Container having recessed tilting handle and method for stacking same

Abstract

A stackable container for carrying and scooping material has a body, a lower handle mounted in a recess in the lower portion of the container body, and an optional upper handle attached to the upper portion of the container body. The lower handle is an elongated continuous member, like a stiff metal rod, shaped into a handle. When not in use, the lower handle can be stowed in the recess beneath an optional retainer flange. To use the lower handle, the handle can be urged from beneath the optional flange to extend outwardly from the container body. The optional upper handle is an elongated member with a grip mounted in the center. A total of three recesses in the exterior of the container body and three corresponding protuberances in the interior are used to stack multiple containers together.

1 . Apparatus for carrying and scooping material, comprising:
 a container member having an open top, an enclosed bottom and an enclosing side wall extending from said top to said bottom;   a handle attached to said container adjacent said top; and   a handle assembly fitted with said container member adjacent said bottom, said handle assembly including a lower handle member and mounting means permitting said lower handle member to extend outwardly from said side wall to facilitate filling, carrying or emptying of said container member, said mounting means permitting said lower handle member to be stored along said side wall of said container member.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus recited in  claim 1  further comprising a recess in said side wall of said container member for receiving said lower handle member when stored. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus recited in  claim 2  wherein said lower handle member has a proximal end pivotally attached in said side wall forming said recess adjacent said bottom, said lower handle member being rotatable about said proximal end for storage within said recess. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus recited in  claim 3  wherein said recess extends laterally from generally said bottom and along said side wall. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus recited in  claim 4  wherein said recess extends inwardly from said side wall and forms a protuberance inwardly of said container member. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus recited in  claim 5  wherein said lower handle member includes an elongated portion extending from said proximal end toward a distal end of said lower handle member, and a handle element at said distal end extending laterally from said elongated portion at said distal end. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus recited in  claim 5  further comprising spaced supplementary recesses in said side wall of said container member, each supplementary recess extending laterally from generally said bottom and along said side wall and extending inwardly from said side wall and forming an additional spaced protuberance inwardly of said container member; and
 each supplementary recess of a substantially identical apparatus nested within said apparatus dimensioned and singularly positioned to be aligned with one said protuberance of said apparatus dimensioned and singularly positioned to mate with respective said supplementary recess of said substantially identical apparatus.   
   
   
       8 . The apparatus recited in  claim 1  wherein said upper handle member is generally U-shaped with each leg thereof pivotally attached at opposing locations along said side wall adjacent said top, each location being substantially equidistant from said lower handle member. 
   
   
       9 . A container apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of nestable container members, each said container member having an open top, an enclosing bottom, an enclosing side wall extending between said top and said bottom, a first recess extending from generally said bottom along said side wall and forming a corresponding protuberance inwardly of said container member, and spaced supplementary recesses extending from generally said bottom along said side wall, each said supplementary recess forming a corresponding protuberance inwardly of said container member;   an upper handle attached to each said container member adjacent said top;   a lower handle assembly fitted within said first recess of each said container member; and   said nestable container members nested such that each supplementary recess of a subsequent container member nested within a previous container member is dimensioned and singularly positioned to be aligned with one protuberance of said previous container member, said one protuberance dimensioned and singularly positioned to mate with respective said supplementary recess of said subsequent container member.   
   
   
       10 . The container apparatus recited in  claim 9  wherein each said nestable container member further comprises a stacking stop extending outwardly and about said side wall below said open top. 
   
   
       11 . A container comprising:
 a body having an enclosed bottom, an open top, an interior surface and an exterior surface, said body being wider at said top and narrower at said bottom, a lower portion of said exterior surface containing a plurality of recesses for stacking multiple containers such that each said recess produces a corresponding protuberance in a lower portion of said interior surface of said body;   an elongated upper handle attached to an upper portion of said body; and   a lower handle assembly generally contained within a first recess of said plurality of recesses in said exterior surface of said body for assisting in use of said container, said lower handle assembly including a lower handle and mounting means permitting said lower handle to selectively extend outwardly from said first recess and retract back therein.   
   
   
       12 . The container recited in  claim 11 , wherein said first recess has a top end and a bottom end, said lower handle assembly further including a pair of opposing, spaced, parallel support ribs attached longitudinally along a center portion of said first recess and extending from generally said top end of said first recess to proximate said bottom end of said first recess, said support ribs substantially equal in length, each said support rib having a pivot hole extending through a lower portion thereof; and
 said lower handle being formed from an elongated member with a pair of legs substantially equal in length, a lower end of each said leg splayed outwardly substantially laterally such that each said leg fits within said pivot hole of an adjacent one of said support ribs, and said lower handle having at an upper end thereof a handle element to permit grasping and holding of said lower handle.   
   
   
       13 . The container recited in  claim 11 , further comprising a flange attached to said body within said first recess for selectively securing said lower handle retracted in said first recess. 
   
   
       14 . The container recited in  claim 11 , wherein said first recess forms a corresponding first protuberance within said container, a second recess being formed of a corresponding second protuberance, a third recess being formed of a corresponding third protuberance with said first, second, and third protuberances spaced about said interior surface and of approximately equal width. 
   
   
       15 . The container recited in  claim 14  wherein said first recess has a height extending above said bottom greater than a corresponding height of said second recess, and said second recess has a height extending above said bottom greater than a corresponding height of said third recess. 
   
   
       16 . A container apparatus comprising:
 three nestable container members, each said container member having an open top, an enclosed bottom, an enclosed side wall extending between said top and said bottom, and three spaced recesses extending laterally from generally said bottom and along said side wall and extending inwardly from said side wall and forming corresponding spaced protuberances inwardly of said container member, each said protuberance substantially equal in height and width to a corresponding said recess;   a first recess taller than a second recess, and said second recess taller than a third recess, and said first, second, and third recesses substantially equal in width;   a vertical centerline of said first recess being angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees from a vertical centerline of said second recess, and said vertical centerline of said second recess being angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees from a vertical centerline of said third recess, and said vertical centerline of said third recess being angularly disposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees from said vertical centerline of said first recess;   an upper portion of a first protuberance of a first container member dimensioned to be fitted substantially within a second recess of a second container member, said second container member nested within said first container member, and an upper portion of a second protuberance of said first container member dimensioned to be fitted substantially within a third recess of said second container member; and   an upper portion of a first protuberance of said second container member dimensioned to be fitted substantially within a second recess of a third container member, said third container member nested within said second container member, and an upper portion of a second protuberance of said second container member dimensioned to be fitted substantially within a third recess of said third container member;   such that said second container member nested within said first container member is angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees with respect to said first container member, and said third container member nested within said second container member is angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees with respect to said second container member and angularly disposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees with respect to said first container member.   
   
   
       17 . A method for stacking nestable containers, each container having a plurality of recesses and corresponding protuberances formed of the recesses, said method comprising the steps of:
 aligning recesses of a subsequent container with protuberances of a previous container;   stacking the subsequent container within the previous container such that each aligned recess of the subsequent container fits over a portion of a respective protuberance of the previous container;   repeating said aligning and stacking steps in sequence until a last container has been stacked.   
   
   
       18 . The method for stacking nestable containers as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of recesses are a first recess, a second recess, and a third recess, and the corresponding protuberances are a first protuberance, a second protuberance, and a third protuberance. 
   
   
       19 . The method for stacking nestable containers as recited in  claim 18 , wherein said aligning step includes aligning a second recess of the subsequent container with a first protuberance of the previous container, and aligning a third recess of the subsequent container with a second protuberance of the previous container; and
 said stacking step includes fitting the second recess of the subsequent container over an upper portion of the first protuberance of the previous container, and fitting the third recess of the subsequent container over an upper portion of the second protuberance of the previous container.   
   
   
       20 . The method for stacking nestable containers as recited in  claim 19 , wherein a vertical centerline of a first recess is angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees from a vertical centerline of a second recess, and the vertical centerline of the second recess is angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees from a vertical centerline of a third recess, and the vertical centerline of the third recess is angularly disposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees from the vertical centerline of the first recess;
 such that the subsequent container nested within the previous container is angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees with respect to the previous container, and another subsequent container nested within the subsequent container is angularly disposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees with respect to the previous container.