GB2307847A - Flat-pack container for refuse - Google Patents

Abstract

A storage portion 5 comprised of hinged panels 1-4 can be folded flat and stored within a frame 11 of a lid assembly 10. The panels are held together within the lid assembly by engagement of a projection 37 in apertures 36. The lid assembly comprises a lid 16 which is hinged to the frame 11. The frame is received about an inclined upper edge of the assembled storage portion 5, releasably connected thereto by hook-like hinges 14. The container may include a base 56 or drop-in liner 55 to protect the contents from ground moisture. Hooks 52 on portion 5 enable the container when in both kit form and assembled form to be engaged on wall brackets 54. Two opposed side panels 3, 4 may themselves be foldable in two, Figure 5.

Description

STORAGE CONTAINERS TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to containers for use in storing refuse or other general items such as gardening, leisure, d.i.y. and industrial products.

BACKGROUND The most common forms of container for domestic and light industrial storage include a main container portion which is moulded as a single unit. They therefore occupy considerable space when not in use, which makes them difficult and costly to store and transport.

Many people dispose of refuse in plastic bags, but these are vulnerable to birds, vermin and damage by vandals.

GB 1 578 350 discloses a form of container which comprises a kit of parts constituting a substantially flat package for self-assembly. The kit comprises a set of wall parts capable of being assembled and interlocked together to form a container portion, a frame adapted to fit over the upper edge of the container portion, and a lid which is pivoted to the frame.

The present invention seeks to provide a form of container which is patentably different from any existing containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes a self-assembly container kit in the form of a substantially flat package, said kit comprising: - a set of wall panels capable of being assembled to form an open-topped storage portion, - a frame which receives and holds the wall panels therein when the kit is in its flat-packed condition, said frame being adapted to fit onto the upper edge of the storage portion when assembled, and - a closure for the storage portion.

The container has numerous uses, but particularly provides a convenient means of protecting refuse sacks from interference prior to collection.

A drop-in bottom or shaped plastics liner may be provided for use in certain applications.

Although the closure may be a separate lift-off lid it is preferably hingedly attached, or arranged to be hingedly attached, to the frame. Similarly, although the frame may be separate from all the wall panels it is preferably hingedly connected to one of said panels.

Preferably the wall panels are hingedly connected together.

Retaining means are preferably provided for holding the wall panels securely within the frame when the container is in its flat-packed condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a general exploded view of a container in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is an edge view of the storage portion of the container in its flat-packed condition, Figure 3 is a side elevation of the container affixed to a wall, Figure 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 but showing the container in its flat-packed condition, and Figure 5 is a general view of an alternative form of the storage portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The container illustrated in the drawings is referred to below as a "refuse container" since one of its main uses is for storage of refuse, but it will be appreciated that the container can be used to store any small domestic or light industrial items.

Referring to Fig. 1, the refuse container comprises rectangular front and rear panels 1 and 2 respectively and a pair of side panels 3 and 4. The panels are connected together in a manner to be described below, to form an upstanding storage portion 5 of square or rectangular plan. The assembled storage portion is preferably bottomless, but a loose-fitting bottom 56 and/or a shaped plastics liner 55 may also be provided to keep stored items away from ground moisture (e.g. charcoal or garden implements). It will be noted that the front panel 1 does not stand as high as the rear panel 2, and the upper edges of the two side panels are downwardly inclined in a forward direction to form a continuous upper edge 6 which lies on a plane which is downwardly inclined, forwardly.

The storage portion 5 is provided with a lid assembly 10 which comprises a rectangular frame 11 of L-section to form a top wall 12 which sits on the storage portion and a depending side wall 13 which locates against the outside of the storage portion 5. The rear extent of the side wall 13 is provided with internal hook-shaped lugs 14 which engage in corresponding apertures 15 in the panel 2, thereby hingedly connecting the frame 12 to the storage portion 5. The lugs 14 may be releasable as shown, or they may be in the form of closed eyes or a full length or partial length hinge to permanently attach the frame to the storage portion 5. A small projection (not shown) on the inside of the front extent of the frame 12 may engage in a further recess 15 in the front wall 1, thereby positively retaining the lid assembly on the storage portion 5.It will be appreciated however that the frame 11 could be attached to the storage portion 5 in any suitable manner, including the provision of integral projections on the frame which grip or otherwise engage the walls of the container, clips, pads of hook and loop material and the like.

A lid 16 is hinged to the rear extent of the frame 12. The lid comprises a rectangular sheet 17 having a depending skirt 18 which locates outside the frame to ensure that water cannot drain into the storage portion 5. It will be appreciated that when the lid is lowered to rest on the frame 11 it will be downwardly inclined to shed water. A lifting and carrying handle 19 is provided at the front edge of the lid together with a catch 20 for releasably engaging the lid to the frame.

The assembled container can be used to store refuse-filled bags pending collection so that birds and vermin cannot gain access to the contents of the bags, and the bags are also protected against casual vandalism.

The panels 1-4 are connected by hinges of any suitable type including integrally-formed flexible webs (as shown), two-part hinges moulded onto the wall panels, or separate hinges secured to the wall panels for example. It will be noted that one of the hinges 31 (in this case between panels 2 and 3) is substantially wider than the other hinges so that the panels 1-4 can be folded as shown in Fig. 2 with the panels 1 and 4 sandwiched between the panels 2 and 3.

Although it is preferred to have all of the panels 1-4 permanently connected it would be possible to form a releasable connection between at least two of the adjacent wall panels. The vertical edges of one panel could, for example, be provided with longitudinally spaced C-shaped channels which can be slidably engaged with beads formed on the vertical edge of the adjacent panel. Another means of releasably connecting the side panels may comprise a strip of webbing which is arranged to overlap with the edge of the adjacent panel, the overlapping areas of the webbing and the panel being provided with complementary hook and loop material which can be releasably engaged to secure the panels together.

Regardless of the means by which the panels are connected it is important that each panel can be fitted snugly against the other panels as shown in Fig.

2 to allow the panels to be stowed inside the lid assembly 10, as will now be explained.

Referring back to Fig. 1, the panels 1-4 all contain apertures 36 towards their top centres. When the panels are suitably stacked as in Fig. 2 the apertures will be in registration. In this condition, the stacked panels can be fitted snugly into the frame 11 within the side walls 13, together with the base 56 if provided. The panels are retained inside the frame by the lugs or hinge 14, which remain engaged with the panel 2. In addition, a boss 37 formed on the rear panel 2 locates in the aligned apertures 36 to hold the panels in a fixed position within the frame. As a further retaining measure the catch 20 can be positioned to project below the enclosed side panels. The panels are thus neatly and securely stored inside the frame forming a flat pack which is convenient for transportation and storage. Furthermore, the entire unit can easily be carried using the handle 19.

When the storage portion 5 is used to hold refuse bags the apertures 36 can be used as handles enabling the container to be lifted off the bags. The bags will remain on the ground for collection and disposal.

The bottom 56, when provided, is loose fitting to make the container as adaptable as possible, particularly for storage of refuse bags, but it will be appreciated that the bottom may be hingedly attached to one of the wall panels and arranged to fold with the wall panels into the frame and lid.

The rear wall 2 of the container may be provided with one or more downwardly-directed hooks 52, as shown in Fig. 3. The hooks can be secured to mounting plates 53 which are bolted or otherwise secured to the rear panel 2. In the assembled container the hooks can be engaged over transverse retaining bars 54 which are secured to a wall W, thereby securing the container to the wall. It should be noted however that the container could still be lifted off the refuse sacks, withdrawing the hooks from the bars.

When the walls 1-4 are flat-packed they can still be retained inside the lid assembly with the rear panel facing outwards so that the hooks 52 can again be engaged with the bars 54 for easy storage of the container, as shown in Fig. 4. Alternatively, the flat-packed container can be hung inside a cupboard or on the back of a door using the hooks.

Fig. 5 shows an alternative way of folding the storage portion 5, which puts less strain on the hinges and avoids the use of a large-width hinge. The side panels 3 and 4 have additional vertical hinges 60 and 61 halfway along their length, which allows the side panels to fold double, as shown.

Claims (14)

1. A self-assembly container kit in the form of a substantially flat package, said kit comprising: - a set of wall panels capable of being assembled to form an open-topped storage portion, - a frame which receives and holds the wall panels therein when the kit is in its flat-packed condition, said frame being adapted to fit onto the upper edge of the storage portion when assembled, and - a closure for the storage portion.

2. A container kit according to Claim 1, in which the closure is hingedly attached, or capable of being hingedly attached, to the frame.

3. A container kit according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the frame is arranged to be positively engaged with the storage portion.

4. A container kit according to Claim 3, in which the frame is hingedly connected to the storage portion.

5. A container kit according to any preceding claim, in which the frame comprises a top wall which is seated on the storage portion and a depending wall which locates over the outside of the storage portion.

6. A container kit according to any preceding claim, in which the closure has a depending skirt which locates outside the frame.

7. A container kit according to any preceding claim, in which the wall panels are hingedly connected together.

8. A container kit according to Claim 7, in which the wall panels are mutually connected by integral web hinges.

9. A container kit according to any preceding claim, in which the upper edge of the storage portion is disposed on a downwardly inclined plane.

10. A container kit according to any preceding claim, comprising retaining means for holding the wall panels together when the container is in its flat-packed condition.

11. A container kit according to Claim 10, in which said retaining means comprises a projection on one of said panels which engages within recesses formed in the remaining panels.

12. A container kit according to any preceding claim, comprising a drop-in bottom or shaped plastics liner.

1 3. A container kit according to any preceding claim, in which the container is provided with external, downwardly-directed hooks.

14. A self-assembly container kit substantially as described with reference to the drawings.