the projecting upper part

  of the abutment element 24 of the label protector 20.

  The tray 1 also has in its rear wall an inner window 27 open upwards and formed by a double wall 28 defining a housing 29 for a rear stop 30. The rear stop 30, illustrated by FIGS. 4a and 4b, comprises a plate 31 made of synthetic material, arranged to protrude from the upper edge 13 of said tray 1. This rear stop 30 blocks the tray 1 in the open position when it is used as a drawer in a suitable cabinet. It also keeps the back of a second tray on the first. It comprises, in the middle part of its inner face 33, at least two protuberances 32 directed towards the inside of said tray. The plane defined by the upper face of these protuberances 32 is substantially coincident with the plane defined by the peripheral shoulder 14 of the tray 1. These protuberances 32 are arranged to support the rear portion of the bottom of a second tray placed on the first. The rear of this second tank is thus kept down by said protuberances 32 and rearwards by the projecting upper part

  of the rear stop 30. This rear stop 30, as well as the protector

  label 20, are provided with retaining means to prevent them from leaving their housing while the tray is handled. These retaining means are constituted by two small bulges 35 disposed near their respective side walls. The interior partitions 10 are also provided with a bulge 36

  provided at the upper end of their lateral sides.

  FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an example of superposition of trays 1 with half-trays 40. It is clear that, thanks to the invention, a half-tray 40 can be placed in a very stable manner on a tray 1 which has twice its width. Indeed, the bottom 41 of the half-tray 40 is effectively maintained in its four corners, thus avoiding any tilting inside the lower tray 1. The outer side 42 of this half-tray 40 is carried by the peripheral shoulder 14 provided on the corresponding side wall 5, 6 of the tray 1, its rear side 43 is carried partly by the same peripheral shoulder 14 provided on the rear wall of the tray 1 and the corresponding protrusion 32 provided on the rear stop 30, and its front side 44 is carried by the corresponding lug 25 provided on the label protector 20. The inner side of said half-tray 40 is not supported on its length but at its ends by the same lug 25 and protrusion 32 previously mentioned. The bins 1 and half-bins 40, when superimposed, are additionally maintained in the forward and backward directions respectively by the abutment member 24 of the label guard 20 and the rear stopper 30. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described but extends to any modification and variation obvious to those skilled in the art. The lugs and protuberances may be replaced by shoulders provided on all or part of the

  width of the label guard and backgauge.

Claims (10)

claims   1. Stackable storage bin for various objects comprising a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls, and removable positioning means of internal partitions and retaining means arranged to allow to place another similar tray on this tray for the purpose of superimposing them, these retaining means comprising an internal shoulder provided at least on the upper edge of the two side walls, the front wall of said container comprising means for gripping said container and for identifying the objects contained therein characterized in that said removable partition positioning means (10) comprise grooves (8) formed in the thickness of the side walls (5, 6) so as not to project inwardly from said bin (1).   Storage bin according to claim 1, characterized in that the grooves (8) are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the bottom (2) of said tray (1).   3. Storage bin according to claim 2, characterized in that   the grooves (8) are evenly spaced.   4. Storage bin according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining means (14) further comprise retaining elements provided at the front of the tray (1) and arranged to at least partially carry the front portion of the bottom a second bin (40) placed on said bin (1), this second bin having a width lower than that of said tray.   5. Storage bin according to claim 4, characterized in that the front retaining elements are arranged on the means of   gripping and identification (15) of said tray (1).   6. Storage bin according to claim 5, characterized in that the gripping and identification means (15) comprise a removable label (20), on which are disposed said front retainers.   7. Storage bin according to claim 6, characterized in that the front retaining elements comprise at least one lug (25) directed towards the inside of the tray (1) and whose upper face is   disposed in the same plane as that of the inner shoulder (14).   8. Storage bin according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining means (14) further comprise retaining elements provided at the rear of the tray (1) and arranged to at least partially carry the rear part of the bottom a second bin (40) placed on said bin (1), this second bin having a width lower than that of said tray.   9. Storage bin according to claim 8, characterized in that the rear wall (4) of said tray (1) comprises a removable rear stop (30), on which are disposed said retaining elements back.   10. Storage bin according to claim 9, characterized in that the rear retaining elements comprise at least one protrusion (32) directed towards the inside of the tray (1) and whose upper face is arranged in the same plane as that of the shoulder interior (14).