U.S. patent application number 10/075822 was filed with the patent office on 2002-11-28 for panel bin apparatus.
Invention is credited to Buenger, David, Robinson, Daniel.
Application Number | 20020175166 10/075822 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26757319 |
Filed Date | 2002-11-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020175166 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Robinson, Daniel ; et
al. |
November 28, 2002 |
Panel bin apparatus
Abstract
A panel bin comprising panel and one or more bins mounted on the
panel. Each bin defines a compartment that may be used for storage
and retrieval of articles. The panel defines locations for mounting
a plurality of bins in a modular or grid-like arrangement. Each bin
has side walls interconnected by a wall forming a front surface of
the bin. However, each bin is formed with an open back, the bins
mount on the panel so that part of the panel engages and closes the
open back portion of the bin, thereby defining a complete
compartment for receiving articles. Each bin has a cover hinged
from the top of the bin and biased by a resilient member to remain
open, so that the cover normally is displaced from the access
opening of the bin while in use. The cover may be closed and
latched to close the bin. The resilient member contacts but is not
attached to the cover.
Inventors: |
Robinson, Daniel; (Buford,
GA) ; Buenger, David; (Roswell, GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JOHN S. PRATT, ESQ
KILPATRICK STOCKTON, LLP
1100 PEACHTREE STREET
SUITE 2800
ATLANTA
GA
30309
US
|
Family ID: |
26757319 |
Appl. No.: |
10/075822 |
Filed: |
February 12, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60268333 |
Feb 12, 2001 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/500 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 47/0091 20130101;
E05Y 2900/20 20130101; E05D 1/02 20130101; E05D 11/1014 20130101;
A47B 87/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/500 |
International
Class: |
B65D 001/24; B65D
001/36 |
Claims
1. Apparatus for storing articles, comprising: a base panel
defining at least one location for article storage: a bin operative
for attachment to the panel at the location and configured to
define a compartment at the location; and a portion of the bin
being open in an area confronting the panel location, so that the
panel location covers the open portion to provide a surface of the
compartment.
2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein: the panel defines a
plurality of the storage locations; a corresponding bin is received
at each such location; and each bin has an open portion confronting
a corresponding location of the panel so that each panel location
closes the open portion of the corresponding bin and forms a
surface of the compartment at that location.
3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein: the open portion of each
bin comprises a back region of the bin and faces a confronting
surface of the panel, so that the confronting surface closes the
open portion and thereby forms part of the compartment.
4. Apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising: the bin has an
access opening for gaining access to the compartment; and a closure
operatively associated with the access opening for selectably
closing the bin.
5. Apparatus as in claim 4, further comprising: means operative to
maintain the closure at an open position; and an element on one of
the closure and the bin and operative to engage the other of the
closure and the bin so as to selectably maintain the closure in
closed relation to the access opening.
6. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein: the closure is hingedly
connected to the bin adjacent an upper side of the access
opening.
7. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein: the closure is associated with
the bin at an upper portion of the access opening and selectably
engages the bin at a lower portion to close the opening.
8. Apparatus as in claim 7, further comprising: means defining a
hinge joining the closure to the bin adjacent the open portion; and
a resilient element engaging the closure and operative to bias the
closure to the open position, the resilient element being yieldable
so that the closure can be moved to close the bin in opposition to
the bias.
9. Apparatus as in claim 8, wherein; the resilient element has a
proximal portion joined to the bin and a distal portion contacting
but not joined to the closure, whereby the distal end exerts force
against the cover sufficient to maintain the cover in the open
position in the absence of external force applied to move the cover
closed.
10. A bin for use with a base panel defining at least one location
for storing articles, the bin comprising: means partially defining
a compartment having an open portion; and means associated with the
compartment to mount the compartment to the base panel in
predetermined relation to the location so that the panel at that
location closes the open portion of the bin and forms a surface of
the compartment.
11. The bin as in claim 10, wherein: the open portion of the
compartment comprises a back region of the bin and faces a
confronting surface of the panel in association with the panel, so
that the confronting surface closes the open portion.
12. The bin as in claim 11, further comprising: an access opening
formed in the means defining the compartment, apart from the open
portion, for gaining access to the compartment; and a closure
operatively associated with the bin adjacent the access opening for
selectably closing the compartment.
13. A bin for use with a base panel defining at least one location
for storing articles, the bin comprising: at least one attachment
element associated with at least one of the walls to engage the
base panel in predetermined relation to the location on the base
panel, so as to mount the bin to the base panel with the open
portion confronting and closed by the base panel at the location,
whereby the base panel closes the open portion of the compartment
mounted to the base panel.
14. The bin as in claim 13, wherein: the attachment element
comprises a protrusion on one of the walls and configured to engage
the base panel to interconnect the bin in the predetermined
relation with the location on the base panel.
15. The bin as in claim 13, wherein: the bin has an access opening
for gaining access to the compartment; and further comprising: a
closure operatively associated with the access opening for
selectably closing the bin.
16. Apparatus as in claim 15, further comprising: means operative
to maintain the closure at an open position; and an element on one
of the closure and the bin and operative to engage the other of the
closure and the bin so as to selectably maintain the closure in
closed relation to the access opening.
17. Apparatus as in claim 16, wherein: the closure is hingedly
connected to the bin adjacent an upper side of the access
opening.
18. Apparatus as in claim 16, wherein: the closure is associated
with the bin at an upper portion of the access opening and
selectably engages the bin at a lower portion to close the
opening.
19. Apparatus as in claim 18, further comprising: means defining a
hinge joining the closure to the bin adjacent the open portion; and
a resilient element engaging the closure and operative to bias the
closure to the open position, the resilient element being yieldable
so that the closure can be moved to close the bin in opposition to
the bias.
20. Apparatus as in claim 19, wherein; the resilient element has a
proximal portion joined to the bin and a distal portion contacting
but not joined to the closure, whereby the distal end exerts force
against the cover sufficient to maintain the cover in the open
position in the absence of external force applied to move the cover
closed.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional
Application No. 60/268,333 filed Feb. 12, 2001.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for
storage and retrieval of small parts.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Convenient storage and accessibility for small parts or
other components are required in many applications. For example,
many repair or assembly operations require ready access to the
parts or components required for those operations, so that workers
will not need to leave their work stations to locate products
during normal operations. Such parts may include small mechanical
hardware components such as bolts, nuts, screws, other fasteners
and the like, as well as small electrical components such as
switches, fuses, and the like. In any case, it is important to
provide storage bins or compartments to maintain the components
separate from each other, while preferably having all such
components within easy reach of a person working at the
location.
[0004] Some known parts bins simply define a number of open bins or
recesses for receiving components. Because parts bins often are
attached to a vertical surface such as a wall or at the back of a
workbench, merely providing an array of open receptacles close to
each other may limit easy access to any particular receptacle due
to crowding and the desirability of bins having sufficient capacity
to hold an appropriate supply of parts. Moreover, open bins lack
any cover or closure that permits closing individual bins, to keep
ambient dirt from the components in the bins. Furthermore, for
applications where a parts storage bin is mounted in a van or other
mobile application, the individual compartments should remain
closed during movement of the vehicle, to prevent spilling or
intermixing of articles from the bins.
[0005] Storage bins with drawer-like compartments have been
proposed to provide individual bins capable of closure. Such bins
generally have parts drawers that are selectively pulled open to
reveal their content and pushed closed to secure the contents when
the parts are not needed. Some kind of latch or detent mechanism
may be employed to prevent the drawers from sliding open, for
example, during turning motion of a vehicle in which the parts bin
is mounted. However, such drawers require mechanisms such as
sliding guides or the like to maintain the drawer substantially
level when fully extended from a housing or base, and to prevent
pulling the drawer entirely out of the support structure, thereby
spilling the contents of the drawer.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0006] Panel bins according to the present invention comprise a
panel and one or more bins mounted on the panel. Each bin defines a
compartment that may be used for storage and easy retrieval of any
suitable articles such as components, small parts, or the like. The
panel preferably defines locations for mounting a plurality of bins
in a modular or grid-like arrangement.
[0007] Each bin is formed with side walls interconnected by a wall
forming a front surface of the bin. However, each bin is formed
with an open back. The bin-mounting locations on the panel are
configured so that part of the panel engages and closes the open
back portion of the bin, thereby combining with the side walls and
front wall of the bin to define a complete compartment for
receiving articles. With the surface of the panel recess thus
forming a back wall for each related bin, the material and cost of
forming the bin is reduced.
[0008] Each bin has a cover that selectably closes an access
opening of the bin, thereby enclosing the storage compartment and
its contents. The covers preferably are biased by a resilient
member to remain open, so that the cover normally is displaced from
the access opening of the bin while in use. However, each cover may
be pivotably displaced against the resilient force of the spring to
close and latch the cover. The resilient member biasing open the
lid preferably is a molded plastic element fitted to a part of the
bin and contacting the cover so as to bias the cover towards its
open position. The cover may be optionally removable from the bin,
for applications where covers are not needed or desired.
[0009] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide improved apparatus for storing articles.
[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide an
improved storage bin including a closure.
[0011] It is a further object of the invention to provide a storage
bin assembly readily adaptable to various configurations.
[0012] Other objections and many advantages of the present
invention will become more apparent from the following description
of a preferred embodiment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0013] FIG. 1 is a pictorial view showing a storage bin according
to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the lid of
one bin shown open and with one location bin on the base shown
unoccupied for illustration.
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing a bin and a fragmentary
portion of the base as in the embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary pictorial view of the base depicted
in FIG. 1.
[0016] FIG. 4 is an elevation view taken from the right side of
FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of the resilient spring for
maintaining a door open, in the embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section side view showing the spring
of FIG. 5 in assembly, but without a door structure in place.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a view as in FIG. 6, including a door attached to
the bin and held open by the spring.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a prototype panel bin 10 according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention. Each panel bin comprises a
base in the form of a panel 11 forming the back of the panel bin
assembly in the disclosed embodiment. The panel 11 in FIG. 1 is
formed to have a 3.times.3 array of depressions forming recesses 12
for receiving individual bins 14 that combine with the panel 11 to
define article-receiving compartments 16. For illustrative
purposes, FIG. 1 shows bins mounted to the base panel 11 at each
recess 12 except the upper-left recess. However, the particular
number of recesses in either the horizontal or vertical dimension
of a base panel is a matter of design choice in panel bins
according to the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a detailed view showing details of one recess 12
formed in the panel 11. The panel for the preferred embodiment may
be formed of a suitable plastic material and produced by any
suitable technique such as thermoforming, vacuum forming, or the
like, although it will be understood that other materials may
alternatively be used to form the base panel as well as the bins
14. The inner end or bottom of each recess 12 is defined by the
back plane 21 of the panel 11, and each recess is located within a
peripheral raised border region 18 extending outwardly from the
back plane and surrounding the recess. The border regions 18 each
form a substantially flat outer surface 20 preferably co-planar
with the back plane of the panel 11. A pair of elongate cut-out
slots 23 is formed in the outer surface 20 at the upper side of the
recess 12 as shown in FIG. 2, and two corresponding cut-out slots
are formed at the lower side thereof as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.
Those slots 23 receive matching tabs 24 (shown in FIG. 2) or
similar elements on back edges of the upper end 26 and lower end 27
of each bin 14, for securing the bins in place on the panel 11.
Each tab 24 preferably includes a projection or other element for
engaging edges of the slots 23 and securing the bins to the panel
to prevent the bins from becoming dislodged during normal expected
usage.
[0022] Each bin 14 in the disclosed embodiment has a pair of side
walls 30 joining a front wall 32 and extending rearwardly from the
front wall to end at the back edges 34. The side walls 30 are
planar and mutually parallel. The upper edge of each side wall 30
joins the upper end 26 at the back of the bin and curves forwardly
and downwardly to define a generally scalloped upper edge 36 that
joins the front wall 32. The front wall 32 has an upper edge 38
joining the upper edges 36 of the side walls 30 at the forward ends
of the side walls. The front wall 32 curves generally downwardly
and rearwardly from the upper edge 38 as seen in FIG. 2, so as to
form a bottom surface for the article-receiving compartment 16
defined within the bin 11. The back of each bin is open, so that
the confronting back plane 21 of each panel recess 12 forms the
back wall of the compartment. The upper edge 38 of the front wall
32 for each bin 11 in the preferred embodiment is located in
elevation approximately half-way between the upper edge 26 and
lower edge 27 of the bin, thereby defining an opening into the bin
for easy access into the compartment 16. However, the particular
elevation of the front wall is a matter of choice and is not
considered critical to the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 1 shows covers 42 attached to the upper ends of the
bins 11, and FIG. 2 shows a cover exploded from the upper end 26 of
a bin. Each cover 42 is curved from a back edge 46 to a front edge
43 on a radius substantially the same as the curved upper edges 36
of the side walls 30 for the bin, so that the cover when closed
extends from side to side across the access opening to the
compartment 16 defined by the bin.
[0024] The covers 42 are biased to the open position as shown for
the upper-right bin in FIG. 1, so that the bins can remain open for
access to the compartments without requiring the user to open the
cover whenever access is desired. The covers for the other bins in
FIG. 1 are shown in a closed position covering the bins, the closed
position being maintained by latch elements described below.
Because each cover 42 is hinged adjacent to the upper end 26 of the
respective bin to swing upwardly from the top of the bin and is
biased to remain in that upward-opening attitude, the opened covers
remain displaced upwardly from the line of sight and hand motion of
a person seeking to withdraw an article from within the bin.
[0025] Each cover 42 is removably attached to the bin 14 adjacent
the upper end 26 of the bin, as best shown in FIG. 2, allowing
removal of the covers from one or more bins on a base panel 11 when
desired. The removable attachment is provided in the preferred
embodiment by a connection strip 45 pivotably joined to the back
edge 46 of the cover by a so-called living hinge 48, shown in
detail in FIG. 7. The connection strip 45 is shorter than the
overall width of the cover, and the thickness of the connection
strip provides a frictional fit within an elongated slot 50 formed
on the under side of the upper end 26 of the bin. The back end of
the connection strip 45 may have an enlargement such as the lug 52,
FIG. 6, to assist in retaining the connection strip within the slot
50.
[0026] Each cover 11 is biased upwardly to remain in the open
position by a spring 54 comprising, in the disclosed embodiment, a
resilient member molded or otherwise formed from a suitable
elastomeric material such as silicone rubber. The spring 54 has a
somewhat J-shape when relaxed, as shown in FIG. 5. The longer leg
56 of the J-shaped spring 54 terminates at a proximal end 58 with a
somewhat bulbous enlargement forming a flange 59 along the width of
the leg, as shown in cross-section in FIGS. 6 and 7. The thickness
of the longer leg 56 is somewhat reduced between the proximal end
58 and an edge surface 60 confronting and spaced apart from the
flange 59 on the lower side of the longer leg, to define a
connection region 62 on the longer leg. The connection region 62 of
the spring 54 is frictionally received in a slot 64 (FIG. 2)
located adjacent the upper end 26 of the bin, parallel to and
directly below the slot 50 for receiving the connecting strip 45 of
the cover 42. The flange 59 at the proximal end of the spring helps
maintain the proximal end of the spring in tight frictional fit
within the slot 64. The edge surface 60 contacts the
forwardly-facing side of the bin structure defining the spring slot
64, thereby limiting the maximum extent to which the proximal end
of the spring may be inserted within that slot.
[0027] With the spring 54 inserted in the spring slot 64, the
distal end 66 of the spring curves upwardly to extend across the
slot 50 for connecting the cover to the bin, as shown in FIG. 6.
With the cover 42 in place, as shown in FIG. 7, the distal end 66
contacts the inner surface of the cover a short distance in front
of the living hinge 48. The distal end 66 of the spring 54 thus
biases the cover 42 to an open position as shown in FIG. 1 and
fragmentarily shown in FIG. 7. However, the distal end of the
resilient spring is not attached or connected to the cover, so that
the cover is easily attached to or removed from the bin without
connecting or disconnecting the spring from the cover.
[0028] Each cover has one or more latch fingers 70, FIG. 2, located
near the front edge 43 of the cover for securing the cover in the
closed position. These latch fingers 70 extend downwardly from the
underside of the front edge 43 and engage the confronting latch
engagement region 72 centered within the upper edge 38 of the front
wall 32 on the bin, whenever the lid is lowered to close the bin.
The latch fingers and latch engagement region are configured so
that the latch fingers move below the latch engagement region with
a deformable snap fit, when the cover is moved downwardly to close
the opening of the bin against the resilient force of the spring.
The forward edge of the cover is bowed outwardly along a region 74
located in front of the latch fingers 70, thereby forming a recess
or handle for lifting a latched cover upwardly to open the cover.
The latch fingers 70 are located on the inner side of a wall 76
extending along the forward edge of the cover beneath the opening
handle.
[0029] The panel 11 has an upper surface 80 and a corresponding
lower surface surrounding the overall array of recesses 12. Side
walls 82 extend between the upper and lower surfaces of the panel
and likewise surround the array of recesses. The forward edge 84 of
each side wall 82 is shaped with a series of curved, generally
scalloped projections 86 formed by upper surfaces 86a that conform
generally to the curvatures of the upper edges 36 of the bins
disposed alongside the side walls, and by lower surfaces 86b that
conform generally to the downward-rearward curvature of the front
walls 32 of the bins. The sides 82 of the panel 11 thus
substantially enclose and surround the sides of the array of
recesses 12 and the bins 11 disposed within that array. A flange 88
having fastener-receiving holes 90 extends outwardly from the back
edge of the base 11 for mounting the panel bin 10 to a wall or
other support surface.
[0030] It should now be apparent that the covers can remain open to
permit ready access to the compartments. However, the covers can
readily be lowered and latched closed to secure the compartments
and their contents, for example, when a panel bin mounted in a
vehicle. Moreover, the covers (and springs, if desired) are easily
removed from the bins if desired for a particular application,
without requiring tools or modification of the bins.
[0031] The foregoing is only a preferred embodiment, and numerous
changes and modifications thereto may be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the of the present invention as
defined in the following claims.
* * * * *