Method and apparatus for combining the lid-securing and carrying functions of covered containers

A tray system comprising:

• (a) a substantially rectangular case comprising a base, a pair of opposite end walls, a pair of opposite side walls, and a longitudinal axis parallel to the side walls, each of the walls having two side edges, a bottom edge and a top edge, each wall being joined at its bottom edge to the base, the top edges of the walls forming a substantially rectangular opening having four corners;
• (b) a rotatable handle mounted to each of the end walls, each handle having a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, at least one link arm, and a hand-grip portion, the handle being rotatable, about the rotation axis, from a variety of non-lid-securing positions to a variety of lid-securing positions in which the hand-grip portion can be grasped using a full hand hold;
• (c) at least one stud extending from the base, the stud located at one of the corners of the case opening, each stud having a shaft and a head, the head width being greater than the shaft width;
• (d) a lid for covering the case opening, the lid comprising a substantially planar portion having two ends, two side edges, at least one keyway, and four corners corresponding to the corners of the case opening, each end being provided with one or more longitudinal slots arranged to accept the link arms of the handles when the handles are in certain of the lid-securing positions, each keyway located at one of the corners, each keyway having a relatively smaller opening portion, a relatively larger opening portion, and a keyway axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the width of the smaller opening portion being greater than the width of the shaft but less than the width of the head, and the width of the larger opening portion being greater than the width of the smaller opening portion and of the head;
• wherein association of the link arms with the lid prevents relative movement of the lid and case in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis when the handle is in any of the variety of lid-securing positions, and the combination of the engagement of the at least one keyway with the at least one stud and the association of the link arms with the lid results in a positive removable securement of the lid to the case, such that the lid cannot be removed until the handles are rotated to one of the variety of non-lid-securing positions, in which they are completely disassociated from the lid, and the lid is moved transversely relative to the case such that the at least one keyway can be disengaged from the at least one stud by lifting the lid away from the case.

A tray system comprising:

• (a) a substantially rectangular case comprising a pair of opposite end walls, a pair of opposite side walls, a base, and a longitudinal axis parallel to the side walls, each of the walls having two side edges, a bottom edge and a top edge, each wall being joined at its bottom edge to the base, the top edges of the walls forming a substantially rectangular opening having four corners, a hub member provided on each end wall;
• (b) a handle rotatably mounted to the hub member on each of the end walls, each handle comprising a wire bail handle formed from a single bent length of metal stock shaped such that at least part of the end portions of the length of metal stock is provided parallel to the rotation axis and at least part of the intermediate portion of the length of metal stock is shaped to provide the hand-grip portion, each handle having two link arms interconnecting the end portions and the intermediate portion, the end portions of the length of metal stock in combination with a hub member forming a hinge permitting the rotation of the handle, each handle having a variety of lid-securing positions in which the link arms are associated with some part of the lid and a variety of non-lid-securing positions in which the link arms are not associated with any part of the lid;
• (c) four upwardly-projecting studs, each stud located at one of the corners of the case opening and having a substantially cylindrical shaft and a substantially cylindrical head, the diameter of the head being greater than that of the shaft;
• (d) a lid for covering the case opening, the lid comprising:
• a substantially planar portion having two ends, two side edges, and four corners corresponding to the corners of the case opening,
• two longitudinal slots provided at each end, the slots arranged to accept the link arms of the handles when the handles are in certain of the lid-securing positions,
• two keyways, each keyway located at one of the lid corners, each keyway placed at a corner at the end of a first side edge of the lid, each keyway having a small opening portion, a large opening portion, and a keyway axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the width of the small opening portion being greater than the width of the shaft but less than the width of the head, and the width of the large opening portion being greater than the width of the small opening portion and of the head;
• two cutouts, each cutout located at the corner of the second side edge of the lid, each cutout being topographically open;
• and
• a downwardly-depending end panel located at each end of the lid, the end panels being substantially planar, parallel to the end walls of the case, and disposed outside the end walls of the case when the lid is secured to the case, each end panel in combination with the link arms of the corresponding handle comprising a stop which allows the lid to be moved transversely relative to the case such that it will not overshoot the position at which the at least one keyway can be disengaged from the at least one stud by lifting the lid directly upwards away from the case;
• whereby the association of the link arms with the lid prevents relative movement of the lid and case in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, and the combination of the engagement of the keyways and the cutouts with the at least one stud and the association of the link arms with the lid results in a positive removable securement of the lid to the case, such that the lid cannot be removed until the handles are rotated completely out of association with the lid and the lid is moved transversely relative to the case until further motion is prevented by the stop and the keyways and cutouts are disengaged from the studs, such that the lid can be lifted directly upwards away from the case.