Patent Publication Number: US-2012043289-A1

Title: Two tone storage bin

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an improved storage bin, and, more particularly, a storage bin having ends of two different colors or tones which is useful in an inventory bin system for inventory control and replenishment of a product in the bin. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Numerous storage bins useful in inventory control systems are known in the art wherein the bins are positioned on shelves or in cabinets in a work room, storage room, shop, store or the like. In such prior art storage bins, it is often difficult to know when the contents of the bin are low or even empty without pulling the bin outwardly for a visual inspection. 
     A prior art storage bin having means for indicating when the contents of the bin are low or the bin is empty is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,851 which discloses a pivotable storage bin having a different color on a front surface from the rest of the bin so that when the bin is full of a product the bin tilts downwardly whereby the colored front surface does not show but when the bin is empty, the front surface faces outwardly so that the color is visible indicating that the bin is empty. 
     There is still a need, however, for a storage bin of simple construction and low cost which is easy to install and which gives a ready indication when a product in the bin needs replenishment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage bin having ends of two different colors so that when an end of a first color is showing the bin has sufficient product therein but when the end of a second color is showing, a product in the bin needs replenishment. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a storage bin of two different colors having a bin opening at each end and which is of simple construction and easy to use. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a storage bin having a divider wall positioned between the front end wall and the rear end wall to form a front hopper of one color and a rear hopper of another color whereby when the bin needs replenishing, the bin is turned around or reversed so that a rear end wall faces outwardly to provide a visual indicator that replenishment of a product in the bin is needed. 
     The present invention achieves the above and other objects by providing a storage bin for a product having a bottom wall, two spaced opposed side walls, a front wall having a height lower than a height of the side walls to form a first bin opening and a rear wall having a height lower than a height of the side walls to form a second bin opening. The front wall is of a first color and the rear wall is of a second color different from the first color to provide a visual indication that a product in the bin needs replenishing. The storage bin further includes a divider wall positioned between the front end wall and the rear end wall to form a front hopper and a rear hopper whereby when a product in the bin needs replenishing, the bin is turned around or reversed so that the rear wall faces outwardly to provide the visual indicator that replenishment of the product is needed. 
     The side walls of the bin are provided with a plurality of pairs of opposed slots spaced lengthwise thereof so that the divider wall may be mounted at different positions along the side walls to vary the size of the front and rear hoppers. The two different colored portions of the storage bin may be formed from two different plastic materials of different colors or of a single plastic material of two different colors. 
     These, together with other objects and advantages which will be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully described and claimed hereafter, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a two toned storage bin according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view of the storage bin of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the storage bin of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a left side elevational view of the storage bin of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a right side elevational view of the storage bin of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the storage bin of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of the storage bin of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a rear perspective view of the storage bin of  FIG. 1  showing a divider wall in the middle thereof; and 
         FIG. 9  is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of the storage bin of the present invention showing a divider wall mounted in the middle thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings, a two tone or color storage bin, generally referred to by the numeral  10 , for holding a product is shown which includes a body  12  having a bottom wall  14 , two spaced opposed side walls  16  extending upwardly therefrom, a front end wall  18  extending upwardly from the bottom wall and connected to one end of the side walls and a rear end wall  22  extending upwardly from the bottom wall and connected to an opposite end of the side walls. 
     The front end wall has a height lower than a height of the side walls to form a first bin opening  20  for placing or removing a product in or from a bin. Similarly, rear end wall  22  has a height lower than a height of the side walls for form a second bin opening  24  for putting in or removing a product into or from the bin. 
     The storage bin  10  may be constructed of a suitable common plastic material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, high-impact polystyrene and styrene-acrylonitrile. In addition, more specialized plastic materials may be used such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate (acrylic resin) and polyvinyl chloride. 
     The front portion of the bin is constructed of a first color  26  and the rear portion of the bin is constructed of a second color  28 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the portion of the bin  10  constructed of the first color  26  preferably may extend from the front end to a point approximately 50% to 80% of the length of the bin while the rear portion of the bin constructed of the second color  28  may extend approximately 20% to 50% of the length of the bin. Although not shown in the drawings, any part of the front portion of the bin may be of the first color  26 , including just the front end wall  18 , and any part of the rear portion, including only the rear end wall  22 , may be of the second color. Also, half of the bin may be of the first color  26  and half of the bin may be of the second color  28 . The important factor is that at least each end of the bin is of a different color. While any two different colors may be used for the first color  26  and the second color  28 , in a preferred embodiment, the first color is blue and the second color is orange. The storage bin may be thermally formed of a single plastic material of two different colors or of two different plastic materials, each of a different color. 
     Each of the side walls  16  has a rim  32  along its upper end edges thereof. Each side wall also may have a first thinner section  34  at its upper end, a second thicker section  36  in the middle thereof and a third even thicker section  38  at its lower end. Each second thicker section  36  has a plurality of slots  40  therein and each third even thicker section  38  at the bottom of the side wall has slots  42  vertically aligned with the slots  40 . The slots  40  and  42  on one side wall are directly opposite and matched with the slots  40  and  42  on the opposite side wall so that the slots may receive a divider wall  46  as shown in  FIG. 8 . The outside surfaces of each of the side walls  16  contain ribs  48  extending outwardly therefrom corresponding to the slots  40  and  42  on the inside of the walls. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the divider wall  46  divides the storage bin into a front hopper  52  and a rear hopper  54  inside the body of the bin. The divider wall  46  may be placed in any of the slots in the side walls to form front and rear hoppers of various sizes since the slots are spaced at various positions along the side walls. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the divider wall may be placed at the mid point of the body of the storage bin to divide the body into equal front hoppers and rear hoppers, with each hopper having a bin opening. 
     A second embodiment of the storage bin is shown in  FIG. 9  wherein the storage bin is longer in length and higher on each side. Moreover, the upper slots  40  which receive divider wall  46  are formed by wall portions  56  which extend out from thicker wall portion  36  rather than being recessed into the wall portion as shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-8 . Moreover, the embodiment of  FIG. 9  includes more slots than the embodiment of  FIG. 8  and the outer walls of the sides do not have ribs protruding therefrom in the second thicker section  36  since the slots are not recessed into the wall as in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-8 . The storage bin of  FIG. 9  further includes a recessed portion  60  in the rear wall thereof to receive a label or other insert which may be used to identify the product in the storage bin. The front end wall of the storage bin also may include a recessed portion to receive a label or other insert. Similarly, the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-8  may have recessed portions on the front and/or rear end walls to receive labels or other inserts. 
     In use, the two tone or two color storage bin is particularly advantageous when handling smaller products such as medical supplies, nails, screws, washers or the like. The divider wall is put in the bin at a desired location such as one half, one third or one fourth the length of the bin to divide the bin into a front hopper and rear hopper. Initially, both the front hopper and the rear hopper of the bin are filled with a product. The bin opening at each end facilitates easy placing in or removing the product from the bin. Initially, the front end of the bin having a first color such as blue faces outwardly when the bin is stored on a shelf, put in a cabinet or otherwise situated for use. Normally the front hopper is larger than the back hopper to contain the most product. When the front hopper is emptied of the product, the bin is then turned around so that the back end of the back hopper faces outwardly whereby the second color such as orange shows to indicate that the product in the bin needs replenishing. Since the back hopper also contains a supply of the product, however, the bin is not yet emptied so the rear end of the bin facing outwardly provides a visual indication that replenishment of the product is needed. While the two colors may be of any different colors, the preferred combination is blue for the front end since blue generally indicates everything is normal and to have the second color of the rear end wall orange to indicate that replenishment is necessary soon. 
     A plurality of these bins may be used together to form an inventory bin system for inventory control and replenishment that is easy to install and inexpensive to purchase. The two tone bin inventory system also makes it very easy to train staff or other workers in its use. The simplicity of an inventory bin system using the two tone bin of the present invention is that when the bin is turned around so that the second color shows, there is still enough product in the bin to keep working while still providing a visual indication that the product needs replenishing. 
     Numerous other modifications and adaptations of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and thus, it is intended by the following claims to cover all such adaptations which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.