Container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE47022-E
Application number	US-201514819916-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Dec 11, 2009
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A container constructed and arranged to be connected to at least one other container. The container has a container portion, a cover, and a latch member movable between a first position and a second position. A retaining member on the container portion is engageable with the latch member. In the first position, the latch member engages the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position. In the second position, the latch member is engageable with a container portion of the other container to connect the containers. The latch member is pivotally movable in a clockwise and counterclockwise manner. The latch member can be pivoted upwards to the second position to engage the other container and the latch member can be pivoted downwards to the first position to engage the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. 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; and
a retaining member, on the container portion, with a downward-projecting lip that is constructed and arranged to engage with the latch member,
wherein in the first position the latch member, when in the first position, engages the downward-projecting lip of the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position; without latching the cover to the container portion of the container,
wherein the latch member, when in the second position, is positioned to be able to engage with a container portion of the at least one other container to connect the container to the at least one other container,
wherein the latch member is pivotally movable in a clockwise and counterclockwise manner between the first and second positions,
wherein the latch member is pivotable upwards to the second position for engagement with the container portion of the at least one other container, and
wherein the latch member is pivotable downwards to the first position for engagement with the downward-projecting lip of the retaining member to inhibit movement of the latch member away from the first position without latching the cover to the container portion of the container.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the cover is pivotally connected to a rear side of the container portion of the container.

3. The container of claim 1 , further comprising a handle located on the container portion of the container.

4. The container of claim 1 , wherein the latch member comprises a plurality of living hinges.

5. The container of claim 1 , wherein the interior space of the container is divided into a plurality of compartments.

6. The container of claim 1 , wherein the latch member is attached to the container by a living hinge.

7. The container of claim 1 , wherein the latch member is pivotally connected to the container portion of the container and comprises:
a cover latching portion constructed and arranged to engage with the cover to latch the cover to the container portion of the container; and
a container engaging portion constructed and arranged to engage with the container portion of the at least one other container.

8. The container of claim 7 , wherein the cover latching portion and the container engaging portion are constructed and arranged to be spaced apart such that the cover latching portion and the container engaging portion are positioned to be vertically and/or horizontally misaligned with respect to one another on the latch member.

9. The container of claim 1 , wherein the latch member is a first latch member, the retaining member is a first retaining member, and the container further comprises:
a second latch member movable between a first third position and a second fourth position,; and
a second retaining member, on the container, constructed and arranged to engage with the second latch member,
wherein in the first position the second latch member, when in the third position, engages the second retaining member to inhibit movement of the second latch member away from the first third position,
wherein the second latch member, when in the second fourth position, is positioned to be able to engage with a the container portion of the at least one other container to connect the container to the at least one other container,
wherein the second latch member is pivotally movable in a clockwise and counterclockwise manner,
wherein the second latch member can be pivoted upwards to the second fourth position to engage the container portion of the at least one other container, and
wherein the second latch member can be pivoted downwards to the first third position to engage the second retaining member to inhibit movement of the second latch member away from the first third position.

10. The container of claim 9 , wherein the first and second latch members are located on opposite sides of the container portion of the container.

11. The container of claim 10 , wherein in the second position, the first latch member engages the cover of the container and the container portion of the at least one other container when the first latch member is in the second position, and wherein the second latch members each member engages the cover of the container and the container portion of the at least one other container when the second latch member is in the fourth position.

12. The container of claim 1 , further comprising a cover latch on a front side for latching the cover to the container portion of the container.

13. The container of claim 12 , wherein the cover latch is separate from the first and second latch members latch member.

14. The container of claim 12 , wherein the cover latch is pivotally connected to the cover and engages a latch engaging element on the container portion of the container to lock the cover to the container portion of the container.

15. The container of claim 12 , wherein the cover latch comprises resilient material and is configured to engage with a latch engaging element on the container portion of the container to latch the cover to the container portion of the container.

16. The container of claim 1, wherein the retaining member is located on the container portion of the container.

17. The container of claim 1, wherein the latch member is pivotally connected to the container portion of the container.

18. The container of claim 1, wherein the latch member comprises:
a first segment pivotally connected to the container; and a second segment, connected to the first segment, that: (i) engages the retaining member when the latch member is in the first position; and (ii) is able to engage with the container portion of the at least one other container when the latch member is in the second position.

19. The container of claim 1, wherein the retaining member comprises: (i) a portion that protrudes outwardly from the container; and (ii) the downward-projecting lip, extending downward from the outward-protruding portion of the retaining member, to which the latch member engages when the latch member is in the first position.

20. The container of claim 1, wherein the retaining member is a first retaining member, and the container further comprises a second retaining member that comprises: (i) a portion that protrudes outwardly from the container; and (ii) a lip portion, extending upward from the outward-protruding portion of the second retaining member, for engagement with a latch member of a further container to latch the further container to the container.

21. The container of claim 1, further comprising:
removable inner containers for placement in the interior space, wherein the cover comprises an inner ridge portion having a top surface elevated above at least one other top surface of the cover and constructed and arranged such that a bottom surface of the inner ridge portion rests below a level of a top surface of at least one of the removable inner containers when the opening is closed by the cover.

22. The container of claim 21, wherein the cover further comprises an outer ridge portion having a top surface elevated above the at least one other top surface of the cover and constructed and

Assignees

• Stanley Works Israel

Inventors

• Sosnovsky David
• Bensman Mark

Classifications

• B65D45/22

  resilient · CPC title

• B25H3/021

  comprising a number of connected storage elements · CPC title

• B65D21/0228 Primary

  Containers joined together by screw-, bayonet-, snap-fit or the like, (B65D21/0211, B65D21/0231 take precedence) · CPC title

• B25H3/02 Primary

  Boxes · CPC title