FR2974789A1 - FOLDABLE BIN - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a foldable container comprising a substantially rectangular bottom, two side walls, two longitudinal walls, each wall being pivotable relative to the bottom. The tray also comprises a stacking means connected to each of two carrier walls and the stacking means are integrally formed with the carrier wall.

Description

The present invention relates to a new container, more particularly a collapsible and stackable container comprising stacking means.

It is known to use foldable bins for the storage and handling of goods. This type of tank offers a good compromise between the useful volume corresponding to the interior volume of the tank when it is open and a reduced space requirement when it is folded, which optimizes the empty return of the bins and limits the transport costs.

It also appeared bins comprising stacking bars. For example, it is known from document EP 1 743 844 a container comprising two stacking bars connected by pivots with two opposite walls. The bars can be rotated from an open position to nest in the tray opening, a tray of similar shape; in a closed position in which a similar shaped tray can be placed on the stacking bars.

Nevertheless the use of these stackable bins is not without drawbacks. In fact, these 20 bins are not foldable and therefore occupy a larger volume when they are returned for a new reload. Another disadvantage of this type of tray is that the piles of stacked bins are not stable and the bins move relative to each other since they are simply placed on the lower stacking bars. In addition, when the full bins are stacked on top of one another, the weight of the bins and their contents tends to deform the stacking bars and to bend the walls of the bins positioned at the bottom of the stack.

The present invention thus relates to a foldable container comprising a substantially rectangular bottom, two side walls, two longitudinal walls, each wall being pivotable relative to the bottom, a stacking means connected to each of two carrier walls characterized in that that the stacking means are integrally formed with the carrier wall. Preferably, the stacking means comprises a stacking bar.

The tray of the present invention has been developed to replace the cartons in cartons for essentially single use. The thickness of the walls is relatively thin to obtain light bins and an interior volume similar to the cardboard tray. The presence of the means or bars of stackings integrally formed with a pair of opposing carrier walls reinforces said walls and minimize or even prevent their deformation by distributing the weight of the upper tray or bins and their contents, not only on any the bearing wall but also on the adjacent walls, as will be explained in more detail below.

Preferably, the carrier walls are the longitudinal walls. This particularly preferred form of the invention makes it possible to obtain a better distribution of the weight of the upper tray (s) and their contents. This form also makes it possible to obtain a reduced volume of a tray of the present invention by folding the tray according to the folding sequence described in detail below.

According to a particularly preferred form of the invention, the stacking bar is connected to the carrier wall by one or more film hinges. Preferably, the tray is made of molded plastic material and comprises for example a plastic material such as polypropylene and / or polyethylene. In the context of the present invention, a "film hinge" is a thinner area acting as a hinge. The use of a film hinge for the integral formation of the wall with the stacking means simplifies the manufacturing process since the preparation of the tray does not require additional elements (and therefore additional steps in the manufacturing process) for example pivots, dowels and other pivoting elements.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the film hinge or hinges have two axes of rotation. These axes of rotation allow the movement of the stacking means between an "open" position and a "closed" position. For example, (the stacking means or more particularly) the stacking bar can be placed in a first stacking position in which the bar rests on the upper surface of the adjacent walls and in a second position in which the bar rests against the surface outer wall of the carrier wall.

When the stacking bar rests on the adjacent walls (so-called "closed" position) when stacking two or more bins, the weight of the upper bins and their contents is distributed, not only over the entire length of the supporting wall, but also along the stacking bar, and also on the adjacent walls. When the stacking bar is in the so-called "open" position, the tray can be folded for a small footprint since the stacking bar rests against the outer surface of the carrier wall.

Preferably, the upper edge of the adjacent wall comprises at least one lug, and the stacking bar comprises at least one complementary orifice. Alternatively, the stacking bar comprises at least one lug and the upper edge of the adjacent wall has at least one complementary orifice. These elements enhance the stability of the tank by minimizing the movement of walls and stacking bars. In addition, these elements allow the attachment of the carrier wall with the adjacent wall.

According to a particularly preferred form of the invention, the carrier wall comprises an opening capable of at least partially receiving the stacking means placed in the second position. Thus, the tray can be folded for a small footprint since the stacking means is partially embedded in the carrier wall. Preferably, the tray comprises means for maintaining the stacking means in the second position. For example, the stacking means may comprise one or more tongues and the outer surface of the supporting wall one or more recesses capable of receiving said tab or tongues. These tabs maintain the stacking means against the load-bearing walls and thus allow simplified folding and also avoid the damage of loose elements / bars.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the upper edge of the carrier walls comprises several slots. These slots allow to support (the stacking means or more particularly) the stacking bar in the "closed" position. The bar rests at its ends on the upper edge of the adjacent walls, for part of its length on the slots described above. Thus, when stacking two or more bins, the weight of the upper bins and their contents is also distributed over the slots.

According to a particularly preferred form of the invention, the upper surface of the bottom comprises projections and the bottom surface of the bottom has one or more orifices capable of receiving said projections when the tray is folded. According to a particularly preferred form of the invention, the bottom surface of the bottom has one or more orifices capable of receiving the stacking means when the tray is folded. Thus, the folded bins stacked occupy a reduced volume and are stabilized.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the stacking bar is partially hollow, in order to obtain relatively light bins.

The invention will be better understood and its various advantages and different characteristics will become more apparent on reading the description which follows and on examining the figures that accompany it. These are presented only as an indication and in no way limitative of the invention. The figures show: FIG. 1: a perspective view from above of a container according to the invention, the stacking bars of which are in the "closed" position; Figure 2: a side view of a tray according to the invention, the stacking bars are in the "closed" position; Figure 3: a longitudinal view of a tray according to the invention, the stacking bars 20 are in the "closed" position; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the underside of a tray according to the invention, the stacking bars are in the "closed" position; Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of two bins according to the invention stacked; Figure 6: a perspective view of the top of a tray according to the invention so the stacking bars are in the "open" position; Figure 7 is a longitudinal view of a bin according to the invention, the stacking bars are in the "open" position; Figures 8A and 8B: Partial perspective views of stacking bars for a tray according to the invention in the "open" position; Figures 9A and 9B: perspective views of a first (folded) bin and a second (folded) bin according to the invention; Figure 10 is a perspective view of two bins according to the invention folded and stacked; and Figure 11: a side view of two bins according to the invention folded and stacked.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the collapsible tray 1 according to the present invention is made of plastic material (for example polypropylene and / or polyethylene) and is in the form of a parallelepiped when in the state completely unfolded. The tray comprises a bottom 2 of substantially rectangular shape, two longitudinal walls 3, 4, two side walls 5, 6, two stacking bars 7, 8. Each wall 3, 4, 5, 6 is attached to one of the four sides of the bottom by pivoting means.

A first stacking bar 7 is fixed to the upper edge of a first longitudinal wall 3; and the second bar 8 is fixed to the upper edge of the second longitudinal wall 4. The stacking bars 7, 8 are fixed to the longitudinal bearing walls by a plurality of film hinges 9 for example in the form of strips. Of course, the plurality of film hinges 9 can be replaced by a single film hinge extending for example over the entire length of the stacking bar 7, 8. Each film hinge has two axes of rotation, between the hinge film 9 and the carrier wall 3, 4, and between the film hinge 9 and the stacking bar 7, 8.

In the tray 1 represents in the figures, the upper borders of the carrier walls 3, 4 comprise a plurality of crenellations 10 and more particularly an alternation of crenellations 10 and hinges s film 9. A lug 11 is present at each end of the border upper side of each side wall 5, 6 and a complementary opening 12 is present at each end of the stacking bar 7, 8. The lugs 11 could also be present on the ends of the stacking bars 7,8 and the complementary openings 12 on the upper edges of the side walls.

The longitudinal walls 3, 4 have on their lateral edges one or more projections 13 (three in Figure 1) and the side walls 5, 6 have one or more complementary openings 14. Of course, the projection or projections 13 may be present on the side edges of the side walls 5, 6, and the longitudinal walls 3, 4 may comprise one or more complementary openings 14.

The unfolding sequence of a tray 1 according to the present invention comprises the following steps: 1. the longitudinal walls 3, 4 are positioned at an angle substantially perpendicular to the bottom 2; 2. the side walls 5, 6 are also rotated in perpendicular position; 3. the projections 13 are placed (by pressure on the outer surface of the side wall 5, 6) into the complementary openings 14 in order to fix each wall to the adjacent wall; 4. the stacking bar 7, 8 is placed in the "closed" position towards the inside of the tray 1 (and in which the bar 7, 8 partly covers the opening of the tray 1); the film hinges 9 align with the crenels 10 to create a substantially flat outer surface; and 5. the lugs 11 are placed (by pressing on the stacking bar 7, 8) in the complementary openings 12.

The tray 1 comprises (for example on the side walls 5, 6) surfaces 15 for receiving self-adhesive labels. These surfaces comprise a plurality of projections in order to facilitate the take-off of said labels.

Unfolded bins 1 can be placed on top of each other (Figure 5). The upper tray is placed on the stacking bars 7.8 in the "closed" position. The bottom 2 of the container (FIG. 4) may have apertures of complementary shape 16 on the periphery with the stacking bars 7, 8 and / or with the upper edges of the side walls 5, 6.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a container 1 according to the present invention with the stacking bars 7, 8 in the "open" position in which the bars 7, 8 rest on the outer surface of the supporting walls 3, 4. In FIGS. 8A and 8B show a partially hollow stacking bar 7, 8 (with a section for example in the shape of "3" or "E"). The stacking bar 7, 8 comprises a tongue 17 and the carrier wall 3, 4 comprises a means for retaining said tongue 17, for example a recess 18.

The folding sequence of a container 1 according to the present invention comprises the following steps: 1. the openings 12 of the stacking bars 7, 8 are dislodged from the lugs 11 of the adjacent walls 5, 6; 2. the bars 7, 8 are unfolded towards the outside of the tray 1. They are pushed against and are partially housed in the carrier walls 3, 4 to form a substantially flat surface; 3. the tongue 16 is retained by the recess 17; 4. the side walls 5, 6 are detached from the longitudinal walls 3,4 by pulling the projections 13 out of the openings 14; 5. the side walls 5, 6 are folded on the upper surface of the bottom 2; and 6. the longitudinal walls 3, 4 are folded on the side walls 5, 6.

Figures 9A and 9B show two bins 1 according to the present invention. The tray of FIG. 9A is relatively deeper and the longitudinal walls 3, 4 fall on almost the entire surface of the side walls 5, 6 and bottom 2. The tray of FIG. 9B is relatively shallower and the longitudinal walls 3, 4 only cover part of the surface of the side walls 5, 6 and bottom 2.

Figures 10 and 11 show two bins 1 folded according to the present invention placed one on the other in stacked position. Projections 19 extend perpendicularly from each corner of the bottom 2 of the tray 1 and these projections 19 are housed in complementary openings 20 in the bottom surface of the bottom 2 of the upper tray 1. This structure minimizes the movement of bins folded and stacked relative to each other.

When stacking two or more folded bins, the stacking bars 7, 8 may be partially housed in complementary openings formed in the outer surface of the load-bearing walls 3, 4. The stacking bars 7, 8 are in contact with the surface bottom of the upper tray. Alternatively, the lower surface of the bottom of the upper tray has one or more openings capable of partially receiving the stacking bars. A plurality of openings may be formed on the lower surface of the bottom of the upper tray so as to allow the stacking of bins of different depths.

Numerical references Tray 1 Bottom 2 Longitudinal walls 3, 4 Lateral walls 5, 6 Stacking bars 7, 8 Hinge s film 9 Cribs 10 Lugs 11 and additional openings 12 Projections 13 and additional openings 14 Surfaces for labels 15 Openings in the bottom of the tank Tab 17 and means of retention 18 Projections 19 and additional openings 20 1. 5 2. 10 3. 4. 15 5. 20 6. 7.

Claims (9)

REVENDICATIONS1. Folding bin with a substantially CLAIMS background1. Folding container comprising a substantially rectangular bottom, two side walls, two longitudinal walls, each wall being pivotable relative to the bottom, a stacking means connected to each of two load-bearing walls characterized in that the stacking means are integrally formed with the supporting wall. 2. The container of claim 1 wherein the carrier walls are the longitudinal walls. 3. Tray according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the stacking bar is connected to the carrier wall by one or more film hinges. 4. Tray according to claim 3 wherein the film hinge or hinges have two axes of rotation. A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the stacking means can be placed in a first stacking position in which the stacking means rests on the upper surface of the adjacent walls and in a second position in which the means stacking against the outer surface of the supporting wall. 6. Tray according to claim 5 wherein the upper edge of the adjacent wall comprises at least one lug, and the stacking bar comprises at least one complementary orifice. 7. Tray according to claim 6 wherein the bottom surface of the bottom comprises one or more orifices capable of receiving the stacking means, when the folded or unfolded tray is placed on a folded tray of the same type or the like. 8. The container of claim 5 wherein the carrier wall comprises an opening capable of receiving at least partially the stacking means placed in the second position. 9. Tray according to claim 5 wherein the tray comprises means for maintaining the stacking means in the second position. Tray according to claim 9 wherein the stacking means comprises one or more tongues and the outer surface of the carrier wall comprises a recess capable of receiving said tab or tongues. Tray according to claim 3 wherein the upper edge of the carrier walls comprises several slots. Tray according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the upper surface of the bottom comprises projections and the bottom surface of the bottom has one or more orifices capable of receiving said projections when the tray is folded. Tray according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bottom surface of the bottom has one or more openings capable of receiving the stacking means when the tray is folded. Tray according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the stacking means is partially hollow. Tray according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the stacking means comprises at least one stacking bar. 30