초록 ▼

A collapsible container formed of flexible plastic has complimentary parallel side wall members hingedly connected at their ends by complimentary end walls members and hingedly carrying complimentary bottom panels which fold down to rest upon ledges on the side wall members and end wall members. Dia

A collapsible container formed of flexible plastic has complimentary parallel side wall members hingedly connected at their ends by complimentary end walls members and hingedly carrying complimentary bottom panels which fold down to rest upon ledges on the side wall members and end wall members. Diagonally opposed corner portions of the side wall members space the hinge axes of the end wall members away from the side wall members so that, when collapsed, an end wall member and a side wall member are coplanar and in spaced parallel adjacent relationship to the other end wall member and side wall member to sandwich the foled up bottom panels, therebetween. The length of each side wall member is generally twice the effective length of an end wall member to provide a container which is modular for locking together with other such containers, when stacked in alignment or cross-tied. Most of the hinge pins are integrally formed with the wall members and panels to snap into place. Openings in the side wall members permit pricing of articles and opening in the bottom panels permit the use of vertically movable loading rods for automatically stacking articles in the container. In a second embodiment inclined alignment lugs draw in the wall members in when one container is stacked on the next.

대표청구항 ▼

A collapsible container comprising: side wall members, each including a rectangular side wall and a corner portion, said corner portion projecting inwardly from one end of said side wall; (a) an opposed generally parallel pair of side wall members, each including a rectangular side wall and a corner

A collapsible container comprising: side wall members, each including a rectangular side wall and a corner portion, said corner portion projecting inwardly from one end of said side wall; (a) an opposed generally parallel pair of side wall members, each including a rectangular side wall and a corner portion, said corner portion projecting inwardly from one end of said side wall; (b) a pair of opposed generally parallel rectangular additional wall member; (c) first pivot means pivotally connecting side edge portions of said additional wall members respectively with the corner portions of said side wall members, and the other side edge portions of the said additional wall members respectively with the other ends of said side walls; (d) said first pivot means defining parallel vertically extending axes, the pivot axis between said corner portion of each side wall member and an additional wall member being spaced inwardly of the inner surface of the side wall of that side wall member; (e) a generally flat bottom panel; (f) journal means on the lower edge portions of said one of the aforesaid wall members; (g) second pivot means being loosely journalled by said journal means and being moveable vertically in said journal means, said second pivot means protruding into said journal means and loosely pivotally connecting one edge portion of said bottom panel with said journal means; and (h) support means on said wall members and so disposed that said support means supports said bottom panel by its edge portions and without appreciable support from said journal means when said panel is across the open bottom of the container, said bottom panel pivoting from its position across the open bottom of the container to a position adjacent said one of said wall members, said wall members pivoting toward each other to a flattened condition for sandwiching said bottom panel therebetween, when said bottom panel is adjacent to the associated wall member; (i) said journal means having a first portion thereof inwardly of portions of said pivot means for arresting inward movement of said pivot means for thereby normally preventing said pivot means from being removed from said journal means, said journal means also having vertically spaced portions for confining movement of said pivot means in a vertical direction, said spaced portions being spaced apart sufficiently that, when said bottom panel is disposed across said open bottom, substantially all of the weight downwardly on said bottom panel is transmitted by said bottom panel to said support means and said pivot means is essentially free of said vertically spaced portions.