Storage system

• US 5,441,151 A
• Filed: 08/11/1994
• Issued: 08/15/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul R. Billingham
• Original Assignee: Paul R. Billingham
• Inventors: Billingham, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meyers, Steven N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US08/289,443
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 206/425, 206/503, 206/504, 220/23.4, 220/23.83, 220/4.23, 220/339, 220/523, 220/528, 220/529, 220/552, 229/167, 229/178, 312/111, 312/107
• US Class Current: 206/425
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 63/00 Cabinets, racks or shelf units, specially adapted for storing books, documents, forms, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/008 Rectangular cabinets or racks in a side-by-side arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0201 stackable or joined together side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6611 the lid being held in closed position by application of separate elements, e.g. clips, hooks, elastics

Abstract

A storage box for documents, files or the like, and having a generally rectangular body (2) with one open side for access which is sloped or angled, relative to the opposite side. Three of the side edges of the opening are also inwardly flanged, and a slightly smaller lid (4) of co-operating shape is hinged to the fourth edge (6) or to the edge of an insert (30) which divides the interior into sections. The insert may divide the interior into two or more such sections depending on the application.

Claims

1. A storage box comprising:

a generally rectangular body, one side of which comprises an opening for access to an interior of said body, said body being so shaped that when a side comprising said opening is uppermost, said side is sloped with a single pitch, relative to a base of said body;

a lid operatively secured to said body and closing said body side comprising said opening, wherein said body side comprising said opening has three edges which comprise inward flanges;

wherein said lid is smaller in size than said body side comprising said opening, said lid comprising dependent side walls so shaped that when said lid is closed its top surface is parallel to said base; and

,

wherein free edges of said lid side walls are inset relative to said inward flanges of said opening so that when a plurality of storage boxes are stacked together on their sides an access opening is defined between adjacent boxes to allow a user to grasp a side wall or a top wall of a lid of each box and open such box without contacting adjacent boxes.

2. A storage box according to claim 1 further comprising a slidable insert, which is selectively insertable through the open side of the body, said insert also being open at least on the side which corresponds to the body opening, the insert being substantially rectangular on all its outer sides, and conforming to the largest internal dimensions of the body, so that three of its edges extend past the sloped open side of the body after insertion.

3. A storage box according to claim 2 in which the lid is hinged to a fourth edge of the insert, so that the insert and lid can be removed together.

4. A storage box according to claim 2 in which said insert comprises one or more internal partitions so as to divide the interior into compartments.

5. A storage box according to claim 2 further comprising at least one slidable drawer mounted in the insert.

6. A storage box according to claim 1 further comprising a cooperating concertina file selectively insertable in said body opening wherein the file can be opened out to extend over an inner surface of the lid, when the box is open.

7. A storage box according to claim 1 further comprising a slot extending along a side edge of the body, and a retaining clip, a second box having a slot extending along a side edge of a body thereof, wherein when said boxes are arranged with their corresponding walls in abutment with the corresponding slots suitably aligned, they can be held together by said retaining clip inserted into the aligned slot of each box.

8. An assembly of at least two storage boxes according to claim 7, in which adjacent boxes are held together by at least one retaining clip, the clip comprising a pair of generally parallel, flat leg portions each of which engages one of the slots, and an interconnecting body portion providing a grip which enables the clip to be held by an operator.

9. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein said clip is generally "butterfly" shaped so that each of said pair of legs is longer than said interconnecting body portion, so that said clip can be rotated or slid laterally in the slot after insertion, so as to lock it into position.

10. A storage construction comprising:

a pair of side walls, a front wall, a back wall and a bottom wall, said walls cooperating to form a generally rectangular box having a generally rectangular opening for access to a hollow interior of the box; and

,

a slidable insert which is selectively insertable through said box opening into said hollow interior, said insert comprising;

a pair of side walls,

a front wall,

a back wall,

a bottom wall, wherein said side walls, front wall, back wall and bottom wall cooperate to form a generally rectangular body, and

a lid hinged to said slidable insert back wall; and

,

wherein said lid is smaller in size than said bottom wall of said box so that when a plurality of said boxes are stacked together on their sides, a lid of each insert can be opened without contacting adjacent boxes.