Portable and nestable storage bin

A portable and stackable storage bin fabricated from lightweight insulating material such as polystyrene and which is rendered portable by a removable caster ring assembly in the bottom thereof. The bin has removable shelves for accommodating produce or the like and also includes a removable cover tray for the display of produce and also for the purpose of strengthening the upper portion of the bin to prevent distortion of the bin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to portable storage bins for supermarkets or 
the like by means of which produce or other goods can be rendered portable 
throughout the store and conveyed from a refrigerated area, shelves, or 
check-out area and provides for asccessible and predominant display of the 
goods. Many storage bins have been proposed for this purpose but have not 
been entirely suitable due to the large size required, the necessity for 
storing the bins in a small area, the lack of rendering the bins, 
particularly when loaded mobile, and the lack of sgtrength of such bins 
when they are necessarily formed of lightweight and inexpensive material 
and which strength is necessary when the bins are loaded, particularly if 
they are to be refrigerated by ice. 
Examples of some prior art bins of this general character are shown in the 
following U.S. Pats.: No. 3,659,742 issued May 2, 1977 shows a leak-proof 
stackable container of insulated material formed of plastic for storing 
perishable foods mixed with ice. The container has a lid with a centrally 
located recess of a size to receive a well of a second container stacked 
thereon. U.S. Pat. No. 2,768,677 shows a container for foods or the like 
and formed of polyethylene or polystyrene material and is nestable and has 
a thicker bottom wall for reinforcing. U.S. Pat. No. 2,767,755 shows a 
box-like container having nesting characteristics and having corner posts 
to support an adjacent container. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention provides a portable, lightweight and stackable 
storage bin fabricated by molding from a lightweight, rigid and insulating 
material such as polystyrene, the bin having a plurality of removable 
shelves therein for accommodating produce or other material to be 
displayed depending on the capacity of the bin desired. The invention also 
contemplates the use of a removable caster assembly on which the bin can 
be easily and quickly installed or removed and thereby rendered portable 
to various strategic locations in the store or other areas where it is 
used or by means of which a loaded bin can be moved to or from an 
overnight refrigerated storage area. The invention furthermore 
contemplates the use of a removable cover tray for reinforcing the upper 
portion of the bin against lateral expansion and ultimate breakage when 
the bin is loaded with produce and/or ice. Drainage means is provided for 
the removable cover tray and also for the bin in general and a valve 
located at the bottom of the bin permits drainage of the water from the 
bin at the appropriate place and time. Removable display means are also 
provided in the form of a knock-down display post that can extend through 
the cover tray, the removable shelves, and is removably inserted in the 
bottom of the bin. The entire portable bin can be completely and quickly 
disassembled for complete cleaning of all of the components and for easy 
and compact storage thereof. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear 
hereinafter as this disclosure progresses, reference being had to the 
accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The storage bin provided by the present invention is molded as a singel 
piece from a lightweight, insulating material which is rigid and strong 
for its weight, such as expandable polystyrene which is also waterproof. 
The bin B is formed with side wall means 1 which is tapered in a 
downwardly converging direction whereby the lower portion of the bin is 
smaller than its upper portion, thus providing a compact nesting 
arrangement considering the over-all size of the bins. The bin also has an 
integrally molded thicker reinforcing portion 2 around its upper edge 
which terminates in an upper edge 3. 
The bin also includes a closed bottom 6 having upwardly facing and 
generally centrally located opening 7 formed in its interior surface. The 
bottom 6 also has wheel mounting means on the underside thereof in the 
form of a downwardly and outwardly facing annular recess 8 (FIG. 6). The 
recess defines generally horizontal flange 9 and a generally vertical 
cylindrical shoulder 9a formed around the periphery of the bottom. 
Futhermore, the side wall means of the bin have a plurality of interior 
inwardly turned shoulders 10 and 11 at vertically spaced locations in the 
bin. 
Removable racks 12 and 13 can be inserted in the bin and rest on their 
respective shoulders 10 and 11 so as to form shelves on which produce or 
other material can be placed. The number of such shelves being variable 
depending on the holding capacity for produce desired for the bin. The 
removable racks are preferably fabricated from metal rods welded together 
and are plated to make them rustproof and sanitary. Each rack has a 
central opening 14, 15, respectively through which a removable and 
upwardly extending display post 20 extends. The lower end of the display 
post is inserted in the opening 7 in the bottom and the post itself is 
made in sections 20a, 20b and 20c held together by the stub shafts 21 
snugly fit into the bottom end of each section, so that the display post 
can be easily assembled or disassembled. 
As the bin may contain ice for cooling of the produce therein, a drainage 
plug or valve 24 is provided at the bottom of the bin and this plug or 
valve can be removed or opened to permit drainage of the melted ice from 
the bin when the bin has been moved to a suitable location for that 
purpose, such as over a drain in the floor. 
In order to render the bin portable for being moved about the store or 
other area where it is located, a removalbe wheel assembly 30 is provided 
in the form of a caster wheel ring assembly having caster wheels 31 
mounted in the lower part of a ring 32 and adapted to engage the floor. 
The ring 32 is formed of tubular steel and is preferably plated to render 
it waterproof. The downwardly extending vertical shoulder 9a around the 
bottom corner of the bin is adapted to be firmly slipped into the ring 32 
in a snug manner to prevent accidental displacement of the bin from the 
ring and yet the bin can be pulled from the ring assembly when desired. 
Thus, the caster wheel assembly 30 can be used for other bins once they 
are located at the proper location or when it is desired to store them, it 
being unnecessary to provide a ring assembly for each bin. The ring is 
located generally directly under the side wall means which provides good 
bearing and stability for the bin and firmly supports the bin even when 
loaded. 
A removable cover tray 40 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is provided for the bin and is 
preferably formed of plastic and by vacuum forming. The tray has a 
peripheral, inverted U-shaped flange means 42 which extends, as shown in 
FIG. 3, over the top edge 3 of the bin and its outermost leg 42a 
downwarfdly over the outside of the bin, and its inner wall 42b extends 
downwardly inside of the bin and along the reinforcing portion 2 and in 
snug engagement therewith. Reinforcing ribs 44 extend across the tray to 
reinforce and rigidify it, the ribs being shown as extending diagonally 
across the generally rectangular tray. The tray furthermore has a raised 
central portion 46 (FIG.5) having an opening 47 through which the display 
post also extends. More particularly, the top end of the bottom section 
20a is diametrically larger than opening 46 to permit the tray to rest on 
and be supported by the section 20a. The stub shaft 21 extends through 
opening 46 to receive the adjacent upper post section 20b. 
The tray furthermore is formed so as to permit drainage of water therefrom 
which may accumulate from the produce or other material on the tray and 
this drainage means includes grooves 48 formed across the ribs 44 and 
which permit the water to flow to the hole 49 in the tray and then 
downwardly into the bin for ultimate passage through the valve 24. 
The removable cover tray thereby provides a support for any material that 
is desired to be displayed at the top of the bin and the cover tray also 
performs the function of preventing laterally outward displacement of the 
side wall means of the bin and breakage thereof which may otherwise occur 
due to the weight of the material or ice in the bin. 
RECAPITULATION 
The present invention provides a portable storage bin which is molded from 
a lightweight insulating material such as expandable polystyrene that is 
highly mobile and finds particular utility in supermarkets and for storing 
and transporting produce about the marketplace. The bin provides an 
attractive display for food or the like and which can be readily moved to 
strategic locations. The bin provides a refrigerated storage unit for 
keeping perishables cool and provides drainage for the melted ice. The bin 
is rendered mobile by means of the easily removable or quickly assembled 
caster ring assembly, which assembly can be utilized for any number of 
bins. The bins can also be readily stacked and nested together for storage 
in a space-saving manner when not in use. Various capacities of the bin 
are provided by means of the plurality of removable shelves which are 
easily inserted and removable from the interior of the bin. A removable 
cover tray is provided for resting on top of the bin and reinforcing its 
upper portion so as to prevent lateral expansion and breakage of the side 
walls of the bin due to the weight and pressure of the ice and/or produce 
which is loaded within the bin. Both the removable tray and the removable 
racks have central openings passing therethrough for accommodating a 
removable display post that extends upwardly from the bottom of the bin in 
which it is removably inserted. The bin provided by the present invention 
can be used as an ice chest and displays perishable produce at strategic 
locations such as close to the check-out counter where the customer 
traffic is heavy. The bin can be wheeled from the coolers and freezers for 
easy storage of the produce over-night.