container

Abstract

A storage container (2) includes a plurality of drawers (8) for holding items therein. Each drawer (8) can be held closed within the container (2) by selectively rotating a detent mechanism (16) that interacts with an engagement device (34) formed on each drawer (8). When the detent mechanism is in its open position, each drawer (8) can be freely opened or closed. When the detent mechanism is in its closed position, each drawer (8) can be moved from the open position to the closed position, but cannot be moved from the closed position to the open position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a container comprising multiple storage sections, such as drawers, each of which can be opened or closed. When a storage section is closed, the user of the container cannot access its interior (and therefore its contents). When a storage section is open, the user can access its interior. This invention particularly, but not exclusively, relates to containers for holding and transporting vehicles, etc. Background Technology

[0002] Maintaining and transporting tools within containers is a common requirement for artisans, who must be able to move their tools from one worksite to another or reliably store them within containers. Because such artisans may need to access (retrieve) their tools regularly and frequently while working at their worksites, the ease of removing tools and returning them to the container becomes a significant issue. The time-consuming process of opening and / or reliably closing the storage section of the container can consume too much of their valuable time.

[0003] While providing the ability to lock the storage section in its open or closed position may be an attractive proposal, ease of access and the speed of opening and closing the storage section are equally important as a practical consideration. The ability to lock the storage section in its closed position can be a requirement of the default position (to prevent accidental opening of the storage section, which could result in spillage of its contents) or an optional feature to be used when containers are transported, for example, from one work location to another.

[0004] Containers with lockable storage sections are known. Examples include US9,901,170, which discloses a cabinet comprising multiple sliding drawers. Each drawer can be individually locked (to prevent opening) or unlocked (to allow opening).

[0005] US7,832,584 illustrates a toolbox with multiple drawers, all of which can be locked by hinged doors to prevent the drawers from sliding open when the box is transported from one location to another.

[0006] However, this known lockable container has a problem. In order for users to close the storage section, they need to perform a task to unlock the storage section, thereby removing the movement restrictions. This may seem like a trivial task, but it takes time, and the cumulative effect of repeating this operation throughout a workday can become quite time-consuming. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a container having a plurality of storage sections, each of the plurality of storage sections being used to hold articles therein; each of the plurality of storage sections being movable independently of any other storage section among the plurality of storage sections between an open position and a closed position; Furthermore, in the open position, the items within the storage section are accessible, and in the closed position, the items within the storage section are inaccessible. The container includes a braking mechanism having a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein, when in its locked state, the braking mechanism is arranged to restrict each of the plurality of storage sections to its respective closed position, and when in its unlocked state, the braking mechanism allows each of the plurality of storage sections to move freely between its open and closed positions. Furthermore, each of the plurality of storage portions includes an engagement device for interacting with the braking mechanism when the braking mechanism is in its locked state, such that if a storage portion of the plurality of storage portions is in its closed position, the storage portion cannot be moved to its open position, and if a storage portion of the plurality of storage portions is in its open position, the storage portion can be moved to its closed position.

[0008] The preferred or advantageous features of the present invention are as follows: The interaction between the braking mechanism and the engagement device may include physical contact between the braking mechanism and the engagement device.

[0009] The braking mechanism may include a component having a series of cams and a planar face, each of the cams and planar face being configured to interact with a corresponding engagement device of each storage portion.

[0010] The braking mechanism may be movable so as to align one of a series of cams or one of a series of planar portions with the corresponding storage portion engagement device.

[0011] The movement of the braking mechanism may include the rotation of the braking mechanism.

[0012] The engagement device for each of the plurality of storage portions may include a wedge portion positioned to move past the braking mechanism when the braking mechanism is in its unlocked position and when the storage portion is being moved from its open position to its closed position.

[0013] When the braking mechanism is in its locked position and the storage portion is in its closed position, the wedge portion may not be able to move past the braking mechanism.

[0014] The wedge-shaped portion of each storage section can interact with the corresponding cam of the braking mechanism, but does not interact with the corresponding planar portion of the braking mechanism.

[0015] The storage section may include drawers.

[0016] When the braking mechanism is in its locked state, the drawer can be moved from its open position to its closed position, causing the engagement device to rotate the braking mechanism to its unlocked state.

[0017] By providing a detent mechanism that allows selective interaction with the engagement device of each storage unit, so that the storage unit can move from its open position to its closed position even when the detent mechanism is arranged to restrict each storage section to its respective closed position, the present invention provides a more versatile container than containers available to date. In particular, this allows the user of the container to easily and quickly close the opened storage section even when the container is in its locked / closed state (i.e., the drawer is prevented from being opened).

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a container is provided, comprising: The housing defines the drawer opening and the lock opening; A plurality of drawers are disposed in the drawer openings, and each of the drawers is configured to move between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position, access to the interior of the drawer is not obstructed, and in the closed position, access to the interior of the drawer is obstructed; A rotary lock, disposed in a lock opening and having a series of cams and a flat surface, wherein the rotary lock is configured to rotate between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein in the locked position, the cams prevent the drawer from moving from its closed position to its open position, and wherein in the unlocked position, the flat surface allows the drawer to move freely between its open and closed positions; and The feature is that each drawer includes a stop having a ramp surface and a locking surface, wherein the ramp surface is configured to engage a cam when the rotary lock is in its locked position and allow the drawer to move from its open position to its closed position, and wherein the stop is configured to engage the cam when the rotary lock is in its locked position and prevent the drawer from moving from its closed position to its open position. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 A perspective view of the container according to the present invention is shown; Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A perspective view of the container, with the braking mechanism in its locked position; Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 A perspective view of the container, with the braking mechanism in its unlocked position; Figure 4 , which includes Figure 4 a and Figure 4 b shows two perspective views of the braking mechanism (each rotated 180° relative to the other); Figure 5 It shows Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the main components of the container; Figure 6 This shows the section taken along line XX. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the container's drawer; Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 Detailed sectional view of area A; Figure 8 A perspective view of one of the drawers is shown; Figure 9 It shows Figure 8 A detailed perspective view of a portion of the drawer; Figure 10 It shows Figure 1 A perspective view of the inside of the container, with all drawers removed; Figure 11a It shows Figure 1 A top view of the container, with the lock in its locked position; Figure 11b It shows Figure 11a A partial sectional front view; Figure 11c It shows Figure 11a and 11b A partial sectional perspective view of the container; Figure 11d It shows Figure 11a , 11b A schematic cross-sectional view of the interaction between the lock and drawer of 11c; Figure 12a It shows Figure 1 A top view of the container, with the lock in its unlocked position; Figure 12b It shows Figure 12a A partial sectional front view; Figure 12c It shows Figure 12a and 12b A partial sectional perspective view of the container; Figure 12d It shows Figure 12a , 12b A schematic cross-sectional view of the interaction between the lock and drawer of 12c.

[0020] Figure 13 , which includes Figure 13 a shows a side perspective view of a container according to a second embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above; it includes... Figure 13 b shows in detail Figure 13 Region A of a; Figure 14 , which includes Figure 14 a shows Figure 13 A side perspective view of the container of a; which includes Figure 14 b shows in detail Figure 14 Region B of a; Figure 15 , which includes Figure 15 a shows Figure 13 A side perspective view of container a, viewed from above; it includes... Figure 15 b shows in detail Figure 15 Region C of a; Figure 16 It shows Figure 13 A top view of container a, with the drawer of the container in the open position; Figure 17 , which includes Figure 17 a shows Figure 16 A partial cross-sectional view of a rotatable lock; it includes... Figure 17 b shows Figure 17 Detailed view of the circular area of ​​the rotatable lock; Figure 18 , which includes Figure 18 a shows when the drawer has begun to move from its open position to its closed position. Figure 16 A partial cross-sectional view of a rotatable lock; it includes... Figure 18 b shows Figure 18 Detailed view of the circular area showing the position of the rotatable lock of a; Figure 19 , which includes Figure 19 a shows when the drawer has been moved to its closed position. Figure 16 A partial cross-sectional view of a rotatable lock; it includes... Figure 19 b shows Figure 19 A detailed view of the circular area where the rotatable lock of a is located.

[0021] Figure 20 , which includes Figure 20 a shows the situation when the drawer has been moved to its closed position and the rotary lock has been moved to its unlocked position. Figure 16 A partial cross-sectional view of a rotatable lock; it includes... Figure 20 b shows Figure 20 A detailed view of the circular portion showing the position of the rotatable lock of a. Detailed Implementation

[0022] First refer to Figure 1 As can be seen, container 2 includes a plastic body 4 with a carrying handle 6 and multiple (here, three) storage sections, which are sliding drawers 8. Each drawer 8 can be moved completely into the body 4 of container 2 (i.e., into its "closed" position) or moved out (even partially) from the body 4 (i.e., into its "open" position) independently of any or all other drawers. To enable the drawers to open or close, each drawer is provided with a front handle 10, which the user can grasp to move the drawer 8.

[0023] Container 2 includes an upper positioning member 12 and a lower positioning member 14, allowing the containers to be stacked on top of each other. The upper positioning member 12 and the lower positioning member 14 are locked to each other by a latching device 15 that can be moved by a user. The feasible stacking of containers 4 will not be described further here, as the concept is well known to those skilled in the art.

[0024] Container 2 includes a braking mechanism, which is a rotatable lock 16. (See reference) Figure 2 The diagram shows a lock 16 located at one corner of the container. In this example, the lock 16 is manually rotatable, allowing the user of the container to move the braking mechanism between its "locked" and "unlocked" positions, and to either position, by rotating the lock 16 90°, as will be described in more detail below. When the rotatable lock 16 is in its locked position, none (or each or all) of the drawers 8 in the closed position within the container 2 can be opened. When any (or each or all) of the drawers 8 is in its open position, the drawer can be moved by the user to its closed position, i.e., moved into the container 2. When the rotatable lock 16 is in its unlocked position, any (or each or all) of the drawers 8 in the closed position within the container 2 can be opened, and any (or each or all) of the drawers 8 in the open position (i.e., outside the container—whether partially or completely) can be closed. In other words, when the rotatable lock 16 is in its unlocked position, all drawers 8 are able to move freely between their open and closed positions.

[0025] exist Figure 2 In the locked position, lock 16 is in its locked position, meaning that since all drawers 8 are closed and held inside container 2, it is impossible to access the interior of each drawer 8. When lock 16 is in its locked position, as... Figure 2 All the closed drawers shown in Figure 8 cannot be opened.

[0026] Figure 3 It shows the relationship with Figure 2 The lock 16 has been rotated 90° from its original position, placing it in the unlocked position. This allows any one or more drawers of drawer 8 to be moved to their open position. In the diagram, only the middle drawer 8 is open, and only partially open.

[0027] refer to Figure 4 a and 4b, Figure 4 a and 4b show lock 16 in two perspective views, where lock 16 is in Figure 4 a and Figure 4 The two sides have been rotated 180°. It can be seen that the lock 16 has a series of alternating cams 18 and flats 20 extending along its main axis zz. The function of these cams 18 and flats 20 will be explained below.

[0028] A manually actuated knob 22 is formed at one end of the lock 16, and a snap-fit ​​retainer 24 is formed at the other end of the lock 16. The snap-fit ​​retainer 24 is used to hold the lock 16 in place when it is inserted into the container 2. The lock 16 has a generally circular cross-section and extends along the main axis zz (see...). Figure 4 b). The lock can rotate about this axis, allowing the user to grasp the knob 22 to rotate the lock 16.

[0029] Figure 6 This illustrates how the lock 16 is fitted into the axial channel 25 formed in the body of the container 2. Once the lock 16 is held within the channel 25 by the engagement between the body of the container 2 and the snap-fit ​​retainer 24, the lock 16 can be rotated about its axis by a torque applied by a user to the knob 22. The lock is capable of rotating + / -90°, as will be explained below.

[0030] Now for reference Figure 7 , 8 As can be seen from 9 and 10, in this example, the representative drawer 8 includes an integrated handle 10, which the user of container 2 can use to open and close drawer 8. Drawer 8 is defined by a connecting rod 26 (in... Figure 8 (As shown in the diagram defining the left side of drawer 8), the connecting rod 26 connects to a pair of container slides 28, 30 (see also...) Figure 10The mechanism works in conjunction to hold drawer 8 within container 2 and to allow drawer 8 to open and close along the inner container drawer slot 32. It can be understood that a similar connecting rod 26' is formed on the right-hand side of each drawer.

[0031] An engagement device, which is a wedge-shaped portion 34 in this example, is formed on the front outer edge of the engagement rod 26. The function of the wedge-shaped portion 34 is to selectively cooperate with the rotatable lock 16, as will be explained below. In this example, this cooperation occurs between the wedge-shaped portion 34 and the cam 18 and the flat portion 20 of the rotatable lock 16.

[0032] To understand the interaction between the rotatable lock 16 and the wedge-shaped portion 34, refer to Figure 11a , 11b Figures 11c and 11d all show the rotatable lock 16 in the locked position. In the locked position, lock 16 prevents each drawer 8 from being opened (whether partially or fully) from its closed position within the container 2. However, in the unlocked position, if any, multiple, or all of the drawers 8 are opened (whether partially or fully), they can each be moved to their respective closed positions within the container. Figure 12a , 12b 12c and 12d show lock 16 in the unlocked position.

[0033] exist Figures 11a to 11d As can be seen, the knob 22 has been rotated so that each cam 18 of the rotatable lock 16 protrudes into the path of the drawer 8, such that if the user attempts to open the drawer from its closed (i.e., locked inside the container 2) position to its open position (and when the user does so), the wedge 34 of the drawer 8 cannot move past the cams. Therefore, the drawer 8 cannot be moved from inside the container 2 to its open position by being pulled along the drawer slot 32 by its handle 10. This is due to the interaction between the wedge 34 and the cam 18, where the front outer surface 36 of the wedge 34 abuts against the cam 18. This interaction can also be seen in… Figure 7 As seen in the image, the cam 18 provides a physical barrier to opening the drawer 8 due to the contact between the cam 18 and the front outer surface 36 of the wedge 34.

[0034] As described above, the rotatable lock 16 includes a series of axially extending cams 18 and flat faces 20 (in this example, each series has 3 sets of cams and flat faces). Figure 11b and 11d This illustrates how a series of cams 18 provide physical obstruction to the path traversed by each drawer 8. However, [the following is unclear and likely incomplete: "will..."] Figure 11b and 11d and the corresponding Figure 12b and 12d (Among them, the rotatable lock 16 has been rotated 90°) for comparison. Figure 12b and 12d This illustrates how the flat portion 20 does not obstruct the opening of the corresponding drawer 8 (or, in fact, any opening and closing movement).

[0035] Therefore, when the rotatable lock 16 has been rotated (via knob 22) to Figures 12a to 12d In the position shown, the user of container 2 can freely move each or all of the drawers 8 between the open and closed positions via the handle 10. This is because there is no cam 18 that restricts the movement of the drawers 8 by engaging with the front outer surface 36.

[0036] A key feature of this invention is the wedge-shaped portion 34 formed on each drawer 8. Because the drawers 8 are arranged (via their upper and lower slide rails 28, 30) to slide into and out of their respective drawer slots 32 (for clarity, in...), Figure 10 Only one drawer slot 32 is shown in the diagram, therefore each wedge 34 is shaped such that drawer 8 is allowed to close even when the rotatable lock 16 has been rotated to its locked position. The reason for this is that the material forming the wedge 34 is chosen to be elastically deformable. An example of such a material is rubber compound. This means the wedge is compressible because when the rotatable lock is in its locked position (… Figure 7 and Figure 11d As drawer 8 moves from its open position to its closed position, the wedge is forced to engage with cam 18. A ramp effect exists when the narrow portion of the wedge first contacts cam 18, and this effect (the compressive force applied to the material of the wedge) increases as drawer 8 closes further. Ultimately, if the user applies sufficient closing force to the drawer via handle 10, the entire wedge 34 is fully compressed and forced through cam 18 until it reaches the... Figure 7 and 11d The final position is shown. In this final (closed) position, the wedge has moved completely past cam 18 and has returned to its initial shape.

[0037] It is understood that, as an alternative to making the material of the wedge 34 elastically deformable, the engaging rod 26 and / or the outer front surface 36 of the wedge 34 can also be elastically deformable, so that when the wedge 34 moves past the cam 18 (i.e., when the drawer 8 moves from its open position to its closed position), the increased force exerted on the interface of the wedge 34 / engaging rod 26 due to the movement of the drawer 8 causes the engaging rod 26 to move to the right (when observing...). Figure 7 (This can be done in this situation) flexing and deforming, thus making it possible for the wedge-shaped portion 34 to pass through the cam 18 while contacting it. By making the outer front surface 36 compressible, the outer front surface 36 can be shortened as the wedge-shaped portion 34 moves past and contacts the cam 18 (again, as...). Figure 7 As shown, the same effect can be achieved (as a substitute for or addition to the elastic deformation of the connecting rod 26) in the direction to the right.

[0038] Importantly, due to the shape of the wedge 34 and the engagement of the outer front surface 36 with the cam 18, subsequent opening of the drawer is impossible unless and until the rotatable lock 16 is rotated 90° to enter the open position, such as... Figures 12a to 12d As shown, the planar portion 20 opposite to the cam 18 is opposite to the outer front surface 36 of the wedge-shaped portion 34.

[0039] Those skilled in the art will understand that the wedge 34 can be made of a non-elastic material. In this case, the cam 18 and / or the engaging rod 26 need to be elastic, and preferably made of an elastically deformable material. An important requirement here is that when i) the rotatable lock 16 is in its locked position, and ii) the drawer 8 is open and it is desired to close the drawer 8, the wedge 34 has the ability to move past the cam 18; such that the drawer 8 can (under force) move from its open position past the cam 18 to reach the closed position of the drawer 8.

[0040] As can be understood from the above, by rotating the knob 22 between two positions spaced 90° apart, selective alignment is achieved between the i) cam 18 or the ii) flat portion 20 and the wedge-shaped portion 34 of each corresponding drawer 8. Figure 11d The alignment of cam 18 with wedge 34 is shown (i.e., the rotatable lock 16 is in its locked position). Figure 12d The alignment of the flat portion 20 and the wedge-shaped portion 34 is shown (i.e., the rotatable lock 16 is in its unlocked position). Figure 12a In the unlocked position, there is no interaction between the flat part 20 and the wedge-shaped part 34. This allows each drawer 8 to move freely between its open and closed positions.

[0041] When drawer 8 is in its closed position, drawer 8 is completely retained within the main body of container 2, for example, Figure 2 As shown. When the drawer is closed like this, it is impossible to access the inside of the drawer, and consequently, it is impossible to access the contents of the drawer.

[0042] Now for reference Figures 13 to 20 , which shows Figures 1 to 12d Alternative embodiments of the embodiments are described, although the same parts are labeled with the same reference numerals as in the preceding figures. Although Figures 13 to 20 The embodiment also uses the drawer wedge 34, but it operates in a slightly different manner in terms of its interaction with the rotatable lock 16, as will be explained.

[0043] exist Figure 13In 20a through 20b, the rotatable lock 16 is spring-biased toward its locked position and has the ability to be rotated and held in its unlocked position. To achieve this, the spring member 38 engages with both the rotatable lock 16 and the plastic body 4 of the container 2 to provide torque between them. Figure 13 In alternative embodiments a through 20b, the rotatable lock 16 will always tend to rotate from its unlocked position to its locked position unless it has been held or restricted in its unlocked position and therefore cannot be rotated. In this case, the wedge 34 deflects and passes through the cam 18 (instead of the rotatable lock being rotated to its unlocked position). Specifically, when the rotatable lock 16 is in its locked position and the drawer 8 is in its open position, the movement of the drawer into its closed position will cause the wedge 34 of the drawer 8 to deflect elastically and pass through the corresponding cam 18 of the rotatable lock 16 (as shown in the image). Figures 1 to 12d (as in previous embodiments), or cause the rotatable lock 16 to rotate from its locked position to its unlocked position (in either case, allowing drawer 8 to close).

[0044] Now for special reference Figures 16 to 20 b, which shows the sequence of moving the drawer from its open position to its closed position when the rotary lock is initially in its locked position. Figure 16 , Figure 17 a and Figure 17 In b, the rotatable lock 16 is in its locked position. This is the normal biased position of the rotatable lock 16 due to the force of the spring 38 keeping it taut and applying torque to the rotatable lock 16 (clockwise when viewed in the figure). The spring member 38 has one end 38a connected to the knob 22 plug 40 and the other end 38b connected to the container plug 42, and is under tension in a known manner.

[0045] The lower side of the knob 22 has two pins; the first pin 40 engages with the end 38a of the spring 38. The first knob pin 40 and the second knob pin 44 are respectively arranged to travel in the arcuate groove 46 formed in the body of the container 2 when the rotatable lock 16 is rotated.

[0046] The rotatable lock 16 can be held in its unlocked position due to the interaction between the bolts 40, 44 and two radially opposing arcuate shoulders 48 formed on the inner surface of the arcuate groove 46. If the knob 22 (or in effect the rotatable lock 16) is rotated counterclockwise with sufficient force (as seen in the diagram), allowing each bolt 40, 44 to move past and over its corresponding shoulder 48, the interaction between the shoulder 48 and the bolts 40, 44 will hold the bolts in place (i.e., in their unlocked position) when the rotational force is removed. Unless sufficient force is applied to the rotatable lock 16 in the clockwise direction, the bolts 40, 44 cannot roll over the shoulder 48 to return the rotatable lock 16 to its normal locked position.

[0047] In the locked state, the rotatable lock 16 presents its cam 18 to the drawer wedge 34. In the unlocked state, the rotatable lock 16 presents its flat portion 20 to the drawer wedge 34.

[0048] Drawer 8 moves toward its closed position, as... Figure 18 As shown in diagram a, the wedge-shaped portion 34 pushes the cam 18, thereby applying torque to the rotatable lock 16 (when observing...). Figure 18 (b is counterclockwise). This causes the bolts 40 and 44 to move counterclockwise away from their locked positions and travel within the slot 46 toward their corresponding shoulders 48, thereby causing partial rotation of the rotatable lock 16, such as... Figure 18 As shown in a and 18b.

[0049] Continue to close drawer 8, causing Figure 19 The situations shown in a and 19b. In Figure 19 In step b, the rotatable lock 16 has moved to its unlocked position, therefore the drawer is closed. Importantly, from... Figure 19 As can be seen in b, bolts 40 and 44 abut, but do not move (counterclockwise) past their respective shoulders 48. This means that once the wedge 34 of drawer 8 has moved past the cam 18 of the rotatable lock 16, the rotatable lock 16 will rotate clockwise under the tension of spring 38 to return to its unlocked position (e.g., as shown in image b). Figure 17 (as shown in b). Therefore, this means that unless the user rotates knob 22 to move the rotatable lock to the position shown in b), the lock will remain locked. Figure 20 The unlocked positions shown in a and 20b are such that the bolts 40 and 44 are held in the slots 46 by their respective shoulders 48 (which have been moved over and past the shoulders 48), otherwise the drawer 8 would be held in the closed position within the container 2 because the rotatable lock has automatically returned to its normal locked state under the action of the spring 38.

[0050] Figure 20 a and 20b show the user having rotated knob 22 so that the rotatable lock is held in its unlocked position.

[0051] Although the described braking element provides physical contact between the engagement device and the braking mechanism in the storage section, as mentioned above, other braking mechanisms are also within the scope of the invention, such as magnetic switching locking elements. Such magnetic locks have magnets (e.g., electromagnets) on the rotatable lock and / or on each drawer. The electromagnets can be selectively activated (locked) or deactivated (unlocked) to allow each drawer to be held (locked) in its closed position (and be able to move from its open position to its closed position), or to prevent the drawers from opening (locked).

[0052] Feature list: 2 containers 4. Plastic body 6. Handle 8 drawers 10 Drawer handles 12 Upper positioning components 14 Lower positioning components 15. Latch 16 Rotatable lock (braking mechanism) 18 Cams 20. Planar section 22 knobs 24 Snap-fit ​​retainers for rotatable locks 26 Connecting rod 28 Container Slide #1 30 Container Slide #2 32 drawer slots 34 Drawer wedge-shaped section 36. Front outer surface of wedge-shaped portion 34 38 Spring components 40 First knob 22 Plug 42 container plug 44 Second knob plug 46. ​​Arc-shaped groove in the container 48. Curved groove shoulder

Claims

1. A container (2) having a plurality of storage sections (8), each of the plurality of storage sections being used to hold articles therein; Each of the plurality of storage sections can move independently between an open position and a closed position, except for any other storage section among the plurality of storage sections; Furthermore, in the open position, the items within the storage section are accessible, and in the closed position, the items within the storage section are inaccessible. The container includes a braking mechanism (16) having a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein the braking mechanism, when in its locked state, is arranged to restrict each of the plurality of storage sections (8) to its respective closed position, and the braking mechanism, when in its unlocked state, allows each of the plurality of storage sections to move freely between its open and closed positions. And each of the plurality of storage portions includes an engagement device (34) for interacting with the braking mechanism (16) when the braking mechanism is in its locked state, such that if a storage portion of the plurality of storage portions is in its closed position, the storage portion cannot be moved to its open position, and if a storage portion of the plurality of storage portions is in its open position, the storage portion can be moved to its closed position. The braking mechanism (16) extends axially along the main axis (zz) and has a knob (22) at one end that allows the braking mechanism (16) to be manually rotated between a locked position and an unlocked position about the main axis (zz). It also includes a series of cams (18) and a flat surface (20) between the two ends. The series of cams (18) are rotatable to provide physical obstruction to the path traversed by the storage section (8).

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the interaction between the braking mechanism and the engagement device includes physical contact between the braking mechanism and the engagement device, and wherein, The braking mechanism (16) is located at the corner of the container.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the braking mechanism comprises a component having an alternating series of cams (18) and face surfaces (20), each of the series of cams (18) and face surfaces (20) being configured to interact with a corresponding engagement device (34) of each storage section (8), and the knob (22) being able to rotate the braking mechanism (16) by ±90°.

4. The container according to claim 3, wherein the braking mechanism is movable to align one of the series of cams (18) and the flat surface (20), or one of the flat surfaces (20) of the series of cams (18) and the flat surface (20), with the corresponding storage portion (8) engagement device (34), and wherein the braking mechanism (16) has a circular cross-section.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein the movement of the braking mechanism includes manual rotation of the braking mechanism, and wherein each cam (18) is rotatable to protrude into the drawer path of the storage section.

6. The container according to claim 3, wherein the engagement device (34) of each of the plurality of storage portions (8) includes a wedge portion that is positioned to move through the braking mechanism (16) when the braking mechanism is in its unlocked position and when the storage portion (8) is being moved from its open position to its closed position.

7. The container according to claim 6, wherein when the braking mechanism is in its locked position and the storage portion (8) is in its closed position, the wedge cannot move past the braking mechanism (16).

8. The container according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the wedge-shaped portion of each storage section interacts with the corresponding cam (18) of the braking mechanism (16) and does not interact with the corresponding planar portion (20) of the braking mechanism.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container includes a body (4), the storage portion includes a drawer movable into or out of the body (4), and the braking mechanism (16) is fitted within an axial channel (25) in the body (4).

10. The container according to claim 1, wherein when the braking mechanism (16) is in its locked state, moving the drawer from its open position to its closed position causes the engagement device (34) to rotate the braking mechanism (16) to its unlocked state.

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