Flat pack box

Details Flat pack box Flat pack box

2000-01-27

2001-09-25

Castellano, Stephen (Department: 3727)

Receptacles

Sectional

Knockdown

C220S004330

Reexamination Certificate

active

06293416

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to flat pack boxes, especially boxes made by injection moulding plastics material, particularly, though not exclusively to flat pack boxes for use as access chambers e.g. for cable television or for street furniture such as pole mounting sockets, traffic lights, bollards, signs and associated cables.
When assembled, these boxes have to be rigid and to be able withstand substantial loads, for example up to at least 12.5 tonnes, a requirement for access chambers for cable television and other utilities, which often are placed in the roadway or pavement. The assembled boxes are positioned in the ground to form access chambers for connections between main underground electric cables and distributor cables to adjacent premises or for street furniture. It is desirable for the boxes to be packed flat for transportation and storage as the assembled boxes are large.
Presently available flat pack boxes comprise a one piece box that can be unfolded and erected to form a rigid access chamber or box.
It is desirable to have different sizes of box available for different applications. There are practical limits to the size of box which can be moulded from plastics material. To overcome this, it is sometimes desirable to construct the boxes modularly to make different sizes of box from a single unit. However, satisfactory, modular flat pack boxes, presently are not available.
It is an object of the invention to provide a flat-pack box made from moulded plastics material that has substantial strength, particularly in a vertical direction. It is a further object of the invention to provide a box that is sufficiently rigid when assembled. Another object of the invention is to provide a box that can be assembled simply and easily on site without special tools or fittings. Yet another object is to provide a box that is suitable for modular assembly.
The invention provides a flat-pack box comprising a plurality of panels moulded from plastics material and a plurality of peg members, each panel comprising:
a wall member comprising a front face, a rear face, a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side; and
at least one complementary locating member forming a channel for locating a peg member therein on each of the first and second sides of the wall member;
characterised in that the locating members comprise a U-shaped member having a first side integrally moulded with a side of the wall member, a second side opposed to the first side, a back face and an open front face and wherein the locating member further comprises a tab integrally moulded with at least one side of the U-shaped member and extending across the open front face of the locating member and the back face has a cut out section opposed to the tab and of at least the same dimensions as the tab.
Advantageously the peg members are injection moulded of suitable rigid plastics material but they may be made in any suitable manner. For example, the peg members may be fabricated from a suitable metal e.g. steel.
Advantageously the complementary locating members each comprise a channel of square or rectangular cross-section, though any suitable cross-section may be used.
Advantageously the tab is integrally moulded with both sides of the U-shaped member. Alternatively the tab may extend only part way across the front face of the U-shaped member. In this arrangement, the tab advantageously extends further across the open front face than the width of the side of the wall member so that the wall member does not slip into the void of the U-shaped member.
Preferably the cut out section in the back face of the U-shaped member is of the same dimensions as the tab. Alternatively, it may be larger than the tab.
Preferably the side walls of the U-shaped member are set back from the face of the wall member to which the tab is adjacent by the depth of the tab.
Preferably the peg members each comprise an elongate rigid member that extends through a plurality of locating members. Advantageously the peg members may have a point at the base and a corresponding socket at the top. Thus, when one peg is positioned on top of another peg the point of one peg fits into the socket on the other peg and load on the box is transferred effectively through the pegs. Advantageously the locating members further comprise peg retaining members, such as one or more ridges integrally moulded in the interior of the locating members. Advantageously the peg members each comprise a plurality of cross pieces that coact with the peg retaining members to hold the peg in the locating members, so that it does not slip out when in use. The cross pieces also act to rigidify the peg members.
The peg members advantageously each comprise two side pieces and a plurality of cross pieces at right angles forming square or rectangular sections or diagonally forming triangular sections between the side pieces.
If the panels are to be used to make modular boxes of different heights, where the third and fourth sides respectively are positioned at the top and bottom, preferably one or more of the panels further comprise a plurality of complementary locating members on the top and bottom of the wall member. Alternatively the panels may comprise locating lugs and complementary slots in the top and bottom of the wall member.
Alternatively heights may be varied by making suitable extension assemblies e.g. wing panels which can be assembled in the same way as the box to make an extension assembly of the same size as the boxes. In this case the panels may be made to form a gallery at the bottom edge portion, within which an upper edge portion of the extension assembly may be received to locate the assembly with its panels aligned with the panels of the box so that loads are transferred directly through the panels.
In assembling a box in accordance with the invention, the panels are arranged such that when a first panel is positioned adjacent a second panel, the locating members on the first side of the first panel are arranged in complementary positions, interposed between and aligned with the locating members on the second side of the second panel and a peg member can be inserted through the peg locating means of the locating members to hold the panels rigidly together.
In a second embodiment of the invention, the first element of the locking member preferably comprises a peg member on or adjacent the first and second sides of the wall member and the second element of the locking member comprises a plurality of collar members, the collar members each having peg locating means therethrough for fitting over the peg members.
Preferably the collar member comprises a right angled collar having two elongated peg locating means therethrough and the peg members each comprise an elongated element integrally moulded with the wall member rear face. Advantageously the peg members each have a trapezoidal cross section.
For boxes for use as access chambers, advantageously the panels may be made with one or more removable sections to allow pipes, cables and connectors, for example, to be fitted therethrough. Preferably the box when assembled can accept pipes and umbilicals from all directions by means of cut-out or punch-out portions in the panel which can be removed to make holes in desired positions.
Preferably the panels are moulded in a selection of sizes. For larger size panels, the panels may advantageously be moulded in two sections, an outer, frame section forming a wall member having a hole through the front to rear faces and an inner section which is located in the hole in the outer section by retaining elements such as integrally moulded clips. This has the advantage of enabling the amount of plastics material required in a single moulding to be reduced. The inner section may, if desired, be adapted to connect a conduit (or flexible tube), referred to as an umbilical, to the box.
The box advantageously comprises a base (or floor) panel similar to the panels forming the side walls. Alternatively, the panels may further comprise base retaining members, such as integrally moulded clips,

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