Storage container and system

Abstract

A stackable container has a body with base, pair of opposing side walls and pair of opposing end walls, the walls extending from the base to form an opening having a rim portion extending around its upper periphery. A lid member is pivotally mounted to the body to close the opening and provide access through the opening. One or more connector members are provided with the body and are operable between stored and active states. In the active state, the connector members enables interconnection with an adjacent container so as to support the container in a stacked arrangement, whereby an adjacent container does not prohibit access into the opening of another adjacent container.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A container comprising:
 a body having a base, a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of opposing end walls extending from said base so as to form an opening having a rim portion extending around a periphery thereof;   a lid member mountable to said body to close said opening and being configured to provide access into said body through said opening;   one or more connector members provided with said body and operable between a stored state and an active state, wherein the active state provides a means for interconnecting with an adjacent container so as to support the adjacent container in a stacked arrangement, the stacked arrangement being an arrangement whereby an adjacent container does not prohibit access into the opening of another adjacent container.   
     
     
         2 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the stacked arrangement comprising a stack of two or more containers such that the side walls of adjacent containers are vertically spaced. 
     
     
         3 . A container according to  claim 2 , wherein the lid member is hingedly mounted to the body and is movable between a closed position that substantially closes the opening and an open position that provides uninhibited access into said opening. 
     
     
         4 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connector members are mounted on the base of said body 
     
     
         5 . A container according to  claim 4 , wherein the one or more connector members are each mounted within a recess formed in the base of the body such that when the one or more connector members are in the stored state each connector member is substantially retained within the recess in the body. 
     
     
         6 . A container according to  claim 5 , wherein when the one or more connector members are in the active state each connector member extends from the recess in the body to project from the body to connect with a corresponding connector member of an adjacent container. 
     
     
         7 . A container according to  claim 4 , wherein the connector members contain at least one male connector member and at least one female connector member with each male connector member being configured to connect with a female connector member of an adjacent container and each female connector member being configured to connect with a male connector member of an adjacent container. 
     
     
         8 . A container according to  claim 2 , wherein each container in the stacked arrangement is supported at its base by the one or more connector members engaging with the one or more connector members of a lower container and is also supported at its rim portion by the rim portion of a lower container. 
     
     
         9 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connector members are removably attached to the body. 
     
     
         10 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connector members are securably attached to the body. 
     
     
         11 . A storage container comprising:
 a body having a base, a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of opposing end walls;   a lid member mountable to said body; and   and one or more connector members mountable to said body to be extendable therefrom;   wherein, the one or more connector members facilitate stacking of a plurality of storage containers along adjacent side walls thereof.   
     
     
         12 . A storage system comprising:
 at least one container, each container having a body comprising a base, a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of opposing end walls defining a space into which items are received, and a lid member for closing said space; and   one or more connector members attachable to the or each container;   wherein, each container is arranged such that is supported on one side wall and the connector members extend from the container to at least partially support another container thereon such that the containers can be stacked in a vertical manner with side walls of adjacent containers extending substantially perpendicular to the vertical stack of containers.   
     
     
         13 . A system for stacking a plurality of containers in a vertical stack, comprising:
 a plurality of containers, each container having a base and a plurality of side walls extending from the base to define an open space into which one or more items are to be received, at least one of the side walls extends at an angle with respect to a plane orthogonal to the base, whereby each container in the vertical stack is orientated to be supported on one of the side walls thereof; and   at least one connector member mounted between adjacent containers in the vertical stack, the connector member being configured to at least partially extend between the adjacent containers to compensate for angular variations between side walls of adjacent containers, such that the vertical stack of containers is maintained in a stable state.   
     
     
         14 . A system according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one connector member is mounted on an external surface of the base of each container and is configured to project therefrom to engage with a vertically adjacent container. 
     
     
         15 . A system according to  claim 14 , wherein each connector member engages with a corresponding connector member mounted on a vertically adjacent container to support the stack of containers in the stable state. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 13 , wherein each side wall of each container is angled with respect to a plane orthogonal to the base. 
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 14 , wherein each side wall of each container is angled with respect to a plane orthogonal to the base. 
     
     
         18 . A system according to  claim 15 , wherein each side wall of each container is angled with respect to a plane orthogonal to the base.