Patent Publication Number: US-10314399-B2

Title: Storage container

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application claims priority based on an International Application filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, PCT/EP2015/066978, filed Jul. 24, 2015. 
     The invention relates to a storage container comprising a container housing provided with at least one reception compartment open at a compartment opening on a front side of the container housing and with a drawer element arranged in the reception compartment in a manner allowing to be pulled out of and to be pushed into the reception compartment in a longitudinal direction of the container housing, wherein the drawer element, in order to form a drawer interior, has a base wall and an outer wall projecting upwards from the base wall and having two lateral outer wall sections located opposite each other at a distance in a transverse direction—perpendicular to the longitudinal direction—of the container housing, and further comprising pull-out limiting means for limiting the pulling-out of the drawer element from the reception compartment. 
     Such a storage container is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,559. This known storage container has a container housing which forms several reception compartments arranged on top of one another in a height direction, in each of which a drawer element capable of being pulled out of and pushed into a reception compartment in a longitudinal direction of the container housing coinciding with its depth direction is located. For operation, each drawer element has a handle facilitating easy entry in the region of the compartment opening of the reception compartment on the front side of the container housing. In order to prevent the accidental excessive pulling-out of the drawer element, the storage container is provided with pull-out limiting means having a stroke limiting stop located on the upper edge of the rear outer wall section of the drawer element, to which stop is assigned a counter-stop formed in the region of the compartment opening on the top side of the reception compartment. The drawer element can be pulled out of the reception compartment until its stroke limiting stop hits the counter-stop on the housing. This arrangement has the disadvantage that the drawer element, if it needs to be removed completely from the reception compartment, has to be raised in the region of its front side to disengage the stroke limiting stop from the counter-stop. As a result of the tilting of the drawer element involved in this process, the parts in the drawer interior can shift or even fall out of the drawer interior. 
     From EP 1 658 160 B1, a storage container is known which is composed of a plurality of housing modules placed on top of one another in a height direction and latched together in pairs. Housing modules which are adjacent to one another in the height direction in each case together bound a reception compartment which is open towards the front side of the container housing and in which a drawer element is located in a pull-out and push-in arrangement. 
     From U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,751, too, a storage container is known which comprises a plurality of housing modules sitting on top of one another vertically and latched together while bounding a reception compartment for a drawer element in pairs. 
     DE 10 2012 107 955 A1 discloses a container with a base wall, two left-hand and right-hand side walls and a rear wall, it being possible to stack several such containers on top of one another and to latch them together. Each container can accommodate a pull-out drawer. 
     In DE 20 2009 018 589, a container assembly is disclosed, which is composed of a plurality of stackable containers which can be coupled vertically by means of a cabinet lock. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,045 and US 2002/0125159 A1 describe storage containers with a one-part carcass, in which several drawers are located in a pull-out arrangement and which has on its top side an opening closed by means of a pivotably mounted cover plate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is based on the problem of providing measures for completely removing in a simple way a drawer element limited in its pull-out movement from a reception compartment of a container housing. 
     To solve this problem, it is provided, in combination with the features mentioned above, that the pull-out limiting means comprise a stop tongue at each of the two lateral outer wall sections of the drawer element which can be pivoted by elastic deformation in the transverse direction of the container housing and which has at least one stop projection projecting in the transverse direction from the drawer interior towards the outside, and that at the container housing there is provided in each of the two lateral edge regions of the compartment opening a counter-stop edge located in the pull-out path of one of the stop projections, against which counter-stop edge the associated stop projection can run while the drawer element is pulled out in order to preset the maximum pulled-out operating position, wherein the stop tongues can be pivoted reversibly inwards towards the drawer interior into a release position by the application of manual force in order to enable the complete removal of the drawer element from the reception compartment. 
     In this way, the accidental excessive pulling-out of the drawer element from the associated reception compartment is effectively prevented in the normal use of the storage container. The pull-out limiting means predetermine the maximum pulled-out operating position of the drawer element by providing that the stop projection on the stop tongue runs against the housing-mounted counter-stop edge located in its pull-out path in the region of the drawer opening. Relative to the longitudinal direction of the drawer element, the stop tongue is preferably placed such that the drawer element maintains a stable horizontal position in the maximum pulled-out operating position and does not tilt downwards. If the drawer element has to be removed completely from the reception compartment at one point, for example on order to carry it to a place of work with its content, or in order to merely clean it, the stop tongues can, for example with a finger of each hand, be pushed inwards towards the drawer interior, so that the stop projections are pushed out of the collision range with the counter-stop edges. In this state, the drawer element can be completely pulled out of the reception compartment, and the stop projections can pass the associated counter-stop edges. When subsequently released, the stop tongues spring back from the release position into their home position, which can also be described as limiting position, owing to their elastic deformation. For re-inserting the drawer element into the reception compartment, the stop tongues are once again pivoted into the release position, which can be done either directly manually or preferably by providing that the stop tongues, when contacting the container housing, are automatically pivoted into the release position for a short time. As the drawer element can be held in a horizontal position both during removal and during re-insertion, the contents of the drawer are not affected by these operations. 
     Advantageous further developments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims. 
     The stop tongues are preferably placed at the lateral outer wall sections in such a way that they come to lie outside the reception compartment with a section of their length in the maximum pulled-out operating position of the drawer element. In this section of their length, they can comfortably be operated manually for pivoting from the non-deformed home position into the release position. 
     The counter-stop edges fixed in place on the container housing are expediently formed on boundary wall sections of the container housing, which bound the compartment opening of the reception compartment at the sides oriented in the transverse direction. In this way, the wall of the container housing can be used directly to form the counter-stop edge. 
     It is furthermore advantageous if the stop projections are designed to be barb-shaped at their rear side oriented in the pull-out direction of the drawer element, wherein the resulting inclined rear stop face comes to lie opposite a counter-stop face of a counter-stop edge oriented with a corresponding inclination. As the drawer element is pulled out, the inclined stop faces come into contact with the likewise inclined counter-stop faces, so that the stop projections get locked to the counter-stop edges and a pulling-out of the drawer element from the reception compartment is prevented even under a very strong tensile force. In this way, the pivoting of the stop tongues into the release position can be effectively avoided even if the drawer element is pulled with inappropriate strength. 
     At their front side pointing in the push-in direction of the drawer element, the stop projections are expediently provided with an inclined sliding surface which is oriented such that it increasingly diverges from the drawer interior in the pull-out direction of the drawer element. These sliding surfaces facilitate the re-insertion of the drawer element into the reception compartment, because they make a direct manual pressure on the stop tongue for pivoting it into the release position unnecessary. When the drawer element is inserted into the reception compartment, the sliding surfaces come into contact with counter-stop bodies fixed to the container housing, on which they slide while simultaneously being pivoted towards the drawer interior under elastic deformation. The counter-stop bodies at the same time expediently define the counter-stop edges acting to limit the pull-out movement. 
     It would, for example, be possible to place the stop tongues in such a way that they project beyond the outline of the lateral outer wall sections of the drawer element at the rear. It is, however, more advantageous if they are placed within the outline of the respectively associated lateral outer wall section, because in this way they do not affect the compartment depth of the reception compartment required for accommodating the drawer element. 
     A variant in which each of the stop tongues is located in a wall opening of the associated lateral outer wall section of the drawer element is deemed particularly expedient. Irrespective of their mounting location, it is in any case advantageous if the stop tongues are designed in one piece with the associated lateral outer wall section. The lateral outer wall section is preferably made of a plastic material, like the stop tongues. 
     Each stop tongue is preferably designed such that it has an oblong support arm which is joined to the associated lateral outer wall section in a transition region in one piece and elastically flexible and which supports the stop projection, which is preferably formed in one piece with the support arm, at a point which is distant from the transition region. The stop projection is in particular located in a free end region of the support arm opposite the transition region between the support arm and the lateral outer wall section. It is advantageous if the support arm as a whole is elastically flexible in the section of its length between the transition region and the stop projection. 
     For the easy operation of the stop tongues, it is advantageous if the support arm of the stop tongue has on the outside remote from the drawer interior a raised operating structure, such as a fluted raised area. In this way, the user of the storage container can visualise the optimum force introduction area for operating the stop tongues. 
     The stop tongues are preferably oriented such that they extend from the transition region to the lateral outer wall section in the insertion direction of the drawer element. 
     If the stop tongues are located in a wall opening of the lateral outer wall section, it is advantageous if their support arm extends in a common plane with the lateral outer wall section and only the stop projection projects beyond the wall outer surface of the lateral outer wall section, which is remote from the drawer interior. In this way, the stop tongue can be realised in the manner of a punching within the contour of the lateral outer wall section. It is nevertheless preferably produced, together with the entire drawer carcass, by injection-moulding a plastic material. 
     On the outside—remote from the drawer interior—of a front outer wall section assigned to the compartment opening, each drawer element is expediently provided with a handle which can be used for pulling out and for holding in the fully pulled-out state. 
     The storage container is preferably designed to be portable. For easy transport, it expediently has at least one carrying handle which is preferably located on the top side at the outside of the container housing. During transport, the drawer element is preferably inserted fully into the associated reception compartment. Locking means which facilitate a releasable locking of each drawer element to the housing if fully inserted into the associated reception compartment are preferably provided. 
     The base wall of the drawer element is expediently plate-shaped. The outer wall of the drawer element expediently projects upwards from the outer edge region of the base wall, extending around the base wall. 
     The drawer element is preferably designed without a cover. It is, however, easily possible to provide the drawer element with a removable or pivotable cover with which the drawer interior can be covered on its top side. In this context, it is also possible to design the drawer element in the manner of a case-type container, for example as a shell case. 
     The container housing of the storage container can be designed such that it defines only a single reception compartment for a drawer element. If a larger storage volume usable in various ways is to be made available, however, it is advantageous if several reception compartments arranged on top of one another in the height direction of the container housing are formed in the container housing, each of them accommodating its own drawer element, wherein pull-out limiting means as described are assigned to each of these drawer elements. 
     The container housing can be designed in one piece at least in the region which defines the at least one reception compartment. To produce storage containers with different storage volumes in a cost-effective way, however, it is advantageous if the container housing has a modular structure and is composed of a plurality of housing modules arranged on top of one another in the height direction of the container housing and coupled to one another in pairs in a way which prevents lifting off, wherein two housing modules arranged immediately on top of each other in each case jointly define a reception compartment for a drawer element. For the paired coupling of the housing modules, latching connection devices are expediently provided; these can be releasable in principle, but are preferably of a non-releasable design, so that they are capable of clamping the housing modules together permanently in the height direction without play. 
     In this modular structure, it is not mandatory but advantageous if at least one or else each of the reception compartments is bounded by a compartment side wall which is jointly composed of an upward-projecting upper module side wall of a lower housing module and a downward-projecting lower module side wall of the housing module placed immediately above. 
     If several reception compartments arranged on top of one another in the storage container are to be realised, it is advantageous if at least one or else each of the housing modules located between two reception compartments is designed as a housing intermediate module having a module horizontal wall extending between the two reception compartments at right angles to the height direction of the container housing and an upward-projecting upper module side wall integrally formed in one piece to the edge of the module horizontal wall as well as a lower module side wall integrally formed in one piece to the edge of the module horizontal wall and projecting beyond the module horizontal wall in the downward direction. In this way, the housing intermediate module contributes to the formation of both a compartment side wall bounding the reception compartment placed above and a compartment side wall bounding the reception compartment placed below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the enclosed drawing, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the storage container according to the invention, the storage container having a plurality of reception compartments, each provided with a drawer element, 
         FIG. 2  shows the storage container from  FIG. 1  with drawer elements pulled out to different degrees, 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the storage container from  FIGS. 1 and 2  in the direction according to arrow III from  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 4  is a horizontal section through the storage container according to sectional plane IV-IV from  FIG. 3 , with the illustrated drawer element fully pushed into the associated reception compartment, 
         FIG. 5  is a further horizontal section according to sectional plane V-V from  FIG. 3 , with the assigned drawer element pulled out of the reception compartment to the maximum operating position preset by the pull-out limiting means, 
         FIG. 6  is a further horizontal section through the storage container according to sectional plane VI-VI from  FIG. 3 , with the assigned drawer element fully pulled out of the reception compartment and the stop tongues still being in their release position held by manual pressure, 
         FIG. 7  is a vertical section through the storage container according to sectional plane VII-VII from  FIG. 3 , with only the lowermost of the several reception compartments shown with a drawer element and the drawer element pulled out partially, but not to the maximum pulled-out operating position, and 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the storage container illustrated in the other figures. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 8  each show a region of the storage container framed by dot-dash lines, occasionally isolated and enlarged. 
     The storage container, which is identified by the reference number  1  in its entirety, has a container housing  2  with a vertical axis  3 , the axial direction of the vertical axis  3  being hereinafter also referred to as the height direction  3 . 
     The container housing  2  further has a longitudinal axis  4  perpendicular to the vertical axis  3  and a transverse axis  5  perpendicular to the vertical axis  3  and the longitudinal axis  4 . The axial direction of the longitudinal axis  4  is hereinafter also referred to as the longitudinal direction  4 , and the axial direction of the transverse axis  5  is also referred to as the transverse direction  5  of the container housing  2 . The dimensions in the longitudinal direction  4  define the depth of the container housing  2 , while the dimensions in the transverse direction  5  define its width. 
     In the usual position of use of the storage container  1 , the vertical axis  3  is oriented vertically and the longitudinal axis  4  and the transverse axis  5  are oriented horizontally. 
     In a plane perpendicular to the vertical axis  3  the container housing  2  preferably has an at least substantially rectangular outline. As a whole, the container housing  2  preferably has a cuboid basic structure. 
     The container housing  2  has a front side  6  oriented in the axial direction of the longitudinal axis  4  and a rear side  7  oriented oppositely thereto. The container housing  2  further has two lateral outsides  8 ,  9  oriented opposite each other in the axial direction of the transverse axis  5 . 
     The container housing  2  bounds at least one reception compartment  10  and preferably a plurality of reception compartments  10 , which are arranged on top of one another in the height direction  3 . In the illustrated embodiment, three reception compartments  10  are provided, but any number can be involved in principle. The storage container  1  can also be provided with one reception compartment  10  only. 
     Each reception compartment  10  is accessible from the outside through its own compartment opening  11 , which is located on the front side  11  and cut out of the container housing  2 . In each reception compartment  10  there is provided a drawer element  12 , which can be pulled out of the associated reception compartment  10  in a pull-out movement  13   a  and pushed into the respective reception compartment  10  in an opposite push-in movement  13   b . The two movements  13   a ,  13   b  are indicated by arrows. 
     The movement direction of the pull-out movement  13   a  will hereinafter also be referred to as pull-out direction  13   a . The movement direction of the push-in movement  13   b  will hereinafter also be referred to as push-in direction  13   b.    
     In  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the topmost of three drawer elements  12  is shown in the fully pushed-in home position. The middle drawer element  12  placed below is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5  in a position in which it is partially pulled out of the associated reception compartment  10 , this position being a maximum pulled-out operating position of the drawer element  12 , which is preset by pull-out limiting means  14  to be explained at a later point. The lowermost drawer element  12  is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 6  in a position in which it has been completely pulled out of the associated reception compartment  10  and separated from the container housing  2 . 
     For each reception compartment  10 , the container housing  2  forms a compartment side wall  16 , which bounds the associated reception compartment  10  on the sides which are oriented perpendicular to the vertical axis  3 —apart from the region of the compartment opening  11 . Each compartment side wall  16 —apart from the compartment opening  11  giving access to the drawer element  12 —preferably extends as a closed wall around the associated reception compartment  10 . Each compartment side wall  16  therefore has two lateral compartment side wall sections  16   a  facing the lateral outsides  8 ,  9  and a rear compartment side wall section  16   b  located at the rear opposite the compartment opening  11 . 
     In an embodiment not shown in the drawing, the container housing  2  is a one-part design. In particular, it has a single-piece housing body which defines all of the reception compartments provided. 
     Preferably, however, the container housing  2  has a modular structure. Here it is composed of a plurality of housing modules  17 , which are arranged on top of one another in the axial direction of the vertical axis  3  and sit on top of one another. Two housing modules  17  placed immediately adjacent to each other in the height direction  3  are in each case coupled to each other in such a way that relative movement in any spatial direction is impossible. In this way, the coupled housing modules  17  can neither be displaced relative to each other in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical axis  3 , nor can the housing modules  17  be lifted off each other in the height direction  3 . 
     The responsibility for the cohesion of the module assembly lies with coupling devices  18  acting between housing modules  17  which are adjacent to one another in the height direction  3 . As in the illustrated embodiment, these are preferably designed as latching connection devices  19 . During the assembly of the container housing  2 , the housing modules  17  can be placed on top of one another in the height direction  3  and partially plugged into one another by applying a defined actuating force, thereby being latched to one another. The latching connection devices  19  are preferably non-releasable, so that an unintentional breaking up of the module assembly can be reliably excluded. In principle, however, it would be possible to design the coupling devices  18  in a manner which allows their decoupling. 
     Housing modules  17  which are arranged directly on top of one another in the height direction  3  of the container housing  2  together bound one of the reception compartments  10  each. Such housing modules  17  which bound both a reception compartment  10  placed above and a reception compartment  10  placed below shall be described as housing intermediate modules  17   a . The illustrated embodiment is provided with several such housing intermediate modules  17   a.    
     In the region of its underside  23  pointing downwards relative to the axial direction of the vertical axis  3 , the modular container housing  2  has a housing module  17  described as lower housing end module  17   b . In the region of the opposite top side  24 , the container housing  2  has a housing module  17  described as upper housing end module  17   c.    
     Together with the housing intermediate module  17   a  adjacent in the height direction  3 , each housing end module  17   b ,  17   c  bounds a reception compartment  10 . If the container housing  2  is to define only one reception compartment  10 , there are no housing intermediate modules  17   a , and the two housing end modules  17   b ,  17   c  are directly fitted to each other, so that they directly and jointly bound the single reception compartment  10 . 
     Each housing module  17  has a module horizontal wall  25 , which extends transversely and in particular at right angles to the vertical axis  3 . In each housing intermediate module  17   a , this module horizontal wall  25  forms the base of the reception compartment  10  placed above and at the same time the ceiling of the reception compartment  10  placed below. In the lower housing end module  17   b , the module horizontal wall  25  forms a lower end wall  33  of the adjacent reception compartment  10 , and in the upper housing end module  17   c , the module horizontal wall  25  forms an upper end wall  34  of the adjacent reception compartment  10 . The module horizontal wall  25  expediently has an at least substantially rectangular outline, approximately corresponding to the layout of the container housing  2 . 
     At the edges, two module side walls designated hereinafter as upper module side wall  27  and as lower module side wall  28  for easier differentiation are integrally formed in one piece with the module horizontal wall  25  of at least one housing intermediate module  17   a  and preferably of each housing intermediate module  17   a . The upper module side wall  27  projects upwards in the height direction  3  from the outer edge of the module horizontal wall  25 , while the lower module side wall  28  projects downwards in the height direction  3  from this outer edge  29 . 
     From the outer edge of the lower end wall  33  of the lower housing end module  17   b , an upper module side wall  35  projects upwards in the height direction  3 . In a comparable way, a lower module side wall  36  projects downwards from the outer edge of the upper end wall  34 , its circumferential shape corresponding to that of the upper module side wall  35  of the lower end wall  33 . If a housing intermediate module  17   a  is provided, its intermediate module side wall  32  likewise has the same circumferential shape as the upper module side wall  35  and the lower module side wall  36 . 
     In the assembled state of the modular container housing  2 , the upper module side wall  35  of the lower housing end module  17   b  is supported with its upward-oriented end face  37  in the axial direction of the vertical axis  3  on the downward-oriented end face  37  of the lower module side wall  28  or  34  or of the upper housing end module  17   c  or the housing intermediate module  17   a  placed above. In a comparable way, the lower module side wall  36  of the upper housing end module  17   c  is supported with its downward-oriented end face  37  on the upward-oriented end face  37  of the upper module side wall  27  or  35  of the lower housing end module  17   b  or of the housing intermediate module  17   a  placed immediately below. 
     The reception compartment  10  bounded by the lower housing end module  17   b  is laterally bounded by a compartment side wall  16  composed of the upper module side wall  35  of the lower housing end module  17   b  and the lower module side wall  36  or  28  of the housing module  17  placed above, the latter being either directly the upper housing end module  17   c  or a housing intermediate module  17   a.    
     The reception compartment  10  bounded by the upper housing end module  17   c  is laterally bounded by a compartment side wall  16  composed of the lower module side wall  36  of the upper housing end module  17   c  and the upper module side wall  35  or  27  of the housing module  17  placed below, the latter being either directly the lower housing end module  17   b  or a housing intermediate module  17   a.    
     If the storage container  1  is provided with at least one housing intermediate module  17   a , its intermediate module side wall  32  at the same time forms a part of two compartment side walls  16 , these being the compartment side wall  16  of the reception compartment  10  located above the housing intermediate module  17   a  and the compartment side wall  16  of the reception compartment  10  located immediately below the housing intermediate module  17   a . In other words: with its upper module side wall  27  and its lower module side wall  28 , the housing intermediate module  17   a  simultaneously contributes to the formation of the compartment side walls  16  of the reception compartments  10  located above and below the housing intermediate module  17   a.    
     In order to ensure that the compartment side wall  16  completely closes off the associated reception compartment  10  irrespective of the multi-part structure in the height direction  3 , the housing modules  17  immediately above and below the housing intermediate module  17   a  in the height direction  3  preferably lie with their whole surface on the end face  37  of the associated module side wall  27 ,  28 , which is oriented in the axial direction of the vertical axis  3 . 
     In principle, the upper and lower module side walls  27 ,  35 ;  28 ,  36 , which together define a compartment side wall  16 , can have the same wall height as measured in the height direction  3  of the container housing  2 . In a preferred design, however, which is implemented in all embodiments, the upper and lower module side walls  27 ,  35 ;  28 ,  36  have different wall heights, so that they project to different degrees from the associated module horizontal wall  25  in the height direction  3  of the container housing  2 . The upper module side wall  27 ,  35  is preferably higher than the downward-projecting lower module side wall  28 ,  36 . 
     The paired coupling between housing modules  17  placed on top of one another is in each case established between the lower module side wall  36 ,  28  of the respectively upper housing module  17  and the upper module side wall  35 ,  27  of the housing module  17  placed below. The coupling is established by means of the coupling devices  18  referred to above, which are preferably designed as latching connection devices  19 . 
     In the illustrated storage container  1 , latching connection devices  19  of a particularly advantageous design are provided which, for the paired coupling between housing modules  17  adjacent to one another in the vertical direction  3 , comprise latching hooks integrally formed on one housing module  17  and latching edges formed on the other housing module for engagement from behind by the latching hooks. By the latching connection devices  19 , the housing modules  17  sitting on top of one another are clamped together vertically. 
     On its top side, the upper housing end module  17   c  is expediently bounded by a cover wall  49 , on the upward-oriented outside of which is provided a bow-shaped carrying handle  52 , which can be gripped with one hand for transporting the storage container  1 . The carrying handle  52  is expediently mounted pivotably on the cover wall  49 , the pivot axis  53  preferably extending in the width direction of the container housing  2 . 
     The carrying handle  52  can preferably be folded to the cover wall  49  into a position of non-use, in which it expediently comes to lie in a surface recess  54  of the cover wall  49 . For use, the carrying handle  52  can be swivelled into an upright position of use. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the upper end wall  34  and the cover wall  49  are one and the same component of the upper housing end module  17   c . In an embodiment not shown in the drawing, the cover wall  49  is provided in addition to the upper end wall  34  and placed above the latter in the vertical direction  3 , acting as a cover plate of an upper housing end module  17   c  designed as a container module. 
     Each drawer element  12  has a base wall  55 , which is preferably plate-shaped. Around the edge of the base wall  55 , there extends an outer wall  56 , which projects upwards in the axial direction of the vertical axis  3  and, together with the base wall  55 , bounds a drawer interior  57  for storing objects. If the drawer element  12  is at least partially pulled out of the associated reception compartment  10  at the front side  6  of the container housing  2 , the drawer interior  57  is open towards the top and accessible for placing or removing objects. 
     The drawer interior  57  can be divided into individual interior sections by means of partitions not illustrated in detail. In addition, the drawer element  12  can have a removable or a pivotably mounted cover. 
     On the outside—remote from the drawer interior  57 —of a front outer wall section  58  of the outer wall  56  of the drawer element  12 , which lies in the region of the compartment opening  11  in the fully pushed-in state ( FIG. 4 ), there is expediently provided a handle  59 , on which the drawer element  12  can be gripped to pull it out of or to push it back into the reception compartment  10 . 
     The drawer elements  12  expediently consist of a plastic material. The same applies to the container housing  2 . 
     The pull-out limiting means  14  mentioned above are explained in greater detail below. They are used to block the drawer element  12  in a maximum pulled-out operating position when it is pulled out of the reception compartment  10 , so that the drawer element  12  cannot accidentally be pulled out of the container housing  2  completely. In this maximum pulled-out operating position, which is illustrated in  FIG. 5 , most of the length of the drawer element  12  as measured in the axial direction of the longitudinal axis  4  is outside the associated reception compartment  10  and only a rear end section  62  of the drawer element  12 , which faces the rear compartment side wall section  16   b , is still within the reception compartment  10 . 
     A special feature of the pull-out limiting means  14  lies in the fact that they can be intentionally and actively deactivated temporarily in order to facilitate a complete extraction of the drawer element  12  from the associated reception compartment. Such a fully pulled-out state of the drawer element  12  is shown in  FIG. 6 . In this state, the drawer element  12  can be handled independently of the container housing  2 . 
     The outer wall  56  projecting from the base wall  55  in the height direction  3  has two lateral outer wall sections  63 ,  64  located at a distance opposite each other in the transverse direction  5  of the container housing  2 . Each of these lateral outer wall sections  63 ,  64  expediently adjoins directly one of the two lateral edge regions of the front outer wall section  58  and extends in the longitudinal direction  4  to the rear end of the drawer element  12 . At the rear, the drawer interior  27  is bounded by a rear outer wall section of the outer wall  56 , which expediently extends parallel to the front outer wall section  58  and preferably joins the two rear end regions of the two lateral outer wall sections  63 ,  64  to each other. 
     Viewed in the axial direction of the vertical axis  3 , the outer wall  56  is preferably frame-shaped, extending along the outer edge of the base wall  55 . 
     The pull-out limiting means  14  comprise two stop tongues  66  mounted pivotably on the drawer element  12 , one of the stop tongues  66  being assigned to each of the two lateral outer wall sections  63 ,  64 . Relative to the associated two lateral wall section  63 ,  64 , each stop tongue  66  is pivotable in a pivoting plane perpendicular to the vertical axis  3 , the pivoting movement performed in this process being indicated in the drawing by a double-headed arrow at  67 . 
     The pivotability of the stop tongues  66  is a result of the fact that each stop tongue  66  is mounted on the associated lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  in an elastically deformable manner. The pivoting range of the stop tongues is indicated in the drawing by the reference number  68 . Each stop tongue  66  is preferably in itself flexible in a spring-elastic manner. 
     In the non-operated state, each stop tongue  66  adopts a non-pivoted home position relative to the associated lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  as shown in  FIGS. 4, 5 and 8 . By the manual application of an operating force FB, each stop tongue  66  can be pivoted into a release position shown in  FIG. 6 , accompanied by its spring-elastic deformation. The release position is maintained as long as the operating force FB is applied. If the operating force FB is cancelled, the stop tongue  66  returns to the non-pivoted home position owing to the internal elastic tensions built up in the pivoting process. 
     Each stop tongue  66  has a support arm  69  with a longitudinal extension, whereby one end is connected to the associated lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  in a transition region  72 . The transition region  72  expediently coincides with the pivoting range  68 . At a point distant from the transition region  72  in the longitudinal direction of the support arm  69 , the support arm  69  supports a stop projection  73  projecting outwards from the drawer interior  57  in the transverse direction  5 . The stop projection  73  projects laterally outwards beyond the support arm  69  and is preferably located at the free end region of the support arm  69  opposite the transition region  72 . The stop projection  73  is in particular designed in one piece with the support arm  69 . 
     The stop tongue  66  as a whole is expediently a one-piece plastic body which is in turn integrally joined in one piece to the associated lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  in the transition region  72 . 
     Each stop tongue  66  is expediently located on the associated lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  within the outline of the respective lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  as viewed in the transverse direction  5 . It is particularly advantageous if each lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  has a wall opening  75 , within which the associated stop tongue  66  is located. 
     Each stop tongue  66  is preferably designed such that its support arm  69 , which is preferably plate- or tab-shaped, extends in the wall plane of the associated lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  when the stop tongue  66  adopts its non-pivoted home position. This can be seen clearly in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The support arm  69  preferably has the same wall thickness as the associated lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64 , which simplifies its production in an injection moulding process. 
     At the edge of the wall opening  75 , the stop tongue  66  is only joined to the lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  in the transition region  72 . Apart from that, a U-shaped gap  76  extends within the wall opening  75  around the stop tongue  66 , this gap  76  being bounded on the outside by that region of the associated lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  which surrounds the wall opening  75 . 
     In the non-pivoted home position, the stop projection  73  projects relative to that wall outer surface  77  of the associated lateral outer wall section  63 ,  64  which is opposite the drawer interior  57 . 
     Each stop tongue  66  is in particular oriented such that it extends from the transition region  72  in the insertion direction  13   b , i.e. in the illustrated embodiment towards the rear end section  65  of the drawer element  12 . Its free end region  74  is therefore oriented towards the rear at the drawer element  12 . 
     The stop tongue  66  is in particular designed such that is tapers conically from the transition region  72  towards its free end region  74 . As a result, is has a lesser width in the height direction  3  in the region of the stop projection  73  than in the transition region  72 . 
     In the pull-out and push-in process, the drawer element  12  slides along the compartment base  79  with the downward-oriented base outer surface  78  of the base wall  55 . In the illustrated embodiment, each compartment base  79  is formed by a module horizontal wall  25  of a housing module  17 . On the top side, the drawer element  12  is only slightly distant from the compartment base  79  placed above, so that is can easily be moved on the one hand but cannot be canted on the other hand. For lateral stabilisation, the lateral outer wall sections  63 ,  64  of the drawer element  12  can be supported on the inside on the lateral compartment side wall sections  16   a ,  16   b . There is nevertheless enough play to prevent jamming. There is therefore no need for guide rails. The pull-out limiting means  14  are designed such that the stop tongue  66  does not come into contact with the wall inner surface—facing the reception compartment  10 —of the associated lateral compartment side wall section  16   a  either during the pull-out movement  13   a  or during the push-in movement  13   b . In this way, the operation of the drawer element  12  is not impeded by the stop tongues  66 . 
     The pull-out limiting means  14  further include a number of counter-stop edges  82  fixed in a stationary position on the container housing  2  to match the number of stop tongues  66 . One such counter-stop edge  82  is functionally assigned to each stop tongue  66  in such a way that the counter-stop edge  82  is closer to the front side  6  in the longitudinal direction  4  than the stop projection  73  of the respective stop tongue  66  if the drawer element  12  is in the reception compartment  10 . In more detail, in the two lateral edge regions of the compartment opening  11 , which are oriented in the transverse direction  5 , a counter-stop edge  82  each is arranged in such a way that it lies in the pull-out path of the stop projection  73  located on the same side of the drawer element  12 . 
     When the drawer element  12  is pulled out of the associated reception compartment  10 , the drawer element  12  can—starting from the fully pushed-in state—initially be pulled out of the container housing  2  without impediment to some degree as indicated by arrow  13   a . In this way, the drawer element  12  can be moved progressively into any operating positions in which the upward-oriented opening of its drawer interior  57  lies outside the container housing  2  to a greater or lesser degree. The farther the drawer element  12  is pulled out, the greater is the accessible length of the drawer interior  57  as measured in the longitudinal direction  4 . 
     The pull-out limiting means  14  mechanically preset a maximum pulled-out operating position of the drawer element  12 , This maximum pulled-out operating position is the result of the stop projections  73  of the two stop tongues  66  running from the interior of the reception compartment  10  against the counter-stop edges  82  on the container housing  2 . This state is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
     In this way, the drawer element  12  is blocked mechanically and an accidental complete extraction from the container housing  2  is impossible. 
     The counter-stop edges  82  can be realised by means of any suitably positioned structures, which may either be components which are separate from the container housing  2  or—which is preferable—designed in one piece with the container housing  2 . In the illustrated embodiment, the two counter-stop edges  82  are defined by the boundary wall sections  81  which laterally bound the compartment opening  11  of the reception compartment  10  in the transverse direction  5 . 
     Each counter-stop edge  82  has a counter-stop face  84 , which points towards the interior of the reception compartment  10  and is opposed by a stop face  83  formed on the rear—oriented in the direction of the pull-out movement  13   a —of the associated stop projection  73 . To preset the maximum pulled-out operating position, each of the stop faces  83  hits one of the counter-stop faces  84 , thereby stopping any further movement of the drawer element  12 . 
     An advantageous feature of the storage container  1  entails the fact that the user has the opportunity to extract the at least one drawer element  12  completely from the associated reception compartment  10  if required, irrespective of the provision of the pull-out limiting means  14 , and then to handle it independently of the container housing  2 . A fully pulled-out drawer element  12  can, for example, be deposited in the immediate working area of a workman for fast availability of the tools contained therein. 
     The possibility of the optional complete extraction from the reception compartment  10  is the result of the spring-elastic pivotability  67  of the stop tongues  66 . The reversible elastic flexibility of the stop tongues  66  allows each stop tongue  66  to be pivoted by the manual application of the operating force FB mentioned above from the non-pivoted home position towards the drawer interior into a release position shown in  FIG. 6 , in which the stop projection  73 , if the pull-out movement  13   a  is continued, can move past the associated counter-stop edge  82  without impediment. As a result of this pivoting into the release position, the counter-stop edges  82  no longer lie in the pull-out path of the stop projections  73 . 
     After the stop projections  73  have passed the counter-stop edges  82  when the drawer element  12  is pulled out completely, the manual operating force FB can be cancelled, so that the stop tongues  66  automatically return into the non-pivoted home position as a result of their spring elasticity. 
     The stop tongues  66  and the counter-stop edges  82  are preferably matched to one another in such a way that a section of the length of the stop tongues  66  comes to lie outside the reception compartment  10  in the maximum pulled-out operating position of the drawer element  12 , i.e. is outside the container housing  2  in the region of the front side  6 . To pivot them into the release position, a finger of each hand can then easily apply pressure. This advantageous association is provided in the illustrated embodiment and can be seen in  FIG. 5 . 
     It is expedient if the user of the storage container  1  receives a clear signal as to the optimum spot for introducing the operating force FB for pivoting the stop tongues  66 . For this purpose, the stop tongues  66  are expediently provided with a raised operating structure  85  on the outside of the support arms  69  remote from the drawer interior  57 . By way of example, this operating structure  85  is designed in the manner of a fluting and is composed of a plurality of parallel rib-like projections. The operating structure  85  is located in the region between the transition region  72  and the stop projection  73 . 
     To reinsert a fully pulled-out drawer element  12  into the reception compartment  10 , the stop tongues  66  are once again temporarily moved into the release position. If the stop projections  73  then have passed the counter-stop edges  82  in the push-in movement  13   b  and the operating force FB has been cancelled, they spring back into the non-pivoted home position, so that they can once again fulfil their pull-out limiting function. 
     The storage containers  1  of the illustrated embodiment are designed such that the stop tongues  66  are temporarily pivoted into the release position solely by their contact with the container housing  2  while a fully pulled-out drawer element  12  is being pushed in. In this process, the operating force is introduced not at the support arm  69 , but directly at the stop projection  73 . To make this possible, each stop projection  73  has on the front side pointing in the direction of the push-in movement  13   b  an inclined sliding surface  86  with an inclination having the result that it increasingly diverges from the drawer interior  57  in the pull-out direction of the drawer element  12 . 
     When the completely removed drawer element  12  is inserted into the reception compartment  10 , the sliding surfaces  86  of the stop projections  73  come into contact with a counter-stop body  87 , which defines the associated counter-stop face  84  and which is preferably the boundary wall section  81  mentioned above of the container housing  2 . 
     When the sliding surfaces  86  come into contact with the counter-stop bodies  87  in the insertion process of the drawer element  12 , they slide on the counter-stop bodies  87  while being forced towards the drawer interior  57  until the whole stop projection  73  has finally passed the counter-stop edge  82 . Now the operating force caused by the counter-stop body  87  is no longer present, and the stop tongues  66  springs back into the home position. 
     The pull-out limiting means  14  are preferably designed such that their blocking function cannot be cancelled even by an especially strong pull-out force acting on the drawer element  12 . This is achieved by providing that the stop projections  73  are designed to be barb-shaped at their rear side oriented in the pull-out direction and have a stop face  83  which is inclined relative to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  4 . The counter-stop faces  84  of the counter-stop edges  82  are also inclined in the same direction, so that stop projections  73  are locked to the counter-stop edges  82  in the maximum pulled-out operating position. The hooking engagement becomes the stronger the more vigorously the drawer element  12  is pulled. In this way, the unintentional complete withdrawal of the drawer element because of carelessness can be prevented.