AU785465B2 - Foldable container - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Rees Operations Pty Ltd Actual Inventor: Rajgopalan Padmanabhan Address for Service: MADDERNS, 1st Floor, 64 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention title: FOLDABLE CONTAINER Details of Associated Provisional Application No(s): PR 4029 dated 29 March 2001 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

(PatAU131 I FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to a container for the transport of goods and in particular to a container which can be folded into a smaller size when it has been emptied of goods for return for refilling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In one form the invention is said to reside in a folding wall container, the container having: a base, opposed walls upstanding from the base, adapted to be pivoted to a folded position to reduce the size of the container for transport in a folded state, corner pieces mounted to the base of the container, S•each wall having a pivot arm mounted on it, the pivot arm having a hinge pin engaged into an associated corner piece, providing a hinge pivot axis for the folding of the wall which is laterally offset from the plane of the wall by a first selected distance, Swherein each of the associated corner pieces further has a slotted aperture in which the engaged hinge pins are adapted to rotate, whereby the slotted apertures allow each wall to fold either above or below 20 the opposite wall.

The hinge pivot axis may also be raised above the level of a floor of the base of the container a second selected distance whereby when the wall is folded in a lower end of the wall does not extend beyond an edge of the base. Preferably the second selected distance by which the hinge pivot is raised above the level of the floor of the base of the container is substantially the same as the first selected distance of the lateral offset.

The advantage of the offset hinge axis is that is allows the gate to fold over an already folded side wall or side walls without the necessity of using a fixed skirt at the base of the wall. This means that there will be no significant step to get over when installing goods into the container.

The slotted aperture also allows the gate to ride up over the earlier folded gate as it is being folded.

The slotted aperture preferably has its longitudinal extent vertical.

The walls may be constructed to be load bearing when in the erected position and when in the folded position corner pieces or corner assemblies mounted to the base can provide load bearing functions.

The base may include fork pockets so that it can be transported and lifted using a fork-lift.

At least one of the walls and preferably opposite end walls may have a gate or door built into it. The end wall or walls with the gate or door in it may include a frame and the gate or door is hinged to the frame. Hinges for the gate or door in the end wall may be provided with a double hinge configuration so that the gate or door can be opened completely around to bear against the side of the container to enable access around the container. The gate or door in the end wall may have a top and a 20 bottom section so that either the top or bottom section can be opened or both sections can be opened together.

The doors are preferably so constructed that they can be opened without interfering with the structural stability of the end wall. This means that a container can have its door in an end gate opened even if there is another container stacked on top of the container.

There may be further included a latch arrangement by which adjacent walls are latched to each other as the container walls are being erected and unlatched as they are being folded. The latch arrangement may include a swinging arm with a latch pin at the end which is mounted to one of the walls and on an adjacent wall a loop is provided into which the latch pin drops. The latch arrangement may also include a 3 safety lock whereby once the latch pin is received in the loop prevents the latch being inadvertently raised again. The safety lock may be provided by the latch pin having a cam surface which bears against the safety lock to push it open while the latch pin is being received in the loop so that the latching operation can be a single handed operation.

It will be realised that the containers according to this invention may be made in a number of configurations. At least two of the walls may be made in a horizontal bifold form where the width of the base of the container is less than the height of the walls to be folded onto the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This then generally describes the invention but to assist with understanding :°oo.o reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings; Figure 1 shows a container made according to one embodiment of the present invention in the erected position; 20 Figure 2 shows the embodiment shown in Figure 1 in the collapsed condition; S.i Figure 3 shows the embodiment of Figure 1 with the upper half of a door in an end wall of the container opened back against the side of the container; Figure 4 shows both upper and lower doors in an end wall of the container opened up; Figure 5 shows the embodiment shown in Figure 1 in the partially collapsed condition with the side walls folded and the end walls still standing; Figure 6 shows a detailed view of an end wall of a container; Figure 7 shows a detail of the offset hinge plate; Figure 8 shows a detailed view of a corner assembly of a container according to the invention; Figure 9 shows a detailed end view of a folded container of a container according to the invention; Figure 10 shows an end view of a container of a container according to the invention; Figure 11 shows a detailed corner view of the side of a container; Figure 12 shows a detailed view of a corner of a container according to this invention with the end walls folded; Figure 13 shows detail of the latch arrangement according to this invention; and Figure 13A shows detail of the latch arm and latch pin according to this invention; DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Now looking more closely the drawings will be seen that a container 1 has a base 2 and side walls 3 and 4 and end walls 5 and 6. It will be noted that the side walls 3 oooe 15 and 4 are taller than the width of the base 2 and hence they have a bi-fold action with a central pivot axis provided by hinges 10 so that when in the folded condition as shown in Figure 2 the side walls 3 and 4 are doubled up. Figure 5 shows the container according to this embodiment of the invention with the two side walls folded in. The wall 3 is folded before the wall 4.

The end walls 5 and 6 have a substantially rectangular frame and mounted within S the rectangular frame are upper and lower doors 7 and 8. As can be seen particularly in Figures 3 and 4 the door 7 can be opened leaving the door 8 closed or both doors 7 and 8 can be opened together to allow access into the end of the container. Pivoting of the doors 7 and 8 is provided by a dual hinge configuration 12 so that once opened the doors can be swung completely against the side of the container as shown is Figures 3 and 4.

The base of the container has corner assemblies 15 which include a lower portion 14 which provides a leg for each corner upon which the container is supported and an upper portion 13 which provides the pivot axes for the end walls as will now be discussed with particular reference to Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9. In these drawings the doors 7 and 8 have been omitted for clarity but the frame 20 of the end wall is shown.

The corner assembly 15 has a vertical slotted aperture 21 along its side wing 22 and the frame 20 has a pivot plate 24 with a bolt 26 acting as a pivot pin extending through the aperture 21. The length of the slotted aperture is a little more than the thickness of the end wall. The lateral offset of the bolt 26 on the pivot plate 24 from the end of the container is about the same distance that the slot is above the floor of the base of the container. When the frame 20 is folded therefore as shown in Figure 9 the lower edge of 28 of the frame 20 does not extend out beyond the edge of the base of the container.

The reason for the slotted aperture is two fold and can be best seen in Figure 12.

In this drawing it will be noted that the end wall 6 has been folded first and is :•ooo underneath the end wall 5 which has been folded second. It will be noted therefore :°oooo 15 that the hinge pin 26 on the gate 6 is therefore at the bottom of the aperture 21 but for the gate 5 the hinge pin 26 is at the top of the aperture. Hence the position of the hinge pin in the slotted aperture is entirely dependent upon which door is folded first and in fact either door can be folded first. This provides a considerable amount more flexibility in the folding of a container where access to one door may not be possible until the other door has been folded.

.i As can be seen in Figure 10 for instance a locking plate 30 is provided on each end wall which engages with the corner assembly 22 when an end wall is erected to hold the end wall erect while the side walls are being erected.

Once the end walls have been erected when a container is being erected then one side wall then the other can be erected and to retain this wall in place latch arrangements are provided between the side walls and the end walls. The latch arrangement is shown in detail in Figure 13 and Figure 13A.

The latch arrangement composes a latch arm 35 which pivots on a pivot 36 mounted to an upright 37 of a side wall. The latch arm 35 has a latch pin 38 at the end of the latch arm 35 remote from the pivot 36 and this latch arm engages in a loop 39 mounted on the adjacent frame member 40 of a end wall.

A safety lock 41 with retaining spring 44 pivots on pivot point 42 on the frame member 40 and the safety lock prevents raising of the latch arm 35 until the safety lock is swung out of position.

The latch pin 38 has a cam surface 43 which when the latch arrangement is being closed engages against the safety lock 41 and pushes the safety lock 41 out of the way so that closing of the latch arm 35 can be a one handed operation so that the operator can hold the walls erect while engaging the latches. This cam surface 43 is particularly shown in Figure 13A.

It will be seen by this invention as provided a transport container which can be easily folded to a folded condition for return empty and which is more flexible in its range of uses than existing forms of containers.

Throughout this specification various indications have been given as to the scope of this invention but the invention is not limited to any one of these but may reside in S. two or more of these combined together. The examples are given for illustration only and not for limitation.

Throughout this specification and the claims that follow unless the context requires otherwise, the words 'comprise' and 'include' and variations such as 'comprising' and 'including' will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Claims (16)

1. A folding wall container, the container having: a base, opposed walls upstanding from the base, adapted to be pivoted to a folded position to reduce the size of the container for transport in a folded state, corner pieces mounted to the base of the container, each wall having a pivot arm mounted on it, the pivot arm having a hinge pin engaged into an associated corner piece, providing a hinge pivot axis for the folding of the wall which is laterally offset from the plane of the wall by a first selected distance, wherein each of the associated corner pieces further has a slotted aperture in which the engaged hinge pins are adapted to rotate, whereby the slotted apertures allow each wall to fold either above or below the opposite wall. oeo•

2. A folding wall container as in Claim 1 wherein the hinge pivot axis is also raised above the level of a floor of the base of the container a second selected distance 20 whereby when the wall is folded in a lower end of the wall does not extend beyond an edge of the base.

3. A folding wall container as in Claim I wherein the second selected distance by which the hinge pivot is raised above the level of the floor of the base of the container is substantially the same as the first selected distance of the lateral offset.

4. A folding wall container as in Claim 1 wherein the slotted aperture has its longitudinal extent vertical.

5. A folding wall container as in Claim 1 wherein walls on two opposing sides of the container are provided with offset pivot axes.

6. A folding wall container as in any one previous claim wherein the walls are constructed to be load bearing when in the erected position and when in the folded position corner pieces or corner assemblies mounted to the base provide load bearing functions.

7. A folding wall container as in any one previous claim wherein the base includes fork pockets so that it can be transported and lifted using a fork-lift.

8. A folding wall container as in any one previous claim wherein at least one of •10 the walls has a gate or door built into it. o

9. A folding wall container as in Claim 8 wherein the end wall with the gate or •0 0 door includes a frame and the gate or door is hinged to the frame. 00

10. A folding wall container as Claim 9 wherein hinges for the gate or door in the end wall are provided with a double hinge configuration so that the gate or door can be opened completely around to bear against the side of the container to enable access around the container. 0#0o 20

11. A folding wall container as Claim 9 wherein the gate or door in the end wall is in a top and a bottom section so that either the top section can be opened or both sections can be opened together.

12. A folding wall container as in any one previous claim further including a latch arrangement by which adjacent walls are latched to each other as the container walls are being erected and unlatched as they are being folded.

13. A folding wall container as Claim 12 wherein the latch arrangement includes a swinging arm with a latch pin at the end which is mounted to one of the walls and on an adjacent wall a loop is provided into which the latch pin drops.

14. A folding wall container as Claim 13 wherein the latch arrangement includes a safety lock whereby once the latch pin is received in the loop prevents the latch being inadvertently raised again.

15. A folding wall container as Claim 14 wherein the latch pin has a cam surface which bears against the safety lock to push it open while the latch pin is being received in the loop so that the latching operation can be a single handed operation.

16. A folding wall container substantially as hereinbefore described with 10 reference to the accompanying drawings. *oo •oo