Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G29/00—Supports, holders, or containers for household use, not provided for in groups A47G1/00-A47G27/00 or A47G33/00 
  • A47G29/14—Deposit receptacles for food, e.g. breakfast, milk, or large parcels; Similar receptacles for food or large parcels with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles, i.e. food or large parcels
  • A47G29/20—Deposit receptacles for food, e.g. breakfast, milk, or large parcels; Similar receptacles for food or large parcels with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles, i.e. food or large parcels with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
  • B65D1/22—Boxes or like containers with side walls of substantial depth for enclosing contents
  • B65D1/225—Collapsible boxes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
  • B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
  • B65D21/0233—Nestable containers
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
  • E05G—SAFES OR STRONG-ROOMS FOR VALUABLES; BANK PROTECTION DEVICES; SAFETY TRANSACTION PARTITIONS
  • E05G1/00—Safes or strong-rooms for valuables
  • E05G1/005—Portable strong boxes, e.g. which may be fixed to a wall or the like

Definitions

• Box, and delivery system comprising said box
• the present invention relates to a stackable box which advantageously can be used, for example, for storage and delivery of goods, for instance, groceries, and to a delivery system which comprises said box. More specifically, the invention relates to a box and a delivery system as disclosed in the preamble of claims 1 and 10, respectively.
• a previously used empty box is advantageously taken back.
• the returned boxes from different customers along a particular route could be stacked in an optimally efficient and space-saving manner, while the boxes, for reasons of security, have a lockable lid for securing their contents during delivery.
• the box, upon delivery to the customer could be locked physically hi place so as to prevent the whole box from being stolen or switched with another.
• the present invention thus seeks to provide a box, and a delivery system comprising said box, which meet one or more of the aforementioned requirements, characterised by the features disclosed in the characterising clause of claims 1 and 10, respectively.
• Figure 1 shows the principle of a delivery system according to one embodiment of the invention comprising a lockable holder and two associated delivery boxes of different shapes, of which one is indicated in broken lines.
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the delivery system in Fig. 1;
• Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of the holder in Figs. 1 and 2;
• Figure 4 is a partial sectional view of the holder and the delivery boxes in Figs. 1 and 2;
• Figure 5 shows a stackable delivery box with integral lid stacked in a second similar box, and which may advantageously be used in the delivery system in Figs. 1 to 4;
• Figure 6 shows an unfolded view of the delivery box in Figure 5;
• Figure 7 shows the delivery box in Figs. 5 and 6 compared with a rectangular cubic shape.
• a delivery system 1 comprising a lockable holder 2 and an associated delivery box 3.
• the box may advantageously be substantially made of recyclable plastic material, e.g., by injection or rotational moulding, and advantageously comprises an integral lid 6 which is hinged to the rest of the box 3 in a known way in that weakened portions 19 of the plastic form hinges, as shown in more detail in Figure 5.
• the box 3, with the hinged lid 6 brought essentially to rest against an exterior side of the front wall 17 of the box 3 can be inserted into a similar subjacent box 3 such that the two boxes are thus stacked in one another in a space-saving manner, for example, during the return of empty delivery boxes 3 for reuse or recycling.
• the box 3 When used for delivering groceries, the box 3 is advantageously lined on the inside with a non-illustrated insulating material, as for example, polystyrene.
• the lockable holder 2 is advantageously essentially T-shaped and comprises a locking head 7 arranged in an upper, central part of the holder 2.
• a lower longitudinal part 8 of the holder 2 is angular and comprises an upward facing front edge 9 for locking engagement with a corresponding longitudinal lower, rear edge 10 on the box 3.
• a groove or hole 11 is similarly provided for locking engagement with the locking pin 24 of the locking head 7.
• the edge 10 and the groove or hole may advantageously be incorporated into respective, non-illustrated reinforcing strips permanently attached to or integral with the box 3, said reinforcing strips advantageously being of aluminium.
• the lower, rear edge 10 of the box 3 is thus advantageously placed in engagement with the edge 9 on the holder and is then tilted up against the locking head 7 which snap-locks automatically in that the locking pin 23 engages with the groove or hole 11.
• the box 3 is thus locked to the holder 2, which in turn is advantageously securely fastened to a house wall or other permanent structure in that non-illustrated bolts or screws are passed through fastening holes 12 for the holder 2, said bolts being covered by the box when this last-mentioned is locked and therefore not capable of being removed without the box 3 being removed first.
• the delivery customer or recipient of a box 3 containing merchandise has his own key 25 which only fits his own holder whilst the supplier has a master key which fits all holders 2 along a particular route, or all the holders 2 employed by the supplier's customers.
• the holder 2 is also provided with a locking head 7 of the snap- lock type, where the supplier does not have a key to the holder, but where the box 3 snap-locks into the holder 2 when it is put in place, so that it can only be removed by the customer using key 9 or the like.
• the locking head 3 is also so designed that an empty box 3 can be released from the holder 2 by turning a non- illustrated knob or pressing a non-illustrated button, thus enabling the supplier to fetch an empty box from its position in the holder 3 without using key 25 or the like.
• FIG 5 there is shown in principle a stackable box 3 with integral lid 6 stacked in a similar box 3, and which advantageously can be used in the aforementioned delivery system 1, and in Figures 6 and 7 the box 3 is shown respectively in "unfolded" form and placed in an imaginary regular cube indicated in broken lines to better illustrate the shape of the different sides of the box 3.
• the box 3 thus comprises a bottom 13, two side walls 14 and 15, a rear wall 16, a front wall 17 and a lid 6 advantageously hinged to the front wall 17 by means of the aforementioned weakened portions 19.
• the box 3 also advantageously comprises an integrally formed handle 20 on each side wall 14, 15.
• the box 3 according to the invention is, for stacking purposes, made with inclined walls 14, 15, 16, 17, and with a lid 6 having a shape which essentially corresponds to the shape of the front wall 17.
• the bottom 13 is trapezoid in shape, the diagonals of the trapezium being of equal length, and where the longest 21 of the two parallel sides or bottom edges 21, 22 is coterminous with the front wall 17.
• the two trapezium angles ⁇ 13 and ⁇ 13 are 76° and 104° respectively, and the ratio L 13 between the length of the sides 21, 22 is 1.60.
• the corresponding ratio and angles for the sides 16, 17 and the lid 6, which like the bottom 13, is also trapezoid in shape are as follows (the subscript indicates the side/lid concerned):
• the box 3 is thus provided with an advantageous shape where the area and shape of the box 3 opening are essentially identical to the area and shape of the lid 6 and the front wall 17.
• the box is thus generally required to have what may be designated an inverted truncated pyramid shape where the shape and size of hinged lid 6 essentially correspond to a largest side 17 of said truncated pyramid and to the size and shape of the box 3 opening, said truncated lower face of the pyramid thus forming the bottom 13 of the box.
• the bottom 13 is advantageously horizontal when the box 3 is locked to the holder 2, whilst a front 17 or rear 16 one of the walls may advantageously be essentially vertical. In other words, stackability is maintained if one of the walls 14, 15, 16, 17 is straight whilst the others slant out from the bottom 13 and in relation to the vertical.
• the box 3 is not limited to use in a delivery system 1 comprising a lockable holder 2, but can advantageously be used for any purpose where there is a need for a stackable box 3 with associated lid 6, and where the box 3, with the lid 6 brought essentially to rest against an external side wall 17 of the box 3, is inserted into a similar subjacent box 3, such that the two boxes 3, 3 can thus be stacked in one another in a space-saving way.
• Possible uses of the box 3 thus include virtually all areas in which boxes, or containers, equipped with a lid are to be stacked in an efficient and space-saving manner after use.
• lid 6 is an integral part of the box 3 gives logistical and security advantages also because it is not necessary to "search" for a lid for a particular box, or in cases where a box with lid has transported a product which necessitates cleaning or special measures if another product is to be transported.
• the box 3, used as a part of a delivery system 1, will necessarily have the lid 6 hinged to a largest, front wall 17 of the box 3 which faces outwards, away from the holder 2, so that the lid 6 when closed can be locked to the holder 2 at an opposite rear side.
• the box 3 may then appear as somewhat "front-heavy", but this can, if so desired, be advantageously minimised by optimising the aforementioned angles and length ratios so as to approach as far as possible the shape of a regular cube as indicated in Figure 7, whilst maintaining the stacking properties and at the same time obtaining an optimally volume-efficient box 3.
• the volume efficiency of the box will apply as regards the interior volume of the box 3, the number of filled, unstacked boxes 3 contained within a given volume, and the number of stacked empty boxes 3 contained within a given volume.
• the box 3 is advantageously provided with an integral lock or with aligned holes arranged in the box 3 and the lid 6 respectively for use of a standard padlock.
• the contents of the box 3 can be kept locked therein in a secure manner.
• One of the many possible areas of application for such a box 3 may be for storage of weapons and ammunition.
• the box 3, in another non-illustrated embodiment which is not intended to be used as a part of a delivery system 1, may be provided with a separate lid 6.
• the lid 6 may then, for example, be fastened to the box 3 in that the edges of the lid 6 are applied over the opening of the box 3 in a known way per se if the box 3 and lid 6 are of plastic.
• the separate lid 6 is then put in the same position for stacking as for the embodiments with integral hinged lid 6, shown and described above, for example, by being held against the outside of the largest front wall 17 of the box 3 during the actual stacking of the box 3, or by being inserted into a remaining gap between the walls 17 of two boxes 3, 3 which have been stacked in each other.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
• Supports Or Holders For Household Use (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=41091752

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (3)

Citations (8)

• 2008
  • 2008-09-10 NO NO20083887A patent/NO20083887A/no not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2009
  • 2009-09-10 WO PCT/NO2009/000318 patent/WO2010030191A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2009-09-10 EP EP09736697A patent/EP2340209A2/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (8)

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