GB2235429A

GB2235429A - Container having a foldable lid

Info

Publication number: GB2235429A
Application number: GB8919190A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Stanford
Original assignee: Lin Pac Mouldings Ltd
Current assignee: Linpac Mouldings Ltd
Priority date: 1989-08-23
Filing date: 1989-08-23
Publication date: 1991-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2009-08-23
Also published as: GB2235429B; GB8919190D0

Abstract

A container assembly has a base 2 and upwardly extending side walls 6 to provide an openable top which is closable by lids 7 and 8 hinged at 5 to the side walls. The lids 7 and 8 each comprise lid parts 7A, 7B and 8A, 8B which are hinged together at 9. When not in use the lids 7 and 8 are pivotted clear of the open top to hang from their hinges 5 externally of the container 1 to lie adjacent the side walls thereof. Each lid has its lid parts folded into an overlying relationship in which it is releasably retained by press engageable fastenings 13A and 14. The assembly is particularly suitable for nest stacking of several similar assemblies so that the hanging and folded lids 7 and 8 are not interfered by or interfere with the immediately underlying assembly in the stack. The assembly may be moulded in plastics with an integral hinge 9 between the lid parts. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE "A container assembly" TECHNICAL FIELD & BACKGROUND ART The present invention relates to a container assembly and is particularly concerned with an assembly of the kind in which a container has an open top that is closable by a lid pivotally mounted to a side wall of the container and in which the lid, when not in use, hanas externally of the container adjacent to its side wall.With assemblies of the kind mentioned the hanaina lid can prove an inconvenience and obtrtlsion during storaae or transportation of several similar containers where the hansinq lids of adjacent containers may interfere with each other to increase the storaae snace reallirements. This is particularly so where several empty containers are nest stacked one within the other to form a vertical column and their hanaina lids may abut the lid of the underlvina container so that the lids splay increasinalv as the heiaht of the column increases.It is an object of the present invention to provide a container assembly by which the aforementioned disadvantases can be alleviated.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION & ADVANTAGES According to the present invention there is provided a container assembly comprisina a container havina a base and side walls extendina upwardly from the base to provide an open top, and a lid mounted on a side wall by first hinae means to be pivotable from a first position in which it serves to close the open top and a second position in which it hanas adjacent to the side wall externally of the container, and wherein said lid comprises at least two lid parts connected toaether by second hinae means, said parts beina pivotable with respect to each other for foldina into overlyina relationship externally of the container to reduce the overall drop heiaht of the lid from the first hinae means.

Usually the lid will have two lid parts which are simply folded into overlyinq relationship althouqh structures of the lid are envisaaed which comprise three or more lid parts hinedly connected together so that they can be folded in concertina fashion into overlyinq relationship. In their folded condition the overall drop height of the lid parts from the first hinae means may be considerably less than the correspondina overall drop of the lid from the first hinae means when in its unfolded condition so that the folded lid parts can be accommodated closely to the wall of the container and thereby be less likely to provide an encumberance which may aive interference durina storage or transportation of the container assembly with the lid open.Preferably the assembly includes means by which the lid parts are releasably retained in their folded condition - such retainina means convenientlv COmDriSina fasteninas which are press enaaaeable between the lid parts. The retainina means may be located on the lid or on the container.

The container assembly of the present invention was primarilv developed for vertical nest stackina with an overlying similar container whereby with the lid in its second position the base of t'ne overlyina container can be received in the open top of the underlyina container to a predetermined depth with a part depth of the wall of the upper container exposed from the underlyina container.

With such a nest stackinq assembly it is preferred that with the lid in its second position and the lid parts folded, the drop height of the lid parts is less than the aforementioned exposed part depth of the side wall. By this latter arranaement and with several container assemblies nest stacked to form a vertical column, the folded hanqina lids will not interfere with the hanaina lid of the immediately underlyina assembly in the stack, Consequentlv, overlyina abutment between the vertical array of hanging lids is avoided to alleviate the problem of the hanaina lids becoming increasinaly splayed as the heiaht of the column increases.

Usually the assembly will have at least two lids, each of which comprises the hinqedly connected lid parts and which lids in their respective first positions close the open top of the container and in their respective second positions have their lid parts foldable into overlyina relationship to hana adjacent to the side wall of the container from which the lids are respectively hinted.

Typically the container will be of substantially rectangular parallelopipedon shape havinq opposed substantially parallel side walls with the first hinae means located at an upPer edae of a said side wall.

The lid is preferably a plastics mouldina and this is also a preference for the container. With a plastics moulded lid the second hinge means may be intearally formed between the respective lid parts. A plastics lid may also have the previously mentioned press engageable fastenina integrally formed therewith, such fasteninas may comprise projections on one lid part which enrage with substantially complementary recesses on the other, or another, lid part which it overlies.

The container assembly may be suitable for vertical column stacking with a similar overlyina assembly whereby with the lid or lids of the underlying assembly in its first position, the base of the overlying assembly can stand on the underlyinq assemblv to form a vertical column therewith. For such column stackina it is preferred that the lid comprises reinforcina means for accommodatinq at least part of the vertical load to which it is subjected from the upper assembly and to distribute said loads to the side walls of the container in the underlying assembly.

The reinforcing means may comprise bail ribs moulded into one or more of th lid parts to be upstandina from the lid when in its first position. Desirably the base of the container has downwardly directed recesses or channels (which are preferably complementary in shape to the bail ribs) and are located so that durinq vertical column stacking of similar container assemblies, the downwardly directed recesses of an upper assembly in the stack enrage with the bail ribs on the lid or lids of the immediately underlying assembly in the stack to provide stability and efficient transfer of vertical loading throuah the stack.

DRAWINGS One embodiment of a container assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanylnq illustrative drawinas in which: Fiqure 1 is a perspective view of the assembly which includes two lids, one of which is shown in its first position to close the open top of the container and the other of which is shown beings manoeuvred into its first position, Fiaure 2 is a perspective view of the assembly with the lids in their second position and the lid parts thereof folded to hana externally of the container, Fiaure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a lid to show part of the hinge by which it is mounted on the container and part of a bail rib; ; Fiqure 4 is a perspective view of a further portion of a lid, and Figure 5 is a side elevation of a vertical column formed by three nest stacked containers similar to that shown in Fiaure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The container assembly has a plastics moulded container 1 of aenerally oblono rectangular parallelopipedon shape with a base 2 and four side walls extendinq upwardly from the base to provide an open top 3.

Mounted by hinges 5 at the upper edges of opposed longitudinally extending side walls 6 of the container 1 are two lids 7 and 8 each of which is formed as a one piece plastics mouldina.

Each lid 7, 8 is formed with two lid parts 7a and 7b and 8A and 8B respectively. The lid parts of each lid are connected toaether by an intearal plastics hinge 9 which extends lonaitudinally of the assembly and parallel to the lines of hinaes 5. The hinqes 5 are conveniently formed by inter-enaaqinq plastics moulded portions on the lid parts 7A and 8A and respective side walls 6 as indicated in Fiqure 3. The lids 7 and 8 can be moved to a first position (as shown for the lid 8 in Figure 1) in which they respectively abut the upper edges of the container side walls to close the top of the container 1.In Fiqure I the lid 7 is shown being manoeuvred into its first position where plate-like extensions 10 on the lid parts 7B and 8B will restectively overlie the other lid part so that apertures in those extensions will co-operate with apertures on the respective lid parts and permit security locks (not shown) to be fitted to retain the lids closed.

The security locks may be fitted both between the adjacent lid parts 7B and 8B and also between those lid parts and the opposed side walls of the container 1 substantially alonq a line where the closed lid parts 7B and 8B are in edae-to-edae abutment with each other.

The lids 7 and 8 are identical mouldinqs and each lid part 7B and SB is moulded to provide on the face thereof remote from the interior of the container (when the lids are closed) a longitudinally extendinq reinforcina rib 12 and a lonaitudinally spaced array of laterally extendina reinforcina ribs 13 which extend from the respective ribs 12.The ribs 12 and 13 are hollow to provide channels 14 on the side of the lid parts 7B and 8B opposite to the ribs 12 and 13 and which channels are substantially complementary to those ribs as shown in Fiaure d. Each lid part 7A and 8A is moulded to provide on the face thereof on the interior of the container (when the lids are closed) a longitudinally extending reinforcing rib 12A and a longitudinally spaced array of laterally extendina reinforcing ribs 13A which extend from the respective ribs 12A. The aforementioned reinforcing ribs on the hinaedly connected lid parts are located to correspond with each other (as will be apparent from the following discussion) and provide rigidity to the panels which the lid parts present.

Also moulded into each lid part 7A and 8A is a bail rib 20 which extends longitudinally over the lenath of the lid parts parallel to the side walls 6 and projects upwardly from the respective lid parts when the lids 7 and 8 are positioned to close the open top 3. With the open top 3 closed by the lids, the base of a second identical container can stand on the closed lids of the underlyina container 1 to form a vertical stack. In such a stack the bail ribs 20 provide reinforcement to accomodate tart (or all) of the load which may be applied to the lids from the upper container assembly and to distribute that load from the lids to the upstandina side walls of the underlyina container. It will be appreciated that the reinforcina ribs 12 and 12A can also serve to distribute vertical loadina on lids to the side walls if required.Moulded into the base 2 of the container 1 are downwardly directed channels or recesses 21 which, when the lids 7 and 8 are closed, vertically underlie the respective bail ribs 20.

The channels 21 are substantially complementary in shape to the bail ribs 20. During the aforementioned vertical stacking, of identical container assemblies the bail ribs 20 of an underlying assembly are enaaaed within the channels 21 of the immediately overlyinq container to effect the transfer of vertical loadina and also to provide the stack with a stable structure.

The lids 7 and 8 can be pivotted on the hinaes 5 from their first position clear of the open top 3 and to a second position in which they hana from their respective hinqes 5 externally of the container 1 and adjacent to the side walls 6 from which they are respectively hinqed. In their second positions each lid 7 and 8 can have its respective lid parts folded into overlying relationship by pivotal movement about the hinqe 9 so that the lid parts 7A and 7B substantially overlie and abut each other as do the lid parts 8A and SB as shown in Fiqure 2. With the lid parts of each lid folded, it will be seen from Fiqure 2 that the dropheight of each lid from its respectivehinaes 5 is considerably less than would be the drop height of each lid with the lid parts in their unfolded condition.

With the lid parts folded toaether, the reinforcina ribs 13A on the lid parts 7A and 8A are received within the complementary channels 14 on the lid parts 7B and SB respectively. Such enaaaement between the ribs and channels may permit the lid parts of the respective lids to be in substantially face-to-face abutment and furthermore serve to provide press enaaaeable fasteninas between the two lid parts which releasably retains the lid parts in their folded condition.

With the lids in their second position and their respective lid parts folded as shown in Fiaure 2, several container assemblies when empty can be nest stacked one within the other to form a vertical column as shown in Figure 5 for three such assemblies 100, 200 and 300.

As is conventional for known nest stacking containers, the container 1 of each upper assembly 200 and 300 is received in the open top of the container in the immediately underlying assembly 100 and 200 respectively to a predetermined depth (shown at X in Fiaure 5) so that a part depth (shown at Y) of the container walls are exposed from the underlying container. With this arrangement the drop heiaht of the lids 7 and 8 with their lid parts folded is less than the aforementioned depth Y. Consequently, and as shown in Fiaure 5, the hanaina depth of the folded lids is such that those lids will not interfere with, or be interfered by the immediately underlying container in the nest column stack thereby permitting the folded lids to lie closely adjacent to the container side walls.

Claims

1. A container assembly comprisina a container havinq a base and side walls extendinq upwardly from the base to provide an open top, and a lid mounted on a side wall by first hinqe means to be pivotable from a first position in which it serves to close the open top and a second position in which it hanqs adjacent to the side wall externally of the container, and wherein said lid comprises at least two lid parts connected toqether by second hinge means, said parts beina pivotable with respect to each other for folding into overlying relationship externally of the container to reduce the overall drop heiaht of the lid from the first hinge means.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 and comprising means by which the lid parts are releasably retained in their overlying folded relationship.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the releasable retainina means comprises fasteninas which are press engageable between the lid parts.

4. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims for vertical nest stackina with an overlying similar assembly whereby with the lid in its second position the base of the overlvina container can be received in the open top of the underlying container to a predetermined depth with a part depth of the wall of the upper container exposed from the underlying container, and wherein with the lid parts in their folded condition, the drop heiaht of the lid is less than said exposed part depth of the wall.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of the precedinq claims and having at least two said lids each of which comprises hinqedly connected lid parts and wherein in their respective first position the lids close the open top of the container and in its second position each lid has its lid parts foldable into overlying relationship to bana adjacent to the side wall of the container from which it is respectively hinged.

6. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the container is of substantially rectangular parallelopipedon shape having opposed side walls with substantially parallel upper edges and the first hinge means is located at a said upper edge.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 when appendant to claim 5 in which two lids are provided which are hingedly connected one to each of said substantially parallel upper edaes.

8. An assembly as claimed in any one of the precedina claims in which at least the lid is formed as a plastics moulding.

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 8 in which said second hinae means is intearally moulded between the respective lid parts.

10. An assembly as claimed in either claim 8 or claim 9 when appendant to claim 2 in which the retaininq means is integrally moulded with said lid parts.

11. An assembly as claimed in claim 10 in which the retaining means comprises projections on one lid part which engage with substantially complementary recesses on the lid part which it overlies when folded.

12. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims for vertical column stacking with a similar overlying assembly whereby with the lid or lids in said first position, the base of the overlyina assembly can stand on the underlying assembly to form a vertical column.

13. An assembly as claimed in claim 12 in which the lid comprises reinforcina means for accommodating the vertical load to which it is subjected from the upper assembly column stacked therewith and which reinforcing means distributes said load to the side walls of the container in the underlying assembly.

14. An assembly as claimed in claim 13 when appendant to claim 8 in which the reinforcina means comprises a bail rib moulded into a lid part.

15. An assembly as claimed in claim 14 in which the base is provided with a downwardly directed recess or channel which is formed and located so that in a vertical column stack said bail rib is engaged within the recess or channel in the immediately overlyinq container for forming a stable stack structure.

16. A container assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanyina illustrative drawings.