Receptacles – Sectional – Folding
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-09
2001-04-03
Pollard, Steven (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Sectional
Folding
C220S004280, C220S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209741
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a container of the type having a base and four side walls (normally four) upstanding from sides of the base, wherein the side walls are hinged for movement relative to the base and which side walls may accordingly occupy positions in which they upstand from the base or in which they overlie the base by inwardly folding the side walls relative to the base.
A variety of such containers are known, and a particularly suitable construction of such has previously been found to be of the type whereby the entire container, i.e., the base and the side walls, are formed from a unitary plastics moulding. In such a construction, conveniently a “live” hinge is utilised in which adjacent parts of the container, whilst being formed in one piece, are separated by a “score” or line of reduced thickness, about which the adjacent parts may be relatively pivoted. On the one hand, such a construction enables relatively fast manufacture and assembly of a container, but on the other hand the moulds required for such construction are by necessity complex and accordingly expensive to manufacture and maintain. Additionally if part of the container should be irreparably damaged it may be necessary to replace the entire container.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved container which overcomes or reduces the problems outlined above.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a container having a base and side walls extending from sides of the base, wherein at least some of the side walls are movable relative to the base to enable the container to be folded, and wherein at least some of the side walls are moulded separately from the base.
Preferably, all the side walls are movable relative to the base, and conveniently all the side walls are each moulded in one piece separately from the base.
The side walls moulded separately from the base are preferably engageable with the base so as to form a substantially rigid connection between part of the side walls and the base.
The side walls are preferably movable relative to the base by virtue of hinges, which may be provided on or which may be integral with the base. Preferably however the hinges are provided on or are integral with the side walls.
Thus conveniently, the base has first engaging means along some at least of the sides of the base, and some at least of the associated side walls have a fixing portion provided with second engaging means, the first and second engaging means being capable of engagement to secure the side walls to the base, there being provided a side wall portion hinged to each fixing portion.
Conveniently the first and second engaging means enable the fixing portions and base to be substantially rigidly secured together.
Advantageously first engaging means are provided on all sides of the base, and all side walls are provided with a fixing portion as aforesaid.
The side walls may be secured to the base in a substantially permanent manner, as for example by welding, conveniently by ultrasonic welding.
Preferably, however, the second engaging means of the side walls are engageable with receiving apertures of the base, and conveniently such engagement may include a snap fitting engagement. In such a case, the first engaging means may comprise recesses or apertures provided in the sides of the base, and the second engaging means may comprise engaging formations such as tongues or like protrusions adapted to be insertable into the recesses or apertures by causing resilient deformation of material surrounding the recess or aperture, and/or by the engaging formations undergoing resilient deformation themselves. Preferably, the tongues or like protrusions may generally only pass through the recess or aperture in one direction, such that they become retained in position once such insertion is complete and are thus prevented from removal.
The tongues or like protrusions adapted for such snap fitting engagement may comprise a rearwardly facing surface (when taken in the direction of insertion), providing an abutment surface, which when the tongue is inserted into the recess or aperture abuts part of the material surrounding the recess or aperture, thus hindering or preventing removal of the tongue or like protrusions, by movement in an opposite direction.
Thus, the tongue or like protrusions may be of generally barbed bayonet type configuration, and there may be provided such an abutment surface on one or each side of the tongue.
It is envisaged that not all of the tongues or like protrusions may be adapted for such snap fitting engagement, and it may be desirable for some of the tongues or like protrusions to merely be locatable within a corresponding recess or aperture and not necessarily be lockable therein. The corresponding recess or aperture may be provided at a lower position relative to the side of the base than the recesses or apertures adapted for snap fitting engagement.
Those tongues or like protrusions which are not provided with such a bayonet type configuration may comprise a tapered end part to facilitate location within the corresponding recess or aperture.
The container may be square in plan view. Preferably however, the base of the container is rectangular in plan view. In such a case, the fixing portions of a first pair of opposite side walls are preferably mounted at a higher level relative to the base than those of a second pair of opposite side walls. Accordingly, the second pair of opposite side walls shall henceforth be referred to as the “end walls”. Accordingly, the second pair of opposite side walls shall henceforth be referred to as the “end walls”.
Conveniently, the side walls of the first pair are longer than those of the second pair, and for the sake of convenience herein shall be henceforth referred to as the “longer” side walls.
Each side wall portion is preferably hinged to a respective fixing portion by a film of plastics material, such a hinge being commonly known as a “live” hinge. Preferably the side walls are formed from the same material as the hinge, and conveniently, the entire container may be formed from such a material. A particularly suitable material has been found to be the plastics material polypropylene, although it is envisaged that any other suitable material may be employed without detracting from the scope of the invention. Thus, the side walls are preferably formed as a single moulding, the side wall portion, the “live” hinge and the fixing portion thus preferably being integral with each other.
The longer side wall portions may have upper parts configured to permit one longer side wall portion to partially overlie the other when in an inwardly folded position, whilst still presenting a generally planar outwardly facing surface. To this end, the upper parts may be asymmetrical with respect to each other, and conveniently the asymmetric parts may comprise parts of reduced thickness.
It is anticipated that the parts of reduced thickness on the upper parts of the longer side wall portions may be tapered parts, the parts tapering generally towards the base of the container when the side walls are in a generally upstanding condition.
Accordingly, when it is desired for the side walls to be folded inwardly towards the base, so as to provide a collapsed condition of the container, the longer side walls are preferably folded after the end walls such that the longer side walls each partially overlie the end walls and partially overlie each other.
Preferably, ends of the longer side walls are provided with attachment formations such as clips or hooks adapted for engagement with corresponding parts on the end walls. Preferably, the longer side walls are provided at their ends with inturned formations, said formations being inturned towards the interior of the container, said attachment formations being provided on said inturned formations. Conveniently, the inturned formations lie generally in the same plane as the adjacent end wall when the side walls are in a generally upstanding condition
Pollard Steven
Wisner Mark R.
Woodall Plastic Products Limited
LandOfFree
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