SE449728B - HOPEFUL TRAFFIC - Google Patents

Abstract

A collapsible tray produced from a rigid blank. Two walls (6, 8) of the tray are each provided with a respective first fold line (18, 18) which extends parallel with the lower edge of the wall, and a respective second and a third fold line (20,21 and 22,23) which extends from a respective one of the two lower corners of the wall to a respective free edge (14,16) of the wall while intersecting the first fold line to form an oblique angle (v1) therewith, the second and the third fold lines forming an angle of about 45 DEG with a respective side edge extending from the same corner. The tray can be either folded along the first fold line to form rim sections (26-29) which when folded outwards lock the walls in a position in which folding along the second and the third fold lines is prevented, or can be folded along the second and the third fold line, so as to collapse the tray.

Description

Obtained the characteristics specified in claim 1.

Further developments of the invention appear from the sub-patent claims.

The trough according to the invention has a very large flexibility in that it is partly foldable along said second and third bending lines, and partly can be stabilized in an upright position by said first bending lines. Because these intersect the second and the third bending line at an oblique angle, the second and the third bending line will, when folding the trough along the first bending lines, be divided into two different bending parts, which can be folded tightly. Furthermore, the trough according to the invention allows the troughs to be packed folded into a stack inside a container, from which they can be removed one by one at the same time as they are raised during the passage through a gap opening in the container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a trough according to the invention in the raised position.

Fig. 2 shows the trough according to Fig. 1 in the raised position and with folded frames.

Fig. 3 shows the trough according to Fig. 1 in the folded position.

Fig. 4 shows a material blank for manufacturing the trough.

Fig. 5 shows how a lid can be locked against the trough.

Fig. 6 shows a container for the troughs. 10 15 20 25 30 35 449 728 PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The tray, see Fig. 1, consists of a square, preferably rectangular bottom 1 bounded by four bottom edges 2 - 5 and with four walls 6 - 9, each of which has a lower edge, which coincides with each of the bottom edges 2 - 5, partly two side edges 10 and ll, ll and 12, 12 and 13 respectively. 13 and 10, each of which along a predetermined distance (approx. 70 - 90% of the length of the side edge, calculated from the lower corner of the wall) coincides with resp. side edge on adjacent cradle.

The parts of the side edges 10 - 13 which do not coincide with each other consist of the side edges of expandable frames, which will be described in more detail below.

The walls 6 - 9 also have an upper, free edge 14 - 17.

The walls 6 - 9 each have the shape of a parallel truncated triangle, where the base of the triangle consists of the free edge 14, 15, 16 resp. 17. Thereby the walls of the trough slope slightly outwards, so that several raised troughs can be stacked in each other.

The two opposite walls 6 and 8 have a first creasing line 18 and 18, respectively. 19, extending between the two side edges 10 and 11 of the wall, respectively. 12 and 13, and parallel to the lower edge 2 and 2, respectively, of the wall. 4. A second and third starting line 20 and 21, respectively. 22 and 23 start from each corner of the two lower corners of the walls 6 and 8 to the free edge 14 and 14, respectively, of the wall. 16 while crossing the first bending line 18 resp. 19 at an oblique angle vl, which is about 45 °, if the walls of the trough do not slope, and which in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 with sloping walls exceeds 45 ° in proportion to the degree of inclination of the walls. Each of the curvature lines 20-23 is then divided by the curvature lines 18 and 19 into a first, lower part 20a, 21a, 22a resp. 23a, which is 10 15 20 25 30 35 449 728 below the bend line 18 resp. 19, and in a second, upper part 20b, 2lb, 22b resp. 23b, which is above the starting line 18 resp. 19.

The curves 20 - 23 each form an angle V2 of about 45 ° with the side edge 10, 11, 12 and 13, so that folding of the trough can take place along lines 20 - 23 under certain conditions, as shown in more detail below.

The two other walls 7 and 9 each have a starting line 24 and 24, respectively. 25, which extends between the two side edges 10 and 13 of the wall, respectively. 11 and 12 and in parallel with the lower edge 5 and 5, respectively, of the wall. 3 at the same height from the bottom 1 of the trough as the first walls 6 and 8 bending lines 18 and 18, respectively. 19.

The trough shown in Fig. 1 can be folded into the shape shown in Fig. 3 by folding the walls 7 and 9 of the trough towards the center of the trough, whereby the walls 6 and 8 fold along the bending lines 20-23, as shown in Fig. 3.

However, if the walls of the trough shown in Fig. 1 are instead folded outwards along the bending lines 18, 19, 24 and 25 to form outwardly folded side pieces in the form of so-called frames 26-29, as shown in Fig. 2, they form above said upper parts 20b, 2lb, 22b resp. 23b in the bend lines 20 - 23 an angle with corresponding lower parts 20a, 21a, 22a resp. 23a, so that folding along the bending lines 20-23 is prevented, so that the raised trough obtains a very stable and well-defined shape.

Fig. 4 shows a cut, flat blank of plastic-treated cardboard or the like, folded by folding and joining can assume the trough appearance shown in Figs. 1-3. From each of the four bottom corners of the trough, two extra bending lines 30 a-b, 31 a-b, 32 a-b resp. 33 a-b. When joining the corner portions of the trough, the joining of the trough is carried out in an analogous manner with all four corners, so that it should suffice here to describe joining of, for example, the lower right corner portion in Fig. 4.

It is first folded along the lines ll, 3la and 3lb, after which the portion between the lines ll and 3la and 3la and 31b is caused to overlap partly each other and partly a part of the portion between the lines 3lb and 2la. In the position shown in Fig. 4, the line 3la is located midway between the lines ll and 3lb, so that these thereby coincide with each other and together form the side edge ll shown in Figs. 1 - 3. The corner portion is then fixed in its rest. position by gluing, riveting or welding the trough's plastic-treated surface layer.

Alternatively, the triangular portion between lines 3la and 3lb may be removed, so that only the portion between lines 11a and 3la need be fixed to the wall 6.

As best seen in Fig. 4, the crease lines 24 and 25 are broken between two points 34 and 35, respectively. 36 and 37, which constitute the two end points of a U-shaped insert 38 respectively. 39, which extends into the corresponding rim 28 resp. 29. When unfolding the frames 28 and 29, the two grooves 38 and 39 each form their own locking tongue, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

Two elongate, narrow locking slots in the form of recesses 40 and 41 are arranged in the rim 14 and 14, respectively. 16, one of the longitudinal edges of the columns preferably coinciding with the starting line 18 and 18, respectively. 19.

The locking tongues and locking slots described are intended to hold a lid 42, which is further illustrated in Fig. 5, where a trough is shown with identical shape as that shown in Fig. 2. The lid 42, which consists of plastic-treated, flat cardboard blank or the like, therefore has two locking tabs 10 15 20 25 30 35 449 728 43 and 44, for example formed by punching in the edges of the lid, and two openings 45 and 46, for example in the form of punches, which are intended to engage with the locking tongues 38 and 39 of the trough and locking slots 40 and 41. The openings 45 and 46 suitably consist partly of an elongate notch 45a resp. 46a intended to receive each of the locking tongues of the trough, partly of two, shorter grooves 45 b, c resp. 46 b, c, whereby two locking tabs are formed between the grooves 45 b and c resp. between the grooves 46 b and c. In this way the lid 42 can be fitted to the lid frames, after which the lid can be made to snap against the trough with a light pressure.

Fig. 6 shows a container 47 for a plurality of troughs, where the troughs are packed folded in a stack, from which the troughs one and one can be taken out, whereby the trough is forced to rise at the same time as it is taken out of the container.

The container 47 has a bottom wall 48 and four vertical walls 49 - 52. The wall 49 has along its vertical center line an evenly wide gap opening 53 with substantially the same width as the distance between the starting lines 18 and 19 of the two walls 6 and B. In the folded state, the troughs are stacked on top of each other to form a stack 54 with either of the lower edges 3 and 5 of the walls 7 and 7, respectively. 9 oriented parallel to the gap opening 53.

On top of the stack 54 rests a retaining weight in the form of a rectangular plate 55, for example of metal or plastic. The plate 55 has at two opposite edges a rectangular recess 56 resp. 57, whereby the plate acquires an H-shape, the web 58 of which separates the said recesses 56 and 57 from each other.

The plate 55 is oriented with one of its recesses, for example the recess 56, facing the gap opening 53. As shown in Fig. 6, a gripping hand or the like can grip the wall 7 of the top trough and begin a horizontal extension of the trough through the gap opening 53. Since the trough in the folded condition it has in the stack is too wide for the gap opening 53, its edges guide up the walls 6 and 8 of the trough, so that the trough can pass through gap opening - one.

When the pulling out of the trough has begun, at the same time the trailing edge of the counterweight plate 58 engages the rear wall 9 of the trough and forces it to rise, which further helps to raise the trough when it is pulled out of the container. When the free edges 14 and 16 of the trough rise, they simultaneously lift the counterweight plate 55. As the trough continues to be pulled out, the trough thus slides under the plate 55. When the rear wall 9 of the trough has risen, the life 58 engages with the wall 9 by then can slip during life 58.

The release of the wall 9 from the web 58 is facilitated by the fact that the wall 9 has the foldable rim 29. As soon as the trough leaves the gap opening 53, the plate 55 falls back down on the trough stack 54.

The plate 55 can of course have a different shape than the one shown.

One condition, however, is that it has at least the same width as the distance between the free edges 14 and 16 in the folded state of the trough, so that the plate can be lifted off these edges when the trough is raised. Furthermore, the hooking means 57 need not be in the form of a recess, but can alternatively be designed as at least one projecting heavy oath (not shown) with the ability to grab the rear wall 9 when the trough is pulled out through the opening 53. The choice of hooking means in the plate 55 is determined by the degree of available space between the free edges 15 and 17 of the trough in the folded state of the trough.

It is of course also possible to design the hooking means as one or more tongues or the like arranged in the recess S7, which thus emanate from the rear edge of the web 58.

The hooking means can also be designed as one or more tongues or the like, which project from the underside of the plate 55. Thus, in this case, no recess 57 is needed in the plate.

Claims (7)

1. 0 15 20 25 30 35 449 728 8 2. Patented claim 1. Foldable trough made of flat, rigid material with a square bottom (1) bounded by four bottom edges (2 - 5) and with four walls (6 - 9), each of which has a lower edge, which coincides with each of the said bottom edges, partly two side edges (10 - 11, 11 - 12, 12 - 13 and 13 - 10, respectively), each of which along a predetermined distance coincides with the respective side edge on an adjacent wall, and partly an upper, free edge (14 - 17), characterized in that each of the first two (6, 8), opposite walls of said walls has a first bending line (18 and 19, respectively) extending between roads. both side edges of the wall and parallel to the lower edge of the wall (2 and 4, respectively), and a second (20 and 22, respectively) and a third (21 and 23, respectively) bending line starting from each of the two lower corners of the wall to the free edge of the wall ( 14 and 16, respectively) while crossing the first bending line (18 and 19, respectively) at an oblique angle (vl), the second and the third creasing line forms an angle of about 45 "with the side edge emanating from the same corner, whereby said first walls (6, 8) can each either be folded (fig. 2) along the first crease line (18 and 19, respectively) to form a rim (26 - 29), which in a folded position locks the wall in a position where folding along either of the second and third crease lines is prevented , or can be folded (fig. 3.) along the second and the third bending line, so that both the said first walls (6, 8) can be folded along their lower edge (2, 4.) outwards until they are flush with the bottom (1) of the trough, and so that the two other walls (7, 9) can be folded simultaneously along their lower edge (3, 5.) towards the bottom of the trough. Trough according to claim 1, characterized in that the two other walls (7, 9) have a bending line (24 and 25, respectively), which extends between the two side edges of the wall (11-12 and 13-10, respectively). and parallel to the lower edge (3 and 5, respectively) of the wall at the same height from the bottom (1) of the trough as the first bending lines of the said first walls (6, 8) (18 resp. 19). Trough according to claim 2, characterized in that the bending lines (24, 25) of the other walls are interrupted between two points (34, 35 and 36, 37, respectively), which constitute the end points of a U-shaped insert (38 39), which extends into the edge of the wall (28 and 29, respectively), and thereby forms a load tongue, a lid (42) being attachable to the edges of the trough (26 - 29), and provided with two openings. (45, 4 6.) intended for readers to enclose their respective locking tongue. Trough according to claim 3, characterized in that the edges of the first two walls (26, 2 7.) each has a recess (40 or 41), intended for readers to enclose a locking tab (43 or 44) arranged separately on the lid (42).