JP2015528427A - Folding top opening container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention generally includes a removable upper closure (110), an inner sleeve (120), an outer sleeve (130), an upper end frame (140), a lower end cap (150), and a folded upper opening. It relates to a folded top opening container comprising at least one locking means (160) that allows easy assembly and disassembly of the container.

Description

  The present invention generally comprises a removable upper closure, an inner sleeve, an outer sleeve, an upper end frame, a lower end cap, and at least one locking means that allows easy assembly and disassembly of the container; Relates to a folding upper opening container.

  Containers such as drums, tanks or intermediate bulk containers (abbreviated as IBC) are often used to store various products such as solid materials, liquid materials, semi-liquid materials and the like. Such drums or other similar containers are usually made of plastic, steel or fiber. In general, there are two types of drums. An upper fixed drum and an upper opening drum. An upper fixed drum is a drum whose top is not removable and has a spout at the top that allows insertion of a faucet or pump. The upper fixed drum is typically used for storing liquid material. The liquid substance can be discharged from the top of the drum by pump suction. A top opening drum is a drum that is removable for the entire top of the drum and is typically used to store solid or semi-solid materials. The material stored in the top opening drum is discharged by first removing the top of the drum and then pumping or discharging the material.

  If an upper fixed drum is used, it is often difficult or even impossible to fill and / or drain semi-liquid material. This is due to the high viscosity of the semi-liquid material, and therefore the operation is complicated and time consuming.

  Top opening drums are often used for product transport because of their ease of handling and versatility. A top opening drum is preferred because the user can easily access the contents of the drum, for example, easy and quick material loading and unloading. However, the conventional upper opening drum is more costly than the upper fixed drum, and the upper opening drum cannot be folded, and therefore cannot be easily and economically reused due to the high cost of position change.

  Today, users are continually looking for improved drum designs for top opening drums that are simple and can be quickly filled and / or drained, while at the same time being foldable and economically reusable.

  Therefore, if the above disadvantages are improved by providing a foldable top opening container that can be disassembled and folded so that it can be transported and stored in a relatively flat position when not in use, It will be very useful. The folded top open container of the present invention allows the shipper to fill the container one way and send it, and once empty, the container can be folded back to the original shipper for later reuse. Folding top opening containers are more economical than conventional rigid top opening containers and generally have a smaller carbon footprint.

  Thus, providing a folded top opening container that can be folded when empty and transported or stored in a relatively flat condition when not in use, thereby saving space during storage or transportation; This is the first object of the present invention.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a folded top open container that allows products such as solid, liquid, and semi-liquid materials to be easily loaded and unloaded into the container.

  It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a folded top open container that can be reused and can have a reduced carbon footprint.

  It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a folded top open container that can be folded to a substantially 2.5: 1 ratio when empty and can be returned to the original shipper for reuse. is there.

  It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a folded top open container that includes a reusable top and bottom.

  It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a folded top open container that includes an integral pallet at the bottom that facilitates lifting the container to a desired location.

  It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a folded top open container that includes a flexible inner liner for storing the product loaded on the drum. This flexible inner liner is disposable and is replaced with a new liner each time it is reused.

  Other further objects of the present invention will become apparent upon understanding the following detailed description or by actually using the present invention.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the following top opening container is provided.
An upper opening container,
An upper closure (110) covering the top of the upper opening container;
An upper end frame (140) located at the upper opening of the upper opening container;
A lower end cap (150) located at the lower part to which the upper opening container is fixed;
An inner sleeve (120) defining an inner shell of the upper opening container;
An outer sleeve (130) defining an outer shell of the upper opening container;
A disposable inner liner that houses the product,
The upper opening container is a polygonal folding container in which the inner sleeve (120) is positioned inside the outer sleeve (130),
Each of the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) is formed from one or two pieces of sheet-like material,
The top opening container can be easily assembled and disassembled using at least one locking means (160),
The upper end frame (140) has at least one pair of opposing guide loops (230) and the lower end cap (150) has at least one pair of opposing slots (330) that receive the locking means (160),
Upper opening container.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for assembling the following top opening container is provided.
A method of assembling a top opening container,
Folding and assembling the inner sleeve (120) and outer sleeve (130) along each ruled line to form the shape of the container body;
Positioning the inner sleeve (120) inside the outer sleeve (130) to form an inner shell and an outer shell of the upper opening container;
The upper end frame (140) is positioned at the upper ends of the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130), and the lower end cap (150) is positioned at the lower ends of the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130). The upper end frame (140) has at least one pair of opposing guide loops (230), and the lower end cap (150) has at least one pair of opposing slots (330). Positioning the lower end cap (150) at the lower ends of the inner sleeve (120) and outer sleeve (130), and positioning the lower end cap (150) at the lower ends of the inner sleeve (120) and outer sleeve (130);
Positioning at least one locking means (160) and holding the upper end frame (140) and the lower end cap (150) in place with respect to the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130); The locking means (160) passes through a pair of opposed guide loops (230) of the upper end frame (140) and a corresponding pair of opposed slots (330) of the lower end cap (150) to pass through the inner sleeve. (120) has at least one reinforcing strap (160) that passes between the outer wall of the outer sleeve (130) and the inner wall of the outer sleeve (130), and one end of the reinforcing strap (160) has an inner sleeve (120) and an outer sleeve ( 130), while the other end of the reinforcing strap (160) is positioned in the opposite passage, and both ends of the reinforcing strap (160) are each tensioned. And heat sealed (190), less Be positioned one locking means, comprising the steps of holding in place the upper portion frame (140) and the lower end cap (150) relative to the inner sleeve (120) and outer sleeve (130), a
How to assemble the top opening container.

Other aspects of the invention and its advantages will be understood after studying the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
It is sectional drawing of the folding upper opening container of this invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the folded top open container of the present invention further including a reinforcing intermediate sleeve. FIG. 4 is a plan view of an upper end frame of a folded top open container according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the lower end part cap of said folding upper opening container. It is a perspective view of the upper end part frame of said folding upper opening container.

  In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and / or components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

  The present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of embodiments, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not to scale.

  Referring now to FIG. 1-A, a cross-sectional view of the folded top open container of the present invention is shown. The folded upper opening container includes a removable upper closure (110), an upper end frame (140), a lower end cap (150), an inner sleeve (120), and an outer sleeve (130). This is further embodied by FIG. FIG. 2 shows a top view of the top frame (140) of the folded top open container according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the container is a polygonal top opening drum formed from a one-piece inner sleeve (120) and a one-piece outer sleeve (130) that can be assembled or disassembled in a simple and rapid manner. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the folded top open container is an octagonal container. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the container may be formed from any other geometric shape without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiment. Hereinafter, an octagonal upper opening container is used as an example for explaining the assembly of the upper opening container.

  The inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) are semi-rigid sleeves, and one sleeve is inside the other sleeve and forms an inner shell and an outer shell of the container side wall, respectively. The inner sleeve (120) is positioned inside the outer sleeve (130), and both sleeves form an inner shell and an outer shell of the container, respectively. The inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) each have a plurality of continuous flat and elongated sidewall panels. The inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) are described here as octagons having eight side wall panels. The width of each side wall panel of the inner sleeve (120) is substantially the same as or slightly narrower than the width of each side wall panel of the outer sleeve (130). The inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) are made of a thermoplastic material such as a polypropylene sheet or a polyethylene sheet formed into a corrugated shape.

  The inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) are a one-piece or two-piece inner sleeve (120) and a one-piece or two-piece outer sleeve (130), respectively. ) To a plurality of adjacent side wall panels. The inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) are each formed from one piece of sheet-like material, and both end portions of the sheet-like material are joined to each other by heat welding, and the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130). ), Such as an octagon.

  Referring now to FIG. 3, a perspective view of the lower end cap (150) of the upper open container is shown. The lower end cap (150) is a fixed lower portion of the container, and surrounds the substantially flat surface (340) and the periphery of the flat surface (340), and substantially extends from the flat surface (340) to a predetermined height. And a side wall (320) extending perpendicularly. The diameter of the side wall (320) may be substantially the same as or smaller than the diameter of the substantially flat surface (340). The diameter of the side wall (320) is preferably smaller than the diameter of the substantially flat surface (340) so that the edge (310) is formed around the edge of the lower end cap (150). The lower end cap (150) further includes at least one pair of slots (330) positioned between the edge (310) and the side wall (320) and positioned at opposite ends.

  Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of the upper end frame (140) of the upper opening container. The upper end frame (140) is the upper opening portion of the container, and surrounds the opening central portion (240) and the upper end frame (140) and substantially extends from the upper end frame (140) to a predetermined height. And a side wall (220) extending perpendicularly. The outer diameter of the side wall (220) may be substantially the same as or smaller than the outer diameter of the upper end frame (140). The outer diameter of the side wall (220) is preferably smaller than the outer diameter of the upper end frame (140) so that the edge (210) is formed around the edge of the upper end frame (140). The open center (240) will define the open top of the above-described folded top open container of the present invention for material filling or draining. The top frame (140) further includes at least one pair of guide loops (230), the pair of guide loops (230) positioned between the edge (210) and the side wall (220), They are positioned at opposite ends. Each pair of guide loops (230) has two slots, which may be slightly recessed into the upper end frame (140). Therefore, the position of the guide loop (230) on the upper end frame (140) is aligned with the position of the corresponding slot (330) of the lower end cap (150) in the vertical direction.

  Both the upper end frame (140) and the lower end cap (150) may be made from a polymeric material such as polypropylene, polyethylene or other thermoplastics that can be injection molded. The shape of the edge (210) of the upper end frame (140) and the edge (310) of the lower end cap (150) includes but is not limited to an octagonal shape, from the scope of this exemplary embodiment. Other geometric shapes may be employed without departing.

  As shown in FIG. 1-A, a removable top closure (110) is provided on the top frame (140) to cover the top of the top opening container. The removable top closure (110) is a substantially planar surface having a shape including but not limited to an octagon and other geometric shapes are employed as long as it can securely cover the container. Also good. The upper closure (110) is a fixing means such as, but not limited to, at least one strap for fixing the position of the upper closure (110). The at least one edge portion of (110) may be connected to the upper end frame (140) by fixing it to one edge portion of the upper end frame (140). The connection between the upper closure (110) and the upper end frame (140) is made by connecting at least one fixing hole (not shown) of the upper closure (110) and a corresponding receiving hole (not shown) of the upper end frame (140). (Not shown). When the folded upper opening container is moved to another position with the material filling it, an additional fixing hole located around the upper closure (110) and an additional receptacle located around the upper end frame (140). The upper closure (110) can be secured using an additional strap that joins the upper closure (110) and the top frame (140) through a hole. Alternatively, the guide loop (230) may be used as a receiving hole for fixing the upper closure (110) to the upper end frame (140).

  During the assembly of the upper opening container, both the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) are easily folded by each of a plurality of ruled lines for forming an octagonal container body. The inner sleeve (120) is positioned inside the outer sleeve (130), and both sleeves respectively form an inner shell and an outer shell of the container. The upper end frame (140) is positioned at the upper ends of the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130), so that the side wall (220) of the upper end frame (140) is connected to the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve ( 130), and the side wall (220) of the upper end frame (140) is sandwiched between the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) so that it fits snugly here. Be placed. Meanwhile, the lower end cap (150) is positioned at the lower end of the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130), so that the side wall (320) of the lower end cap (150) is connected to the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve. The side wall (320) of the lower end cap (150) is sandwiched between the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) and fits snugly here. Are arranged as follows.

  The upper end frame (140) and the lower end cap (150) are held at predetermined positions with respect to the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) using at least one locking means (160). The locking means (160) has at least one or two reinforcing straps (160), and the reinforcing strap (160) is provided between the outer wall of the inner sleeve (120) and the inner wall of the outer sleeve (130). It is arranged to pass. One of the ends of the reinforcing strap (160) passes through one passage formed between the outer wall of the inner sleeve (120) and the inner wall of the outer sleeve (130), and the upper end frame (140). From one of the guide loops (230) to one of the slots (330) of the corresponding lower end cap (150), so that the corresponding slot (330) is connected to the guide loop (230) described above. Positioned to align with the vertical direction. This end of the reinforcing strap (160) then passes through the slot (330) located at the end facing the slot (330), and then the outer wall of the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130 ) Through another passage formed between the inner wall and the corresponding inner wall of the guide loop (230), which is positioned at the end facing the guide loop (230). Each end of the reinforcing strap (160) is positioned in a passage formed between the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130), and both ends of the reinforcing strap (160) are respectively tensioned. And may be fixed by heat sealing (190) or any other known fixing means, the upper end frame (140) and the lower end cap (150) together with the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve ( 130) in place. Four straps are used in the above octagonal container, the two straps are parallel to each other, and the remaining two straps are substantially perpendicular to the first two straps preferable. Thus, by using at least one locking means (160) having at least one or two straps, the upper end frame (140) and the lower end cap (150) are connected to the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve ( Fixed to 130). Alternatively, the folded top open container of the present invention may further include at least one reinforcing intermediate sleeve (170). The reinforcing intermediate sleeve (170) is positioned between the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130), as shown in FIG. 1-B, so that the container is in an expected position. Strengthen this container. The reinforcing intermediate sleeve (170) is sandwiched between the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130), so that the side wall (220) of the upper end frame (140) is positioned above the reinforcing intermediate sleeve (170). The side wall (320) of the lower end cap (150) is positioned below the reinforcing intermediate sleeve (170).

  According to the present invention, the upper opening container may receive a liner (not shown) housed within the container body. The liner may be a flexible bag made of a suitable plastic, including but not limited to polyethylene, polypropylene, or any other polymeric material that can be used to receive the material to be filled. When material is filled into the container through the top opening of the container, the liner opens and fills the material along the contour of the container body. The liner may be disposable and a new liner may be used for filling and discharging the next substance.

  The folded upper opening container further has a pallet part (180) formed integrally with the lower end cap (150) at the base of the container. The pallet part (180) allows the fork of the forklift to engage the pallet part (180) to lift and carry the container. Therefore, the user can easily lift the container from the ground and move it to a desired position.

  When disassembling the upper opening container, the reinforcing strap (160) for fixing the upper end frame (140) and the lower end cap (150) to the inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) is cut. The upper closure (110), upper end frame (140) and lower end cap (150) are removed from the container. The inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) are each configured to be folded into a flat sheet. The inner sleeve (120) and the outer sleeve (130) can be folded to a ratio of 2.5: 1 when the folded upper opening container is empty. The inner sleeve (120) may be separated from the outer sleeve (130). Furthermore, a plurality of sleeves can be stacked to save storage space. By having such a structure, the transportation cost of an empty container can be reduced.

  While the preferred embodiment of the invention and its advantages have been disclosed in the foregoing detailed description, the invention is not limited thereto but only by the appended claims.

Claims (18)

An upper opening container,
An upper closure covering the top of the upper opening container;
An upper frame,
A lower end cap as a fixed lower part,
An inner sleeve defining an inner shell of the upper opening container;
An outer sleeve defining an outer shell of the upper opening container,
The upper opening container is a polygonal folding container in which the inner sleeve is positioned inside the outer sleeve,
Each of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve is formed from one piece of sheet-like material,
The top opening container can be easily assembled and disassembled using at least one locking means,
The upper end frame has at least one pair of opposing guide loops, and the lower end cap has at least one pair of opposing slots for receiving the locking means;
Upper opening container. The locking means passes between the pair of opposing guide loops of the upper end frame and the corresponding pair of opposing slots of the lower end cap, between the outer wall of the inner sleeve and the inner wall of the outer sleeve. Has at least one reinforcing strap that passes through
One end of the reinforcing strap is positioned in one passage formed between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, while the other end of the reinforcing strap is positioned in an opposing passage,
Both ends of the reinforcing strap are each tensioned and heat sealed,
The upper opening container according to claim 1. Both ends of the reinforcing strap may be fixed by any other known fixing means, and both the upper end frame and the lower end cap are held in place with respect to the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve. ,
The upper opening container according to claim 2. The upper opening container further includes at least one reinforcing intermediate sleeve positioned between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve to reinforce the upper opening container when the upper opening container is in a standing position.
The upper opening container according to claim 1 or 2. The lower end cap has a substantially flat surface and a side wall surrounding the substantial flat surface and extending substantially perpendicularly from the substantial flat surface to a predetermined height;
An edge is formed around the edge of the lower end cap,
The at least one pair of opposing slots is positioned between the edge and the sidewall of the lower end cap;
The upper opening container according to claim 1 or 2. The upper end frame has a central portion that opens, and a side wall that surrounds the periphery of the upper end frame and extends substantially vertically from the upper end frame to a predetermined height,
An edge is formed around the edge of the upper end frame,
The at least one pair of opposing guide loops is positioned between the edge and the sidewall of the upper end frame;
The upper opening container according to claim 1 or 2. The position of the guide loop on the upper end frame aligns vertically with the corresponding slot position of the lower end cap;
The upper opening container according to claim 1 or 2. The upper end frame is positioned at upper ends of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve;
A side wall of the upper end frame is inserted into an upper portion of a gap between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve;
The upper opening container according to claim 6. The lower end cap is positioned at the lower end of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve;
The side wall of the lower end cap is inserted into the lower part of the gap between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve;
6. An upper opening container according to claim 5. The upper closure fixes the upper end by fixing at least one edge of the upper closure to one edge of the upper end frame using a fixing means that passes through at least one receiving hole of the upper end frame. Can be connected to the part frame,
The upper opening container according to claim 1 or 2. The upper opening container is an octagonal container,
Each of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve has eight side wall panels,
The upper opening container according to claim 1 or 2. The top opening container further includes at least one liner housed within the body of the top opening container to receive a material to be filled.
The upper opening container according to claim 1 or 2. The upper open container is further attached to the base of the upper open container via the lower end cap, and further includes a pallet portion that allows easy movement of the upper open container.
The upper opening container according to claim 1 or 2. When disassembling the upper opening container, the upper closure and the upper end are cut by cutting the reinforcing strap used to fix the upper end frame and the lower end cap to the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve. Removing the part frame and the lower end cap from the upper opening container,
The upper opening container according to claim 2. A method of assembling a top opening container,
Folding and assembling the inner sleeve and outer sleeve along the respective ruled lines to form the shape of the container body;
Positioning the inner sleeve inside the outer sleeve to form an inner shell and an outer shell of the upper opening container;
Positioning the upper end frame on the upper ends of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve and positioning the lower end cap on the lower ends of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, wherein the upper end frame is at least one pair of opposing guides. The lower end cap has at least one pair of opposing slots, the upper end frame is positioned at the upper end of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, and the lower end cap is positioned at the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve A step positioned at the lower end of
Positioning at least two locking means, and holding the upper end frame and the lower end cap in a predetermined position with respect to the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, wherein the locking means includes the upper end frame; At least two reinforcing straps passing between the outer wall of the inner sleeve and the inner wall of the outer sleeve through the pair of opposing guide loops and the corresponding pair of opposing slots of the lower end cap. One end of the reinforcing strap is positioned in one passage formed between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, while the other end of the reinforcing strap is positioned in an opposing passage, The strap ends are tensioned and heat sealed, respectively. Both position the two locking means, including a step of holding in position relative to the upper end frame and the lower end cap the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve,
How to assemble the top opening container. In order to strengthen the upper opening container when the upper opening container is in a standing position, the upper end frame is positioned on the upper ends of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, and the lower end cap is positioned on the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve. Prior to positioning at the lower end of the sleeve, further comprising positioning at least one reinforcing intermediate sleeve between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve;
16. A method for assembling an upper opening container according to claim 15. Positioning a removable top closure relative to the top opening container, wherein at least one edge of the top closure is secured to one edge of the top frame using a securing means; Further comprising positioning the upper closure relative to the upper opening container, wherein the upper closure is connectable to the upper end frame also in stages.
16. A method for assembling an upper opening container according to claim 15. Cutting the reinforcing strap for fixing the upper end frame and the lower end cap to the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve;
Removing the upper end frame and the lower end cap from the upper opening container;
The upper opening container can be disassembled by folding each of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve into a flat sheet;
16. A method for assembling an upper opening container according to claim 15.

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