U.S. patent application number 11/272227 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-11 for collapsible storage/transport box with removable cover.
This patent application is currently assigned to FRITZ SCHAFER GMBH. Invention is credited to Gerhard Schafer.
Application Number | 20060096981 11/272227 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34202806 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060096981 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schafer; Gerhard |
May 11, 2006 |
Collapsible storage/transport box with removable cover
Abstract
A transport/storage box has a floor having side and end edges
and side and end walls having lower edges hinged on the side and
end edges of the floor and upper edges. The walls are movable
between down positions lying atop one another on the floor and up
positions projecting upward from the respective floor edges. An
annular frame is fittable in the up positions with the upper edges
of the side and end walls with the upper edges bearing outward on
the frame. A cover sits atop the frame. Latch elements engageable
from above downwardly through the cover and frame with the upper
edges of walls anchor the cover and frame to the walls.
Inventors: |
Schafer; Gerhard;
(Neunkirchen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE FIRM OF KARL F ROSS
5676 RIVERDALE AVENUE
PO BOX 900
RIVERDALE (BRONX)
NY
10471-0900
US
|
Assignee: |
FRITZ SCHAFER GMBH
|
Family ID: |
34202806 |
Appl. No.: |
11/272227 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 11/1833
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/006 |
International
Class: |
B65D 6/12 20060101
B65D006/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 11, 2004 |
DE |
202004017452.9 |
Claims
1. A transport/storage box comprising: a floor having side and end
edges; side and end walls having lower edges hinged on the side and
end edges of the floor and upper edges, the walls being movable
between down positions lying atop one another on the floor and up
positions projecting upward from the respective floor edges; an
annular frame fittable in the up positions with the upper edges of
the side and end walls with the upper edges bearing outward on the
frame; a cover atop the frame; and means including latch elements
engageable from above downwardly through the cover and frame with
the upper edges of walls for anchoring the cover and frame to the
walls.
2. The transport/storage box defined in claim 1 wherein the frame
is formed with throughgoing holes and the latch elements include
upper elements engageable downward through the holes and lower
elements on the upper edges below the holes latchingly engageable
with the respective upper elements.
3. The transport/storage box defined in claim 2 wherein the upper
elements are slides shiftable on the cover between holding
positions latchingly engaging the respective lower elements and
freeing positions clear of the respective lower elements.
4. The transport/storage box defined in claim 3 wherein each lower
element defines a horizontally open seat and each slide has a hook
engaging in the holding position in the seat.
5. The transport/storage box defined in claim 3 wherein the slides
are captured in the cover.
6. The transport/storage box defined in claim 3 wherein the slides,
cover, frame, and wall upper edge are formed with security holes
that are aligned in the holding positions, the box further
comprising a security seal engageable through the security holes
for arresting the slides in the holding positions.
7. The transport/storage box defined in claim 1 wherein the frame
is annularly continuous and formed of one piece.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a box for storage or
transport. More particularly this invention concerns such a box
that can be collapsed and that has a separate removable cover.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A typical storage/transport box has a rectangular floor with
long side edges bridged by short end edges, although a perfectly
square shape is possible. Side and end walls have lower edges
hinged on the side and end edges and can be moved between down
positions extending horizontally and up positions projecting
vertically upward from the respective edges. The hinge axes are
offset so that the walls can lie flatly atop each other when
down.
[0003] As described in EP 1,418,130 (U.S. patent publication
2004/0084447) upper edges of the side and end walls are connected
to a rectangular top frame that in turn is fitted with a one- or
two-part cover or lid. The cover has an annular rib with cutouts in
which straps for closing the box and holding down the cover fit.
Pins are formed on the upper edges of the side and/or end walls
that fit in respective seats in the cover frame. These pins extend
past shoulders of the frame. In addition to these pins the end
walls each have an outwardly projecting element with a vertically
throughgoing hole that aligns with a similar hole in the frame.
Furthermore the cover is formed with pockets in which hooks at the
upper ends of the pins engage so that the pins are locked in place
when the cover is fitted to the frame.
[0004] Such a structure is fairly complex with regard to latching
the erected walls in position.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide an improved transport/storage box.
[0006] Another object is the provision of such an improved
transport/storage box that overcomes the above-given disadvantages,
in particular that is simple in construction and easy to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A transport/storage box has according to the invention a
floor having side and end edges and side and end walls having lower
edges hinged on the side and end edges of the floor and upper
edges. The walls are movable between down positions lying atop one
another on the floor and up positions projecting upward from the
respective floor edges. An annular frame is fittable in the up
positions with the upper edges of the side and end walls with the
upper edges bearing outward on the frame. A cover sits atop the
frame. Latch elements engageable from above downwardly through the
cover and frame with the upper edges of walls anchor the cover and
frame to the walls.
[0008] The latch elements therefore secure the cover, frame, and
side walls together into a rigid assembly. Presuming the box in the
collapsed condition with the side and end walls down and the frame,
which can be hinged to the cover, separate, the box is readied for
use by erecting the side and end walls to the up position and then
fitting the frame in place over their upper edges. At this point
the box can be filled. The cover is then closed or fitted to the
frame and the latch elements are engaged to secure the entire
assembly together.
[0009] The frame is formed with throughgoing holes and the latch
elements include upper elements engageable downward through the
holes and lower elements on the upper edges below the holes
latchingly engageable with the respective upper elements. These
upper elements can be formed on the cover and constituted as hooks
that engage down through the holes with the lower elements. When
the cover is formed by two panels hinged on side members of the
one-piece frame, there are two such latch holes in the frame on
each of the end edges. When the cover is of one piece and separate
from the frame, there can be one or more such latch holes on each
member of the frame.
[0010] According to the invention the upper elements are slides
shiftable on the cover between holding positions latchingly
engaging the respective lower elements and freeing positions clear
of the respective lower elements. These lower elements define
horizontally open seats and each slide has a hook engaging in the
holding position in the respective seat.
[0011] The slides are captured in the cover. They therefore are not
separate parts.
[0012] The slides, cover, frame, and wall upper edge are formed
with security holes that are aligned in the holding positions. A
security seal, e.g. a tape or plug, is engageable through the
security holes for arresting the slides in the holding positions.
Such a seal therefore not only prevents inadvertent opening of the
box, but provides a good tamper indication when it must be cut to
be removed.
[0013] The frame according to the invention is annularly continuous
and formed of one piece. It is of L-section with an upright outer
flange against which the upper edges of the side and end walls bear
when the box is erected and a horizontal upper flange formed with
the latch and security holes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0014] The above and other objects, features, and advantages will
become more readily apparent from the following description,
reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the box according to the
invention without its cover;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a large-scale side view of a portion of an end
wall of a box according to the invention; and
[0017] FIG. 3 is a section along line III-III of FIG. 2.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
[0018] As seen in FIG. 1 a box 1 according to the invention has a
generally planar and normally horizontal rectangular floor 2 on
whose end and longitudinal edges 8 are hinges 6 and 7 carrying end
and side walls 3 and 4. The side walls 4 are each formed of two
panels 4a and 4b secured together at a central hinge 9. A
rectangular annular frame 5, here formed of an injection-molded
plastic like the floor 2 and walls 3 and 4, sits on the end and
side walls 3 and 4 shown here in the up or erected positions. This
frame 5 is of L-section, with a vertical outer side flange and a
horizontal top flange. In the erect position, the upper edges of
the end and side walls 3 and 4 bear outward on the vertical outer
flange of the frame 5.
[0019] According to the invention the top flange of the frame 5 is
formed along the upper edge of each end wall 3 with two rectangular
throughgoing holes 10. The end walls 3 in turn are unitarily formed
as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 underneath each of these holes 10 with an
upwardly open pocket 12 in which a latch element 18 forms a
horizontally open seat or cavity 11. A cover formed here by two
panels 13 hinged at their outer edges in a manner that is not
illustrated on the side members of the frame 5 above the upper
edges of the side walls 4 has reinforcing ribs 14 that project
downward within the frame 5.
[0020] At each of the holes 10 the cover 13 is provided with a
latch slide 15 that is captured in guide slots 21 of the cover 13
and limitedly shiftable parallel to the end walls 3. This slide 15
is provided with a downwardly extending latch element 17 having a
hook 16 that can engage downward into the pocket 12 and be slid
into the seat 11 of the respective end-wall latch element 18 so as
to lock the cover 13 down on the frame 5 and the frame 5 down on
the upper edges of the end walls 3. When in the latched position,
that is with the hooks 16 engaged in the seats 11, holes 20 on the
latch slide 15, cover 13, and frame 5 are aligned so that a
security seal 19 can be fitted through them.
* * * * *