AU626712B2

AU626712B2 - Improved collapsible container

Info

Publication number: AU626712B2
Application number: AU61118/90A
Authority: AU
Inventors: James Deane Coogan; John Miller
Original assignee: Rees Operations Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Rees Operations Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1989-08-23
Filing date: 1990-08-20
Publication date: 1992-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 2010-08-20
Also published as: AU6111890A

Description

I- i 1% i DI la~asC~--.TC~' 626712 Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-62 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Application Number: Lodged: Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: P a 0 o a 0 0 Name of Applicant: 0 AdicrbSs of Applicant: Actur Inventors: Ad.drps for Service: Complete Specification Complete Specification TO DE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT REES OPERATIONS PTY LTD 24 Starr Avenue, Plympton North, South Australia, Australia JAMES DEANE COOGAN and JOHN MILLER Care of R K MADDERN ASSOCIATES, 345 King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia for the invention entitled: "IMPROVED COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to-me, us t

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This invention relates to an improved collapsible shipping container, and in particular to a collapsible container for the freighting and storage of bulk liquids (hazardous or nonhazardous), of the type comprising a pallet base, a pair of opposed end panels hinged with respect to the base for folding inwardly thereonto, a pair of opposed side panels hinged also with respect to the base for folding inwardly thereonto, a floor on the pallet base, a lid or top panel arranged to be supported on the upper edges of the side and end panels when the cage is erected so as to close off the top end of the container, the container, when in an erected condition, being of substantially parallelepiped form, whilst when in its collapsed condition, the side and end panels lie in a flat condition on top of the pallet base with the top or lid panel disposed above or on top of the end panel remote from the container floor, and a flexible bag or liner for receiving bulk liquid housed within the container and supported on the floor of the pallet base.

Collapsible storage containers having inwardly folding side and end walls are well known and much prior art is known to the Applicant in this field. In this regard, reference is made to the Applicant's co-pending PCT application PCT/AU89/00211 for an invention entitled "Improvements to a Collapsible Pallet Cage" filed 16th May, 1989.

0ee* It will of course be appreciated that in many areas of transport, the large rigid-type non-collapsible container used in ships and freight vessels is totally unsuitable and that by having a container which, after having been unloaded, is able to be collapsed to form a unit which is only a fraction of the height of the container when erected, makes it extremely convenient for stacking purposes for return shipment along with significant cost benefits.

The Applicant is aware of numerous attempts to adapt collapsible containers so as to render them suitable to store and transport bulk fluids such as azardous or non-hazardous liquids, this being an alternative to heavy steel drunis which 2 are both expensive and space consuming when return shipment is made in the empty condition. Generally such prior art bulk liquid containers employ an inner collapsible liquid impermeable liner, bag or bladder with outlet means such as an outlet cock or spout to enable the contents of the bag to be discharged when required, the outlet means normally extending through an opening formed in the front panel of the container adjacent its lower end.

One of the major problems associated with such prior art bulk liquid containers is their inability to withstand significant external forces or loading to which they are normally subjected during their handling and transportation.

Another problem is their inability to properly support the liner or bag (when full) without a portion of the wall of the 15 liner extruding through a small opening, e.g. a crack or 4 44 o crevice, in the container base resulting in its pinching.

4 4 It is the main object of the present invention to provide C C o an improved collapsible container for the transport and storage Sof fluids, especially liquids, which obviates the problems hereinbefore mentioned and, in one form of this invention, there is provided a collapsible container suitable for the storage of bulk liquids comprising a pallet base, a floor supported on the pallet base, a pair of opposed end panels a, hinged with respect to the base for folding inwardly relative thereto into a collapsed condition, a pair of opposed side Spanels hinged also with respect to the base for folding 4 4 o inwardly relative thereto into a collapsed condition, and a lid or cover panel arranged to be supported on the upper edges of said side and end panels when the container is in its erected 00O condition, said pallet base comprising peripheral and intermediate frame members forming an upper deck for supporting the bottom wall of said floor and also a lower deck spaced from the upper deck sufficient to enable forklift tines to be inserted therebetwee\, and a plurality of short length load supporting vertical uprights extending between the upper and lower decks, the improvements comprising stub corner posts fixed vertically at the four corners of the pallet base and 3 i A

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i extending above the plane -f the floor thereof, each corner post being of angle section and having flanges defining a recess which faces inwardly, each said panel being pivotally attached by pivot means at or adjacent each of its lower corners between a pair of said cozner posts, 9ach said pivot *mnc comvprskin;j a horiznta-l ri n g in at apzrture in a flange of a rcspcc tiv said cerner each said panel, when in its erected position, having marginal portions thereof overlapping corresponding flanges of adjacent said zorner posts, said floor being formed as a unitary tray member comprising an horizontal bottom wall and upstanding peripheral skirting walls arranged to present a substantially smooth continuous surface directed to the interior of the container, each said skirting wall terminating along its upper end in an horizontally outwardly directed flange, said horizontal flanges forming horizontal support surfaces located above said floor 0' but below the upper ends of the corner posts for supporting the 0*0 bottom or lower edge surfaces of said side and end panels (when S in their erected condition), the height of each of the 20 horizontal flanges above the floor being different to one S another, and load support means between each said horizontal 0o flange and a respective said upper deck peripheral frame member for supporting said flange and its associated said skirting wall, whereby loading forces applied thereagainst are ,45 transmitted to said pallet base.

04 00 004i 0 ~oC 0 0 *0 a Q 0 o000 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0« 0 *0 With this arrangement, the horizontal axes of the panels are spaced at different distances from the floor of the pallet base so that the panels can be folded one on top of the other in overlying approximately parallel relationship.

o0 4 S0< Preferably the tray of the floor is formed from a blank of sheet or plate metal, the blank having its marginal portions formed, e.g. by a metal-forming process, into inverted L-shaped formations so as to form the upstanding skirting walls extending continuously around the inner periphery of the floor nd the out-turned horizontal flanges for supporting the bottom or lower edges of the folding panels. Preferably each of the khorizontal flanges terminates alorg its outer margin in a I I depending lip and locates over its associated load support means, which preferably comprises a continuous beam assembly, whereby each horizontal flange and its associated skirting wall are supported along their lengths; the flange being supported continuously along its length.

Preferably, said load support means are provided with lengthwise spaced upstanding abutment lugs secured, e.g. by welding, to their outer surfaces, such abutment lugs providing support for the folding panels, when in the erected condition, against outward bulging movement by virtue of the outward pressures exerted thereagainst by the contents of the flexible bag or liner.

Preferably, the floor is formed as a replaceable tray removably supported on the upper deck of the pallet base.

b With the container of this invention, the inner flexible i bag or liner (when filled) will be firmly supported by the load bearing floor of the pallet base and the pairs of opposed side and end panels when in their erected condition, and allows the 0 container, after the liner is emptied of its contents and is in a collapsed deflated condition on the floor of the pallet base, to be readily collapsed by folding the panels inwardly so as to "o 25 overlie one on top of the other. In this condition the proo collapsed container along with others in a similar collapsed condition may be stacked on top of one another for return shipment.

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9 30 In order to more fully explain the present invention, an embodiment is described hereunder wyith reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:- Fig 1 is a perspective view of the erected container; Fig 2 is a plan view of the pallet base with the floor omitted for clarity; Ti Fig 3 is an exploded perspective view of the container shown in Fig 1; Fig 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the pallet base and side panels; Fig 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the pallet base and end panels; Fig 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner region of the pallet base showing the pivotal connections of two of the panels; and Figs 7(a) and are fragmentary perspective views of the latching mechanism.

0 00 Referring to Fig 1 of the drawings which shows the container in an erected condition, the collapsible container comprises a rectangular pallet base 11 which is provided at ,1A• each of its four corners with stub corner posts 12 of angle- 0 section, the base 11 supporting a pair of folding end panels 13, 14 (panel 13 constituting the front panel, and panel 14 constituting the rear panel) and a pair of folding side panels 15, 16, and a lid or cover panel 17 supported on top of the panels 13, 14 15 and 16.

S i 0. The base 11 is provided with an horizontal tray-like floor 20 of sheet metal which is supported by an upper deck 21 which in turn is supported by a lower deck 22 by short length vertical uprights 23, in addition to the angle stub corner post 12. In this embodiment the upper and lower decks 21, 22 comprise peripheral frame members 21', 22' and intersecting intermediate frame members 21", 22" extending at right angles to one another. The frame members are all formed of tubular metal, as well as the vertical uprights 23 which however may also be formed of angle cross-section, the uprights 23 extending between and secured e.g. by welding, to opposed walls of th o peripheral frame members 21', 22' (refer Figs 4 and The floor tray 20 is formed by a punching ana bending process from an approximately rectangular blank of sheet metal.

As shown in Figs 3 and 4, the floor tray 20 is formed around its inner periphery with upstanding skirting walls 25, 26, 27 ~and 28, each of which has a diffe7.ent vertical height. Each skirting wall terminates along its upper end in an horizontal outwardly projecting flange 25', 26', 27', 28' which in turn merges with a depending lip 25"1, 26"1, 27"1, 28". The channel or U-shaped space formed between a skirting wall and its 110 corresponding depending lip is wide enough to accommodate a load support or strengthening member 29, 30, 31, 32 each of which is supported on and upstanding from a respective upper deck peripheral frame memibar 21', to thereby provide loading support for the flanges 25', 26', 27', 28' and also the skirting walls 25, 26, 27 28.

66666 In this embodiment, each of the load support members 31, 32 is formed as a continuous beam, comprising a channelsection sheet metal member 30', 31', 32' respectively which has 6 6 welded to it, at spaced intervals along its length, a plurality eD of uprights 30"1, 31"1, 32"1, either of angle or channel section.

Thus, the flanges 26', 27', 28' are supported continuously along their lengths, whilst the skirting walls are greatly 666 stiffened against outward deformation.

The member 29, which extends across the front of -the pallet base, in this embodiment, comprises a length of metal 'A0 0 0*0 tube which is welded to its associated peripheral frame member 21', on top thereof in face to face relationship. It will be seen that the height of the front skirting wall 25 is the smallest, whilst the rear skirting wall 26 is the largest.

In this embodiment, the members 30, 31, 32 are removably located on the upper deck 21 of the pallet base 11 and are approximately co-extensive with the flanges which they support, and as with the panels 13, 14, 15, 16, each extend between a pair of adjacent corner posts 12.

_1 I Preferably, each member 30, 31, 32 has strengthening uprights 30", 31", 32" respectively, at respective ends thereof, to ensure that loading forces caused when the collapsed containers are stacked on top of one another are effectively transmitted at the corner regions to the pallet base.

As shown in Figs 3 and 4, the members 30, 31, 32 are provided with upstanding lugs 19 which provide additional support for the panels 14, 15, 16 against outward bulging movement.

The one-piece metal floor tray 20 forms an essentially smooth continuous surface directed into the interior of the container for accommodating and supporting the flexible bag or liner (not shown) housed interiorly of the container, and eliminates any possibility of the bag material being damaged e.g. by pinching.

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ftr a ft ac ft Pt ftr ft SEach of the folding panels 13, 14, 15 and 16 is pivotally supported between respective pairs of stub corner posts 12 by means of offset horizontal pivot pins 35 which engage in holes 36 formed in the corner posts 12, with their inner ends journalled in short length sleeves 37 welded to the underside of the panel of each side thereof and offset from its central axis (refer Fig Each stub corner post 12 is provided with a pair of vertically spaced holes or apertures 36, one in each S limb or flange thereof, for receiving respective pivot pins S of a pair of adjacent folding panels.

The varying heights of the skirting walls 25, 26, 27, 28 allow the folding panels 13, 14, 15, 16 respectively to be S hinged at different heights with the hinge axis for the front panel 13 being slightly below the hinge axis of the right hand side panel 16 which in turn is slightly below the hinge axis for the left hand side panel 15, which also in turn is slightly below the hinge axis for the rear panel 14. The panels are arranged so that the front panel 13, when the container is required to be collapsed (with the bag or liner emptied of its

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contents), can be firstly folded inwardly so as to lie almost flat on the floor tray 20 of the pallet base 11 (over approximately the whole of its area) followed by the side panel 16 so as to lie approximately flat on top of the folded down front panel 13, then the side panel 15 followed finally by the rear panel 14, together with its attached lid or cover panel 17, the rear panel 14 being folded inwardly so as to lie approximately flat on top of the side panel 15 with the lid or cover panel 17 being supported on top of the rear panel 14. It will of course be realised that the lid or cover panel 17 need not be pivotally or hingedly connected to the rear panel 14 but may be formed as a separate panel which is first liftnd from the upper edges of the four other panels prior to folding the latter inwardly one on top of the other.

With the folding panels 13, 14, 15, 16 in their erected o>o positions, their bottom edges or edge surfaces are contiguous with the upper surfaces of the horizontal flanges 25', 26', oo 27', 28' of the floor tray, the flanges in turn being supported by their beam support members 29, 30, 31, 32. As a result any coa o6 load applied to the panels is transmitted directly to the pallet base via the members 29, 30, 31, 32. Virtually no weight is carried by the pivot pins 35. Furthermore, the continuous support given to the flanges 25', 26', 27', 28' by 0, the members 29, 30, 31, 32 prevents the flanges from buckling or deforming which otherwise might result in crevices or slitlike openings forming (between the flange and the panel lower 0 edge) and into which the flexible bag or liner, (when full) may extrude, in turn resulting in the pinching of the wall of the liner.

0 0 00 0D 000 0d 0 00 00 00 A Each of the folding panels 13, 14, 15 16 comprise a peripheral metal frame 13', 14', 15', 16' of angle-section frame members (refer Figs 1 and 3) to which are secured a solid panel of timber ply (or sheet metal) located on the inside of the angle metal frame members. In this embodiment each of the folding panels is of one-piece construction with each having intersecting intermediate reinforcing frame members to stiffen same.

i.c rr r r r-ilr* r .rr Each upper corner of the container 10 when in its erected condition) has a panel fastening or latching mechanism 40 to secure together adjacent pairs of panels so that the whole assembly is held securely when in its erected condition. The latching mechanism is substantially in accord with that described in the Applicant's earlier filed PCT application PCT/AU89/00211 and essentially comprises a vertically mounted pivoted rocking lever arm 41 pivotally supported on a pivot 42 spaced a short ditan-cs from the plane of the arm and which extends at right angles to the plane of the panel on which it is carried, the pivot 42 being carried on a short length metal bracket 43 secured to and projecting inwardly from one of the peripheral angle frame members of the panel. The lever arm 41 is provided with a latch pin 44 which projects substantially at right angles to the arm 41, the pin 44 being guided for °do.eo approximately rectilinear movement by means of a guide tube fixed to the panel, the lever arm being spring loaded by means of a spring 46 towards its latched position. The latch pin 44 is arranged to engage through an aperture 47 (refer Fig 7) of a sliding latch engaging bar 48 which is carried adjacent the upper corner of an adjacent panel, the latch engaging bar 48 being guided for horizontal to and fro movement by a U-shaped guide member 49 and being arranged to slide through openings formed in the frame members of the adjacent panels. The latch "y5 mechanism 40 is illustrated in detail in Figs and of 000a 0 the accompanying drawings.

As shown in Fig 1, an outlet gate 50 is provided in the front panel 13 to enable access to the liner and permit its contents to be discharged.

3. In this embodiment, the tray 20 is secured to the upper deck 21 of the pallet base by some of the pivot pins or bolts which locate through holes in skirting walls 26, 27, 28.

This applies to the pivot pins for the front panel 13, and one of the pins 35 for each of the side panels 14, 15. The securement of the members 30, 31, 32 which support the

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j peripheral walls of the tray 20, is achieved in the same manner.

With this arrangement therefore, the assembly of the container is very simple and is carried out by positioning the 5 load support members 30, 31, 32 on top of their associated upper deck peripheral frame members in an upright condition to extend between pairs of corner posts, (member 29 being previously fixed along the front of the upper deck), positioning the floor tray 20 onto the upper deck 21 with its flanges engaged over the upper edge surfaces of the members 29, 31, 32, locating the panels around the periphery of the upper deck with their bottom edges supported on corresponding flanges of the tray, and inserting the pivot pins or bolts to secure together as an assembly the base, floor tray, load o 15 support members and panels. Rivets may be used to additionally o fasten the members 30, 31, 32 to corner posts 12.

6 Q The present invention provides a collapsible container of o. high strength and rigidity and is particularly suited for the storage and transport of bulk liquids (either hazardous or nonhazardous) and designed to be able to withstand loading forces normally encountered during their handling with minimum likelihood of damage being suffered by the flexible bag or liner contained within the container, whilst at the same time providing a container which can be simply and quickly folded °o°2 between its erected and collapsed conditions and which may be conveniently transported in the collapsed condition. The invention also is designed to greatly minimize any possibility of the inner flexible bag or liner being pinched as a result of the bag wall being extruded through any crevice or crack in the floor of the pallet base.

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Claims

1. A collapsible container suitable for the storage of bulk liquids comprising a palilet base, a floor supported on the pallet base, a pair of opposed end panels hinged with respect to the base for folding movement between erect and collapsed positions, a pair of opposed side panels hinged also with respect to the base for folding movement between erect and collapsed positions, and a lid or cover panel arranged to be supported on the upper edges of said side and end panels when the container is in its erected condition, said pallet base comprising peripheral and intermediate frame members fcrming an upper deck for supporting the bottom wall of said floor and also a lower deck spaced from the upper deck sufficient to enable forklift tines to be inserted therebetween, a d a plurality of short liigth load supporting vertical uprights extending between the upper and lower decks, the improvements ,comprising stub corner posts fixed vertically at the four corners of the pallet base and extending above the plane of the floor thereof, each corner post being of angle section and having 20 flanges defining a recess which faces inwardly, pivot means at each of the lower corners of each said panel for pivotally supporting the panel so that it can undergo 0 0 o said folding movement, o each ,aid panel, when in its erect positi.on, having 25 marginal portions thereof overlapping corresponding flanges of adjacent said corner posts, I said floor being formed as a unitary tray member 09 .comprising an horizontal bottom wall and upstanding periphera. skirting walls arranged to present a substantially smooth continuous surface directed to the interior of the container, each said skirting wall terminating along its upper end in an horizontally outwardly directed flange, said horizontal flanges forming horizontal support surfaces located above said floor but below the upper ends of the corner posts for supporting the bottom or lower edge surfaces of said side and end panels (when S12 h It r- in their erected condition), the height of each of the horizontal flanges above the floor being diffe :ent to one another, and load support means between each said horizontal flange and a respective said upper deck peripheral frame member for supporting said flange and its associated said skirting wall, whereby loading forces applied thereagainst are transmitted to said pallet base.

2. An improved collapsible container according to claim 1 wherein each said load support means supports its associated said flange continuously along its entire length.

3. An improved collapsible container according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each said load support means comprises a plurality of horizontally aligned spaced apart vertical Do uprights of either channel or angle section, the inner edges or surfaces of said vertical uprights being contiguous with a respective said skirting wall, o o

4. An improved collapsible container according to claim 3 wherein said load support means comprises a channel beam having its opposite flanges directed inwardly, said vertical uprights extending between said flanges and having their ends contiguous therewith. 04o, t a

5. An improved collapsible container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said load support means Sassociated with one of said end panelo comprises a metal tube fixedly secured on the upper wall of the peripheral frame member extending approximately along its entire '.ength in contiguous relationship therewith, said metal tube having a S cross-sectional area which is smaller than the cross-sectional area of said peripheral frame member.

6. An improved collapsible container according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein each said outwardly directed flange terminates in a depending lip. 13 a i

7. An improved collapsible container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said tray member is removably secured to said upper deck by removable fasteners.

8. An improved collapsible container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each said pivot means comprises a horizontal pivot pin engaging in an aperture formed in a flange of a respective said corner post.

9. An improved collapsible container according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a plurality of lengthwise spaced upstanding abutment lugs secured to the outer surface of said load support means, said lugs providing support for the panels, when in their erect condition, against outward bulging movement due to outward pressure exerted thereagainst during use of the container.

10. An improved collapsible container according to claim 8 when appended to claim 4 wherein said beams are secured with 20 respect to the pallet base by some of said pivot pins or bolts. o 0

11. An improved collapsible container according to claim wherein said beams are additionally secured to corresponding flanges of adjacent said corner posts by rivets.

12. An improved collapsible contain,er according to any 'one of the preceding claims further comprising panel latching means for securing together adjacent pairs of said panels at *0.o each upper corner of the container when in its erected 30 condition.

13. An improved collapsible container according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a flexible liner or bag within the interior of the container and adapted to receive the material to be stored, and outlet means in one of the end panels of the container communicable with the interior of said flexible liner or bag and being accessible from the exterior of the container. A j

14. An improved collapsible container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each said folding panel comprises a rectangular metal frame formed by peripheral tubular frame members to which are secured a solid panel of timber ply or sheet metal. An improved collapsible container substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Dated this 20th day of August, 1990 REES OPERATIONS PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys R K MADDERN ASSOCIATES VI a 4 0I 0 0 4 Ct, 0 0 t I