Storage container
View Patent ↗A stackable container, including side walls extending upwardly from a bottom wall and defining an open-top, enclosed space therein, and rigid support members spaced about the bottom wall, the rigid support members having a vertical height. The side walls are tapered outwardly so as to be stackable in a nesting relationship within a similar container with a stacking offset less than the support members vertical height whereby the support members are supported on aligned rigid support members of the similar container. Outwardly tapered stress-relieving triangular corner surfaces extend upwardly between 130° and 140° from corners of the bottom wall and connect to side walls to form each junction of the bottom wall with two side wall. A lid has a rim adapted for placement around a container rim, with inwardly projecting flanges on each of the lid rim sides whereby the flanges extend beneath a downwardly facing portion of the container rim adjacent each of the four walls to releasably secure the lid to the container rim.
1. A stackable, nestable storage container for storing relatively large objects, comprising:
a storage base member having an open top, including a bottom wall and a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of opposing end walls extending upwardly therefrom, said bottom wall being formed with a channel extending outwardly therefrom adjacent the outer periphery thereof;
a lid member for closing said open top;
said channel having a plurality of spaced stacking legs formed therein adjacent to and spaced from each of said side walls and end walls, each of said stacking legs having an interior surface that faces into said base member and an exterior surface that faces outwardly of said base member;
said side walls and said end walls extend upwardly and outwardly from said bottom portion so that when a plurality of said base members are nested inside one another, the exterior surfaces of the stacking legs of the open top portion rest upon corresponding interior surfaces of the stacking legs of an immediately adjacent base member so as to concentrate downward forces through said stacking legs;
wherein when said base members are nested inside one another, said base members are supported on an underlying surface substantially through vertically aligned stacks of said stacking legs.
2. The storage container as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said interior surfaces of said stacking legs have a recessed portion for receipt of an exterior surface of an aligned stacking leg of an immediately adjacent base member.
3. A stackable, nestable storage container for storing relatively large objects, comprising:
a storage base member having an open top, including a bottom wall and a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of opposing end walls extending upwardly therefrom, said bottom wall being formed with a channel extending outwardly therefrom adjacent the outer periphery thereof;
a lid member for closing said open top;
said channel having at least one stacking leg formed therein adjacent each of said side walls and end walls, each of said stacking legs having an interior surface that faces into said base member and an exterior surface that faces outwardly of said base member;
said side walls and said end walls extend upwardly and outwardly from said bottom portion so that when a plurality of said base members are nested inside one another, the exterior surfaces of the stacking legs of the open top portion rest upon corresponding interior surfaces of the stacking legs of an immediately adjacent base member so as to concentrate downward forces through said stacking legs;
wherein each of said interior surfaces of said stacking legs have a recessed portion for receipt of an exterior surface of an aligned stacking leg of an immediately adjacent base member and said stacking legs include a plurality of flange portions that decrease in width as they extend towards said exterior surface.
4. The storage container as defined in claim 3 wherein said flange portions are received in a generally cylindrical recessed portion.
5. The storage container as defined in claim 1 wherein said lid member comprises a central top portion and a downwardly extending skirt portion extending from the periphery of said top portion, said skirt portion extends outwardly as it extends from said top portion to facilitate nesting of a plurality of lid members.
6. The storage container as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a peripheral rim extending outwardly from the upper ends of said opposing side walls and said opposing end walls, said rim including downwardly facing lips adjacent both of either said side walls or said end walls;
a flexible downwardly extending rim on said lid member and adapted for placement around said peripheral rim, said downwardly extending rim including inwardly projecting flanges adapted to extend beneath said downwardly facing lips to releasably secure said lid to said peripheral rim.
7. The storage container as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
said side walls define an open-top, enclosed space therein;
said stacking leg comprises a plurality of stacking legs spaced about said bottom wall and having a vertical height H;
wherein said side walls are tapered outwardly so as to be stackable in a nesting relationship within a similar container with a stacking offset less than H whereby said stacking legs are supported on aligned stacking legs of said similar container.
8. The stackable container of claim 7 , further comprising an inwardly extending indentation in at least one of said side walls, and downwardly open vent openings through said one side wall at the upper end of said indentation.
9. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein:
said four side walls are connected along opposite edges in a generally rectangular configuration and extend upwardly from a generally rectangular bottom wall; and
further comprising an outwardly tapered stress-relieving corner surface extending upwardly between 130° and 140° from said bottom wall and connecting to each two of said side walls to form each junction of said each two of said side walls and said bottom wall.
10. The container of claim 9 , wherein said corner surface is generally triangularly shaped.
11. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein:
said four side walls are connected along opposite edges in a generally rectangular configuration and extend upwardly from a generally rectangular bottom wall; and
further comprising
a generally rectangular peripheral rim extending outwardly from said upper end of said four walls and including a downwardly facing lip adjacent each of said four walls; and
a generally rectangular removable lid including a flexible downwardly extending rim on four sides and adapted for placement around said peripheral rim, said downwardly extending rim including an inwardly projecting flange on each of said sides whereby said inwardly projecting flanges on each of said sides extend beneath said downwardly facing lip adjacent each of said four walls to releasably secure said lid to said peripheral rim.