EP3466838A1

EP3466838A1 - Returnable box

Info

Publication number: EP3466838A1
Application number: EP16904571.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Katsuaki Sawachi; Tomomi DEGUCHI
Original assignee: Ecobiz Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ecobiz Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-06-07
Filing date: 2016-06-07
Publication date: 2019-04-10
Also published as: EP3466838A4; JPWO2017212536A1; CN109311586A; US20190166991A1; WO2017212536A1

Abstract

There is provided a returnable box, which is capable of conveying clothes under a state of being hung from a hanger, and prevents falling of the hanger during conveyance without requiring a complicated operation. A returnable box according to the present invention includes: a box main body configured to store clothes thereinside; and a hanger hooking member attached inside the box main body. The hanger hooking member includes a fixing member and a hanger hooking main body including a hanger bar on which a hook of a hanger is hooked, and the fixing member is attached to the hanger hooking main body under a state of being extended along a longitudinal direction of the hanger bar above the hanger bar.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a box to be used for conveyance of products or the like, and to a returnable box, which is repeatedly used by returning, to a conveyance source, the box that has become empty after products or the like are conveyed to a destination.

Background Art

There has been proposed a returnable box capable of storing clothes under a state of being hung from a hanger. As such returnable box, for example, in Patent Literature 1, there is described a foldable container for carrying clothes, which includes a horizontal rail for hooking a hanger and a fixture main body. The horizontal rail for hooking a hanger is provided in the vicinity of a ceiling portion of a storage portion. The fixture main body includes an elastic member on a lower surface thereof. According to the foldable container for carrying clothes in Patent Literature 1, the fixture main body is inserted between the horizontal rail on which the hanger is hooked and a lower surface of the ceiling portion of the storage portion so that a top surface portion of the hook of the hanger can be pressed by the elastic member. With this, falling of the hanger due to vibration of the container can be prevented during conveyance.

Citation List

Patent Literature

[PTL 1] JP 2006-213355 A

Summary of Invention

Technical Problem

However, in the foldable container for carrying clothes in Patent Literature 1, in order to press the top surface portion of the hook of the hanger by the elastic member, it is required that the fixture main body have a thickness substantially equal to a gap between the lower surface of the ceiling portion and the horizontal rail. Thus, an operation of inserting the fixture main body between the lower surface of the ceiling portion and the horizontal rail is not easy.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems inherent in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a returnable box, which is capable of conveying clothes under a state of being hung from a hanger, and prevents falling of the hanger during conveyance without requiring a complicated operation.

Solution to Problem

A returnable box according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a box main body configured to store clothes thereinside; and a hanger hooking member attached inside the box main body. The hanger hooking member includes a fixing member and a hanger hooking main body including a hanger bar on which a hook of a hanger is hooked, and the fixing member is attached to the hanger hooking main body under a state of being extended along a longitudinal direction of the hanger bar above the hanger bar.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member has elasticity.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member includes a belt-shaped member having rubber elasticity.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member is held in contact with an upper surface of the hanger bar.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a projecting portion is formed on an upper surface of the hanger bar.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the projecting portion includes a plurality of projecting portions.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a locking part configured to fix the fixing member by being hooked on the projecting portion is provided on an end portion of the fixing member.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member is held in contact with an upper surface of the projecting portion.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the hanger hooking member is removably attached inside the box main body.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the box main body is foldable.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, clothes can be conveyed under a state of being hung from a hanger, and falling of the hanger during conveyance can be prevented without requiring a complicated operation.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for illustrating an example of a configuration of a returnable box according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view for illustrating an example of a configuration of a hanger hooking member.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view for illustrating an example of a configuration of a hanger hooking main body.
FIG. 4 is a plan view for illustrating an example of a configuration of a fixing member in a state of being removed from the hanger hooking main body.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view for illustrating a state in which a box main body in the embodiment of the present invention is open.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view for illustrating a step of a procedure of folding the box main body.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view for illustrating a step of the procedure of folding the box main body.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view for illustrating a step of the procedure of folding the box main body.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view for illustrating a step of the procedure of folding the box main body.

Description of Embodiments

A returnable box according to one embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9 . FIG. 1 is a perspective view for illustrating an example of a configuration of the returnable box according to the embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , a returnable box 100 includes a box main body 1 and a hanger hooking member 70. The hanger hooking member 70 is attached inside the box main body 1. A shape of the box main body 1 is not particularly limited, and is a rectangular parallelepiped shape in the illustrated example.
As described later, the hanger hookingmember 70 includes a hanger hooking main body and a fixing member. The hanger hooking main body includes a hanger bar. The fixing member is attached to the hanger hooking main body under a state of being extended along a longitudinal direction of the hanger bar above the hanger bar. With this, a hanger that is hooked on the hanger bar can be easily fixed without requiring a complicated operation, thereby being capable of achieving the returnable box 100 that prevents falling of a hanger during conveyance.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the hanger hooking member 70 is arranged substantially horizontally inside the box main body 1. A hanger with clothes hung therefrom can be hooked on the hanger hooking member 70. With this, clothes can be conveyed under a state of being hung from a hanger through use of the returnable box 100. As a configuration for arranging the hanger hooking member 70 inside the box main body 1, any appropriate configuration may be employed. As the above-mentioned configuration, there is given, for example, a configuration in which attaching parts 53 configured to hook and fix the hanger hooking member 70 are provided on an inner surface of the box main body 1.
FIG. 2 is a front view for illustrating an example of a configuration of the hanger hooking member. As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the hanger hooking member 70 includes a hanger hooking main body 71 and a fixing member 75. The fixing member 75 is attached to the hanger hooking main body 71 so as to cover an entirety or a part of a hanger bar 72 under a state of being extended along a longitudinal direction of the hanger bar 72. More specifically, under a state in which the hanger hooking member 70 is attached inside the box main body 1, the fixing member 75 is located above the hanger bar 72, and is attached to the hanger hooking main body 71 under the state of being extended along the longitudinal direction of the hanger bar 72.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view for illustrating an example of a configuration of the hanger hooking main body. As illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the hanger hooking main body 71 includes the hanger bar 72 and mounting parts 73. The hanger bar 72 is a portion on which a hook of a hanger is hooked. The mounting parts 73 are provided on both ends of the hanger bar 72. The hanger bar 72 is a bar-like member, and a shape of the hanger bar 72 is not particularly limited. The hanger bar 72 has a thickness or a diameter large enough to hook a hook of a general hanger. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3 , the hanger bar 72 schematically has a semi-cylindrical shape having a curved surface portion in an upper half. Further, a length of the hanger bar 72 may be appropriately set in accordance with a size of the box main body. The length of the hanger bar 72 is, for example, from 300 mm to 600 mm, and is typically about 480 mm. The mounting parts 73 each have a U-shape that is open on the lower side in FIG. 3 . The hanger hookingmember 70 can be removably attached inside the box main body 1 by hooking the mounting parts 73 on the attaching parts 53 provided on the inner surface of the box main body 1. The hanger hooking main body 71 may be made of any appropriate material, and is typically made of polyethylene terephthalate resin.
FIG. 4 is a plan view for illustrating an example of a configuration of the fixing member in a state of being removed from the hanger hooking main body. The fixing member 75 typically has rubber elasticity. The fixing member 75 may be removably attached to the hanger hooking main body 71, or unremovably fixed to the hanger hooking main body 71. Further, a configuration for mounting the fixing member 75 to the hanger hooking main body 71 is not particularly limited, and any appropriate configuration may be employed. As a specific example of the above-mentioned configuration, there is given a configuration in which a snap button, a hook-and-loop fastener, or the like is provided to the fixing member 75. In the example illustrated in FIG. 4 , the fixing member 75 includes an extension band 76 and locking parts 77. The extension band 76 has a belt-like shape and rubber elasticity. The locking parts 77 are provided on both ends of the extension band 76 and configured to mount the fixing member 75 to the hanger hooking main body 71. Snap buttons 78 are provided to each of the locking parts 77, and the fixing member 75 can be attached to the hanger hooking main body 71 by fastening the snap buttons 78 under a state in which the locking parts 77 are wound around the hanger bar 72.
Further, in the example illustrated in FIG. 2 , a plurality of projecting portions 74 arrayed along the longitudinal direction are formed on an upper surface of the hanger bar 72. The snap buttons 78 are fastened on an outer side of any projecting portion 74 of the plurality of projecting portions 74 (typically, endmost projecting portion) under a state in which the locking parts 77 are wound around the hanger bar 72. In this manner, the fixing member 75 can be attached to the hanger bar 72 by hooking the fixing member 75 on the projecting portions 74.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 2 , the fixing member 75 is attached to the hanger bar 72. However, the fixing member 75 may be attached to the mounting parts 73.
As described above, in the hanger hooking member 70, the fixing member 75 is located above the hanger bar 72 under the state of being extended along the longitudinal direction of the hanger bar 72. With this, a hanger that is hooked on the hanger bar 72 is pressed from above by the fixing member 75 by a force in accordance with an elastic modulus of the fixing member 75. As a result, even when the returnable box 100 is vibrated during conveyance, falling of a hanger can be prevented.
Falling of a hanger during conveyance can be further reliably prevented as a gap between the fixing member 75 and the hanger bar 72 is reduced. Therefore, it is preferred that the fixing member 75 be fixed to the hanger hooking main body 71 so as to reduce the gap between the fixing member 75 and the hanger bar 72, and it is more preferred that the fixing member 75 be fixed to the hanger hooking main body 71 under a state of being held in contact with the upper surface of the hanger bar 72 (upper surfaces of the projecting portions 74 in a case in which the projecting portions 74 are formed).
Further, when a hanger is to be hooked on the hanger bar 72, a worker can hook a hook of the hanger on the hanger bar 72 by inserting the hook into the gap between the hanger bar 72 and the fixing member 75 under a state in which the gap is widened by pulling the fixing member 75 upward. Therefore, a hanger can be hooked on the hanger bar 72 without requiring a complicated operation.
As a material and a shape of each of the extension band 76 and the locking parts 77, any appropriate material and shape may be employed. As the material of the extension band 76, there are given, for example, natural rubber and polyurethane, and, as the material of the locking parts 77, there are given, for example, polypropylene, polyester, and nylon. Further, as the extension band 76, there may be employed an extension band having, for example, a length of from 280 mm to 380 mm, a width of from 25 mm to 50 mm, and a thickness of from 0.1 mm to 2 mm. As each of the locking parts 77, there may be employed a locking part having a length of from 110 mm to 120 mm and a width of 25 mm.
An extension rate of the extension band 76 under a state of being attached to the hanger bar 72 (rate of a length in an attached state to a length in an unattached state) may be set to, for example, from 120% to 160%. Further, a breakage length of the extension band 76 may be set to from 180% to 200%. The length of the hanger bar 72, the length of the extension band 76, and the extension rate of the extension band 76 are set so that the fixing member 75 can apply an appropriate force to a hook of a hanger in a vertically downward direction when the fixing member 75 is attached to the hanger hooking main body 71. More specifically, the length of the hanger bar 72, the length of the extension band 76, and the extension rate of the extension band 76 are set so that a required force can be applied to a hook of a hanger so as to prevent falling of the hanger, and that a worker can easily pull the fixing member 75 upward so as to hook the hanger on the hanger bar 72.
Further, in the example illustrated in FIG. 3 , the plurality of projecting portions 74 arrayed in the longitudinal direction are formed on the upper surface of the hanger bar 72. A hanger is hooked between the projecting portion 74 and the projecting portion 74, thereby being capable of preventing lateral slipping of the hanger on the hanger bar 72. With this, even when the returnable box 100 is inclined during conveyance of a plurality of clothes so that the hanger bar 72 is inclined, an interval between the clothes can be kept. As a result, occurrence of, for example, wrinkles, deformation, or creases due to overlapping of clothes can be prevented. The number of the projecting portions 74 and an interval between the adjacent projecting portions 74 are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set. The number of the projecting portions 74 is, for example, from five to thirty, and is typically seventeen. The interval between the projecting portions 74 is, for example, from 5 mm to 50 mm, and is typically 20 mm.
Further, when the interval between the fixing member 75 and the upper surface of the hanger bar 72 at a portion at which the projecting portion 74 is not formed is excessively large, a movable range of a hanger in an up-and-down direction is increased. Thus, there is a concern in that a hook of a hanger drops off the hanger bar 72. Therefore, it is preferred that the above-mentioned interval be appropriately set so as to be able to limit the movable range of a hanger to such a degree as to prevent a hook of the hanger from dropping off, and be set to, for example, from 3 mm to 30 mm.

As described above, the box main body 1 has substantially a rectangular parallelepiped shape. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , an outer surface of the box main body 1 includes a top surface portion 10 and a bottom surface portion 20 that are opposed to each other, a front wall portion 30 and a rear wall portion 40 that are opposed to each other, and a right wall portion 50 and a left wall portion 60 that are opposed to each other.
The box main body 1 is openable and closable at a part of the outer surface so that clothes or the like can be taken in and out. FIG. 5 is a perspective view for illustrating a state in which the box main body in the embodiment of the present invention is open. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5 , there is illustrated a state in which an entirety or a part of the front wall portion 30 is open, and the hanger hooking member 70 is removed from the box main body 1.
As a configuration for enabling an entirety or a part of the front wall portion 30 to be opened and closed, any appropriate configuration may be employed. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1 , a fastener 31 is provided along a side shared with the top surface portion 10, along a side shared with the right wall portion 50, and along a side shared with the left wall portion 60 among sides of the front wall portion 30. The fastener 31 is openable and closable with sliders 32. The fastener is used for opening and closing the front wall portion 30 so that excellent sealability is achieved, and intrusion of dust or water into the box main body can be prevented.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 5 , the attaching parts 53 configured to mount the hanger hooking member 70 to the box main body 1 are each a member having a belt-like shape in which both ends are sewn on the inner surface of the box main body so as to be open upward and downward. The attaching parts 53 are sewn on the vicinities of upper portions of inner surfaces of the right wall portion 50 and the left wall portion 60, respectively. According to the above-mentioned configuration, the mounting parts 73 of the hanger hooking member 70 are hooked on openings of the attaching parts 53 so that the hanger hooking member 70 can be removably attached inside the box main body 1.
Further, in the example illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 , handles 52 each having a belt-like shape are provided on outer surfaces of the right wall portion 50 and the left wall portion 60. With this, during conveyance of the returnable box 100, conveyance of the returnable box 100 can be facilitated by gripping the handles 52.
It is preferred that the box main body 1 be foldable. With this, when it is not required to store clothes or the like, the box main body 1 can be stored while being folded compactly. As a configuration for enabling the box main body 1 to be folded, any appropriate configuration may be employed. Now, an example of the above-mentioned configuration is described.
The right wall portion 50 and the left wall portion 60 are bendable toward an inside of the box main body 1. As the above-mentioned configuration, any appropriate configuration may be employed. In the illustrated example, the left wall portion 60 is made of a deformable sheet material, and includes therein two divided reinforcing plates 61a each having sufficient rigidity so that the box main body 1 stands upright. The two divided reinforcing plates 61a are arranged so as to be arrayed in a right-and-left direction in the sheet material, and the sheet material is sewn along a dividing line 61b between the two divided plates 61a. Although not illustrated, the right wall portion 50 has a similar configuration. According to the above-mentioned configuration, each of the right wall portion 50 and the left wall portion 60 can be bent along the dividing line 61b easily. As the sheet material, any appropriate sheet material is used, and, for example, woven cloth and/or non-woven cloth is used. As each of the divided reinforcing plates 61a, any appropriate plate member is used, and, for example, a plastic cardboard plate is used.
The top surface portion 10 and the bottom surface portion 20 are deformable when the box main body 1 is to be folded. As the above-mentioned configuration, any appropriate configuration may be employed. In the illustrated example, the bottom surface portion 20 is made of a deformable sheet material, and one reinforcing plate 21 is laid on an inner surface side of the bottom surface portion 20. As in the illustrated example, the bottom surface portion 20 and the reinforcing plate 21 have substantially the same shape, and may be bonded to each other with a hook-and-loop fastener 22. Further, a grip 23 may be provided on an inner surface side of the reinforcing plate 21. Similarly, the top surface portion 10 is made of a deformable sheet material, and one reinforcing plate 11 is laid on an inner surface side of the top surface portion 10. As in the illustrated example, the top surface portion 10 and the reinforcing plate 11 have substantially the same shape, and may be bonded to each other with a hook-and-loop fastener 12. Further, although not illustrated, a grip may be provided on an inner surface side of the reinforcing plate 11. As the sheet material, any appropriate sheet material is used, and, for example, woven cloth and/or non-woven cloth is used. As each of the reinforcing plate 11 and the reinforcing plate 21, any appropriate plate member is used, and, for example, a plastic cardboard plate is used.
The front wall portion 30 may be made of, for example, a sheet material so as to facilitate opening and closing. Further, the rear wall portion 40 may be made of a sheet material, or may be made of a sheet material including therein a plate member that is the same as that of the above-mentioned reinforcing plate 11. A winding portion 34 configured to wind the returnable box 100 in a folded state is provided on the inner surface of the front wall portion 30. The winding portion 34 is preferably a rubber band. Further, accommodating portions 33 configured to accommodate the hanger hooking member 70 are provided on the inner surface of the front wall portion 30.
The reinforcing plate 11 is attached to an upper side of the rear wall portion 40 so as to be pivotable, and the reinforcing plate 21 is attached to a lower side of the rear wall portion 40 so as to be pivotable.
FIG. 6 to FIG. 9 are perspective views for illustrating steps of a procedure of folding the box main body. When the box main body 1 is to be folded, first, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , under a state in which the front wall portion 30 is open, the hanger hooking member 70 is accommodated in the accommodating portions 33, and the grip 23 is pulled so that the reinforcing plate 11 and the reinforcing plate 21 are turned toward an inner surface of the rear wall portion 40.
Next, as illustrated in FIG. 7 , the reinforcing plate 11 and the reinforcing plate 21 are turned to be brought into a state in which a lower surface of the reinforcing plate 11 and an upper surface of the reinforcing plate 21 are held in contact with the inner surface of the rear wall portion 40.
Next, as illustrated in FIG. 8 , each of the right wall portion 50 and the left wall portion 60 is bent to the inner side along the dividing line 61b so that the divided plates 61a are overlapped with each other.
Finally, as illustrated in FIG. 9 , the front wall portion 30 is lifted up so that the front wall portion 30 is opposed to the rear wall portion 40, and the rear wall portion 40, the right wall portion 50, and the left wall portion 60 are bundled with the winding portion 34. With the procedure above, the box main body 1 can be folded with an extremely simple operation.

Industrial Applicability

The returnable box according to the present invention is suitably used for conveyance of products or the like, in particular, conveyance of clothes.

Reference Signs List

1: box main body

70: hanger hooking member
71: hanger hooking main body
72: hanger bar
74: projecting portion
75: fixing member
77: locking parts
100: returnable box

Claims

A returnable box, comprising:
a box main body configured to store clothes thereinside; and

a hanger hooking member attached inside the box main body,

wherein the hanger hooking member includes a fixing member and a hanger hooking main body including a hanger bar on which a hook of a hanger is hooked, and

wherein the fixing member is attached to the hanger hooking main body under a state of being extended along a longitudinal direction of the hanger bar above the hanger bar.
The returnable box according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member has elasticity.
The returnable box according to claim 2, wherein the fixing member includes a belt-shaped member having rubber elasticity.
The returnable box according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fixing member is held in contact with an upper surface of the hanger bar.
The returnable box according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a projecting portion is formed on an upper surface of the hanger bar.
The returnable box according to claim 5, wherein the projecting portion comprises a plurality of projecting portions.
The returnable box according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a locking part configured to fix the fixing member by being hooked on the projecting portion is provided on an end portion of the fixing member.
The returnable box according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the fixing member is held in contact with an upper surface of the projecting portion.
The returnable box according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the hanger hooking member is removably attached inside the box main body.
The returnable box according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the box main body is foldable.