GB2262503A

GB2262503A - Collapsible container.

Info

Publication number: GB2262503A
Application number: GB9225431A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Edward Clive Richards
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-12-04
Filing date: 1992-12-04
Publication date: 1993-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 2012-12-04
Also published as: GB9225431D0; GB2262503B; GB9125785D0

Abstract

A collapsible container has a base (1) and four side walls (4, 5, 6, 7). Two of the side walls (4, 5) are hingedly attached to the base and the other two side walls (6, 7) are hingedly connected to a respective one of the first two side walls. Each of the second two side walls (6, 7) can be folded back to abut the outer face of the respective side wall (4, 5) to which it is hingedly connected. One side wall (4) may then be folded down flat on the base. The hinged connection (3) of the other side wall (5) permits a small vertical movement with respect to the base, thus enabling the other side wall (5) to be folded substantially flat against the first side wall (4) which is already folded onto the base. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER The present invention relates to collapsible containers.

Containers such as boxes and pallet cages are used to store and transport bulk goods, but they present a problem when empty since they occupy a great deal of space. Collapsible containers are known, but such containers cannot fold flat, thus making them difficult and bulky to store.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container which is collapsible and which therefore occupies less space when empty.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a collapsible container comprising a planar base, a plurality of side walls and hinge means connecting a plurality of side walls to the base, the hinge means permitting a vertical movement of at least one side wall with respect to the base to enable the side walls to be folded substantially flat.

Preferably, the container has four side walls, two of which are connected to the base by the hinge means and the other two being hingedly connected to another side wall, preferably to one of the side walls which is hingedly connected to the base. Preferably, the hinged connection of the two side walls permits each of them to be folded substantially flat against the outer face of the respective side wall to which they are hingedly connected.

Preferably, the hinge means permit a first side wall to be folded substantially flat on the base and a second side wall to be folded substantially flat on the first side wall. The hinge means may permit one or more than one side wall to move vertically with respect to the base.

In one embodiment, the side walls comprise wire mesh, while in another embodiment the walls are solid.

By way of example only, specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of pallet container in accordance with the present invention, in an assembled state; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container of Fig. 1 with one wall opened; Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the container of Fig. 1, showing how the container may be collapsed; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the container of Fig. 1, shown in a fully collapsed state; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of collapsible container in accordance with the present invention in an assembled state; Figs. 7 and 8 are detailed perspective views of a hinge portion of the container of Fig. 6, with the container in an assembled and a collapsed state respectively; and Fig. 9 is a side view of the container of Fig. 6, in a collapsed state.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 to 5, the first embodiment of the present invention is in the form of a pallet cage and comprises a base 1 in the form of a conventional rectangular wooden pallet and four rectangular wire mesh wall panels 4,5,6,7 arranged on the upper surface of the pallet. Two of the walls 4,5 are hingedly attached to the upper surface of the pallet along respective lower edges thereof by means of respective hinges 2,3. The hinges 2,3 are in the form of metal U-shaped staples which engage the lowermost horizontal member of the respective mesh panels 4,5 and which are secured in the upper surface sf the pallet. The hinges 2,3 allow a degree of vertical movement which, as will be explained, enables the panels 4,5,6,7 to be folded flat onto the surface of the pallet when desired.

The panels 6,7 are hingedly attached by respective hinge connections 14 and 15 to the panels 4 and 5 respectively, and the non-hinged vertical edges of each of the panels 6,7 is releasably securable to the nonçhinged vertical edges of the panels 5 and 4 respectively by means of catches 8,9. It should also be noted that the central vertical wire member 10,11 of each of the panels 6,7 is longer than the other vertical members and is received, in use, in a respective socket 13 in the upper surface of the pallet.

In use, the wall panels 4,5,6,7 are hinged into the positions illustrated in Fig. 1 and are secured in position by means of the catches 8,9. The location of the vertical members 10,11 in their respective sockets 13 also assists in securing the wall panels in position. Further securing may optionally be provided by cross wires 12 which extend between and hook over horizontal wire members of opposed walls. When assembled, the container may be used as a pallet cage in the usual way. The pallet cage of the present invention also has the advantage, as illustrated in Fig. 2, that by releasing the catches 8 or 9, the panel 6 or 7 may be hinged open, thus providing access to the cage interior.

When it is desired to store or transport the empty container, the hinged arrangement of the wall panels enable the panels to be folded flat onto the pallet, thus greatly reducing the volume of the container and greatly facilitating storage and/or transport. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, in order to collapse the walls the catches 8 and 9 are first released, enabling the walls 6 and 7 to be hinged through approximately 2700 about their respective hinges 14 and 15, such that the walls 6,7 lie flat against the outer face of walls 4,5 respectively, into the configuration shown in Fig. 4. The walls 4,6 are then hinged downwardly about the hinges 2 such that the inner face of wall 4 lies flat against the upper surface of the pallet 1.This is facilitated by the vertical freedom of movement which hinge 2 allows, otherwise it might not be possible to lie the wall 4 absolutely flat against the pallet face. The walls 5, 7 are then hinged downwardly about the hinges 3, such that the inner face of wall 5 liens in contact with the upper surface of wall 6. The hinge 3 allow a greater degree of vertical movement than the hinge 2, to enable the walls 5,7 to be hinged onto the walls 4,6.

The vertical movement permitted by the hinge 3 should be at least equal to the depth of the walls 4,6 when folded on the pallet 1.

When in the fully collapsed state, as shown in Fig. 5, the container may be easily stored and transported because of its greatly reduced volume, but may be assembled whenever desired in just a few seconds. If desired, clips may be used to retain the container in its collapsed state to facilitate handling. A lockable removable mesh lid (not shown) can also be used on the assembled container, if desired, for security purposes.

The second embodiment illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9, is very similar to the first embodiment, the main difference being that the wire mesh walls are replaced with solid wooden walls, although the walls can be made of any suitable material, such as metal. The container comprises a rectangular base wall 20, and four rectangular side walls 21,22,23,24. The larger walls 21,22 are each hingedly attached to the base wall 20 by means of a respective pair of hinges 25,26 which, as in the first embodiment, allow vertical movement with respect to the base to facilitate folding, as will be described.

One hinge 26 is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the hinges 25 being very similar except that they allow a smaller vertical movement. The hinge comprises a cylindrical pin 27 which sits in a recess 28 in the bottom edge of the wall 21 and is held in position by two brackets 29. The pin 27 is received in a vertical channel 30 of a metal bracket 31 which is secured to the upper surface of the base wall 20 by a bolt 32 passing through an angled flange 33 of the bracket and to the outer edge of the base 20 by means of a further bolt 34. The pin, and thus the wall 22, can move vertically with respect to the base, for which purpose a further recess 35, shaped to receive the bracket 31, is provided in the lower edge of the wall 22.

The wall 21 is hingedly connected to the wall 23, by a pair of external hinges 36 and similarly the wall 24 is connected to the wall 22 by a pair of identical hinges 37. External latches 38 are provided to releasably secure the non-hinged vertical edge of the walls 23,24 to the walls 22,21 respectively.

In use, the container is assembled into the state shown in Fig. 6 and the latches 38 are locked to secure the walls in place. The container may then be used as a standard container When it is desired to store or transport the empty container, the walls 21,22,23,24 may be collapsed and folded flat onto the base by means of the following steps. Firstly, the latches 38 are unlocked and the walls 23 and 24 are hinged through 2700 so that they lie against the outer face of the walls 21,22 respectively. The wall 21 is then hinged about hinges 25 so that its inner face lies flat against the upper surface of the base wall 20. The wall 22 is then hinged about hinges 26 so that the inner face of wall 22 lies flat against the upper surface of the wall 23 as shown in Fig. 9. This is made possible by the vertical movement permitted by the hinges 26 which allow a vertical movement equal at least to the depth of the two walls 21,23 on the base wall 20. When in the folded position, the hinges 26 assume the position illustrated in Fig. 8, which shows the vertical movement permitted by the hinge.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments for example, it is not necessary for the hinges 2 and 26 to permit vertical movement since their respective walls 4, 23 should be able to fold flat onto their respective bases 1, 20.

However, some degree of vertical movement may be desirable in order to compensate for slight damage of the container during use, for example.

Claims

1. A collapsible container comprising a planar base, a plurality of side walls and hinge means connecting a plurality of side walls to the base, the hinge means permitting a vertical movement of at least one side wall with respect to the base to enable the side walls to be folded substantially flat.

2. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1, comprising four side walls, two of which are connected to the base by the hinge means and the other two being hingedly connected to another side wall.

3. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the two side walls not connected to the base is hingedly connected to a respective one of the side walls which is connected to the base.

4. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the hinged connection of each of the two side walls not connected to the base permits each of the two side walls to be folded substantially flat against the respective side wall to which it is hingedly connected.

5. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the two side walls may be folded substantially flat against the outer face oe the respective side wall to which it is hingedly connected.

6 A collapsible container as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5, wherein each of the two side walls is releasably securable to the other of the side walls connected to the base to which it is not hingedly attached.

7. A collapsible container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge means permit a first side wall to be folded substantially flat on the base and a second side wall to be folded substantially flat onto the first side wall.

8. A collapsible container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge means permits a vertical movement of one snide wall with respect to the base.

9. A collapsible container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the hinge means permits a vertical movement of a plurality of side walls with respect to the base.

10. A collapsible container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls comprise mesh.

11. A collapsible container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the side walls are solid.

12. A collapsible container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the base comprises a pallet.

13. A collapsible container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the base is rectangular.

14. A collapsible container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls are rectangular.

15. A collapsible container substantially as herein described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figs. 1 to 5 or Figs. 6 to g of the accompanying drawings.