Storage container

Abstract

A storage container includes a base and a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the base. At least one of the walls includes a plurality of projections on its exterior at different heights. The interior of the wall includes a plurality of channels into which the projections of a like container would be slidably received when the empty containers are nested. A plurality of supports are pivotably connected to the container and can be selectably pivoted to block selected ones of the plurality of channels such that the projections are supported on the supports and do not enter the channels, thereby supporting the upper container at a selected height.

1 . A storage container comprising:
 a generally horizontal base;   a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the base, the plurality of walls including a first wall and a second wall, the first and second walls extending upwardly from opposing edges of the base, the first wall including a first projection and the second wall including a second projection;   a first channel formed on an interior surface of the first wall;   a second channel formed on an interior surface of the second wall;   a support attached to the container between an open position and a support position;   wherein, when the first projection of an identical container is at least partially received within the first channel, the base of the identical container is supported parallel to and at a first height above the base of the container;   wherein, when the second projection of the identical container is at least partially received within the second channel, the base of the identical container is supported parallel to and at a second height above the base of the container, the second height being different than the first height; and   wherein, when the support is in the support position and when the identical container is supported on the support, the base of the identical container is supported parallel to and at a third height above the base of the container, the third height different from the first and second heights.   
     
     
         2 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein open position is a nest position. 
     
     
         3 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein the support position is a stack position. 
     
     
         4 . The storage container of  claim 3  wherein the support extends toward the interior of the container when in the support position. 
     
     
         5 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein the bottommost portion of the first channel and the bottommost portion of the second channel are defined at different heights above the base of the container. 
     
     
         6 . The storage container of  claim 5  wherein the bottommost portion of the second channel is further away from the base than the bottommost portion of the first channel. 
     
     
         7 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein, when the second projection of the identical container is at least partially received within the second channel, the first projection is also received in the first channel. 
     
     
         8 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein, when the first projection of the identical container is at least partially received within the first channel, the second projection is blocked from being received within the second channel. 
     
     
         9 . The storage container of  claim 8  wherein, when the first projection of the identical container is at least partially received within the first channel, the second projection is blocked from being received within the second channel by way of a second support attached to the container. 
     
     
         10 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein the first support is pivotably attached to the container. 
     
     
         11 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein the first projection is formed on an exterior surface of the first wall. 
     
     
         12 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein the second projection is formed on an exterior surface of the second wall. 
     
     
         13 . The storage container of  claim 12  wherein the first projection is formed by the first channel. 
     
     
         14 . The storage container of  claim 13  wherein the second projection is formed by the second channel.