Receptacles – Sectional – Knockdown
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-31
2001-10-09
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Sectional
Knockdown
C016S388000, C206S509000, C206S600000, C217S016000, C217S048000, C217S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299011
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
THIS invention relates to a stackable knock down box which is primarily but not exclusively intended for the bulk transportation and storage of fresh produce such as fruit.
Packaging for fruit and other fresh produce is expensive, particularly in the case of sacrificial packaging which has to be disposed of after a single use. In many countries which import fruit, it is obligatory for the supplier in one way or another to dispose of the fruit packaging.
It is accordingly desirable to provide a knock down bulk fruit box which is reusable, and which can be stacked both when folded and erected. One requirement of such a re-usable box is that it needs to be sufficiently rugged to withstand repeated use and abuse in the erected and folded conditions, particularly when stacked.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a stackable knock down box comprising a base including a base panel supported on a plurality of pedestals, a plurality of side wall panels, hinge means connecting the side wall panels together to define a composite side wall enclosure, the hinge means being adapted to enable the wall panels to be folded into a stack, and a plurality of base clip arrangements for releasably holding the composite side wall enclosure to the base in its erected and folded conditions, the knock down box being stackable in both the erected and folded conditions, and including upper panel alignment and box support means provided along the operatively top edges of the side wall panels, and complemental lower panel alignment means provided on the base, with the upper panel alignment and box support means of a subjacent box being arranged to interengage with and to nest within the lower panel alignment means of a superjacent box when the erected boxes are stacked on top of one another.
Preferably, the upper panel alignment and box support means are located towards the outer corners of the composite side wall, and the lower panel alignment means include complemental corner recesses on the pedestals.
Conveniently, the upper panel alignment means comprises a plurality of panel aligning formations each formed with an angled contact face which slopes downwardly and outwardly, and the lower panel alignment means comprises a plurality of complemental panel aligning formations each formed with an corresponding angled contact face which slopes upwardly and inwardly, such that interengagement of the contact faces results in the upper edges of the side walls being urged inwardly into firm nesting interengagement with the complemental panel aligning formations.
Typically, mounting means are provided for holding the base clips captive on the base.
Advantageously, the base clips comprise drop-away substantially L-shaped sprung clips which each have a lower pivoting end held captive within a clip-retaining assembly in the base panel and an upper end terminating in an inwardly facing tang which are releasably engageable with horizontal locating slots formed towards the lower edges of the side wall panels. Advantageously, outer corner faces of the pedestals carry corner reinforcing brackets which are formed with upper inwardly directed tangs constituting base clip arrangements which are engageable with horizontal locating slots formed towards the lower corner edges of the side wall panels.
The brackets are preferably formed with lower inwardly directed flanges which extend into the corner recesses and form part of the lower panel alignment means.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a stackable knock down box comprising a base including a base panel supported on a plurality of pedestals, a plurality of side wall panels, hinge means connecting the side wall panels together to define a composite side wall enclosure, the hinge means being adapted to enable the side wall panels to be folded into a stack, and a plurality of base clip arrangements for releasably holding the composite side wall enclosure to the base in both its erected and folded conditions, the hinge means comprising first and second hinge plates joined together by means of a pivot assembly and arranged to be mounted to the operatively outer surfaces of the adjacent side wall panels by means of fixing elements, each of the hinge plates terminating in inwardly projecting tangs for locating in corresponding slots in the adjacent side wall panels so as to relieve shear stress on the fixing elements arising from an outwardly directed force being exerted on the wall panels when in an open condition.
Conveniently, the pivot assembly is recessed relative to the outer corner faces of the composite side wall enclosure and defines a pivot axis which is locatable in the region of an intersection of the operatively inner surfaces of the adjacent side wall panels, with the hinge plates being formed with inwardly angled connecting webs or fingers extending inwardly between the outer faces of the hinge plates and the pivot axis.
Advantageously, each of the first and second hinge plates are formed with at least one aperture for receiving the fixing elements, with the aperture conveniently being surrounded by an annular protective boss, and the pivot assembly comprises a hinge pin and a plurality of interdigitating plate fingers extending from each of the webs and scrolled around the hinge pin.
Typically, the knock down box is a two part box, with all the box components being carried either on the base or the composite side wall.
Locating means are typically provided on the base for locating the stacked composite side wall.
Preferably, overhanging strike plates are fitted to at least one of the side wall panels for allowing the base clip arrangements to ride up and over the strike plates to clamp the composite side wall to the base.
Optionally, the box includes an intermediate foldable shelf assembly providing horizontal partitioning for the box.
In a preferred form of the invention, the pedestals are fitted with skid planks which are arranged to nest completely within a subjacent box.
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Clip-Lok International Ltd.
Kenyon & Kenyon
Merek Joseph C.
Shoap Allan N.
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