EP1208045A1

EP1208045A1 - Goods container

Info

Publication number: EP1208045A1
Application number: EP00904730A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ladislav Stephan Karpisek
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-02-16
Filing date: 2000-02-15
Publication date: 2002-05-29
Also published as: WO2000048917A1; AUPP871599A0; CN1340017A

Abstract

A rectangular container (1) having a base (2) and four interconnectable side panels (12, 13) able to be folded down one over the other over the base (2) about axes parallel to the plane of the base (2) and able to be uncoupled from the base (2) by vertical movement of the panels relative to the base (2). The side panels (12) when mounted on the base (2) prevent uncoupling vertical movement of the end panels (13). The connection of at least one end panel (13) to the base is through a retractable pin (21) which on retraction allows the end panel (13) with the pin (21) to be pivoted about an axis in a plane at right angles to the base (2) to a position where the end panel (13) with the pin (21) can be uncoupled from the base (2) whilst the side panels (12) remain coupled to the base (2).

Description

GOODS CONTAINER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to goods containers of the type in which four side panels are mounted (or are mountable) on a rectangular base (preferably 5 of the pallet type) to provide an enclosure which, with the base (and if required a lid), provide a container for storage and transport of goods.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The present applicant has obtained Australian and overseas patents for containers of the above type. As a result of continued research l o containers of stronger and/or simpler form are being continually developed with a view to economically provide a better or more versatile container. The present invention is a further step in the ongoing development of containers by the present applicant.

BROAD STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

15 The present invention provides a container having a four sided base with a load supporting upper surface spaced from a ground engaging lower face, side panel supporting valences upstand from said upper surface at two opposed sides of the base and end panel supporting valences upstand from said upper surface at the other edges of the base, a pair of opposed

20 side panels and a pair of opposed end panels, releasable anchoring means anchoring bottom edges of the wall panels when upstanding respectively to said valences, said panels when upstanding are interconnectable by releasable connections to define a four panel enclosure, said panels are coupled to the base by coupling means which allow the panels when disconnected each from its adjacent wall panels and released from said 5 anchoring means to fold down from the upstanding condition one over the other over the base and which allow the panels to be sequentially demounted from the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

Fig 1 is a side view of the container of the present invention. l o Fig.2 is an end view of the container of Fig.1 , Fig.3 is a top view of the container of Fig.1 , Fig.4 is a fragmentary view on the section line 4-4 of Fig.2, Fig.5 is a fragmentary top view of a lid latch in operative condition, Fig.6 is a fragmentary side view of one form of the lid latch of Fig.5 ,

15 Fig.7 is a view similar to Fig.5 with a keeper in a release position to allow the disconnection of the lid latch,

Fig.8 is a view similar to Fig.5 with the lid latch in the inoperative condition and the keeper returned to its operative position, and Fig.9 is a view similar to Fig.5 showing a lid latch of a second form in the

20 inoperative position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

The container of the invention is indicated general 1 , it includes a four sided base 2 of pallet form with panel bracing angle corner posts 3 which in end view are as shown in scrap sectional view Fig.4. Each post 3 includes a plain leg 4 and a joggled leg 5 providing a vertical channel 6 open at the top. A flange 7 extends away from the channel 6. The base

5 2 also has at two opposed edges upstanding side panel supporting valences 8 with in turned hook members 9 spaced from tops edges of the valences 8. At the other opposed edges of the base 2 there are upstanding end panel supporting valences 10 of height less than the valences 8. The valences 10 have in turned hook members 11 which are spaced from top l o edges of the valences 10.

The wall panels of the container are of two types of different heights. Those supported by the valences 8 are side panels (indicated 12) and those supported by the valences 10 (indicated 13) are end panels. The heights of the panels and the valences are such that the upper edges of 15 the panels are coplanar.

The side panels 12 each include a frame with a top rail 14 and a bottom rail 15. The bottoms rail 15 is always made of angle iron and the top rail 14 can be made of tubular steel, may be a channel or made of angle iron. The bottom rail 15 has one limb of the angle iron out turned and he top and 20 bottom rails are joined by uprights 16 made of tubular steel. The out turned limbs of the bottom rails when engaged with the hooks 9 support the panels 12 in an upstanding condition relative to the upper load supporting surface of the base 2 and prevent uplifting separation between the panels 12 and the valences 8. A sheet of plywood or the like 17 is fixed to the panel frames. The side panel uprights 16 are each provided with a fixed pivot pin 18 (see Fig.4) adjacent the panel bottom rail 15. The pins 18 are slidable in the post channels 6 (which are open at the upper ends) allowing the side panels to be vertically removed from the base 2 after disengagement of the out turned limbs of the rails 15 from the valence hooks 9. The channels 6 have a width sufficient to allow the lateral movement of the side panels needed to achieve hook disengagement.

At an intermediate position of travel of the pins 18 along the channels 6 it would be possible to pivot a panel 12 to a folded down position where it overlies the base 2.

The end panels 13 are constructed in the same manner as the side panels 12, with top and bottom rails 14,15 both made of angle iron with out turned limbs. The uprights 19 joining the top and bottom rails of the end panels are made of angle iron with out turned limbs. The end panels are covered with sheet plywood or the like 17. The uprights 19 of each panel 13 at their lower ends have respectively a fixed pin and a spring loaded retractable pin 21 , illustrated in detail in Figs.2 and 4. The pins of the panels 13 are engaged in recesses in the valences 8. The recesses can be joggles in the inner walls of the valences 8 to provide open ended channels, similar to the channels 6, or as illustrated a section of the inner wall of the valence 8 is removed to provide a notch 20 in the top edge of the valence 8 (see Figs.4 and 5). Lateral inward movement of the end panels 13 and the fixed and retractable pins thereof (for a purpose to be described) is limited by the edges 22 of the notches 20.

The panels 13 can be removed from the base by disengagement of the out turned flange of the bottom rail 15 of the panel 13 from the valence hooks 11 (the notches 20 are wide enough for such disengagement) and then vertically moving the fixed and retractable pins of the end panels 13 to exit o through the top edges of the valences 8. Disengagement of the end panel rail 15 from the valence hooks 11 can be readily achieved by inclining the panel 13 relative to the vertical. At an intermediate position of vertical travel of the pins of the end panels 13 it would be possible to pivot a panel 13 to a folded down position where it overlies the base 2.

5 The construction of the container is such that sequential folding down of the panels is required, the sequence is, a first end panel is folded down over the base 2, then the second end panel is folded down over the first, the side panels are then folded down in any order over the end panels.

As will be clear from a review of the drawings the notches 20 will be o blocked off by the tubular uprights 16 of the side panels 12. It follows that in an orthodox panel removal sequence the side panels would have to be removed from the base before the end panels could be removed.

Where a liner bag for liquid is to be mounted in the container it is advantageous to have ready access to the interior of the enclosure formed by the side and end panels in order to manually place the liner bag correctly in the enclosure and over the support surface of the base. The retractable pin 21 facilitates such access. By releasing the pin 21 an upright end panel 13 can be pivoted about the connection between the fixed pin of the end panel 13, see the dotted arcuate movement path of arrow A in Fig.3. In the way the panel 13 could be removed if needed. In either case, where the panel is pivoted or removed, an operator has ready access to correctly position a liner bag. After the liner bag is installed the end panel 13 would be replaced in its interconnected relationship with the valences 8. It will be understood that two retractable pins 21 could be fitted to each end panel 13 is desired. In an alternative arrangement the pins 21 would not be biassed to the extended condition.

Other features of the container are the provision of hook elements 24 on the uprights 16 of the side panels 12 by the out turned limbs of the uprights 19 of the end panels 13. This engagement prevents separating movement between the upper end of the end panels 13 and the upper ends of the side panels 12. To prevent disengagement of the of the hooks 24 shot bolts (or the like) 25 are provided on the end panels to engage in holes in the uprights 17 of the side panels. The shot bolts illustrated are spring biassed to the extended condition.

As illustrated there is a trough 26 in the support surface of the base. The trough 26 extends with increasing depth towards the valence 10 where an end panel fitted with the retractable pin 21 will be mounted. The trough at its outer end is aligned with a port 27 in the base 2 to house a liner bag nozzle thereby providing access to the nozzle for opening and discharge of the liner bag contents. The vertical positioning of the port 27 and the provision of the channel 26 will result in substantially ail of the liquid in a liner bag being gravitationally discharged.

A lid 28 for the container is illustrated in Fig.1 to 3 The lid 28 comprises a four sided frame and a covering sheet of plywood or the like. The lid frame at it side edges 29 is provided with hooks 30 for engagement in hook receivers 31 in the side panels 12 and its rear edge with hooks 32 for engagement with the out turned limb (a hook receiver) of the angle iron top rail 14 of an end panel 13. The upper edges of the panels 12,13 provide a support for sliding movement of the lid 28 to engage and disengage the hooks 30,32.

It is to be noted that there is a reversely directed hook 34 on the lid side edges 29. This provided support for the lid when the hooks 30,32 are disconnected from the hook receivers and moved to a rearward position allowing access to the liner bag in the container. By engagement of the hooks 34 in the hook receivers 31a the lid can be supported in a part open position.

Latch means indicated 35 is provided to prevent disengagement of the lid hooks from their receivers. The latch means includes an "L" shaped member 36 mounted on a shaft 37 slidably mounted in frame member 38 of the lid. There is a spring 39 pulling the member 36 towards the outer face of the lid frame member 38. Mounted on the shaft 37 there is a keeper 40 of a shape such that with a limb of the keeper behind the lid frame member 38 the hooked end of the member 36 cannot be withdrawn from o engagement under the out turned limb of the top rail of the end panel 13.

By partly rotating the keeper 40 to a position where it does not lie behind the lid frame member 38, the shaft 31 is free to move and the member 36 can be released from engagement with the top rail of the end panel 13. The member 36 can then be rotated 180 degrees to an inactive position 5 where it lies above the lid frame member 38 an parallel with the plane of the lid. The lid can then be slid to disengage the lid hooks from their receivers.

In an alternative arrangement the member 36 is "U" shaped and when rotated to release the end panel 13 the travel would be only 90 degrees o and the ends of the legs of the "U" would bear on the outer face of the lid frame member 38. A lug 41 on the lid frame aligns with a limb 42 of the keeper when the keeper is in the operative position and holes in the lug 41 and the limb 42 are aligned to allow a lock of some form to be applied to prevent rotation of the keeper 40.

In the illustrated and described embodiment of the latch arrangement the shaft 37 is freely mounted in openings in the keeper 40 and the member 36 with means to prevent the shaft being withdrawn from the keeper and the member 36. It would be possible to have one or the other of the member 36 or the keeper 40 fixed to the shaft 37 but in order for the latch arrangement to operate as designed it would not be possible for both the member 36 and the keeper 40 fixed immovably to the shaft 37.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A container having a four sided base with a load supporting upper surface spaced from a ground engaging lower face, side panel supporting valences upstand from said upper surface at two opposed sides of the base and end panel supporting valences upstand from said upper surface at the other edges of the base, a pair of opposed side panels and a pair of opposed end panels, releasable anchoring means anchoring bottom edges of the wall panels when upstanding respectively to said valences, said panels when upstanding are interconnectable by releasable connections to define a four panel enclosure, said panels are coupled to the base by coupling means which allow the panels when disconnected each from its adjacent wall panels and released from said anchoring means to fold down from the upstanding condition one over the other over the base and which allow the panels to be sequentially demounted from the base.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the anchoring means comprises inwardly directed hook elements on the valences and outwardly directed hook elements on the wall panels.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the releasable connections between wall panels is by means of hook elements on side o edges of side panels and hook engagable profiles on the side edges of the end panels.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3 including security catches which when engaged prevent release of the releasable connections between said side and end panels.

5. A container as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 4 wherein the coupling means between each end panel and the base comprises two pivot pins extending from the respective edges of the end panel and respectively engaged in recesses in said side panel supporting valences, and the coupling means between the side panels and the base comprises two pivot pins extending from the respective edges of the side panel and respectively engaged in channels in wall panel bracing posts disposed one at each corner of said base, said channels extend in a direction away from said support surface and are open at upper ends and said recesses are open at upper ends thereby allowing said side and end panels to be removed from said base by movement of the pivot pins in a direction away from the support surface of said base.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 wherein at least one of the pivot pins of at least one of said end panels is a retractable pin to allow it to be disengaged from its associated recess.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6 wherein the retractable pin is spring biassed to a non-retracted condition.

8. A container as claimed in any one of said claims 1 to 7 wherein said support surface includes a depressed zone forming a liquid discharge channel extending with increasing depth from an inner end to an outer end which lies adjacent an opening in an edge of said base which lies adjacent one of said end panel supporting valences and is sized to accept a discharge nozzle of a liquid holding liner bag for the container.

9. A container as claimed in any one of said claims 1 to 8 including a four sided lid with an inner face for engagement adjacent the lid sides with coplanar lid supporting upper edges of said end and side panels, fixed holding hooks at three sides of said lid are slidingly engagable respectively with hook receivers on said side panels and one of said end panels to hold said lid against separating movement between said lid and said lid supporting upper edges, a latch hook at the other side of the lid is engagable with a hook receiver on the other of said end panels to prevent disengagement of said holding hooks, said latch hook comprises a shaft slidably mounted in a frame element of said lid and having an axis of sliding parallel to the plane of the inner face of said lid, a lug mounted at an outer end of said shaft has an intumed hooked end to engage the hook receiver of said other of said end panels, a spring on said shaft biases said latch hook into engagement with its associated hook receiver when said lug is in a first position aligned with its associated hook receiver and into a rest position when said lug is rotated about said shaft axis to a second position out of alignment with its associated hook receiver, a keeper mounted on said shaft and movable between a position where said keeper allows axial movement of said shaft to disengage said latch hook from its associated receiver and a position where axial movement of said shaft is prevented.

10. A container and lid combination as claimed in claim 9 where said latch hook is fixed to said shaft and said keeper is able to rotate on said shaft.

11. A container and lid combination as claimed in claim 9 where said keeper is fixed to said shaft and said latch hook can rotate on said shaft.

12. A container and lid combination as claimed in any one of the claims 9,10,11 where a hole in said keeper is aligned with a hole in a lid lug when said keeper is the position preventing axial movement of said shaft permitting a lock means to be engaged with said holes to prevent movement of said keeper to shaft axial movement allowing position.

13. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.