Special receptacle or package – Structural features for nesting identical receptacles or... – Distortable for nesting or components of 'knockdown'...
Patent
1997-01-27
1997-12-23
Moy, Joseph M.
Special receptacle or package
Structural features for nesting identical receptacles or...
Distortable for nesting or components of 'knockdown'...
206518, 220 424, B65D 1918
Patent
active
056999143
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a nestable container comprising a base which comprises two base halves joined along a hinge line, as well as walls which are upright with respect to the base and in which breaks are provided in such a way that the container halves defined by the base halves are hingeable with respect to one another between a closed position and an open position in which the container is nestable.
A container of this type is disclosed in NL-A-7 301 064. Said known container is constructed in the form of a crate consisting of two halves which are joined by means of a hinge which runs perpendicular to two opposite walls. In the closed position, the crate is stackable, in such a way that the contents thereof are also well protected when the crate is stacked.
In the closed position of the crate, the walls of said crate which run parallel to the hinge form a support for a crate stacked thereon. When the crate halves are hinged apart into their open position, said walls move apart, in such a way that the crate is nestable in said position. However, the criterion for good nestability is that the other two walls, which run perpendicular to the hinge line, move apart obliquely with respect to the base of the crate.
The disadvantage of the latter two walls having said fixed position, from which they move apart, even when the crate is in the closed position, is that said walls are not able to make any contribution towards supporting a crate stacked thereon. As a result, the other two walls bear a relatively heavy load, whilst the stability of a stack of crates of this type is limited.
Furthermore, the consequence of the walls which run perpendicular to the hinge being permanently in a position in which they move apart is that the capacity of the crate is relatively small for given external dimensions.
The aim of the invention is, therefore, to provide a container of the type mentioned above which does not have these disadvantages. Said aim is achieved in that the hinge line runs obliquely with respect to at least one of the walls.
The consequence of the particular orientation of the hinge line according to the invention is that when the container halves are hinged towards the open position the opposing walls start to move apart. This results in the advantage, that the container is readily nestable in the open position, whilst in the closed position all walls are still able to make a contribution towards supporting a container stacked thereon. It is self-evident that the rigidity and stability of a stack formed of the containers according to the invention are outstanding. Furthermore, the nestability is such that a stack of empty containers can be reduced to a small package.
A further advantage of the container according to the invention is that all walls can be perpendicular to the associated half of the base. The consequence of this is that the capacity of a container of this type can be relatively large for given external dimensions. Moreover, the strength of said walls, in particular with regard to buckling, is greater than that of the known containers.
With the known container, the breaks in the walls are located in line with the hinge line. This can also be the case for the container according to the invention. However, it is also possible to choose to have only one break in line with the hinge line and the other break elsewhere.
In the latter case, one of the container halves has a wall section which protrudes with respect to the associated half of the base, and the other container half has a wall section which is set back.
Needless to say, it is also possible for both breaks to be located in a position other than in line with the hinge line.
In the closed position of the container, all walls can abut one another with the formation of an unbroken periphery.
The base of the container according to the invention can have all sorts of different shapes. For instance, it can be constructed as a polygon. However, to ensure good nestability a condition which must be met is that, for each container half, the sum
REFERENCES:
patent: 769915 (1904-09-01), Nostrand
patent: 2950029 (1960-08-01), Winstgad
patent: 2961123 (1960-11-01), Boydak et al.
patent: 3275188 (1966-09-01), Wilson
Diafer B.V.
Moy Joseph M.
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