Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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STORAGE CONTAINER LID
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Field of the Disclosure
100011 The disclosure is generally directed to a lid for a storage container
and more
specifically, to a lid having more than one access to a storage area of the
storage container.
Related Technology
100021 Storage containers are well known in the art. Such containers usually
include a
bin portion and a lid portion. The lid portion is generally secured to the bin
portion to
prevent contents stored in the bin from being ejected during movement of the
storage
container, or to protect the contents of the storage container from the
environment. These
storage containers generally attach the lid to the bin portion in one of two
ways. One way
of attaching the lid to the bin portion is to have the lid receive upper edges
of the bin in a
snap-fit type configuration. Another way of attaching the lid to the bin
portion is to hinge
the lid to the bin portion along one edge of the lid and provide a latch along
another edge
of the lid to releasably secure the lid to the bin portion.
[0003] Some storage bins have incorporated two-piece lids which allow partial
access to
the items stored in the bin without completely opening the lid. However, the
storage
container must be placed on a surface before opening the lid, fiilly or
partially. Generally
no known storage container includes a lid which allows access to the items in
the bin while
the container is being canried.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
100041 A storage container lid is described herein and includes a base portion
having at
least one through opening and a cover portion including a first panel hingedly
attached to
the base portion. The first panel may be moved independently of the base
portion to access
the at least one through opening and wherein the at least one through opening
is covered
when the first panel is in a closed position.
[0005] Furthermore, a storage container is described including a bin and a
lid, the litl
having a base portion including at least one through opening and a cover
portion including
a first panel hingedly attached to a second panel, the cover portion being
attached to the
base portion. The first and second panels may be moved independently of one
another to
access the at least one through opening and wherein the at least one through
opening is
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covered when one of the first and second panels is in a-closed position. The
bin has a base
panel, a front wall and a back wall extending.from the base panel and two side
walls
extending from the base panel. A storage space is defined between the front,
back and side
walls. A latch is movably connected to the base portion of the lid, and the
lid is hingedly
connected to the bin portion along one side. The latch releasably secures the
lid to the bin
portion and the storage space is accessible through the at least one through
opening when
the base portion of the lid is secured to the bin in a closed position.
10006j Further details of the storage container lid of the present disclosure
may be
appreciated with reference to the several views of the drawings, as well as
the following
detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00071 FIG. I is an exploded perspective view of a storage container lid and a
storage
container;
{0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage container lid of FIG.1
mounted on a
storage container in a closed position;
(0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the storage container lid of FIG. I
mounted on a
storage container in an open position; and
100101 FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the storage container lid of FIG. I
mounted on a
storage container in an alternate open position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODAMENTS
[0011] FIG. I illustrates a storage container constructed in accordance with
the
teachings of the disclosure. The storage container includes a bin 20 and a lid
30. The lid
30 includes a base 32 and a cover 34. The cover 34 has a first panel 36 and a
second panel
38. The first and second panels 36, 38 are hingedly attached to one another so
that in one
position, the first and second panels 36, 38 are substantially coplanar.
Furthermore, the lid
30 includes a handle 40 and a latch 42. The handle 40 may include two
attachment pieces
44 and a tubular connector piece 46.
10012] The base 32 includes one or more openings 48, 50 therein. The openings
48, 50
may be through openings 48, i.e. openings permitting access through the lid, -
such as to a
main compartment of the storage container or tray openings 30, i.e. openings
permitting
access to a sub-compartment or tray within the lid 30. Askirt 52 extends from
a perimeter
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of the base 32. The skirt 52 includes an arch 54 formed in one side thereof.
The arch 54
partially receives and shields the latch 42.
[0013] The first cover panel 36 includes a cover skirt 56 on either side of a
recessed
edge 58. The recessed edge 58 receives an upper portion of the arch 54 while
the cover
skirt 56 cooperates with a top portion of the base 32 when the first cover
panel 36 is in a
closed position. The second cover panel 38 is attached to the first cover
panel 36 along
one side thereof via a hinge 60. The second cover panel 38 is sized to
cooperate with the
tray opening 50 in the base 32. The second cover panel 38 substantially covers
the tray
opening 50 in a closed position. The first and second cover panels 36, 38 are
pivotably
attached to the base 32 along a center support beam 62. The first and second
cover panels
36, 38 may be opened or closed independently of one another. Additionally, the
first and
second cover panels 36, 38 may be opened while the lid 30 is in a closed and
secured
position on the bin 20. The base panel 32 may include only one through opening
48 and
one cover panel 36 if desired.
100141 The handle 40 includes two attaclunent members 44 and a tubular
connector
member 46. The attachment members 44 are generally "C" shaped, connecting to
the
tubular connector member 46 at one end and connecting to the base 32 of the
lid 30 at
another end. The attaclvnent members 44 may cooperate with any length of
tubular
connector member 46 thereby creating the ability to produce different sized
handles 40
solely by changing the length of the tubular connector member 46.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lid 30 of FIG. I in a closed and
secured
position on the bin 20. In this closed position, the lid 30 covers and
protects the storage
space of the bin 20. Further, the latch 42 secures the lid 30 in place.
Additionally, both the
first and second lid openings 48, 50 are covered by the first and second cover
panels 36, 38
respectively.
[00161 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lid 30 of FIG. 1 in an open
position on the bin
20. In this open position, the lid 30 is hinged to the bin 20 along an edge
opposite the latch
42 and the latch 42 is released from the bin 20. The lid 30 is generally
angled relative to
the base panel of the bin 20, exposing the storage space of the bin 20.
Furthermore, the
first and second openings 48, 50 are covered and secured by the first and
second panels 36,
38.
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[0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lid 30 of FIG. 1 in a closed
position, but
having the first and second panels 36, 38 in open positions, thus exposing the
storage space
of the bin 20 through the first lid opening 48 and exposing the tray storage
space through
the second lid opening 50. While both the first and second panels 36, 38 are
shown open
in this figure, either panel could be opened independently of the other. This
alternate lid
closed position allows a user to access the storage space of the bin 20 or the
tray storage
space while the lid 30 is in a closed position. In other words, a user may
access the bin
storage space through the first lid opening 48 while the storage container is
supported by
the handle 40.
[0018] While the disclosed embodiments are generally manufactured from molded
plastic, the storage container can, alternatively, be constructed from
virtually any suitable
material. For example, the storage container may be construct-ed from
polystyrene,
polypropylene, polycarbonate, engineering grade plastic, ABS, TPE,
thermoplastics, metal,
wood, organic materials, leather, glass and or combination thereof.
10019J Although certain storage containers have been described herein in
accordance
with the teachings of the present disclosure, the scope of the appended claims
is not iimited
thereto. On the contrary, the claims cover all embodiments of the teachings of
this
disclosure that fairly fall within the scope of permissible equivalents.
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