US3542234A

US3542234A - Container with walls collapsible in a stacked condition

Info

Publication number: US3542234A
Application number: US777131A
Authority: US
Inventors: Antonio Bonomi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-12-07
Filing date: 1968-11-19
Publication date: 1970-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 1987-11-24
Also published as: AT293271B; BE725026A; ES159797Y; DE1805508A1; CH483979A; DK125780B; NL6816390A; IL31099A0; ES159797U; FR1593377A

Description

United States Patent [111 3,542,234

[72] Inventor Antonio Bonomi 56 References Cited 7, Piazza Mercato, Pinzolo, Italy UNITED STATES PATENTS [21] P 77-5131 2,868,406 1/1959 Kookogey 220/7 [22] Filed Nov. 19, 1968 2,972,430 2/1961 Johnson 220/7X [45] pa'emed 3 402 845 9/1968 E k 220/6X [32] Priority Dem 7,1967 I rl sson 33 Italy FOREIGN PATENTS [31] N0. 60129/67 60,110 5/1912 Switzerland 217/15 Primary Examiner-Raphael H. Schwartz [54] CONTAINER WITH WALLS COLLAPSIBLE IN A Attorney-Bryan, Parmelee, Johnson & Bollinger STACKED CONDITION 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

52 us. Cl 220 7; 217/15 [51] Int. Cl 865d 7/28, ABSTRACT: A eight transport container having a detached B65d 9/18, B65d 9/24 lid, side walls collapsible on the bottom panel and provided [50] Field ol'Search 217/15,47, with locking and hinge means, so as o be c llapsed in a 12; 220/1.5, 6, 7 stacked inoperative condition of reduced overall dimensions.

Patented Nov. 24, 1970 Sheet FIG].

INVENTOR ANTONIO BONOMI 7 ATTRNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,234

Sheet. of 2 INVENTOR ANTONIO BONOMI Wm-u, 6 1

PM x g m.

AT RNEY 90 and abut on said bottom. panel 2.

CONTAINER WITH WALLS COLLAPSIBLE IN A STACKED CONDITION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The conventional containers for freight transport are comprised of a box made of different materials such as wood, aluminum, iron, reinforced plastics and so forth, that is a rectangular parallelepiped box of standardized sizes, having a door at one of the short sides. Such a container is transferred in a loaded condition, as a unit, from a transportation means to another and commercially available containers have a rigid structure, so that their overall dimensions are the same either in the loaded or empty condition. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide means "for considerably reducing container dimensions, when it has to be transported in an empty or inoperative condition, up to a little partof its loaded volume (about one fifth), .with an easy and rapid operation.

Another object of the present invention is to allow a very rapid replacement of each of the elements of the container, without requiring skilled personnel of a special workshop, as the container consists of several elements connected to each other by means allowing an easy detachment in the event of damages.

These and other objects are attained by providing a container according to the present invention, in which the lid is detached from the remnant structure, the. side walls are collapsible on the bottompanel, and suitable locking and hinge means are provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the invention reference may FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container with collapsed walls, thus reduced for transport in an empty condition;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. I; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional detail of the sealed hinge connection between a wall and the bottom panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The container according to the present invention is comprised of a plane bottom panel 2, the short edges of which are connected through hinges 7 to a frame formed by a front frame 1 provided with doors I and a rear wall 3.

The hinges 7 connecting frame I and wall 3 with panel 2 are mounted flush with the upper surface of the bottom panel 2, so that during their collapsing stage said elements I and 3 turn On the bottom-panel 2 along the two long sides there are two

shoulders

8 and 9 integral with the bottom panel, the first shoulder 8 being of a height about equal to the thickness of the front door frame 1 and of the rear wall 3, while the second shoulder 9 has a height equal to that of shoulder 8 and the thickness of one sidewall. On these two

shoulders

8 and 9, the

sidewalls

4 and 5, respectively, are mounted by means of hinges 10.

The upper lid 6 is comprised ofa cover plane mounted on a peripheral frame and abuts on the walls I, 3, 4 and 5 by means of suitable projecting edges.

A plurality of inner and outer recesses are provided along the two long sides of the lid peripheral frame and of the

shoulders

8 and 9 integral with the bottom panel frame. The inner recesses I4 are designed for receiving a number of tie rods 15 serving both as aiconnection of lid with bottom and as stiffeners of the structure when loaded. The outer recesses 13 are intended for packing the collapsed container during transport in the empty condition by means oftie rods 1], II, II".

The container has also the conventional, standard type corner blocks 12 for receiving the hooks of a hoisting apparatus. At the hinge points of the walls, seals 16 are also provided for avoiding moisture to enter the container, with the aid of an outwardly and downwardly inclined gap 17 between shoulders and the corresponding sidewalls.

The operation of collapsing the container into the reduced volume empty transport condition is very easy and is as follows: the inner tie rods 15 are detached; lid 6 is raised by a suitable hoisting apparatus; front wall 1 and rear wall 3 are collapsed and in the gap remaining on the bottom panel 2 between said collapsed walls 1 and 3, said tie rods 15 are stored; then sidewall 4 is folded down, overlapping walls I and 3; then side wall 5 is folded down, overlapping all the preceding walls; at last lid 6 is lowered on top of'the collapsed unit and the whole collapsed container is locked by means of anchoring tie rods ll, 11', 11" in the outer recesses 13. The empty container may now be hoisted and transported at will.

The collapsing operations may be carried out manually, since the joint strength of two men is quite sufficient, or by a hoisting apparatus acting on suitable connections provided on the outer side of the walls.

cations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.

I claim:

1. A collapsible freight transport container structure the type having a removable lid, a bottom panel having parallel flanges extending transversely upward from two parallel edges thereof, sidewalls connected to said flanges for movement downwardly toward said bottom panel, end walls connected to the remaining two parallel edges for 90 movement downwardly toward said bottom panel wherein the improvement comprises:

flanges with their upper surfaces having a generally truncated shape capable of being hingingly connected to a mating sidewall surface forming an outwardly and downwardly inclined gap between each flange and its corresponding side wall;

sealing means positioned in said sidewall surface and extending into direct contact with the apex of said truncated flange surface for preventing the entry of moisture into said container through said flange and side wall gap when the container is in its erected condition;

said removable lid having edges formed as fitted surfaces to engage the side and end walls and lock the same in position when the container is in its erected condition and to fit over and secure in position the side and end walls that are folded 90 in the collapsed condition of the container; and

hinge means interconnecting said sidewalls and end walls to said bottom panel and recessed within the upper surface of said bottom panel to be flush therewith by virtue of the construction of which the volume of said container in the stacked condition is about one-fifth of its volume in its erected condition.

2. A collapsible freight transport container structure as defined in claim I, wherein: I

said flanges have a first plurality of recesses arranged along the outer surfaces thereof;

said removable lid has a second plurality of recesses equal in number to said first plurality of recesses arranged along the outer surfaces of the edges of said lid which are parallel to said flanges;

outer tie rods are connected between each of one of said first plurality of recesses and one of said second plurality of recesses on the corresponding side of the container when said lid is placed upon said collapsed container whereby said container is held in its collapsed condition; said removable lid has a second plurality of recesses equal in number to said first plurality of recesses arranged along the outer surfaces of the edges of said lid which are parallel to said flanges; and outer tie rods are connected between each of one of said first plurality of recesses and one of said second plurality of recesses on the corresponding side of the container when said lid is placed upon said collapsed container whereby said container is held in its collapsed condition 3. A collapsible freight transport container structure as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said flanges have a first plurality of recesses arranged along the inner surfaces thereof;

said removable lid has a second plurality of recesses equal in number to said first plurality of recesses arranged along the inner surfaces of the edges of said lid which are parallel to said flanges; and

inner tie rods, capable of sustaining the container in an erected condition under external forces of tension or compression, connect one of said first plurality of recesses of one of said flanges to one of said second plurality of recesses in said lid edge on the corresponding side of the container whereby said lid is maintained in its correct position relative to the container bottom and the container side walls are provided with additional support.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3, 542,234 Dated November 24 1970 Antonio Bonomi Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, lines 69 through 75, and Column 3,

lines

1 and 2, cancel "said removable lid has a second plurality of reces equal in number to said first plurality of recesses arranged along the outer surfaces of the edges of said lid which are parallel to said flanges; outer tie rods are connected between each of one of said first plurality of recesses on th corresponding side of the container when said lid is placed upon said collapsed container whereby said container is held in it collapsed condition;".

Signed and sealed this 15th day of June 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents