GB2123797A

GB2123797A - An upwardly open container

Info

Publication number: GB2123797A
Application number: GB08314306A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jon Arnar Palmason
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-05-24
Filing date: 1983-05-24
Publication date: 1984-02-08
Also published as: DK232283D0; GB8314306D0; NO831822L; DE3318750A1; DK232283A; FR2527172A1

Abstract

An upwardly open container of the type having a bottom wall (10) and pairs of upright side and end walls (11-14) is especially intended for containing fish, vegetables and other perishable goods. An upwardly open slit (15, 16) is formed in at least one of the side walls (11, 12) adjacent to the inner surface of one of the end walls (13, 14), and in the other of the end walls adjacent to the inner surface of the other side wall. Identical containers may then be stacked on top of each in their filled condition. When the containers are empty, a pair of containers may be engaged with each other so that they occupy substantially the same space as a single container, because the slit formed in one of the containers may receive the side and end wall of the other. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An upwardly open container The present invention relates to an upwardly open container or box of the type comprising a bottom wall and upright side and end walls extending therefrom. Such containers are conventionally used for the shipment of fish, vegetables and other perishable goods and also for the shipment of goods of other types. When such containers are filled with goods, it is desired that they are stackable, which means that the bottom surface of each container may be arranged on top of another container so that this bottom surface engages with and is supported by the upper edge or rim portions of the side and end walls of an underlying container. However, when such containers are to be returned or shipped in an empty condition, they should take up as little space as possible.

Containers of the above type which may be stacked on top of each other in a certain relative position and nested in each other when they are empty and turned 900 in relation to each other, are known. Such containers must, however, have a substantially square shape in plan view, and special care must be taken to secure that the containers are properly positioned in relation to each other when they are stacked in a filled condition.

The present invention provides a container of the above type which may have any substantially rectangular or square shape in plan view, and which is stackable in a filled condition, and which may be arranged so as to take up substantially less space in their empty condition.

The present invention provides a container comprising a bottom wall, a pair of first and second parallel side walls, and a pair of first and second parallel end walls extending transversely to the side walls, said pairs of side and end walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall and defining an upper container opening, an upwardly open slit extending at substantially right angles to the bottom wall and being formed at least in said first side wall adjacent to the inner surface of said first end wall, and in said second end wall adjacent to the inner surface of said second side wall, the width of the slit in the first side wall being at least equal to the thickness of the second end wall, and vice versa, whereby side wall and end walls of a similar container arranged upside down may be received in the slits of the second end wall and the first side wall, respectively.This means that two empty containers may be arranged so that they only occupy substantially the same space as a single filled container, whereby the space required for returning empty containers is substantially reduced.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the container according to the invention having a slit in each of its side and end walls, Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views illustrating how two empty containers as that shown in Fig. 1 may be engaged with one another so as to occupy only substantially the same space as a single container, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a container according to the invention, Fig. 5a is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the container according to the invention, and Fig. 5b is a perspective view of a container which may be used in connection with the container shown in Fig. 5a.

Each of the containers shown in Figs. 1-5 is of the type having a substantially rectangul,ar or square bottom wall 10, a pair of substantially parallel upright side walls 11 and 12, and a pair of substantially parallel upright end walls 13 and 14 extending transversely to the side walls. The containers, which are preferably made from foamed plastic or another heat insulating material, are especially adapted for the shipment of fish, vegetables, and other perishable materials.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 upwardly open, substantially verticaliy extending slits 1 5 and 1 6 are formed in the side walls 11 and 12, respectively, adjacent to the inner surface of the end wall 14. A pair of similar slits 17 and 18 are formed in the end wall 1 3 adjacent to the inner surfaces of the side walls 11 and 12, respectively.

Each of the slits extends downwardly from the upper edge of the walls 11-13 along about half the height of these walls, and the width of each slit is equal to or slightly exceeds the thickness of the side walls 11 and 12 and the end walls 13 and 14 of the container.

When containers of the type shown in Fig. 1 is filled with goods, such as fish or vegetables, they may be stacked on top of each other, so that the bottom wall 10 of an upper container is supported by the upper edge portions of the side and end walls 11-14 of an underlying container.

However, when the containers are empty, each pair of containers may be engaged with each other as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus, one of the containers is turned upside down, and the upper container is slightly displaced in relation to the lower container, so that one pair of the slits 1 5 and 17 and one pair of the slits 16 and 18 are aligned as indicated with dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Thereafter the empty containers may be engaged with each other as illustrated in Fig. 3, whereafter the two containers occupy substantially the same space as a single container. It is understood that the containers shown in Figs. 2 and 3 could also be engaged with each other in another position, in which the upper container is displaced to the right so that the other two pairs of slits formed in the containers are engaged.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 4 has only one slit 19 formed in the end wall 13 and also only a single slit 20 formed in the side wall 11. Each of these slits has a widened upper inlet opening facilitating the insertion of side and end walls of another container therein. It is understood that an identical container may be engaged with the container shown in Fig. 4 in the same manner is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 5a a slit 21 is formed in the end wall 13 while another slit 22 is formed in the side wall 11. However, each of these slits or slots extends in substantially the total height of these side and end walls. Therefore, a similar container as that shown in Fig. 5a without any slits or slots may be engaged with the container shown in Fig. 5a in a similar manner as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

It is understood that various modifications and changes of the embodiments shown in the drawings may be made within the scope of the present invention. Thus, for example, any of the slits or slots may be provided with widened inlet portions as the slits shown in Fig. 4. Furthermore, if the container has a substantially square bottom wall, a slit may be formed in each side and end wall adjacent to each corner of the container.

Claims

1. A container comprising a bottom wall, a pair of first and second parallel side walls, and a pair of first and second parallel end walls extending transversely to the side walls, said pairs of side and end walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall and defining an upper container opening, an upwardly open slit extending at substantially right angles to the bottom wall and being formed at least in said first side wall adjacent to the inner surface of said first end wall, and in said second end wall adjacent to the inner surface of said second side wall, the width of the slit in the first side wall being at least equal to the thickness of the second end wall and vice versa, whereby side and end walls of a similar container arranged upside down may be received in the slits of the second end wall and the first side wall, respectively.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein an upwardly open slit is formed also in said second side wall adjacent to the inner surface of said first end wall, and in said second end wall adjacent to the inner surface of said second side wall.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surfaces defining the upper open end of at least some of the slits is diverging upwardly.

4. A container according to claim 1, wherein each of the slits is extending in substantially the total height of the wall in which it is formed so that it may receive a side or end wall of a similar container without slits and turned upside down.

5. A container according to claim 1, wherein each of the slits is extending along substantially the upper half of the height of the wall in which it is formed, so that it may receive the wall part between the bottom wall and a corresponding slit of an identical container turned upside down.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein the side and end walls have substantially the same height.

7. A container according to claim 1, wherein the container is adapted to contain fish or other perishable goods.

8. A container according to claim 7, wherein the container is made from a heat insulating material.

9. A container according to claim 8, wherein the container is made from foamed plastic.