초록 ▼

A system for holding items includes a base tier including two or more totes and one or more higher tiers stacked on the base tier. Each of the higher tiers includes one or more totes stacked on a tote of a lower tier. Totes in of the tiers are laterally cross coupled to one another. The totes includ

A system for holding items includes a base tier including two or more totes and one or more higher tiers stacked on the base tier. Each of the higher tiers includes one or more totes stacked on a tote of a lower tier. Totes in of the tiers are laterally cross coupled to one another. The totes include lateral openings that allow removal of items through the lateral opening while the totes are stacked in place.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for holding items, comprising: a base tier comprising two or more totes; andone or more higher tiers stacked on the base tier, each of at least one of the higher tiers comprising one or more totes stacked on one or more totes of at least one lower tier,wherein each of the totes comprised

1. A system for holding items, comprising: a base tier comprising two or more totes; andone or more higher tiers stacked on the base tier, each of at least one of the higher tiers comprising one or more totes stacked on one or more totes of at least one lower tier,wherein each of the totes comprised in the base tier and the one or more higher tiers comprises a top opening, a bottom base, and a plurality of lateral faces, at least two of the lateral faces having a lateral opening and at least one coupling portion, wherein at least one of the lateral openings is configured to allow removal of items from the bottom base of the tote through the lateral opening while the tote is stacked in place in one of the tiers,wherein at least two of the totes are configured to laterally cross couple to each other, at respective coupling portions of respective lateral faces having respective lateral openings; andat least two dividers each comprising a front wall and a rear wall and configured to couple with a separate lateral opening of a lateral face of a separate tote of the at least two totes which are cross coupled to each other via coupling of respective lateral faces including the separate lateral openings, based at least in part upon: a downward sliding engagement between at least one vertical rail extending along a side of the respective divider and at least one slot extending along a side of the respective separate lateral opening to bottom out the vertical rail on a bottom of the respective lateral opening, anda downward sliding engagement between at least one post at a top side edge of the respective divider located above the at least one vertical rail extending along the respective side, wherein the at least one post projects towards the rear wall of the respective divider, and a socket in a top of the respective lateral face proximate to the respective lateral opening, wherein the socket is positioned towards an interior of the respective tote, such that the respective divider is restricted to coupling with the respective lateral opening in an orientation where the rear wall faces towards the interior of the respective tote when a top surface of the at least one post lies flush with a top surface of the socket;the at least two dividers are each configured to lie flush with top and side portions of the respective lateral face including the respective lateral opening to which the respective divider is coupled;the at least two dividers are each configured to lie in flush lateral contact with each other, at limited top portions of the at least two dividers, when the at least two dividers are coupled to the respective lateral openings of coupled lateral faces of the at least two separate totes; andeach divider is configured to restrict removal of items from the bottom base of the separate tote coupled thereto, such that: lateral removal of items from the bottom base of one of the cross-coupled totes is restricted to the lateral openings of the lateral faces of the totes that are not cross-coupled;wherein an upper tote of the totes in at least one of the upper tiers is nestable within a lower tote of the totes when the upper tote is placed in a first orientation with respect to the lower tote and stackable on the lower tote when the upper tote is placed in a second orientation with respect to the lower tote. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the base tier comprises an array at least two totes wide by at least two totes deep. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two of the totes are laterally cross coupled side-to-side. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two of the totes are laterally cross coupled front-to-back. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two of the coupling portions comprise interlocking elements. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one lateral opening comprised in the one or more totes of at least one lower tier is configured to allow removal of at least one item in the one or more totes without removing totes in an uppermost tier. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the base tier comprises an array of at least two totes by two totes, wherein at least four of the totes are cross coupled to one another at a common junction. 8. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one lid on at least one tote on the uppermost tier of the system. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least of the totes on at least one a first one of the tiers is coupled to at least one tote of a lower tier to inhibit separation of the first tier from the lower tier. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a first one of the higher tiers comprises two or more totes, wherein at least two of the totes in the first higher tiers are laterally cross coupled to one another. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein: each of the totes comprises a rim including a hole projecting through the rim to an underside of the rim; andthe system further comprising at least one coupling device that is separate from the totes, wherein the coupling device is configured to laterally cross couple at least one of the totes with at least three other of the totes such that a particular corner of the at least one of the totes is adjacent to at least one corner of each of the at least three other of the totes, the at least one coupling device comprising: at least four pins that each include a protrusion and are each configured to pass through separate holes of separate totes of the totes such that each protrusion snaps into engagement on an underside of a separate rim of each separate tote. 12. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more pallets, wherein at least one of the pallets is configured to support at least a portion of the totes of the base tier such that the totes of the system can be moved from one place to another on the pallet. 13. A tote for holding items, comprising: one or more item-holding portions configured to hold one or more items;a plurality of lateral faces, at least one of the lateral faces comprising: one or more coupling portions configured to laterally cross-couple the lateral face of the tote with at least one other tote; andone or more lateral openings configured to allow removal of items from the tote through at least one of the lateral openings; andat least one nesting stop element protruding from at least one of the lateral faces into the one or more item-holding portions;wherein at least one of the coupling portions is configured to cross couple at least one lateral face of the tote with at least one other lateral face of the at least one other tote, each of the at least one lateral face and the at least one other lateral faces having matching lateral openings; andat least one divider configured to couple with a lateral opening of the at least one lateral face of the tote that is laterally cross-coupled with the at least one other face of the at least one other tote, wherein: the divider is configured to couple with the lateral opening based at least in part upon: a downward sliding engagement between at least one vertical rail extending along a side of the divider and at least one slot extending along a side of the lateral opening to bottom out the vertical rail on a bottom of the lateral opening, anda downward sliding engagement between at least one post at a top side edge of the divider, the post being located above the at least one vertical rail extending along the side, and a socket in a top of the lateral face proximate to the lateral opening, such that a to surface of the at least one post lies flush with a top surface of the socket;the divider is configured to lie flush with the top and side portions of the lateral face;the divider is configured to lie in flush lateral contact, at a limited top portion of the divider, with a top portion of another divider coupled with the at least one other lateral opening of the at least one other face of the at least one other tote to which the tote is laterally cross-coupled, when the divider is coupled with the lateral opening of the tote; andthe divider is configured to partition the one or more item holding portions in the tote from another one or more item holding portions in the at least one other tote to which the lateral face of the tote is laterally cross-coupled, such that: lateral removal of items from the one or more item holding portions in the tote is restricted to removal via another lateral opening of the tote, which is not laterally cross-coupled with the at least one other tote, andlateral removal of items from the one or more item holding portions in the tote via the lateral opening of the at least one other tote is precluded;wherein the tote is configured to nest with another tote when the tote is placed in a first orientation with respect to the other tote and is configured to stack on the other tote when the tote is placed in a second orientation with respect to the other tote. 14. The tote of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the coupling portions is configured to interlock with an element of the at least one other tote. 15. The tote of claim 14, wherein the at least one of the coupling portions comprises a dovetail socket and the element comprises an interlocking tail. 16. The tote of claim 14, wherein the at least one of the coupling portions comprises a tail and the element comprises an interlocking dovetail socket. 17. The tote of claim 13, comprising: a plurality of bin labels located on separate sides of the tote, each bin label identifying a separate one of a plurality of systems of totes that includes the tote and configurable to be changed based at least in part upon a present location of the tote in a fulfillment center; anda tote label, separate from the bin labels, that uniquely identifies the tote with respect to other totes in the plurality of systems of totes. 18. The tote of claim 13, wherein the tote is switchable from a stacking arrangement with the at least one other tote to a nesting arrangement with the at least one other tote by rotating the tote about a vertical axis relative the at least one other tote. 19. The tote of claim 13, further comprising at least one removable wall. 20. The tote of claim 13, further comprising at least one opening on each of at least two opposing sides of the tote, wherein the openings are configured to allow removal of at least one item in the tote.