U.S. patent application number 12/860015 was filed with the patent office on 2012-02-23 for two tone storage bin.
This patent application is currently assigned to AKRO-MILS, INC.. Invention is credited to Jerrold BROWN, Travis SHAMP.
Application Number | 20120043289 12/860015 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45593248 |
Filed Date | 2012-02-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120043289 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BROWN; Jerrold ; et
al. |
February 23, 2012 |
TWO TONE STORAGE BIN
Abstract
A two tone storage bin for a product includes a body having a
bottom wall and two opposed side walls, a front end wall of a first
color and a rear end wall of a second color connected thereto. The
two end walls have a height lower than a height of the side walls
to form a front bin opening and a rear bin opening. A divider wall
is positioned midway of the body to form a front hopper and a rear
hopper, each of which is filled with a product. When the front
hopper is empty and product in the bin needs replenishing, the bin
is turned around so that the rear end wall of the second color
faces outwardly to provide a visual indicator that replenishment of
the product in the bin is needed while there is still product left
in the rear hopper.
Inventors: |
BROWN; Jerrold; (Medina,
OH) ; SHAMP; Travis; (Akron, OH) |
Assignee: |
AKRO-MILS, INC.
Akron
OH
|
Family ID: |
45593248 |
Appl. No.: |
12/860015 |
Filed: |
August 20, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/133.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 25/00 20130101;
B65D 25/06 20130101; A47B 88/994 20170101; A47B 88/90 20170101;
B65D 2203/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/133.6 |
International
Class: |
A47B 23/06 20060101
A47B023/06 |
Claims
1. A storage bin for a product comprising: a bottom wall; two
spaced opposed side walls; a front end wall having a height lower
than a height of said side walls to form a first bin opening, said
front end wall being of a first color; a rear end wall having a
height lower than a height of said side walls to form a second bin
opening, said rear end wall being of a second color different from
said first color and providing a visual indicator that the product
in the bin needs replenishing; and a divider wall positioned
between said front end wall and said rear end wall to form a front
hopper and a rear hopper whereby when the product in the bin needs
replenishing, the bin is turned around so that the rear end wall of
the second color faces outwardly to provide the visual indicator
that replenishment of the product in the bin is needed.
2. The storage bin according to claim 1 wherein the side walls are
provided with at least one pair of opposed slots in which the
divider wall is mounted.
3. The storage bin according to claim 1 wherein the side walls are
provided with a plurality of pairs of slots spaced lengthwise
thereof so that the divider wall may be mounted at different
positions along the side walls to vary the size of the front and
rear hoppers.
4. The storage bin according to claim 3 wherein the pairs of slots
are positioned at one fourth, one third and one half the length of
the side walls.
5. The storage bin according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion
of the side walls of the rear hopper adjacent the rear wall also
are of the second color and at least a portion of the side walls of
the front hopper adjacent the front wall also are of the first
color.
6. The storage bin according to claim 1 wherein the first color is
a shade of blue.
7. The storage bin according to claim 1 wherein the second color is
a shade of orange.
8. The storage bin according to claim 1 wherein the first color is
a shade of blue and the second color is a shade of orange.
9. The storage bin according to claim 5 wherein the front wall and
the portion of the side walls adjacent the front are constructed of
a first plastic material of the first color and the rear wall and
the portion of the side walls adjacent the rear wall are
constructed of a second plastic material of the second color.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an improved storage bin,
and, more particularly, a storage bin having ends of two different
colors or tones which is useful in an inventory bin system for
inventory control and replenishment of a product in the bin.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Numerous storage bins useful in inventory control systems
are known in the art wherein the bins are positioned on shelves or
in cabinets in a work room, storage room, shop, store or the like.
In such prior art storage bins, it is often difficult to know when
the contents of the bin are low or even empty without pulling the
bin outwardly for a visual inspection.
[0005] A prior art storage bin having means for indicating when the
contents of the bin are low or the bin is empty is shown in U.S.
Pat. No. 3,942,851 which discloses a pivotable storage bin having a
different color on a front surface from the rest of the bin so that
when the bin is full of a product the bin tilts downwardly whereby
the colored front surface does not show but when the bin is empty,
the front surface faces outwardly so that the color is visible
indicating that the bin is empty.
[0006] There is still a need, however, for a storage bin of simple
construction and low cost which is easy to install and which gives
a ready indication when a product in the bin needs
replenishment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
storage bin having ends of two different colors so that when an end
of a first color is showing the bin has sufficient product therein
but when the end of a second color is showing, a product in the bin
needs replenishment.
[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
storage bin of two different colors having a bin opening at each
end and which is of simple construction and easy to use.
[0009] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a storage bin having a divider wall positioned between the
front end wall and the rear end wall to form a front hopper of one
color and a rear hopper of another color whereby when the bin needs
replenishing, the bin is turned around or reversed so that a rear
end wall faces outwardly to provide a visual indicator that
replenishment of a product in the bin is needed.
[0010] The present invention achieves the above and other objects
by providing a storage bin for a product having a bottom wall, two
spaced opposed side walls, a front wall having a height lower than
a height of the side walls to form a first bin opening and a rear
wall having a height lower than a height of the side walls to form
a second bin opening. The front wall is of a first color and the
rear wall is of a second color different from the first color to
provide a visual indication that a product in the bin needs
replenishing. The storage bin further includes a divider wall
positioned between the front end wall and the rear end wall to form
a front hopper and a rear hopper whereby when a product in the bin
needs replenishing, the bin is turned around or reversed so that
the rear wall faces outwardly to provide the visual indicator that
replenishment of the product is needed.
[0011] The side walls of the bin are provided with a plurality of
pairs of opposed slots spaced lengthwise thereof so that the
divider wall may be mounted at different positions along the side
walls to vary the size of the front and rear hoppers. The two
different colored portions of the storage bin may be formed from
two different plastic materials of different colors or of a single
plastic material of two different colors.
[0012] These, together with other objects and advantages which will
be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and
operation as more fully described and claimed hereafter, reference
being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof,
wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a two toned storage bin
according to the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the storage bin of FIG.
1;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the storage bin of
FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the storage bin of
FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the storage bin
of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the storage bin of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the storage bin of FIG.
1;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the storage bin of FIG.
1 showing a divider wall in the middle thereof; and
[0021] FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of
the storage bin of the present invention showing a divider wall
mounted in the middle thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] Referring to the drawings, a two tone or color storage bin,
generally referred to by the numeral 10, for holding a product is
shown which includes a body 12 having a bottom wall 14, two spaced
opposed side walls 16 extending upwardly therefrom, a front end
wall 18 extending upwardly from the bottom wall and connected to
one end of the side walls and a rear end wall 22 extending upwardly
from the bottom wall and connected to an opposite end of the side
walls.
[0023] The front end wall has a height lower than a height of the
side walls to form a first bin opening 20 for placing or removing a
product in or from a bin. Similarly, rear end wall 22 has a height
lower than a height of the side walls for form a second bin opening
24 for putting in or removing a product into or from the bin.
[0024] The storage bin 10 may be constructed of a suitable common
plastic material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene,
high-impact polystyrene and styrene-acrylonitrile. In addition,
more specialized plastic materials may be used such as
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, cellulose acetate butyrate,
cellulose acetate propionate, polycarbonate, polyethylene
terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate (acrylic resin) and
polyvinyl chloride.
[0025] The front portion of the bin is constructed of a first color
26 and the rear portion of the bin is constructed of a second color
28. As shown in FIG. 1, the portion of the bin 10 constructed of
the first color 26 preferably may extend from the front end to a
point approximately 50% to 80% of the length of the bin while the
rear portion of the bin constructed of the second color 28 may
extend approximately 20% to 50% of the length of the bin. Although
not shown in the drawings, any part of the front portion of the bin
may be of the first color 26, including just the front end wall 18,
and any part of the rear portion, including only the rear end wall
22, may be of the second color. Also, half of the bin may be of the
first color 26 and half of the bin may be of the second color 28.
The important factor is that at least each end of the bin is of a
different color. While any two different colors may be used for the
first color 26 and the second color 28, in a preferred embodiment,
the first color is blue and the second color is orange. The storage
bin may be thermally formed of a single plastic material of two
different colors or of two different plastic materials, each of a
different color.
[0026] Each of the side walls 16 has a rim 32 along its upper end
edges thereof. Each side wall also may have a first thinner section
34 at its upper end, a second thicker section 36 in the middle
thereof and a third even thicker section 38 at its lower end. Each
second thicker section 36 has a plurality of slots 40 therein and
each third even thicker section 38 at the bottom of the side wall
has slots 42 vertically aligned with the slots 40. The slots 40 and
42 on one side wall are directly opposite and matched with the
slots 40 and 42 on the opposite side wall so that the slots may
receive a divider wall 46 as shown in FIG. 8. The outside surfaces
of each of the side walls 16 contain ribs 48 extending outwardly
therefrom corresponding to the slots 40 and 42 on the inside of the
walls.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 8, the divider wall 46 divides the storage
bin into a front hopper 52 and a rear hopper 54 inside the body of
the bin. The divider wall 46 may be placed in any of the slots in
the side walls to form front and rear hoppers of various sizes
since the slots are spaced at various positions along the side
walls. As shown in FIG. 8, the divider wall may be placed at the
mid point of the body of the storage bin to divide the body into
equal front hoppers and rear hoppers, with each hopper having a bin
opening.
[0028] A second embodiment of the storage bin is shown in FIG. 9
wherein the storage bin is longer in length and higher on each
side. Moreover, the upper slots 40 which receive divider wall 46
are formed by wall portions 56 which extend out from thicker wall
portion 36 rather than being recessed into the wall portion as
shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8. Moreover, the embodiment of
FIG. 9 includes more slots than the embodiment of FIG. 8 and the
outer walls of the sides do not have ribs protruding therefrom in
the second thicker section 36 since the slots are not recessed into
the wall as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8. The storage bin of FIG.
9 further includes a recessed portion 60 in the rear wall thereof
to receive a label or other insert which may be used to identify
the product in the storage bin. The front end wall of the storage
bin also may include a recessed portion to receive a label or other
insert. Similarly, the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8 may have recessed
portions on the front and/or rear end walls to receive labels or
other inserts.
[0029] In use, the two tone or two color storage bin is
particularly advantageous when handling smaller products such as
medical supplies, nails, screws, washers or the like. The divider
wall is put in the bin at a desired location such as one half, one
third or one fourth the length of the bin to divide the bin into a
front hopper and rear hopper. Initially, both the front hopper and
the rear hopper of the bin are filled with a product. The bin
opening at each end facilitates easy placing in or removing the
product from the bin. Initially, the front end of the bin having a
first color such as blue faces outwardly when the bin is stored on
a shelf, put in a cabinet or otherwise situated for use. Normally
the front hopper is larger than the back hopper to contain the most
product. When the front hopper is emptied of the product, the bin
is then turned around so that the back end of the back hopper faces
outwardly whereby the second color such as orange shows to indicate
that the product in the bin needs replenishing. Since the back
hopper also contains a supply of the product, however, the bin is
not yet emptied so the rear end of the bin facing outwardly
provides a visual indication that replenishment of the product is
needed. While the two colors may be of any different colors, the
preferred combination is blue for the front end since blue
generally indicates everything is normal and to have the second
color of the rear end wall orange to indicate that replenishment is
necessary soon.
[0030] A plurality of these bins may be used together to form an
inventory bin system for inventory control and replenishment that
is easy to install and inexpensive to purchase. The two tone bin
inventory system also makes it very easy to train staff or other
workers in its use. The simplicity of an inventory bin system using
the two tone bin of the present invention is that when the bin is
turned around so that the second color shows, there is still enough
product in the bin to keep working while still providing a visual
indication that the product needs replenishing.
[0031] Numerous other modifications and adaptations of the present
invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and thus, it
is intended by the following claims to cover all such adaptations
which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *