Patent ID: 8282254

Claim:
A container for carrying cargo on top of a vehicle, the vehicle having a front, a back, and a long axis running from the back to the front of the vehicle, comprising a pair of crossbars for carrying cargo on top of a vehicle, an elongate box having an elongate axis, a bottom portion, a lid, two opposing opening sides parallel to the elongate axis, and a clamp system configured for securing the bottom portion of the box to the crossbars, the elongate axis of the box being substantially parallel to a long axis of the vehicle, the lid having a front end, a rear end, and two lateral sides running between the front and rear ends, the opening sides of the box corresponding to the lateral sides of the lid, each of the lateral sides of the lid being connected to the bottom portion of the box by a hinge assembly including multiple coordinated latch devices mounted along the respective lateral side of the lid, each latch configured to operate alternately as a latch and as a hinge, thereby allowing opening of the box from either opening side of the box, wherein the lid has an outer surface and a concave interior surface, a receptacle, defined in the outer surface of the lid, surrounding an aperture for providing access to the inside of the box, and a solar light device configured to seat in the receptacle of the lid, the solar light device having a photovoltaic cell exposed to the outside of the box and a lighting element directed to the interior space of the box, wherein the receptacle has a continuous first step below the outer surface of the lid, the light device having a circumferential top portion continuously sealed to the first step of the receptacle, wherein the receptacle has a wall descending from the first step, wherein the receptacle has a floor portion, the wall merging into the floor portion, the floor portion defining the aperture, the light device having a top portion and a cup portion, the cup portion having an electronics compartment and a light compartment, the receptacle being configured to support the electronics compartment of the light device above the aperture while allowing the light compartment to descend through the aperture for lighting the interior space of the box when the lid is in an open position.