Food bin assembly

A food bin assembly comprising a bin, a rear lid member, and a front lid member. The bin has a bottom and a plurality of walls extending up from the bottom. The walls have upper ends defining a bin opening. One of the walls is a first side wall and another of the walls is a second side wall opposite the first side wall. The rear lid member is configured for covering a rear portion of the bin opening. The front lid member is configured for covering a forward portion of the bin opening. The front lid member is slidably connected to the first and second side walls of the bin for longitudinal sliding movement of the front lid member relative to the bin between a forward position in which the front lid member is positioned over the forward portion of the bin opening and a rearward position in which the front lid member is positioned over the rear portion of the bin opening. The front lid member is also pivotally connected to the first and second side walls of the bin for pivotal movement of the front lid member between a lowered position in which it covers the forward portion of the bin opening and a raised position in which it extends upwardly from the side walls to provide access to the forward portion of the bin opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to food bins, and more particularly to 
food bins of the type having moveable lids. 
Food bins are typically used in commercial, institutional and industrial 
kitchens and bakeries for storing and handling a wide variety of 
ingredients such as flour, sugar, fruits, vegetables, etc. Conventional 
food bins usually have horizontal two-part lids with one part slidably 
coupled or hinged to the other part. Access to the contents of food bins 
with such horizontal lids is difficult when the bin is located under a 
table. Also, the lids of such bins tend to jam when telescoped one inside 
the other. 
At least one bin has a forward slidable-pivotable lid member which is 
slanted relative to a rearward stationary lid member. The forward 
(moveable) lid member is slidably and pivotally connected to the rearward 
stationary lid member. A difficulty associated with this bin is that the 
moveable lid member must be pivoted to a horizontal position before it can 
be slid rearwardly relative to the stationary lid member. If the moveable 
lid member is not properly aligned with the stationary lid member it may 
jam. Also, because the moveable lid member is mounted to the stationary 
lid member, the stationary lid member must be present for the moveable lid 
member to operate. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the 
provision of an improved food bin assembly; the provision of such a food 
bin assembly having a moveable lid member and a stationary lid member; the 
provision of such a food bin assembly in which the moveable lid member is 
capable of pivoting and sliding independent of the stationary lid member; 
the provision of such a food bin assembly which is configured for 
providing easy and convenient access to the contents thereof; the 
provision of such a food bin assembly in which the moveable member does 
not need to be pivoted to a horizontal position before it may be 
rearwardly slid; the provision of such a food bin configured for rapid 
attachment and removal of the lid members from the bin thereof to 
facilitate easy cleaning of the bin assembly; and the provision of such a 
food bin which is of a relatively simple construction. 
In general, a food bin assembly of the present invention comprises a bin, a 
rear lid member, and a front lid member. The bin has a bottom and a 
plurality of walls extending up from the bottom. The walls have upper ends 
defining a bin opening. One of the walls is a first side wall and another 
of the walls is a second side wall opposite the first side wall. The rear 
lid member is configured for covering a rear portion of the bin opening. 
The front lid member is configured for covering a forward portion of the 
bin opening. The front lid member is slidably connected to the first and 
second side walls of the bin for longitudinal sliding movement of the 
front lid member relative to the bin between a forward position in which 
the front lid member is positioned over the forward portion of the bin 
opening and a rearward position in which the front lid member is 
positioned over the rear portion of the bin opening. The front lid member 
is also pivotally connected to the first and second side walls of the bin 
for pivotal movement of the front lid member between a lowered position in 
which it covers the forward portion of the bin opening and a raised 
position in which it extends upwardly from the side walls to provide 
access to the forward portion of the bin opening. 
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out 
hereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1-4, a food 
bin assembly of the present invention is indicated in its entirety by the 
reference numeral 20. The food bin assembly 20 comprises a bin, generally 
indicated at 22, a rear lid member, generally indicated at 24, and front 
lid member, generally indicated at 26. Preferably, the bin 22 and lid 
members 24, 26 are each single unitary pieces which are injection molded 
from suitable polymeric materials. Also preferably, the lid members 24, 26 
are transparent. 
The bin has a bottom 28 (FIG. 2) and four walls, i.e., a front wall 30, a 
rear wall 32, a first (left) side wall 34, and a second (right) side wall 
36, extending up from the bottom. The right side wall 36 is opposite the 
left side wall 34, and the rear wall 32 is opposite the front wall 30. The 
upper ends of the walls define a bin opening, generally indicated at 40, 
(FIG. 5) providing access to the interior of the bin 22. As discussed in 
greater detail below, the rear lid member 24 is configured for covering a 
rear portion (e.g., rear half) of the bin opening 40, and the front lid 
member 26 is configured for covering a forward portion (e.g., forward 
half) of the bin opening. 
The front lid member 26 is slidably connected to the left and right side 
walls 34, 36 of the bin 22 for longitudinal sliding movement of the front 
lid member 26 relative to the bin between forward and rearward positions. 
In its forward position (shown in FIGS. 1-4), the front lid member 26 is 
positioned over the forward portion of the bin opening 40. In its rearward 
position (shown in phantom in FIG. 5), the front lid member 26 is 
positioned over the rear portion of the bin opening 40. The front lid 
member 26 is also pivotally connected to the side walls 34, 36 of the bin 
22 for pivotal movement of the front lid member between lowered and raised 
positions. In its lowered position (shown in FIGS. 1-4), the front lid 
member 26 covers the forward portion of the bin opening 40. In its raised 
position (shown in solid in FIG. 5), the front lid member 26 extends 
upwardly from the side walls 34, 36 to provide access to the forward 
portion of the bin opening 40. 
The bin 22 further includes a circumferential flange 42 extending around 
the perimeter thereof. The flange 42 is preferably parallel to and spaced 
a short distance (e.g., 3/4") below the upper edges of the walls 30, 32, 
34, 36 of the bin 22. Also preferably, the flange 42 is generally L-shaped 
in transverse cross-section and includes a generally horizontal leg 44 
extending outward (i.e., away) from the outer surfaces of the walls 30, 
32, 34, 36, and a generally vertical leg 46 depending from the horizontal 
leg. The portions of the walls 30, 32, 34, 36 extending above the 
horizontal leg 44 of the flange constitute upper edge margins of the 
walls. The upper edge margins of the front and rear walls 30, 32 are 
indicated at 50 and 52, respectively. The upper edge margins of the left 
and right side walls 34, 36 are indicated at 54 and 56, respectively, and 
are generally parallel to one another. 
The rear lid member 24 has a downwardly extending rim 60 along its sides 
and back. The lower edge of the rim 60 engages and is supported by the 
circumferential flange 42 of the bin 22 when the rear lid member 24 is 
positioned on the bin. The rear lid member 24 further includes a rear 
connecting tab 62 at a back portion of the rim 60 and two side connecting 
tabs 64 at side portions of the rim. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear 
connecting tab 62 extends into a rear slot 66 of the circumferential 
flange 42 and engages the flange to hold the rear lid member 24 against 
the flange. As shown in FIG. 7, the side connecting tabs 64 extend into 
side slots 68 in the circumferential flange 45 and engage the flange to 
further hold the rear lid member 24 against the flange. Preferably, the 
rear and side tabs 62, 64 have outwardly protruding lips engageable with 
an underside of the circumferential flange 42 to releasably lock the rear 
lid member 24 against the bin 22. The rear lid member 24 is shaped and 
configured so that the side portions of the rear-lid rim 60 are spaced 
laterally outwardly from the upper edge margins 54, 56 of the left and 
right side walls 34, 36 (FIGS. 7 and 8) when the rear lid member is 
connected to the circumferential flange 42. Also preferably, the rear-lid 
rim 60 is taller than the upper edge margins 52, 54, 56 of the rear and 
side walls 32, 34, 36 (FIGS. 7 and 8) to space the top of rear lid member 
42 above the upper edges of bin side walls. Because the rear lid member 24 
is spaced laterally from and above the upper edge margins 54, 56, the 
front lid member 26 slides under the rear lid member when the front lid 
member is moved between its front and rear positions. 
The front lid member 26 has a downwardly extending rim 70 along its sides 
and front. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower edge of the rim 70 engages 
and is supported by the circumferential flange 42 of the bin 22 when the 
front lid member 26 is its forward (or lowered) position. Preferably, the 
front-lid rim 70 has rim side portions 72 and a rim front portion 76. The 
rim side portions 72 are positioned adjacent to and laterally outward of 
the upper edge margins 54, 56 of the side walls 34, 36 of the bin 22. 
Preferably, the rim front portion 76 is positioned adjacent to and forward 
of the upper edge margin 50 of the front wall 30 when the front lid member 
is in its forward (lowered position). Two opposing guide tabs 78 (FIGS. 
7-9) project laterally inwardly from rear ends 80 of the rim side portions 
72. The guide tabs 78 are configured for sliding engagement (i.e., sliding 
contact) with the upper edge margins 54, 56 of the side walls 34, 36 of 
the bin 22 as the front lid member 26 is moved between its forward and 
rearward positions. The guide tabs 78 and the upper edge margins 54, 56 
limit lateral movement of the front lid member 26 relative to the bin 22. 
Moreover, when the front lid member 26 is in its forward position, the 
guide tabs 78 abut ears 82 extending laterally outwardly from the upper 
edge margins 54, 56 of the bin side walls. The ears 82 act as stops to 
prevent forward movement of the front lid member 26 beyond its forward 
position. Preferably, the rim front portion 76 of the front lid member 26 
is configured for slidably engaging the upper edge margins 54, 56 of the 
bin side walls 34, 36 as the front lid member is moved between its forward 
and rearward positions. More particularly, and as shown in FIG. 6, the rim 
front portion 76 is configured for slidably engaging the upper edges of 
the edge margins 54, 56 as the front lid member 26 is moved between its 
forward and rearward positions. 
Referring now to FIGS. 9-12, the bin 22 and front lid member 26 are 
configured for pivoting movement of the front lid member relative to the 
bin. The upper edge margins 54, 56 of the bin side walls further include 
cut-outs (i.e., recesses) 84 adjacent to and rearward of the outwardly 
extending ears 82. The cut-outs 84 define curved Guiding surfaces 86 
engageable with a rearwardly facing edge 88 (FIGS. 9 and 10) of the front 
lid member 26. The curved guiding surfaces 86 of the bin 22 and the 
rearwardly facing edge 88 of the front lid member 26 cooperate to 
facilitate pivotal movement of the front lid member relative to the bin 
between its raised and lowered positions. The guide tabs 78 of the front 
lid member 26 engage the ears 82 of the bin 22 when the front lid member 
is in its raised position to hold (lock) the front lid member in its 
raised position. The cut-outs 84 further define locking notches 90 into 
which the rearwardly facing edge 88 of the front lid member 26 sits when 
the front lid member is in its raised position to further lock the lid 
member in its raised position. 
Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 6, the upper edges of the bin side walls 34, 
36 preferably have an arcuate shape, and the lid members 24, 26 are each 
arcuately shaped in longitudinal cross-section. Because of the shapes of 
the pieces of the food bin assembly 20, water easily flows off of the lid 
members 24, 26 without leaking into the bin 22. Also because of the shapes 
of these pieces, the front lid member 26 does not need to be raised to a 
substantially horizontal position before it can be slid rearwardly; to 
enable the front lid member 26 to be slid rearwardly, it needs only to be 
raised an amount sufficient to allow the rim front portion 76 to clear the 
upper edge margin 50 of the bin front wall 30. 
In operation, the front lid member 26 is placed on the bin 22 to cover the 
front portion of the bin opening 40 and the rear lid member 24 is placed 
on the bin 22 to cover the rear portion of the bin opening. Movement of 
the front lid member 26 between its forward and rearward positions and 
between its lowered and raised positions is independent of the rear lid 
member 24. In other words, the front lid member 26 may be slid on the bin 
22 between its forward and rearward positions regardless of whether the 
rear lid member 24 is present. Also, the front lid member 26 may be 
pivoted on the bin 22 between its raised and lowered positions regardless 
of whether the rear lid member 24 is present. Moreover, because of the 
shape and configuration of the lid members 24, 26, any contact 
therebetween during movement of the front lid member between its rearward 
and forward positions or between its raised and lowered positions is 
incidental. 
Moreover, although the apparatus 20 is referred to as a food bin assembly, 
it is to be understood that such a reference is not intended to limit its 
application. In other words, the food bin assembly 20 may instead be used 
as a bin for non-food items without departing from the scope of this 
invention. 
In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the 
invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. 
As various changes could be made in the above constructions without 
departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter 
contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings 
shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is 
intended that the invention shall be limited solely by the scope of the 
claims.