GB2357078A

GB2357078A - Collapsible container assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2357078A
Application number: GB9929157A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Bray
Original assignee: Lin Pac Mouldings Ltd
Current assignee: Linpac Mouldings Ltd
Priority date: 1999-12-09
Filing date: 1999-12-09
Publication date: 2001-06-13
Also published as: GB9929157D0

Abstract

A container assembly has a base part 1 on which are pivotally mounted by hinges 17 a display wall 2 and side walls 3 to 5. The hinges permit the walls to be displaced inwardly from upstanding positions to overly the container base to collapse the container for transport or storage convenience. The display wall 2 is additionally pivotable on its hinges 17 from its upstanding position outwardly of the container to provide access through the container side for display or removal of contents. The display wall 2 may be raised and lowered in its own plane relative to the base part 1 in its upstanding position for releasing or engaging cooperating projections and recesses which retain the display wall in its upstanding position. The hinges 17 include toggle members which accommodate for the thickness of the base part 1 which underlies those hinges so that in its display condition the display wall 2 can hang freely from the hinges 17 over the outside of the base part. An opening 29 may be provided in the display wall 2 giving restricted access through the display wall to the interior of the container. This opening 29 is closeable by a flap 25 mounted by hinges 27 on the display wall.

Description

2357078 A CONTAINER ASSEMBLY

TECHNICAL FIELD & BACKGROUND ART

The present invention relates to a container assembly of the kind generally used for the storage, transportation and display of goods in a manufacturing or retail environment.

More particularly the invention concerns containers having a base, together with side walls that extend upwardly from the base and are hingedly connected thereto so as to be capable of pivotable movement on their respective hinges from an upstanding position and in a direction inwardly of the container to a lowered position in which they overlie, and are generally parallel with, the base. This achieves collapse of the container.

Collapsible containers of the aforementioned kind are well known in the art and are successful commercially for the reduced space which they occupy in their collapsed condition convenient for storage and transport purposes.

Modem containers of the type used for manhandling goods, especially in a retail environment, are usually moulded in plastics and of an aesthetic design and colouring for them to be acceptable for display at a retail site. Consequently it is not unusual for plastics moulded containers to be used for display and presentation of the goods which they contain. It has been found that there is a need for collapsible containers of the kind previously 4iscussed and which have a facility for improving the display of goods which they contain; it is an object of the present invention to provide a container assembly which satisfies this need.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES

According to the present invention there is provided a container assembly comprising a base in a base part and side walls extending upwardly from the base part to form a storage chamber, said side walls being hingedly mounted relative to the base part to be pivotable on their respective hinges from an upstanding position and in a direction inwardly of the container to a lowered position in which they overlie the base for collapse of the assembly, and wherein a said side wall constitutes a display wall and is pivotable additionally on its respective hinge from said upstanding position and in a direction outwardly of the container to a display condition for providing access to the storage chamber.

It is envisaged that the container assembly of the present invention will be used for the storage and transport of goods to a particular site, typically a retail site. During such storage and transport the side walls will be in their upstanding position for the storage chamber to have a maximum capacity. At the site access to the goods may be through an open top which the upstanding side walls present for the assembly. As the level of goods within the storage chamber falls, access to those goods through the top opening may become inconvenient (or indeed access to the goods through a top opening may have been inconvenient or impossible when the container assembly was initially located at its display site, for example due to the top opening being closed by a lid or by an overlying container assembly in a stack of such assemblies). In these latter circumstances the display wall may be pivoted on its hinge from its upstanding position and outwardly of the container to provide an opening in the side of the container assembly for display and access to the goods in the container. When the storage chamber is empty, or substantially so, the display wall may be pivoted on its hinge to revert to its upstanding position and all of the side walls pivoted from their respective upstanding positions, inwardly of the container to the lowered position where the assembly is collapsed and occupies a relatively smaller space convenient for storage and transportation. The facility for the display wall to pivot on its hinge and from its upstanding position in a selected direction either inwardly or outwardly of the container is consequently a considerable advantage in providing improved access and display to the contents of the container and also for reducing the bulk size of the assembly when collapsed (thereby reducing the associated storage and transport costs).

The container assembly will usually be manufactured from plastics moulded components and of a size suitable for manhandling, possibly by use of a powered or non-powered fork-lift or similar lift device. Usually the container assembly will have a single display wall constituted by a side wall but it is to be appreciated that two or more display walls may be provided in the assembly.

The container assembly may have ground engaging rollers on its base part to be mobile.

Usually the container assembly will be of a generally rectangular parallelepipedon shape to have four side walls upstanding from the base part but again it will be appreciated that the present invention can be applied to container assemblies having shapes other than that aforementioned.

When it is not required to be pivotably displaced into either its lowered position or its display condition, the display wall is preferably retained in its upstanding position by engagement with the base part (possibly through its hinge) and/or with the ad acent side Ii walls (when the latter are in their upstanding position). The aforementioned engagement may be provided by releasable catch mechanisms. Preferably however, the engagement is provided by co-operating projection means and recess means between the display wall and the base part (possibly through the hinge of the display wall) and/or the side wall or walls adjacent to the display Wall. With the latter proposal it is preferred that when the display wall is in its upstanding position it is capable of being displaced in its own plane and relative to the base part, to displace the aforementioned projection means and recess means from a condition in which they are in engagement with each other to a disengaged condition which pen-nits the display wall to be pivoted into either its lowered position (in which it overlies, the base) or its display condition. Displacement of the display wall when in its upstanding position and in its own plane relative to the base part may be achieved in the structure of the hinge by which the display wall is pivotally mounted on the base part. Preferably the displacement of the display wall in its own plane relative to the base part is in a direction upwardly from the base part - usually this will require the display wall to be lifted and lowered in a substantially vertical plane to respectively disengage and engage the projection means and recess means (such as co- operating tongues and grooves or shoulder and rebates) which when engaged retain the display wall in its upstanding position. Lifting and lowering of the display wall in this latter manner and relative to the base part is conveniently permitted by the structure of the hinge (by which the display wall is mounted on the base part) including a lost motion track along which a pivot pin of the hinge is displaceable during raising and lowering of the display wall thus ensuring that the required pivotable movement between the display wall and the base part is permitted by rotation of the pivot pin in the lost motion track.

The base part may have a non-collapsible retaining wall upstanding from the base with the upstanding side walls being hingedly mounted to the retaining wall. The retaining wall may be a relatively low stud wall or a relatively high wall to increase the capacity of the storage chamber. If a relatively high wall is provided it may be that when the display wall is in its display condition, the display wall can hang freely from an upper edge of the retaining wall to overlie the retaining wall on the exterior of the container.

To permit a relatively wide range in the pivotable displacement of the display wall from its lowered position (overlying the base of the container) to its display condition (in which it may hang freely on the exterior of the container adjacent to the aforementioned retaining wall), it is preferred that the structure of the hinge by which the display wall is mounted on the base part includes a toggle member that is pivotally mounted to the base part and to which the display wall is pivotally mounted so that pivotal movement of the toggle member during pivotal movement of the display wall accommodates the thickness of the region of the base part over which the display wall is pivotable.

The display wall may have an upper part thereof (when in its upstanding position) recessed to provide an opening through the display wall which permits access to the storage chamber with a flap or panel hingedly mounted on the display wall to be pivotable between positions in which it opens or closes the recessed opening. With the provision of such a flap or panel, access to the interior of the storage compartment may be progressively increased from a condition where the flap or panel is closed and the display wall is in its upstanding position, first to open the flap or panel as the level of contents within the storage chamber decreases and thereafter pivoting the display wall to its display condition (possibly having first closed the flap or panel in the display wall). The flap or panel is preferably hinged to be pivotable about an axis above and parallel to the pivotal axis of the display wall on the base part. Locking means may be provided between the flap or panel and the display wall to releasably retain the flap or panel in its condition to close the recessed opening in the display wall. Preferably the locking means for the flap or panel comprises projection means and recess means which cooperate or engage to retain the flap or panel in its closed condition and which are disengaged, conveniently by displacement of the flap or panel in its own plane and relative to the display wall in a manner similar to that previously discussed for disengaging the display wall to be pivotable relative to the base part, to permit the flap or panel to drop to open the recessed opening in the display wall.

DRAWINGS 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 container in an erect condition and in which a front side wall provides a display wall; Figure 2 shows the assembly with its display wall pivoted to its lowered position; Figure 3 shows the assembly from figure 2 in the process of being adjusted by lowering a rear side wall to its lowered position; Figure 4 shows the assembly from figure 3 which has been further adjusted to position a longitudinal side wall in its lowered position; Figure 5 shows the assembly of figure 4 further adjusted with all of its side walls in the lowered position for collapse of the container; Figure 6 is a similar view of the assembly to that of figure 1 and shows a flap in the display wall in the process of being opened; Figure 7 shows the assembly adjusted from figure 6 for the flap to be fully opened to provide access to the storage compartment; Figure 8 shows the assembly of figure 1 adjusted for the display wall to be in its display condition to provide maximum access to the storage chamber; Figure 9 is a cross- section of the assembly taken on the line IX-IX of figure 1 showing the display wall in its upstanding position; Figures 10- 15 show sections of the assembly similar to that of figure 9 but with the display wall adjusted through figures 10, 11 and 12 for opening of the flap, and through figures 13 and 14 for pivoting the display wall to its display condition and in figure 15 for pivoting the display wall to its lowered position; Figure 10 (A) is a cross-section of part of the assembly showing the flap in the display wall being adjusted to the condition shown in figure 10 for the purpose of pivoting the flap relative to the display wall; and Figure 13 (A) is a cross-section of part of the assembly showing the display wall being displaced relative to the base part to permit its pivotable movement to either the display condition (which is shown in figures 14 and 14 (A)) or the lowered position (shown in figure 15).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The container assembly illustrated is manufactured, predominantly, with plastics moulded components and in an erect condition (as shown in figure 1) has an oblong rectangular parallelopipedon shape presented by a generally rectangular base part 1 upstanding from which are opposed front and rear side walls 2 and 3 and opposed longitudually extending side walls 4 and 5.

The base part 1 is formed as a one piece moulding and is hollow to present a flat deck base 7 and a peripheral retaining wall 9 (see figure 14a) which provides the base part with a top opening. The base part 1 is conveniently provided with feet 11 forming underside 9_ seatings 13 beneath which may be received the tines of a conventional powered fork lift.

Ports 15 are also provided in the front end of the base part to receive the prongs of a manually operated, non-powered, lifting and manoeuvring device (not shown) in a known manner.

The upstanding side walls 2 to 5 are hingedly mounted to the base part 1 at the upper edges of the retaining wall 9. More particularly the front side wall 2 is mounted on the base unit through a pair of hinge mechanisms 17 whilst the side walls 3, 4, and 5 are mounted on the base part 1 through simple hinge pins (indicated as 19) about which those respective side walls are rotatable.

The side walls 3, 4 and 5 are retained in their upstanding position by releasable catches (not shown) which engage respectively between the side walls 3 and 5 and between the side walls 3 and 4. The front side wall 2 is retained in its upstanding position by a releasably engaging projection 50 and recess 52 that co-operates, as will hereafter be described, between that side wall 2 and the base part 1. With the container erect as shown in figure 1 it will be seen that a relatively deep open topped storage chamber 21 is formed, part of which is provided within the base part 1.

When the container assembly illustrated is empty or its contents are wholly (or substantially so) within the base part 1, its side walls 2 to 5 may be adjusted to a collapsed or compact condition convenient for storage and transportation. To effect collapse of the container the catches retaining the side walls 3, 4 and 5 in their upstanding position are released as are the means (to be described hereinafter) retaining the front side wall 2 in its upstanding position. The front side wall 2 is now pivoted in a direction inwardly of the container to a lowered position as shown in figure 2 where it overlies and is generally parallel with the container base 7. Tbereafter the rear side wall 3 is pivoted on its hinge 19 inwardly of the container (as shown in figure 3) to a lowered position in which it overlies and is generally parallel with the side wall 2 and base 7. The side walls and 4 respectively are now pivoted successively about their respective hinges 19 ( as shown sequentially in figures 4 and 5) in directions inwardly of the container to lowered positions where they overlie and are generally parallel with the base and also over-lie the preceding lowered side walls. The compact or collapsed condition of the container is shown in figure 5 and it will be appreciated that the heights of the pivotal axes for hinges 17 and 19 from the base 7 will vary one from another to enable the four side walls to be lowered to their collapsed conditions with one overlying another as previously described.

When the container assembly is erect with the four side walls in their upstanding positions as shown in figure 1, access to the contents of the storage chamber 21 may be through the top opening of the container (it is appreciated that the container may have a lid fitted to close the top opening).

In the event that access to the contents of the container through open top 21 is impeded or the contents of the container fall to a level which is inconvenient for access through the top opening, the front of the container may be opened, initially, by opening a panel or flap 25 mounted by a pair of hinge mechanisms 27 on the front side wall 2. The flap 25 serves to open or close a rectangular recess 29 that provides an opening in the front side wall 2 (see figures 6 and 7) through which access can be made available to the storage chamber. The hinges 27 for the flap 25 are identical and each has a toggle member 31 (see figures 9-12 and 1 OA) that is connected by pins 33 for the member 31 to be pivotal on the front side wall 2 at the lower edge of the opening 29. The toggle members 31 are also connected by pivot pins 35 to the flap 25 at the bottom edge of the flap. The pivotal connection between the pins 35 and the flap 25 permits lost motion to occur between the toggle members 31 and the flap 25 whereby the flap 25 can be displaced in its own plane in a direction raidially inwardly and raidially outwardly relative to the axis of the pivot pins 35. With this latter arrangement in mind the pivot pins 35 engage in lost motion tracks provided by slots 3 7 formed in the side edges of the panel 25 (see figures 10 and 11). When the flap 25 is adjusted to close the opening 29 it is partially accommodated in a rebate 39 provided in the side wall 2 so that the flap is substantially co-planer with the side wall 2. Abutment between the flap 25 and the side wall 2 in the rebate 39 serves to restrain the flap from straining the hinge mechanisms 27 to project into the storage chamber 21. The flap 25 is releaseably retained to close the opening 29 by projections in the form of shoulders 41 A (Figure l OA) at the upper edges of the flap adjacent to the side wall 2 engaging in substantially complementary recesses or shoulders 41 (figures 11 and 12) in the side wall 2.

The lost motion engagement between the pivot pins 35 of the toggle members and the slots 37 in the flap 25 permits the flap to be displaced in its own plane relative to the pins 35. As a consequence, when the flap 25 closes the opening 29, it is possible to displace the flap in its own plane by raising it relative to the pins 35 (as the pins 35 slide along the slots 37) from the position shown in figure 9 to that shown in figure 10. This raising of the flap 25 causes the shoulders 41A on the flap to be disengaged from the recessed shoulders 41 thereby permitting the flap 25 to be pivoted outwardly of the container on the toggle members 31 and pins 33 and 35 as shown in figure 11 to remove the flap from the opening 29. Pivotal movement of the flap 25 can continue through approximately 180' until the flap hangs by its toggles 31 and pivot pins 33 and 35 freely on the exterior of the container overlying the lower part of the side wall 2 and the base part 1 (as shown in figure 12). A reverse procedure is adopted for closing the opening 29 by pivoting the flap 25 upwardly whilst extended on the lost motion tracks 37 until the shoulders 41A of the flap locate over the recesses 41 following which the flap is lowered by displacement in its own plane and in the plane of the side wall 2 (as the pins 35 slide along the lost motion tracks 37) to engage the shoulders 41A with the seatings 41 and retain the flap in its closed position.

What may be regarded as the bottom edge 43 of the flap 25 adjacent to the toggles 31 has two channels 45 which are presented outwardly of, and in the plane of, the flap 25. The channels 45 are arranged with the toggle members 31 so that when the opening 29 is closed by the flap and the flap is retained by its shoulders 41A engaging with the shoulder recesses 41, the toggle members 31 are received in substantially complimentary manner and as a close sliding fit within the respective channels 45 thereby ensuring that when the flap 25 is closed and retained to the side wall 2, a relatively rigid structure is provided between the flap and the toggle members (see figure 13a). When the flap 25 is raised with a view to pivoting it from the opening 29, the channels 45 are lifted clear of the toggle members 31 (as indicated in figure 10a) whilst the shoulders 41A of the flap 25 are lifted from the seatings 41 to permit the flap to be pivoted outwardly of the container.

The primary purpose served by the toggle members 31 is to accommodate the thickness of the part of the side wall 2 and base wall 1 which underlies the hinged mechanisms 27 so the flap can hang freely from the toggles as shown in figure 12. It is to be appreciated, however, that as far as the mounting of the flap 25 is concerned, the toggles 31 may be omitted and a lost motion pivotal connection provided directly between the slot 37 and the pin 33 if it is acceptable for the flap 25, when pivotted to its maximum clearance from the opening 29, to project outwardly from the side wall 2.

The pair of hinge mechanisms 17 by which the side wall 2 is mounted on the base part 1 permit the front side wall 2 to pivot inwardly of the container to its lowered position for collapse of the container as previously discussed. They also permit the side wall 2 to be pivoted, from its upstanding position as shown in figures 1 and 9, in a direction outwardly of the container to provide an opening in the side of the container between the opposed side walls 4 and 5 and the base part 1 which affords a greater display and increased access to the storage chamber 21 in comparison with that provided by the opening of the flap 25.

In the context of the present invention therefore the front side wall 2 is considered as a display wall.

The hinge mechanisms 17 for the display wall 2 have substantially the same structure and operation as the hinge mechanisms 27 and for convenience therefore the similar parts and members in the hinges 17 as those in the hinges 27 have been accorded the same reference numerals with the suffix 'A'.

With each of the hinges 17 the toggle member 3 1 A is pivotally mounted by its pins 3 3A on the retaining wall 9 of the base part. The pins 35A of the toggle members are pivotally mounted to what may be regarded as the bottom of side edges of the display wall 2 and this pivotal mounting is within slots 37A which provide the lost motion connection between the display wall and the toggle member 3 1 A in a similar manner to the lost motion connection provided between the toggle member 31 and flap 25 in the hinge mechanism 27 (the lost motion track 37A is best seen in figures 14 and 15).

When the display wall 2 is in its upstanding position as shown in figures 9 to 12 and 1 OA, the pivot pin 3 5A is located in the slot 37A for the toggle member 3 1 A to be closely received within the channel 45A provided at the bottom edge 43A of the display wall 2 (see figure IOA) In this latter condition a tongue-like projection 50 at the bottom edge 43Aof the display wall 2 engages in a slot 52 in the upper edge of the retaining wall 9 (see figures I OA 13A and 14A. The cooperation between the tongue 50 and slot 52 retains the display wall 2 in its upstanding position whilst the cooperation between the toggle members 3 1 A and the channels 45Aadditionally serves to present a rigid structure for the display wall with the base part.

Adjustment of the display wall 2 from its upstanding position to its display condition (preferably with the flap 25 closed) is best seen in figures 9, 13 and 14. For this 15- adjustment the display wall 2 in its upstanding position (figure 9) is raised in its own plane relative to the base part 1 and radially of the pivot pin 35a as the latter moves along the lost motion track 37A in the display wall. The raising of the display wall 2 from the base part 1 disengages the tongue 5 0 from the slot 52 and also the toggle members 3 1 A from the channels 45Athereby permitting the display wall 2 to pivot on the pins 33A and 35A outwardly of the container as shown in figure 13. Outward pivotal movement of the display wall 2 may continue until the display wall hangs freely from the toggles 3 1 A over the exterior of the base part 1 as shown in figures 14. The display wall 2 is now disposed to provide maximum access to the storage chamber 21 between the side walls 4 and 5. It will be seen from figure 14 that the toggle members 3 1 A serve to accommodate for the thickness of the retaining wall 9A which underlies the hinges 17 to permit the display wall to hang in the manner shown.

As previously dis, cussed, the display wall 2 can also be pivoted from its upstanding position shown in figure 9 to the lowered position shown in figures 2 and 15. For this adjustment the display wall is again raised relative to the base part 9 as previously described to disengage the tongue 50 from the slot 52 (figure 13A) to permit the display wall 2 to be pivoted inwardly of the container to the lowered position as shown in figure 15.

It will be realised that the flap 25 can be retained in its closed condition shown in figure 13A by provision of a cooperating tongue and slot between the flap and the display wall 2 (in a similar manner to the cooperation of the tongue 50 in the slot 52) - this can be as an addition or alternative to the retention provided by the shoulders 41 A on the flap 25 cooperating with the recesses 41. Also the display wall 2 can be retained in its upstanding position as shown in figure 10A by shoulders on that retaining wall cooperating with recesses in the adjacent side walls 4 and 5 in a similar manner to that in which the shoulders 41A on the flap 25 engage with the recesses 41A in the display wall - this shoulder and recess retention can be in addition to, or as an alternative to, the cooperating tongue 50 and slot 52 retention.

In a modification of the container assembly as above described and illustrated the hinged flap or panel 25 together with the recess 29 in which the flap is accommodated are omitted so that the display wall 2 provides a full closure is the only means of access to the storage chamber through the side of the erect container.

Claims

1. A container assembly comprising a base in a base part and side walls extending upwardly from the base part to form a storage chamber, said side walls being hingedly mounted relative to the base part to be pivotable on their respective hinges from an upstanding position and in a direction inwardly of the container to a lowered position in which they overlie the base for collapse of the assembly, and wherein a said side wall constitutes a display wall and is pivotable additionally on its respective hinge from said upstanding position and in a direction outwardly of the container to a display condition for providing access to the storage chamber.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the base part comprises a non collapsable retaining wall upstanding from the base and said side walls are hingedly mounted on the retaining wall.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the display wall is pivotable on its hinge on the retaining wall so that in the display condition the display wall hangs freely from its hinge to overlie the retaining wall on the exterior of the container.

4. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the display wall is releasably retained in its upstanding position by engagement of cooperating projection means and recess means between the display wall and at least one of the base part and a side wall adjacent to the display wall.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which engagement and release of the cooperating projection means and recess means to permit pivotable adjustment of the display wall to its lowered position or to its display condition is effected by displacement of the display substantially in its own plane and relative to the base part.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 in which said displacement of the display is effected by raising or lowering the display wall substantially in its own plane relative to the base part.

7. An assembly as claimed in either claim 5 or claim 6 in which the hinge for the display wall includes a lost motion track within which a pivot pin of the hinge is displaceable to permit said displacement of the display wall relative to the base part for releasing or engaging said co-operating projection means and recess means.

8. An assembly as claimed in all the preceding claims in which the hinge by which the display wall is mounted on the base part includes a toggle member that is pivotably mounted on the base part and on which toggle member the display wall is pivotably mounted, said toggle member serving to accommodate for thickness of the base part on which it is mounted when the display wall is pivoted to one of its lowered position and display condition.

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 8 when dependent on claim 7 in which the lost motion track and pivot pin which cooperates therewith is provided in the pivotal engagement between the toggle member and the display wall.

10. An assembly as claimed in either claim 8 or claim 9 when appendent to claim 4 in which, with the cooperating projection means and recess means in engagement to retain the display wall in its upstanding position, said lost motion track and pivot pin in engagement therewith dispose the toggle member for that member to be accommodated within a channel in the display wall which accommodation maintains the toggle member relatively rigid with the display wall.

11. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the display wall has a recess forming an opening through that wall to permit access to the storage chamber when the display wall is in its upstanding position, and wherein a panel or flap is provided that is hingedly mounted on the display wall to be pivotable between a first position in which it closes the recessed opening in the display wall and in a direction outwardly of the container from said first position to a second position in which the recessed opening is presented for access to the storage chamber.

12. An assembly as claimed in claim 11 in which the flap is releasably retained in its first position by engagement of cooperating projection means and recess means between the flap and the display wall.

13. An assembly as claimed in claim 12 in which engagement and release of the cooperating projection means and recess means between the flap and the display wall is effected by displacement of the flap in its own plane relative to the display wall.

14. An assembly as claimed in claim 13 in which said displacement of the flap in its own plane is in a direction to lift and lower the flap when in its first position relative to the display wall.

15. An assembly as claimed either in claim 13 or 14 in which displacement of the flap relative to the display wall is effected through lost motion means provided in the hinge by which the flap is mounted on the display wall.

16. An assembly as claimed in claim 15 in which the lost motion means is provided by displacement of a pivot pin of the hinge of the flap engaging in a lost motion track.

17. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 16 in which the hinge by which the flap is mounted on the display wall includes a toggle member that is pivotably mounted between the display wall and the flap, said toggle member serving to accommodate the thickness of the display wall beneath that member when the flap is disposed in its second position.

18. An assembly as claimed in claim 17 when dependent on claim 16 in which the lost motion track and pin in engagement therewith in the hinge of the flap are provided between the toggle member and the flap.

19. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which at least two side walls each constitute a said display wall.

20. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which with the side walls in said upstanding position, the assembly has a substantially rectangular parallelepipedon shape with a base and four sides extending upwardly therefrom.

21. A container assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings.