FR2743706A1 - Metal wire plant transport container - Google Patents

Abstract

The container has sides (3,4) fixed to the base plate (2) to form the bottom part of the container useful volume. This volume is greater than that occupied by the rear (6) and side (5) panels when the container is folded. The base plate has a metal trellis (10) composed of two wire assemblies, parallel (12) and perpendicular (11) to the hinge axis (X) of the rear panel. The first wires are located above the second wires to constitute stops for holding inclined plant pots on the base plates. The front panel (7) has a U shaped support (18) whose base (19) is hinged at its lower edge on the base plate. This front panel has an assembly of hinged flaps (15,16,17) also hinged to the support base (19). Each flap has a fastener (22) preventing it rotating in the plane of the support. The height of the base and of each flap is such that the flaps can be folded to form a step outside the container.

Description

 The present invention relates to a container usable for transporting plants such as shrubs or potted plants, from nurseries.

 I1 is known to perform the delivery of these plants in wooden pallets. These have a specific shape.

generally parallelepiped, internally defining a useful volume whose height is at least about 1 m 30. so that the transport of shrubs in particular takes place in good conditions. without risk of damaging the foliage or the branches thereof.

 The dimensions of the base of these wooden pallets are determined by the dimensions of the platforms of the trucks used to transport them. the width and depth of the wooden pallets being chosen equal to standard dimensions. or substantially lm20 and lm09 respectively.

 Wooden pallets are inexpensive to manufacture. but they have the drawback on the one hand of being relatively fragile. therefore liable to be damaged during transport. and secondly to pose storage and disposal problems once the delivery is made. since. taking into account their cost and their size. it is not economically profitable to return them empty to the sender.

 For these reasons. we have been trying for a very long time to replace them with foldable containers that could. once empty.

be folded up and it would be economically profitable to bring back to the sender.

 However. although it has long been known to use foldable and stackable containers made of metal wires for transporting foodstuffs for example. no satisfactory solution has been found to the problem posed by the transport of plants from nurseries and this in particular because of the specific dimensions and the particular nature of these plants.

 The known foldable containers made of metal wires comprise a base plate defining the bottom of the container and four hinged panels. component. once deployed. the front walls. rear and side of said container. The two side panels are articulated on the rear panel along their common edges and the rear panel and the front panel are each articulated at their lower edge on the base plate. To fold the container. the two side panels are folded down on the rear panel and the front and rear panels are folded down on the base plate. As for wooden pallets. the size of the base plate is determined by the standard dimensions of the platforms of the transport trucks and the width and depth of the base plate are equal to those of the wooden pallets.

 The height of the front and rear panels may not, however, exceed the dimension of the base plate measured perpendicular to the geometric axis of rotation of each of these panels, on pain of modifying the size of the container in the folded state and making it so incompatible with its transport by truck. So. the height of the useful volume of the known foldable containers made of metal wires is limited to about 1 m, and these known containers are unsuitable for transporting shrubs under good conditions.

 It has been proposed to extend upward the known containers by means of an extension consisting of articulated flaps defining in the deployed position the upper part of the useful volume of the container, so that the height thereof is sufficient for the transport of plants. However, the containers thus modified become difficult to handle and relatively fragile. so that to date wooden pallets continue to be preferred to the use of foldable metal wire containers despite the aforementioned drawbacks.

 The present invention relates to a new container made of foldable metal wires of the type comprising a base plate defining the bottom of the container. articulated rear and side panels, able to constitute. once deployed. walls of said container, and an extension intended to define with said panels and the bottom of the container a useful volume whose height is substantially greater than the smallest dimension of the sides of the base plate, this new container overcomes the drawbacks of known collapsible containers and in particular being simpler to deploy and fold up. stackable in the folded state. resistant. a manufacturing cost and a size justifying from an economic point of view its return to the sender.

 The invention achieves this by the fact that said extension is fixed relative to the base plate to constitute the lower part of the useful volume of the container and by the fact that said extension defines a volume substantially greater than that occupied by the rear and side panels. in the folded state.

 Thus, it is possible, thanks to the invention, to have a useful volume typically at least 1 m 30 in height without the bulk of the container in the folded state being incompatible with its transport by truck.

 According to a particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention, the bottom of the base plate consists of a wire mesh composed of a first set of metal wires parallel to the axis of articulation of the rear panel and a second set of wires . perpendicular to said axis. said first set of wires being disposed above said second set of wires so as to constitute stops for maintaining in an inclined position on the base plate of pots containing plants.

 In a particular embodiment of the invention. the container has a front panel comprising a flat U-shaped support whose base is pivotally mounted at its lower edge on the base plate. Advantageously. said front panel further comprises a set of flaps hinged together and pivotally connected to the base of said support. each provided with locking means for immobilization in rotation in the plane of said support. the height of said base of the support and that of each of said flaps being chosen so that said flaps can be folded up to form a step outside the container.

 In a particular embodiment of the invention, the extension consists of three uprights held by angles fixed lower on the base plate. the height of said uprights being greater than or equal to 40 cm.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge on reading the detailed description which follows. of a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment of the invention. and examining the attached drawing on which
- Figure 1 is a schematic view. in perspective. of a container according to the invention, shown in the deployed position.

FIG. 2 represents the container of FIG. 1 during loading,
- Figure 3 shows schematically. in perspective. the front panel of the container. in an intermediate position between its deployed position for transporting the plants and its folded position for returning to the sender in an empty state,
- Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a detail of the container,
- Figures 6 and 7 show the container during its folding.

 - Figure 8 shows the container in the folded state.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating the bottom of the base plate, and
FIG. 10 represents a shelf adapted to be placed inside the container,
There is shown in the figures a container 1 according to the invention. comprising a base plate 2. side uprights 3, a rear upright 4, a rear panel 6. side panels 5 and a front panel 7. made of metal wires.

 The base plate 2 comprises a rectangular metal frame 8 mounted on four feet 9, supporting a planar metallic mesh 10 normally horizontal constituting the bottom of the container.

 The lateral uprights 3 and the rear upright 4 are fixed to the base plate 2 perpendicular to the trellis 10 by means of angles 11 each fixed below a top of the metal frame 8 to constitute a rigid riser.

 The rear panel 6 is articulated at its lower edge on the lower upright 4 around a geometric axis of horizontal X articulation.

 The side panels 5 are articulated on the rear panel 6 at their common edges, around geometric axes of rotation perpendicular to the geometric axis of rotation X, and the assembly constituted by the side panels and the rear panel 6 is articulated at the manner of a triptych at the upper edge of the upright 4. being adapted to be folded over the base plate 2 as will be described later.

 The front panel 7 is articulated at its lower edge on the base plate 2 about a horizontal geometric axis of rotation Y.

In the deployed state, each side panel 5 rests by its lower edge against the upper edge of a side upright 3 and each side panel 5 is held in this support position on the one hand by means of a lug 13 extending the lower upright upwards outside the container and on the other hand by lugs 12 extending on either side of lug 13 the side panel 5 downwards inside the container,
The articulations of the side panels 5 on the rear panel 6. of the rear panel 6 on the rear upright 4 and of the front panel 7 on the base plate 2. are effected by means of hinges 14.

 In the deployed state, the walls of the container 1 delimit a useful interior volume which is substantially parallelepiped, the height H of which, measured from the plane of the trellis 10. is suitable for transporting plants. that is to say typically greater than or equal to 1 m 30.

 The geometric axis of rotation X of the rear panel 6 is located at a distance from the upper free edge of the rear panel which is less than or equal to the dimension of the base plate 2 measured perpendicular to said geometric axis of rotation. The frame 8 of the base plate 2 has a width equal to 1 m 20 and a depth equal to 1 m 09. suitable for transporting the container by truck. The height H of the useful volume is approximately 1.50 m. the height of the upper part of the useful volume defined by the side panels 5 and the rear panel being close to 1 m. and the height h of the lower part of the useful volume defined by the amounts 3.4 worth approximately 50 cm.

 To facilitate loading of the container, the front panel 7 consists of the assembly of three flaps respectively referenced 15, 16 and 17 as one approaches the base plate 2, and a support 18. plane and swivel. having the general shape of a U. The lower edge of the base 19 of the U-shaped support 18 is articulated on the frame 8 around the geometric axis of rotation Y and the uprights 20 extend laterally from one side and other parts 15.16 and 17 so as to be able to maintain the latter vertically in the plane of the support 18 when the container is in the deployed state for transport. as shown in figure 1.

 As can be seen more precisely in FIG. 3. the flaps 15, 16 and 17 are hinged together by means of hinges 21.

around their common edges, i.e. around horizontal geometric axes of rotation parallel to the geometric axis of rotation Y.

 Each flap 15, 16 or 17 is provided laterally with hooks 22 open downwards adapted to engage with horizontal metal wires of the uprights 20 of the support 18 for immobilizing the flap in rotation in the plane of the support 18. As shown in Figure 1 in particular. The hinges 21 however allow a certain play in upward translation of each flap 15.16 or 17. which allows. by lifting the flap in question, to disengage it from the uprights 20 and therefore to be able to then fold it outwards against the immediately lower flap or the base 19 of the support 18 if necessary.

 In the example described, the height of the base 19 and that of the flaps 15.16 and 17 are advantageously chosen so that by folding the lower flap 17 onto the base 19 and folding the upper flap onto the intermediate flap 16, a step is formed as shown in Figure 2. allowing the user performing the loading or unloading of the container 1 to rest on the flaps 15 and 16 superimposed to deposit or take plants in the container. which is particularly useful when the container is placed on loose or muddy ground.

 The support 18 is locked in the vertical position by latches 23 mounted for longitudinal sliding on each of the uprights 20. Each side panel 5 has a hook 24 in the shape of a U whose concavity, facing the rear panel, is suitable to engage on a vertical rod 25 constituting an upright 20. when the support 18 is in the vertical position. The latch 23 is raised for the installation of the rod 25 in the concavity of the hook 24 and then is lowered to be applied on the hook 24 on the side opposite to the rod 25. so as to block the support 18 in rotation.

 The container 1 is advantageously loaded with the flaps 15.16 and 17 folded down to form a step as shown in FIG. 2.

 In the case where the container 1 is used to transport shrubs or potted plants of relatively large height. the container 1 is filled from the rear upright 4 constituting successive rows, the pots being stacked obliquely as shown in FIG. 2. The inclined pots located at the base of the stack and at a distance from the rear upright 4 then rest on the bottom of container 1, only by their lower edge.

 According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the wire mesh 10 is constituted by the assembly of a first set of metal wires 12 extending parallel to the geometric axis of rotation X and a second set of metal wires 11 extending perpendicular to the metal wires 12.

The first set of metal wires 12 extends above the second set of wires 11 so as to form support projections for the lower edge of the pots inclined inside the container.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 9, the diameter of the metal wires 12 is chosen to be greater than that of the metal wires 11 to increase the support surface offered at the lower edge of the pots located in the container,
The container 1 folds up by first folding the front panel 7 onto the base plate 2. by pivoting the support 18 after unlocking the uprights 20, as shown in FIG. 6, the flaps 15, 16 and 17 which are held laterally in the plane of the support 18 by the uprights 20 tilting from a block with the latter.

 Then, the side panels 5 are slightly lifted to disengage them from the side uprights 3. a first side panel 5 is folded down on the rear panel 6. then the side panel 5 remaining on the previous one and the assembly constituted by the panel is finally folded down rear 6 and the side panels 5, by rotating it around the geometric axis of rotation X, on the base plate 2, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8.

 In the folded state, the assembly constituted by the side panels 5 and the rear panel 6 is entirely contained in the volume defined by the extension, as shown in FIG. 8. The free volume of the extension when the container is folded remains important and allows. advantageously the transport of goods if necessary.

 The angles 11 extend over the entire height of the lateral uprights 3 and of the rear upright 4 and the feet 9 of the base plate 2 are adapted to be placed on the top of the angles 11 of a container identical in the folded state or on the upper corners of a container identical to the unfolded state. to be stacked.

 Container 1 unfolds in the reverse manner.

that is to say by first raising the assembly constituted by the side panels 5 and the rear panel 6. then by raising the front panel 7 and by fixing the uprights 20 to the side panels 5 after operating the latches 23.

 FIG. 10 shows a shelf 30 shaped to hang on the horizontal metal wires of the side panels 5 or of the side uprights 3 and constitute several horizontal compartments inside the container 1 if necessary.

The extension advantageously makes it possible to store one or more shelves 30. in the absence of use. on the base plate 2 without hampering the tilting of the rear panel 6 and the transport and stacking of the container in the folded state.

 Of course. the invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described and numerous variants and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, for example modifying the means of articulation of the panels between them or on the side and rear uprights.

Claims (5)

 1. Folding container made of metal wires, usable for transporting plants such as shrubs or plants in pots, of the type comprising a base plate defining the bottom of the container, articulated rear and side panels. able to constitute. once deployed. walls of said container, and an extension intended to define, with said panels and the bottom of the container a useful volume whose height is substantially greater than the smallest dimension of the sides of the base plate. characterized by the fact that said extension (3.4) is fixed relative to the base plate (2) to constitute the lower part of the useful volume of the container and by the fact that said extension defines a volume substantially greater than that occupied by the rear panels (6) and side (5) in the folded state.  2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the base plate comprises a wire mesh (10) composed of a first set of wires (12) parallel to the axis of articulation (X) of the rear panel ( 6) and a second set of wires (11) perpendicular to said axis (X). said first set of wires (12) being arranged above said second set of wires so as to constitute stops for maintaining in an inclined position on the base plate of pots containing plants.  3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a front panel (7) comprising a flat support (18) U-shaped whose base (19) is pivotally mounted at its lower edge on the base plate (2).  4. Container according to claim 3, characterized in that said front panel (7) comprises a set of flaps (15,16,17) hinged together and pivotally connected to the base (19) of the support (18) . each provided with locking means (22) for immobilization in rotation in the plane of the support (18). the height of said base (19) and that of each of the flaps (15.16.17) being also chosen so that said flaps (15,16,17) can be folded up to form a step outside the container .  5. Container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the extension (3.4) consists of three uprights held by angles (11) fixed lower on the base plate, the height (h) of said amounts being greater than or equal to 40 cm.