Sortables storage container

Abstract

A storage container includes a base with a storage compartment and a lid positionable to fit over an upwardly extending perimeter wall of the storage compartment. A spine is hinged between the base and the lid to allow articulated movement of the lid with respect to the base. The spine includes at least one stiffener ridge integrally formed in the spine and extending longitudinally along the spine. The stiffener ridge reduces bowing of the spine between a lid hinge and a base hinge. A removable tray is insertable into the storage compartment to divide the compartment into a plurality of smaller compartments. Partitions may be placed in the storage compartment to divide the storage compartment into smaller compartments. The partitions may extend into receiving grooves in the lid to block movement of sortables from one compartment to another.

1 . A storage container, comprising:
 a) a base, having a base storage compartment;   b) a lid, positionable to fit over an upwardly extending perimeter wall of the storage compartment to close the storage compartment; and   c) a spine, hinged between the base and the lid to allow articulated movement of the lid with respect to the base, the spine further comprising:
 i) a lid hinge integrally formed between an upper surface of the lid and a side of the spine; 
 ii) a base hinge integrally formed between a lower surface of the base and an opposite side of the spine; and 
 iii) at least one stiffener ridge, extending longitudinally along the spine, sized and shaped to stiffen the spine to reduce bowing of the spine between the lid hinge and the base hinge. 
   
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the lid further includes a stiffener ridge adjacent the lid hinge and the base further includes a stiffener ridge adjacent the base hinge, and the stiffener ridges are sized and shape to support the lid and the base against stresses induced by the lid hinge and the base hinge respectively. 
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the lid hinge and the base hinge are sized and shaped to minimize projection of the hinges away from the lid and the base respectively so as to reduce interference between adjacently stacked storage containers. 
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the lid hinge and the base hinge are sized and shaped to minimize projection of the hinges away from the lid and the base respectively so as to reduce interference between adjacently stacked storage containers. 
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the spine is sized and shaped to position the lid coplanar with respect to a bottom surface of the base when the lid is open. 
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 1 , further including a removable tray, sized and shaped to fit within the base storage compartment to reconfigure the base storage compartment, and having at least one partition for dividing the base storage compartment into a plurality of smaller coplanar tray storage compartments. 
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one partition extends upward from the base to a higher elevation than the perimeter wall and the lid includes at least one channel formed therein corresponding to the at least one partition extending above the perimeter wall such that the at least one channel closely fits over the at least one partition to restrict passage between the smaller tray storage compartments when the lid closes the base storage compartment. 
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein the removable tray has a particular arrangement of partitions and can be removed from the base storage compartment and replaced with another removable tray having a different arrangement of partitions, and wherein the at least one channel formed in the lid is a plurality of channels formed in the lid and positioned in the lid so that all partition arrangements of expected removable trays to be placed in the base compartment are received in at least one of the plurality of channels. 
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 1 , further including at least one partition for dividing the base storage compartment into a plurality of smaller storage compartments. 
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one partition extends upward from the base to a higher elevation than the perimeter wall and the lid includes at least one channel formed therein corresponding to the at least one partition extending above the perimeter wall such that the at least one channel closely fits over the at least one partition to restrict passage between the smaller storage compartments when the lid closes the base storage compartment. 
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the base, the lid, and the spine, are integrally formed from a thermoplastic material. 
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the thermoplastic material is at least partially translucent. 
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein at least portions of the thermoplastic material is transparent. 
   
   
       14 . A storage container system, comprising:
 a) a storage container, having a base with an upwardly extending wall forming a base storage compartment, and a lid positionable to fit over the upwardly extending wall of the base storage compartment; and   b) a plurality of interchangeable trays, each tray sized and shaped to fit within the base storage compartment to reconfigure the base storage compartment, and having at least one partition for dividing the base storage compartment into a plurality of smaller coplanar tray storage compartments.   
   
   
       15 . A storage container, comprising:
 a) a base having a base storage compartment formed by a perimeter wall extending upward from the base and around a perimeter of the base;   b) at least one partition extending upward from the base to a higher elevation than the perimeter wall and dividing the base storage compartment into a plurality of smaller storage compartments; and   c) a lid, sized and shaped to tightly fit over the perimeter wall to close the storage compartment, and having at least one channel corresponding to the portion of the at least one partition extending above the perimeter wall such that the at least one channel tightly fits over the at least one partition to restrict passage between the smaller storage compartments when the lid closes the storage compartment.   
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 15 , further including a removable tray, sized and shaped to fit within the base storage compartment, said removable tray including the at least one partition dividing the base storage compartment into the plurality of smaller storage compartments. 
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the removable tray has a particular arrangement of partitions and can be removed from the base storage compartment and replaced with another removable tray having a different arrangement of partitions, and wherein the at least one channel in the lid is a plurality of channels in the lid positioned in the lid so that all partition arrangements of expected removable trays to be placed in the base compartment are received in at least one of the plurality of channels. 
   
   
       18 . A method for storing sortables, comprising:
 a) opening a lid on a storage container;   b) inserting a removable tray having a plurality of integrally formed partitions into a larger storage compartment of a base of the storage container to reconfigure the larger storage container to have a plurality of smaller, coplanar storage compartments;   c) placing sortable material into the plurality of smaller containers; and   d) closing the lid so that a plurality of channels formed in the lid fit over an upper portion of the plurality of partitions to restrict passage between the plurality of smaller storage compartments.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a) removing the removable tray from the base of the storage container; and   b) inserting a different removable tray having a different number of smaller storage compartments into the larger storage compartment to reconfigure the storage container for storing different sortable material.