GB2445414A

GB2445414A - Flat pack container

Info

Publication number: GB2445414A
Application number: GB0700118A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edwin Francis Tattam
Original assignee: Softbox Systems Ltd
Current assignee: Softbox Systems Ltd
Priority date: 2007-01-04
Filing date: 2007-01-04
Publication date: 2008-07-09
Also published as: GB0700118D0

Abstract

The collapsible container has base 10a, top 10d and sides 10b, 10c, made from separate detachable panels. The sidewalls engage between each other at their edges with the aid or corresponding engagement features such as tongue and recesses or channels (Fig.2a). The tongues may have hooks (2cl, Fig.2c) or ratchets to further secure engagement between the sides. The base has channels 3a2 therein to receive the side walls, and the whole container, once the panel are engaged together can be further reinforce with banding, such as tape, film or strip metal.

Description

FLAT-PACK CONTAINER

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a container, which can be assembled prior to or upon initial use, pending further use or otherwise and be simply collapsed or dismantled after use. In particular, the present invention relates to containers as used by logistics companies, for transporting goods, which goods need to be protected from physical damage and can often have specific thermal insulation requirements.

Background to the Invention

In the field of logistics, that is the field of movement and supply of produce and materials, in particular in the transport of intermediate and finished products, containers have been developed which safely protect from damage a wide variety of product. Protection from damage relates to physical and thermal conditions. Just-in-time manufacturing techniques will necessarily increase the chances of damage implications arising from transport and handling, both in terms of product damage and of business efficiency.

Methods for supplying components to manufacturing plants and for removing both finished and waste products from manufacturing plants have been solved in a variety of ways. In some cases shipping containers or trucks and skips are parked at the manufacturing site for the purpose of acting as temporary storage for components. These containers and trucks are extremely expensive components to have idly parked at such manufacturing plants during the course of utilizing the components.

Further, similar issues arise in other industries: for example, in the pharmaceutical industry, product often needs to be maintained within a temperature range: product may be packed in relatively small containers, which containers are relatively fragile -accordingly insulation must provide both physical and thermal stability. Equally, in the food industry fish suppliers will often have chilled fish boxes which axe designed to accept, say 20Kg of product. The fish must be maintained at low temperatures, yet will

be placed in containers which require a high degree of strength, to prevent spillage and allow multiple re-use.

In the case of product which needs to be protected from physical and thermal damage, expanded polystyrene boxes are frequendy used. However, once a protective box has been used, it creates dead space. That is to say the container will take up as much space once empty as it did when in use. With regard to distribution vehicles, this prevents the vehicle from taking on further goods if the original container is to be retained, or creates an instantaneous problem in that it the container needs to be taken care of, through storage, destruction or otherwise. With regard to a warehouse, when a product is removed from the packaging, there is no net benefit with regard to the use of the space within the warehouse.

An alternative method to the return of packaging materials in a delivery vehicle is to destroy polystyrene boxes upon arrival at a goods inward station or an unpacking centre. However, this does not solve the problem, since there will arise an accumulation of these waste components, thus postponing the problem of disposal, meanwhile creating an immediate problem with regard to the storage of the material. Indeed, destruction or alternative commercial disposal of the packaging can represent a not insignificant cost and it is unlikely that disposal is a preferred option for many; since besides cost, other problems for the manufacturer arise, for example in the requirement of special handling of the components and timely and continuous removal from the manufacturing site in order to avoid unmanageable build-up of waste at the manufacturing site. Similar issues arise in the use of recyclable cardboard and shaped paper packaging components, and the use of other plastics components, pallets and other forms of packaging, such as single-use containers. Examples of these single-use containers include containers made of various types of compressed paper. Most of these wood or paper containers are destroyed or unusable for repeated use and accordingly are the source of manufacturing waste products.

Alternatively, wooden containers, crates and pallets are employed, but these, whilst technically being cheap are cumbersome in storage and present further headaches in disposal and are frequently damaged in the process of handling the heavy containers. The pallets are made from inexpensive wood with the view that the pallets will be

damaged beyond use after a limited number of usages. Nevertheless, these pallets become additional waste material for a manufacturer.

Large containers which have been successfully used in manufacturing processes and in waste disposal procedures and which are intended for repeated use are frequendy extremely large containers of sturdy construction. Many waste disposal containers, as an example, are made from thick rolled steel plates which permit rough handling of the container without destruction of the container. Many of these containers are as high as 2m tall and as large as 2m square or larger. Frequendy, these sturdy large containers are also the same containers or similar to containers used for shipping components to manufacturers for use. These often represent heavy dead space on return journeys.

Plastics containers also exist which comprise rigid plastics elements which are hingedly connected along selected edges, whereby to provide a six-sided container with fold-flat capabilities, such as is describe inJP2003 09 5259. However, the plastics is quite dense; is expensive to manufacture, offers poor thermal and physical protection (the sides of the plastics container is relatively hard) and has not been widely deployed. US35 63 403 provides a container operable to enable secure stowage of aircraft cargo in an easily dismanded form upon a pallet base: aluminium composite sides are provide, together with a seals to provide well engineered - yet expensive — containers, since they are designed for storage of several tonnes of cargo yet must be of less than 300Kg in weight themselves.

GB11 63 872 provides a polystyrene container for postal shipping of such objects as, for instance, books, valuable papers, drawing, photographs and the like, which are to be protected against bending, or frangible articles. This teaches of a container which is very light and, therefore, saves postage costs, while at the same time being shape-retaining so as to protect the object shipped therein fully. However, it is very small and of little industrial use in relation to manufacturing and supply industries.

Object of the Invention

The present invention seeks to provide a solution to the problems addressed above. The present invention seeks to provide a transport container which can be

dismantled and can displace a considerably reduced volume when dismanded, is cheap to manufacture, can readily and easily be constructed and be re-used several times over.

The present invention further seeks to provide a transport container which can readily and expeditiously be assembled and then knocked down. The present invention further seeks to provide a transport container, parts of which are readily replaceable and are interchangeable with parts of other a transport containers.

Statement of Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a container comprising:

a base member; and at least two sidewall members;

wherein the side members have complementary locating features with respect to adjoining edges whereby to enable adjacent sidewall members, at adjacent edges to locate one with respect to the other and complementary slot and channel edge features between corresponding base and sidewall panels; and,

there is provided banding, which is arranged at least about the base, to the top of the sidewalls, whereby to maintain relative position of the base and sidewall members.

Conveniendy, the edge sections of adjacent side members have co-operating hook and abutment portions defined therein, whereby to maintain a relative position of the base and sidewall members. Preferably, the hook and abutment portions are located towards the top of the side sections, to provide sufficient strength. This can simplify procedures associated with the filling of the box, when it is inconvenient to additionally support or otherwise maintain in position sidewalls, before the lid is placed in position to provide sufficient support. Alternatively or additionally, banding is applied so as to surround the sidewall members, whereby to maintain or assist in maintaining a relative position of the base and sidewall members with respect to each other. The banding can comprise plastics strap banding as is known for the fastening of cardboard boxes, which can be connected under tension using standard tools, yet can be easily cut using pincer-cutters, whereby to enable simple and rapid de-construction into its constituent components. Alternatively or additionally, polythene film may be used, which is wrapped around the container, using roller applicators, as is known, again under tension.

Preferably, there is a top member, which member can locate with the upstanding sidewall members, Not only can a cover be thereby provided, but the configuration can increase the strength of the closed container relative to an open container. In an alternative, the top member can have an access door, whereby the integrity of the closed container is not significandy diminished, upon access being made to the container once formed. In a further alternative, the top member may have an aperture, whereby to provide a level of rigidity when formed, yet can enable access to an interior of the container.

Conveniendy, there are four sidewall members, which are arranged in a generally rectangular fashion to provide a rectangular shaped container; the four sidewall members can be of the same dimensions, whereby to provide a square-section box. Conveniendy an edge surface of one member or panel locates with respect to an edge portion of a major plane of an adjacent sidewall member. However, in a rectangular container, there may be two types of sidewall members; the edge planes of one type of the sidewall member locate with corresponding features associated with an edge portion of a main plane of the other type of sidewall.

The base, sidewall and top members are conveniently flat panels, made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), other expanded plastics, cardboard and re-processed paper materials, composites, carbon and glass fibres, aluminium, wood, MDF of other types of materials. However, the invention is particularly suited to the use of expanded polystyrene and similar plastics materials: the completed product is relatively cheap and uses relatively litde cargo space whereby the phenomenon of transporters having vehicles with empty returns less likely. Therefore, an effective and efficient collapsible container in accordance with the present invention can enable transporters and logistics companies to effectively and efficiently haul large numbers of these collapsible type containers to sites where they can be assembled for reuse. Likewise, storage of flat-pack containers awaiting use can present reduced warehousing costs relative to the use of containers which cannot be collapsed to as small a unit as possible.

Whilst the base, side and top members are not necessarily intrinsically watertight, the use of waterproof bags acting as liner bags is not precluded. Further, the advantage

of the use of materials such as expanded polystyrene mean that thermal insulation and physical shock protection are typically characteristic of containers made in accordance with the present invention.

Whilst the complementary edge features conveniendy comprise tongues and slots, which slots and channels may be discontinuous about an edge portion, it is envisaged that click-insert inter-engaging features may be present, but an increase in container assembly and disassembly time would be encountered.

A container in accordance with the present invention may be assembled and disassembled in a rapid and expeditious manner. The parts making up our box may be stacked for storage in a relatively small space.

It is likely in the use of the transport container provided by the present invention that a wall thereof may at some time be damaged by puncturing or the like. A distinct benefit of the present invention is that the construction permits a damaged base/wall/cover part of the container box to be easily and separately replaced to eliminate the need for replacing an entire box. Similarly, different sized boxes may have common parts with to provide more cost-effective construction and/or different functionality.

Brief Description of the Figures

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the Figures as shown in the accompanying drawing sheets, wherein:-

Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the invention;

Figures 2a — 2d illustrate sectional views through parts of corresponding edge members in accordance with two aspects of the invention in first and second positions;

Figures 3a, 3b & 3c illustrate perspective views of corresponding edge members in accordance with another aspect of the invention in differing states of construction;

Figure 4 shows a first embodiment completed and fastened with bands;

Figure 5 shows a further embodiment completed and fastened with plastics film;

Figures 6a - 6s show details of a preferred rectangular box embodiment of the

invention;

Figures 7a - 7c show, triangular and tri-star embodiments of the invention;

Figures 8a & 8b show a four component circular container in perspective and spaced apart views;

Figure 9 shows a cubic box with bands across the top and along the midriff;

Figure 10 shows section through a box being a closed "U" in cross-section;

Figure 11 shows a cross section box;

Figure 12 shows a square section box with an open top; and

Figure 13 shows a still further embodiment.

Detailed description of the Preferred Embodiments

There will now be described, by way of example only, the best mode contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the present invention. In the following description, numerous specific details are set out in order to provide a complete understanding to the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that the present invention may be put into practice with variations of the specific.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a spaced apart box 10 in perspective view; the box or container comprising six panels: a base member 10a; four side members 10b, c and a top member lOd. The container is of a general rectangular cross-section and thus there are two sets of side members. Conveniently, the members are generally flat panels, but are not so necessarily restricted. For example, the top cover may be generally domed.

Figure 2a & 2b detail the arrangement of two adjacent members about an edge: a tongue portion projecting from a narrow edge is operably inserted into a correspondingly shaped rebate along an edge section of a major face of the panel. Once bands have been placed around the container, then the component members or panels are securely retained in position. Neither ratcheting members nor resilient, interlocking elements are necessary to retain the wall members together with respect to one another and with respect to the base and any cover. Figures 2c & 2d show an alternative with a dg-leg element 2cl. With reference to Figures 3a - 3c, a first type of wall panels 3b4,5 have a dog-leg tongue, which slidingly fits within a correspondingly shaped channel 3a2 associated with a base 3al. A second type of wall panel is provided with dog-leg tongues

3c6, which are slidingly received within channels 3b7 associated with edge sections on interior facing of the major plane surfaces of the first type of wall panels. A tongue 3c5 is inserted into a corresponding rebate 3a3 of the base member 3al. As will be expected, the top member is placed upon the upstanding walls with upstanding tongues being received within rebates (not shown) associated with an interior face of the container. Alternatively, two opposite, parallel spaced apart walls may have dog-leg tongues which enable a top cover to be slidingly received, although the other upstanding wall elements would not be able to have any tongue features present.

Figure 4 shows a rectangular container, with a lid member, in assembled form, with two bands placed around the base and over the top; and two bands around the sidewalls. Figure 5 shows a similar box, yet is retained with plastics film such as polythene film.

Figure 6 shows a completed and strapped-together box in accordance with a still further embodiment which is especially adapted for goods which are loose and may have a tendency to force the corner sections of each panel away from an adjacent panel. The box comprises a base element 6ab, a lid, 6al and four side panels, with two wide side panels 6aw and two narrow side panels 6an. Figure 6b shows the box, without straps and in an inverted position, with the base removed. Figure 6c shows the outside face of a base/lid or cover panel - conveniendy they are the same for reduced manufacturing costs and ease of assembly. Typical dimensions could be 0.3 x 0.5 m for the base; the wall panels typically being 0.1 - 1.0 m in height, dependent upon the nature of the goods to be carried. Figures 6 d,e show, respectively, views from the wide and narrow sides.

Figure 6f shows a view of an inside face of a base panel: Figure 6g shows a cross-section through the base, along dotted lines a - a' defined in Figure 6f. An optional feature of this design is the pair of parallel indented sections in the side panels; the lid and base sections have two sets of parallel spaced apart indented sections: these sections assist in the correct placement of tie straps which are placed around the panels to secure the box together.

Figures 6h - m detail views of a wide side panel, 6aw. Specifically, Figure 6h shows an inside view, of the side panel, Figure 6i an overhead or plan view; Figure 6j a

view of the side panel from outside view; Figure 6k a view of a side edge of the side panel; figures 61 & 6m show, respectively, perspective views of the inside panel and the outside panel, showing, in particular, extending section 66, which is inserted into the border channel of the base portion. Extreme side section 68 is truncated at its uppermost part 69, whereby hook section elements of corresponding narrow side elements 67 may engage therewith, particularly with respect to abutment portion 62, as can be seen from Figure 6j. Figures 6n - 6s detail views of a narrow side panel, 6an. Specifically, Figure 6n shows an inside view, of the side panel, Figure 6o an overhead or plan view; Figure 6p a view of the side panel from outside view; Figure 6k a view of a side edge of the side panel; figures 6s & r show, respectively, perspective views of the inside panel and the outside panel, showing, in particular, extending section 67 and hook section 69, which extending channel, when in position with a corresponding wide section panel, lies within channel 64 associated with the wide side panel 6aw. Hook section 69 has been described above: by locating with an outside potion of the wide panel, then there is a reduced requirement - or no requirement at all, depending upon the nature of the contents of the box - for supporting the sides in a generally upright fashion whilst the box is being filled or has been filled and is awaiting placement of a lid and fastening of the completed box. Equally, it is important that the sides of the box do not readily fall apart once the lid has been removed and the contents of the box are to be removed. It will be appreciated that the use of the hook members replace or augment the bands that are shown around the sides of the box shown in Figure 4.

Figure 7a shows a perspective view of a triangular prism. The container is held together by three bands; Figure 7b shows the five component panels, comprising base 7b2, sidewall members 7b3 and a top panel 7b4 in a spaced apart relationship. Conveniendy there are only two types of panel, the base being configured similarly to the top: the side members being identical. Figure 7c shows a box in the form of a tn-star. Figure 8a shows a complete circularly cylindrical container 8al; the container is manufactured from only two types of panel a top/base element 8bl and a wall element 8b2. The wall elements are shown as semi-circular in cross section, but may subtend a 90° arc or a 120 ° arc wherein an increase in the number of side panels is obviously required.

Figure 9 shows a cubic container 9al, wherein two bands 9al, 9a2 are employed

to ensure that the top9a4 is maintained in position relative to the base 9a3, whilst a further band 9a5 is arranged around the wall panels. Figure 10 shows a container wherein a curvilinear plane co-operates with three other side panels whereby to provide a container with a closed "U" section. Figure 11 shows a container in the form of a cross, with a band arranged about each arm of the cross.

Figure 12 shows an open container 120, wherein a base 121 has four side panels 122 - 125: bands 126 - 129 are arranged from the base and along the top edge of each side panel, whereby to provide a simple yet sturdy open-box construction. Such containers may be stacked one atop another, with only an uppermost container being closed with a top panel.

Figure 13 shows a still further type of container 130, wherein the bands 131 comprise re-usable ratchet bands, which are embedded within the base member 132 during manufacture of the panel. A ratchet clasp 133 is fitted and shown at the top, although the ratchet may be positioned along a side member for convenience. In the lid 134, there is an access hatch 135, with a hinge 136, whereby to enable access to an inside of the container, when the container has been assembled. Security tagging and indication of tampering devices (not shown) may be employed.

Thus there is presented a simple flat-packable container, which can be made from a myriad of materials. The base, sidewall and top members are conveniendy flat panels, made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), other expanded plastics, cardboard and reprocessed paper materials, composites, carbon and glass fibres, aluminium, wood, MDF of other types of materials. However, the invention is particularly suited to the use of expanded polystyrene and similar plastics materials: the completed product is relatively cheap and uses relatively little cargo space whereby the phenomenon of transporters having vehicles with empty returns less likely.

The present invention also provides a container which may be manufactured in a large number of shapes. Not only can standard rectangular boxes and cubic boxes be manufactured, but star shaped boxes; circular, elliptical cross shaped, polygonal prisms, diamond, trapezoidal, pyramidal and conical containers can also be manufactured.

Furthermore containers without lids can also be manufactured using the same simple implement construction.

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Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A container comprising:

a base member; and at least two sidewall members;

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the edge sections of adjacent side members have co-operating hook and abutment portions defined therein, whereby to maintain relative position of the base and sidewall members.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein banding is applied so as to surround the sidewall members, whereby to maintain relative position of the base and sidewall members.

4. A container according to claim 1, wherein the banding can comprise one of plastics tape, reinforced plastics tape, glass fibre tape, polythene film, strip metal.

5. A container according to claim 1, wherein the complementary locating features comprise complementary tongue and rebates, situated on corresponding separate container members.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein the complementary locating features comprise complementary locking tongue and ratchet tongue connectors, situated on corresponding separate container members.

7. A container according to claim 1, wherein the container is a closed container and comprises a top member, which member can locate with the upstanding sidewall members.

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8. A container according to claim 7, wherein the top member includes an access door, whereby the integrity of the closed container is not significandy diminished, upon access being made to the container once formed.

9. A container according to claim 1, wherein the base, sidewall and top members are flat panels.

10. A container according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the base, sidewall and top members are made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), or other materials such as expanded plastics, cardboard and re-processed paper materials, composites, carbon and glass fibres, aluminium, wood, MDF of other types of materials.

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