GB2349139A

GB2349139A - A container assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2349139A
Application number: GB9909172A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lee Mallan
Original assignee: Lin Pac Mouldings Ltd
Current assignee: Linpac Mouldings Ltd
Priority date: 1999-04-21
Filing date: 1999-04-21
Publication date: 2000-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-21
Also published as: GB2349139B; GB9909172D0

Abstract

A container assembly has a container part (1) with front and rear walls (11, 13) and opposed side walls (7, 9) which provide a top opening and a front opening in the wall (11). A closure (3) for the openings has a front panel (25) and top panels (27, 29) connected together and to the container part (1) by hinges (35, 33, 31). The front and top openings may be progressively opened or closed by pivotal movement of the front panel (25) and top panels (27, 29) relative to each other and to the container part (1). The top opening is continuous with the front opening through a mouth (19) in a top frame (17). With the front panel (25) in its closed condition, that panel engages beneath shoulders (43) on the top frame which engagement ensures that the top panel (27) maintains its closed condition and prevents the front panel (25) from being drawn through the mouth (19) when the container assembly is lifted by a handle (45) on the front panel. The assembly may be collapsable by displacing the front and rear walls inwardly of the container to overlie the base (5) and collapsing the opposed side walls (7, 9) in concertina fashion through hinges (65) to displace the frame (17) towards the base (5).

Description

A CONTAINER ASSEMBLY Technical Field and Background The present invention relates to a container assembly. More particularly it concerns a container of the kind having a base with upstanding side walls which present an open top and an open front and with means for optionally closing the front and top openings. Container assemblies of the aforementioned kind are well-known for the storage and transportation of goods where the front and top openings may be selectively revealed by the closure for convenience of access to the interior of the container and also to display goods in the container. Usually the containers are manufactured in plastics.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container assembly of the kind mentioned above and which provides an improved means for closing the open top and open front and which means permits convenient access into the container.

Statement of Invention and Avantages According to the present invention, there is provided a container assembly comprising a container part having a base and walls upstanding from the base to provide the container part with a top opening and a front opening, and closure means comprising a first closure part for said top opening and a second closure part for said front opening; said first closure part being hingedly connected to the container part to be pivotal between conditions to open and to close the top opening, and wherein the second closure part comprises a front panel hingedly connected to the first closure part to be pivotal thereon, when the first closure part is in its closed condition, between conditions to open and to close the front opening.

By the present invention, the first closure part for the top opening is connected with a front panel that is hingedly mounted thereon to be pivotal to selectively open or close the front opening of the container part when the first closure part is in its closed condition to close the top opening. This has the advantage that the container part can be selectively opened progressively when the closure means is in a condition to close both the top opening and the front opening by firstly pivoting the front panel to open the front opening and permit access to the interior of the container and thereafter pivoting the closure part to open (or to partially open) the top opening whilst the front panel is carried with the closure part during its pivotal movement to permit access to the interior of the container through either or both the front opening or the top opening.

Conversely, the top and front openings of the container may be progressively closed by pivotal movement of the first closure part to its closed condition to close the top opening and subsequently pivotal movement of the front panel to its closed condition to close the front opening.

A preferred feature of the invention is that when the front panel is pivoted to its closed condition, that panel locates beneath shoulder means of the container part. This location is so that the front panel will engage with one or more shoulders of the shoulder means in response to a lifting force when the container assembly is lifted at the front panel and the engagement between the front panel and the overlying shoulder means restrains the front panel (and the first closure part adjacent to its hinged connection with the front panel) from being displaced from their respective closed conditions by the lifting force. It is likely that the front panel of the container assembly will be provided with a handle to facilitate movement of the front panel between its open and closed conditions; this handle may be used for manually lifting the container assembly (together with a second handle which may be located on the upstanding walls of the container part opposite to the handle on the front panel). By locating the front panel beneath one or more shoulders of the container part when the front panel is pivoted into its closed condition, the abutment between the front panel and the overlying shoulders which may occur in response to a lifting force being applied through the handle to the front panel will permit lifting from the container assembly and restrain the front panel from moving out of engagement with the front opening and also restrain the closure means adjacent to the front panel from being lifting from the top opening.

The container part may have its top opening defined by a top edge or frame of the walls which, in plan, is continuous about the periphery of the top opening so that the front opening and top opening are discrete from each other. Preferably however, the front opening is continuous with the top opening so that the front opening is effectively defined by a top edge or frame of the upstanding walls which is discontinuous about the top opening over a region where the top opening unites with the front opening-such an arrangement permits greater freedom of access into the interior of the container when the closure means is in its open condition rather than the arrangement where the top opening and front opening are formed by separate and discrete apertures. Where the front opening is continuous with the top opening, the top opening may be presented by a top frame of the upstanding walls which frame is of substantially "U"or"C"-shape in plan to have a front mouth through which the front opening communicates or is continuous with the top opening.

Conveniently, the hinged connection between the front panel and the first closure part is located in the front mouth of the frame when the first closure part is in its condition to close the top opening. Conveniently, the shoulder means is presented by two shoulders located on the aforementioned frame so that when the front panel is in its closed condition, the front panel locates beneath the two shoulders which are presented by the frame one on each side of its front mouth.

In a simple arrangement, the closure means may consist of the front panel hingedly connected to a single top panel (the latter serving to open and close the top opening) which top panel is hingedly connected to the container part. Preferably however, the first closure part comprises a first top panel hingedly connected to the container part and a second top panel hingedly connected to the first top panel, the first and second top panels being pivotal on their respective hinged connections to progressively open and close the top opening and in which the front panel is hingedly connected to the second top panel.

With this preferred arrangement, the top opening of the container part may be progressively closed or opened by appropriate pivotal movement of the second top panel relative to the first top panel (the second top panel when pivoting carrying with it the front panel) and of the first top panel relative to the container part on which it is hinged (the first top panel during its pivotal movement carrying with it the second top panel and the front panel).

, By use of the two hingedly connected top panels and the front panel hingedly connected thereto, it will be appreciated that the front opening and the top opening of the container part can be opened or closed in three successive stages and which may be advantageous for enclosing goods in the container or providing access to those goods or for display of the goods.

It is also possible for the first closure part to have more than two top panels which are hingedly connected together, thereby increasing the number of stages in which the top opening may be progressively opened or closed by pivotal movement between the respective top panels of the first closure part and pivotal movement of the first closure part relative to the container walls.

Where the first closure part comprises first and second top panels hingedly connected together as aforementioned, it is preferred that securing means is provided between the first closure part and the walls of the container part whereby when the first top panel is pivoted to its condition in which it partially closes the top opening, the securing means is engageable to secure the first top panel in its closed condition.

The securing means is conveniently carried by the second top panel to engage between the second top panel and the walls of the container part automatically as the second top panel is pivoted to fully close the top opening and to disengage automatically as the second top panel is pivoted to partially open the top opening. Usually the securing means will be carried in part by the second top panel and is in the form of a hook-shaped member on that second top panel which engages beneath a projection or like part on the upstanding wall of the container as the second top panel is pivoted to rotate into its closed condition.

Usually the front panel and the or each panel of the first closure part will be flat and of a relatively rigid structure, conveniently being moulded in plastics. Conveniently, the container part will also comprise a plastics moulding. With such flat panels, it is likely that the front panel will, in its closed condition, be located in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the first closure part in its closed condition. With plastics moulded components and the resilience afforded by the plastics material, the front panel may snap-engage with the walls of the container part as it is pivoted to close the front opening (the snap-engagement restraining the front panel from being pivoted to its open condition). Similarly, the first closure part may snap-engage with the walls of the container part as that closure part is pivoted to close the top opening, the snap-engagement restraining the first closure part from being pivoted to its open condition.

The present invention is applicable to containers of many different shapes and sizes but usually the container part will have a generally rectangular parallelepipedon shape presented by two substantially parallel and opposed side walls and substantially parallel and opposed front and rear walls, the front opening being located in the front wall and the first closure part being hingedly connected over the rear wall. With such a parallelepipedon shape, the container part may have the or a top frame which forms the top opening of generally rectangular profile with the first closure part being hingedly connected to the top frame over the rear wall and the top frame being carried solely by the opposed side walls. With this arrangement, the upstanding walls (that is both the front and rear walls and the opposed side walls) may be hingedly connected to the base for pivotal movement relative thereto and the opposed side walls may each have upper and lower hingedly connected parts so that the container part may be collapsed (for convenience of storage and transport) by pivotal movement of the front and rear walls on the base so that they lie in planes substantially parallel with the base and by concertina collapse of the upper and lower hingedly connected parts of the side walls for the top frame carried by the side walls to be displaced with the side walls in a direction towards the base.

Drawinqs One embodiment of a container assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembly showing the front panel and first closure part in their respective closed conditions; Figure 2 is a similar view to that of Figure 1 showing the front panel pivoted to its open condition from the front opening; Figure 3 is a similar view to that in Figure 2 and shows a panel part of the first closure part pivoted to an open condition to partially open the top opening; Figure 4 is a similar view of the assembly to that in Figure 3 and shows the first closure part pivoted to an open condition for the top opening to be fully opened and continuous with the front opening; Figure 5 is a scrap view of part of the assembly indicated in Figure 3 and shows part of a securing means on the container part by which the first closure part may be secured to the container part; Figure 6 is a scrap view of part of the assembly indicated in Figure 3 and shows means by which the first closure part adjacent to the front panel may snap-engage with the container part when moving into its closed condition; Figure 7 is a scrap view of part of the assembly indicated in Figure 3 and shows a web for locating the front panel in its closed condition in the front opening; Figure 8 is a diagrammatic section of the container assembly through the opposed side walls of the container part and which side walls are hinged to be collapsable in concertina fashion for collapsing the container assembly, the figure being split to illustrate progressive collapse, and -Figure 9 is a diagrammatic section through opposed front and rear walls of the container part illustrating how those walls may be pivoted on the base to permit the opposed side walls to collapse in concertina fashion as shown in Figure 8, the figure being split to illustrate progressive collapse.

Detailed Description of Drainas The container assembly illustrated is predominantly constructed from plastics moulded components and is of oblong rectangular parallelepipedon shape formed by a container part (1) and a closure (3).

The container part (1) has a substantially flat oblong rectangular base (5) along the peripheral edges of which are located a pair of substantially flat parallel and opposed upstanding side walls (7,9), a front wall (11) and a rear wall (13). The front and rear walls are substantially flat, oppose each other and are upstanding from the base (5) in parallel relationship. The container part (1) has a top opening (15) (see Figure 4) which opening is defined by a generally"C"- shaped frame (17) that is generally rectangular in plan and is carried solely by upper edges of the opposed side walls (7,9) to form a part of the walls of the container. The"C"-shape of the frame (17) provides it with a mouth (19) which overlies the front wall (11). The front wall (11) has a rectangular recess (21) that defines a front opening (23) for the container part (1). It will be seen from Figure 4 that the front opening (23) is continuous with the top opening (15) through the mouth (19) of the frame (17).

The closure (3) is formed with a front panel (25), a front top panel (27) and a rear top panel (29). The three panels are generally flat and rectangular. The rear top panel (29) is connected by a hinge (31) to the frame (17) over the rear wall (13) to be pivotal or rotatable relative to the frame (17).

The front top panel (27) is connected by a hinge (33) to the rear top panel (29) to permit pivotal or rotational movement between those two top panels and the front panel (25) is connected by a hinge (35) to the front top panel (27) which permits pivotal or rotational movement between those two panels.

The top panels (27,29) are pivotable through the hinges (31, 33) to be a complementary fit into the top opening (15) of the container part (1) to close that top opening whilst the front panel (25) is pivotable about the hinge (35) to be received, in complementary fashion, within the recess (21) to close the front opening (25). The top panels (27,29) when in their condition to close the top opening (15) are substantially coplanar and are supported on internal flanges or rims (37) provided on the frame (17). With the front panel (25) in its condition to close the front opening (23), that panel is generally co-planar with the front wall (11) and in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the top panels (27,29).

The front panel (25), which is complementary in shape to the front opening (23), is pivoted on the hinge (35) to close the front opening (23) in a direction from a position outward of the container part and webs (39) (see Figures 3 and 7) are provided in the recess (21) against which the front panel (25) can abut to prevent that panel from passing through the front opening into the interior of the container part. Co-operating dimples and projections (not shown) may be provided between the front panel (25) and the front wall (11) so that the front panel can snap-engage with the front wall during its closure to alleviate inadvertent opening of the front panel.

From Figure 1 it will be seen that in the closed condition of the panels (27) and (29) the hinge (35) extends longitudinally across the container part within the mouth (19) of the frame (17). Co-operating dimples and projections (indicated at (41) in Figure 6) may be provided between the ends of the hinge (35) and the frame (17) so that the hinge (35) will snap-engage in the mouth (19) to restrain the front top panel (27) from being pivoted inadvertently about the hinge (33) prior to the front panel (25) being pivoted to close the front opening (23).

An advantageous feature of the container (shown in Figure 1) is that when the front panel (25) is located to close the front opening (23), an upper edge of the front panel is positioned to extend beneath a pair of shoulders (43) provided on the frame (17), one on each side of its mouth (19). For convenience of manually lifting and carrying the container assembly when the closure (3) is in its fully closed condition, the front panel (25) is provided with a handle (45) adjacent to the hinge (35) and a similar handle (not shown) is provided directly opposite on the rear wall (13). By gripping both of the aforementioned handles, the assembly may be lifted. Upon application of the lifting force, the upper edge of the front panel (25) will move into abutment with the shoulders (43) which overlie it and such abutment restrains the top front panel (25) from being lifting and pivoting about the hinge (33) and ensures that the front panel (25) cannot be drawn through the mouth (19) of the frame (17).

The front panel (25) is pivoted or rotated on hinge (35) into and out of its closed condition, conveniently by gripping a small handle (47). The hinged connection of the front panel (25) permits it to be rotated through approximately 270 degrees to a position where it overlies the front top panel (27) and is well clear of the front opening (23) which may be provided to afford access to the interior of the container (see Figure 2).

In Figure 1, it will be seen that the upper face of the front panel (27) is provided with a shallow rectangular recess (49) which is complementary in shape and configuration to the front panel (25) with its handles (45,47). When the front panel (25) is pivoted to its fully open condition (as shown in Figure 2), that panel is accommodated in the recess (49) generally unobtrusively and with the panels (25,27) co-planar. It will of course be appreciated that small grips (not shown) may be provided for convenience of extracting the front panel (25) from the recess (49).

The container assembly is further opened from the condition shown in Figure 2 by pivoting the front top panel (27) (together with the front panel (25) which is carried in the recess (49)) about the hinge (33) and through 180 degrees until the panel (27) overlies the rear top panel (29) in face-to-face abutment (with the front panel (25) sandwiched between the two top panels). This manoeuvre partially opens the top opening (15) of the container for that top opening to be continuous with the front opening (23) for convenience of increased access when loading, removing or displaying goods in the container part.

The container part is opened still further from the condition shown in Figure 3 by pivoting the three overlying panels (25, 27,29) about the hinge (31) so that the folded panels hang ; from the hinge (31) outwardly of the container part (1) (as shown in Figure 4) to fully open the continuous top opening (15) and front opening (23).

The top opening and front opening can be progressively closed by reversing the procedure previously described so that firstly the three overlying panels (as shown in Figure 4) are pivoted about the hinge (31) to close the rear part of the top opening, the front top panel (27) is then pivoted about the hinge (33) to close the front part of the top opening (Figure 2) and finally the front panel (25) is pivoted about the hinge (35) to close the front opening (23) (Figure 1).

As the front top panel (27) is rotated about the hinge (33) into its closed condition (that is from the condition shown in Figure 3 towards the Figure 2 condition), hook-like projections (not shown) on the panel (27) automatically slide into engagement beneath lugs (51) (see Figure 5) presented on the interior of the frame (17). The engagement of the aforementioned projections beneath the lugs (51) when the front top panel (27) is in its closed condition serves as a securing means which alleviates the two top panels from being raised in the region of the hinge (33) from the flanges (37) to open the top opening.

The securing means (51) is particularly useful to alleviate pilfering of goods from the container by prizing the top panels from the frame (17) if a lock or other means is provided to secure the front panel (25) in its condition to close the front opening (23).

The container assembly as described above may be provided with its container part (1) of a collapsable structure. For this, the opposed side walls (7,9) are each formed with upper and lower side wall panels (61) and (63) respectively which are interconnected by a hinge (65) that provides a pivot axis parallel to the base (1) at the mid-height of the respective side walls. Each lower side panel part (63) is connected through a hinge (67) to the base (5) so that both lower side wall {63) can be pivoted relative to the base (67).

Each upper side wall panel (61) is connected through a hinge (69) with the top frame (17) so that each of the panels (61) can pivot relative to the top frame. In addition, the front wall (11) is connected by a hinge (71) to the base (5) so that the front wall is pivotal relative to the base from its upstanding condition inwardly of the container part (1).

Similarly, the rear wall (13) is connected through a hinge (73) to the base (5) so that the rear wall is pivotal from its upstanding condition in a direction inwardly of the container part (1). The pivoted front and rear walls (11,13) may be releaseably retained in their upstanding condition by snapengagement between co-operating projections and dimples or recesses provided between those front and rear walls and the frame (17). The container part (1) is collapsed to a compact condition as may be convenient for storage or transport in a manner shown schematically in Figures 8 and 9. Firstly, the front wall (11) and rear wall (13) are pivoted about the hinges (71) and (73) respectively and inwardly of the container to overlie the base (5) (Figure 9). Thereafter the hinges (65) in the opposed side walls (7,9) are displaced towards each other inwardly of the container part (Figure 8), thereby pivoting the upper and lower side panels (61,63) about the respective hinges (69,67) causing the side walls to collapse in concertina manner as the top frame (17) is displaced towards the base (5). The frame (17) carries with it the closure (3) which may also be pivoted to overlie the base (5) when the assembly is fully collapsed.

It will be appreciated that the assembly may be collapsed with the closure (3) in its condition shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3 or Figure 4.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A container assembly comprising a container part having a base and walls upstanding from the base to provide the container part with a top opening and a front opening, and closure means comprising a first closure part for said top opening and a second closure part for said front opening; said first closure part being hingedly connected to the container part to be pivotable between conditions to open and to close the top opening, and wherein the second closure part comprises a front panel hingedly connected to the first closure part to be pivotable thereon, when the first closure part is in its closed condition, between conditions to open and to close the front opening.
2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which when the front panel is pivoted to its closed condition, that panel locates beneath shoulder means of the container part so that the front panel can engage with the shoulder means in response to a lifting force that may be applied when the container assembly is lifted at the front panel, said engagement restraining the front panel and the first closure part from being displaced by the lifting force from their closed conditions.
3. An assembly as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the front opening is continuous with the top opening.
4. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the top opening is presented by a top frame.
5. An assembly as claimed in Claim 4 in which the top frame is of substantially"U"-shape or"C"-shape in plan to have a front mouth through which the front opening is continuous with the top opening.
6. An assembly as claimed in Claim 5 in which the hinged connection between the front panel and the first closure part is located in said front mouth of the frame when the first closure part is in its closed condition.
7. An assembly as claimed in either Claim 5 or Claim 6 when dependent to Claim 2, in which the shoulder means comprises two shoulders located on the frame, one on each side of its front mouth.
8. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the first closure part comprises a first top panel hingedly connected to the container part and a second top panel hingedly connected to the first top panel, the first and second top panels being pivotable on their respective hinged connections to progressively open and close the top opening and wherein said front panel is hingedly connected to the second top panel.
9. An assembly as claimed in Claim 8 in which securing means is provided between the first closure part and the walls whereby when the first top panel is pivoted to its condition in which it partially closes the top opening, said securing means is operable to secure the first top panel in its closed condition.
10. An assembly as claimed in Claim 9 in which the securing means is carried partly by the second top panel to engage between that second top panel and the walls automatically as the second top panel is pivoted to close the top opening and to disengage as the second top panel is pivoted to open the top opening.
11. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the panel or panels are substantially flat.
12. An assembly as claimed in Claim 11 in which the front panel in its closed condition is in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the first closure part.
13. An assembly as claimed in either Claim 11 or Claim 12 in which the front panel is pivotable on the first closure part to open the front opening and to be located in a plane in which it is overlies and is substantially parallel with the first closure part.
14. An assembly as claimed in Claim 13 in which the first closure part has a recess in which the front panel can be accommodated substantially unobtrusively when the front panel is in a fully open condition.
15. An assembly as claimed in either Claim 13 or Claim 14 when dependent to Claim 8 in which the second top panel is pivotable by its hinged connection with the first top panel to an open condition in which it is located in a plane where it overlies and is substantially parallel with the plane of the first top panel.
16. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the front panel snap-engages with the walls as it is pivoted to close the front opening.
17. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the first closure part snap-engages with the walls as it is pivoted to close the top opening.
18. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the container part has a rectangular substantially parallelepipedon shape presented by two substantially parallel and opposed side walls and substantially parallel and opposed front and rear walls, said front opening being located in the front wall and said first closure part being hingedly connected over the rear wall.
19. An assembly as claimed in Claim 18 when dependent on Claim 4 in which the top frame is of substantially rectangular profile and the first closure part is hingedly connected to that top frame over the rear wall and said top frame is carried solely by the opposed side walls; the front and rear walls are hingedly connected to the base; the opposed side walls are hingedly connected to the base and to the top frame and each of the opposed side walls has upper and lower hingedly connected panels whereby the container part may be collapsed by pivotal movement and rear walls to overlie the base and concertina collapse of the upper and lower hingedly connected panels of the side walls for the top frame to be displaced in a direction towards the base.
20. A container assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying illustrated drawings.