JP6095783B2 - Folding top opening container - Google Patents

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 covering the top of the upper opening container;
An upper end frame at the upper opening the container,
A lower end cap at the lower part of the upper opening container to be closed ;
An inner sleeve defining an inner shell of the upper opening container;
An outer sleeve defining an outer shell of the upper opening container;
A foldable container in the shape of a polygon , the inner sleeve is positioned within the outer sleeve, and the upper open container is easily assembled and disassembled through at least one locking means;
Each of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve is formed from one piece of sheet-like material ,
Upper unit frame includes at least one pair of opposing guide loop, the lower end cap includes at least one pair of opposed slots receiving the locking means,
The locking means includes at least one reinforcing strap that passes between the outer wall of the inner sleeve and the inner wall of the outer sleeve, with one end of the reinforcing strap passing through a slot at the opposite end of the corresponding slot in the lower end cap. Before passing through a passage formed between the outer wall of the inner sleeve and the inner wall of the outer sleeve from one of the guide loops in the upper end frame to one of the corresponding slots in the lower end cap, Thereafter, it passes through another passage formed between the outer wall of the inner sleeve and the inner wall of the outer sleeve toward the corresponding guide loop, which is also located on the opposite side of the guide loop, and at the end of the reinforcing strap. After each passes through the corresponding guide loop, any part of the reinforcing strap is tensioned and heat sealed. Before that, back to the same passage draw a loop,
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 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 an upper end frame to the upper end of the inner sleeve and outer sleeve, comprising: positioning a lower end cap to the lower end of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, the upper end frame comprises at least one pair of opposing guide loop, the lower end parts cap comprising: at least one pair of opposing slots,
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 an outer wall of the inner sleeve and an inner wall of the outer sleeve ; only including a step of including at least two of the reinforcing straps, a pass between the,
One end of the reinforcement strap goes from one of the guide loops in the upper frame to one of the corresponding slots in the lower cap before passing through the slot at the opposite end of the corresponding slot in the lower cap. Through the passage formed between the outer wall of the inner sleeve and the inner wall of the outer sleeve, and then toward the corresponding guide loop, which is similarly positioned on the opposite side of the guide loop, After passing through another passage formed between the inner wall of the sleeve and each end of the reinforcing strap through the corresponding guide loop, any portion of the reinforcing strap is tensioned and heat sealed. Before returning to the same passage ,
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, and each of the elongated side wall panels has a plurality of ruled lines (not shown). ) 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 (17)

An upper opening container,
An upper closure covering the top of the upper opening container;
An upper end frame in the upper opening container;
A lower end cap at the lower part of the upper opening container closed;
An inner sleeve defining an inner shell of the upper opening container;
An outer sleeve defining an outer shell of the upper opening container;
A collapsible container in the shape of a polygon, wherein the inner sleeve is positioned within the outer sleeve, the upper open container being easily assembled and disassembled through at least one locking means;
Each of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve is formed from one piece of sheet-like material,
The upper end frame includes at least one pair of opposing guide loops, and the lower end cap includes at least one pair of opposing slots for receiving the locking means;
The locking means includes at least one reinforcing strap passing between an outer wall of the inner sleeve and an inner wall of the outer sleeve;
Strap For reinforcing, one end of said through passage formed between the outer wall and the inner wall of the outer sleeve of the inner sleeve, of the pair of opposing guide loop in front SL upper end frame proceeds I from one of the guide loops suited to a corresponding one of the slots of the slots of the pair facing in the lower end cap, the other slot of the pair of opposing slots in said lower cap The other corresponding guide of the pair of opposed guide loops in the upper end frame through another passage formed between the outer wall of the inner sleeve and the inner wall of the outer sleeve. proceed bought toward the loop, tensioned after returning to the passageway to draw a loop, prior to including the other end of the reinforcing straps As heat-sealed to any portion of the reinforcing strap, and,
Upper opening container.   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 1.   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. The lower end cap includes a substantial plane and a sidewall that surrounds the circumference of the substantial plane and extends substantially perpendicularly from the substantial plane 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. The upper end frame includes 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.   The top opening container of claim 1, wherein a position of the guide loop on the upper end frame is aligned vertically with a corresponding slot position of the lower end cap. 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 5. 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;
The upper opening container according to claim 4.   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. The upper opening container according to claim 1, which can be connected to a part frame. The upper opening container is an octagonal container,
Each of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve includes eight side wall panels,
The upper opening container according to claim 1.   The upper open container of claim 1, further comprising at least one liner housed within a body of the upper open container for receiving a material to be filled.   The upper opening container according to claim 1, further comprising a pallet part attached to a base of the upper opening container via the lower end cap and allowing easy movement of the upper opening container. .   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. The upper opening container according to claim 1, wherein a part frame and the lower end cap are removed from the upper opening container. 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 end portions of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve and positioning the lower end cap on the lower end portions of the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, wherein the upper end frame is at least one pair facing each other. Including a guide loop, wherein the lower end cap includes at least one pair of opposing slots;
Positioning at least two locking means to hold 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 an outer wall of the inner sleeve; And including at least two reinforcing straps passing between the outer wall and the inner wall of the outer sleeve,
One end of the reinforcing straps, one of the guide of said through passage formed between the outer wall and the inner wall of the outer sleeve of the inner sleeve, the guide loop a pair of opposing in front SL upper end frame from the loop proceeds I suited to a corresponding one of the slots of the pair of opposing slots in said lower end cap, towards the other slot of the pair of opposing slots in said lower cap Proceed through another passage formed between the outer wall of the inner sleeve and the inner wall of the outer sleeve to the other corresponding guide loop of the pair of opposing guide loops in the upper end frame. proceeds bought direction, tensioned after returning to the passage draw a loop, the strong, including the other end of the reinforcing straps Is heat sealed to any part of the use strap,
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. 15. The method of assembling an upper open container according to claim 14, further comprising positioning at least one reinforcing intermediate sleeve between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve prior to positioning at a lower end of the sleeve.   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; 15. The method of assembling an upper opening container according to claim 14, further comprising positioning the upper closure relative to the upper opening container, wherein the upper closure is connectable to the upper end frame in stages. 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;
15. A method for assembling an upper open container according to claim 14.

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