Stackable container apparatus and methods

• US RE44,656 E1
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becklin Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Becklin Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Becklin, Dennis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US12/966,775
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 206/507, 206/508, 206/509, 206/511, 206/504, 206/503, 220/23.86, 220/23.83, 220/23.6, 220/23.2, 220/781, 220/380, 295/25, D94/32, D94/30, D94/16
• US Class Current: 206/508
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0222 the closure and the bottom presenting co-operating peripheral ribs and grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0223 the closure and the bottom presenting local co-operating elements, e.g. projections and recesses B65D21/0222 takes precedence

Abstract

A stackable container assembly includes a lid portion having first raised members projecting outwardly from an upper surface, at least some of the first raised members cooperatively forming first receiving areas, and a base portion coupleable to the lid portion and forming a containment space. The base portion includes second raised members projecting outwardly from a lower surface, at least some of the second raised members cooperatively forming second receiving areas being adapted to fittingly receive first raised members of a like container assembly positioned below the lower surface. And, the first receiving areas are adapted to fittingly receive second raised members of another like container assembly positioned above the upper surface.

Claims

1. A method for stacking containers, comprising:

obtaining at least a first container and a second container, each having a lid portion and a base portion, each lid portion having a plurality of first raised members each projecting outwardly from a lid surface and arranged substantially in a first desired direction, each lid portion further including a plurality of first ribs projecting outwardly from the lid surface, each of the plurality of first ribs extending substantially continuously between adjacently located first raised members and oriented along the first desired direction, at least some of the first raised members and first ribs cooperatively forming a plurality of first receiving areas, wherein the plurality of first raised members project outwardly by an amount that is greater than the outward projection of the plurality of first ribs relative to the lid surface, each base portion having a plurality of second raised members each projecting outwardly from a base surface and arranged substantially in a second desired direction, each base portion further including a plurality of second ribs projecting outwardly from the base surface, each of the plurality of second ribs extending substantially continuously between adjacently located second raised members and oriented along the second desired direction, at least some of the second raised members and second ribs cooperatively forming a plurality of second receiving areas, wherein the plurality of second raised members project outwardly by an amount that is greater than the outward projection of the plurality of second ribs relative to the base surface; and

stacking the first and second containers relative to each other such that at least some of the raised members of one of the containers are received by corresponding receiving areas of the other container.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first and second containers includes obtaining the lid portions wherein the plurality of first raised members are square-shaped raised members and further includes obtaining the base portions wherein the plurality of second raised members are plus-sign-shaped raised members.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein stacking the first and second containers includes laterally offsetting the lid portion of the one of the containers relative to the base portion of the other container.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein stacking the first and second containers includes contacting the first raised members with the base surface of one of the containers and contacting the second raised members with the lid surface of the other container.

5. A system comprising:

a first container assembly including

a first lid having a plurality of lid stacking features, each lid stacking feature includes first raised members and a plurality of first ribs projecting outwardly from a surface of the lid, each of the plurality of first ribs extending substantially continuously between adjacently located first raised members, each of the first raised members and first ribs projecting outwardly from a lid stacking surface, each first raised member having at least one of a width that exceeds a corresponding width of each first rib and a height that exceeds a corresponding height of each first rib; and

a second container assembly including a second lid that includes lid stacking features substantially identical to the first lid stacking features and including a plurality of second raised members and a plurality of second ribs, each of the plurality of second ribs extending substantially continuously between adjacently located second raised members;

wherein the first container assembly further includes a first base having a containment volume substantially coverable by the first lid, the first base having a plurality of base stacking features arranged to engagingly cooperate with the second container assembly, wherein the second lid is positionable beneath the first base.

6. The first container assembly of claim 5, wherein the lid stacking features of the first and second lids in which the first raised members are continuously adjoined to the first ribs includes a stepped transition from the first raised member to the first rib.

7. The first container assembly of claim 5, wherein each base stacking feature includes repetitive sets of base first members continuously adjoined to base second members, each of the base first and base second members projecting outwardly from a base stacking surface, each base first member of the set having a width that exceeds a corresponding width of each base second member of the set.

8. The first container assembly of claim 5, wherein a height of the first raised member exceeds a height of the first rib relative to the lid stacking surface.

9. The first container assembly of claim 5, wherein a linear distance between first raised members of adjacent lid stacking features is less than a corresponding linear distance between first ribs of adjacent lid stacking features.

10. The first container assembly of claim 5, wherein the lid stacking features of at least the first lid are disposed in at least two rows on the lid stacking surface, a first centerline of a first row being separated from a second centerline of a second row by a desired distance.

11. The first container assembly of claim 5, wherein the base stacking features includes a plurality of second raised members projecting from the base stacking surface.

12. The first container assembly of claim 5, wherein the lid stacking feature of the first lid is oriented substantially parallel relative to an edge of the first lid.