FR2774661A1 - FOLDABLE CONTAINER FOR STORING OBJECTS SUCH AS AUTOMOBILE DOOR TRIM PANELS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a container for storing objects, in particular flat objects, in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped comprising upper (10) and lower (11) walls separated by corner poles (2). The invention is characterised in that it is designed to be collapsible into a position wherein said walls (10, 11) remain stacked but are in the proximity of each other and it comprises means (5) for storing objects in the form of adjacent racks (51) suspended to the upper wall (10), made of a flexible and deformable material such that they do not prevent the container from collapsing and recover their position for housing objects when the latter is erected.

Description

FOLDABLE CONTAINER FOR STORING OBJECTS SUCH AS
AUTOMOBILE DOOR TRIM PANELS
The present invention relates to a collapsible container for the storage of objects, in particular flat objects.

 It is particularly but not exclusively suitable for the storage of trim panels for automobile doors.

 These interior trim panels are most often manufactured at a subcontractor, then transported in trucks to the vehicle assembly plant.

 It is understood that this transport is carried out in good conditions without the panels colliding, at the risk that they are damaged and discarded.

 To do this, it is known to use storage containers in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. These containers have upper and lower walls, separated by corner posts.

 The vertical longitudinal and lateral faces of the container are open.

 Its interior space accommodates means of storing door panels, in the form of contiguous vertical lockers. The whole appreciably affects the appearance of suspended office files.

 The compartments are open laterally and are made of a material, for example plastic, strong enough to receive the panels and thick to avoid any damage, in the event that two panels stored in neighboring compartments come into contact with one another. 'other.

 Such containers are entirely satisfactory in terms of storage.

 However, they are very large. However, when they are emptied of their panels inside the montagc factory, they unnecessarily occupy space and volume.

 It is the same inside the trucks which bring these containers back to the subcontractor. The number of empty containers in a given truck is necessarily the same as that of full containers. It is easy to understand that this significantly increases the transport costs.

 The present invention aims to keep the benefit of storage means with adjoining lockers while adapting it to a collapsible container structure.

 It also aims to achieve this objective using simple means, inexpensive, and not requiring qualified personnel to handle the containers.

 The invention therefore relates to a container for the storage of objects, in particular flat objects, which has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped ct which has upper and lower walls separated by corner posts.

 It is remarkable by the fact that it is provided foldable in a position in which said walls remain superimposed but are in the vicinity of one another and by the fact that it comprises means for storing objects in the form of adjoining lockers suspended from the upper wall, made of a flexible and deformable material, so that they do not interfere with the folding of the container and resume their position for receiving objects as soon as it is erected.

 Thus, the structure of contiguous lockers does not have to be dismantled during the folding of the container. She just retracts on herself. When the container is erected, it resumes its position of receiving objects by itself.

 In addition, the folded containers occupy the same floor space as the erected containers. It is then possible to superimpose several on one another.

 Consequently, for a given interior volume of the truck, it is possible to store a larger number of empty containers than full containers.

According to other advantageous but non-limiting characteristics of the invention:
- Said posts are, on the one hand, articulated at their lower end relative to said lower wall and, on the other hand, guided in longitudinal translation, at their upper end, along one side of the upper wall;
- Said upper end comprises a roller of horizontal axis crazy in rotation, which is engaged in a guide rail provided along the side of the upper wall;
- It comprises means for locking / unlocking the posts, which extend transversely and cooperate simultaneously with two opposite posts;
- Said storage means in the form of contiguous lockers constitute a single unitary assembly;
- these compartments are made of plastic
- The container comprises at least one tarpaulin dc covering at least one of its vertical faces.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows of a preferred but non-limiting embodiment. This description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
- Figure 1 is a simplified perspective view of a container in the erected position;
- Figures 2 to 4 are side views of the container of Figure 1, respectively in the erected position, during folding and in the folded position
- Figure 5 is a detail view of the guide means of the posts relative to the upper wall of the container;
- Figure 6 is a diagram intended to illustrate the method of folding the posts;
- Figure 7 is a front diagram of all of the storage racks, intended to illustrate how it is attached to the rest of the container structure.

 The collapsible container according to the present invention and shown in detail in the appended figures, has substantially the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. It is preferably constructed of metal and essentially comprises upper parallel 10 and lower 11 walls, separated by four corner posts 2. These posts delimit two by two on the one hand, two large open vertical and longitudinal faces 12, and d on the other hand two small transverse and vertical faces, also open 13.

 The lower wall 11 has a certain thickness. It is for example formed of two parallel and horizontal metal plates, between which are provided at a distance studs 110 which leave a passage for the forks of a load carrier, both in the longitudinal and transverse directions.

 At each corner of this "floor" are provided metal angles which have the reference numeral 3.

 These angles are formed by a vertical wing 31, approximately in the shape of a right-angled triangle with a truncated top, which extends parallel to the transverse face 13 of the container. The right angle of the triangle coincides with the bottom angle of the transverse face.

 The angle also includes two other parallel vertical wings 30 and 30 'which extend perpendicular to the wing 31. They define with the latter, in top view, a kind of "U" whose opening is directed longitudinally. This means that the corresponding openings dc angles located on the same longitudinal side of the wall 1 1 are facing one another.

 Between these parallel wings 30 and 30 ′ are articulated, at each angle of the container, hollow metal posts 2. Reference 4 has been given to the transverse and horizontal axis which crosses the wings 30 and 30 ′ and which materializes the articulation posts in relation to the angles and the base 11.

 It should be noted that the lower end of the posts, as well as the associated hinge pin 4, are located at a distance from the upper face of the wall 11.

 As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 2 and 3, the posts 2 are linked in pairs by a horizontal transverse tube 20.

 The upper wall 10 forming the ceiling is made up of an assembly of longitudinal 102 and transverse 103 profiles which define a frame which, seen from above, forms a rectangle.

 Ccttc upper wall also includes other transverse profiles, of the same type as the aforementioned profiles 103, which allow to stiffen the assembly. These additional profiles are not visible in FIG. 1 because the wall is covered with a tarpaulin 6.

 According to the invention, the upper end of the posts 2 is guided in longitudinal translation along its edges 100 of the upper wall materialized by the aforementioned profiles 109.

 As shown particularly in Figure 5, the profiles 102 have a lateral opening 101, directed towards the outside of the container, which extends horizontally. The profile has a section with an approximately triangular rear part and a rectangular front part. This shape allows to receive in the profile at its opposite ends, damping discs 9 forming end-of-travel stops.

 Inside each of the sections 102 is engaged a roller 8 which has an internal rolling part 80 and an external rolling part 81. These are separated by an intermediate groove which is engaged in the opening 101. The roller is provided idly in rotation about a horizontal and transverse axis 7 which crosses the upper end of the associated post 2.

 It will then be understood that, insofar as an associated pair of posts 2 has pivoted relative to the base 11 in the lowering direction, the upper ends move longitudinally along the profiles 102 of the upper wall, by rolling the rollers 8.

 According to the invention, the container comprises means for locking and unlocking the posts 2, at their lower end.

 As shown in Figure 6, the inner wing 30 'of the angles 3 has an axial cutout 300' which opens at its upper end.

 Similarly, the internal faces opposite two associated posts have a longitudinal slot 21 in which a transverse bar 99 is engaged. When the posts are in the vertical position and pressed against the angles, the bar 22 can then rest on the bottom of the cut 300 'of the wings 30' (position B).

 When it is desired to tilt the posts, it suffices to actuate the bar vertically to bring it to the upper part of the lights 21 (position C). It is then released from the cutout 300 ′ and the posts can then pivot freely.

 In the event that it is again desired to replace the posts in a vertical position, the wings 30 ′ have for this effect a curved part forming a ramp which makes it possible to automatically move the bar 22 to make it occupy its initial position (position AT).

 We therefore understand that we pcut on demand to move the container from an erected position to a folded position. In the latter case, the walls 10 ct 1 1 are substantially parallel to each other but extend in close proximity to one another. The thickness of the container thus folded back is substantially equal to the height of the angles 3.

 According to the invention, the container comprises means for storing objects in the form of contiguous lockers 51, suspended from the upper wall 10 of the container. These means bear the numerical reference 5.

 It is a structure made of a flexible and deformable material such as plastic. This is of course chosen so as to be strong enough not to tear through the objects that the compartments 51 are intended to receive.

 In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the compartments 51 are separated by a simple partition 50 and are distributed in two superimposed rows. Of course, in another possible embodiment, the lockers could be fewer since they are wider and distributed in a single row.

 As shown in Figure 7, this structure comprises a senc of loops 52 which are attached to the transverse profiles, in particular 20 and 103, which the container presents. Thus, during the folding of the container, the presence of the lockers does not interfere with the operation. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 4, the compartments sc fold over one another to form an accordion structure which practically does not occupy any thickness.

 When the container returns to its erected position, the racks, due to their suspension from the upper wall 10, instantly resume their position for receiving objects (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

 As shown in particular in FIG. 1, the placement and removal of objects sc crosswise in the direction of the double arrow f.

 When necessary, when the container is filled with objects, the longitudinal and vertical faces can be covered with a tarpaulin.

 It is of course obvious that the container of the present invention is not exclusively intended for the storage of car door trim panels. It is suitable for any object that can be slipped into a storage locker.

Claims (7)

 1. Container for the storage of objects, in particular flat objects, which has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and which has upper (10) and lower (11) walls separated by corner posts (2), characterized by the fact that it is provided foldable in a position in which said walls (10, 11) remain superimposed but are in the vicinity of one another and by the fact that it comprises means (5) for storing contiguous racks (51) suspended from the upper wall (10), made of a flexible and deformable material, so that they do not interfere with the folding of the container and resume their position for receiving objects from the erection of it.  2. Container according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said posts (2) are, on the one hand, articulated at their lower end relative to the said lower wall (11) and, on the other hand, guided in longitudinal translation, at their upper end, along one side (100) of the upper wall (10).  3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that said upper end comprises a roller (8) of horizontal axis idling in rotation, which is engaged in a guide rail (102) provided along the side (100) of the upper wall (10).  4. Container according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that it comprises means (21, 22) for locking / unlocking the posts (2) which extend transversely and cooperate simultaneously with two opposite posts (2).  5. Container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said storage means (5) in the form of contiguous lockers (51) constitute one and the same unitary assembly.  6. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that said compartments (51) are made of a plastic material.  7. Container according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises at least one cover dc covering at least one dc its vertical faces.