US 7,500,563 B2
Portable walk-in storage and moving containers and method of stacking the same
Patrick George Baehler, 614 Claymont Dr., Ballwin, Mo. 63011 (US); Darrell Haire, 408 W. Hunting Ridge Dr., Thomasville, N.C. 27360 (US); and Larry Hartog, 7111 Branden Dr., Georgetown, Ind. 47122 (US)
Filed on Nov. 11, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/271,452.
Prior Publication US 2007/0108082 A1, May 17, 2007
Int. Cl. B65D 21/02 (2006.01); B65D 85/62 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 206—509  [220/1.5] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A first storage container comprising:
a horizontally oriented rectangular bottom wall, the bottom wall having four corners, a front edge, a rear edge, and opposite side edges, the side edges having a length that defines a length of the first storage container, the front and rear edges having a length that defines a width of the first storage container;
a horizontally oriented rectangular top wall, the top wall having a front edge, a rear edge, and opposite side edges, the side edges of the top wall having a length equal to the length of the first storage container, the front and rear edges of the top wall having a length equal to the width of the first storage container;
opposite rectangular side walls, one of the side walls extending vertically from one of the side edges of the bottom wall to one of the side edges of the top wall and the other of the side walls extending vertically from the other of the side edges of the bottom wall to the other of the side edges of the top wall, each of the side walls having vertically oriented front and rear edges, the front and rear edges of the side walls having a height that defines a height of the first storage container;
a storage compartment bound by the top, bottom, and opposite side walls of the first storage container;
a doorway extending into the storage compartment from an environment external to the first storage container, the doorway being positioned between the front edge of the bottom wall and the front edge of the top wall and between the front edges of the side walls;
at least four supports, each of the supports extending down from the bottom wall adjacent one of the corners of the bottom wall, the supports being adapted and configured in a manner such that, when the first storage container is at rest on a horizontal surface, the bottom wall of the first storage container is spaced above and apart from the horizontal surface;
at least a first protrusion extending upward from the top wall of the first storage container, the first protrusion being configured and adapted to engage a first support of a second storage container that is identical to the first storage container, when such a second storage container is resting on top of the first storage container, in a manner limiting horizontal translation of the second storage container relative to the first storage container in at least first and second opposite directions, the first support of the second storage container corresponding to one of the supports of the first storage container, the first protrusion comprising a first and second wall that are horizontally spaced from each other, the first and second walls of the first protrusion diverge away from each other as they extend horizontally away from the side edge of the top wall nearest the first protrusion.