Patent ID: 8590704

Claim:
A container assembly, with at least one stackable container which has a first engaging structure on its top and a second engaging structure on its underside, wherein the two engaging structures are matched to one another in such a way that, when two containers are resting on top of one another, the first engaging structure lying on top of the lower container, and the second engaging structure lying below of the upper container, engage in one another in such a way that the two containers are on the one hand secured against shifting relative to one another at right-angles to the stacking direction and on the other hand, due to rear-engaging elements of the engaging structures engaging from behind at right-angles to the stacking direction, there exists between the containers a locking which prevents lifting of the upper container from the lower container at least in certain areas, wherein the first engaging structure comprises engaging recesses located on the top side of the container, and the second engaging structure comprises engaging projections located on the underside of the container, while the container has distributed on its underside several downwards projecting feet which belong to the second engaging structure and form at least partly the rear-engaging elements of the second engaging structure, and wherein the rear-engaging elements of the two engaging structures are so arranged and designed that, when they are in a state of rear-engagement at right-angles to the stacking direction in a locking area, they prevent lifting of the upper container only in certain areas, in such a way that the upper container may be pivoted vertically around the locking area, whereby there is provided on the container with clearance from the locking area at least one additional connecting device by which the vertically pivotable area of the upper container may be fixed releasably to the lower container, unable to be lifted, in order to obtain a container unit comprised of several containers connected to one another, and wherein the container has a bottom part with an opening, and a lid assigned to the opening of the bottom part and movable relative to the bottom part for either opening or closing the opening, and wherein the connecting device or devices has or have a coupling means mounted movably on the lid of the container and which is movable relative to the lid into a connected position in which it is simultaneously in connecting engagement with the bottom parts of the lower and upper containers to obtain a container unit, and wherein the movable coupling means of at least one connecting device is movable into a semi-connected position deviating from the connected position, in which it is in connecting engagement with the bottom part of an upper container mounted above the assigned lid, and is simultaneously disconnected from the bottom part located below the lid, so that it is possible to lift the lid together with the container mounted above the lid from the bottom part located below the lid.