All-in-one stackable bulletin board caddy

• US 9,205,951 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Josephine E. Roman
• Original Assignee: Josephine E. Roman
• Inventors: Roman, Josephine E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Assistant Examiner(s): Meyer, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US14/339,530
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/003 Non-transparent side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/004 Details of doors or cover lids
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/005 Details of storage means, e.g. drawers, bins or racks
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/02 involving parts being adjustable, collapsible, attachable, detachable or convertible
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/10 characterised by supports specially adapted to objects of definite shape
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0006 Bumpers; Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0233 Nestable containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/10 Devices to locate articles in containers for protecting articles from mechanical damage B65D81/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/24 for spacing bases of containers from supporting surfaces, e.g. legs for pallets B65D19/40
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/28 Handles of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/46; of bottles or jars B65D23/10 ; holders for glasses, bottles, cartons, plastic bags, cans A47G23/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2525/283 combined with container closing means, e.g. stopper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00435 Lids secured to an intermediate ring or like annular member fixed to the container mouth
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/02 Removable lids or covers with means for piercing, cutting, or tearing a frangible inner closure B65D51/22
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 55/02 Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure B65D41/32 takes precedence; protective covers for bottles B65D23/08; protective cap-like outer covers for bottle or jar closures B65D41/62; pressure-applying means B65D45/00; closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal of closures B65D50/00

Abstract

A reconfigurable bulletin board caddy includes rectangular inner and outer, open topped containers dimensioned to effect a slip-fit nesting engagement there-between. A reversible closure member includes a planer closure panel, a first stepped peripheral skirt extending normally from the planer closure panel in a first direction, and a second peripheral skirt extending normally from the planer closure panel in a second opposite direction, The stepped peripheral skirt forms first and second offset circumferential engagement surfaces. The first circumferential engagement surface sealingly engages the opening of the outer container and the second circumferential engagement surface simultaneously sealingly engages the opening of said inner container when said inner container is nestingly disposed within the first container. Alternatively, the second peripheral skirt engages the opening of the outer container and the second circumferential engagement surface simultaneously engages the bottom panel of the inner container when removed from the outer container.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable bulletin board caddy comprising:

a generally rectangular outer container having integrally formed left and right end panels, front and rear side panels and a bottom panel collectively defining a rectangular cavity, said panels having respective upper edge portions forming an upwardly facing opening;

a generally rectangular inner container having integrally formed left and right end panels, front and rear side panels and a bottom panel collectively defining a rectangular cavity, said panels having respective upper edge portions forming an upwardly facing opening,

wherein said outer and inner containers are configured to effect a slip-fit nesting engagement there-between; and

a reversible closure member including a generally planar closure panel, a first stepped peripheral skirt extending normally from said planar closure panel in a first direction, and a second peripheral skirt extending normally from said planar closure panel in a second opposite direction,

wherein said first stepped peripheral skirt forms a first circumferential engagement surface and a second circumferential engagement surface radially offset from said first circumferential engagement surface,

wherein said first circumferential engagement surface is operative to sealingly engage the opening of said outer container and said second circumferential engagement surface is operative to simultaneously sealingly engage the opening of said inner container when said second container is nestingly disposed within said first container, and

wherein said second peripheral skirt is operative to sealingly engage the opening of said outer container and said second circumferential engagement surface is operative to simultaneously engage the bottom panel of said inner container when said inner container is removed from said outer container.

2. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 1, further comprising a second closure member operative to sealingly engage the opening of said inner container when said inner container is removed from said outer container.

3. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 2, wherein said second closure member includes a generally planar closure panel, a first outer peripheral skirt and a second inner peripheral skirt extending normally from said planar closure panel in a common direction,

wherein said first outer peripheral skirt is operative to sealingly engage the opening of said inner container when said inner container is removed from said outer container, and

wherein said second inner peripheral skirt is operative to sealingly engage the second peripheral skirt of said reversible closure member when said second container is nestingly disposed within said first container.

4. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 3, wherein the planar closure panel of said reversible closure member and said inner closure panel and inner peripheral skirt of said second closure member form a third cavity.

5. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 1, further comprising a first pair of cooperating opposed hanger supporting combs carried on the end panels of said outer container, and a second pair of opposed hanger supporting combs carried on the end panels of said inner container.

6. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 5, wherein said first pair of cooperating opposed hanger supporting combs and said second pair of cooperating opposed hanger supporting combs are laterally dimensionally equidistant, enabling application of commonly dimensioned hangers within both said inner and outer containers.

7. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 1, further comprising:

a generally rectangular receiver container having integrally formed left and right end panels, front and rear side panels and a bottom panel collectively defining a rectangular cavity forming an upwardly facing opening; and

a trim storage bin having integrally formed front and rear side panels, left and right end panels and a bottom panel collectively defining a rectangular cavity forming a laterally outwardly facing opening, said trim storage bin having a movable panel operative for selective displacement between an open position and a closed position,

wherein said movable panel is locked within said closed position whenever said trim storage bin is disposed within the rectangular cavity of said receiver,

wherein said left end panel is integrally formed with the right end panel of said outer storage container, and

wherein said trim storage bin is vertically elongated and has a characteristic nominal vertical dimension of substantially twice the nominal vertical dimension of said recess.

8. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 7, wherein said trim storage bin further comprises a pair of cooperating opposed divider supporting combs carried on the top and bottom end panels of said trim storage bin, said divider supporting combs operative to support at least one selectively positioned vertically elongated divider panel.

9. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 7, wherein said movable door panel and at least one of said side panels forms a through passage operable for digital manipulation or through passage of a lockable device.

10. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 9, wherein the through passages of said movable door panel and at least one of said side panels register with through passages formed in an end panel and a side panel of said receiver, whereby said lockable device is further operative to retain said trim storage bin within said receiver.

11. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 5, wherein said second peripheral skirt of said reversible closure member defines an abutment surface which, when the inner container has been removed from said outer container, is operative to lock any hangers within said outer storage container respective combs.

12. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 5, wherein said second peripheral skirt of said upper closure member defines an abutment surface which, when the upper closure member is applied to said inner container, is operative to lock any hangers within said inner storage container respective combs.

13. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 1, further comprising resilient handhold features integrated within at least one of the end panels of said inner container, said at least one handhold including a central rigid finger grip portion resiliently interconnected with adjacent end panel structure through an intermediate thin serpentine shaped web enabling inward and outward bi-directional manual displacement.

14. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 1, wherein said outer container, said reversible closure member and said upper closure member each comprise an integrally formed outwardly extending locking tab, each said locking tab forming a through hole positioned in relative axial alignment with the other through holes for serial reception of a locking security device when said inner container is disposed within said outer container.

15. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 14, further comprising an outwardly extending locking tab, said outwardly extending locking tab selectively mounted to said inner container when said inner container is removed from said outer container, said outwardly extending locking tab forming a through hole positioned in relative axial alignment with the other said through holes for serial reception of said locking security device.

16. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 3, wherein at least one of said stepped peripheral skirt of said reversible closure member or the outer peripheral skirt of said upper closure member has an abutment surface formed in a sidewall thereof in sliding contact with an adjacent outer or inner container end panel, respectively, and wherein said adjacent closure member abutment surface has a complimentarily formed sidewall abutment surface operable to lockingly self-engage said closure member abutment surface upon installation of said reversible closure member or said upper closure member.

17. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 16, wherein at least one of said stepped peripheral skirt of said reversible closure member or the outer peripheral skirt of said upper closure member has an integrally formed outwardly directed release handle operable to locally resiliently displace a portion of said skirt to release engagement of said abutment surfaces.

18. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 5, further comprising at least one hanger supported within said outer container by said hanger support combs, said hanger comprising first and second parallel vertical side panels integrally interconnected by a horizontal bottom panel, each said side panel having integrally formed opposed longitudinally extending locating tabs engaging said combs, and

wherein each of said side panels and said bottom panel are commonly formed of rigid injection molded material, and wherein each of said side panels are interconnected to said bottom panel by parallel living hinges.

19. The reconfigurable bulletin board caddy of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wheels mounted adjacent the bottom panel of said outer container to support the weight of said reconfigurable bulletin board caddy, and at least one pull handle integrally formed on an outer wall of one of said panels of said outer container.

20. A reconfigurable bulletin board caddy comprising:

an outer container defining a rectangular cavity and an upwardly facing opening;

an inner container defining a rectangular cavity and an upwardly facing opening,

wherein said outer and inner containers are configured to effect a slip-fit nesting engagement there-between; and

a reversible closure member including a closure panel, a first stepped peripheral skirt extending normally from said closure panel in a first direction, and a second peripheral skirt extending normally from said closure panel in a second opposite direction,

wherein said first stepped peripheral skirt forms a first circumferential engagement surface and a second circumferential engagement surface radially offset from said first circumferential engagement surface,

wherein said first circumferential engagement surface is operative to sealingly engage wall edges adjacent the opening of said outer container and said second circumferential engagement surface is operative to simultaneously sealingly engage wall edges adjacent the opening of said inner container when said second container is disposed within said first container, and

wherein said second peripheral skirt is operative to sealingly engage the opening of said outer container and said second circumferential engagement surface is operative to simultaneously engage a bottom panel of said inner container when said inner container is removed from said outer container.