Field of the Invention

The invention relates to tilt bin storage systems.

Background of the Invention

Commercially available tilt bin storage systems range from a discrete single storey open front tilt bin frame of two or more side-by- side tilt bin compartments for individually snugly accommodating open-topped tilt bins to complete storage systems including wall high rows of side-by-side open topped tilt bins. Open topped tilt bins have a generally cuboid shape tilt bin shell and an integral tilt bin handle protruding from a tilt bin shell front surface for enabling a convenient pivot action from an upright closed position to a tilted forward open position for providing user access to its interior. Open-topped tilt bins are typically formed from clear transparent plastic material such that a user can readily view their contents. Tilt bin storage systems are preferably transported with the discrete tilt bin frames pre-fitted with tilt bins to economize on transportation and storage costs. But the forward protruding integral tilt bin handles are prone to damage and breakage during transportation and storage. US Design Patent No. 680,333 to Edwards shows a tilt bin front cover for snap fit on a tilt bin front surface.

One particular commercially successful tilt bin storage system is a so- called 669 tilt bin storage system including two discrete single storey tilt bin frames each having six tilt bins and a discrete single storey tilt frame having nine tilt bins. The three discrete single storey tilt bin frames are intended to be neatly stacked as a cubby hole structure either directly wall mounted or preferably wall mounted by means of a kit for assembling a rigid support structure as disclosed in commonly owned US Patent No. 8,714,372 to Yogev. Directly wall mounting three discrete single storey tilt bin frames is a time consuming task and requires considerable skill to ensure they are neatly stacked. Such stacking necessarily requires the three discrete single storey tilt bin frames to have the same width and consequently the width of the side-by-side tilt bin compartments of the discrete single storey tilt bin frame with nine tilt bin compartments is narrower than the width of the side-by-side tilt bin compartments of the two discrete single storey tilt bin frames with six tilt bin compartments. As a further consequence, since the tilt bins are generally cuboid and tilt bin compartments snugly accommodate same, the height and depth of the side-by-side tilt bin compartments of the discrete single storey tilt bin frame with nine tilt bin compartments are smaller than the corresponding dimensions of the side-by-side tilt bin compartments of the two discrete single storey tilt bin frames with six tilt bin compartments. Accordingly, users typically wall mount a 669 tilt bin storage system with the tilt bin frame with nine tilt bins on top of the tilt bin frames each with six tilt bins which leads to the uppermost tilt bin frame with nine tilt bins being set back with respect to the tilt bin frames with six tilt bins thereby inconveniencing user access to the nine tilt bins.

Summary of the Invention

The first aspect of the present invention is directed towards a tilt bin storage system including a discrete multi- storey open front tilt bin frame having a single rectangular front frame surface and at least a lowermost storey of tilt bins and an uppermost storey of tilt bins. The tilt bins are generally cuboid. The lowermost storey tilt bins are larger than the uppermost storey tilt bins and therefore the lowermost storey of tilt bins includes fewer tilt bins than the uppermost storey of tilt bins. The discrete multi-storey open front tilt bin frames are designed such that all tilt bins irrespective of the storey in which they are located are flush with their single rectangular front frame surfaces in their upright closed positions. Accordingly, the tilt bin front surfaces of all the tilt bins are co-planar, thereby facilitating user access to the uppermost storey tilt bins. Moreover, the discrete multi-storey open front tilt bin frame has a more aesthetic streamlined appearance than a stack of three discrete single storey open front tilt bin frames. Tilt bin storage systems of the first aspect of the present invention can be equally fitted with conventional tilt bins or tilt bins in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention.

The discrete multi- storey open front tilt bin frames preferably employ space rearward of their uppermost storey of uppermost storey tilt bins for additional storage purposes. This is preferably achieved by the discrete multistorey open front tilt bin frames having rectangular opposite frame left side surface and frame right side surface to bound an open-topped compartment on wall mounting the discrete multi-storey open front tilt bin frame. The compartment can be sub-divided into smaller compartments, for example, for snugly receiving storage units with upright storage bores intended to snugly hold drill bits, screw drivers, and the like.

The second aspect of the present invention is directed towards a tilt bin for use in a tilt bin storage system. The tilt bin includes an open-topped tilt bin shell having a tilt bin shell front surface, a tilt bin shell back surface, a tilt bin shell bottom surface, a tilt bin shell left side surface and a tilt bin shell right side surface. The tilt bin includes a discrete tilt bin handle for user mounting on a tilt bin shell front surface subsequent to purchase of a tilt bin storage system. The user mounting includes downward sliding a discrete tilt bin handle on a tilt bin shell front surface in the direction of a tilt bin shell bottom surface. Tilt bins can be formed with different tilt bin handle mounting arrangements some preventing and some enabling replacement of a discrete tilt bin handle. Tilt bin handles can be provided in different colors such that a user can color code tilt bins for assisting in visual identification of their contents.

Provision of discrete tilt bin handles as opposed to integral tilt bin handles ensures that they are not damaged during transportation or storage. Moreover, the unit transportation and storage costs of open front tilt bin frames pre-fitted with tilt bins without forward protruding integral tilt bin handles is necessarily less than with forward protruding integral tilt bin handles. The tilt bins can be fitted in conventional discrete single storey open front tilt bin frames or discrete multi- storey open front tilt bin frames in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention.

Brief Description of Drawings

In order to understand the invention and to see how it can be carried out in practice, preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of non- limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which similar parts are likewise numbered, and in which:

Fig. 1 shows a front perspective view of a conventional wall mounted 669 tilt bin storage system;

Fig. 2 shows a side wall of a tilt bin compartment of Figure l's 669 tilt bin storage system;

Fig. 3 shows a front perspective view of a tilt bin of a discrete single storey open front tilt bin frame with six tilt bins including a forward protruding integral tilt bin handle;

Fig. 4 shows a front perspective view of a tilt bin of a discrete single storey open front tilt bin frame with nine tilt bins including a forward protruding integral tilt bin handle;

Fig. 5 shows a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a 669 tilt bin storage system including a discrete triple storey open front tilt bin frame in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention;

Fig. 6 shows a rear elevation view of Figure 5's discrete triple storey open front tilt bin frame;

Fig. 7 shows a front elevation view of a second embodiment of a discrete triple storey open front tilt bin frame in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention;

Fig. 8 shows a rear elevation view of Figure 7's discrete triple storey open front tilt bin frame;

Fig. 9 A is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of an assembled tilt bin with a discrete tilt bin handle in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention; Fig. 9B is an exploded front perspective view of Figure 9A's tilt bin;

Fig. 9C is a rear perspective view of Figure 9A's discrete tilt bin handle;

Fig. 10A is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of an assembled tilt bin in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention;

Fig. 10B is an exploded front perspective view of Figure lOA's tilt bin.

Fig. 11A is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of an assembled tilt bin in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention; and

Fig. 1 IB is an exploded rear perspective view of Figure 1 lA's tilt bin.

Detailed Description of Drawings

Figure 1 shows a conventional wall mounted 669 tilt bin storage system 100 including a stack of two identical discrete single storey open front tilt bin frames 10A and 10B each having six tilt bin compartments 11 for accommodating tilt bins 20 and an uppermost discrete single storey open front tilt bin frame 30 with nine tilt bin compartments 31 for accommodating tilt bins 40. The tilt bins 20 have an open-topped generally cuboid shaped tilt bin shell 21 with a forward protruding integral tilt bin handle 22 intended for enabling a user to conveniently pivot a tilt bin 20 in a tilt bin compartment 11 between an upright closed position and a tilted forward open position. The tilt bins 40 have an open-topped generally cuboid shaped tilt bin shell 41 with a forward protruding integral tilt bin handle 42 intended for enabling a user to conveniently pivot a tilt bin 40 in a tilt bin compartment 31 between an upright closed position and a tilted forward open position. The tilt bin frame 30 is set back with respect to the two tilt bin frames 10 thereby inconveniencing user access to the tilt bins 40.

The tilt bin compartments 11 and 31 have the same construction for enabling a pivot action of a tilt bin between an upright closed position and a tilted forward open position but differ insofar as the tilt bin compartment 11 is larger than the tilt bin compartment 31. The tilt bin compartments 11 are intended to snugly accommodate a tilt bin 20 having a width Wl and a depth Dl and the tilt bin compartments 31 are intended to snugly accommodate a tilt bin 40 having a width W2 and a depth D2 wherein W1>W2 and D1>D2. The tilt bin compartments 11 and 31 have a pair of opposite side walls 12 each having an arc shaped guide rail 13 and an inclined strut 14. The inclined strut 14 includes a leading recess 16. The inclined strut 14 meets the arc shaped guide rail 13 and extends therebeyond to form a stop 17.

Figure 3 shows a tilt bin shell 21 has a tilt bin shell front surface 21 A with the forward protruding integral tilt bin handle 22, a tilt bin shell back surface 2 IB, a tilt bin shell bottom surface 21C, a tilt bin shell left side surface 21D and a tilt bin shell right side surface 21E. The tilt bin side surfaces 21D and 21E are formed with two features for engaging complementary features formed on opposite side walls 12 of a tilt bin compartment 11 for enabling pivot action between an upright closed position and a tilted forward open position as follows: First, leading opposite outward directed sideway protrusions 23 for insertion in the recesses 16. And second, trailing opposite outward directed sideway stoppers 24 for sliding along the arc shaped guide rails 13 and stopping against the stops 17 in the tilted forward open position.

Figure 4 shows a tilt bin shell 41 has a tilt bin shell front surface 41 A with the forward protruding integral tilt bin handle 42, a tilt bin shell back surface 4 IB, a tilt bin shell bottom surface 41C, a tilt bin shell left side surface 41D and a tilt bin shell right side surface 4 IE. The tilt bin side surfaces 41D and 41E are formed with two features for engaging complementary features formed on opposite side walls 12 of a tilt bin compartment 31 for enabling pivot action between an upright closed position and a tilted forward open position as follows: First, leading opposite outward directed sideway protrusions 43 for insertion in the recesses 16. And second, trailing opposite outward directed sideway stoppers 44 for sliding along the arc shaped guide rails 13 and stopping against the stops 17 in the tilted forward open position.

Figure 5 and Figure 6 show a 669 tilt bin storage system 200 including a generally rectangular parallelepiped discrete triple-storey open front tilt bin frame 201, twelve tilt bins 20 and nine tilt bins 40, and two discrete storage units 300. The tilt bin frame 201 includes a single rectangular frame front surround 202, a frame back surface 203, a frame top surface 204, a frame bottom surface 206, a frame left side surface 207, and a frame right side surface 208. The tilt bin frame 201 includes a lowermost storey of six tilt bin compartments 209 including six tilt bin compartments 11 for accommodating six tilt bins 20, a middle storey of six tilt bin compartments 211 including six tilt bin compartments 11 for accommodating six tilt bins 20 and an uppermost storey of nine tilt bin compartments 212 including nine tilt bin compartments 31 for accommodating nine tilt bins 40. The 669 tilt bin storage system 200's uppermost storey of nine tilt bin compartments 212 is disposed forward with respect to the conventional 669 tilt bin storage system 100's uppermost discrete single storey open front tilt bin frame 30 such that the discrete triple-storey open front tilt bin frame 201 has the single rectangular frame front surround 202. Accordingly, on snug accommodation of the tilt bins 20 and the tilt bins 40 therein in their upright closed positions, their respective tilt bin shell front surfaces 21 A and tilt bin shell front surfaces 41 A are co-planar and flush with the single rectangular frame front surround 202 for facilitating user access to the tilt bins 40 in contradistinction with the tilt bin storage system 100's tilt bins 40.

The frame left side surface 207 and the frame right side surface 208 are preferably rectangular such that the discrete triple- storey open front tilt bin frame 201 bounds an open-topped compartment 213 rearward of the uppermost storey of tilt bin compartments 212 on wall mounting the tilt bin storage system 200 for additional storage space. The discrete triple-storey open front tilt bin frame 201 preferably includes a central partition 214 for dividing the compartment 213 into two compartments 213 A and 213B for slidingly receiving the storage units 300. The storage units 300 can include upright storage bores 301 intended to snugly hold drill bits, screw drivers, and the like.

Figure 7 and Figure 8 show a discrete triple storey open front tilt bin frame 216 similar in construction to the discrete triple storey open front tilt bin frame 201 and therefore similar parts are likewise numbered. The tilt bin frame 216 differs from the tilt bin frame 201 insofar as it include an integral storage unit 217 rearward of the uppermost storey of uppermost storey tilt bin compartments 212 similar to the discrete storage units 300. The storage unit

217 is depicted storing a range of different sized drill bits.

Figure 9A to Figure 9C show an assembled tilt bin 400A including an open topped generally cuboid tilt bin shell 401, a discrete tilt bin handle 402 for mounting on the tilt bin shell 401 and a securing arrangement 403 for securely mounting the discrete tilt bin handle 402 on the tilt bin shell 401. The tilt bin shell 401 includes a tilt bin shell front surface 401 A, a tilt bin shell back surface 401B, a tilt bin shell bottom surface 401C, a tilt bin shell left side surface 40 ID and a tilt bin shell right side surface 40 IE. The tilt bin handle 402 has a tilt bin handle front surface 402A, a tilt bin handle back surface 402B, a tilt bin handle left side surface 402C and a tilt bin handle right side surface 402D. The tilt bin 400 A is formed with conventional features on their side surfaces 40 ID and 40 IE for enabling pivot action between an upright closed position and a tilted forward open position such that the tilt bins 400 can be equally fitted in a conventional 669 tilt bin storage system 100 and a tilt bin storage system 200. The tilt bin 400A includes a central partition 404 for dividing the storage space into two halves.

The tilt bin shell front surface 401 A has a spaced apart upright lateral pair of a left side slit 406 A and a right side slit 406B correspondingly adjacent the tilt bin shell left side surface 40 ID and the tilt bin shell right side surface 40 IE for bounding a central major tilt bin shell front surface section 407 and a lateral pair of minor tilt bin shell front surface sections 408 A and 408B. The tilt bin handle left side surface 402C and the tilt bin handle right side surface 402D are correspondingly formed with upright grooves 409A and 409B for sliding receiving the lateral pair of minor tilt bin shell front surface sections 408A and 408B on downward sliding of the discrete tilt bin handle 402 on the tilt bin shell front surface 401 A in the direction of the tilt bin shell bottom surface 401C. The securing arrangement 403 is constituted by the central major tilt bin shell front surface section 407 being formed with a lateral pair of spaced apart slots 411 and the tilt bin handle back surface 402B being formed with a corresponding lateral pair of spaced apart protrusions 412 for snap fit thereinto.

Figure 10A and Figure 10B show an assembled tilt bin 400B similar in construction and operation as the assembled tilt bin 400A and therefore similar parts are likewise numbered. The tilt bin 400B differs from the tilt bin 400A insofar as its tilt bin shell front surface 401 A is formed with a central cutout 413 and a lateral pair of major tilt bin shell front surface sections 414A and 414B. The discrete tilt bin handle 402 for use in the tilt bin 400B is narrower than the tilt bin 400A's discrete tilt bin handle 402 but is similarly formed with upright grooves 409 A and 409B for sliding receiving the lateral pair of major tilt bin shell front surface sections 414A and 414B on downward sliding of the discrete tilt bin handle 402 on the tilt bin shell front surface 401 A in the direction of the tilt bin shell bottom surface 401 C. The tilt bin 400B includes a securing arrangement 403 constituted by a single central slot 411/protrusion 412 engagement.

Figure 11A and Figure 11B show an assembled tilt bin 400C similar in construction and operation as the assembled tilt bin 400A and therefore similar parts are likewise numbered. The tilt bin 400C differs from the tilt bin 400A insofar the tilt bin 400C includes a discrete tilt bin handle 402 having a lateral pair of spaced apart clips 416 for downward sliding onto the tilt bin shell front surface 401A's top rim. The securing arrangement 403 is constituted by the tilt bin shell front surface 401 A being formed with a lateral pair of spaced apart lateral slots 417 and the tilt bin left side surface 40 ID and the tilt bin right side surface 40 IE being formed with a corresponding pair of protrusions 418 for snap fit thereinto. While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications, and other applications of the invention can be made within the scope of the appended claims.