Receptacles – Sectional – Folding
Patent
1997-07-11
1998-11-03
Castellano, Stephen J.
Receptacles
Sectional
Folding
B65D 622
Patent
active
058296174
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a collapsible plastic container according to the preamble of claim 1. Plastic containers of this type are used for transporting goods, e.g. vegetables. DE-A-42 01 145 discloses a plastic container of this type in which a rectangular base is connected to four outer walls by film hinges.
Although the abovedescribed plastic container has proved successful when put to practical use, its production poses considerable problems. For example, the base and walls have to be produced in one piece, which, on account of the boundary conditions caused by the need for the large area of projection, involves severe restrictions as far as the size of the production machines is concerned.
On account of the high demands which the film hinges have to satisfy, the selection of materials is restricted and high precision is necessary during production. Even if high-quality material is used, it is nevertheless usually the hinges which cause an entire container to fail.
EP-A-0 404 041 discloses a further plastic container of the generic type, in which a rectangular base is connected to two mutually opposite outer walls by hinges. These hinges comprise either a thin strip of plastic (the disadvantages of such film hinges have already been described) or a multiplicity of elements which each comprise two plastic parts which fit one into the other and can be locked pivotably by means of a long, additional bolt. The walls of this plastic container can be swung in one after the other, in a certain sequence, towards the base of the container, whereupon they assume a position which is virtually parallel to said base. The disadvantage with using such a container, for example, for loose goods such as vegetables, fruit and the like is that there are only two walls and that these cannot be locked in the upright position. In addition, in order to achieve stable, stackable packing, there is a need for additional straps which have to be positioned, and lashed, in a horizontal direction around the entire plastic container.
The invention is intended to remedy this. The invention, as it is characterized in the claims, provides a plastic container in which the base and walls can be produced separately and can then be assembled. This permits a considerably larger degree of freedom as regards the configuration of these parts, which, moreover, can be produced considerably more easily than an entire, integral plastic container. The container can be dismantled again at a later stage and the parts can be cleaned, for example individually, and also exchanged individually. Nevertheless, unintended disengagement of the parts is not possible. Moreover, the hinge constructed according to the invention does not subject the material to any exceptional loading, with the result that the selection of materials which can be used is considerably larger. Even the use of regenerated material is not ruled out.
Developments according to the invention solve the problem of providing a means for securing the container reliably in its use configuration with the walls upright, which means can nevertheless be readily released if intended. According to the invention, the walls are not only connected by snap-action locking mechanisms, as is known from the document mentioned above, but rather are latched reliably, with the result that they can only be disengaged by releasing the latching connection, whereupon they can readily be swung over into the transporting configuration. Furthermore, abutting side borders of adjacent walls are reliably interconnected with one another, with the result that they withstand even large forces, even from the inside, as exerted, for example, by the weight of goods stored in the container.
The invention is explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to an exemplary embodiment, which merely illustrates one way of implementing the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a simplified perspective illustration of a plastic container according to the invention in the use configuration,
FIGS. 2a-c show simplified perspectiv
REFERENCES:
patent: B513789 (1976-02-01), Koen
patent: 3874546 (1975-04-01), Sanders et al.
patent: 4181236 (1980-01-01), Prodel
patent: 4300695 (1981-11-01), Hsu
patent: 5398834 (1995-03-01), Umiker
patent: 5588549 (1996-12-01), Furtner
patent: 5622276 (1997-04-01), Simmons
Castellano Stephen J.
Schoeller International Engineering S.A.
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