Abstract:
A container includes a peripheral wall having a first side, a second side, and a third side formed from a single sheet of metal material. The sheet of metal material has opposite first and second connecting ends. A plastic connector is connected to the first connecting end and the second connecting end of the sheet metal, and a plastic bottom is connected with a bottom end of the peripheral wall. Another aspect provides a container that includes a sheet of metal having a louver formed therein and a plastic structure having opposing surfaces that define a receiving space therebetween. At least one of the surfaces has a projection thereon and the louver are received within the receiving space. An edge of the louver engages with the projection to prevent the louver from being removed from the receiving space.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/299,239, filed on Jan. 28, 2010, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a metal and plastic container. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Numerous storage containers are known in the art. However, there is a constant need in the industry to improve upon existing containers by making them more efficient to manufacture and assemble and easy to use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    One aspect provides a container including a peripheral wall having a first side, a second side, and a third side formed from a single sheet of metal material. The sheet of metal material has opposite first and second connecting ends, and a plastic connector is connected to the first connecting end and the second connecting end of the sheet metal. A plastic bottom is connected with a bottom end of the peripheral wall. 
         [0005]    Another aspect provides an apparatus for transporting articles between working locations that includes a base container having an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored. The apparatus further includes one or more rotatable ground engaging wheels mounted toward the bottom of the apparatus for rotation about an axis to provide rolling support for the apparatus. The apparatus also includes at least one removable container having (i) a container portion with an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored, (ii) a lid pivotally connected to the container portion; (iii) at least one latch constructed to secure the lid in covering relation with respect to the container portion, and (iv) a carrying handle attached to the lid and that is manually graspable to enable carriage of the removable container. A manually engageable pulling handle of the apparatus and the one or more ground engaging wheels are arranged to enable a user to manually pull the pulling handle generally rearwardly so as to tilt the apparatus rearwardly to a tilted rolling movement position, thereby enabling the user to roll the apparatus to a desired location by pushing or pulling the pulling handle in a desired direction. The removable container is constructed and arranged to be latched above the base container. The container portion thereof includes a peripheral wall having a first side, a second side, and a third side formed from a single sheet of metal material. The sheet of metal material has opposite first and second connecting ends, and a plastic connector is connected to the first connecting end and the second connecting end of the sheet metal. A plastic bottom is connected with a bottom end of the peripheral wall. 
         [0006]    Another aspect provides a container that includes a sheet of metal having a louver formed therein. The container also includes a plastic structure having opposing surfaces defining a receiving space therebetween. At least one of the surfaces has a projection thereon. The louver is received within the receiving space, and an edge of the louver engages with the projection to prevent the louver from being removed from the receiving space. 
         [0007]    These and other aspects of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. In one embodiment, the structural components illustrated herein can be considered drawn to scale. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not a limitation of the invention. In addition, it should be appreciated that structural features shown or described in any one embodiment herein can be used in other embodiments as well. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective rear view of a container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view from the top of the container in the open position in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of container from the front in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the container from the rear in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of a latch arrangement and the container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is cross sectional view of the latch arrangement and portion of the container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is cross sectional view of the latch arrangement and portion of the container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of the back wall connected to a plastic bottom and a sheet of metal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view of the plastic bottom in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 10A-10B  are cross sectional views illustrating the details of the sheet of metal being connected to the plastic bottom; 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is cross sectional view of the plastic rear wall connected to the rest of the container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view of the plastic rear wall connected to the rest of the container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a rolling container assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  shows a container  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the container  10  has a container portion  12  with an opening  14  (see  FIG. 2 ) into an interior space  16  (see  FIG. 2 ) in which articles to be transported can be stored. The container portion  12  includes a peripheral wall  11 , and a bottom portion  36 . The peripheral wall  11  may have three or more sides. In the illustrated embodiment, the peripheral wall  11  has a left side  18 , a right side  20 , and a front side  22  formed from a continuous single sheet of stamped metal material  24 . The sheet of metal material  24  has opposite first connecting end  26  (see  FIG. 4 ) and second connecting end  28  (see  FIG. 4 ). The peripheral wall  11  of container portion  12  also includes a plastic connector  30  that, in the illustrated embodiment, forms the majority of the rear side of the peripheral wall  11 . The plastic connector  30  may be much smaller, however, such as just a narrow plastic strip, with a majority of the rear side being formed from extended portions of the sheet metal (such that connecting ends  26  and  28  are spaced closely together). In the illustrated embodiment, the plastic connector (or rear side wall  30 ) has a first connecting end  32  (see  FIG. 4 ) and second connecting end  34  (see  FIG. 4 ). The first connecting end  32  of the plastic connector  30  is connected to the first connecting end  26  of the sheet of metal  24  and the second connecting end  34  of the plastic connector  30  is connected to the second connecting end  28  of the sheet of metal  24 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The container  10  also has a plastic bottom  36  connected with a bottom end or lower edge  119  (see  FIG. 3 ) of the sheet of metal  24 . The plastic bottom  36  has a configuration matching that of the peripheral wall  11 . In the illustrated embodiment, the plastic bottom  36  includes a left side  40 , a front side  42 , a right side  44 , and a rear side  46  (see  FIG. 4 ). The plastic bottom  36  may also have a bottom side  45  (see  FIG. 3 ). Each side  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  may include a back wall portion  108  (see  FIG. 5 ) and a front wall portion  110  (see  FIG. 5 ) spaced a distance away and extending generally parallel to the back wall portion  108 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the back portion  108  and the front portion  110  may be connected by a bottom portion  109  and the two wall portions  108  and  110  define a receiving space  112  constructed and arranged to receive the bottom edge of sheet metal  24  and/or the plastic connector  30 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , decorative grooves  49  may be provided on portions of the left side  40 , the front side  42 , the right side  44 , and the rear side  46 . The grooves  49  may extend partially into the bottom side  45  of the plastic bottom  36 . A plastic edge portion  43  may be constructed and arranged to connect with a top end or upper edge  117  of the sheet metal  24  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the container  10 , optionally taking the form of a toolbox, may optionally include a lid  48  pivotally attached to the container portion  12 . The lid  48  of the container  10  may be attached to the plastic edge portion  43  of the container  10  via hinges  47  (see  FIG. 2 ). The hinges may be made of metal, plastic, other materials, or a combination thereof. The hinges  47  may optionally be provided with dampers to facilitate the closing and opening of the lid  48 . In this embodiment, the hinges  47  are connected to the lid  48  and the plastic edge portion  43 . The plastic edge portion  43  is connected to the container portion  12 , and thus this configuration enables the lid  48  to be pivoted relative to the container portion  12 . When the lid  48  is in the closed position, the lid  48  may abut against an upper portion of the plastic edge portion  43 . In other embodiments, the lid  48  may optionally be attached using pins, screws, fastenings, bolts, or any other connection mechanism as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art. In other embodiments, the lid  48  may be a snap-on lid, an accordion type lid, or lids having other configurations. 
         [0023]    The lid  48  may be made of molded plastic, metal, wood, other materials, or any combination thereof. The bottom of the lid  48  may comprise strengthening ribs (not shown), which may be deployed crosswise with respect to one another. These strengthening ribs may be used to support the lid  48  so that heavy objects may be placed on top of the lid  48 . 
         [0024]    The container  10  may, in one embodiment, be a stand alone container or toolbox. In another embodiment, container  10  may form the top container  10 , a drawer, and/or base container within a rolling container assembly of the type illustrated in  FIG. 13  and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,601,930; 6,347,847; and 6,176,559, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
         [0025]    Referring back to  FIG. 1 , a handle  54  may be provided on the container  10 , the handle  54  being pivotable between a stored position when the handle  54  is not in use and an upright position wherein the user may grasp the handle  54  to carry the container  10 . A depression  56  may be provided in the lid  48 , the depression  56  being constructed and arranged to receive the handle  54  when the handle  54  is in the stored position. The handle  54  may be attached to the lid  48  using pins, fasteners, or other attachment mechanisms. In one embodiment, the handle  54  may be made of plastic and may be provided with grooves on the surface thereof to facilitate grasping of the handle  54 . In other embodiments, the handle  54  may be provided with rubber or other anti-slip material on the surface thereof. The handle  54  may optionally be made of wood, metal, other materials, or a combination thereof. 
         [0026]    In one embodiment, the container  10  may be provided with latches  58  (or a single latch) to latch the lid  48  to the plastic edge portion  43 , which in turn is connected to the container portion  12 . The latches  58  may be provided on the plastic edge portion  43  and the container portion  12  and may be constructed and arranged to engage with latch engaging portions  60  (see  FIG. 2 ) on the lid  48 . The latches  58  may be pulled to disengage the latch  58  from the latch engaging portions  60  of the lid  48  so that the lid  48  may opened to allow access to the contents of the container  10 . The latches  58  will be described in more detail later. 
         [0027]    In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2 , an insert  214  having a handle  216  is provided within the interior space  16  of the container  10 . There may be grooves  219  provided near the handle  216  of the insert  214  to provide grip support when the insert  214  is to be carried separately from the removable container  16 . In addition, a container  218  having partitions  220  may be provided in the removable container  16 . The container  218  may be constructed and arranged to receive screwdrivers or other tools between the partitions  220 . It is contemplated that the configuration of the interior space  16  may vary. In some embodiments, the insert  214  may have the same size length and width as the container  10  such that the insert  214  must be lifted to access the rest of the interior space  16  in the removable container  16 . Alternatively, in some embodiments, dividers or small containers may be provided within the interior space  16  of the container  10  to form compartments within the container  10 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  shows an exploded view of the container  10  from the front in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The container  10  is assembled by connecting the lid  48  to the container portion  12 . The container portion  12  is formed by connecting the rear plastic wall or plastic connector  30  to the metal sheet  24 . The container portion  12  is then connected to the plastic bottom  36 . Details of the connections and assembly will be described in more detail later. 
         [0029]    In this embodiment, two latches  58  are provided on the container  10 . Each latch  58  includes a latch base  64  and a pivotable latch member  66 . The latch base  64  may be made of plastic, although metal, wood, other materials, or a combination thereof may be used. In one embodiment, the latch base  64  may be an extension of the upper plastic edge portion  43 . That is, the latch base  64  may be integrally formed with the upper plastic edge portion  43 , and the latch base  64  may be a portion of the upper plastic edge portion  43  that extends downwards towards the metal sheet  24 . Each latch base  64  includes two side walls  65  extending in a direction perpendicular to the front wall  22  of the container  10 . The latch member  66  may be made of metal, plastic, wood, other materials, or a combination thereof. In other embodiments, the lid  48  may be latched to the container portion  12  using buckles, locks, hooks, or other locking/latching mechanisms. 
         [0030]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , recesses or openings  68  (six in this embodiment) are provided on the front side  22  of the sheet metal  24 , wherein the openings  68  are constructed and arranged to receive portions of the latch member  66  to connect the latch member  66  to the container portion  12 . Similarly, openings  70  are provided on each latch base  64  (six openings  70  in this embodiment), wherein the openings  70  are constructed and arranged to receive portions of the latch member  66  to connect the latch member  66  to the latch base  64 . Specifically, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the latch member  66  includes a cover portion  67  and a base portion  69 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the base portion  69  may include protrusions  72 , or hooks, that are constructed and arranged to be inserted into the openings  68  and  70  so as to retain the latch member  66  against the latch base  64  and the container portion  12 . As such, an inner surface  74  of each protrusion  72  may abut against an inner surface of the sheet metal  24  when the protrusions  72  are inserted into the openings  68  and  70 . 
         [0031]    In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the latch member  66  may also be attached to the latch base  64  via snap-fit connections. That is, a connecting portion  76  of the latch member  66  may be inserted into a latch cover receiving portion  78  of the latch base  64  so as to connect the latch member  66  with the latch base  64 . As such, when the latch member  66  is connected with the latch base  64 , any one of the connecting portion  76  of the latch member  66  and the latch cover receiving portion  78  of the latch base  64  may include a protrusion (not shown) that is engaged with a protrusion receiving member (not shown) located on the other of the connecting portion  76  and the latch cover receiving portion  78 . 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the latch member  66  may include an extension portion  80  extending from the connecting portion  76 , wherein the extension portion  80  includes an opening  82  on the end opposite the connecting portion  76 . The opening  82  may be constructed and arranged to receive a cover connecting structure  84  (see  FIG. 7 ), in this embodiment taking the form of a metal ring. The cover connecting structure  84  may be connected to the cover portion  67  so as to enable the cover portion  67  to pivot relative to the base portion  69 . As such, in some embodiments, the base portion  69  is affixed to the latch base  64 , and the cover portion  67  is movable relative to the base portion  69  and the latch base  64  when the cover portion  67  is moved between the engaged position to latch the lid  48  to the container portion  12  and the disengaged position wherein the lid  48  may be pivoted to the open position. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the latch engaging portion  60  includes a latch retaining wall  88  spaced a predetermined distance from and extending parallel to a front wall  90  of the lid  48 . The latch retaining wall  88  extends between and is used to connect two side walls  92  (see  FIG. 3 ) of the latch engaging portion  60 , wherein the side walls  92  extend perpendicularly from the front wall  90  of the lid  48 . When the lid  48  is in the closed position, the side walls  92  align with the side walls  65  of the latch base  64 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The latch cover portion  67  includes a retaining portion  94  constructed and arranged to engage with the latch retaining wall  88 . The retaining portion  94  may be part of a hook-like configuration of one end of the latch cover portion  67 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . When the latch cover portion  67  is in the engaged position, the retaining wall  88  of the latch engaging portion  60  engages with the retaining portion  94  and prevents the movement of the latch cover portion  67 . As such, the cover  48  may be latched to the container portion  12  using the latch engaging portion  60  and the latch  58 . 
         [0034]    To unlatch the latch  58  from the latch engaging portion  60 , the user may simply pull a tab  96  on the latch cover portion  67  in the upward direction and thus pivot the latch cover portion  67  so that the retaining portion  94  is no longer disposed against the latch retaining wall  88 . The latch cover portion  67  may then be pivoted relative to the base portion  64  via the connecting structure  84 . To latch the latch  58  to the latch engaging portion  60 , the user may simply pivot the latch cover portion  67  upwardly using the tab  96  so that the retaining portion  94  is aligned over the latch retaining wall  88 . The user may then lower the cover portion  67  and push against the tab  96  or any other portion of the cover  67  so that the latch retaining wall  88  is engaged with the retaining portion  94 , thereby latching the latch  58  to the latch engaging portion  60 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 8  shows the bottom portion of the plastic connector  30 , forming the majority of the rear side, connected to the sheet metal  24  and to the back side  46  of the plastic bottom  36 . In this embodiment, the sheet metal  24  has the first connecting end  26 , taking the form of a lip extending generally inwards towards the interior space  16  of the container  10 . The plastic bottom portion  36  includes a receiving groove  106  that may be defined by a portion of the rear side  46  of the plastic bottom portion  36  that extends generally inwards towards the interior space  16  of the container  10 . The receiving groove  106  may be constructed and arranged to receive the first connecting end  26  of the sheet metal  24  and the first connecting end  32  of the plastic connector  30 . The plastic connector  30  has the first connecting end  32 , having a U-shaped cross-section in this embodiment. The first connecting end  32  may include a first side  116  and a second side  118  opposite the first side  116 , and a partition  114  between the first and second sides  116 ,  118 . In this embodiment, when the first connecting end  32  of the plastic connector  30  is connected to the first connecting end  26  of the sheet metal  24 , the first connecting end  26 , which may take the form of a lip, is inserted between the first side  116  and the partition  114  of the first connecting end  32  of the plastic connector  30 . Thus, the placement of the first connecting end  26  of the sheet metal between the first side  116  and the partition  114  of the first connecting end  32  of the plastic connector  30  enables the sheet metal  24  to be connected to the plastic connector  30 . In this configuration, the first connecting end  26  of the sheet metal  24  and the first connecting end  32  of the plastic connector  30  are inserted into the receiving groove  106  of the plastic bottom  36 . The receiving groove  106  thus reinforces the connection between the sheet metal  24  and the plastic connector  30 , and also facilitates the connection among the plastic connector  30 , the sheet metal  24 , and the plastic bottom  36 . The second connecting end  34  of the plastic connector  30  and the second connecting end  28  of the sheet metal  24  may be constructed in a similar manner as the first connecting end  32  of the plastic connector  30  and the first connecting end  26  of the sheet metal  24 , respectively. The second connecting end  34 , the second connecting end  28 , and the plastic bottom  36  may also be connected in a similar manner as described above with respect to the first connecting end  26  of the sheet metal  24 , the first connecting end  32  of the plastic connector  30 , and the plastic bottom  36 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 9  shows the plastic bottom  36  in more detail. As mentioned above, the back portion  108 , bottom portion  109 , and front portion  110  of each side  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  define a receiving space  112  constructed and arranged to receive the sheet metal  24  and/or the plastic connector  30 . A plurality of protrusions or projections  120 A,  120 B are provided within the receiving space  112 . In this embodiment, the protrusions  120 A are connected to the front wall  110  of the rear side  46  of the plastic bottom  36  and are constructed and arranged to engage with openings  100  provided on the plastic connector  30  (see  FIG. 4 ). The protrusions or projections  120 B are connected to the back portion  108  of the left side  40 , the front side  42 , the right side  44 , and the rear side  46  of the plastic bottom  36 , and are constructed and arranged to engage with louvers  122  (see  FIG. 4 ) located near the lower edge  119  of the sheet metal  24 . The louvers  122 , unlike openings in the sheet metal  24 , require only a deformation of the metal material, and not removal of material. Although recesses  130  may be formed in the sheet metal  24  during the formation of the louvers  122 , the recesses  130  are located opposite the louvers  122  and are not used to engage with the projections  120 B. Rather, each louver  122  provides an engaging edge  123  (see  FIG. 10B ) that bitingly engages the bottom portion  126  (see  FIG. 10B ) of the projections  120 B. In other words, when the sheet metal  24  is engaged with the plastic bottom  36 , the protrusions  120 B do not extend into the recesses  130  in the sheet metal  24 , but rather remain captured by the engaging edges  123  provided by the louvers  122 , as shown in  FIG. 10B . Alternatively or additionally, projections may be provided near the lower edge  119  of the sheet metal so that the projections may engage with the protrusions or projections  120 B. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the rear side  46  of the plastic bottom  36  may have both protrusions  120 A and  120 B for connecting the plastic connector  30  and the sheet metal  24 , respectively. The protrusions  120 B may have a sloped surface  125  that extends downwards with a bottom portion  126  that extends further from the portion  108  or  110  to which it is attached than a top portion  128  of the protrusions  120 B, as shown in  FIG. 10B . The protrusions  120 A and  120 B may have the same construction but are labeled A and B to differentiate between them. 
         [0037]    Referring back to  FIG. 9 , openings  124  may be provided on the bottom portion  109  underneath the protrusions  120 A and  120 B. In some embodiments, a plurality of ridges or pushers  134  may be provided on the back portion  108  of the left side  40 , the front side  42 , the right side  44 , and the rear side  46  of the plastic bottom  36 . The plurality of ridges or pushers  134  may be placed near the protrusions  120 B. These ridges or pushers  134  may be constructed and arranged to push the sheet metal  24  against the front portion  110  when the louvers  122  of the sheet metal  24  are engaged with the protrusions  120 B of the plastic bottom  36 . Thus, in some embodiments with such configuration, the sheet metal  24  may not be in contact with the back portion  108  of the left side  40 , the front side  42 , the right side  44 , and the rear side  46  of the plastic bottom  36  when the sheet metal  24  is connected to the plastic bottom  36 . 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 10 , each louver  122  of the sheet metal  24  may be upward facing with a slanted surface  132 . The slanted surface  132  may slant in a direction towards the interior space  16  of the container  10 . The location and construction of the protrusions  120 A,  120 B, openings  100 , and louvers  122  may vary in different embodiments, and the description above is not intended to be limiting. Although the louvers  122  near the lower edge  119  of the sheet metal  24  are shown to be upward facing (see  FIGS. 5 and 11 ), the louvers  122  near the upper edge  117  of the sheet metal  24  may be downward facing, or in other words, a mirror image of the louvers  122  near the lower edge  119 . 
         [0039]    In one embodiment, the sheet metal  24  may be connected to the plastic bottom  36  using the louvers  122  and the protrusions  120 B via snap-fit connections as follows. To connect the sheet metal  24  to the plastic bottom  36 , the lower edge  119  of the sheet metal  24  may be aligned with the receiving space  112  of the plastic bottom  36  so that the louvers  122  and the protrusions  120 B are also aligned. The lower edge  119  may be pushed towards the receiving space  112  of the plastic bottom  36  until the louvers  122  come into contact with the protrusions  120 B. As the lower edge  119  of the sheet metal  24  is pushed into the receiving space  112  of the plastic bottom  36 , the slanted surface  132  of the louvers  122  contacts the sloped surface  125  of the protrusion  120 B (see  FIG. 10A ). During this process, one or both of back portion  108  and front portion  110  may have resilient properties that enable the back portion  108  and/or the front portion  110  to be pushed away from each other to accommodate the contact between the sloped surface  125  and the protrusion  120 B. For example, the slanted surface  132  of the louver  122  may push against the protrusion  120 B with sufficient force such that the protrusion  120 B and the back portion  108  to which the protrusion  120 B is attached may be pushed towards the interior space  16  of the container  10 . Alternatively or additionally, the front portion  110  may be pushed in a direction away from the protrusion  120 B. This may enable the slanted surface  132  of the louver  122  to slide further down against the sloped surface  125  of the protrusion  120 B. The back portion  108  or the front portion  110  may be pushed the furthest distance away from each other when the slanted surface  132  of the louver  122  near the edge  123  is in contact with the area of the sloped surface  125  of the protrusion  120 B near the bottom portion  126 . The louver  122  may be pushed further into the receiving space  112 , whereupon the slanted surface  132  of the louver  122  and the sloped surface  125  of the protrusion  120 B are no longer in contact, and the louver  122  snaps into place underneath the protrusion  120 B in the engaging position (see  FIG. 10B ). The back portion  108  and/or the front portion  110  may then snap back into their default position towards each other. Specifically, in this embodiment, when the louver  122  and the protrusion  120 B are in the engaging position, the edge  123  of the louver  122  contacts the bottom portion  126  of the protrusion  120 B. In this position, the bottom portion  126  of the protrusion  120 B prevents the upward movement of the louver  122  and thus retains the louver  122  and the lower edge  119  of the sheet metal  24  in the receiving space  112 . 
         [0040]    The plastic edge portion  43  may also include a back portion  145  and a front portion  147  (see  FIG. 11 ) constructed and arranged in a similar manner as the back portion  108  and the front portion  110  of the plastic bottom  36 . The front portion and back portion of the plastic edge portion  43  may also define a receiving space  149  that is constructed and arranged in a similar manner as the receiving space  112  of the plastic bottom  36 . The plastic edge portion  43  may also have protrusions  136 A (see  FIGS. 11) and 136B  constructed and arranged to engage with the plastic connector  30  and the sheet metal  24 , respectively. The protrusions  136 B may be connected to louvers  122  located near the upper edge  117  of the sheet metal  24  in a similar manner as described above with respect to protrusions  120 B and the louvers  122  located near the lower edge  119  of the sheet metal  24 . The protrusions  136 A may have similar construction as protrusions  120 A, described above. Although the protrusions  136 A,  136 B may have similar construction as protrusions  120 A,  120 B, the protrusions  136 A,  136 B may be a mirror image of protrusions  120 A,  120 B. That is, an upper portion  137  of protrusions  136 A,  136 B corresponding to the bottom portion  126  of protrusions  120 A,  120 B may be upward facing (see  FIG. 11  with respect to protrusion  136 A) rather than downward facing as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0041]    Referring back to  FIG. 4 , the plastic connector  30  has the plurality of openings  100  provided on an upper portion  102  and a lower portion  104  thereof. The openings  100  may be constructed and arranged to connect the plastic connector  30  to the plastic edge portion  43  and to the plastic bottom  36 . The openings  100  near the upper portion  102  are constructed and arranged to engage with protrusions  136 A on the plastic edge portion  43 , and the openings  100  near the lower portion  104  are constructed and arranged to engage with protrusions  120 A on the plastic bottom  36 . In some embodiments, the openings  100  are rectangular cutouts in the upper portion  102  and lower portion  104  of the plastic connector  30 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 11  shows the plastic connector  30  connected to the plastic edge portion  43  and the plastic bottom  36 . In this embodiment, the protrusions  120 A are attached to the front portion  110  of the rear side  46  of the plastic bottom  36 . A plurality of ridges  140  (see  FIG. 9 ) may optionally be provided on the back portion  108  of the rear side  46  of the plastic bottom  36 . The ridges  140  may be constructed and arranged to prevent the plastic rear side from coming into contact with the back portion  108  of the plastic bottom  36  when the plastic connector  30  is engaged with the plastic bottom  36 . The ridges  140  may also be constructed and arranged to push against the plastic connector  30  so that the openings  100  are pushed towards the protrusions  120 A. 
         [0043]    To engage the openings  100  of the plastic connector  30  with the protrusions  120 A, the lower portion  104  of the plastic connector  30  may be aligned with the receiving space  112  of the plastic bottom  36  so that the openings  100  are aligned with the protrusions  120 A. Each opening  100  may then be pushed towards a protrusion  120 A so that an edge of the lower portion  104  of the plastic connector  30  pushes against the sloped surface  125  of the protrusion  120 A, whereupon the protrusion  120 A snaps into the opening  100  and thus retains the protrusion  120 A within the opening  100 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . As a result, the bottom portion  126  of each protrusion  120 A may abut against a lower periphery of each opening  100  and thus prevent the removal of the protrusion  120 A from the opening  100 . 
         [0044]    In one embodiment, the protrusions  136 A are located on an extended portion  135  of the plastic edge portion  43  and are facing into the interior space  16  of the container  10  (see  FIGS. 5 and 11 ). The extended portion  135  may include the back portion  145  and the front portion  147  that is spaced a distance away from the back portion  147  to define the receiving space  149 . The upper portion  102  of the plastic connector  30  may be received in the receiving space  149  when the plastic connector  30  is connected to the plastic edge portion  43 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 11 , the protrusions  136 A are attached to the front portion  147  of the plastic edge portion  43 . The protrusions  136 B may be attached to the back portion  145  of the plastic edge portion  43 . A plurality of ridges (not shown) that are similar to the ridges  140  of the plastic connector  30  may be provided on the back portion  145  of the plastic edge portion  43 . 
         [0045]    The protrusions  136 A of the plastic edge portion  43  may be engaged with the openings  100  located on the upper portion  102  of the plastic connector  30  in a similar manner as described above with respect to the protrusions  120 A and the plastic connector  30 . However, in contrast to the protrusions  120 A, when the protrusions  136 A are received in the openings  100 , the upper portion  137  of each protrusion  126 A may abut against an upper periphery of each opening  100 , thus preventing the removal of the protrusion  126  from the opening  100 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 12  shows another view of the plastic connector  30  connected to the plastic edge portion  43  and the plastic bottom  36 . In this embodiment, the plastic connector  30  includes ledges  139  provided near the upper portion  102  and the lower portion  104 . When the plastic connector  30  is connected to the plastic edge portion  43 , a portion of the ledge  139  near the upper portion  102  of the plastic connector  30  may abut against a lower edge  141  of the plastic edge portion  43 . Similarly, when the plastic connector  30  is connected to the plastic bottom  36 , a portion of the ledge  139  near the lower portion  104  of the plastic connector  30  may abut against an upper edge  143  of the plastic bottom  36 . 
         [0047]    Although the construction of a toolbox is described above, it is contemplated that any or all combinations of the materials described above, such as the sheet metal  24 , the plastic connector  30 , the plastic bottom  36 , and the plastic edge portion  43 , may be used in the construction of drawers or other containers having a variety of shapes, and with or without lids. As such, any combination of the materials used, such as the sheet metal  24 , the plastic connector  30 , the plastic bottom  36 , and the plastic edge portion  43  may be connected in similar manner as described above. For example, in a rolling container assembly  141  shown in  FIG. 13 , each of slideable drawers  142 A,  142 B and a bottom bin  144  may be made of the sheet metal  24 , the plastic connector  30  (not shown in this figure), the plastic bottom  36 , and the plastic edge portion  43 . The connections among the aforementioned materials may be made in similar manner as described above with respect to removable container  10 . The rolling container assembly  11  is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/467,139, which is fully incorporated herein. 
         [0048]    Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.