Storage box

Abstract

A storage box for storage, housing, and retrieval of articles comprises a box, designed as a plastic injection-molded part, having a large opening in a side wall. The opening in the side wall is closed off by a flap that is supported adjacent the floor of the box so as to be pivotal about an axis extending parallel to the floor. The flap is able to completely close the opening, and can be locked in this position. After being unlocked, the flap may be pivoted out to a position in which it deviates only slightly from a horizontal position. The flap as well is designed as an injection-molded part. The box is designed in such a way that not only may it be stacked, but mating interengagement without additional devices is also provided as a result of the stacking.

1 . A storage box comprising a body having a floor and at least four side walls of which one is formed with an opening forming at least part of the respective side wall and
 a flap in the opening, outwardly pivoted about an axis adjacent the floor of the body and extending parallel thereto, and having two end panels that rest against edges of the opening in the side wall in an open position of the flap.   
   
   
       2 . The storage box according to  claim 1  wherein the body has an open top side. 
   
   
       3 . The storage box according to  claim 1  wherein the body has a closed floor. 
   
   
       4 . The storage box according  claim 3  wherein the body has an at least approximately quadrilateral shape. 
   
   
       5 . The storage box according to  claim 4  wherein the body has a bottom side that is complementary to its top side. 
   
   
       6 . (canceled) 
   
   
       7 . The storage box according to  claim 5  wherein the floor has an outer edge that fits into the open top side of the body. 
   
   
       8 . The storage box according to  claim 7  wherein the opening at the top side of the body has at least two sides an inwardly directed shoulder and the floor of one box can sit on the shoulders of another such box aligned underneath it. 
   
   
       9 . The storage box according to  claim 8  wherein the floor is surrounded on all sides by projections at the bottom side of the body. 
   
   
       10 . The storage box according to  claim 9  wherein the projections are formed by the floor of the body. 
   
   
       11 . The storage box according to  claim 1  wherein an opening motion of the flap is limited in particular by a stop. 
   
   
       12 . The storage box according to  claim 1  wherein the flap may be removed in a fully opened condition. 
   
   
       13 - 15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . The storage box according to  claim 1  wherein the flap is at least partially transparent. 
   
   
       17 . The storage box according to  claim 1 , further comprising a lock for the flap that may be unlocked with one hand. 
   
   
       18 . (canceled) 
   
   
       19 . The storage box according to  claim 1  wherein the flap is formed with a compartment for holding a sample article. 
   
   
       20 . The storage box according to  claim 1  wherein the flap is supported at the bottom side of the end panels by a pivot pin. 
   
   
       21 . The storage box according to  claim 1  wherein the lower edge of the flap is provided with a cylindrical rib that is accommodated in a cylindrical groove in the body that encloses the cylindrical rib. 
   
   
       22 . A storage box comprising:
 a rectangular floor;   four side walls extending upward from and unitary with the floor, one of the side walls being formed between an upper edge unitary with the other side walls and a lower edge at the floor with a large throughgoing opening;   a generally planar flap complementary to and fittable in the opening;   bearing means at a lower edge of the flap for pivoting of the flap between a vertical closed position fitting in and closing the opening and a generally horizontal open position projecting forwardly and giving access to an interior of the box from the front through the opening; and   a pair of end panels unitary with the flap, projecting rearward generally perpendicularly therefrom into the opening, and resting against vertical side edges of the opening in the open position, the end panels preventing contents of the box from falling out of the opening past side edges of the flap in the open position.   
   
   
       23 . The storage box defined in  claim 22 , further comprising stop means engaged between the flap and the other side walls of the box for preventing the flap from moving through enough of an angle when shifting from the closed position to the open position to assume a completely horizontal position. 
   
   
       24 . The storage box defined in  claim 22  wherein the end panels are formed as circle segments. 
   
   
       25 . The storage box defined in  claim 22  wherein the flap and opening are complementarily rectangular and the one side wall forms a reinforcement bar extending unitarily between two of the others side walls above the opening.