NZ247148A - Collapsible container with base hinge pin mounting to allow for stacking of collapsed walls and sealing of erected walls - Google Patents

Description

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N 2'" Priority Date(s): Complete Specification Filed: Class: Publication Date: ..N9V.

P.O. Journal, No: <M* ;NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 ;No.: ;Date: ;COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Jjt „ COLLAPSABLE CONTAINER ;.[f.^We, BUSH HOUSE PTY LTD/of High Street, Boonah 4310, Queensland, Australia hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- ;- 1 -(followed by page la) ;247 14 ;- 10- ;"COLLAPSABLE CONTAINER" ;TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a collapsible container and in particular to a collapsible container 5 that can be used as a portable building, as a cargo container on ocean going vessels and on land transport vehicles, and as a collapsable caravan,trailer, refuse bin or the like. ;The invention has been developed primarily for these 10 uses but will be described hereinafter with reference to use as a portable building and a cargo container. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to these particular fields of use. ;BACKGROUND ART ;15 With portable buildings and cargo containers arrangements are known which can be disassembled and transported as compact assemblies to be reassembled when required for use. Many of these arrangements have been characterised by a degree of difficulty in the 20 disassembly and reassembly steps, that is, these steps have often required the use of heavy tools and have been cumbersome and time consuming. ;Some of these containers are in the assembled form in the collapsed position (i.e. members joined to each 25 other by various means) . However, the joining arrangements of the various members to each other and the container base, have varied from being complex to cumbersome and from frail to excessively robust. Furthermore, erection of some of these containers has 30 necessitated the performance of a number of intermediate steps, such as fastening of members to each other and the addition of extra members or materials, such as doors, lining, windows etc. ;Conversely, some of these containers are in the form 35 of a "kit of parts" in the disassembled form. Thus it has been necessary during assembly to reconnect, for i ? '} AUO !9S<i ;z? /1-4 ;# ;2 ;example, the walls to the base, roof to the walls etc.; (disassembly being the reverse of this procedure). ;It has sometimes also been necessary to attach wall inner and outer-linings subsequent to wall erection, due 5 to the container formation in the collapsed position not allowing prior attachment. ;It would be preferable if these cumbersome and time consuming steps, often requiring the use of special tools, could be avoided. It would also be preferable if 10 a container could be rapidly erected from the collapsed position for immediate use and that such a container be satisfactorily and/or aesthetically finished and weather proof (e.g. sealed) immediately upon erection. Furthermore, if a container could be provided that is 15 compact, easily transportable and stackable with like containers, this would minimise transportation costs. ;It is an aim of at least preferred form(s) of the present invention to provide a collapsible container which ameliorates the above deficiencies in a simple yet 20 effective manner, or which will at the very least provide the public with a useful choice. ;The present invention provides a collapsable container comprising: ;DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION ;25 ;a collapsible container comprising: ;a container base; ;a plurality of post members extending generally upwardly from the container base; ;35 ;30 ;a plurality of wall members, each mounted between a respective pair of post members via hinge means and moveable between an erected position wherein the wall member extends generally away from the container base and a collapsed position wherein the wall member generally overlays the container base, each wall member having top, bottom and side edges ;3 ;247149 ;extending between inner and outer faces, the inner face lying closer to the container base than the outer face in the collapsed position; the hinge means comprising a pair of hinge pins each extending between a side edge of a wall member and a respective post member, each hinge pin being rotatably supported at one or both of the wall member and post member and located on the side edge closer to the inner face than the outer face and closer to the bottom edge than the top edge; ;each post member being adapted to receive and/or support a hinge pin of one of the wall members and additionally comprising receiving means extending laterally from the post member, the receiving means being adapted for receiving and/or supporting a hinge pin of an adjacent wall member; ;such that when each wall member is in the ferected position, the arrangement of the receiving means enables sealing engagement between said one of the wall members and said adjacent wall member to sealingly define the container outer wall. The arrangement of the receiving means of the present invention enables the container to be directly or automatically sealed upon erection without the need for any additional assembly steps. This results in considerable time saving and is therefore economically advantageous. ;Preferably the receiving means comprises a lug projecting laterally from each post member a predetermined height above the container base and adapted to receive the respective hinge pin of said adjacent wall member. ;Preferably sealing engagement between said one of the wall members and said adjacent wall member j.s ;< ;247 ;UL M ;facilitated by the provision of sealing means which is operable therebetween when said one of the wall members and said adjacent wall member are in the erected position, and in this regard it is preferred that the 5 sealing means is arranged on each side edge of each adjacent wall member. ;Preferably the sealing means comprises one or more elastomeric sealing strips, the or each strip running longitudinally along each side edge of each adjacent wall 10 member and engagingly deforming against the respective wall member when in the erected position to seal the container outer wall. ;The provision of sealing means further enhances container sealing in the erected position and can produce 15 an air or fluid-tight container of great advantage. ;Preferably the bottom edge of each wall member is arranged in the erected position to abut the container base, or a surface generally parallel to the container base and preferably said surface is an upwardly disposed 20 face of a panel, the panel extending generally upwardly from the container base and the wall member being vertically aligned with and above the panel when in the erected position. ;The preferred hinge means arrangement of the present 25 invention enables a rapid erection of the container, and also enables the wall members to lie in the collapsed position with internal and/or external cladding fixed thereon. ;In a more preferred form of the present invention, 30 when a wall member is mounted to the container base such that in the erected position the wall member bottom edge abuts to sit squarely against either: ;(i) the container base; or ;(ii) a panel projecting upwardly from the 35 container base and presenting an upwardly disposed opposing face against which the ;/ ;rv ;^ ■-) 1 : ty.r? J ;- - V ;"•••• . ,. tv-' ;i ;( ;bottom edge abuts; ;the orientation of the hinge means of the present invention prevents the wall member rotating beyond the erected position (i.e. prevents the wall member when 5 rotated from the collapsed position to the erected position from rotating beyond the erected position and outwardly away from the container) . ;The preferred hinge means arrangement of the present invention also enables each wall member to be provided 10 with internal and/or external cladding such that when each wall member is in the erected position, the external cladding can extend from the top to at least the bottom edge of the wall member, and preferably beyond the bottom edge. The hinge means also enables the internal cladding 15 to be arranged such that when in the erected position the cladding can extend downwardly either to the bottom edge of the wall member or to corresponding internal cladding extending upwardly from the container base optionally mounted to the panel (and in such an arrangement, the 20 amount of corresponding internal cladding required would depend on the wall members relative proximity to the container base). ;The side, top and bottom edges of the wall member can be provided with the elastomeric sealing strips as 25 can the abutment surfaces of the wall member with the upwardly extending internal and external cladding panels. As stated above, such sealing strips enhance container sealing upon erection. ;Preferably each hinge pin is located on a respective 30 side edge and adjacent the bottom edge of the wall member and preferably each hinge pin is located on the side edge such that it is equidistantly offset from the outer edge and bottom edge. ;Preferably each hinge pin is received for rotation 35 in a corresponding recess in one or both of the respective side edge and post member. More preferably i ;- 6 - ;148 ;each hinge pin is fixed to the respective side edge and is rotatable within the post member. ;Typically each hinge pin would be mounted to a body portion for retaining in the respective side edge and 5 would extend from the body portion for receipt in the post member. ;The body portion can be a generally rectangular block and the hinge pin can be a generally cylindrical member extending orthogonally from one face of the 10 rectangular block and being offset from the centre of this face and preferably the generally cylindrical member is rotatably retained in a corresponding cylindrical ■ recess in the post member. ;Preferably the body portion is arranged in the side 15 edge such that the hinge pin is parallel to the inner face and projects orthogonally from the side edge. The body portion may then be arranged at the corner of the wall member where the side edge meets the bottom edge. ;Preferably' each wall member is rotatable about an 20 axis of rotation between the erected and collapsed positions, the axis extending through the hinge pins on either side of the wall member. ;Preferably each wall member is mounted at a position on its respective post members such that in the collapsed 25 position, the wall members generally overlay each other adjacent the container base so that each is generally parallel thereto. It is preferable that the post members extend upwardly from the base to a height greater than the height of the wall members in the collapsed position, 30 the post members being adapted such that when the wall members are in the collapsed position, the post members can inter-engage corresponding post members on a like container to enable stacking of the containers. ;Preferably, the container is provided with a roof 35 member mountable on the plurality of wall members when in the erected position to enclose the container. ;i ;24714: ;- 7 - ;Preferably the roof member is also engageable with the plurality of post members when the wall members are in the collapsed position. When engaged with the post members in the collapsed position, the roof member can 5 also be adapted to receive corresponding post members on a like container to enable stacking of the containers. ;BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings 10 in which: ;Figures 1 to 4 detail respectively four elevations of a collapsable container embodying the invention and shown in the form of a portable building; ;Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a corner 15 section of the portable building of Figures 1 and 4; ;Figures 6 and 7 show a sectional side elevation through a wall member and preferred hinge means for the portable building; ;Figures 8 and 9 detail respectively side and end 20 views of the preferred hinge means for use in the portable building. ;MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, the collapsible container is hereinafter described in a preferred form as a 25 portable building 10. The building has a floor 12, walls 14 and a roof 16. The walls are hingedly mounted to the floor at their base 17 via support members in the form of posts 20 at hinge points 21. ;Figures 1 to 4 and Figure 5 show the portable 30 building in an erected position, in which the walls extend orthogonally upwardly from the floor. ;Four respective elevations are shown in Figures 1 to 4 in which the walls are designated respectively 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D. The walls 14A, B, C and D are mounted 35 on the posts at respective hinge points 21A, B, C and D. The hinge points are at progressively increas ;24 7148 ;- 8 - ;distances from the floor. When the walls are displaced towards a collapsed position (e.g. the walls overlay each other such that each wall is approximately parallel to the floor) the relative positioning of the walls on the 5 posts enables the attainment of a compact collapsed formation. Thus, in the form shown in Figures 1 to 4, wall 14A would be layed adjacent the floor first, wall 14B second, wall 14C third and wall 14D last. ;It can also be seen in Figures 1 to 4 that walls 14A 10 and 14B are each held in the erected position between walls 14C and 14D. Thus the side walls of each of the walls 14A and 14B abut against the inner wall surfaces of walls 14C and 14D in the erected position. A rubber sealing strip can be provided between the side walls and 15 respective inner wall surfaces so that the walls immediately seal the four corners of the building upon erection. This enhances the sealing of the container interior from the surrounds. ;The building is also provided with panels 22B, C and 20 D which extend from the floor up to walls 14B, C and D respectively. These panels function to provide a continuous internal and external wall surface from the floor to the roof. A rubber sealing strip may also be provided between each panel on an upper face of the 25 panel, and the respective wall base adjacent thereto, to seal any space between the wall base and its respective panel in the erected position. In addition to this, the wall member may have external cladding which extends downwardly beyond the highest point of the panel (see 30 Figure 6) optionally having a sealing strip located between the external cladding and an outer face of the panel. This further facilitates sealing of the building and can enhance the overall aesthetic appearance of the structure. ;35 Referring to Figure 5, the panels 22 have been removed to reveal more clearly the hinge points 21A £ ;/'v ;p <■, rT>i ;. 14 8 ;5 ;2 ID. ;The corners of the wall bases 17 are each provided with a hinge device 30 (detailed in Figures 8 and 9) . The hinge device 30 has a body 32 which is retained in 5 the wall 14. A cylindrical pin 34 extends orthogonally from, and offset from the centre, of a face 35 of the body. ;The cylindrical pin is received in a corresponding recess in the post 20 and is free to rotate within the 10 recess. ;Post 20 is provided with leg 20A, and a lug 40. The lug receives the cylindrical pin of the hinge device of wall 14A so that in the erect position, this wall may align with the adjacent wall 14D to effectively seal the 15 corner of the portable building. ;Referring to Figures 6 and 7, Figure 6 shows a wall in the erect position wherein the wall base 17 is adjacent and parallel to panel upper face 42. The wall is also provided with external cladding 46 and internal 20 cladding 48 whilst the panel has internal cladding 49. ;As can be seen in Figure 6, external cladding 46 extends downwardly to overlap panel 22 and seal the portable building when the wall is in the erect position. ;In this position internal cladding 48 also aligns and 25 overlaps with internal cladding 49 to provide a continuous internal wall in the building. ;When roof 16 of the building is removed, the walls can be pivotally displaced towards the floor. Figure 7 shows this displacement. The wall is pivoted at hinge 30 device 30 about cylindrical pin 34 as indicated by arrow G. The offset location of cylindrical pin 34 allows this displacement without cladding 48 catching panel upper face 42. This offset location also prevents outward pivotal displacement of the wall away from the portable 35 building. Namely, when the wall is in the erect position (Figure 6) , base 17 sits squarely on panel upper face 42 ;A* t - ^ •^"3 I MAR 1993 0 r •, M v ■:<■ 'i /14 ft w - 10 - and any attempt to displace the wall outwardly is resisted by pin 34 and the square or flush orientation of base 17 on panel upper face 42.

The underside of roof 16 is provided with means for 5 engaging the upper edges of walls 14 (not shown) which means can also engage posts 20 when the walls of the portable building are in the collapsed position, the roof being arranged on top of the four posts respectively at its four corners. The upper side of the roof is also 10 provided with means for engaging post legs 2OA. Thus an identical portable building can be arranged on top of the roof 16. (Alternatively, the identical portable building can be stacked directly on the posts with the roof removed) . In this way, a sizeable stack of compact 15 collapsed portable buildings can be achieved which stack may be easily transported.

The preceding description applies equally to cargo and other types of containers. The containers according to the present invention can be used as collapsable 20 caravans, trailers, refuse bearers and the like with appropriate modifications being made for the particular application. The preferred sealing means employed enables the containers to transport fluid-bearing refuse, or to effectively seal the container interior from the 25 surroundings, for example, when the container is used in damp or wet climates/environments. When not in use, collapsable containers according to the invention can be rapidly disassembled and stacked in a compact and space saving way, also saving on transportation costs. 30 Typically the containers are formulated from pressed metal with the frames being welded together from metal sections.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment it will be 35 appreciated that the invention can be embodied in many other forms. \ // --i'' r . /• ^3 1 MAR 1993 ■ v>... ,^'J •£ •, >> V

Claims (18)

247148 - 11 - WHAT ^WE CLAIM 1®

1. A collapsible container comprising: a container base; a plurality of post members extending generally 5 upwardly from the container base; a plurality of wall members, each mounted between a respective pair of post members via hinge means and moveable between an erected position wherein the wall member extends 10 generally away from the container base and a collapsed position wherein the wall member generally overlays the container base, each wall member having top, bottom and side edges extending between inner and outer faces, the 15 inner face lying closer to the container base than the outer face in the collapsed position; the hinge means comprising a pair of hinge pins each extending between a side edge of a wall member and a respective post member, each hinge 20 pin being rotatably supported at one or both of the wall member and post member and located on the side edge closer to the inner face than the outer face and closer to the bottom edge than the top edge; 25 - each post member being adapted to receive and/or support a hinge pin of one of the wall members and additionally comprising receiving means extending laterally from the post member, the receiving means being adapted for receiving 30 and/or supporting a hinge pin of an adjacent waxi uicxiu^crjL ; such that when each wall member is in the erected position, the arrangement of the receiving means enables sealing engagement between said one of the 35 wall members and said adjacent wall member to sealingly define the container outer wall. 247148 12 -

2. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving means comprises a lug projecting laterally from each post member a predetermined height above the container base and 5 adapted to receive the respective hinge pin of said adjacent wall member.

3. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein sealing engagement between said one of the wall members and said adjacent wall member is 10 facilitated by the provision of sealing means which is operable therebetween when said one of the wall members and said adjacent wall member are in the erected position.

4. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 3, 15 wherein the sealing means is arranged on each side edge of each adjacent wall member.

5. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the sealing means comprises one or more elastomeric sealing strips, the • or each strip 20 running longitudinally along each side edge of each adjacent wall member and engagingly deforming against the respective wall member when in the erected position to seal the container outer wall.

6. A collapsible container as claimed in any one of 25 claims 1-5, wherein the bottom edge of each wall member is arranged in the erected position to abut the container base, or a surface generally parallel to the container base.

7. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 6, 30 wherein said surface is an upwardly disposed face of a panel, the panel extending generally upwardly from the container base and the wall member being vertically aligned with and above the panel when in the erected position. -35

8. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 7, wherein each wall member has cladding mounted t 247148 - 13 - outer face which extends beyond the bottom edge of the wall member, which cladding is parallel to and adjacent the wall member's respective panel when in the erected position and which assists in sealingly 5 defining the container outer wall in the erected position.

9. A collapsible container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the hinge pins are located on the side edges and adjacent the bottom edge of each 10 wall member and each hinge pin is located so that it is equidistantly offset from the outer edge and bottom edge.

10. A collapsible container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein each hinge pin is received for 15 rotation in a corresponding recess in its respective side edge and/or is received for rotation in a post member or receiving means respectively.

11. A collapsible container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein each hinge pin is mounted to 20 a body portion for retaining in its respective side edge and extends from the body portion for rotational receipt in the post member or receiving means respectively, and wherein the body portion is a generally rectangular block and the hinge pin is a 25 generally cylindrical member extending orthogonally from one face of the rectangular block and offset from the centre of this face.

12. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 11 wherein the body portion is arranged in the side 30 edge such that the hinge pin is parallel to the inner face and projects orthogonally from the side edge and is arranged at the corner of the wall member where the side edge meets the bottom edge.

13. A collapsible container as claimed in any one of the 35 preceding claims, wherein each wall member is rotatable about an axis of rotation betweei I V •m f: -? fy * W . 247148 - 14 - erected and collapsed positions, the axis extending through the pair of hinge pins.

14. A collapsible container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each wall member is mounted 5 at a position with respect to its adjacent post members and above the container base such that in the collapsed position, the wall members generally overlay each other and/or the container base, so that each is generally parallel thereto. 10

15. A collapsible container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the post members extend upwardly from the base to a height greater than the height of the wall members in the collapsed position, the post members being adapted such that 15 when the wall members are in the collapsed position, the post members can inter-engage corresponding post members on a like container to enable stacking of the containers.

16. A collapsible container as claimed in any one of the 20 preceding claims further comprising a roof member mountable on the plurality of wall members when in the erected position to enclose the container.

17. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 16 wherein the roof member is engageable with the 25 plurality of post members when the wall members are in the collapsed position and is adapted to receive corresponding post members on a like container to enable stacking of the containers.

18. A collapsible container substantially as herein 30 described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. | Ltd ■ •— By the authorised events A J PAP.K a SON Pee