Storage unit for stacking multiple containers with lids

Abstract

A housing for holding a plurality of plastic storage containers in aligned proximity with associated lids in a combined compact, stacked configuration, wherein each of the containers includes a top opening having a common width and length dimension, and a height dimension extending from the opening to a bottom portion of the storage container. Corresponding lids have common width and length dimensions configured for use with the containers for positioning over the container openings. This housing more specifically comprises (i) a lid storage compartment having a bottom wall, side walls and a back wall joined together to define a holding area for a stack of the lids, the lid storage compartment having width and length dimensions slightly larger than the width and length dimensions of the stack of lids, and a height dimension extending along a common axis of the stack of lids that is longer than the stack of the lids to be held therein. A second portion of the housing includes (ii) a container holding area for storing a nested stack of the plastic storage containers along the common axis adjacent to, but separate from the lids.

1 . A housing for holding a plurality of plastic storage containers in aligned proximity with associated lids in a combined compact, stacked configuration, wherein each of the containers include a top opening having a common width and length dimension, and a height dimension extending from the opening to a bottom portion of the storage container, said lids having common width and length dimensions configured for use with the containers for positioning over the container openings, said housing comprising: 
 a. a lid storage compartment having a bottom wall, side walls and a back wall joined together to define a holding area for a stack of the lids, said lid storage compartment having width and length dimensions slightly larger than the width and length dimensions of the stack of lids, and a height dimension extending along a common axis of the stack of lids that is longer than a height of the stack of the lids to be held therein; and    b. a container holding area for storing a nested stack of the plastic storage containers along the common axis adjacent to but separate from the lids.    
   
   
       2 . A housing as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the lid storage compartment includes a top wall that cooperates with the bottom, side and back walls to form a surrounding enclosure for the stack of lids, except for a forward insert opening for inserting and removing lids from storage.  
   
   
       3 . A housing as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the container holding area comprises at least one container storage compartment having opposing side walls, a back wall, and a bottom wall having width and depth dimensions slightly larger than the common width and length dimensions of the storage container top openings and a length dimension corresponding to at least a total length of the nested stack of plastic storage containers.  
   
   
       4 . A housing as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the container holding area comprises a container storage compartment having opposing side walls, a back wall, and a bottom wall configured with width and depth dimensions to hold a bottom portion of the nested stack of plastic storage containers.  
   
   
       5 . A housing as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the bottom wall of the container storage compartment comprises the top wall of the lid storage compartment.  
   
   
       6 . A housing as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the container storage compartment comprises a single storage container integrated with the lid storage compartment.  
   
   
       7 . A housing as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the container storage compartment further includes a top wall that cooperates with the bottom, side and back walls to form a surrounding enclosure for the nested stack of containers, except for a forward insert opening for inserting and removing containers from storage.  
   
   
       8 . A housing as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the container storage compartment includes a top wall that corresponds to the bottom wall of the lid storage compartment.  
   
   
       9 . A housing as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of housings integrally coupled in side-by-side array.  
   
   
       10 . A housing as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of housings have differing dimensions to enable storage of a plurality of containers and lids having differing dimensions.  
   
   
       11 . A housing as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a nested stack of containers positioned within the container storage area and a stack of lids for the containers positioned in stacked array within the lid storage compartment.  
   
   
       12 . A housing as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the housing further comprises a portion of a shipping container for the nested stack of containers and the stacked array of lids.