A downwardly opening stowage bin comprising: a bucket wherein the bucket comprises a pair of side panels and a door that extends between the side panels and the door comprises a handle that enables a user to selectively open and close the stowage bin; a support assembly; and two translating pivot mechanisms rotatably coupling said support assembly to said bucket, wherein each side panel of the bucket is rotatably coupled to the support assembly by one of the translating pivot mechanisms, and each of said translating pivot mechanisms comprises: a first component fixedly coupled to said bucket and comprising a first pin and a first slot; and a second component fixedly coupled to said support assembly and comprising a second pin and a second slot, wherein said first and second components engage one another such that said first pin is received in said second slot and said second pin is received in said first slot such that: as the bucket is rotated from a closed position to an open position the bucket is configured to translate outwards and downwards relative to the support assembly and as the bucket is rotated from the open position to the closed position the bucket is configured to translate inwards and upwards with respect to the support assembly. a bucket wherein the bucket comprises a pair of side panels and a door that extends between the side panels and the door comprises a handle that enables a user to selectively open and close the stowage bin; a support assembly; and two translating pivot mechanisms rotatably coupling said support assembly to said bucket, wherein each side panel of the bucket is rotatably coupled to the support assembly by one of the translating pivot mechanisms, and each of said translating pivot mechanisms comprises: a first component fixedly coupled to said bucket and comprising a first pin and a first slot; and a second component fixedly coupled to said support assembly and comprising a second pin and a second slot, wherein said first and second components engage one another such that said first pin is received in said second slot and said second pin is received in said first slot such that: as the bucket is rotated from a closed position to an open position the bucket is configured to translate outwards and downwards relative to the support assembly and as the bucket is rotated from the open position to the closed position the bucket is configured to translate inwards and upwards with respect to the support assembly. a first component fixedly coupled to said bucket and comprising a first pin and a first slot; and a second component fixedly coupled to said support assembly and comprising a second pin and a second slot, wherein said first and second components engage one another such that said first pin is received in said second slot and said second pin is received in said first slot such that: as the bucket is rotated from a closed position to an open position the bucket is configured to translate outwards and downwards relative to the support assembly and as the bucket is rotated from the open position to the closed position the bucket is configured to translate inwards and upwards with respect to the support assembly.