JPH10324332A - Folding container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat-insulating folding container which can be easily folded into a flat and compact shape and which can be easily assembled. SOLUTION: A frame body 3 includes a first side plate 11 with an end rim of a bottom plate 15 pivoted by a bottom rim hinge 21 so that it can stand and fall vertically, a second side plate 12 having a receive piece for supporting the other end rim of the bottom plate 15 when the bottom plate 15 is horizontally fallen and oppositely placed to the first side plate 11 in a parallel posture, a third side plate 13 and a fourth side plate 14 which are placed orthogonally between the first side plate 11 and the second side plate 12 and which are opposite to each other. Valley fold hinges 25, 26 are provided at a widthwise center of the third side plate 13 and the fourth side plate 14 respectively, and mountain fold hinges 11A', 11B', 12A', 12B' are provided at both sides of the hinges 25, 26 while they cross vertically across the side plates, respectively. The third and fourth sided plates 13, 14 can be two-folded in the valley fold states 25, 26 by the hinges from the center.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a foldable container, and provides various products that require freezing, refrigeration, heat retention, etc., such as foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, from factories and distribution centers to retail stores and households. In the process of transporting the product to the outside, it can protect the product from external temperature and humidity environment, vibration and shock, but when it is collected after unpacking, it can be folded compactly by simple operation, and when reused It relates to an insulated foldable container which can be very easily assembled. Also, when folded, it is compact in a flat plate shape, so that the container can be transported in a loaded state and the loadability when storing it is improved, and furthermore, the number of parts is small and the configuration is simple during container manufacture,
The present invention relates to a thermally insulated foldable container that has good workability and can increase productivity. Further, the present invention relates to a foldable container which is useful even when applied to a container having no heat insulating structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various products such as foodstuffs such as fresh foods and processed foods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, etc., are shipped from factories, retail stores, distribution centers, etc. and delivered to delivery destinations for a long time. In many cases, it is required to continuously maintain and manage the cold and warm conditions. For example, a company that adopts a system that packs various ordered foods into containers at factories and distribution centers and then delivers them to trucks and delivers them to destinations such as homes, such as a co-op, As a container, there is a tendency to adopt a container made of a lightweight resin material having sufficient strength to withstand repeated use and excellent in handleability due to demands for resource reuse and reduction of distribution costs. Conventionally, in order to ensure heat insulation in a container using a resin material, a hollow resin body processed into a hollow state by, for example, blow molding, into which a heat insulating material made of a resin foam material or the like is injected, or a hard synthetic resin. Foam molded products and the like are used. Since this type of container is excellent not only in heat insulation effect but also in strength against external stress, it has a function to protect foods and the like inside from not only temperature and humidity but also external force such as impact. In addition, foods that can be transported at room temperature that does not require cooling and warming,
Various containers for packing and transporting commodities such as clothes into containers have also been developed. As a heat insulating container using such a resin material, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-489
No. 84 discloses a heat insulating box in which a square bottom plate, four side plates on the left, right, front and rear, and a top plate are assembled into a box shape using a frame material, but the heat insulating box has a separate structure. Each side plate can be assembled and disassembled using a frame, so the assembly and disassembly work becomes complicated due to the increase in the number of independent parts, but the handling when collecting the boxes is complicated, and the boxes are collected and disassembled. There is a disadvantage that a great deal of labor is required to prevent the collapse of the load when the box is loaded on a truck or a truck. In other words, this insulated box is not a foldable type, and it is necessary to assemble independent parts groups and there is a problem that it disintegrates after disassembly, so it has many disadvantages compared to recent foldable containers and tends to be avoided It is in.

In Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 63-46327, side panels are connected to two opposing sides of a square floor panel via hinges so that the side panels can be turned upside down. A container is disclosed in which a box body is formed by inserting an end panel having a separate structure between both end edges of each side panel in a state where the side panels are in a state where the side panels are in a state where they are in a state of being made. Further, the container described in this publication can be made compact by flattening the panels by stacking each panel when disassembled, and then bundling them with locking members. However, in this conventional example, the floor panel and the two side panels are merely connected, and the other two end panels are separate bodies. It becomes complicated, and it is not easy to perform the work of compacting by laminating in a plate shape. In particular, since the number of parts such as the fasteners increases, the cost increases, and furthermore, when the durability of the fasteners made of a coil spring is reduced, there is also a drawback that the fasteners cannot be folded. Further, the hinge connecting the floor panel and each side panel is not a hinge integrally manufactured at the time of molding, but is supposed to be a hinge attached later, so that the number of manufacturing steps in the factory increases. Further, if each panel is manufactured in a separate structure, it is unavoidable that an assembly failure due to an accuracy error between components cannot be avoided, and the yield is obviously reduced.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 63-11365 discloses that a side wall is rotatably connected to each of four sides of a square bottom wall via an outer sheet, and an outer sheet is provided on an upper side of one side wall. There is disclosed an insulated container in which lid walls are connected to each other via an intermediary, and when these walls are assembled in a box shape, adjacent end faces of the walls are connected by a fastener. According to this insulated container, since the walls are connected to each other, there is an advantage that each wall is not separated when the container is in the unfolded state while the container is not used. The only way was to load it on a truck and transport it. However, when the box is unfolded, it becomes a total flat area of the six sides, which not only complicates the transportation, loading and unloading work by the operator, increases the occupied space, but also causes the truck to be loaded on the truck bed. In addition, the collapse of the load cannot be prevented unless fasteners such as ropes are used. The same can be said for the case where unused containers are stored in a warehouse or the like, or when they are transported by a cart or the like. In addition, it is conceivable that each wall portion is folded and made compact using a flexible outer sheet connecting each wall portion and then stacked on a truck, but see the description in this specification and the description in the drawings. It is impossible to compactly fold a wall into a flat plate, no matter how it is folded, and one of the walls must be inclined with respect to the other wall (non-parallel state) on the other wall. It is not possible to stack such containers because they overlap.

Further, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-56527 discloses a structure in which side plates are connected to four sides of a square bottom plate via hinges, respectively, and provided at one edge of side plates adjacent to each other in an upright state. A folding container is disclosed in which a stopper is assembled by forcibly fitting a stopper into a punched portion provided on a side edge of the other side plate, and the stopper is released when disassembled. However, this container cannot be folded compactly, and can be unfolded into a single sheet at best. For this reason, there is a problem that the carrying work by hand and the loading work by trucks and carts are complicated.

[0006]

As described above, in the case of a box-shaped container using a conventional heat insulating material made of resin, if the container is configured to be disassembled and assembled freely in consideration of the time of recovery,
Since the components such as the bottom plate and the side plate are not in a connected structure, there is a problem that the assembling workability and the handling after disassembly are deteriorated. Even if all components are connected to improve assemblability and handling after disassembly, there is a problem that each disassembled component cannot be compacted into a flat plate for convenient loading. Was. In addition, even if the container can be made compact in a flat plate shape, the components are not completely connected, so the assemblability and the workability when folding are deteriorated, and the accuracy error between parts may be caused. There was a problem that the reject rate increased. The present invention has been made in view of the above, and various types of products that require freezing, refrigeration, heat retention, article protection, etc., such as foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electronic devices, etc., from factories and distribution centers to retail stores and so on. Containers for cooling, cooling, and product protection used when transporting to homes, etc., can protect the product from external temperature and humidity environments and shocks, but can be easily operated when collected after unpacking. It is an object of the present invention to provide an insulated foldable container which can be folded flat and compactly and which can be assembled very easily when reused. Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to use the foldable container having the above function as a container for a product suitable for transport at room temperature.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 comprises four rectangular side plates forming a box-shaped frame, and a rectangular bottom plate forming a bottom surface of the frame. When,
In the collapsible container consisting of:
A first side plate pivotally supported by a hinge at a bottom edge of the bottom plate so that one end edge of the bottom plate can be tilted up and down, and a support for supporting the other end edge of the bottom plate when the bottom plate is horizontally tilted. A second piece having a piece at the lower edge and opposed to the first side plate in a posture parallel to the first side plate;
And a third side plate and a fourth side plate which are arranged orthogonally between the first side plate and the second side plate and face each other, and wherein the third side plate and the fourth side plate At the center in the width direction, a valley-fold hinge portion is provided, and on each side of the valley-fold hinge portion, a mountain-fold hinge portion is provided by vertically cutting each side plate in the vertical direction. It is characterized in that the fourth side plate can be folded in two from the center in a valley-folded state. The invention of claim 2 is
With the bottom plate upright on the inner wall of the first side plate around the hinge portion at the bottom edge of the first side plate, the third side plate and the fourth side plate are hinge portions located at their respective center portions. It is characterized in that the entire container can be made flat and compact by valley folding. In addition, the present invention is not limited to containers having a heat insulating structure,
The present invention can also be applied to containers for storing products to be transported at room temperature.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1A is a perspective view, a plan view, and an AA diagram showing an assembled state of an insulated folding container as an example of the folding container of the present invention.
2 (a) and 2 (b) are a plan view and a perspective view showing the folded state. The container 1 is formed by integrally molding five plate members provided with a heat insulating structure while being connected via a hinge. The material may be any of resin, wood, metal, and the like. In the embodiment, for example, after forming a shell having a required hollow portion by blow molding a resin material in which polypropylene and polyethylene are blended, a foam heat insulating material (for example, hard foam polyurethane) is provided inside the hollow of the shell. As a core material. The container 1 of this embodiment can be closed by putting a lid (not shown) on the upper surface of a box 2 having an open upper surface, and by folding the box 2 by a procedure described later, as shown in FIG. It can be made compact in a flat plate shape.

The container 1 of the present invention has four rectangular side plates 1 having a heat insulating structure and constituting a box-shaped frame 3.
1, 12, 13, and 14, and a rectangular bottom plate 15 having a heat insulating structure and constituting a bottom surface of the frame 3. The frame 3 includes a first side plate 11 and a second side plate 1.
The second, third and fourth side plates 13 and 14 are formed in a rectangular frame shape at respective side edges, and these can be integrally formed by blow molding, injection molding or the like. The first side plate 11 has an overhang portion 20 having a width substantially equal to the thickness of the bottom plate at the bottom edge 11a, and one end edge of the bottom plate 15 is vertically moved by a hinge portion 21 provided at an edge of the overhang portion. It is pivotable so that it can be turned upside down. As shown in FIG. 1C, the bottom plate 15 is pivotally supported about a hinge portion 21 between a closed position in a horizontal position and an open position in an upright position indicated by a dotted line. I have. A receiving piece 21 is also provided on the bottom edge of the second side plate 12 opposed to the first side plate 11, and the receiving piece 21 is shown by a solid line in FIG. 1 (c). While supporting the bottom edge of the bottom plate when the bottom plate is in the closed position so that the closed position can be maintained,
This is a means having a shape preserving function for maintaining all the side plates 11 to 14 in a box-shaped posture.

The third and fourth side plates 13 and 14 are arranged orthogonally between the respective edges of the first and second side plates and face each other. First and second side plates 11, 12
Has bent portions 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B bent at right angles in an L-shape at both ends thereof, not in a flat plate shape, and at inner corners of the bent portions 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B. Mountain fold hinge portions 11A ', 11B', 12 provided
The third and fourth side plates 13 and 14 are formed by A 'and 12B'.
Both ends in the width direction are pivotally supported so as to be mountain-foldable. Further, valley-folded hinge portions 25 and 26 are provided at the width direction center portions of the third side plate 13 and the fourth side plate 14, respectively, so that the third side plate 13 and the fourth side plate 14 are respectively centered in the width direction. It is pivotable in the valley in the part. That is, each valley hinge portion 2
Mountain fold hinge portions 11A ', 11B', 12A ', and 12B' are provided on both sides (equidistant positions) of the respective plates 5 and 26 by vertically cutting each side plate in the vertical direction. The third and fourth side plates 13 and 14 are cooperated with each other.
From the center in the width direction can be folded in two in a valley-folded state. In the above configuration, when assembling the container 1 in a box shape, hold the side plates 11 to 14 in a square frame shape as shown in FIG. 1 and then lay the bottom plate 15 horizontally to assemble. Is completed. In this state, the bottom plate serves as a locking means, and each side plate is connected to each of the hinge portions 11A ', 11B', 12A ', 12B', 25,2.
Since it is prevented from being bent at 6, the shape of the box-shaped container can be maintained.

Next, when the box 2 in the assembled state is to be folded, the bottom plate is raised up to the inner side surface of the first side plate 11 as shown by a dotted line in FIG. Then, the valley-fold hinge portion 2 at the center of the third and fourth side plates 13 and 14
5 and 26 are pushed inward and folded until each side plate 13 and 14 is completely folded in two. In conjunction with this folding operation, the first and second side plates 11 and 12 also move in a direction approaching each other, so that the state can be shifted to the folded state as shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b). When shifting from the folded state to the unfolded state in FIG. 1,
After expanding each side plate so as to return to the square frame state of FIG. 1, the bottom plate 15 may be lowered to the solid line position of FIG. 1 (c).

The shape of the box 2 can be firmly maintained by the shape retaining action of the bottom plate located at the bottom even when the cover is not covered, so that the box 2 can be installed in a box at a factory or a distribution center. Even if the products are randomly packed, there is no risk of decomposition. After packing, by closing the lid, strong packaging is realized. Also,
In the manufacture of this container, the container can be completed simply by injecting the heat insulating material into the interior after blow molding all the side plates and the hinge part connecting the side plates together, simplifying the manufacturing process and improving mass productivity. it can. However, the bottom plate 15 is specially formed and then connected to the bottom edge of the first side plate via the hinge portion 21. As a specific configuration example of the hinge portion 21, for example, as shown in a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3A, a flexible film 30 integrally provided in advance at one end edge of the bottom plate is provided on the first side plate 11. A case in which the upper surface of the overhang portion 20 is integrated by bonding, fusion (heat, ultrasonic waves, or the like) or the like can be exemplified. Conversely, a flexible film may be integrated on the overhang portion 20 side.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3B, the flexible film 3 is formed so that a part of the bottom plate overlaps the upper surface of the overhang portion 20.
If the mounting position of the bottom plate 0 is devised, the bottom plate 1 in the closed state
There is no need to receive the load of the stored articles loaded on the upper part 5 only by the flexible film 30 constituting the hinge part 21, and the supporting strength can be increased. Further, as shown in FIG.
When the bottom plate 15 is closed, one end of the bottom plate 15 can be supported on the overhang portion 20 by bonding and fusing the flexible film 30 extending from the first side plate 11 to the inner wall of the first side plate 11. When the bottom plate 15 is erected, it can be erected in a state of non-contact with the upper surface of the overhang portion 20 as shown by a broken line. The container of the present invention
In this way, the flat plate can be made compact, so when a worker carries multiple containers by hand for collection, it is possible to hold a plurality of flat containers folded on both hands in a stacked state. , And the handleability is improved. Further, when loading on a truck bed or a truck, a planar storage space can be saved and a large number of containers can be stored without waste. In addition, since the individual containers are folded in a flat plate shape (the upper surface and the bottom surface are parallel), even when the containers are stacked, the containers are less likely to collapse and can be stabilized.

Next, when the side plates 11 to 14 constituting the frame 3 constituting the container of the present invention are connected in a square frame shape, for example, as shown in FIG. Either one of the side plates 11 and 12, for example, the second side plate 12
The second side plate 12 and the integrated product of the other side plates 11, 13, and 14 can be formed as separate members so that the separation portions 40 and 41 are formed at appropriate places. Both members are separated section 40,
The connecting portion is provided with a dovetail groove 50 as shown in the drawing and a ridge 51 fitted in the dovetail groove 50 in advance, so that both are fitted to each other. When assembling, if the other side plates 11, 13, and 14 are held in an upright state, they are inserted into each dovetail groove 50 from above while sliding the protrusions 51 of the second side plate 12 so as to fit. good. In addition, each shape of the groove | channel 50 and the protrusion 51 is not necessarily limited to the shape of illustration,
What is necessary is just to make it the shape which the inside becomes wide.

Note that the formation position, the number, and the like of the separation portions are merely examples. Therefore, for example, two separating portions 40 and 41 may be provided on the second side plate 12 side, or each side plate 1
Two or one separating units may be provided for each of the units 1 and 12. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, a dovetail groove 50 may be formed in advance in a member facing each other at the separation portion, and a locking piece 52 of another member may be inserted into both dovetail grooves.

In any case, it is effective to hold the separation portion in a fixed state using an adhesive, a pin, a rivet, or the like. Note that the material and structure of the container described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and a container having a similar function and effect to the above description is included in the scope of the present invention even if different materials and structures are used. Things. For example,
Containers in which a folded structure similar to that of the above embodiment is constructed using a resin material, metal, wood, mesh material, or the like having no heat insulating structure are all within the scope of the present invention.

[0017]

As described above, the present invention provides various products that require freezing, refrigeration, heat retention, article protection, etc., such as foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and electronic devices, from factories and distribution centers to retail stores and so on. Cooling, cold keeping, used when transporting to each home, etc.
In a product protection container, the product can be protected from external temperature and humidity environment and impact, but when the container is recovered after unpacking, it can be folded flat and compact with simple operation. Therefore, the handling efficiency and stability during loading can be enhanced, and the assembly can be performed very easily when reused. That is, in the case of a box-shaped container using a conventional resin heat insulating material, when the container is configured to be disassembled and assembled freely in consideration of the collection of the container, a connection structure is provided between the respective components such as a bottom plate and a side plate. Because there is no assembly workability,
Although there was a problem that handleability after disassembly was deteriorated, in the present invention, four side plates were molded in a state where they were disassembled into two parts in advance, and each part was connected after molding. No defects. Further, conventionally, even if the assembling property and the handling after disassembly are improved by connecting all the components, it is impossible to make each disassembled component into a flat plate-like shape for convenient loading. Although there was a problem, in the present invention, such a problem does not occur because the plane area after compacting is within the range of the area of the first or second side plate. In addition, even if the container can be made compact in the form of a flat plate, since the components are not completely connected, the assemblability and the workability when folding are deteriorated,
Although there is a problem that the defective product rate increases due to the accuracy error between the parts, in the present invention, since each component is connected via a hinge, such a problem does not occur. Further, the container folding structure of the present invention can be applied to a container having no heat insulating structure, for example, a container for storing a product transported at room temperature, and the same effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (a) is a perspective view showing an assembled state of a thermally insulated foldable container of the present invention, (b) is a plan view of the assembled state, (c)
FIG.

2 (a) and 2 (b) are a front view and a perspective view showing a folded state.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are cross-sectional views each showing a configuration example of a hinge portion.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of connecting separation units.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another configuration example of connecting the separation units.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container, 2 box body, 3 frame bodies, 11 1st side plate, 11a bottom edge, 12 2nd side plate, 13 3rd side plate, 14 4th side plate, 15 bottom plate, 20 overhang part, 21 hinge part, 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B
Bent, 11A ', 11B', 12A ', 12B'
Mountain fold hinge, 25, 26 Valley fold hinge,

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A foldable container comprising four rectangular side plates forming a box-shaped frame and a rectangular bottom plate forming a bottom surface of the frame, wherein the frame is a hinge at a bottom edge. A first side plate pivotally supported so that one end edge of the bottom plate can be turned up and down in a vertical direction, and a receiving piece for supporting the other end edge of the bottom plate when the bottom plate is horizontally inclined. And a second side disposed in a position parallel to the first side plate and facing the first side plate.
And a third side plate and a fourth side plate which are arranged orthogonally between the first side plate and the second side plate and face each other, wherein the third side plate and the fourth side plate At the center in the width direction, a valley-fold hinge portion is provided, and on each side of the valley-fold hinge portion, a mountain-fold hinge portion is provided by vertically cutting each side plate in the vertical direction. A foldable container, wherein the fourth side plate is configured to be folded in two in a valley-folded state from a central portion. 2. A state in which the third side plate and the fourth side plate are centered on the inner wall of the first side plate with the bottom plate standing on the inner wall of the first side plate with the hinge at the bottom edge of the first side plate as the center. 2. The foldable container according to claim 1, wherein the entire container is made compact by flat-folding by valley folding using the hinge portion located at the position of the foldable container.