Patent ID: 7219969

Claim:
A storage system comprising: a plurality of stackable storage containers arranged in a vertical stack, each of the containers comprising: (i) a drawer having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall defining a storage space for receiving articles and an upwardly facing opening for accessing the storage space, (ii) a drawer housing having at least an upper wall, the drawer being slidably mounted to the drawer housing for movement between (a) a retracted position wherein the drawer is positioned beneath the upper wall and (b) an extended position wherein the drawer is moved outwardly from beneath the upper wall, thereby allowing access to the storage space therein through the upwardly facing opening, the drawer housing being constructed to enable at least the upper wall of the drawer housing to be pivoted between (a) a closed position closing the upwardly facing opening of the drawer in its retracted position and (b) an open position uncovering the upwardly facing opening of the drawer in its retracted position, (iii) at least one upper coupling on an upper portion of the storage container and at least one lower coupling on a lower portion of the storage container, (iv) a carrying handle for enabling the user to carry the storage container, and (v) a latch movable between (a) a latching position releasably latching the drawer in the retracted position thereof, and (b) a released position enabling the drawer to be moved to the extended position thereof; the upper and lower couplings of each container being constructed such that, for each pair of vertically adjacent storage containers in the stack, (a) the upper coupling of a lower storage container of the pair is engaged in an interlocked relation with the lower coupling of an upper storage container of the pair to secure the storage containers of the pair together, and (b) the upper and lower couplings of the vertically adjacent storage containers of the pair can be disengaged to enable separation of the storage containers of the pair.