Storage box with improved design including replaceable hinges and latches

Abstract

A storage container, such as a tackle box, with well protected latches and hinges which can be easily repaired if they are damaged. The front latches and rear hinges preferably use inserts which are formed separately from the upper and lower tackle box trays. The rear hinge insert, for example, preferably takes the form of a U-shaped piece of molded plastic with a thinned plastic section in its middle to act as an internal hinge for the insert. The walls of this U-shaped insert are pressure fitted into slots formed into the interior of the upper and lower trays. The front latch insert is preferably formed from an approximately flat piece of plastic which has a bar at an open spaced end and a solid, flanged snap at the other end. Both the bar and the snap for this front insert are received into grooved catches which are formed onto both the upper and lower trays. In the case of both the front latches and rear hinges, they are preferably designed to be flush with the adjoining surfaces of the tray by fitting into recesses in the trays so as to minimize any danger of breaking by being caught or snagged on another object.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A storage container comprising: 
 an upper tray and a lower tray;    one or more latches to connect the front of said upper and lower trays wherein said latches include replaceable inserts; and,    one or more hinges to connect the rear of said upper and lower trays wherein said hinges include replaceable inserts.    
     
     
         2 . The storage container of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of movable or fixed dividers.  
     
     
         3 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein each of said hinge inserts is U-shaped with two walls and a bottom portion connecting said two walls.  
     
     
         4 . The storage container of  claim 3  wherein said U-shaped hinge insert is formed from plastic and said bottom portion includes an internal hinge formed by making said plastic thinner.  
     
     
         5 . The storage container of  claim 3  wherein said U-shaped hinge insert further includes ramped ridges on said walls.  
     
     
         6 . The storage container of  claim 4  wherein each wall of said U-shaped hinge insert is received into a slot formed integrally on each of said upper tray and lower tray.  
     
     
         7 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein each of said latch inserts is approximately flat and has a bar at one end and a flanged snap at the other end.  
     
     
         8 . The storage container of  claim 7  wherein said approximately flat latch insert is formed from plastic and has a gripping surface.  
     
     
         9 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein said latches and hinges are flush with the adjoining surfaces of said upper and lower trays by being received into recesses within said trays.  
     
     
         10 . The storage container of  claim 7  wherein said latch insert bar is received into a grooved catch formed integrally on said lower tray and the flange of said snap is received into a grooved catch formed integrally on said upper tray.  
     
     
         11 . A storage container comprising: 
 an upper tray and a lower tray;    replaceable inserts to connect both the front and the rear of said upper and lower trays which are received into mating surfaces formed on said upper and lower trays;    wherein said rear replaceable inserts each have two walls and a bottom portion connecting said two walls, wherein said bottom portion includes an internal hinge and said two walls are each received into integrally formed slots in said trays; and    wherein said front replaceable inserts each have a bar at one end and a flanged snap at the other end, wherein said bar and snap are received into integrally formed catches in said trays.    
     
     
         12 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein said storage container further comprises a plurality of movable dividers.  
     
     
         13 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein said trays and said replaceable inserts are formed from plastic.  
     
     
         14 . The storage container of  claim 13  wherein said plastic is polypropylene.  
     
     
         15 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein said replaceable inserts are received into recesses within said trays in a way that makes them flush with the adjoining surfaces of said upper and lower trays.  
     
     
         16 . The storage container of  claim 12  wherein said movable dividers are color coded.  
     
     
         17 . The storage container of  claim 11  further comprising a plurality of sections formed into said lower tray wherein the bottom of each such section is rounded.  
     
     
         18 . A storage container comprising: 
 an upper tray and a lower tray;    replaceable inserts to connect both the front and the rear of said upper and lower trays which are received into recessed mating surfaces formed on said upper and lower trays in such a way that said inserts are flush with the adjoining surfaces of said trays;    wherein said rear replaceable inserts each have two walls and a bottom portion connecting said two walls, wherein said bottom portion includes an internal hinge and said two walls are each received into integrally formed slots in said trays; and    wherein said front replaceable inserts each have a bar at one end and a flanged snap at the other end, wherein said bar and snap are received into integrally formed catches in said trays.    
     
     
         19 . The storage container of  claim 18  wherein said trays and said replaceable inserts are formed from injection molded plastic.  
     
     
         20 . The storage container of  claim 18  further comprising a plurality of movable dividers.  
     
     
         21 . The storage container of  claim 18  further comprising a plurality of sections formed into said lower tray wherein the bottom of each such section is rounded.