Abstract:
A modular storage system includes at least one container defining an axis and spaced end walls at opposing ends along the axis. A cylindrical shell generally extends about peripheries of the end walls and having an axis generally coextensive with the axis of the container. A top panel selectively provides access to the top of the container from an upper or top side of the container. A side panel selectively provides access to the container from a side thereof. An attaching device is provided for selectively attaching a bottom side of the container to an upper side of a like container. A gripping member at an upper side of each container allows gripping and holding and transporting one or more containers when attached to each other by the attachment device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to storage devices, and more specifically to a modular storage system. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Various storage systems are known. Most of these systems are static and maintain a fixed configuration under all conditions of use. Thus, for example, there are small rectangular toolboxes used by workman and do-it-yourselfers. In the purchase of such a product a buyer needs to decide how large such a tool box needs to be and anticipate the size that will be required for a given number of tools and/or materials to be stored. In some cases, professional mechanics have relatively large tool cabinets, typically provided with a plurality of differently sized drawers for storing a greater number of tools and/or materials. Again, however, the purchaser needs to decide as to the size that such a tool cabinet needs to be. If more storage is needed the only solution is to acquire an additional storage unit which, however, does not cooperate with the initial unit. It simply supplements the storage capacity of the initial unit(s). 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention generally relates to a modular storage system in which one or more modules may be attached to each other in any desired configuration or array of modules. Whatever configuration is selected it may be supported on any suitable support surface, such as the floor, or mounted on a wall. Each module may have its interior storage area accessed from the fronts of the modules, or the tops or sides of the modules depending on the specific locations of the modules within the modular array. Two or more modules may be joined to each other so that they can be jointly lifted and transported or moved to a different location and combined with another array of modules at a different location. In this of way, different modules in an array or modular configuration may be labeled or marked for specific tools and/or materials and selected for any given project or job without the need to transport other tools and/or materials that may not be pertinent or germane for a given or project. This allows a workman to take only the tools and/or materials needed without having to transport many tools and/or materials that tend to be heavy and bulky and burdensome to transport. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    These and other objects will become apparent when the drawings of the present invention are considered in detail along with the specification, taken with the drawings as follows: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective rendering of a storage module in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the storage module shown  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the storage module shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the storage module shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the storage module shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , shown with the storage drawer fully pulled out to from the storage module housing, the top cover opened and a storage tray normally within the storage module removed. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of two storage modules of the type shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , shown connected to each other in piggy-back fashion or vertically stacked. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  illustrates the stacked modules shown in  FIG. 6 , with the drawer of the upper module moved to the opened position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a perspective rendering of a storage module with its drawer moved to the opened position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a perspective rendering of an array of storage modules connected to each other in accordance with the invention, in which the array consists of two columns one with two storage modules and one with three storage modules. 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is similar to  FIG. 9 , but showing the drawer of the uppermost storage module moved to the opened position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  is similar to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , but showing the cover of the upper module opened and a storage tray a bout to be replaced and positioned within the upper storage module. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0018]    Referring now more specifically to the drawings, in which the identical is similar parts will be designated by the same reference numerals throughout, and first referring to  FIG. 1 , a modular storage unit or module is generally designated by the reference numeral  10 . 
         [0019]    The storage module  10  includes a housing  12 . The specific shape or configuration of the housing  12  is not critical and any suitable configurations or shapes for such housing  12  may be used as long as the module  10  otherwise has all of the features or functions required to provide the advantages of the invention. In the preferred embodiment, the housing  12  is essentially elongate and generally defines a horizontal axis when supported on a horizontal surface or mounted on a vertical wall. The housing  12  has a generally uniform cross-section along its axis to define a cylindrical housing. In the specific unit shown in  FIG. 1  the housing  12  has a generally rectangular cross-section with rounded or bulging opposing lateral side walls. The sidewalls  14 , therefore, bulge outwardly to provide lateral convex configurations as shown. The top wall  16  (as well as the bottom wall) are generally flat. A front wall  18  of a drawer, to be more fully described, is dimensioned to close the housing at one axial end while a rear wall closes the rear opposing axial end. 
         [0020]    The top wall  20  is a provided with indentations or recesses  20 , one such recess being provided at each corner of the rectangular top wall. Each of the recesses  20  are dimensioned to receive legs or downwardly depending extensions of another like storage module to be placed on the top wall and secured to the storage module housing  12 . Another recess  22  is provided for receiving and storing a handle  24  when the handle needs not to be used and, especially, to enable another storage module to be connected to the top wall  16 . Additional recesses  25  may be provided for placement of a small items of hardware, such as screws, nails of the like while a workman is working on a project. 
         [0021]    The sidewalls  14  are preferably formed with ribs  26  to stiffen the sidewalls which may be formed of relatively thin sheet material. A track  28  is provided extending in a generally axial direction midway between the top and bottom walls, and therefore along the housing having the greatest lateral dimension. A series of a locking tabs  30  are mounted on a slide rod or strip  32  connected to a stacking release tab  34 . When the stacking release tab or finger grip  34  is in an essentially retracted position it is generally flush with the exterior surface of the drawer  18 . However, when the stacking release tab  34  is pulled forwardly of the wall  18 , the slide rod or strip  32  is likewise moved forwardly carrying the locking tabs  30  along the track  28 . It will be evident that, from the discussion that follows, that the aforementioned mechanism may be used to secure two or more modules to stack these side-by-side along a horizontal direction. To facilitate the use of the stacking release tab  34  there is preferably provided a space  36  between the stacking release tab  34  and the proximate end of the sidewalls  14  to enable a user to place his or her fingertips within the space  36  to facilitate a pulling of the tab and, therefore, of the slide rod  32  and the locking tabs  30 . When these are to be returned to a locking position the stacking release tab  34  can simply be pushed in rearwardly until the tabs  30  are returned to the position shown  FIG. 1 . 
         [0022]    A rotatable locking latch  38  includes a suitable finger gripping means for gripping of the latch and for rotating the latch at least an angular distance sufficient to lock and unlock the drawer, as the latch is rotated from one extreme position to the other. In the presently preferred embodiment, the latch is rotatable 90 degrees from a position at  42 , in which the drawer is locked to a position at  44  in which it is unlocked and can be easily pulled out from the housing  12 . 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , provided along the bottom surface of the bottom wall  46  are four legs or protrusions generally configured to securely fit within the recesses  20  in the top wall  16  of a cooperating stacked storage module. The embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 2-4  is somewhat different from the embodiment  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . In this embodiment, the sidewall  14  is formed of a lower portion  50  which may be integrally formed with the bottom wall  46 , while an upper portion  52  may be integrally formed with the top cover or wall  16 . A pair of axially displaced latches  54  are provided with slots  56  for receiving any tabs attached to the lower portion  50  to which any suitable locking mechanism, such as a padlock, can be used to unlock the relative positions of the lower and upper portion  50 ,  52  to prevent inadvertent opening of the top wall or cover  16 . However, it will be evident that any suitable locking mechanism may be used to maintain the upper cover or top wall  16  in the closed position shown, and the specific locking mechanism is not critical for purposes of the present invention. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the drawer  58  is secured to the front cover or wall  18  and is dimensioned and configured to be slidably received within an internal compartment  60  of the housing  12 . As suggested above, the specific cross-section of the housing  12  is not critical. However, the configuration of the drawer  58  preferably conforms to the internal configuration of the compartment  16 . When the top wall or cover  16  is opened a storage tray  62  may be removed or inserted into the housing above the level of the drawer  58  so that the tray  62  does not interfere with the free sliding axial movements of the drawer. The tray  62  is a desirable but non-critical element or component of the invention and takes advantage of any space above the drawer  58  to store small items, such as fasteners, small tools, etc. The tray  62  is easily removable and may rest on or be supported on a ledge or other suitable supports to maintain the tray at an appropriate level within the compartment  16 . 
         [0025]    In  FIG. 6 , two storage modules  10 ,  10   a  are shown stacked one above the other in a piggy-back arrangement in which the modules are mounted one above the other in a generally vertically spaced direction. As such, the handle of the lower module  10  is collapsed into the appropriate recess  22 , as noted, while the handle  24  of the upper module  10   a  may be raised as shown. The two modules can be locked together in the positions shown  FIG. 6  by any appropriate or suitable means. Advantageously, two vertically stacked modules can be unlocked or separated by means of a stacking release lever  40  that can disengage the two vertically stacked units from each other. However, it is important that when these units are engaged or secured or attached to each other that the locking mechanism be such that it can support the weight of one or more lower modules. In the case of the configuration shown  FIG. 6 , the locking latch mechanism used must be sufficiently strong to support the weight of the lower module  10  when the upper module  10   a  is raised such as by means of the handle  24 . Thus, each of the storage modules includes two separate and distinct locking mechanisms—a first to releasably secure storage modules stacked one on top of the other and a second to releasably secure two laterally adjacent modules. In  FIG. 7 , the drawer  58  has been opened while the modules  10 ,  10   a  continue to be attached or connected to each other. In a similar fashion, the drawer  18  of the lower module can likewise be pulled out. In the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 7  the top cover or wall  16  of the upper module  10  can be opened while the cover of the lower module  10  must be maintained in a closed condition when the two modules are fixed or connected to each other. 
         [0026]      FIG. 8  is similar to  FIGS. 5 and 7 , in which a rendering illustrates the manner in which the drawer can be opened. 
         [0027]      FIG. 9  illustrates another example of a configuration of an array of storage modules in accordance with the invention. Here, five storage modules are connected to each other in two columns, one including two modules and the other three modules. As suggested, these modules can be selectively connected and disconnected to release each other by pulling the appropriate stacking release tabs  34 ,  40 . If, for example, a worker needs to take the short column of the two storage modules to a worksite the two release tabs  34 ,  40  of each of the two units in the short column are pulled forward thereby disconnecting the lateral modules from each other by moving the locking tabs  30  out of engagement with the appropriate mating retaining member (not shown) on the opposite side of an attached module. Any other disengagement mechanism may be used. Now, the shorter stack of two storage modules can be transported together since the upper and lower modules in the short column continue to be connected to each other. If, for example, a worker wished to remove the uppermost storage module in the stack of three modules its release tab  40  can be pulled to disengage the uppermost module from the middle module, as shown in  FIG. 9 . 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , it will be evident, as previously suggested, that the uppermost storage modules can be accessed by pulling out their respective drawers, as shown  FIG. 10 , or by opening the upper cover or wall  16 , as shown  FIG. 11 . Of course, each of the drawers of any of the units of the modular array can be selectively opened by simply rotating the latch  38  of the associated attached units and pulling out the drawer forwardly. 
         [0029]    Preferably, any suitable mounting means can be used on the rear walls of each of the units (not shown) to attach the units to a vertical surface such as a wall. Such retaining mechanism preferably allows each of the units to be selectively removed from the wall to provide added flexibility in assembling and moving storage units as needed. It will become evident, therefore, that the modules of the storage system of the present invention provide significant flexibility and ease in custom tailoring a module storage system or array, to satisfy almost any requirement. By using smaller, modular units tools and materials can be more specifically apportioned and organized to permit a worker to take only that storage module or two or more storage modules needed on a project and leave all the others behind. This allows a worker to remain organized and avoid having to transport heavy and bulky toolboxes full of tools and/or materials that may not or will not be necessary for a given job or project. 
         [0030]    It should also be evident that the ability of the modular storage system to be configured in almost any array also makes the system suitable to create an array that conforms to almost any available storage space. Thus, if the available space is rectangular, triangular, arcuate or the like an array consisting of a number of appropriately-sized columns can be assembled to fit almost any such spaces. 
         [0031]    While the preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that the there is no intention to limit the invention by such disclosure, but rather, it is the intention to cover all modifications and alternate constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.