CA2225474A1 - Folding container for transporting objects - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a plastic container for transporting objects with inwardly foldable side walls, in which, in the hinges (5) in the form of a pin (8) and eye (10), the eye (10) is divided into one hinge part (10a) fixed after injection moulding to one container component and another fitting hinge part (10b) which can be fitted on the fixed part to form the hinge eye (10) and, in the erected position, the pin engages in both hinge parts, and/or preferably V or U-shaped notches (19) are formed in one piece with the two lateral edges of opposite side walls (2, 3), which engage in the erected position of the side walls behind securing hooks (20) of side walls adjacent through a corner.

Description

, CA 0222~474 1997-12-22 Folding container for transporting objects This invention relates to plastic folding containers for transporting objects such as fruit and vegetables that has inward folding side walls so that the con-tainer can be converted from a receiving position, in which the side walls are perpendicular to the bottom, to a folded position in which the container can be stowed without requiring much space.
Such folding containers are known in various designs. The joints used are mainly joint hinges, although they constitute the weak point of such a folding container because they can be d~maged under load and with frequent use. Such containers, which are mass-produced goods, are not treated carefully during use;they are mostly unfolded very quickly and with force, which can soon lead to damage unless the joint hinges are of el~Llehlely robust combustion. HoweYer, ifthe joint hinges are of robust combustion they take up a lot of superfluous space and furthermore increase the total weight of the folding container, which is in turn disadvantageous for han-1ling.
The problem of the invention is to provide a folding container which can be easily mounted and dismounted, is of extremely stable and robust construc-tion, and whose joint hinges are no longer the weak point of the folding con-tainer. Furthermore the container should be easy to handle.
This problem is solved according to the invention by the features con-tained in the characterizing part of claim 1, expedient developments of the in-vention being characterized by the features contained in the subcl~ims.
According to the invention, the joint hinges are formed as an eye and pin integrally with parts of the container and each hinge has at least one joint pinand at least one joint eye, the joint eye being divided into two parts or two halves one of which forms a fLxed hinge part and the other of which is adapted to be folded onto the fixed hinge part and firmly locked therewith. The two-part divi-sion of the joint eye permits the container bottom to be formed integrally with the hinge mer.h~ni.qm for example. In the injection molding position the fi2ced hinge part and mounting hinge part lie unfolded side by side and are connected via a filmlike joint. After being lifted out of the injection mold, the mounting CA 0222~474 1997-12-22 hinge part can be folded via the film hinge onto the fixed hinge part and lockedtherewith, whereby the joint pin, which is preferably formed integrally on a folding side wall part, is enclosed between the two halves of the hinge. The f~ed hinge part is formed in a skirt profile of the bottom whereas the mounting hingepart is integrated into a profile strip to be folded onto said skirt profile, or vice versa. In the folded-together position of the profile strip on the skirt profile, the profile strip is supported on the skirt profile via contact surfaces, the load transmission from the side walls being effected via these contact surfaces. Be-cause of these contact surfaces the joint hinge mech~ni~m is essentially unin-volved in the load transmission, so that the profile strip forms separate segments for load tr~n.qmi~ion and for swivel motion. This considerably relieves the joint hinges. A further advantage of the invention is that when the side walls are pressed outward a bracing occurs via the contact surfaces and the outward mo-tion of the side walls is blocked. Even in this case there is no load on the joint hinges and the container has a stable unfolded position. One expediently uses a multiplicity of closely spaced joint hinges in a row on each side wall so that the joint hinges are disposed in the manner of a ring binder. If one joint hinge fails due to breakage or other damage, its function is performed by the other joint hinges.
In another embodiment of the invention, the side walls are locked to-gether by snap-in mechanisms, the lock being effected by snap-in noses disposed on the lateral edges of two opposite side walls. In the locked position, the noses engage behind corl e~onding detent hooks in the diagonally adjacent side walls.
When one wants to convert the folding container from its erect position to the folded position, one must merely compress the V- or U-shaped noses so that they can be guided past the detent hooks and the side wall thereby folded inward. If there is pressure on a side wall in the unfolded position, however, there is no unintentional folding inward of the side wall in question since the V- or U-shaped noses cause a mutual bracing of the unfolded side walls which prevents the side walls from folding up.
In the following some preferred examples of the invention will be de-scribed with reference to the drawings, in which:

CA 0222~474 1997-12-22 Fig. 1 shows a side view of the narrow side of a folding container from the outside, Fig. 2 shows a view of the long outer side of the folding container, Fig. 3 shows a view analogous to Fig. 1 but in section on the left half, Fig. 4 shows a view analogous to Fig. 2 but in section on the left half, Fig. 5 shows a view of the folded-up container, the left half being again shown in cross section, Fig. 6 shows a sectional view through a container half with inward folded side walls, Fig. 7 shows a sectional view comparable to Fig. 6 with the mounting hinge folded on, Fig. 8 shows a sectional view analogous to Fig. 6 with various positional views of the folding hinge part, Fig. 9 shows a sectional view analogous to Fig. 7 with various positional views of the folding hinge part, Fig. 10 shows a sectional view analogous to Fig. 6 in the locked position of the folding hinge part, Fig. 11 shows a sectional view analogous to Fig. 7 of the folding hinge part in the locked position, Fig. 12 shows a view corresponding to Fig. 11 in an enlarged view with a longitudinal section through a joint hinge, Fig. 13 shows a sectional view comparable to Fig. 12 with a folded-upward side wall, Fig. 14 shows a sectional view with inward folded side walls, Fig. 15 shows a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 14, the section being shifted, Fig. 16 shows two folded-up containers in the stacked position, Fig. 17 shows partial section C of Fig. 3 to illustrate the side wall locking;
and Fig. 18 shows sectional view D of Fig. 3 to illustrate the locking of both side walls.

CA 0222~474 1997-12-22 The folding container shown in Figs. 1 to 4 in an outside view and partly in a sectional view is produced integrally and includes bottom 1 with a rectangu-lar or square plan view and four side walls, namely two opposite narrow side walls 2 and two opposite long side walls 3 on which handling openings formed by recesses 4 are present. All four side walls 2, 3 can be folded inward, namely along joint hinges 5 to be described more closely below. The folded-up position of thefour side walls can be seen in Fig. 5.
As indicated best by Figs. 1, 3 and 4, elevated skirts 6, 7 are molded on bottom 1, having the side walls hinged thereto at 8. These elevated skirts are coordinated in their height so as to permit the corresponding side wall hinged thereto to be folded over another side wall of the container. For example skirt 6 according to Fig. 4, i.e. the skirt associated with long side wall 3, is formed higher than skirt 7 located on the narrow side so that narrow side wall 2 is first folded inward onto bottom 1, with reference to Fig. 4, and then higher hinged long side wall 3 is folded over side wall 2 already folded. This also results quite clearly from Fig. 5, where long side walls 3 are folded over narrow side walls 2already folded inward before. This is obtained by the different height of the skirt in accordance with the particular folded positions.
The formation of joint hinges 5 is explained best with reference to Figs. 6 to 12. Fig. 12 shows that at the lower edge of the side walls, for example narrow side wall 2 here, several hinge bolts 8 are disposed at regular intervals over the length of the lower edge of side wall 2, that is, molded onto side wall 2. However, on account of the sectional view in Fig. 12 one can only see in detail one of hinge bolts 8, which is molded on side wall 2 via two flanges 9.
As indicated best by Fig. 12 top left, each hinge bolt 8 is received in joint eye 10 embracing hinge bolt 8. Joint eye 10 is divided in two, the plane of divi-sion being marked as 11. If hinge bolt 8 is completely encompassed by eye 10 in the sectional view of Fig. 12 top left, this is only due to the course of the cutting plane. One can see quite clearly from Figs. 4 and 14 for example that hinge bolt 8 is fully received in a circular recess of joint eye 10 so that a perfect position and thus joint function is obtained.

CA 0222~474 1997-12-22 Figs. 6 and 7 show the folding container as it is taken out of the injection mold, Fig. 6 being a section that shows snap-in mechanism 12 and Fig. 7 a sec-tion that shows joint eye 10. Specif~lcally, profile strip 13 is hinged via thin film-like connecting part 14 to skirt 6, which is formed here as a downwardly open profile and designated a skirt profile in the following, whereby mounting hinge part 10b of joint eye 10 and also the part of snap-in me-h~ni~m 11 are formed inprofile strip 13. To form the joint, profile strip 13 is merely folded about flexible connecting part 14 onto skirt profile 6, as indicated by Figs. 8 and 9, so that de-tent hook 12 snaps in behind snap-in nose 15 formed in skirt profile 6. Similarly, mounting hinge part 10b passes onto the complementary half of the eye formed in skirt profile 6, so that the eye formation in profile strip 13 and fixed hinge part 10a in skirt profile 6 complement each other to form joint eye 10.
Plane of division 11 of bipartite eye 10 is shown again in Fig. 9. Figs. 10 and 11 show the functional position where the catch or catches engage behind detent hook 15 and the two eye formations 10a, 10b complement each other to form joint eye 10. Figs. 10, 11 and 12 indicate quite clearly that in the functional position of the joint hinge, where profile strip 13 is folded onto skirt profile 6, the two eye formations 10a, 10b mate with their surface on plane of division 11, i.e.
according to Fig. 7 for the entire contact surface marked as 16 to the left and right of eye formation 10b including protruding leg 17 of profile strip 13, result-ing according to Fig. 12 in a very good contact surface over the width of skirt profile 6, namely along plane of division 11. If one presses long side wall 3 out-ward about hinge bolt 8 counterclockwise according to Fig. 12, lower side wall surface 18 will press on profile strip 13 so that the latter is braced against skirt profile 6. The joint hinge is not loaded thereby. Because of m~ting contact sur-faces 16 on plane of division 11 a bracing occurs and thus an intensification ofthe joint hinge engagement, whereby in particular legs 17 of profile strip 13 and skirt profile 6 press on each other, so that outward swiveling of side walls 2, 3 is effectively blocked by the formation of skirt profile 6 and profile strip 13. That is, the folding container is protected very effectively against side walls 2, 3 swinging outward in the folded-upward position of the side walls, so that a very stable un-folded position of the side walls is obtained. That is, profile strip 13 in snap-in CA 0222~474 1997-12-22 engagement with skirt profile 6 forms a folding stop for unfolded side walls 2, 3 that prevents them from swinging further out of the upright position. In this position, very good load removal in the stack is also possible, in such a way that the hinge mechanism is largely relieved. The hinge mechanism is accordingly spared. This formation ensures a division into components for load tr~n.qmi~ion and for swivel motion, so that both the eyes and the hinge bolts are largely re-lieved and are used only for swivel motion. As indicated in particular by Figs. 3 and 13, a multiplicity of spaced hinges OEe provided on each side wall, resulting in a ring binder-like hinge formation. This has the advantage that if one hinge formation or hinge bolt breaks, the hinge function can be performed by the otherhinges. The hinge formations as described here are obviously only intended by way of example, so that one can also use longer hinge bolts that span or reach through several joint eyes. Hinge bolts or pins 8 can also have a cross section different from the circular cross section shown, for example a triangular cross section, which is advantageous in terms of production engineering. It is expedi-ent if the hinge bolts are connected at both ends to the side walls via flanges 9, since this is of advantage for the stability of the hinge bolts.
Fig. 16 finally shows the stacking of folded-up containers, whereby foot formations 19 on bottom 1 ensure a lateral stack engagement with lower edges 18 of the side walls, thereby obt~ining a certain fixation of the stacked, folded-up folding containers.
Figs. 17 and 18 show the locking of unfolded side walls 2, 3, whereby V- or U-shaped snap-in noses 19 are provided here for example on side wall 2 on the left and right, i.e. in the area of side walls 3, for grasping behind corresponding detent hooks 20 on side walls 3. If one wants to fold side wall 2 inward onto the bottom one need merely compress the two noses 19 manually so that front por-tion 21 of noses 19 gets past detent hook 20 and wall 2 can be folded inward. Onthe other hand, automatic blocking is effected via the snap-in mechanism when wall 2 is inadvertently pressed inward for ex~mple, since noses 19 are then braced before detent hook 20. This also ensures a stable unfolded position of the container. The folding process, i.e. the folding in of the side walls, presupposes that suitable pressure is exerted manually on noses 19 by compression of noses 19. Only then can the noses be guided inward past detent hooks 20. Uninten-tional collapse of the side walls of the container is thus excluded. Pressing on the side walls would instead only cause an obstruction of the walls via noses 19.

Claims (10)

Claims

1. A plastic container for transporting objects having side walls folding inward about joints, characterized in that in the joint hinges (5) each formed as a pin (8) and joint eye (10) the joint eye (10) is divided into a hinge part (10a) fixed on one part of the container after injection molding and a mounting hinge part (10b) adapted to be mounted on the fixed hinge part (10a) to form the jointeye (10) and locked in the mounted position so that the joint pin (8) is embraced by the two hinge parts (10, 10b) and/or preferably V- or U-shaped snap-in noses (19) are formed integrally on the two lateral edges of opposite side walls (2, 3) for grasping behind detent hooks (20) on diagonally adjacent side walls in the unfolded position of the side walls (2, 3).

2. The container of claim 2, characterized in that the joint eye (10) is connected integrally with the container bottom and the joint pin (8) with a sidewall of the container, or vice versa, and the mounting hinge part (10b) is connected with a container portion (6, 7) via a preferably film hinge-like joint (14) and adapted to be folded onto the fixed hinge part (10a) and locked in the folded on position.

3. The container of claim 1, characterized in that the fixed hinge part (10a) is formed on the bottom side, preferably in an elevated skirt profile (6, 7) of the bottom (1), and the mounting hinge part (10b) is formed in a profile strip (13) to be folded onto the skirt profile (6, 7).

4. The container of any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the snap-in me- mechanism is formed by at least one detent hook (12) formed on the profile strip (13) and one snap-in nose (15) formed on the skirt profile (6, 7).

5. The container of any of the above claims, characterized in that the hinge parts (10a, 10b) are formed by semicircular recesses in walls of the skirtprofile (6, 7) or profile strip (13).

6. The container of any of the above claims, characterized in that the semicircular recess is followed by contact surfaces (16) via which the skirt profile (6) and profile strip (13) mate in load-transmitting fashion.

7. The container of any of the above claims, characterized in that the joint pin or pins (8) are each molded on the lower edge of the side walls (2,3) via flanges (9) at both ends.

8. The container of any of the above claims, characterized in that a multiplicity of closely spaced joint hinges (5) are disposed in a row on each side wall (2, 3).

9. The container of any of the above claims, characterized in that the side walls (2, 3) have at their lower edge an angular edge flange (8) forming inthe vertical position of the container side walls (2,3) with the profile strip (13) a barrier against outward swiveling of the side walls (2,3).

10. The container of any of the above claims, characterized in that the profile strip (13) and skirt profile (6) have a U-shaped cross section with the open side of the U facing downward.