Stackable bins and storage media rack therefor

Abstract

Stackable bin including a case having a bottom wall, a top wall and a support mechanism for supporting the top wall at a distance from the bottom wall to thereby define a slot. A drawer is insertable into the slot and defines a receptacle capable of receiving objects for storage. A partitioning structure is also provided for selectively partitioning the receptacle into smaller compartments with several different configurations of the smaller compartments being possible. Instead of the partitioning structure, a storage media rack may be inserted into the receptacle in the drawer and is arranged to simultaneously receive different sizes and types of storage media.

1 . A stackable bin, comprising: 
 a case including a bottom wall, a top wall and support means for supporting said top wall at a distance from said bottom wall to thereby define a slot;    a drawer insertable into said slot and defining a receptacle; and    partitioning means for partitioning said receptacle.    
   
   
       2 . The stackable bin of  claim 1 , further comprising drawer guide means for guiding insertion of said drawer into said slot.  
   
   
       3 . The stackable bin of  claim 2 , wherein said drawer guide means comprise drawer guide ribs arranged on an upper surface of said bottom wall and cooperating mating guide ribs arranged on a bottom surface of said drawer.  
   
   
       4 . The stackable bin of  claim 1 , wherein said support means comprise a plurality of supports connected at a lower end to said bottom wall and at an upper end to said top wall, each of said supports comprising a side wall and a plurality of vertically extending ribs arranged on said side wall.  
   
   
       5 . The stackable bin of  claim 4 , wherein each of said supports includes a step formed at an upper end to provide a channel receivable of a lip of said drawer.  
   
   
       6 . The stackable bin of  claim 1 , further comprising stacking means for enabling stacking of a plurality of the bins.  
   
   
       7 . The stackable bin of  claim 6 , wherein said stacking means comprise a peripheral rib formed on a bottom surface of said bottom wall and a peripheral rib formed on an upper surface of said top wall and offset from said peripheral rib on said bottom wall.  
   
   
       8 . The stackable bin of  claim 1 , further comprising stiffener ribs formed on an upper surface of said top wall.  
   
   
       9 . The stackable bin of  claim 1 , wherein said drawer includes opposed front and rear wall, opposed side walls and a bottom wall connected to a lower edge of said front, rear:and side walls.  
   
   
       10 . The stackable bin of  claim 9 , further comprising insertion limiting means for limiting insertion of said drawer into said slot.  
   
   
       11 . The stackable bin of  claim 10 , wherein said movement limiting means comprise a rib formed on said bottom wall of said drawer below said front wall and at least one stop formed on said bottom wall of said case.  
   
   
       12 . The stackable bin of  claim 1 , wherein said partitioning means comprise divider guides arranged on opposed interior surfaces of said drawer and dividers removably insertable between said dividers.  
   
   
       13 . The stackable bin of  claim 12 , wherein said drawer includes opposed front and rear wall, opposed side walls and a bottom wall connected to a lower edge of said front, rear and side walls, said divider guides include a first set of divider guides arranged on said front and rear walls of said drawer and a second set of divider guides arranged on said side walls of said drawer, said dividers including a first set of at least one divider insertable into opposed divider guides in said first set of divider guides and a second set of at least one divider insertable into opposed divider guides in said second set of divider guides.  
   
   
       14 . The stackable bin of  claim 13 , wherein each of said at least one divider in said first set of dividers is arranged to partition said receptacle lengthwise and includes a first slot extending upward from a bottom surface and at a location in alignment with opposed ones of said divider guides in said second set of divider guides.  
   
   
       15 . The stackable bin of  claim 14 , wherein each of said at least one divider in said second set of dividers is arranged to partition said receptacle crosswise and includes a second slot extending downward from an upper surface and at a location in alignment with opposed ones of said divider guides in said first set of divider guides and a pair of lower guide members spaced apart from one another at a bottom of the divider and which define a channel aligning with said second slot.  
   
   
       16 . The stackable bin of  claim 15 , wherein each of said at least one divider in said second set of dividers includes a pair of lower guide members spaced apart from one another at a bottom of the divider and which define a channel aligning with said second slot.  
   
   
       17 . The stackable bin of  claim 14 , wherein each of said at least one divider in said first set of dividers includes a pair of upper guide members spaced apart from one another at a top of said divider and which define a channel aligning with said first slot.  
   
   
       18 . The stackable bin of  claim 13 , wherein each of said at least one divider in said second set of dividers is arranged to partition said receptacle crosswise and includes a slot extending downward from an upper surface and at a location in alignment with opposed ones of said divider guides in said first set of divider guides and a pair of lower guide members spaced apart from one another at a bottom of the divider and which define a channel aligning with said slot.  
   
   
       19 . The stackable bin of  claim 18 , wherein each of said at least one divider in said second set of dividers includes a pair of lower guide members spaced apart from one another at a bottom of the divider and which define a channel aligning with said slot.  
   
   
       20 . The stackable bin of  claim 12 , wherein each of said divider guides comprises a pair of vertically extending ribs spaced apart a distance equal to the width of a compatible divider.  
   
   
       21 . The stackable bin of  claim 12 , wherein said divider guides include a first set of divider guides arranged on front and rear walls of said drawer and a second set of divider guides arranged on side walls of said drawer, the stackable bin further comprises a storage media rack insertable into said receptacle in said drawer and arranged to simultaneously receive different sizes and types of storage media, said storage media rack including front and rear walls are spaced apart a distance about equal to a distance between said first set of divider guides and side walls are spaced apart a distance about equal to a distance between said second set of divider guides such that said storage media rack fits securely in said receptacle.  
   
   
       22 . The stackable bin of  claim 1 , further comprises a storage media rack insertable into said receptacle in said drawer and arranged to simultaneously receive different sizes and types of storage media.  
   
   
       23 . The stackable bin of  claim 22 , wherein said storage media rack includes front and rear walls, side walls and a bottom wall having steps which connect said bottom wall to said side walls.  
   
   
       24 . The stackable bin of  claim 23 , wherein said storage media rack further includes partition walls arranged perpendicular to said side walls on said steps such that a first type of storage media is positionable on said steps.  
   
   
       25 . The stackable bin of  claim 24 , wherein said storage media rack further includes additional partition walls projecting inwardly from said steps and upwardly from said bottom wall, said additional partition walls including side faces having indentations spaced a distance from said bottom wall and from a vertical leg of said steps such that additional types of storage media are positionable on said indentations.  
   
   
       26 . A stackable bin, comprising: 
 a case including a bottom wall, a top wall and support means for supporting said top wall at a distance from said bottom wall to thereby define a slot;    a drawer insertable into said slot and defining a receptacle; and    a storage media rack insertable into said receptacle in said drawer and arranged to simultaneously receive different sizes and types of storage media.    
   
   
       27 . The stackable bin of  claim 26 , wherein said storage media rack includes front and rear walls, side walls and a bottom wall having steps which connect said bottom wall to said side walls.  
   
   
       28 . The stackable bin of  claim 27 , wherein said storage media rack further includes partition walls arranged perpendicular to said side walls on said steps such that a first type of storage media is positionable on said steps.  
   
   
       29 . The stackable bin of  claim 28 , wherein said storage media rack further includes additional partition walls projecting inwardly from said steps and upwardly from said bottom wall, said additional partition walls including side faces having indentations spaced a distance from said bottom wall and from a vertical leg of said steps such that additional types of storage media are positionable on said indentations.