초록 ▼

The adjacent edges for two covers of a tote box have interlocking fingers where separation is resisted by means of hooks on one or more of the covers engaging side flanges of the box to lock the covers in place. The closed covers present a flat surface inset with respect to a plurality of abutments

The adjacent edges for two covers of a tote box have interlocking fingers where separation is resisted by means of hooks on one or more of the covers engaging side flanges of the box to lock the covers in place. The closed covers present a flat surface inset with respect to a plurality of abutments in the vicinity of the sides and ends that prevent side shifting of a like box stacked on top of it. The side abutments have a second function of latching into the end walls to hold the covers in their open position, even when a plurality of like boxes are nested. The latches and locks are unitarily molded into the cover and provided with cam surfaces that together with inherent resiliency of the structure provide for locking and latching by movement of the cover.

대표청구항 ▼

A tote box, comprising: a bottom of generally rectangular shape around its periphery; opposed side and opposed end walls sloping downwardly and inwardly to said bottom, each wall having lower ends integrally formed with the periphery of said bottom and side ends integrally formed with each other to

A tote box, comprising: a bottom of generally rectangular shape around its periphery; opposed side and opposed end walls sloping downwardly and inwardly to said bottom, each wall having lower ends integrally formed with the periphery of said bottom and side ends integrally formed with each other to form with the bottom a unitary container having an open top; two cover elements closing the open top of said container in closed position; hinge means along the uppermost edge of each of said end walls and along one edge of each of said cover elements for respectively hingedly securing said each cover element to said container for pivotal movement about respective axes from said closed position through about 270 degrees to an open position; the uppermost edge of said side walls having an integral flange with an outermost downwardly facing lock surface; each of said cover elements being generally rectangular with opposed end portions, one of which having said hinge means, and opposed side portions overlying said container flange for supporting said cover element in said closed position; each of said side portions of one of said cover elements at a location adjacent its end portion that is opposite its hinge means having a downwardly extending unitary hook means resiliently movable between a lock position extending beneath said flange lock surface to prevent movement of said cover elements from said closed position toward said open position and an unlocked position outwardly spaced from said flange to permit pivotal movement of said cover elements from said closed position toward said open position; said hook means being inherently biased from said unlocked position to said lock position; each said hook means having a horizontally extending upwardly facing lock surface underlying said flange lock surface in said lock position, and an immediately adjacent lower downwardly and outwardly extending cam surface means that will engage the adjacent outermost edge of said flange when said cover element is moved about said hinge means into its closed position to thereby cam said hook means from its lock position to its unlocked position against said bias to correspondingly move outwardly of and past said flange as said cover element moves into its closed position, so that said hook means thereafter resiliently moves from its unlocked position to its lock position when said cover element is in its closed position to lock said cover element; said cover elements overlapping in the region of the middle of said box top, in their closed positions and the end portions of said cover elements within the vicinity of said overlap having complementary raised and depressed areas, the depressed areas being about one-half the length of the raised areas, said areas interfitting with each other when said cover elements are closed, to present an upwardly facing flat surface, inset with respect to the upper edges of said side and end walls, whereby a like box may be stacked thereon and may be confined against lateral movement; wherein at least some of the interfitting raised and depressed areas have mechanically interlocking means interlocking by cover element movement immediately prior to attaining said first position during closing of the cover elements, which movement is substantially perpendicular to said flat surface; said mechanically interlocking means positively preventing relative movement of said cover elements within the plane of said flat surface away from each other in the direction perpendicular to said hinge means axes; at least one of said mechanically interlocking means and said interfitting areas positively preventing relative movement between said cover element in the plane of said surface toward each other in the direction perpendicular to said hinge axes; and the other of said cover elements on each of its side portions having, at a location adjacent its end portion that is opposite its hinge means and adjacent the respective hook means of said one cover element, an aperture aligned with an aperture in said container flange providing means receiving a security element preventing movement thereat between said one cover element and said container so that said interfitting areas will thereby prevent horizontal movement thereat between said other cover element and said container to prevent disengagement of said hook means when the security element is present.