JP3246345U - Foldable Container System - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a folding container system that reduces the burden of stocking items using folding containers. [Solution] This folding container system includes a hand truck equipped with a plurality of stackable folding containers, a first loading platform, and a second loading platform provided below the first loading platform, and is characterized in that the plurality of folding containers are stacked and placed on the first loading platform, and the uppermost folding container of the plurality of folding containers placed on the first loading platform is folded and placed on the second loading platform. [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

This invention relates to a folding container system that uses multiple folding containers and a hand truck.

In retail stores such as supermarkets, drug stores, and convenience stores, it is common to stack multiple foldable containers on the platform of a hand truck, transport them, and stock the shelves.

When stocking products from a stack of multiple folding containers on the platform of a hand truck, the products inside the top container are first removed, and when that container is empty, it is folded and the products stored in the container below are removed. For example, when folding containers are stacked in three levels, top, middle and bottom, after folding the top container, the middle and bottom containers must be removed from the platform, the folded top container must be placed on the platform, and the middle and bottom containers must be stacked on top of it. Rearranging the order of containers like this is cumbersome and a burden on the workers.

Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a folding container system that reduces the burden of stocking items using folding containers.

The above problems are solved by the following invention. That is, the invention (1) is:
A plurality of stackable collapsible containers;
A hand truck including a first loading platform and a second loading platform provided below the first loading platform;
having
The plurality of foldable containers are stacked and placed on the first loading platform;
The folding container system is characterized in that the uppermost folding container of the plurality of folding containers placed on the first loading platform is folded and placed on the second loading platform.

The present invention (2) is a folding container system according to (1), characterized in that the folding containers placed on the first loading platform can be folded and stacked in order, starting from the topmost folding container, on the second loading platform.

The present invention (3) is a folding container system according to (1) or (2), characterized in that the first loading platform is detachably attached to a frame extending in the vertical direction of the handcart, and the vertical distance between the first loading platform and the second loading platform is changeable.

The present invention (4) is a folding container system according to any one of (1) to (3), in which the vertical distance between the first and second loading platforms is equal to or smaller than the height dimension of the unfolded folding container.

The present invention (5) is a folding container system according to any one of (1) to (4), in which the vertical distance between the first and second loading platforms is greater than the height dimension of the folded folding container.

This invention provides a folding container system that reduces the burden of stocking items using folding containers.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hand truck of a foldable container system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an operation (stocking work) of the foldable container system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation (stocking work) of the foldable container system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The folding container system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The folding container system according to the present embodiment uses multiple stackable folding containers and a hand cart with two loading platforms arranged at different heights in the vertical direction to reduce the burden of stocking items using folding containers.

The folding container system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a hand truck 2 and a number of stackable folding containers 3.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hand cart 2 of a folding container system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The hand cart 2 comprises, for example, two frame bodies 11, 12 located on the sides and extending in the vertical direction, a shelf board 13, a bottom plate 14, and casters 15 provided below the bottom plate 14. The frame bodies 11, 12 are provided with a plurality of horizontal bars 16, 17 extending in the horizontal direction, and the shelf board 13 is disposed between the horizontal bars 16, 17 of the two frame bodies 11, 12. The shelf board 13 may be detachable from the frame bodies 11, 12. In other words, the position of the shelf board 13 in the vertical direction can be changed.

The hand truck 2 of the folding container system 1 according to this embodiment includes at least a first loading platform 18 and a second loading platform 19 provided below the first loading platform 18. The first loading platform 18 and the second loading platform 19 can be flat, and can carry the folding container 3. The first loading platform 18 is, for example, a shelf board 13. The second loading platform 19 is, for example, a bottom board 14.

The hand truck 2 of the folding container system 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a first loading platform 18 and a second loading platform 19 that are arranged at different positions in the height direction. The first loading platform 18 located at the top is a loading section for placing a folding container 3 in an unfolded state, for example, a folding container 3 containing goods or the like. The second loading platform 19 located at the bottom is a loading section for placing a folding container 3 in a folded state, for example, an empty folding container 3.

The first loading platform 18 and the second loading platform 19 are arranged with a predetermined gap between them in the vertical direction. The vertical gap between the first loading platform 18 and the second loading platform 19 is larger than the height of the folded folding container 3, and is preferably equal to or larger than the height of a plurality of folding containers 3 folded and stacked. The vertical gap between the first loading platform 18 and the second loading platform 19 may be equal to or smaller than the height of the unfolded folding container 3. The first loading platform 18 is detachably attached to the frame bodies 11 and 12, and the vertical gap between the first loading platform 18 and the second loading platform 19 is changeable. The second loading platform 19 is not limited to the bottom plate 14, and may be a shelf plate (a shelf plate provided below the shelf plate 13 of the first loading platform 18) arranged on the horizontal bars 16 and 17 of the frame bodies 11 and 12, like the first loading platform 18.

The folding container system 1 according to this embodiment includes multiple folding containers 3, which can be stacked on top of each other. The folding containers 3 are so-called folding containers, and can be folded into a compact form when not in use, for example when no products or the like are stored inside the container, thereby reducing storage space. The folding containers 3 can be any container that has space inside in which products or the like can be stored, and can be with or without a lid. In addition, the structure does not matter as long as the container is foldable, but from the standpoint of labor-saving and space-saving, it is preferable that the folding containers 3 can be easily folded when stacked.

The operation (stocking work) of the folding container system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Note that the hand cart 2 and folding container 3 shown in Figures 2 and 3 have been simplified for the purpose of illustrating the operation. In the following description, the multiple folding containers 3 of the folding container system 1 are exemplified by a first container 21 on the upper level, a second container 22 on the middle level, and a third container 23 on the lower level, but the number of containers is not limited to this.

First, as shown in FIG. 2(A), multiple folding containers 3 containing products and the like are stacked and placed on the first loading platform 18 of the handcart 2 and transported. After transportation, with multiple folding containers 3 stacked on the first loading platform 18, the products stored in the topmost first container 21 are removed and the product placement work is carried out. When the first container 21 is empty, it is folded as shown in FIG. 2(B). Then, as shown in FIG. 2(C), the folded first container 21 is moved from the first loading platform 18 to the second loading platform 19 of the handcart 2. The folded first container 21 is placed on the second loading platform 19. In other words, the folded first container 21 is stocked on the second loading platform 19, which is lower than the first loading platform 18.

Next, the products stored in the second container 22, which is now the topmost level, are removed and the stocking work continues. When the second container 22 is empty, it is folded as shown in FIG. 3(A). Then, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the folded second container 22 is moved from the first loading platform 18 to the second loading platform 19 of the hand cart 2. The folded second container 22 is placed in a stack on top of the folded first container 21 placed on the second loading platform 19. In this way, the multiple folding containers 3 placed on the first loading platform 18 are folded and stacked in order starting from the topmost folding container and placed on the second loading platform 19.

Finally, the products stored in the third container 23 are removed and the stocking process continues. When the third container 23 is empty, it is folded as shown in FIG. 3(C). Then, as shown in FIG. 3(D), the folded third container 23 is moved from the first loading platform 18 to the second loading platform 19 of the hand cart 2. The folded third container 23 is placed in a stack on top of the folded second container 22 placed on the second loading platform 19. This completes the operation (stocking process) of the folding container system 1.

As described above, according to this embodiment, a folding container system is provided that includes a plurality of stackable folding containers and a handcart that includes at least a first loading platform and a second loading platform provided below the first loading platform. In this folding container system, a plurality of folding containers are stacked and placed on the first loading platform, and the topmost folding container of the plurality of folding containers placed on the first loading platform is folded and placed on the second loading platform. For example, in a stocking operation at a retail store, the topmost empty folding container can be folded and the folded container can be placed on the second loading platform, eliminating the need to rearrange the order of the containers. Stocking operations can be performed without moving containers other than the container that was most recently folded, reducing the burden on the worker. In particular, the burden on the worker is reduced because only the empty, lightweight, and compact folding containers are moved, and there is no need to move the folding containers that are relatively heavy and large and contain products, such as by lifting and lowering them. It is possible to provide a folding container system that is easy to handle even for workers with little strength who have difficulty lifting a folding container containing a product. In addition, since the work of folding and moving can be completed on the platform of the hand truck, no space is required for replacement work. There is no need to secure a separate work space around the hand truck, and it is possible to save space for work. Furthermore, since the first platform for placing the folding container in an unfolded state is located at an upper position and the second platform for placing the folding container in a folded state is located below the first platform, moving the folding container after folding is an operation of lowering it from the first platform to the second platform, which requires less effort than lifting it. The folding container system according to this embodiment is hygienic because it is not necessary to place the folded folding container on the floor or the like to replace the container.

In addition, the multiple folding containers placed on the first loading platform can be folded and stacked in order, starting with the topmost folding container, and placed on the second loading platform. By stacking the folded containers on the second loading platform in order, there is no need to rearrange the order of the folded containers. Work such as stocking containers can be performed without moving containers other than the most recently folded container, reducing the burden on workers. Stacking the folded containers on the second loading platform allows them to be stored compactly.

The first loading platform is removably attached to a frame that extends in the vertical direction of the hand truck, and the vertical distance between the first loading platform and the second loading platform is variable. For example, by widening the distance, the number of folded containers that can be placed on the second loading platform can be increased, providing a folding container system that is highly versatile and convenient.

The vertical distance between the first and second loading platforms can be equal to or smaller than the height of an unfolded folding container. This makes it easy for workers to understand that a folding container containing goods or the like should first be placed on the first loading platform, providing an easy-to-use folding container system. In addition, the vertical distance between the first and second loading platforms can be greater than the height of a folded folding container. This ensures that a folded folding container can be placed reliably on the second loading platform, while also ensuring vertical space above the first loading platform, thereby increasing the number of folding containers that can be placed.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the shape and size of the hand cart of the folding container system and the shape and size of the folding container are not particularly limited as long as the operation based on the present invention can be performed.

1 Folding container system 2 Hand cart 3 Folding container 11, 12 Frame 13 Shelf (first loading platform)
14 Bottom plate (second loading platform)
15 Caster 16, 17 Horizontal bar 18 First loading platform 19 Second loading platform 21 First container 22 Second container 23 Third container

Claims (5)

A plurality of stackable collapsible containers;
A hand truck including a first loading platform and a second loading platform provided below the first loading platform;
having
The plurality of foldable containers are stacked and placed on the first loading platform;
A folding container system, characterized in that an uppermost folding container of the plurality of folding containers placed on the first loading platform is folded and placed on the second loading platform. The folding container system according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of folding containers placed on the first loading platform can be folded and stacked in order from the topmost folding container on the second loading platform. The folding container system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first loading platform is detachably attached to a frame extending in the vertical direction of the handcart, and the vertical distance between the first loading platform and the second loading platform is changeable. The folding container system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vertical distance between the first loading platform and the second loading platform is equal to or smaller than the height dimension of the unfolded folding container. The folding container system according to claim 4, wherein the vertical distance between the first and second loading platforms is greater than the height dimension of the folded folding container.

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