US 6,203,034 B1 · Transportable container

Abstract

A transportable container comprises a container body, a handle, a sleeve member, and a caster assembly. The container body includes a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending generally upwardly from the base to define a container interior. One of the container sidewalls constitutes a generally vertical first sidewall. The handle includes a hand-engageable portion and a mounting portion, which extends from the hand-engageable portion. The first sidewall includes a flange, which comprises an upper edge margin of the first sidewall. The flange includes an outwardly extending first flange portion and a downwardly extending second flange portion. The first sidewall, first flange portion and second flange portion together define a socket, which is adapted to receive the mounting portion of the handle therein for mounting of the handle to the container body. The container body also includes a caster socket formed therein. The caster socket has an interior surface with a closed upper end and an open lower end. The sleeve member has an outer surface adapted for engagement with the interior surface of the caster socket. The caster socket is sized to receive the sleeve member therein in a frictional engagement. The sleeve member has an axial hole extending from a bottom end of the sleeve member toward a top end of the sleeve member. The caster assembly has a pintle. The axial hole in the sleeve member is sized to receive the pintle of the caster assembly therein for mounting the caster assembly to the container body. The container body is formed from a curable polymeric material.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A transportable container comprising:

a container body having a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending generally upwardly from the base to define a container interior, one of said sidewalls constituting a generally vertical first sidewall, the first sidewall having an interior side and an exterior side, the first sidewall including a flange, the flange comprising a first flange portion extending outwardly from the exterior side of the first sidewall and a second flange portion extending generally downwardly from a distal end of the first flange portion, the first sidewall, first flange portion and second flange portion together defining a socket;
and
a handle having a hand-engageable portion and a mounting portion extending from the hand-engageable portion, the mounting portion of the handle being received in the socket in a manner for mounting the handle to the container body, the mounting portion of the handle including spaced front and rear walls, the front and rear walls of the mounting portion being adapted for engagement with the first sidewall and second flange portion of the container body in a manner to prevent forward and rearward movement of the handle relative to the container body when the mounting portion of the handle is received in the socket.

A transportable container comprising:

a container body having a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending generally upwardly from the base to define a container interior, the container body including an upper rim flange extending around at least a portion of the container body and comprising an upper edge margin of at least a portion of one of the side walls, the flange being shaped and adapted to define a socket having an opening that faces generally downwardly;
and
a handle having a hand-engageable portion and a mounting portion extending from the hand-engageable portion, the mounting portion of the handle being received in the socket in a manner for mounting the handle to the container body, the mounting portion of the handle including spaced front and rear walls, the front and rear walls of the mounting portion being adapted for engagement with front and rear facing interior surfaces of the socket in a manner to prevent forward and rearward movement of the handle relative to the container body when the mounting portion of the handle is received in the socket.

A transportable container comprising:

a container body having a generally horizontal base and a plurality of sidewalls extending generally upwardly from the base, the base having an upwardly facing surface and a downwardly facing surface, the sidewalls and the upwardly facing surface of the base together defining a container interior adapted for containing and transporting materials, the base being molded to form an integral wheel-mounting socket in a manner so that a portion of the downwardly facing surface of the base defines a generally cylindrical interior surface of the wheel-mounting socket having an open lower end and so that a portion of the upwardly facing surface of the base defines a generally cylindrical exterior surface of the caster socket that is exposed to and partially defines the container interior;
a sleeve member having a first end and a second end and an outer surface adapted for engagement with the interior surface of the wheel-mounting socket, the wheel-mounting socket being sized to receive the sleeve member therein in a functional engagement, the sleeve member having an axial hole extending from the second end of the sleeve member toward the first end of the sleeve member;
and
a wheel assembly having a pintle, the axial hole in the sleeve member being sized to receive the pintle of the wheel assembly therein for mounting the wheel assembly to the container body.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Transportable container

Life of this patent

Transportable container

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30