Tool storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12195229-B2
Application number	US-202418628399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2024
Priority date	Jan 24, 2018
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

Described herein are various coupling systems to be used with storage units that are selectively coupled and decoupled. The coupling systems may be used with storage units that are stackable and/or transportable, thus allowing the storage units to function well within a large stationary environment, such as a basement, and also for a subset of the storage units to be selected and easily moved to another location.

First claim

We claim:

1. A first container comprising:
a housing defining a storage compartment;
a lid pivotally coupled to the housing, wherein the lid defines a first top surface;
a first coupling wall extending upward from the first top surface;
a first plurality of rib walls comprising:
a first rib wall that extends from the first coupling wall in a first direction along a first axis above the first top surface; and
a second rib wall that extends from the first coupling wall in the first direction along a second axis above the first top surface, wherein the second axis is distinct from the first axis;

a second coupling wall extending upward from the first top surface;
a second plurality of rib walls, wherein the first plurality of rib walls and the second plurality of ribs walls are configured to slidingly engage with a plurality of male couplers extending from a second container, the second plurality of rib walls comprising:
a third rib wall that extends from the second coupling wall in a second direction, opposite the first direction, along the first axis above the first top surface;
a fourth rib wall that extends from the second coupling wall in the second direction along the second axis above the first top surface; and

a latch receptacle configured to interface with a latch of the second container, the interface between the latch receptacle and the latch preventing sliding from engagement to disengagement of the plurality of male couplers from the first plurality of rib walls and the second plurality of rib walls.

2. The first container of claim 1 , wherein the first top surface is a first continuous planar top surface, wherein the first rib wall and the second rib wall are distinct from each other and separated by a section of the first coupling wall, and wherein the third rib wall and the fourth rib wall are distinct from each other and separated by a section of the second coupling wall.

3. The first container of claim 2 , wherein each of the first coupling wall and the second coupling wall extends from a first side of the first container to a second side of the first container, the first container comprising a toggle locking latch at the second side of the first container to secure the lid in a closed position.

4. The first container of claim 3 , wherein the first container defines a first channel between the first coupling wall and the second coupling wall, and wherein the first channel extends from a first open end at the first side of the first container to a second open end opposite the first open end at the second side of the first container.

5. The first container of claim 1 , the first plurality of rib walls comprising a fifth rib wall that extends from the first coupling wall in the first direction along a third axis above the first top surface, wherein the third axis is distinct from each of the first axis and the second axis, and the second plurality of rib walls comprising a sixth rib wall that extends from the second coupling wall in the second direction along the third axis above the first top surface, wherein the fifth rib wall is distinct from each of the first rib wall and the second rib wall, and wherein the sixth rib wall is distinct from each of the third rib wall and the fourth rib wall.

6. The first container of claim 1 comprising:
a second top surface defined by the lid;
a third coupling wall extending upward from the second top surface;
a third plurality of rib walls comprising:
a seventh rib wall that extends from the third coupling wall in the first direction along the first axis above the second top surface;
an eighth rib wall that extends from the third coupling wall in the first direction along the second axis above the second top surface;

a fourth coupling wall extending upward from the second top surface;
a fourth plurality of rib walls, wherein the third plurality of rib walls and the fourth plurality of ribs walls are configured to slidingly engage with the plurality of male couplers extending from the second container, the fourth plurality of rib walls comprising:
a ninth rib wall that extends from the fourth coupling wall in the second direction along the first axis above the second top surface;
a tenth rib wall that extends from the fourth coupling wall in the second direction along the second axis above the second top surface.

7. The first container of claim 6 , wherein the second top surface is a second continuous planar top surface, wherein the seventh rib wall and the eighth rib wall are distinct from each other and separated by a section of the third coupling wall, and wherein the ninth rib wall and the tenth rib wall are distinct from each other and separated by a section of the fourth coupling wall.

8. The first container of claim 7 , wherein each of the first coupling wall, the second coupling wall, the third coupling wall, and the fourth coupling wall extends from a first side of the first container to a second side of the first container, the first container comprising a toggle locking latch at the second side of the first container to secure the lid in a closed position.

9. The first container of claim 8 , wherein when the second container slides from the second side of the first container towards the first side of the first container, the second container is being slidingly engaged with the first container.

10. The first container of claim 6 , wherein the second coupling wall and the third coupling wall are distinct from each other.

11. The first container of claim 6 , wherein the first container defines a first channel between the first coupling wall and the second coupling wall, wherein the first channel extends from a first open end at a first side of the first container to a second open end opposite the first open end at a second side of the first container, and wherein the first container defines a second channel between the third coupling wall and the fourth coupling wall, wherein the second channel extends from a third open end at the first side of the first container to a fourth open end opposite the third open end at the second side of the first container.

12. The first container of claim 6 , the first plurality of rib walls comprising a fifth rib wall that extends from the first coupling wall in the first direction along a third axis above the first top surface, wherein the third axis is distinct from each of the first axis and the second axis, the second plurality of rib walls comprising a sixth rib wall that extends from the second coupling wall in the second direction along the third axis above the first top surface, the third plurality of rib walls comprises an eleventh rib wall that extends from the third coupling wall in the first direction along the third axis above the second top surface, and the fourth plurality of rib walls comprises a twelfth rib wall that extends from the fourth coupling wall in the second direction along the third axis above the second top surface.

13. The first container of claim 12 , wherein the fifth rib wall is distinct from and separated by a section of the first coupling wall from each of the first rib wall and the second rib wall, wherein the sixth rib wall is distinct from and separated by a section of the second coupling wall from each of the third rib wall and the fourth rib wall, wherein the eleventh rib wall is distinct from and separated by a section of the third coupling wall from each of the seventh rib wall and the eighth rib wall, wherein the twelfth rib wall is distinct from and separated by a section of the fourth coupling wall from each of the ninth rib wall and the tenth rib wall.

14. The first container of claim 6

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp
• Keter Plastic Ltd

Inventors

• Hoppe Christopher S
• Caelwaerts Michael John
• Gould Samuel A
• Williams Aaron M
• Blumenthal Aaron S
• Stearns Michael
• Squiers Grant T
• Hyma Steven W
• Thurner Jason D
• Brunner Yaron

Classifications

• B25H3/023

  movable relative to one another for access to their interiors · CPC title

• B65D21/0223

  the closure and the bottom presenting local co-operating elements, e.g. projections and recesses (B65D21/0222 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D21/0216

  Containers with stacking ribs in the side walls · CPC title

• B65D21/0215

  Containers with stacking feet or corner elements (B65D21/0211, B65D21/023 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D21/0212

  Containers presenting local stacking elements protruding from the upper or lower edge of a side wall, e.g. handles, lugs, ribs, grooves (B65D21/0211, B65D21/0215, B65D21/023 take precedence) · CPC title