GB2173482A - Collapsible crate - Google Patents

Abstract

A crate comprises base lattices 60 hinged at hinges 5 (transversely corrugated plastics material) to opposed walls 4, hinged at hinges 50 to further walls 20 to allow the base lattices to be flat within the folded walls when the crate is collapsed. Unfolding of the walls 4, 20 to form a rectangular containment space allows the base lattices to fall into mutually interengaging load-bearing positions. End portions 71 of radial spars 70 of the base lattices extend under the side walls 4 to support the latter. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Collapsible crate This invention relates to a collapsible crate, for example, for containing fruit or vegetable produce during transit.

According to this invention there is provided a collapsible crate having four walls hinged at their mutually-adjacent side edges so that the walls can be moved relative to each other about the hinged side edges between a substantially flat collapsed position and an erected position in which the four walls define a containment space, two relatively rigid base portions being hinged to bottom edges of two opposing ones of the walls such that when said walls are in said collapsed position the base portions can be folded substantially flat between the walls and when said walls are in the erected position the base portions can be unfolded to inter-engage and form a base for said containment space.

Preferably the base portions are lattice-form and the walls adjacent to those to which the base lattices are hinged are panel-form or have panel portions and are frictionally engaged by at least one cross-spar of each base lattice such that the latter falls into place in a controlled manner during erection of the crate ensuring the desired inter-engagement of the base lattices.

Advantageously, it may be arranged that each base lattice has radial spars extending from the hinge of the base lattice, said radial spares being arranged, in the erected position, to rest on one or more cross-spars of the other base lattice. One of said cross-spars may form a support for the hinge. Also at least one pair of the radial spares of each base lattice may be arranged to fall into position closely between a cooperating pair of radial spars on the other base lattice so as to provide structural rigidity to the base of the erected crate.

At least those side walls to which the base lattices are hinged may also be lattice-form.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a collapsible crate embodying this invention and when almost in the collapsible state; Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of the crate shown in Fig. 1 during transition to, and in, the erected state; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the positions of the base lattices of the crate corresponding respectively to Figs. 1 to 3; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of the crate shown in Fig. 1.

Referrring to the drawings, a collapsible crate 1 comprises a pair of panel-form end walls 2 made of a flexible material mounted on a rectangular frame and providing hinge portions 3 secured to adjacent edge portions of lattice-form side walls 4. The flexible material comprising the end walls 2 and hinge portions 3 may be a waterproof fibre-board or a plastics material. The side walls 4 may be made of wood or other lightweight, relatively rigid material.

Hinge portions 5 secured to the bottom edge portions of the side walls are also secured to base lattices 6 which can fold about the hinge portions 5 to lie flat against the respective associated side walls 4. The walls of the crate can then be collapsed to a flat position substantially as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to erect the crate for use, the walls 2,4 are opened out to form a containment space and the base lattices 6 are folded down to inter-engage and form a base for the containment space. The crate can then be loaded with the appropriate produce.

It is to be noted that each base lattice has three radial spars 7 and two cross-spars 8, one of which provides a support for the associated hinge portion 5. The other cross-spar 8 of each base lattice is of such a length as to engage frictionally the inner surfaces of the two panel-form end walls 2. Thus the unfolding of the base lattices to their erected position is controlled such that the base lattices fall into their erected position only when the walls are arranged substantially in a rectangle in plan view. Also this controlled unfolding ensures that the radial spars 7 of the respective base lattices inter-engage and fall into place on the cross-spars of the other base lattice.In fact, the base so formed may have sufficient strength if only the radially outer cross-spar 8 (Fig. 3) provides support for the radial spars 7, which latter can then be made shorter so as not to engage the cross-spar 8 at the hinge of the opposite base lattice.

In the embodiment shown, the first two radial spars 7 (from the left-hand side of each of Figs. 1 to 3) are arranged to fit closely between the opposite radial spars 7 of the other base lattice so as to provide structural rigidity to the base in the erected position.

Referring to Fig. 5, a modified form 10 of the crate shown in Figs. 1 to 4 has latticeform end walls 20 connected by means of hinges 50 to the side walls 4. These hinges 50 as with the hinges 5 are formed from flexible laminated plastics material whose middle layer is corrugated and the material is arranged with the corrugations transverse to the pivot axis of the hinge. One form of such material is sold under the name The hinge material is held in place by being gripped between frame members forming the walls and base lattices. In this case the frame members are slats of wood stapied together at their junctions.

The base lattices 60 have their radial spars 70 arranged to extend at their end portions 71 attached to the hinges 5 through the latter so that the bottom longitudinal members 41 bear on the end portions 71 so as to inhibit damage to the base when the crate forms part of a stack.

One of the base lattices is provided with a cross-spar 80 which extends above the radial spars 7 so as to improve the resistance of the base to collapse due to the cross-spars 8 becoming detached downwardly, for example due to a concentrated load not shared by any of the radial spars.

Otherwise the crate 10 shown in Fig. 5 is similar to the crate 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and like reference numerals indicate like parts in the two embodiments. One or more of the apertures in the lattice-form end walls 20 of the crate 10 may be provided with panels to provide a frictional control effect as provided on the base lattices of the crate 1.

Thus in the crates described above, the inter-engagement of the base lattices provides a base of good load-supporting qualities and gives structural strength to the crates in resisting any tendency for the crates to degenerate into their collapsed position.

The crates described above provide a convenient and efficient means of transporting high volume produce without the need to transport and store high volume empty containers prior to loading of the produce

Claims (10)

1. A collapsible crate having four walls hinged at their mutually-adjacent side edges so that the walls can be moved relative to each other about the hinged side edges between a substantially flat collapsed position and an erected position in which the four walls define a containment space, two relatively rigid base portions being hinged to bottom edges of two opposing ones of the walls such that when said walls are in said collapsed position the base portions can be folded substantially flat between the walls and when said walls are in the erected position the base portions can be unfolded to interengage and form a base for said containment space.

2. A crate according to claim 1, wherein the base portions are lattice-form and the walls adjacent to those to which the base lattices are hinged are panel-form or have panel portions and are frictionally engaged by at least one cross-spar of each base lattice such that the latter falls into place in a controlled manner during erection of the crate ensuring the desired inter-engagement of the base lattices.

3. A crate according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each base lattice has radial spars extending from the hinge of the base lattice, said radial spares being arranged, in the erected position, to rest on one or more cross-spars of the other base lattice.

4. A crate according to claim 3, wherein one of said cross-spars forms a support for the hinge.

5. A crate according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein at least one pair of the radial -spares of each base lattice may be arranged to fall into position closely between a cooperating pair of radial spars on the other base lattice so as to provide structural rigidity to the base of the erected crate.

6. A crate according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein at least one of said crossspars is arranged to extend over the radial spars of the associated base lattice when the latter is in its load-bearing position.

7. A crate according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein said radial spars have end portions extending through the hinge so as to provide load-bearing means for the side walls.

8. A crate according to any one of the preceding claims wherein hinges between the walls and between the walls and base lattices each comprise a flexible laminated plastics material having a middle corrugated layer whose corrugations extend transversely to the hinge axis.

9. A crate according to any one of the preceding claims and comprising slats of wood stapled together at their junctions to provide said lattices and lattice form members.

10. A collapsible crate substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 or to Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.