Container, and related methods
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorMark Anthony Heinrichs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container is provided including a support base, side panels having guide tracks, front and rear panels, and a top cover. The front panel includes track followers releasably received in the front guide tracks. The front panel is pivotal outwardly away from the container compartment about the track followers, while the top cover is closed, from a substantially vertical orientation to an angled orientation in which the front panel upper edge is exposed from under the closed top cover. From this angled orientation, and while the cover remains closed, the track followers are slidable along and out of engagement with the respective front guide tracks to detach the front panel from the side panel, thereby providing front access to the container compartment.
Claims21
A container having a container compartment, comprising:
- a support base;
- first and second side structures respectively comprising first and second panels each comprising a respective side panel upper edge, the first and second side structures further respectively comprising first and second front guide tracks facing one another;
- a rear panel comprising a rear panel upper edge and engaged with the first and second side structures;
- a front panel comprising a front panel upper edge and first and second front track followers received in the first and second front guide tracks, respectively;
- a top cover engageable with at least one of the front, rear, and side panels and movable between a closed state, in which the cover is positioned over the side panel upper edges and rear and front panel upper edges when the container is in the erect position, and an open state, in which the container compartment is accessible from above;
- the front panel pivotal outwardly away from the container compartment about the front track followers, while the front track followers are engaged in the respective front guide tracks and while the top cover is in the closed state, from a substantially vertical orientation to an angled orientation in which the front panel upper edge is exposed from under the closed top cover;
- and
- the front track followers slidable along the respective front guide tracks, while the front panel is in the angled orientation and while the cover is in the closed state, to permit front access to the container compartment.
A collapsible container comprising a container compartment and being movable between an erect position and a collapsed position, comprising:
- a support base;
- first and second side structures comprising first and second side panels, respectively, the first and second side panels each comprising a respective side panel upper edge and each being movable between the erect position, in which the first and second side panels are spaced apart and substantially parallel to one another and substantially orthogonal to the support base, and the collapsed position, in which the first and second side panels are stowed on the support base, the first and second side structures respectively comprising first and second front guide tracks facing one another;
- a rear panel comprising a rear panel upper edge and movable between the erect position, in which the rear panel extends between and is engageable with the first and second side structures, and the collapsed position, in which the rear panel is stowable on the support base;
- a front panel comprising a front panel upper edge and first and second front track followers releasably received in the first and second front guide tracks, respectively, the front panel being movable between the erect position, in which the front panel extends between and is engageable with the first and second side structures, and the collapsed position, in which the front panel is stowable on the support base;
- a top cover engageable with at least one of the front, rear, and side panels and movable between a closed state, in which the cover is positioned over the side panel upper edges and rear and front panel upper edges when the container is in the erect position, and an open state, in which the container compartment is accessible from above;
- the front panel pivotal outwardly away from the container compartment about the front track followers, while the front track followers are engaged in the respective front guide tracks and while the top cover is in the closed state, from a substantially vertical orientation to an angled orientation in which the front panel upper edge is exposed from under the closed top cover;
- and
- the front track followers slidable along and out of engagement with the respective front guide tracks, while the front panel is in the angled orientation and while the cover is in the closed state, to permit detachment of the front panel for providing front access to the container compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.