GB2362377A

GB2362377A - A container assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2362377A
Application number: GB0011800A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Robert Pickard
Original assignee: Lin Pac Mouldings Ltd
Current assignee: Linpac Mouldings Ltd
Priority date: 2000-05-16
Filing date: 2000-05-16
Publication date: 2001-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 2020-05-16
Also published as: GB2362377B; GB0011800D0

Abstract

A container assembly has an open topped-container comprising a storage chamber which is partitioned by a sheet 6 which includes an integral hinge 13 to provide a leaf part 17 and a major part 15. Coplanar with the major part 15 are flanges 19 at the periphery of the sheet. A vertically spaced array of slots 19 are provided within the storage chamber. The partition sheet 6 is fitted by pivoting its leaf 17 upwardly about hinge 13 and lowering the sheet vertically to align the flanges 19 with ends of the respective slots 9 at a selected height. The sheet 6 is now displaced horizontally for the flanges 19 to engage within respective slots 9 following which the leaf 17 is lowered by pivoting on hinge 13 to abut a side wall of the container for retaining the flanges and slots in engagement. The slots 19 can be formed integral with side walls of the container or can be provided on a frame (Fig. 4) which is to be inserted into a container and provide a dunage with the partition sheet.

Description

1 1 2362377 A CONTAINER ASSEMBLY.

Technical Field and Background Art

The present invention relates to a container assembly and more particularly to such an assembly which includes a container and layer member. The layer member is typically in the form of relatively rigid sheet which is positionable within a storage chamber of the container to partition that storage chamber or to provide a closure for it.

Containers are known, generally of an open-topped kind presented by a base and upstanding side walls, where goods are located in the storage chamber of the container partially to fill that chamber whereupon a layer member (such as a relatively rigid sheet) is located within the storage chamber to rest on the goods and thereby separate those goods from further goods which may then be introduced into the storage chamber. Whilst this storage technique is effective for separating goods in layers within the storage chamber, it is disadvantageous in so far as the layer members and loading thereon may be taken through goods stored in the underlying partitioned compartments of the storage chamber. To alleviate this disadvantage it has been proposed to provide layer members which are a friction fit or snap engage with seatings in the side walls of the container to provide partitions which subdivide the storage chamber into smaller storage compartments. Whilst this proposal permits loading on the layer members to be taken through the side walls of the container (rather than through goods within the storage compartment), there is a disadvantage that layer members which are a frictional fit or which snap engage with the side walls may be difficult to disengage from the side walls to facilitate removal of goods from the container or alternatively they may be too easily disengaged from the side walls and as a consequence inadvertently break free of the side walls during transport of the container to allow the partitioning between the stored goods to fail. With snap engagement between layer members and seatings in side walls of the container it is extremely difficult to provide an arrangement where the snap engagement can be effected without difficulty to provide a secure fitment of the layer member to the side walls and yet may be easily disengaged when required for removal of goods from the container assembly (without being so easily disengaged as to fail when the layer members are loaded with goods and during handling of the container) It is an object of the present invention to provide a container assembly of the kind previously discussed where a layer member is engageab-ie with side walls for the purpose of partitioning or closing a storage chamber of the container and which assembly alleviates the disadvantages, as previously discussed, of the prior proposals.

Statement of Invention and Advantages

According to the present invention there is provided a container assembly comprising a container having longitudinally extending side wall means forming a storage chamber and provided with locating means within the storage chamber; a layer member displaceable longitudinally within the storage chamber and thereafter being displaceable laterally into engagement with the locating means, said engagement retaining the layer member from longitudinal displacement within the storage chamber; and retaining means carried by the layer member and extendable therefrom into cooperation with the side wall means, said cooperation serving to retain the layer member from lateral displacement so as to maintain it in engagement with the locating means.

By the present invention it is envisaged that the layer member, which member will usually be in sheet form with either a closed structure or an open frame\mesh structure, will be introduced into the storage chamber of a container and displaced longitudinally within that storage chamber until the layer member is located at a position where it can be displaced laterally and into engagement with the locating means. The engagement between the layer member and the locating means may positively and firmly retain the layer member from longitudinal displacement within the storage chamber. With such engagement between the layer member and locating means, the retaining means carried by the layer member is extended from that member to cooperate, usually by abutment, with the side wall means so that such cooperation or abutment retains the layer member from being displaced laterally out of engagement with the locating means. The engagement between the layer member and locating means can thus be firm and secure so that considerable loading may be applied to the layer member without that member becoming disengaged from the container and thereby either the partition system provided by the layer member or the closure provided by the layer member failing. Also when it is required to remove the layer member from the container it may be easily arranged for the retaining means to be retracted, thereby permitting the layer member to be displaced laterally for it to disengage from the locating means following which the layer member may be removable from the storage chamber.

The locating means will usually be in the form of a seating or projection with which the layer member is engageable and disengageable by lateral displacement within the storage chamber. In a preferred arrangement the locating means comprises one of a flange means or slot means provided on the side wall means whilst the other of the flange means and slot means is carried by the layer member, so the flange means and slot means provided on the side wall and layer member (as the can also of the laver membei case may be) can be moved into engagement with each other and be disengaged from each other by lateral displacement within the storage chamber. For convenience of manufacture it is preferred that the flange means is provided on the layer member and the slot means is provided on or in the side wall means.

It is also preferred that the locating means is formed to have a longitudinally spaced array of stations. The layer member can then be displaced laterally into engagement with a predetermined station of the locating means which is selected from the array following predetermined longitudinal displacement of the layer member within the container to position the layer member adjacent to the selected station. Following this latter positioning, the layer member can be displaced laterally into engagement with the selected station and this engagement is maintained by extension of the retaining means from the layer member to cooperate with the side wall means.

It is appreciated that where the locating means comprises a longitudinally spaced array of two or more stations as aforementioned, the assembly may include at least two of the layer members which are longitudinally spaced within the storage chamber and engage with the locating means at respective longitudinally spaced stations. The longitudinally spaced array of stations is preferably presented by a longitudinally spaced array of slots or flanges on the side walls with which flanges or slots respectively (and as the case may be) on the or each layer member are engageable during lateral displacement of the respective layer member into engagement with a selected station.

For convenience of manoeuvring and positioning the layer member longitudinally within the storage chamber, the side wall means may be provided with a longitudinally extending guide track with which part of the layer member is engageable and longitudinally displaceable. In a preferred arrangement the guide track is in the form of a longitudinally extending channel on the side wall means with which a flange on the layer member is engageable and displacable until that flange is located at a position from which the layer member may be displaced laterally to move the flange into engagement with the or a selected slot of the locating means.

The retaining means is preferably in the form of a flap or leaf that is hingeably mounted as part of the layer member. This flap or leaf may be pivoted on its hinge to a retracted position for displacement of the layer member longitudinally within the chamber and may be pivoted on the hinge to an extended condition to abut the side wall means with the layer member engaged with the locating means. The layer member with its flap or leaf pivoted to the extended condition can fully close or fully partition the storage chamber although this is not an essential requirement. For manufacturing convenience, especially where the layer member is formed as a plastics sheet, the sheet may have an integral hinge which determines a part of the sheet which provides the aforementioned flap or leaf of the retaining means. It will appreciated, however, that the retaining means is not necessarily hinged as part of the layer member and may, for example, be in the form of a component that is slidable or pivotable on the layer member between conditions where it cooperates with the wall means to retain the layer member from lateral displacement and a position where it is clear of the wall means to permit lateral displacement of the layer member.

The locating means (and guide track when provided) may be formed integral with the side wall means. In an alternative arrangement, however, the assembly of the present invention may be formed with a container shell having the side wall means and the storage chamber whilst the locating means is provided on a frame means that is located within the storage chamber (and which may be arranged to be removable from that chamber). Where a guide track is provided to the locating means as previously mentioned, such guide track may also be provided on the frame means.

The frame means may be of varied design, but in a preferred arrangement it has a base frame part and side frame parts hingeably mounted on the base frame part with the locating means being carried on the side frame parts. In this structure the side frame parts may be pivotable about hinges onto the base frame part to compact the frame means (as may be convenient for storage or transport) when the locating means is not required for use to be engaged by the or a layer member.

The frame means as above discussed and layer member will provide a dunage for location in a container shell and such a dunage is in accordance with the present invention.

The container in the container assembly of the present invention is likely to be manufactured in plastics and will usually have a substantially horizontal base and side walls extending longitudinally upwardly from the base to an open top with the locating means being positioned on the side walls longitudinally spaced from the base. Usually, but not essentially, the container will have a rectangular parallelopipedon shape.

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 shows the assembly with its layer member fitted within the storage chamber of the container to partition that chamber; Figures 2 to 4 diagrammatically and sequentially illustrate the fitting of the layer member within the storage chamber to partition or close that chamber (in these figures and also in figure 5 the majority of the side walls of the container have been omitted for convenience of illustration); Figure 5 shows three layer members fitted within the storage chamber to partition that chamber into separate sections, and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a frame member having locating means into which a layer member may be fitted to provide a dunage for a container of the present invention.

Detailed Description of Drawings.

The container assembly shown in figure 1 will usually have its components manufactured in plastics and has a container 1 of rectangular parallelepipedon shape as presented by a generally horizontal paletised base 2 extending longitudinally upwardly from which are a pair of opposed end walls 3 and a pair of opposed side walls 4 which provide the container with an open top. The base 2 and walls 3,4 define a storage chamber 5 within which is located a layer member 6. The layer member 6 is formed of relatively rigid horizontal plastics sheet and when fitted within the storage chambe r 5 is intended to fully partition that chamber to provide upper and lower discrete storage sections.

Provided on each of the opposed side walls 4 within the storage chamber 5 are a pair of longitudinally extending locators indicated generally at 7 and 7a respectively. Each of the locators 7 and 7a comprises a longitudinally or vertically spaced array of slots 9 which open into longitudinally or vertically extending channels 11.

The sheet layer or partition member 6 when flat is generally rectangular and corresponds in size to the rectangular top opening presented by the container 1. The partition member 6 is provided with an integral hinge 13 which extends parallel to an edge of that member and effectively divides the sheet 6 into a generally rectangular major part 15 hingedly connected to which is a retaining leaf 17. In addition the major part 15 of the partition member is provided at its periphery with four projections in the from of small flanges 19 (see Figure 2) which extend in the plane of the sheet. The flanges 19 are positioned to correspond with the location and spacing between the guide channels 11 which open into the top of the container.

To fit the partition member 6 into the container 1, the leaf 17 is pivoted on the hinge 13 to project approximately at right angles to the plane of the major sheet part 15. The sheet par'L15 is then manoeuvred to locate the flanges 19 so that they overlie and coincide one with each of the channels 11. With the partition member 6 in this latter condition (see Figure 2), the member 6 is lowered for the flanges 19 to engage one in each of the channels 11 and thereafter the partition member is displaced longitudinally over the channels 11 and within the storage chamber 5 until the flanges 19 with the sheet parts 15 horizontal, are located juxtaposed the ends of respective slots 9 which open into the respective channels 11. With the flanges 19 positioned in horizontal alignment each with a selected slot 9 of the respective locators 7 and 7a, the partition sheet 6 is displaced laterally to move the flanges 19 into engagement with the selected slots 9 of their respective locators 7 and -7a as shown in Figure 3. Engagement of the flanges 19 with the slots 9 retains the major part 15 of the partition member 6 from longitudinal displacement relative to the channels 11 and therefore relative to the side walls 4 of the container.

The final step of fitting the partition member 6 is to lower or extend the leaf 17 by pivoting it about the hinge 13 until the leaf 17 is coplanar with the major partition sheet part 15. The leaf 17 when lowered to extend from the sheet part 15 in the plane thereof can cooperate by abutment with the end wall 3 to which it is adjacent. This abutment prevents the partition layer 6 from being displaced laterally horizontally relative to the longitudinally (vertically) extending side walls to an extent sufficient for flanges 19 to move out of engagement with the respective slots 9 ( see Figure 4). The partition layer member 6 is consequently firmly secured relative to the side and end walls of the container and may carry goods loaded thereon.

When the leaf 17 is in its extended or lowered condition as shown in Figure 4 it is preferred, but not essential, for the partition layer 6 to abut both of the opposed end walls 3.

The partition layer 6 is simply retracted from its extended condition as shown in Figure 4 by pivoting the leaf 17 about the hinge 13 upwardly to its retracted condition shown in Figure 3 and thereafter displacing the partition member laterally for the flanges 19 to disengage from their respective slots 9 and be located in the respective channels 11. This permits the partition member to be withdrawn upwardly through the open top of the container as the flanges 19 slide longitudinally along the channels 11 with which they respectively cooperate.

A loop or grip (not shown) maybe be provided on the leaf 17 for convenience of pulling on that leaf to adjust it from its extended to its retracted condition. Also grips or apertures may be provided on the major sheet part 15 for convenience of holding that part to displace the partition member longitudinally and laterally as required.

In the embodiment as above described it is considered that the channels 11 and locators 7 and 7a presented by the longitudinally spaced array of slots 9 are formed integral with the opposed side walls 4 of the container 1. It is possible however for the locators 7 and 7a together with the guide channels 11 to be formed as part of a dunage which includes a partition sheet 6 that is to be fitted into an open topped container shell similar to that shown at 1 in Figure 1. With this latter arrangement in mind the pair of locators 7 and guide channels 11 respectively adjacent thereto are formed as part of a side frame 21 whilst the pair of locators 7a and guide channels 11 respectively adjacent thereto are formed as part of a side frame 23 (see Figure 6). The side frames 21 and 23 are hingedly connected at 25 to a base frame 27 to provide a support structure 29. The support structure 29 is independent of the container shell and can be lowered into that shell so that the base frame 27 sits on the base 2 of the container and the side frames 21 and 23 are pivoted to a upstanding condition adjacent to the opposed side walls 4. The locators 7 and 7a and channels 11 of the structure 29 now present a similar display to that shown in Figure 1 so that the partition member 6 can be fitted to and removed from the container in an identical manner to that previously described.

When the support structure 29 within the container is not required for supporting a partition member 6, the side frames 21 and 23 can be pivoted on their respective hinges 25 from upstanding conditions to overlie and abut the base frame 27, so presenting the support structure 9 with a compact configuration appropriate for storage or transport.

The support structure 29 is conveniently formed as a one piece plastics moulding that provides integral hinges 25.

In Figures 1 to 4 the container assembly is provided with a single partition layer 6. If required, however the assembly can include a longitudinally spaced array of partition layers as shown at 6a, 6b and 6c in Figure 5 for subdividing the storage chamber 5 into separate storage compartments.

The support structure 29 as shown in Figure 6 together with the partition member or members 6 provide a dunage which can be located within a container shell so that the invention can provide the option of forming the locators 7 and 7a integral with the container walls or as part of the dunage.

Claims

1. A container assembly comprising a container having longitudinally extending side wall means forming a storage chamber and provided with locating means within the storage chamber; a layer member displaceable longitudinally within the storage chamber and thereafter being displaceable laterally into engagement with the locating means, said engagement retaining the layer member from longitudinal displacement within the storage chamber; and retaining means carried by the layer member and extendable therefrom to cooperate with the side wall means, said cooperation serving to retain the layer member from lateral displacement so as to maintain it in engagement with the locating means.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the layer member is for partitioning or closing the storage chamber.

3. An assembly as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 in which the layer member is in sheet form.

4. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the layer member is of a closed structure or open frame/mesh structure.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the locating means comprises one of a flange means or slot means provided on the side wall means and the other of the said flange means or slot means is carried by the layer member so that the flange means and slot means provided on the side wall means and layer member as the case may be move into engagement with each other during lateral displacement of the layer member to retain the layer member from longitudinal displacement in the chamber.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 in which the flange means is provided on the layer member and the slot means is provided on the side wall.

7. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the locating means comprises a longitudinally spaced array of stations, said layer member being displacable laterally into engagement with a predetermined station selected from said array following predetermined longitudinal displacement of the layer member within the container to juxtapose it adjacent to said selected station, engagement of the layer member with the selected station of the locating means being maintained by extension of the retaining means from the layer member to cooperate with the side wall means.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7 in which at least two said layer members are provided longitudinally spaced within the storage chamber and engaging with respective longitudinally spaced stations.

9. An assembly as claimed in either claim 7 or claim 8 when appendant to either claim 5 or claim 6 in which the stations comprise a longitudinally spaced array of slots or flanges on the side walls with which the flanges or slots respectively (and as the case may be) on the layer member are engageable during lateral displacement of the layer member into engagement with a selected station.

10. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the side wall means is provided with a longitudinally extending guide track along which part of the layer member is displacable for facilitating location of the layer member during its longitudinal displacement into engagement with the locating means.

11. An assembly as claimed in claim 10 when appendant to claim 6 in which the guide track comprises longitudinally extending channel means on the side wall means along which channel means the flange means on the layer member is displacable to locate the flange means for engagement with the or a selected one of the slot means.

12. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the retaining means is extendable from the layer member to abut the side wall means within the chamber for maintaining the layer member in engagement with the locating means.

13. An assembly as claimed in claim 12 in which the retaining means comprises a flap or leaf hingedly mounted as part of the layer member, said flap or leaf being pivotable on said hinge to a retracted position for displacement of the layer member longitudinally within the chamber and to an extended condition to abut the side wall means with the layer member engaged with the locating means.

14. An assembly as claimed in claim 13 in which the layer member with its flap or leaf pivoted to the extended condition substantially fully closes or partitions the storage chamber.

15. An assembly as claimed in either claim 13 or claim 14 when appendant to claim 3 in which the layer member comprises a sheet which includes an integral hinge for determining a part of the sheet that provides said flap or leaf.

16. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the locating means is formed integral with the side wall means.

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17. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 and comprising a container shell having said side wall means and a storage chamber, and wherein the locating means is provided on frame means which is located within the storage chamber.

18. An assembly as claimed in claim 17 when appendant to claim 10 in which the guide track is provided on the frame means.

19. An assembly as claimed in either claim 17 or claim 18 in which the frame means comprises a base frame part and side frame parts hingedly connected to the base frame part, said locating means being carried on the side frame parts and wherein said side frame parts are pivotable about their hinges on the base frame part to compact the frame means when the locating means is not required for use to be engaged by the layer member.

20. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 19 in which the frame means and layer member comprise a dunage for location in a container shell.

21. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the container is opened-topped and comprises a base and side walls extending longitudinally upwardly from the base to said open top, the locating means being positioned longitudinally spaced from the base.

22. A dunage as specified in claim 20 for use in providing container assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16.

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

24. A dunage for a container assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings.