JP3248041U - Storage Box - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a storage box that can be efficiently placed in a small storage space such as a closet or cupboard, and that can neatly and compactly store a wide variety of items of different sizes and shapes. [Solution] A storage box 1 includes a box body 2, an inner container 3, and a lid 4. The box body 2 is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped storage container that has a rectangular planar outline and is open at the top, and the inner container 3 is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped small item container with opposing side walls that run along the opposing inner surfaces of a peripheral wall 5 of the box body 2 that has a rectangular cross section, and has a pair of locking pieces 3b, 3b that protrude outward from the upper edges of the opposing side walls. A pair of guide rails 8a, 8a that slidably suspend and support the pair of locking pieces 3b, 3b of the inner container 3 are provided at the upper edges of the opposing side walls of the box body 2, and thus the inner container 3 is installed in a storage section 12 of the box body 2 so as to be movable along the guide rails 8a, 8a. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

This invention relates to a storage box, and more specifically to a storage box technology that can be placed in a storage space such as a closet or cupboard and that can store and hold various items.

Traditionally, various storage boxes have been developed to store various items together, and these storage boxes incorporate various ideas based on the needs of users. The materials used to construct them also vary widely, from boxes whose contents cannot be seen from the outside to boxes whose contents can be seen from the outside.

Storage boxes also come in a variety of sizes, from large ones that are used in spacious spaces such as living rooms, to small ones that are primarily designed to make effective use of small storage spaces such as closets and cupboards.

Design Registration No. 1448787

By the way, although there are many different types of items, from large to small, and each has a different specific shape, most conventional storage boxes have a basic structure that is a simple box-shaped container, and there are cases where it is necessary to organize and store various items of different sizes and shapes in a single storage box.

This invention was made in consideration of these conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide a storage box that can be efficiently placed in small storage spaces such as closets and cupboards, and that can neatly and compactly store a wide variety of items of different sizes and shapes.

In order to achieve the above object, the storage box of the present invention is for storing and holding various items, and comprises a box body, an inner container for small items that is removably installed in the box body, and a lid that closes the box body in an openable and closable manner. The box body has a rectangular planar contour shape and is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped storage container that opens upward. The inner container is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped small item container with opposing side walls that run along the opposing inner surfaces of the peripheral wall of the box body that has a rectangular cross section, and has a pair of locking pieces that protrude outward from the upper edges of the opposing side walls. A pair of guide rails that slidably suspend and support the pair of locking pieces of the inner container are provided on the upper edges of the opposing side walls of the box body, and thus the inner container is installed in the storage section of the box body so that it can move along the guide rails.

As a preferred embodiment, the following configuration is adopted.
(1) When a pair of locking pieces of the inner container are suspended and supported by a pair of guide rails of the box body, the upper edge of the opening of the box body and the upper end surface of the inner container are configured to be flush with each other, and the lid body is structured to abut and lock against the flush upper edge of the opening of the box body and the upper end surface of the inner container when the box body is closed so as to be able to be opened and closed.

(2) A pair of handle portions are provided on opposing outer sides of the peripheral wall of the box body, and are configured so that when the lid body closes the box body so as to be able to open and close, the outer surface of the lid body and the outer surface of the handle portions are flush with each other.

(3) The lid body and the box body are provided at corresponding locations with engagement parts that releasably engage and fix the lid body to the box body, and the engagement parts are composed of a locking protrusion provided on the inner surface of the lid body and an engagement recess provided in the opposing portion of the box body, and the locking protrusion of the lid body is configured to resiliently engage with the engagement recess of the box body from the outside, and the lid body is elastically deformed outward to release the engagement state of the locking protrusion with the engagement recess.

(4) The top surface of the lid is structured to position and hold the bottom of the box body, allowing multiple storage boxes to be stacked.

(5) Wheels for mobility are provided on the bottom of the box body, and a fitting recess for fitting and holding the wheels for mobility is provided on the top surface of the lid.

The storage box of the present invention is for storing and holding various items, and comprises a box body, an inner container for small items that is removably installed in the box body, and a lid that closes the box body in an openable and closable manner. The box body has a rectangular planar contour shape and is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped storage container that opens upward. The inner container is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped small item container with opposing side walls along the opposing inner surfaces of the peripheral wall having a rectangular cross section of the box body, and has a pair of locking pieces that protrude outward from the upper edges of the opposing side walls. A pair of guide rails are provided at the upper edges of the opposing side walls of the box body to slidably hang and support the pair of locking pieces of the inner container. As a result, the inner container is installed in the storage section of the box body so that it can move along the guide rails, and the unique effects listed below are obtained, and a storage box can be provided that can be efficiently placed in a narrow storage space such as a closet or a cupboard, and can neatly and compactly store a wide variety of items of different sizes and shapes.

(1) The storage box comprises a box body and an inner container for storing small items that is removably installed within the box body. By storing small items in the inner container and other items in the box body, a wide variety of items, from large to small, can be neatly organized and stored.

(2) The inner container is removably installed in the storage section of the box body and movable along a guide rail. This makes it easy to store items other than small items in the storage section of the box body by removing the inner container. In addition, the position of the inner container can be freely moved and positioned within the storage section to freely determine the arrangement of the items to be stored in the storage section. This allows a wide variety of items of different sizes, shapes, etc. to be neatly and compactly stored.

1 is a perspective view of a storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention with the lid removed; 2A and 2B show the same storage box, in which FIG. 2A is a front view of the storage box and FIG. 2B is a side view of the storage box. 3A and 3B show the same storage box, with FIG. 3A being a plan view of the storage box and FIG. 3B being a bottom view of the storage box. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVA-IVA in FIG. 2A, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVB-IVB in FIG. 2B, showing the cross-sectional structure of the storage box. 5(a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion enclosed by the dashed dotted line in FIG. 4, and FIG. 5(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2(b), showing the structure of the handle portion of the storage box. 6A and 6B show a box body of the storage box, with FIG. 6A being a front view of the box body and FIG. 6B being a side view of the box body. 7A is a plan view of the lid of the storage box, FIG. 7B is a bottom view of the lid, and FIG. 7C is a front view of the lid. 8A is a perspective view of the inner container of the storage box, FIG. 8B is a front view of the inner container, and FIG. 8C is a plan view of the inner container. 9A shows an example of how the storage box is used, with FIG. 9A being a front view showing a state in which a smaller storage box of the same structure is stacked on top of the storage box, and FIG. 9B being a front cross-sectional view of the storage boxes in the stacked state.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals throughout the drawings indicate the same components or elements.

The storage box according to the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 5. Specifically, this storage box 1 can be placed in a storage space such as a closet or cupboard, and is suitable for storing and holding various items, large and small.

In the following explanation, the relationship between the front, rear, left and right in the planar direction of the storage box 1 will be explained according to the orientation shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of convenience, with the X direction being the front-rear direction and the Y direction being the left-right lateral direction, but there is no practical problem if the front-rear direction X and the left-right lateral direction Y are reversed.

The storage box 1 is an injection-molded plastic product that includes a box body 2, an inner container 3, and a lid 4.

As shown in the figure, the box body 2 has a rectangular planar contour and is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped storage container that is open at the top.

The box body 2 in the illustrated embodiment is specifically an integrally molded product in the form of a storage container made up of a rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall 5 with a flat rectangular outer periphery that is open at the top, and a flat bottom plate 6.

The peripheral wall 5 that forms the side of the box body 2 has inwardly recessed portions 5a, 5a extending vertically in the center of the left and right side surfaces, and these recessed portions 5a, 5a function both as reinforcing portions of the box body 2 and as decorative elements.

The upper opening of the box body 2 is provided with an attachment support 7 for attaching and supporting the inner container 3 and the lid 4. As shown in FIG. 1, this attachment support 7 is provided around the entire upper end of the box body 2.

The mounting support part 7 includes an inner support part 8 that supports the inner container 3 in a suspended state, and an outer support part 9 that fits and supports the lid body 4.

The inner support part 8 is in the form of a pair of guide rails 8a, 8a that extend horizontally and linearly in the left-right lateral direction Y on the front-rear inner part of the mounting support part 7, and as described below, the inner container 3 is suspended and supported on the pair of guide rails 8a, 8a so as to be removable and to be movable in sliding contact with the guide rails 8a, 8a.

The outer support part 9 is in the form of a reinforcing flange formed on the outer part of the mounting support part 7 so as to protrude outward over the entire circumference. As described below, the lid body 4 is removably fitted and engaged from above to the outer peripheral surface 9a of the outer support part 9, and a reinforcing rib 9b is provided on the bottom surface, as shown in FIG. 3(b).

In addition, a pair of handles 10, 10 are provided on the opposing outer sides of the peripheral wall 5 of the box body 2. In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of handles 10, 10 are provided in the center of the left and right sides of the outer support part 9, and these handles 10, 10 cooperate with the recesses 5a, 5a of the peripheral wall 5 of the box body 2.

Specifically, the handle portion 10 is formed such that the central portions of the left and right sides of the outer support portion 9 are recessed inward, and as shown in FIG. 5(a), the inner portion 10a is configured to allow fingers to be inserted and locked from the underside of the handle portion 10. For this purpose, the space formed by the inner portion 10a and the recess 5a of the peripheral wall 5 functions as space A in which fingers can be inserted and locked.

The grip portion 10 has a reinforcing rib 10b formed on its outer periphery, and a pair of reinforcing ribs 10c, 10c are also provided in a bridging manner between the inner portion 10a of the grip portion 10 and the recess 5a of the peripheral wall 5. 30 indicates a drainage hole provided at the bottom of the grip portion 10.

The bottom plate 6 that forms the bottom of the box body 2 is horizontally disposed at a position slightly higher than the lower end 5b of the peripheral wall 5 as shown in FIG. 4, and reinforcing ribs 6a, 6b are provided in a lattice pattern on the bottom surface of the bottom plate 6 as shown in FIG. 3(b).

Furthermore, four wheels 11, 11, ... for transportation are provided on the bottom of the box body 2.

These transport wheels 11, 11, ... enable the box body 2 to move in the left-right lateral direction Y, and are provided at the four corners of the bottom of the box body 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the transport wheels 11, 11, ... are rotatably supported by the reinforcing ribs 6a, 6a formed to extend in the left-right lateral direction Y.

Although not specifically shown, by using casters with a structure in which the rotatable wheels can rotate freely 360° around a vertical axis instead of the above-mentioned transport wheels 11, 11, ..., the box body 2 can be structured to be able to move freely in any direction, not to mention forward, backward, left and right.

The inner container 3 is a container for storing small items that is removably installed inside the box body 2, and is removably stored and held in the storage section 12 of the box body 2 in a hanging state, as shown in FIG. 1.

The inner container 3 in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped small container as shown in FIG. 8, with its front and rear side walls (opposing side walls) 3a, 3a shaped and sized to conform to the front and rear side walls (opposing inner sides) 5c, 5c of the peripheral wall 5 of the box body 2, and has a pair of locking pieces 3b, 3b protruding outwardly from the upper edges of these front and rear side walls 3a, 3a.

These pair of locking pieces 3b, 3b are suspended and supported so as to be slidable on a pair of front and rear guide rails 8a, 8a of the box body 2, and in this suspended and supported state, the upper edge of the opening of the box body 2, i.e., the upper surface 7a of the mounting support part 7, and the upper end surface of the inner container 3, i.e., the upper surfaces 3c, 3c of the locking pieces 3b, 3b, are configured to be flush with each other.

The pair of locking pieces 3b, 3b of the inner container 3 are suspended and supported so as to be slidable on a pair of front and rear guide rails 8a, 8a of the box body 2, so that the inner container 3 is installed in the storage section 12 of the box body 2 so as to be slidably movable along the guide rails 8a, 8a, and is removably stored and held therein.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lid 4 closes the box body 2 in an openable and closable manner, and has a rectangular planar contour shape corresponding to the box body 2. The peripheral wall 15 of the lid 4 fits and engages with the outer surface of the mounting support part 7 of the box body 2, i.e., the outer peripheral surface 9a of the outer support part 9, covering the outer periphery of this outer peripheral surface 9a.

As shown in FIG. 7(b), a reinforcing rib 16 corresponding to the contour of the peripheral wall 15 is provided around the entire inner periphery of the peripheral wall 15 of the cover body 4, and reinforcing ribs 17, 17, ... are provided in a bridging shape around the entire periphery between the peripheral wall 15 and the reinforcing rib 16.

As shown in Figures 4(a), (b) and 5(a), (b), the lower end edge 16a of the reinforcing rib 16 is configured so that the peripheral wall 15 of the lid body 4 fits and engages with the outer circumferential surface 9a of the mounting support part 7 of the box body 2, thereby positioning and supporting the fitting state of the peripheral wall 15 relative to the mounting support part 7.

In this case, as described above, the upper surface 7a of the mounting support portion 7 and the upper surfaces 3c, 3c of the locking pieces 3b, 3b of the inner container 3 are configured to be flush with each other (FIGS. 4(a), 5(a), and (b)). At the same time, the inner container 3 is also supported and fixed to the box body 2 by the fitting and locking of the lid body 4.

When the peripheral wall 15 of the lid 4 is engaged with the outer peripheral surface 9a of the mounting support portion 7 of the box body 2 and covers the outer periphery of this outer peripheral surface 9a, the peripheral wall 15 is configured to be flush with the outer surface of the handle portion 10, that is, the outer end surface of the reinforcing rib 10b in the illustrated example, as shown in Figures 4(b) and 5(a) and (b). In this way, the outer surface of the lid 4 and the outer surface of the handle 10, which is a lateral protrusion of the box body 2, are flush with each other, so there is no part that protrudes outward from the lid 4, and the storage box 1 fits snugly when handled, for example, when placed in a storage space such as a closet or cupboard.

Furthermore, in relation to the shape and structure of the peripheral wall 15 of the lid body 4 and the handle portion 10 of the box body 2, the recessed portion 18 on the inside of the handle portion 10 functions as a removal recess when removing the lid body 4 from the box body 2, as shown in FIG. 5(a). For this purpose, a recess 19 with a contour corresponding to the contour of the removal recess 18 is formed in the part of the lid body 4 corresponding to the removal recess 18.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), in relation to these removal structures 18 and 19, the corresponding locations of the lid 4 and the box body 2 are provided with engagement portions 20 that releasably engage and fix the lid 4 to the box body 2.

In the illustrated embodiment, the engagement portion 20 is provided on both the front and rear sides of the handle portion 10. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the engagement portion 20 is composed of a pair of locking projections 20a, 20a provided on the inner surface of the lid 4, and a pair of engagement recesses 20b, 20b provided on the portion of the box body 2 facing the locking projections 20a, 20a, as shown in FIG. 6(b).

As shown in FIG. 5(b), the locking protrusion 20a and the engagement recess 20b are configured so that the locking protrusion 20a resiliently engages with the engagement recess 20b of the box body 2 from the outside due to elastic deformation of the peripheral wall 15 of the lid 4.

When the lid 4 is closed from above on the box body 2, the peripheral wall 15 of the lid 4 moves down along the outer peripheral surface 9a of the mounting support portion 7 of the box body 2 and engages with it, and the pair of locking projections 20a, 20a on both the left and right sides of the lid 4 resiliently lock into the pair of engagement recesses 20b, 20b on both the left and right sides of the mounting support portion 7 (see FIG. 5(b)). As a result, the upper opening of the box body 2 is closed by the lid 4.

On the other hand, conversely, when removing the lid 4 that has been closing the box body 2 to open the box body 2, insert your fingers into the removal recesses 18, 18 on both the left and right sides of the box body 2 and press them against the inside of the lower end of the peripheral wall 15 of the lid 4, and pull the peripheral wall 19 of the lid 4 outward in this state to release the engagement state of the engagement parts 20, 20 (the engagement state of the locking protrusions 20a with the engagement recesses 20b). Then, lift the lid 4 upward and remove it in this state to open the box body 2. The operation of releasing the engagement state of the engagement parts 20, 20 may be performed with the fingers of both hands on both the left and right engagement parts 20, 20 simultaneously, or one at a time in sequence.

As shown in FIG. 9, the storage box 1 of this embodiment has a structure that allows multiple units to be stacked. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 7, the upper surface of the lid body 4 is structured to position and hold the bottom of the box body 2.

That is, the outer periphery of the top surface of the lid 4 is made into a reinforcing rib 21 that rises upward, and the top plate 22 on the inside is made into a reinforcing structure that is curved up and down in an uneven shape.

In response to this, the peripheral wall 5 of the box body 2 is tapered downwards and inwards slightly as shown in the figure, and the dimensions are set so that the lower end of the box body 2 fits inside the reinforcing rib 21 of the lid 4, resulting in a structure that allows the upper storage box 1 to be positioned and held on top of the lower storage box 1.

The reinforcing structure of the top plate 22 of the lid 4 has an uneven shape that curves up and down, and has fitting recesses 23, 23 that fit and hold the transport wheels 11, 11, ... provided on the bottom of the box body 2.

In the example of stacking storage boxes 1, 1 shown in Figure 9, a slightly smaller storage box 1 with the same structure is stacked on top of the lower storage box 1, but by satisfying the above stacking conditions, storage boxes 1 of the same size can be stacked.

When using the storage box 1 configured as above, the lid 4 is removed from the box body 2 in the manner described above, the box body 2 is opened, and the inner container 3 is moved to one side of the box body 2 in the lateral direction Y along the guide rails 8a, 8a, or the inner container 3 is removed from the box body 2 as necessary, and items other than small items are mainly stored in the storage section 12 from the upper end opening of the box body 2, and other small items are stored in the inner container 3.

In this case, the inner container 3 is moved to any position in the left or right lateral direction Y of the box body 2 to neatly and compactly store the items in the storage section 12 of the box body 2, and then the box body 2 is closed with the lid 4.

Although not specifically shown, the storage box 1 that stores various items in this way can be placed in a large space such as a living room or other room, or stored in a small storage space such as a closet or cupboard. In this case, the bottom of the storage box 1 is provided with wheels 11, 11, ... for moving, so that the storage box 1 can be moved smoothly.

In addition, if there is sufficient vertical space to place the storage box 1, two or more storage boxes 1 can be stacked together as shown in Figure 9.

As described above in detail, the storage box 1 of this embodiment provides the unique advantages listed below.

(a) The storage box 1 comprises a box body 2 and an inner container 3 for storing small items that is removably installed within the box body 2. By storing small items in the inner container 3 and other items in the box body 2, a wide variety of items, from large to small, can be neatly and compactly organized and stored.

(b) The inner container 3 is installed in the storage section 12 of the box body 2 so that it can be removed and slid along the guide rails 8a, 8a. When storing items other than small items in the storage section 12 of the box body 2, the storage work can be easily performed by removing the inner container 3. In addition, the position of the inner container 3 can be moved and positioned appropriately within the storage section 12, allowing the arrangement of the items to be stored in the storage section 12 to be freely determined. This allows a wide variety of items of different sizes, shapes, etc. to be neatly and compactly stored.

The above-mentioned embodiments are merely preferred implementations of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various design modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

For example, the specific structure of each part constituting the storage box 1 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment as long as it has a similar function, and other structures may also be adopted.

1 Storage box 2 Box body 3 Inner container 3a Front and rear side walls of inner container (opposing side walls)
3b Locking piece 3c of the middle container Top surface of the locking piece (upper end surface of the middle container)
4 Lid body 5 Peripheral wall of box body 7 Mounting support portion 7a of box body Top surface of box body (upper edge of opening of box body)
8a Guide rail 10 Handle portion 11 Moving wheels 12 Storage portion 20 of the box body Engagement portion 20a Locking protrusion 20b Engagement recess

Claims (6)

It is used to store and hold various items,
The box includes a box body, an inner container for storing small items that is removably installed in the box body, and a lid that closes the box body in an openable and closable manner.
The box body has a rectangular planar contour shape and is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped storage container that is open at the top,
The inner container is in the form of a rectangular box-like small container having opposing side walls along opposing inner surfaces of a peripheral wall having a rectangular cross section of the box body, and has a pair of locking pieces protruding outward from upper edges of the opposing side walls,
A pair of guide rails are provided on upper end edges of opposing side walls of the box body to slidably support a pair of locking pieces of the inner container,
This results in a storage box in which the inner container is movably installed in the storage section of the box body along the guide rail. When the pair of locking pieces of the inner container are suspended and supported by the pair of guide rails of the box body, the upper edge of the opening of the box body and the upper end surface of the inner container are configured to be flush with each other,
The storage box according to claim 1, characterized in that the lid body is structured so that when closing the box body, it abuts and engages with the flush upper edge of the opening of the box body and the upper end surface of the inner container. A pair of handles are provided on opposing outer sides of the peripheral wall of the box body,
2. The storage box according to claim 1, wherein the lid is configured so that an outer surface of the lid and an outer surface of the handle are flush with each other when the lid closes the box body. The lid body and the box body are provided at corresponding locations with engagement portions for releasably engaging and fixing the lid body to the box body,
The engaging portion comprises a locking projection provided on the inner surface of the lid and an engaging recess provided on the opposing portion of the box body,
The storage box according to claim 3, characterized in that the locking protrusion of the lid body is configured to resiliently engage with the engagement recess of the box body from the outside, and the locking protrusion is disengaged from the engagement recess by elastically deforming the lid body outward. 2. The storage box according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the lid is structured to position and hold the bottom of the box body, allowing a plurality of storage boxes to be stacked. 6. The storage box according to claim 5, wherein the box body has a bottom portion provided with wheels for mobility, and the top surface of the lid has a fitting recess for fitting and holding the wheels for mobility.

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