Stackable container for holding paper or the like

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a stackable container for holding paper or the like.

[0002] It is known to produce paper-holding trays, also called in/out trays, so that they can be stacked on top of one another on the working surface. Various systems, see eg. DE-U-8504841, generally of the snap-together type, have also been proposed for stacking the trays so that they cannot be easily separated.

[0003] A conventional tray, for example, has a tooth formed on the lower outer side of each side wall of the tray and is suitable for entering a corresponding slot formed on the upper inner edge of the respective side wall of the underlying tray.

[0004] The advantages which arise from having anchored trays are apparent, and several commercially available trays provide this feature. However, the trays are made of plastics and are very thin for greater lightness, therefore, when loaded with heavy objects or simply while being handled, the trays have a tendency to flex. This flexing can easily cause the disengagement of the trays from one another.

[0005] One aim of the present invention is to provide an item-holding container or tray with a coupling system which is absolutely safe and capable of withstanding the greatest weights.

[0006] Within the scope of this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a container which allows the rapid and easy coupling of one container to another.

[0007] Another object of the invention is to provide a container which has a simple structure and can be obtained easily from the point of view of production.

[0008] This aim, these objects and others, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, are achieved by a stackable container for holding paper or the like, comprising at least one bottom, a right side and a left side, each of said sides comprising an outer upper edge, an inner upper edge, an outer lower edge and an inner lower edge, characterized in that it comprises: a slot shaped as inverted T and formed on said inner upper edge of each of said sides; a horizontal tooth formed on said inner lower edge of each of said sides, said horizontal tooth being directed outward and being adapted to engage said slot of a second container arranged below said container, locking means formed on said outer lower edge of each of said sides, said locking means being adapted to cooperate with said outer upper edge of each of said sides of said second container, so as to prevent said horizontal tooth from disengaging from said slot substantially in a direction which is orthogonal to the extension of said slot.

[0009] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a container according to the invention, illustrated only by way of a non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a container according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the anchoring plate fixed to the lower face of a surface;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional detail view of the coupling system according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a plurality of stacked containers.

[0010] With reference to the above figures, the container according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a bottom 3, a left side 5, a right side 7 and a rear side 9.

[0011] Each side comprises an inner upper edge 11, an outer upper edge 13, an inner lower edge 15, and an outer lower edge 17.

[0012] The inner upper edge of each side comprises a slot 19 which is shaped as an inverted T and lies longitudinally along said edge so that the central stem of the T is open onto the upper face of the same side of the structure.

[0013] The inner lower edge 15 of each side of the structure has a horizontal tooth 21 which is directed outward and is adapted to engage the slot 19 of the respective side of a second underlying container to be coupled to the container.

[0014] The outer lower edge 17 of each side of the container has a locking means which, in the illustrated embodiment, is constituted by a pair of vertical teeth 23. The vertical teeth 23 are adapted to cooperate with the respective outer upper edge of the second container to be coupled below.

[0015] In order to couple the first container to the second underlying container it is sufficient to mate the horizontal teeth of the first container with the upper opening of the respective slots of the second container and make an L-shaped movement.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, in the coupled condition, the vertical teeth 23 of the first container abut with the outer upper edge of the second container, so that even in case of a considerable flexing of the bottom 3 of the first container the horizontal tooth 21 cannot leave the slot 19 in a horizontal direction.

[0017] The container according to the invention also comprises an anchoring plate 25, as shown in Figure 2, which is adapted to be fixed to the lower surface 27 of a working surface 29, such as desk, for example.

[0018] The anchoring plate 25 comprises a left edge 31 and a right edge 33, and each edge comprises a horizontal tooth 35 and a pair of vertical teeth 37.

[0019] Once the plate 25 has been fixed to the working surface, it is sufficient to move the container 1 to be coupled with an inverted L-shaped movement in order to fix it to the plate. It is also possible to couple several other containers by stacking them one below the other.

[0020] It has been observed in practice that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects by providing a stackable container which is constructively very simple and at the same time resistant to the most intense stresses.

[0021] The coupling system is so safe that it allows to couple the containers below one another, hanging for example under the desk, with no risk that they may disengage.

[0022] The container according to the invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the claims.

[0023] In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements.

[0024] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. Stackable container for holding paper or the like, comprising at least one bottom (3), a right side (7) and a left side (5), each of said sides comprising an outer upper edge (13), an inner upper edge (11), an outer lower edge (17) and an inner lower edge (15), characterized in that it comprises: a slot (19) shaped as inverted T and formed on said inner upper edge of each of said sides; a horizontal tooth (21) formed on said inner lower edge of each of said sides, said horizontal tooth being directed outward and being adapted to engage said slot of a second container arranged below said container, locking means (23) formed on said outer lower edge of each of said sides, said locking means being adapted to cooperate with said outer upper edge of each of said sides of said second container, so as to prevent said horizontal tooth from disengaging from said slot substantially in a direction which is orthogonal to the extension of said slot.

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that said locking means comprises a pair of vertical teeth (23) formed proximate to said horizontal tooth.

3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises an anchoring plate (25) adapted to be fixed to the lower face (27) of a surface (29), such as a table, in order to couple one of said containers to said surface, said plate comprising a right edge (33) and a left edge (31), each of said edges comprising said horizontal tooth (35) and said locking means, said horizontal tooth being adapted to engage said slot of said inner upper edge of said container, said locking means being adapted to cooperate with said outer upper edge of the respective said side of said container to be coupled.

Ansprüche

1. Stapelbarer Behälter zur Aufbewahrung von Papier od. dgl., wenigstens einen Boden (3), eine rechte Seite (7) und eine linke Seite (5) enthaltend, wobei jede dieser Seiten einen äußeren oberen Rand (13), einen inneren oberen Rand (11), einen äußeren unteren Rand (17) und einen inneren unteren Rand (15) enthält, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß er enthält:
einen Schlitz (19), als umgekehrtes T geformt und auf dem inneren oberen Rand jeder dieser Seiten ausgebildet;
einen horizontalen Zinken (21) auf dem inneren unteren Rand jeder dieser Seiten ausgebildet, wobei dieser horizontale Zinken auswärts gerichtet und dafür geeignet ist, in den Schlitz eines zweiten Behälters einzugreifen, der unter dem Behälter angeordnet ist;
Verriegelungsmittel (23), die auf dem äußeren unteren Rand jeder dieser Seiten ausgebildet sind, wobei diese Verriegelungsmittel dafür geeignet sind, daß sie mit dem äußeren oberen Rand jeder der Seiten des zweiten Behälters zusammenwirken und damit verhindern, daß der horizontale Zinken sich in einer Richtung von dem Schlitz löst, die im wesentlichen senkrecht zur Ausdehnung des Schlitzes ist.

2. Behälter nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Verriegelungsmittel ein Paar von vertikalen Zinken (23) enthalten, die nahe dem horizontalen Zinken ausgebildet sind.

3. Behälter nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß er eine Ankerplatte (25) enthält, die dafür geeignet ist, an der Unterseite (27) einer Fläche (29), wie z.B. eines Tisches, befestigt zu sein, um einen der Behälter an die Fläche zu koppeln, wobei die Platte einen rechten Rand (33) und einen linken Rand (31) enthält, wobei jeder dieser Ränder den horizontalen Zinken (35) und die Verriegelungsmittel enthält, wobei der horizontale Zinken dafür geeignet ist, in den Schlitz des inneren oberen Randes des Behälters einzugreifen, und wobei die Verriegelungsmittel dafür geeignet sind, mit dem äußeren, oberen Rand der jeweiligen Seite das anzukoppelnden Behälters zusammenzuwirken.

Revendications

1. Casier empilable pour contenir du papier ou analogue, comprenant au moins un fond (3), un côté droit (7) et un côté gauche (5), chacun desdits côtés comportant un bord supérieur extérieur (13), un bord supérieur intérieur (11), un bord inférieur extérieur (17) et un bord inférieur intérieur (15), caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend : une fente (19) en forme de T inversé, formée sur ledit bord supérieur intérieur de chacun desdits côtés ; une dent horizontale (21) formée sur ledit bord inférieur de chacun desdits côtés, ladite dent horizontale étant dirigée vers l'extérieur et étant conçue pour venir en prise avec ladite fente d'un second casier placé sous ledit casier, des moyens de verrouillage (23) formés sur ledit bord inférieur extérieur de chacun desdits côtés, lesdits moyens ou verrouillage étant conçus pour coopérer avec ledit bord supérieur extérieur de chacun desdits côtés dudit second casier, de façon à empêcher ladite dent horizontale de se dégager de ladite fente sensiblement dans une direction qui est perpendiculaire au prolongement de ladite fente.

2. Casier selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que lesdits moyens de verrouillage comprennent deux dents verticales (23) formées à proximité de ladite dent horizontale.

3. Casier selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend une plaque d'amarrage (25) devant être fixée sur la face inférieure (27) d'une surface (29), telle une table, afin de coupler un desdits casiers à ladite surface, ladite plaque comprenant un bord droit (33) et un bord gauche (31), chacun desdits bords comportant ladite dent horizontale (35) et lesdits moyens de verrouillage, ladite dent horizontale étant conçue pour venir en prise avec ladite fente dudit bord supérieur intérieur dudit casier, lesdits moyens de verrouillage étant conçus pour coopérer avec ledit bord supérieur extérieur dudit côté correspondant dudit casier à coupler.

Drawing