U.S. patent application number 10/348330 was filed with the patent office on 2004-07-22 for storage box.
Invention is credited to Okumura, Masashi.
Application Number | 20040140305 10/348330 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33312561 |
Filed Date | 2004-07-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040140305 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Okumura, Masashi |
July 22, 2004 |
Storage box
Abstract
The present invention provides a housing box by which means for
efficiently transporting clothes with hangers at a low cost by
using a general-purpose container such as a dry container.
Connecting members for respectively connecting front ends of a pair
of side structures to each other and rear ends to each other are
provided. A bending device for bending the connecting members
inward is provided. The box can be changed between an unfolded
attitude in which the respective connecting members are kept
extended and the hanger pipes are mounted to bridge the pair of
side structures to form a housing space and a folded attitude in
which the respective connecting members are bent inward to thereby
bring the side structures close to each other.
Inventors: |
Okumura, Masashi;
(Itami-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARMSTRONG, KRATZ, QUINTOS, HANSON & BROOKS, LLP
1725 K STREET, NW
SUITE 1000
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
33312561 |
Appl. No.: |
10/348330 |
Filed: |
January 22, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 90/18 20130101;
B65D 88/524 20130101; B65D 88/12 20130101; B65D 85/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/006 |
International
Class: |
B65D 006/12; B65D
006/16 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A housing box for transporting clothes, the box comprising
casters for movement at a bottom portion and one or more hanger
pipes mounted to bridge a pair of left and right side structures
such that the clothes with hangers are housed in the box while
being hung from the hanger pipes, wherein connecting members for
respectively connecting front ends of the pair of side structures
to each other and rear ends to each other are provided, bending
means for bending the connecting members inward is provided, the
box can be changed between an unfolded attitude in which the
respective connecting members are kept extended and the hanger
pipes are mounted to bridge the pair of side structures to form a
housing space, and a folded attitude in which the respective
connecting members are bent inward to thereby bring the side
structures close to each other.
2. A housing box according to claim 1, wherein opposite end
portions of the respective connecting members are pivoted on the
front and rear ends of the pair of side structures to be rotatable
inward and the respective connecting members can be bent at
substantially central portions thereof such that the respective
connecting members can be folded inward in two.
3. A housing box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein bending guide
members are provided to corner portions of the front and rear ends
of the side structures on which the opposite end portions of the
respective members are supported with one end of each the bending
guide member supported on the connecting member and the other end
supported on the side structure and each the bending guide member
is provided with a lock mechanism for restricting a guiding
operation to maintain an extended state of each the connecting
member.
4. A housing box according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein each
the connecting member is formed by forming a pair of
angular-U-shaped members by vertical rods pivoted on the front or
rear ends of the pair of side structures to be rotatable inward
through hinge portions and horizontal rods respectively extending
horizontally from upper and lower ends of the vertical rods and
connecting end portions of the corresponding horizontal rods of the
angular-U-shaped members to each other through hinge portions such
that each the connecting member can be bent inward in two by the
hinge portions.
5. A housing box according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein each
the side structure is formed by forming a lattice-shaped frame by a
pair of upper and lower horizontal rods and a plurality of vertical
rods connecting the horizontal rods and mounting a plurality of
plate-shaped brackets at predetermined intervals in a vertical
direction on an inner face side of the frame, the bracket being
formed with a plurality of support holes for supporting end
portions of the hanger pipes.
6. A housing box according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein an
inserted pin to be fitted in the support hole provided to an inner
face side of the side structure is mounted in one end portion of
the hanger pipe to be able to project and recede such that the
hanger pipe is detachable.
7. A housing box according to claim 6, wherein a spring for biasing
the inserted pin outward is mounted in the hanger pipe and an outer
peripheral face of the hanger pipe is provided with a substantially
L-shaped guide groove for guiding an operating lever projecting
from the inserted pin and capable of maintaining a state in which
the spring contracts and the inserted pin recedes.
8. A housing box according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein a jack
device for lifting the caster to prevent movement of the box is
provided to a bottom portion of the side structure to which the
caster is provided.
9. A housing box according to any of claim 1 to 8, wherein a single
or divided floor plate(s) is/are pivoted on (a) lower end
portion(s) of one or both of the side structures to be rotatable
upward and the floor plate(s) form(s) a floor of the housing box in
the unfolded attitude and can be folded inside the side structures
in the folded attitude.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a housing box for
transporting clothes with hangers by housing the clothes in a hung
state.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Conventionally, in order to transport clothes with hangers
for a long distance from an overseas plant or the like, a hanger
container designed specifically for clothes is used. In the hanger
container, a hanger pipe from which the hangers are hung is
mounted.
[0005] Since such a hanger container is transported while hanging
clothes one by one from the hanger pipe, the whole container is
normally used by one company and a consolidated container is not
formed by also loading products of other companies.
[0006] In a case of such a special-purpose container, because the
clothes are hung one by one from the hanger pipe as described
above, loading and unloading of the clothes take much time. For
example, when the container reaches an import center, it takes
about two to three hours to unload one container, which seriously
obstructs traffic in an ordinary road, adversely affects receiving
operations of other goods, and contributes to difficulty in smooth
handling of the goods.
[0007] Because the goods are controlled by the container, it is
impossible to form a consolidated container with other companies
even if the goods are for half a container or less and a physical
distribution cost for shuttling including a cost for returning the
container is extremely high.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention has been accomplished with such
circumstances in view and it is an object of the present invention
to provide means for efficiently transporting clothes with hangers
at low cost by using a general-purpose container such as a dry
container.
[0009] According to the present invention, there is provided a
housing box for transporting clothes, the box comprising casters
for movement at a bottom portion and one or more hanger pipes
mounted to bridge a pair of left and right side structures such
that the clothes with hangers are housed in the box while being
hung from the hanger pipes, wherein connecting members for
respectively connecting front ends of the pair of side structures
to each other and rear ends to each other are provided, bending
means for bending the connecting members inward is provided, the
box can be changed between an unfolded attitude in which the
respective connecting members are kept extended and the hanger
pipes are mounted to bridge the pair of side structures to form a
housing space and a folded attitude in which the respective
connecting members are bent inward to thereby bring the side
structures close to each other.
[0010] According to such a housing box, it is possible to load the
clothes with the hangers in a general-purpose container and to
transport them for a long distance. After use, by changing the
attitude of the box into the compact folded attitude, it is
possible to downsize a storage space for the boxes or to return
many housing boxes to an overseas production plant at a time by
similarly using the general-purpose container. As compared with
conventional art in which the special-purpose hanger container is
used, a physical distribution cost for shuttling can be
considerably reduced and it is possible to swiftly and easily load
and unload the general-purpose container.
[0011] More specifically, opposite end portions of the respective
connecting members are pivoted on the front and rear ends of the
pair of side structures to be rotatable inward and the respective
connecting members can be bent at substantially central portions
thereof such that the respective connecting members can be folded
inward in two.
[0012] Preferably, bending guide members are provided to corner
portions of the front and rear ends of the side structures on which
the opposite end portions of the respective members are supported
with one end of each the bending guide member supported on the
connecting member and the other end supported on the side structure
and each the bending guide member is provided with a lock mechanism
for restricting a guiding operation to maintain an extended state
of each the connecting member.
[0013] Each the connecting member may be formed by forming a pair
of angular-U-shaped members by vertical rods pivoted on the front
or rear ends of the pair of side structures to be rotatable inward
through hinge portions and horizontal rods respectively extending
horizontally from upper and lower ends of the vertical rods and
connecting end portions of the corresponding horizontal rods of the
angular-U-shaped members to each other through hinge portions such
that each the connecting member can be bent inward in two by the
hinge portions. In this case, a worker can go in and out through
frame-shaped opening portions of the connecting members.
[0014] Each the side structure may be formed by forming a
lattice-shaped frame by a pair of upper and lower horizontal rods
and a plurality of vertical rods connecting the horizontal rods and
mounting a plurality of plate-shaped brackets at predetermined
intervals in a vertical direction on an inner face side of the
frame, the bracket being formed with a plurality of support holes
for supporting end portions of the hanger pipes. In this case, it
is possible to hang the hanger pipe on the bracket at a proper
height according to lengths of the clothes.
[0015] Preferably, an inserted pin to be fitted in the support hole
provided to an inner face side of the side structure is mounted in
one end portion of the hanger pipe to be able to project and recede
such that the hanger pipe is detachable.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, a spring for biasing the inserted
pin outward is mounted in the hanger pipe and an outer peripheral
face of the hanger pipe is provided with a substantially L-shaped
guide groove for guiding an operating lever projecting from the
inserted pin and capable of maintaining a state in which the spring
contracts and the inserted pin recedes.
[0017] A jack device for lifting the caster to prevent movement of
the box may be provided to a bottom portion of the side structure
to which the caster is provided. In this case, especially movement
of the housing box in the container in the transportation can be
restricted and the box can be stabilized.
[0018] Moreover, in a preferred embodiment, a single or divided
floor plate(s) is/are pivoted on (a) lower end portion(s) of one or
both of the side structures to be rotatable upward and the floor
plate(s) form(s) a floor of the housing box in the unfolded
attitude and can be folded inside the side structures in the folded
attitude.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a housing box according
to a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the housing box;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a side view of the housing box;
[0022] FIGS. 4A to 4C are explanatory views showing a manner that
an attitude of the housing box is changed from an unfolded attitude
into a folded attitude;
[0023] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing main
components of a hanger pipe; and
[0024] FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a bending guide member.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the whole structure of
a housing box according to the present invention. FIGS. 1 to 6 show
a representative embodiment. In the figures, a reference symbol A
designates a housing box, 1 (2) designates a side structure, 3 (4)
designates a connecting member, 5 designates a bending guide
member, 6 designates a caster, 7 designates a jack device, and 8
designates a hanger pipe.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing box A according to the
present invention includes the casters 6, . . . for movement and
one or more hanger pipes 8 mounted to bridge a pair of left and
right side structures 1 and 2 so as to transport clothes while
preventing the clothes from losing their shapes even for many hours
by housing and hanging the clothes with hangers from the hanger
pipes 8.
[0028] The connecting members 3 and 4 for respectively connecting
front ends 1a and 2a of the side structure to each other and rear
ends 1b and 2b to each other are provided and a bending device 9
for bending the connecting members 3 and 4 inward are provided. As
shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the box can be changed between an unfolded
attitude A1 in which the respective connecting members 3 and 4 are
kept extended and the hanger pipes are mounted to bridge the pair
of side structures 1 and 2 to form a housing space S and a folded
attitude A2 in which the respective connecting members 3 and 4 are
folded inward to thereby bring the side structures 1 and 2 close to
each other. The box is characterized in that the whole box can be
folded and made compact when it is not used.
[0029] The side structures 1 and 2 and the front and rear
connecting members 3 and 4 are formed in frame shapes by using
expanded members made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy and
dimensions of the whole housing box A are 2,850 mm (depth) by 2,300
mm (width) by 2,100 mm (height) and are set such that two boxes can
be loaded in the front and back into a twenty-foot dry
container.
[0030] The housing box A according to the present embodiment and
formed of the frames by using lightweight metal raw material as
described above is covered from above with a protecting cover (not
shown) having an entrance (a zippered slit) for a worker and
corresponding to a front opening portion surrounded by the
connecting member 3 in actual use. Products other than a textile
can be loaded in the container together if the products do not
smell and are not dirty.
[0031] As a raw material for the side structures and the connecting
members, nonferrous metal materials other than aluminum and steel
materials can also be used and nonmetal materials such as woody
materials, organic high polymer materials such as synthetic resin,
and inorganic materials can also be used.
[0032] The housing box according to the present invention is not
limited to one formed of the frames described above and a part of
or the whole box may be formed in a plate shape.
[0033] Furthermore, the protecting cover may be omitted or only a
top face may be covered. The protecting cover may be fixed to the
side structures and the connecting members all the time to be
collapsible instead of being detached in folding.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, the side structure 1 is formed of a
lattice-shaped frame 10 including a pair of horizontal rods 12, 12
provided to an upper end and a lower end and a plurality of
vertical rods 11, 13, . . . provided to vertically bridge the
horizontal rods. H-shaped members are used respectively for the
upper and lower horizontal rods 12 and 12 and the front-end and
rear-end vertical rods 11 and 11 forming the frame 10 and channel
members are used for the other vertical rods 13, . . . .
[0035] On an inner face side of the frame 10, a plurality of
plate-shaped brackets 14 made of stainless steel and formed with a
plurality of support holes 15, . . . for supporting end portions 8a
and 8b of the hanger pipe are arranged at intervals in a vertical
direction.
[0036] These brackets 14 are provided to bridge the vertical rods
11, 13 . . . between the front and back of the frame 10 and each
the bracket 14 is formed with the plurality of support holes 15 at
constant intervals along a front-to-back direction. A plurality of
rows of support holes 15 are provided in a vertical direction to
the lower four brackets 14 excluding the upper-end bracket such
that the support holes 15 at a proper height can be chosen
according to a size of clothes to be hung.
[0037] The other side structure 2 provided to face the above side
structure 1 is similarly formed of a lattice-shaped frame 20
including horizontal rods 22, 22 and a plurality of vertical rods
21, 23. On an inner face side of the frame 20, plate-shaped
brackets 24, . . . . formed with a plurality of support holes 25, .
. . are similarly attached. Both the brackets 14 and 24 and their
support holes 15, . . . and 25, . . . are provided to such
positions as to face each other and the hanger pipe 8 made of
stainless steel is horizontally hung on a chosen pair of support
holes 15 and 25 in the housing space S.
[0038] The connecting member 3 is formed by forming a pair of
angular-U-shaped members 30, 30 formed of vertical rods 31, 31
pivoted on the front ends 1a and 2a of both the side structures so
as to be rotatable inward through hinge portions 33 formed of
hinges and horizontal rods 32, 32 extending horizontally from an
upper end and a lower end of the vertical rods 31. Horizontal rod
end portions 32a and 32a corresponding to each other of the
angular-U-shaped member 30 are connected to each other through
hinge portions 34 and the frame-shaped connecting member 3 can be
folded inward in two by using the hinge portions 33 and 34 formed
of the hinges as the bending device 9. Channel members are used
respectively for the vertical rods 31 and the horizontal rods 32
forming the angular-U-shaped members and are assembled with their
channels oriented inward.
[0039] On the other hand, the connecting member 4 provided to the
rear ends 1b and 2b of both the side structures is similarly formed
of a pair of angular-U-shaped members 40 and 40 including vertical
rods 41 and horizontal rods 42. Because the connecting member 4 has
similar structures to the above-described connecting member 3 such
as hinge portions 43 and 44 as the bending device 9, descriptions
thereof will not be repeated.
[0040] Although opening portions through which the worker goes in
and out of the box are formed on the front and rear of the box by
forming both the connecting members 3 and 4 into the frames which
can be folded in two in the embodiment as described above, the rear
connecting member 4 is not necessarily formed with the entrance and
may be formed of a plate-shaped member.
[0041] The bending guide members 5 for respectively guiding bending
of the connecting members 3 (4) in two are provided in corner
portions of the front ends 1a and 2a and the rear ends 1b and 2b of
the side structures on which the opposite end portions of the
respective connecting members 3 and 4 are supported. The respective
bending guide members 5 are provided with lock mechanisms for
restricting guiding operations and keeping the respective
connecting members 3 and 4 extended.
[0042] More specifically, in the eight corners in total formed by
the upper and lower horizontal rods 32 (42), . . . of the
connecting members and the upper and lower horizontal rods 12 (22),
. . . of the side structures and adjacent to the horizontal rods 32
(42), . . . , the bending guide members 5 are attached
respectively. As shown in FIG. 6, each the bending guide member 5
includes a linkage formed by connecting an arm portion 51 pivoted
on a channel inner face 22c of the horizontal rod 22 and an arm
portion 52 pivoted on a channel inner face 32c of the horizontal
rod 32 to each other through a connecting portion. The lock
mechanism is formed by which the respective arm portions 51 and 52
are prevented from rotating by engaging a slide key 53 provided in
a slit 52b in an end portion of the arm portion 52 with a recessed
groove 51a provided to the corresponding arm portion 51. As a
result, the connecting member 3 and the side structure 2 are kept
unfolded.
[0043] Although the unfolded attitude is maintained to some extent
by an action of the hanger pipe hung in the housing space S, the
extended state of the connecting members is maintained firmly and
reliably by providing the bending guide members irrespective of the
presence or absence of the hanger pipe.
[0044] In order to fold the whole housing box A, the hanger pipe is
detached, the keys are released to enable the respective arm
portions 51 and 52 to rotate, the respective connecting members are
bent inward in two as shown by arrows in FIGS. 4A to 4C and, at the
same time, the respective arm portions 51 and 52 are bent. In the
folded attitude in FIG. 4C, the bent arm portions 51 and 52 are
completely housed between channels of the horizontal rods 22 and 32
adjacent to each other and the connecting members and the side
structures are brought into the compact folded attitude A2 without
being obstructed by the respective bending guide members. If the
respective arm portions and the connecting members are housed in
the respective channels as described above, a desirable appearance
in the folded attitude A2 is maintained, breakage of the bending
guide members 5 is prevented, and an unexpected accident such as
pinching of a finger in the connecting portion in folding can be
prevented.
[0045] The hanger pipe 8 hung in the housing space S has a
dual-pipe structure formed by fitting a pipe member 83 made of
stainless steel over an outer face of a pipe main body 80 formed of
a structural steel pipe having such a dimension as to span between
the left and right brackets to achieve an outside diameter of 34 mm
which is suitable for hanging a hanger without increasing
weight.
[0046] To end portions 80a and 80b of the pipe main body 80,
inserted pins 81 and 82 projecting from the end portions to be
fitted into the support holes 15 and 25 of the brackets are
provided. Especially in the one end portion 80a, the inserted pin
81 is mounted for sliding and a spring 85 is mounted for biasing
the inserted pin 81 outward with one end of the spring 85 supported
on an inside stopper plate 86.
[0047] On an outer peripheral face of the end portion 80a, a
substantially L-shaped guide groove 80c is formed. An operating
lever 84 is screwed down into a screw hole 81a formed on an outer
face of the inserted pin 81 through the guide groove 80c. By moving
the operating lever 84 projecting from the outer peripheral face
along the guide groove 80c, the inserted pin 81 projecting from the
end portion 80a due to biasing by the spring can be locked in a
recessed state against the spring 85, which makes the hanger pipe 8
detachable.
[0048] The front ends 1a and 2a of the respective side structures
are provided with adjuster members 16 and 26 respectively
projecting forward. The adjuster member 16 (26) is screwed down
into a bottom face of a channel opening on a front face of the
vertical rod 11 formed of the H-shaped member. As shown in FIG. 3,
by bringing the adjuster member into contact with a wall face W
inside a container in which the housing box A is loaded, movement
of the housing box A in clearances is restricted to prevent damage
or the like to the box and the container. If the box is disposed to
be adjacent to another housing box A in the container, the adjuster
members 16 and 26 enter the corresponding channels of the vertical
rods 11 positioned at the rear ends 1b and 2b of the housing box A
to thereby restrict movement of the boxes with respect to each
other.
[0049] To a bottom face of each of the horizontal rods 12 and 22
positioned at lower ends of both the left and right side structures
1 and 2, free casters of a pair as the casters 6 are mounted to end
portions and the jack devices 7 for lifting the casters 6 from a
floor F to prevent the housing box A from moving are mounted to
correspond to the respective casters.
[0050] More specifically, bracket members 17 and 27 having L shapes
in section and made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy are provided
in projecting manners to inner faces of the horizontal rods 12 and
22 mounted with the casters and screw jack devices 7, 7 are fixed
to a bottom portion of each the bracket member 17 (27). The jack
devices 7, 7 of a pair mounted to each the bracket member 17 (27)
are connected to each other by a single operating shaft 70 such
that the jack devices 7, 7 can be operated simultaneously to be
lifted and lowered with a jack handle from a rear side of the
housing box A without hindrance by the casters 6.
[0051] The housing box A according to the present invention is not
necessarily provided with a floor plate of the housing space, but
it is also desirable to provide the floor plate to use it as a
shelf on which goods without hangers can be placed. In this case,
in a preferable embodiment, a single or divided floor plate(s)
is/are pivoted on (a) lower end portion(s) of one or both of the
side structure(s) to be rotatable upward to form a floor of the
housing box A in the unfolded attitude A1 and to be folded inside
the side structures to achieve the above-described folded attitude
A2.
[0052] As described above, according to the housing box of the
present invention, it is possible to load the clothes with the
hangers in a general-purpose container and to transport them for a
long distance. After use, by changing the attitude of the box into
the compact folded attitude, it is possible to downsize a storage
space for the boxes or to return many housing boxes to an overseas
production plant at a time by similarly using the general-purpose
container. As compared with conventional art in which a
special-purpose hanger container is used, a physical distribution
cost for shuttling can be substantially reduced and it is possible
to swiftly and easily load and unload the general-purpose
container.
[0053] Since the clothes can be transported by the housing box as
described above, apparel producers can separately form setting
packages and products produced in the production plant can be
loaded in a few minutes after shipping containers have reached. In
receiving of the goods when the goods reach an import center, it is
possible to unload the goods in about ten minutes. If there are
rush goods for other operations, it is possible to give a high
priority to them for smooth handling of the goods in the goods
receiving operation while preventing other delivery traders from
waiting and preventing serious obstruction of the traffic in an
ordinary road.
[0054] Since the goods can be controlled by the housing box, it is
possible to form a consolidated container by a plurality of
companies. For example, it is possible to transport goods for half
a twenty-foot container at freight rates for half a twenty-foot
container by forming a consolidated container with a production
plant of another company or it is possible to form a consolidated
forty-foot consolidated container by production plants of four
companies. Therefore, the physical distribution cost can be
considerably reduced.
* * * * *