GB2462854A

GB2462854A - Box structure, especially a compost box or planter

Info

Publication number: GB2462854A
Application number: GB0815334A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Wilson; Ian Wilson; Keith Wilson; Alan Wilson
Original assignee: Wilsons Timber Co & Manufacturing Joiner
Current assignee: Wilsons Timber Co & Manufacturing Joiner
Priority date: 2008-08-22
Filing date: 2008-08-22
Publication date: 2010-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 2028-08-22
Also published as: GB0815334D0; GB2462854B

Abstract

A panel 2 for forming a side wall of a box structure, such as a compost bin or planter, the panel comprising a main body portion 3 having two opposite end portions each having formed therein a transverse anchoring slot or notch 8 extending from a lateral edge thereof, at least approximately half the width of the panel 2. The panel 2 is anchorable to a second like panel 2 by mutual interlocking of one said anchoring slot 8 in one end portion 6 of the panel with a corresponding anchoring slot 8 in a corresponding respective end portion 6 of the second like panel when in an inverted orientation with respect to the first said panel 2. Once engaged, two pairs of opposing panels form a horizontal frame section. In order to interlock together the different levels of horizontal frame sections the panels further comprise one or more engagement formations, such as tongue and groove formations 10, 12, for assisting seating and anchoring of the panel 2 to another like panel 2 above or below it when in place in the side wall of the box structure. The tongue in the tongue and groove arrangement can be an integral tongue or a separate one engaging with grooves on both the upper and lower panels. The design of the panel 2 enables just a single panel template to be used for all the panels for assembling the complete box structure.

Description

BOX STRUCTURE

This invention relates to a box structure, more particularly to a box structure of modular construction for defining a space for the reception or containment of s bulk material, especially (though not exclusively) organic composting waste or plant growing or cultivation media.

The types of box structure to which preferred embodiments of this invention relate are thus commonly known as "compost boxes" or "compost bins", or io alternatively "planters". Such enclosures for containing compost material or growing medium are typically of a simple rectangular wooden construction, with side walls being fastened together at the corners using a variety of well-known joinery techniques. Many known designs employ vertical corner posts to which the various wall panels of the box are fixed.

Some known constructions of compost box or planter are of the modular type, in which a series of pre-assembled rectangular sections or storeys are stacked on top of one another to form the finished structure up to the required height.

These modular constructions are simple and cheap to manufacture, principally because it can be left to the end-user to assemble them from a kit of parts, and it can also permit easy disassembling of the box (or a part of it) when emptying, refilling or maintenance of it is required.

Many known examples of such modular box constructions however include various components in addition to the side wall panels themselves. For instance, the compost box shown in EP-A-1 741 689 (Albrecht), whilst utilising multiple wall panels of a single design to build up the various side walls and the panels in adjacent side walls being upside-down with respect to each other, includes vertical anchoring rods passing through the end portions of the wall panels at the corners of the box to secure them in place.

In the design of compost box shown in GB-A-1 403984 (Page), the wall panels of adjacent sides of the box are anchored together by means of interlocking slots formed in the end portions of the respective panels. These interlocking end slots serve not only to anchor in a horizontal sense the panels in adjacent side walls in a given storey of the box, but they also serve to anchor adjacent panels in a vertical sense in adjacent storeys as the box height is built up. This however is at the expense of having to employ wall panels of two distinct shaped designs and heights in any given side wall.

GB-A-232 1 452 (Whitney) is a more basic compost box structure, akin to a beehive-type construction, in which a series of pre-formed square storey sections are simply stacked on top of one another to build the box structure up to the required height.

In another known modular design of compost box, vertical square corner posts are provided with vertical recessed T-shaped slots in adjacent sides thereof and the side walls are built up by slotting therein the ends of a series of identical essentially rectangular wall panels each with a correspondingly 1-sectioned tongue or flange element mounted on each of its said ends. Whilst this construction is particularly easy to produce in kit form and to assemble, it is not as cheap as might be desired, owing to the multiple structural components that are needed and a degree of pre-assembly in the factory. It also has limited versatility in that it necessarily results in a box of a predetermined height, defined by the height of the structural corner posts.

It is a main object of this invention to improve on these known designs of compost box structure by providing a simpler modular system, ideally for quick and easy self-assembly by the end-user, involving optimally few structural elements and in particular a specially designed shape of wall panel for building up the box structure sides walls.

Accordingly, in a first aspect the invention provides a panel for forming a side wall of a box structure, the panel comprising a main body portion having two opposite end portions each having formed therein a transverse anchoring slot extending from a lateral edge thereof, wherein the length of each transverse aichoring slot is at least approximately half the width of the panel whereby the panel is anchorable to a second like panel by mutual interlocking of one said anchoring slot in one end portion of the panel with a corresponding anchoring slot in a corresponding respective end portion of the second like panel when in an inverted orientation with respect to the first said panel, and wherein at least io one of the lateral edges of the main body portion of the panel further comprises one or more engagement formations for assisting seating and anchoring of the panel to another like panel above or below it when in place in the side wall of the box structure.

is Thus, in accordance with the invention, wall panels used to form one side waJI of the box structure are positioned in one orientation, and those used to form each adjacent side wall are applied in an inverted, upside-down, orientation with respect thereto. Thus, the respective end portions of adjacent panels interlock via their respective anchoring slots, which locate within one another in a niutually inverted configuration.

In practical embodiments of the wall panel according to this aspect of the invention the anchoring slot in each of its end portions is preferably of a width at least as great as the thickness of the panel itself, in order that the slot can readily accommodate the thickness of the end portion of an adjacent panel interlocked therewith.

Preferably each end portion of the wall panel terminates beyond the respective anchoring slot in a tongue portion, each of which thus protrudes laterally outwardly from the vertical line of interlocking of adjacent panels in adjacent side walls of the box structure once constructed. It is preferable for each tongue portion to be truncated, ie. of reduced transverse width in comparison with the main body portion of the panel, in order to ameliorate any inherent structural weakness in it and reduce the risk of it breaking off during manufacture, transport and handling, and assembly of the box structure. In certain specific embodiments each tongue portion may even be formed or sculpted into any desired decorative shape, eg. in order to add to the aesthetic appeal of the tongue portions protruding from the corners of the finished box structure.

The one or more engagement formations provided in or on at least one of the io lateral edges of the wall panel according to the invention may preferably take the form of corresponding (preferably elongated) tongue and groove formations, one of such being provided or formed on (or in, as the case may be) one lateral edge of the panel, and the other of such being provided or formed in (or on, as the case may be) the opposite lateral edge of the panel. Such a groove feature may conveniently be formed (eg. by cutting or milling) as part of the overall panel manufacturing process. So too can be such a tongue feature. However, it may be preferred, for ease of manufacture and assembly of the box structure, that both lateral edges of the panel are formed with such groove features, and a separate, loose, tongue strip element is provided for insertion into the groove on just one edge, thereby giving essentially the same sort of interlocking engagement feature by means of which one panel in a side wall of the box structure is seated and anchored with respect to another like panel above or below it in the assembled structure. In the case of such loose tongue element(s), they may if desired be secured in place with a suitable adhesive -which feature may also help to prevent ingress of water or moisture through the gap between adjacent panels in a finished box structure according to this variant embodiment.

When any of the above tongue and groove features are provided constituting the engagement formations of the wall panel of the invention, it will generally be most preferred for both the tongue and groove to extend substantially over the whole lengths of the respective lateral edges of the main body portion of the panel on/in which they are provided/formed. As one alternative to this, however, one of the lateral edges may be provided with a groove in a first section of its length and a corresponding tongue on a second section of its length, and the other of the lateral edges may thus be provided with a corresponding tongue on a second section of its length and a corresponding groove in a second section of its length, whereby the combined groove and tongue sections on one edge of the panel are engageable with the corresponding tongue and groove sections on the opposite edge of a like panel above or below the first panel in the assembled box structure.

Of course though, any other numbers and positional distributions of corresponding interengageable engagement formations provided on opposite lateral edges of the body portions of the wall panels of the invention may be possible, provided they function in the same way as the examples above, yet do not significantly add to the simplicity of design and speed and cost of manufacture of such panels.

In preferred forms of any of the above tongue formations provided for such panels according to the invention, the ends of the tongue(s) are ramped or bevelled, in order to assist their seating and location into a corresponding groove formation in a relevant neighbouring panel.

The preferred wall panel of this aspect of the invention, which typically is flat and rectangular in form, may be made of any suitable material appropriate to the end use to which the finished box structure is to be put. For most compost boxes or planters for example, wood will be the preferred material, for biological and environmental reasons as well as for structural rigidity and aesthetics. But alternative materials may include for instance cardboard, cartonboard or other similar organic fibre-based material commonly used for packaging applications, or perhaps more apt a material for other applications of box structures according to the invention may include plastics (natural or synthetic polymer) material.

Owing to the design of the wall panel of the invention, just one single shaped panel is able to be used as the template for all the wall panels to form all the side walls of a complete box structure. Thus, manufacture can be limited to just one piece design, leading to optimum efficiency and cost. Furthermore it becomes a simpler and cheaper matter to provide a multiplicity of such identical wall panels in the form of a kit for use in assembling a box structure of any desired dimensions, preferably without the need for any other components or tools.

In a second main aspect the present invention therefore provides a box structure assembled from a plurality of wall panels according to the first aspect of the invention. In practical embodiments of this aspect of the invention the box structure preferably has an even number of side walls (ie. a plurality of pairs of side walls), preferably rectangular or square in plan, with each side wall being constructed from a plurality of the wall panels, with the panels in adjacent side walls being inverted in orientation with respect to one another. Or to put it another way, preferably the wall panels forming any given side wall are arranged in a first stacked orientation, whilst the wall panels in the side walls adjacent to the given side wall are arranged in a second, inverted, stacked orientation. In accordance with either definition, therefore, the respective transverse anchoring slots of adjacent wall panels in adjacent side walls of the box structure interlock with each other, with the respective terminal end portions of the respective panels protruding outwardly from the interlocked corner line of the thus-formed box contiguously with the main body portions of the respective panels.

To assemble a box structure from the wall panels in accordance with the invention, a plurality (eg. in the form of a kit) of the (identical) panels are provided and a first set thereof is assembled into a first level or storey of the structure by appropriately orientating the panels as their respective end portions are mutually interlocked via their respective anchoring slots. A second set of the panels is then used in a corresponding manner to assemble a second level or storey of the box atop the first, with the tongue/groove (or whatever) engagement formations in/on the upper lateral edge of the panels of the first storey being united with (or, rather, engaged with or even anchored to) the corresponding tongue/groove (or whatever) engagement formations in/on the lower lateral edge of the panels of the second storey. And thus, in a corresponding manner, third and subsequent storeys or levels of the box structure may be assembled upwards, up to any desired height, as the width of the panels and the number of storeys dictate.

In the context of compost boxes or planters, in line with preferred applications of this invention, the assembled box structure may conveniently be assembled simply on a flat surface, eg. the ground, although if it is desired or necessary any suitable base sheet may be employed. Likewise, for most compost boxes or planters, it may well not be necessary for any lid for the structure to be provided, but in the event that it is, then any suitable lid or cover, eg. of rigid or flexible material, may be used, as with conventional compost boxes or planters.

Additionally, as is already commonly recognised, for most compost boxes and planters it is generally not necessary to fit the box or planter with some kind of internal liner (eg. of natural or plastics material), although such may be used if it is appropriate.

The preferred box structures of the present invention are compost boxes (or "bins") or planters. However, the same principles of construction and basic design of the wall panels per se may be employed for other types and applications of box structure, perhaps in quite different fields, such as for instance cabins and other structures more akin to buildings rather than storage structures.

A preferred embodiment of the invention in its various aspects will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: * Figure 1 is a side face view of a preferred wall panel according to the invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the panel of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an (approximately) orthogonal view of a compost box constructed according to the invention; and Figure 4 is a front perspective view from above of the compost box shown in Figure 3.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, the wall panel 2 (eg. cut from conventional to soft-or hardwood) comprises a main central body portion 3 having opposite end portions 6. Cut into each end portion 6 is a respective anchoring slot 8, extending transversely from a lower (relative to Figures 1 and 2) edge of the panel and to a length up into the respective end portion 6 of approximately (or slightly, eg. a few millimetres, greater than) half the width of the body portion of the panel. These slots 8 are just wide enough to accommodate (or preferably, are very slightly wider than) the thickness of the panel material.

Each end portion 6 defined between the respective slot 8 and free end of the panel 2 thus terminates in a tongue portion 6a, preferably which is truncated (ie. of shortened width), in order that it does not tend to get broken off or otherwise damaged during manufacture of the panel and its subsequent transport and handling.

The lower (relative to Figures 1 and 2) lateral edge of the main body portion 3 of the panel 2 is formed with a laterally extending groove 12 (extending into the panel in its width direction), this groove being one of the panel's pair of engagement formations formed in/on its lateral edges. Formed on the opposite, upper (relative to Figures 1 and 2), lateral edge of the body portion 3 of the panel 2 is the other of its engagement formations, namely elongate, laterally etending tongue 1 0. The ends 11 of the tongue 10 are ramped in shape, in order to assist their location and seating into a corresponding groove in a neighbouring panel. In preferred embodiments the tongue 10 is formed (cut, milled or moulded, as appropriate) integrally with the panel, but alternatively it may be provided as a separate, loose, tongue strip made separately and slotted (and optionally glued) into a second groove formed in the upper lateral edge, like (and mirroring) the lower groove 1 2.

By use of the single form and design of panel 2 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 a wide variety of sizes and shapes of box structure, particularly compost boxes and planters, can be assembled with simplicity and ease, as illustrated by way of o example in Figures 3 and 4 (which show the same box from different viewpoints). As can be seen, the front and rear side walls of the box (which in this example is built straight onto floor or ground 1) are each composed of stacked wall panels 2a of an "upright" orientation, ie. the way up as shown in Figures 1 and 2, whereas the left and right side walls of the box are each is composed of stacked wall panels 2b of an "upside-down", ie. inverted, orientation relative to the panels 2a in the front and rear side walls. As each side wall is built up, the respective anchoring slots 8 of each panel 2a/2b are interlocked as between adjacent panels 2b/2a in adjacent side walls.

In the assembled box structure the terminal end portions 6 of the various panels thus protrude outwardly from the corner line of the interlocked panels, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The vertical gaps between the end portions 6 result of course from the truncated width of the terminal tongue portions 6a of the panels, but this may perhaps be considered an element of aesthetic appeal.

Moreover, and with that in mind, it is possible that the end portions 6 may be further shaped or even sculpted to enhance that visual appeal of the vertical corner regions of the finished box structure, as the end user may wish.

The close matching of the width of the anchoring slots 8 with the thickness of the panel material lends a certain degree of rigidity and stability to the structure as it is assembled, but more importantly it is the inter-engaging tongue-and-groove engagement formations 1 0, 12 on/in the lower and upper lateral edges of the panels above and below one another in each side wall that also contribute significantly to giving the resultant box structure its required overall structural integrity and rigidity. This is especially so in the case of compost boxes and planters, in which possibly very bulky and heavy amounts of compost material or soil may be placed in the resulting container.

When it comes to emptying or refilling (or even aerating or other similar disturbing treatment) of the material in the box structure of the invention, owing to the modular nature of the side walls' construction (and the preferred non-use of any sealant or bonding agent), it is a relatively easy and straightforward job to dismantle all or part of a given storey or side wall of the box, to allow access to its interior.

1tis to be understood that the above description of preferred embodiments of the various aspects of the invention has been by way of non-limiting examples only, and various modifications may be made from what has been specifically described and illustrated whilst remaining within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A panel for forming a side wall of a box structure, the panel comprising a main body portion having two opposite end portions each having formed therein a transverse anchoring slot extending from a lateral edge thereof, wherein the length of each transverse anchoring slot is at least approximately half the width of the panel whereby the panel is anchorable to a second like panel by mutual interlocking of one said anchoring slot in one end portion of the panel with a corresponding anchoring slot in a corresponding respective end portion of the io second like panel when in an inverted orientation with respect to the first said panel, and wherein at least one of the lateral edges of the main body portion of the panel further comprises one or more engagement formations for assisting seating and anchoring of the panel to another like panel above or below it when in place in the side wall of the box structure.
2. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the anchoring slot in each of its end portions is preferably of a width at least as great as the thickness of the panel itself, in order that the slot can readily accommodate the thickness of the end portion of an adjacent panel interlocked therewith.
3. A panel according to claim I or claim 2, wherein each of its end portions terminates beyond the respective anchoring slot in a tongue portion, each of which protrudes laterally outwardly from the vertical line of interlocking of adjacent panels in adjacent side walls of the box structure once constructed.
4. A panel according to claim 3, wherein each tongue portion is truncated by way of being of reduced transverse width in comparison with the main body portion of the panel.
5. A panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more engagement formations take the form of corresponding elongated tongue and groove formations, one of such being provided or formed on (or in, as the case may be) one lateral edge of the panel, and the other of such being provided or formed in (or on, as the case may be) the opposite lateral edge of the panel.
6. A panel according to claim 5, wherein both lateral edges of the panel are formed with a groove feature, and a separate, loose, tongue strip element is provided for insertion into the groove on just one edge thereof.
7. A panel according to claim 6, wherein the loose tongue element(s) is/are securable in place in the assembled box structure including the panel by means of an adhesive.
8. A panel according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein both the tongue and groove formations extend substantially over the whole lengths of the is respective lateral edges of the main body portion of the panel on/in which they are provided/formed.
9. A panel according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein one of the lateral edges is provided with a groove in a first section of its length and a corresponding tongue on a second section of its length, and the other of the lateral edges is provided with a corresponding tongue on a second section of its length and a corresponding groove in a second section of its length, whereby the combined groove and tongue sections on one edge of the panel are engageable with the corresponding tongue and groove sections on the opposite edge of a like panel above or below the first panel in the assembled box structure.
1 0. A panel according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the ends of the or each tongue formation are ramped or bevelled.
11. A panel according to any preceding claim, which is made of wood.
1 2. A box structure assembled from a plurality of panels according to any one of claims ito 11.
13. A box structure according to claim 1 2, which is generally square in plan and has side walls assembled from a plurality of identical panels according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the panels in any given side wall are in an inverted configuration with respect to the panels in an adjacent side wall.
14. A box structure according to claim 1 2 or claim 1 3, which is a compost io box (or bin) or a planter.
1 5. A method of assembling a box structure according to any one of claims 12 to 1 4, comprising: (i) providing a plurality of identical panels according to any one of claims Ito 11; (ii) assembling a first set of said panels into a first level of the structure by appropriately orientating the panels as their respective end portions are mutually interlocked via their respective anchoring slots; (iii) assembling a second set of said panels into a second level of the structure atop the first level, with the engagement formations in/on the upper lateral edge of the panels of the first level being engaged with the corresponding engagement formations in/on the lower lateral edge of the panels of the second level; and (iv) optionally, as desired, sequentially assembling third and any subsequent sets of said panels into third and any subsequent levels of the structure atop the previous level by corresponding further respective steps corresponding to steps (ii) and (iii) above.
1 6. A panel for forming a side wall of a box structure, or a box structure assembled from a plurality of such panels, or a method of assembling such a box structure, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.