U.S. patent application number 12/944514 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-12 for self cooling container.
This patent application is currently assigned to IPL, Inc.. Invention is credited to Gaston Lacasse, Eric Magni.
Application Number | 20110108558 12/944514 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43973387 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110108558 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Magni; Eric ; et
al. |
May 12, 2011 |
SELF COOLING CONTAINER
Abstract
A container that comprises first and second sidewalls and first
and second end walls connected to a base. At least one of the base,
respective sidewalls, or respective end wall is formed of a
material that has a high thermal conductivity. At least each of the
sidewalls or each of the end walls may be provided with venting to
promote air flow. The first and second end walls and the first and
second sidewalls are pivotally connected to the base.
Inventors: |
Magni; Eric; (Quebec,
CA) ; Lacasse; Gaston; (St-Henri, CA) |
Assignee: |
IPL, Inc.
St-Damien
CA
|
Family ID: |
43973387 |
Appl. No.: |
12/944514 |
Filed: |
November 11, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61260256 |
Nov 11, 2009 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/592.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 11/20 20130101;
B65D 21/0212 20130101; B65D 81/263 20130101; B65D 11/1833
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/592.01 |
International
Class: |
B65D 88/74 20060101
B65D088/74 |
Claims
1. A self cooling container comprises a: horizontal floor portion,
and four adjoining vertical wall portions, wherein at least one of
the floor portion and four adjoining vertical wall portions are
formed of a material having a high thermal conductivity.
2. The self cooling container of claim 1, wherein the thermal
conductivity of the material is substantially greater than that of
polypropylene.
3. The self cooling container of claim 1, wherein at least a
respective pair of adjoining vertical walls are opposed from each
other, each vertical wall of said respective pair being formed with
vent openings therein.
4. The self cooling container of claim 1, wherein a first and
second wall of the four adjoining vertical walls are pivotally
connected to the floor portion and a third and fourth wall of the
four adjoining vertical walls are each pivotally connected to said
floor portion.
5. The self cooling container of claim 1, wherein the material
having a high thermal conductivity has a thermal conductivity of
about 0.30 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1 to 1.2 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1.
6. The self cooling container of claim 1, wherein the material is a
polypropylene resin mixed with exfoliated graphite.
7. The self cooling container of claim 1, wherein the material
having a high thermal conductivity has a thermal conductivity of
between 0.39 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1 and 0.8 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1.
8. The self cooling container of claim 1, wherein the material
having a high thermal conductivity is a high density polyethylene
resin mixed with exfoliated graphite.
9. The self cooling container of claim 7, wherein the material is
between five percent to thirty percent exfoliated graphite by
weight.
10. The self cooling container of claim 8, wherein the material is
between five percent to thirty percent exfoliated graphite by
weight.
11. The self cooling container of claim 1, wherein the material
having a high thermal conductivity is polypropylene mixed with
exfoliated graphite, the exfoliated graphite being present at
between about five percent to thirty percent by weight, and the
thermal conductivity of the material being between about 0.30
WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1 to 1.2 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1.
12. The self cooling container of claim 1, wherein the material
having a high thermal conductivity is a high density polyethylene
resin mixed with exfoliated graphite, containing mixed exfoliated
graphite by weight of between five percent and thirty percent, and
the material having a thermal conductivity between 0.39
WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1 and 0.8 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/260,256, filed
Nov. 11, 2009 in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This present invention relates to a multi-purpose container
for storing and transporting goods. More particularly, the present
invention relates to a multi-purpose container for maintaining
temperature of the produce container at a temperature of a cooling
medium contained therein to preserve perishable items shipped by
produce container.
[0003] Containers for storing and transporting perishable items
such as produce have been used in the fruit and vegetable marketing
industry, by way of example for many years. At the outset, wooden
boxes were used. However, they suffered from many well documented
disadvantages. Over time, the industry adopted containers made of
plastic materials because of their light weight, durable
characteristic.
[0004] These containers are provided with vent holes for air
circulation in order to cool the perishable items contained
therein. The prior art, however, did not address the question of
efficient and uniform cooling throughout the entire container or
uniform cooling when multiple containers are stacked one upon the
other.
[0005] One such proposed solution is known from U.S. Pat. No.
5,727,711, which is incorporated as if fully set forth herein. The
disclosed produce container (also herein a crate) included a
plurality of openings of specific dimensions in the floor. Each of
the sidewalls also includes a plurality of openings of specific
dimensions. Furthermore, the sum of the area occupied by the
openings occupy a specific percentage of the area of the wall. This
solution does provide a satisfactory convection cooling technique,
however, it relies upon the passage of the air or other fluid
through the container and requires specific vent hole dimensions
and ratios which must be maintained within some criticality.
[0006] Furthermore, even during transport when chilling is provided
by a fluid medium, such as water or air, the produce may also be
packed in ice to minimize spoilage. Therefore, there is also a need
for a container to facilitate the chilling effect of the ice while
minimizing the loss of ice. However, the prior art system relies
heavily on air circulation to accomplish its solution.
[0007] Furthermore, prior to use in the field, crates are usually
stored out in the field or in a warehouse where they take on the
ambient temperature of the environment over time. As they are used
in the field, they are often much warmer than the system needs to
be. Thus, there is the necessity for the use of ice or other
cooling fluids. However, there is much thermal inertia in the crate
so that much of the cooling capacity of the ice is wasted on the
crate which has a tendency to raise the overall temperature of the
environment within the crate which may lead to premature spoilage
of the produce within the crate. It is desirable to lower the
temperature of the produce as quickly as possible to minimize the
spoilage.
[0008] Therefore, there is a need for a container which addresses
the shortcomings of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention relates to a durable container for
storing and transferring perishable goods, such as crops, fruits
and vegetables from the field to the market. More particularly, the
present invention relates to a reusable stackable container which
is adapted to provide efficient uniform cooling.
[0010] In accordance with the present invention, a produce
container has a floor and four adjoining vertical portions, made up
of opposite end wall pairs and opposite sidewall pairs. At least
the walls are formed from a material having a high thermal
conductivity, i.e. low thermal inertia.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the crate is a collapsible,
reusable container for carrying goods such as produce. The
container includes four hinged walls and a base. The walls include
two end walls and two sidewalls. These walls can be folded down
onto the base so that the container assumes a flat configuration
for easy storage. When unfolded, the walls are properly aligned and
securely locked together so that they provide a rigid container
that can be stacked with other similar containers.
[0012] In another embodiment of the invention, the first sidewall
may include at least one latching member that cooperates with a
latching member of the first end wall to secure the first sidewall
and the first end wall together when the first sidewall and the
first end wall are in upright positions. The container may also
include a wall locking system that has a plurality of locking
members on the first sidewall and at least one locking member on
the first end wall. The locking member on the first end wall
cooperates with the locking members on the first sidewall to
prevent the first sidewall from moving relative to the first end
wall in at least one direction when the first sidewall and first
end wall are in upright positions. The container may also include a
wall alignment system that has a first member extending from one of
the sidewalls, and a second member that extends from one of the end
walls. According to the present invention, the first and second
members of the wall alignment system cooperate to align adjacent
sidewalls and end walls before the sidewalls and end walls achieve
a completely upright position.
[0013] In an alternative embodiment, vent holes are formed in at
least one of opposing sidewall pairs and/or opposing end wall
pairs. Air flow is facilitated through the vents.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible container
according to the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a base as shown in FIG.
1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is an outside perspective view of a sidewall having a
contoured upper surface according to the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 4 is an inside perspective view of the sidewall shown
in FIG. 3;
[0018] FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the outer surface of the
sidewall shown in FIG. 3;
[0019] FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the inner surface of the
sidewall shown in FIG. 4;
[0020] FIG. 7 is an end view of one of the sidewalls of the
container shown in FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 8 is an end view of the other sidewall of the container
shown in FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 9 is an outside perspective view of an end wall
according to the present invention illustrating an outer surface of
the end wall;
[0023] FIG. 10 is an inside perspective view of an end wall
according to the present invention illustrating an inner surface of
the end wall;
[0024] FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the inner surface of the
end wall shown in FIG. 10;
[0025] FIG. 12 is an end view of one of the end walls shown in FIG.
1;
[0026] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view through one of the end
walls shown in FIG. 1;
[0027] FIG. 14 is an elevational view of the outer surface of the
end wall of FIG. 9;
[0028] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG.
1 wherein the combined height of the folded sidewalls, shown in
FIGS. 3-6, is greater than the width of the base;
[0029] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
container according to the present invention wherein the combined
height of the folded sidewalls is less than the width of the base;
and
[0030] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the embodiment illustrated
in FIG. 16 with the sidewalls in an upright, raised position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates a collapsible container or crate 10
according to the present invention. Collapsible container 10 can be
used to store or transport goods. Container 10 is particularly
suitable for transporting produce such as fruits and vegetables,
where use of cooling fluids such as air or gas, as well as ice, are
necessary to keep the produce fresh and consumable until it reaches
a predetermined destination such as a market. The container 10 is
formed of a plastic material by injection molding or other known
plastic molding processes that are suitable for forming reusable,
collapsible containers.
[0032] The plastic material has a high thermal conductivity. For
the purposes of this application, high thermal conductivity is a
thermal conductivity substantially greater than that of
conventional crate polypropylene (0.22 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1), and
preferably at least about 0.30 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1 to 1.2
WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1; and in one embodiment 0.55 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1 and
0.75 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1. One such material is a polypropylene or
mixed with exfoliated graphite. High density polyethylene ("HDPE")
having a thermal conductivity of 0.39 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1 to at least
0.8 WK.sup.-1m.sup.-1 may also be used. In this embodiment, the
high thermal conductivity material is HDPE mixed with exfoliated
graphite. The thermal conductivity is a function of the percentage
of graphite within the mixture. In a preferred embodiment the
graphite may be included at between about five percent to thirty
five percent by weight; and in one embodiment between eight percent
and thirty percent by weight. In an alternative embodiment high
density polyethylene may be used as the base material.
[0033] Container 10 comprises a base 14, sidewalls 34, 36 and end
walls 44, 46. As shown in FIG. 1, each of these walls has a handle
opening so that the container can be easily carried. The base 14
includes a bottom panel 15 that forms a lower support surface for
carrying and supporting the goods positioned within the container
10. Like the overall shape of the container 10, bottom panel 15 is
generally rectangular in shape. However, the container and base can
have any shape such as substantially square or substantially
oblong. Alternatively, the sidewalls 34, 36 can be substantially
straight and the end walls 44, 46 can be slightly curved, or vice
versa. Additionally, the container can be of any size. As shown in
FIGS. 14 and 15, the container 10 can have sidewalls 34, 36 that
are any height above the base 14 and any length.
[0034] Providing a base and walls having a high thermal
conductivity, facilitates cooling of the crate and its environment
more rapidly than the prior art polypropylene crates. The crate
adopts the temperature of the cooling medium such as a
refrigerating fluid or ice more rapidly to provide a cold
environment for any perishable goods. However, in a preferred
embodiment, base 14 may be formed with vent opening 600 therein,
sidewalls 34, 36 may be formed with vent openings 800 therein, and
end walls 44, 46 may be formed with vent holes 700 therein to
promote cross ventilation of a cooling fluid such as air. It
follows, that at a minimum, the vent openings provided in a posed
wall pairs to promote flow of the air or other cooling medium
across the crate.
[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the holes are designed as taught
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,711 to promote efficient thermal transfer
from fluids traveling through the crate.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, the base 14 has two opposed side edges
16 and 18, and two opposed end edges 20 and 22. The base 14 further
includes upwardly extending base wall sections 24 and 26 that
extend parallel to the end edges 20, 22 and perpendicularly away
from the bottom panel 15. These base wall sections 24, 26 can be
integrally molded with the base 14. Each wall section 24, 26 has an
upper edge 25 for supporting either the sidewalls 34, 36 or the end
walls 44, 46 depending upon which set of walls is intended to be
folded over the base 14 last and unfolded first.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the opposed sidewalls 34 and 36 extend
along the length of the base 14 on opposite sides of the bottom
panel 15. The sidewalls 34 and 36 are each pivotally attached to
bottom panel 15 by a hinge system 37 that is located along the
opposed side edges 16, 18 of bottom panel 15. The hinge system 37
permits the sidewalls 34, 36 to be pivoted toward, or away from,
the bottom panel 15 along edges 16 and 18 so that they can be
positioned in either an upright, unfolded position in which it
extends perpendicular to the base 14, or a horizontal, folded
position where it extends parallel to the base 14.
[0038] As seen in FIGS. 1-2, the hinging system 37 along each side
of the container 10 includes a plurality of rod sections 38 that
extend across a portion of each sidewall 34 and 36. The outermost
rod sections 38 are spaced inwardly from the end surfaces 91 of the
sidewalls 34 and 36 proximate end walls 44, 46. In one embodiment,
the rod sections 38 are formed integrally with the base 14. In an
alternative embodiment, the rod sections 38 are joined together as
a single member that extends along the entire length of the hinge
and through adjacent supports in the base 14. The ends of the
single member 38 are supported by the outermost supports.
[0039] The hinging system 37 on each side of the container 10 also
includes hinge members 39 that extend downwardly from sidewalls 34
and 36 and into openings in the bottom panel 15, as shown in FIGS.
1 and 3-6. The hinge members 39 can be integrally molded to, or
otherwise unitarily formed with, their respective sidewall 34, 36.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7-8, each hinge member 39 has a C-shaped
cross-section that receives and partially surrounds a respective
rod section 38. Each hinge member 39 rotates about its respective
rod section 38 so that the sidewalls 34 and 36 pivot and fold with
respect to bottom panel 15 with minimal wearing of hinging
mechanism 37.
[0040] In an alternative embodiment, the hinge members 39 can be
secured to their respective rod sections 38. In this alternative
embodiment, the rod sections 38 rotate relative to the base 14
instead of the hinge member 39 rotating relative to the sections
38. This hinging system 37 can also be used to hingedly connect the
end walls 44, 46 to the base 14, as discussed further herein.
[0041] As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the hinging system 37 does not extend
the full length of base 14. Instead, the hinging system 37
terminates a distance away from the end surfaces 91 of each
sidewall 34, 36 to permit easy pivoting of the sidewalls and to
reduce the damage that may occur to the hinges if they were placed
in close proximity to the ends of the sidewalls. Additionally, the
hinging system 37 terminates at points that are spaced from the end
walls 44, 46 by pockets 62 that are proximate the end walls 44, 46.
This spacing eliminates the need for extending the hinging system
into pockets 62 or between these pockets 62 and the end walls 44,
46. As a result, the pockets 62 are able to be spaced along the
container 10 so they can receive cooperating stacking tabs 58 from
other containers, including corrugated boxes, as discussed below.
This distance between the hinge system 37 and the end walls 44, 46
could be any distance that is known in the industry for pockets 62
that receive stacking tabs 58. In order to stabilize the sections
93 of the sidewalls 34, 36 that extend between the hinge system 37
and the end walls 44, 46, the sidewalls 34, 36 and the bottom panel
15 include a wall stabilizing system 80, seen in FIGS. 1, 15 and
16. By stabilizing and limiting the inward movement of the wall
section 93, the goods carried by the container 10 are protected
against the damage caused by conventional, unrestrained
sidewalls.
[0042] The stabilizing system 80 include a plurality of stabilizing
members 81 positioned along the sidewalls 34, 36 and a plurality of
cooperating stabilizing members 82 positioned along the side edges
16, 18 of the bottom panel 15. In a preferred embodiment, the
stabilizing members 81 include a plurality of projections or pegs
that extend from a lower surface of the sidewalls 34, 36 as shown
in FIGS. 5-8. The stabilizing members 82 include holes in the
bottom panel 15 (shown in FIG. 2) that are aligned with the members
81 in order to receive the projections 81 as the sidewalls 34, 36
are being moved into their upright position. When the projections
81 and holes 82 are mutually engaged (when the sidewalls are
partially or completely upright), they provide support, stability
and strength (structural rigidity) to the end sections 93 of the
sidewalls 34, 36. The structural rigidity added by the stabilizing
system 80 and the limited movements of the corners enhance the
stacking strength of the container. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5-6,
the projections 81 and holes 82 are only located between the
outermost hinge member 39 and the end surfaces 91 of the sidewalls
34, 36 that extend along the end walls 44, 46. The projections 81
and openings are located only along section 93. Members 81, 82 are
not positioned between adjacent hinge members 39 because the hinge
members 39 provide sufficient stability along the middle portion of
the sidewalls 34, 36. In an alternative embodiment, the holes 82
could be formed in the lower surface of the sidewalls 34, 36 and
the projections 81 extend upwardly away from an upper surface of
the bottom panel 15. Also, holes 82 include open holes or recesses
with side and bottom walls.
[0043] Like sidewalls 34 and 36, end walls 44 and 46 are similarly
pivotally attached to the bottom panel 15 by way of a hinging
mechanism 48 which is similar in structure to hinging mechanism 37
described above, as shown in FIG. 1. However, unlike the sidewalls,
the end walls 44, 46 are folded relative to base 14 at a distance
remote from the bottom panel 15. Particularly, end walls 44 and 46
are pivotally attached to upstanding wall sections 24 and 26,
respectively, of the bottom panel 15, proximate upper edges 25. The
height of the upstanding wall sections 24, 26 is chosen based on
the required distance from the bottom panel 15 that the walls 44,
46 must be spaced in order to fold over the folded sidewalls 34, 36
and form a stackable structure with a flat upper surface. As with
the sidewalls 34, 36, the end walls 44 and 46 are able to achieve a
folded position and an upright position.
[0044] As discussed above, the hinging system 48 used for end walls
44, 46 is similar to that described above in association with
sidewalls 34 and 36. This system 48 is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 9.
The system 48 includes a plurality of rod sections 38 and C-shaped
hinge members 39 with internal bearing surfaces, as shown in FIGS.
9 and 12-13. As with hinging mechanism 37, in a preferred
embodiment hinging mechanism 48 does not extend to corner line 31
but is remote therefrom. Also, the rod sections 38 can be part of a
single rod or they can be separate, independent sections. Moreover,
either the hinge members 39 or the hinge members 39 and the rod
sections 38 rotate relative to the base 14 when the end walls 44,
46 are unfolded. When the hinge members 39 rotate relative to the
base 14, they rotate within an opening 45 that includes pivot
limiting members 88. These members 88 prevent the end walls 44, 46
from pivoting past about 90 degrees relative to the bottom panel 15
(past vertical).
[0045] As best shown in FIG. 10, each end wall 44 and 46 has a
U-shaped horizontal cross section that is formed by a main end wall
portion 50, and two shorter flange portions 52. In a preferred
embodiment, these wall portions are integrally formed together as a
single unit. The flange portions 52 extend from either side of
portion 50. Additionally, the flange portions 52 are oriented
orthogonal to main end wall portion 50 and, when the container is
assembled, they extend in the direction of the sidewalls 34 and
36.
[0046] Referring now to FIG. 1, the collapsible container assembly
10 also includes locking system 64 for securing the sidewalls 34,
36 to the end walls 44, 46 and stabilizing the corners. Moreover,
the locking system prevents the sidewalls from moving relative to
the end walls in at least the vertical direction and the rotational
direction that is past vertical. The locking system 64 provides
interlocking engagement between the sidewalls 34, 36 and the end
walls 44, 46 when these walls are in their upright position. In a
preferred embodiment, the locking system 64 forms dovetail joints
at each of the corners with the cooperating elements 66, 67, 68, 69
of the joints forming only a fraction of their respective walls.
For example, each cooperating element may be one-half the thickness
of the walls. Alternatively, one element may be one-third or
one-quarter the thickness of its wall while the cooperating element
is two-thirds or three-quarters the thickness of its wall,
respectively. No matter their size, the cooperating elements of the
joints are hidden from any line of sight when the container is
fully assembled and the walls are in their upright positions. The
advantages to these joints are discussed above.
[0047] The locking system 64 includes flanges 54 at the outer ends
of the sidewalls 34, 36 proximate the surfaces 91, and the flanges
52 on the end walls 44, 46. As shown in FIG. 3, the side of each
flange 54 that is opposite the interior of the container 10
includes at least one locking tab 66. In a preferred embodiment,
each flange 54 includes a plurality of locking tabs 66 disposed at
predetermined spaced intervals by gaps 67. Each locking tab 66 has
a substantially triangular shape with the largest portion of the
tab 66 extending along edge 91. Each tab 66 also includes first and
second locking surfaces 72, 74 that extend between the outermost
surface 70 and the main portion of sidewalls 34, 36.
[0048] Referring to FIGS. 10 and 13, each flange 52 includes at
least one tab receiving opening 68 that receives the tab(s) 66 on
one of the flanges 54. However, in a preferred embodiment, each
flange 52 includes a plurality of tab receiving openings 68. Each
opening 68 has a shape that compliments and receives the locking
tab 66 in a snug fashion. The triangular shape of tab 66 and the
corresponding shape of opening 68 enhance the locking feature of
locking system 64. The openings 68 are defined by spacers 69 that
extend away from the flanges 52 in the direction of the interior of
the container 10. In the present invention, the tabs 66 slide into
the openings 68 as the sidewalls 34, 36 are pivoted from the
collapsed position to the upright position and into engagement with
the end walls 44, 46. The wall of each flange 52 provides a stop
against the movement of the tabs 66. In an alternative embodiment,
the tabs 66 could be located on the flanges 52 and the openings 68
arranged on flanges 54. When the tabs 66 are received in the
openings 68, a first lock for the walls 34, 36, 44, 46 is
established and the walls are not able to move laterally relative
to one another.
[0049] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the container 10 also includes a
wall guiding system 100. The guiding system 100 includes a male
protrusion or spur 110 positioned along one of the flanges 54 of
the sidewalls 34, 36. The spur 110 extends away from the side edge
or face of its sidewall in the direction of a respective end wall
that is parallel to the length of the sidewalls and perpendicular
to the length of the end walls. As shown in FIG. 3, the spur 110 is
secured to the flange/sidewall along only one edge so that it is
free to be received by a complimentary female member on a
cooperating end wall. Each spur 110 is spaced from the other
portions of the flange 54 including the tabs 66 along its
height.
[0050] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, each end wall 44, 46 also
includes a portion of the guiding system 100 for receiving the spur
110 and aligning the mating portions of the locking system 64 of
cooperating walls so that these walls can be easily and properly
secured together when the sidewalls 34, 36 are raised as the end
walls 44, 46 are in an upright position. The spur 110 is received
and guided by an elongated guiding channel 120 formed by two
coextensive, opposing, contoured members 125 that extend away from
the inner surface or inner face of their end wall in the direction
of the interior of the container 10 and substantially parallel to
the length of the sidewalls 34, 36, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 13.
The members 125 also extend along a portion of their respective end
walls.
[0051] Each member 125 has an outer surface 126 that covers an
inner, recessed track 127 in which the spur 110 travels as the
sidewalls are raised during the assembly of the container 10. A
wide, tapered opening 128 provides access to its respective track
127 so that the spur 110 of the cooperating sidewall will be easily
and conveniently received within the channel 120 even if the
sidewall is not properly aligned while it is being raised. This
receipt of the spur 110 is also facilitated by the angled of flared
orientation of the opening 128 relative to the remainder of the
guiding channel 120. FIG. 11 illustrates that the sides of the
opening 128 can be angled or flared in the direction that the spur
110 travels (the arc that the spur 110 sweeps) as its sidewall is
raised so the spur 110 is easily and quickly received by the
opening 128 and inserted into the guide channel 120. The spur 110
can also be angled or curved in the direction of the opening 128
for aiding in the fast and accurate alignment of the sidewalls and
end walls.
[0052] In a preferred embodiment of the assembly of the container
10, the spur 110 includes two tabs 112 as shown in FIG. 6. As the
sidewalls 34, 36 are rotated toward their upright position, their
spurs 110 each move toward one of the guiding channels 120. When
each spur 110 reaches its respective guiding channel 120, it is
received in the opening 128 and its tabs 112 move along the tracks
127 behind members 125 prior to the sidewall coming to a vertical
position. The members 125 prevent the sidewalls 34, 36 from moving
relative to the end walls 44, 46 in the direction of the interior
of the container 10. This increases the accuracy of the wall
alignment and reduces the effort and time needed to lock the walls
together in their upright positions. Similarly, the meshing of the
spurs 110 and the guiding channels 120 pulls the corners of the
container walls 34, 36, 44, 46 together so that a tight fit is
created. The meshing also aligns the walls with each other so that
a latching system 200 can securely hold them together with the
minimum number of steps being performed. The spur 110 and the
tracks 127 can have any cooperating shapes that permit the walls to
be closely aligned as the flange 54 passes over the latching system
200 as discussed below. For example, the spur 110 could have an "L"
shape and the tracks 127 a cooperating groove.
[0053] In an alternative embodiment, the placement of the spurs 110
and guiding channel 120 can be reversed. In this alternative
embodiment, the spurs 110 extend from the flanges 52 and the
guiding channels 120 are located on the sidewalls 34, 36.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 1, the container 10 also includes a
plurality of wall latching systems 200 for releasably latching
adjacent side and end walls together when the side and end walls
are in their upright positions. Each wall latching system 200
includes a latching member 210 that is operatively mounted
proximate the ends of each end wall 44, 46 near the flanges 52. As
seen in FIG. 6, the latching system 200 also includes a latching
surface 220 on an inwardly facing surface of a cooperating sidewall
34, 36. Each latching member 210 is formed of the same material as
the container 10 and positioned within an opening 230 in its
respective end wall. Each latching member 210 includes an inner or
actuating face 215 that is on the side of the latching member 210
and its respective end wall that faces into the interior of the
container 10. The actuating face 215 is contoured as shown in FIG.
10.
[0055] The latching members 210 are secured to their respective end
wall along a single edge 211, see FIG. 9. As a result, the edge 211
including hole 244 forms a hinge region 212 about which latching
member 210 flexes. The hole 244 helps to distribute the bending
stresses created at edge 211 over the entire hinge region 212 so
that the stresses are not localized and do not cause premature
failure of the container 10. The plastic deformation of the
material that forms the hinge region 212 allows the latching member
210 to flex in response to pressure that is applied to its inner
face 215. As understood, this pressure can be caused by an operator
pressing the latching member 210 in order to release the sidewall
or by a flange 54 passing over the latching member 210 as the
sidewall is being moved to its upright position, as discussed
below. In an alternative embodiment, the biasing strength of the
hinge that opposes movement of the latching member 210 is provided
by a spring that acts on a rear or side surface of the latching
member 210.
[0056] The latching member 210 includes a first portion 241 that is
flat and coplanar with its respective end wall. The latching member
210 also includes a second portion 242 that is inclined toward a
third portion 243. This inclined profile of the latching members
210 along their second portions 242 permit the sidewalls to be
easily and smoothly raised from their folded positions to their
upright positions as they pass over their respective latching
members 210. As a sidewall is pivoted toward its upright position,
a ribbed contact portion 220 of its flange 54 begins to contact the
latching member 210 at the second portion 242. This contact causes
the latching member 210 to begin to flex at the hinge region 212.
However, contact with the second section 242 and flexion of the
hinge 212 do not occur until after the spur 110 is received in its
guide channel 120. As a result, latching member 210 will not be
flexed until after the sidewall and cooperating end wall have been
properly aligned.
[0057] As seen in FIG. 10, the second portion 242 extends away from
its respective end wall in the direction of the interior of the
container 10. The third portion 243 extends further into the
interior of the container that does the second portion 242.
Therefore, when the third portion 243 contacts the flange 54, it
forces the hinge 212 to experience full flexion. At this point, the
third portion 243 becomes flush with the inner surface of its end
wall. When this occurs, the latching member 210 is deflected far
enough away from the interior of the container and into opening 230
that the flange 54 can easily move past it and into a locking
position. After the flange 54 has passed the latching member 210,
the latching member 210 springs back into its original rest
position and retains the latching surface 220 of the flange 54
behind it. When the latching surface 220 of the flange 54 is behind
the latching member 210, its respective sidewall is stopped from
moving relative to the other walls and toward the base 14.
[0058] The second portion 242 and the third portion 243 can also be
deflected to the above-mentioned extent by depressing a recess 244,
or other area, on the second section 242. When recess 244 is
depressed by a person, it causes the hinge 212 to flex and the
latching member 210 to move into opening 248. The more pressure
applied to the latching member 210, the more deflection that the
latching member 210 will experience. When third portion 243 is
flush with the inner face of its end wall, the respective sidewall
is free to rotate back toward the base 14 and into its folded
position. According to the present invention, moving the sidewalls
34, 36 from their folded position to their upright position
requires only sufficient force to drive the flanges 54 into the
latching members 210 and deflect the latching members 210 until
they are substantially flush with the inner surface of their
respective end walls.
[0059] As shown in FIG. 9, the rear side 245 of the latching member
210 includes a deformation prevention member 250. The rear side 245
faces away from the interior of the container. In a preferred
embodiment, the deformation prevention member 250 includes an arm
251 that extends away from the rear side 245. The arm 251 includes
a terminal end 252 that is spaced far enough from a horizontally
extending stop wall 246 that the latching member 210 can be flexed
until third portion 243 is flush with the inner surface of its end
wall. However, terminal end 252 is spaced close enough to wall 246
that the hinge 212 will not experience irreversible elastic
deformation in response to pressure being applied to the latching
member 210. The distance that the terminal end 252 will travel
before contacting wall 246 is just slightly longer than the
distance that the latching member 210 is deflected when a wall is
locked upright or released for folding. In an alternative
embodiment, the deformation prevention member is not on a rear
surface of the latching member 210. Instead, it extends outwardly
away from a rear surface of its respective end wall or sidewall and
contacts the back of latching member 210 in order to prevent the
hinge 212 from being bent to a point where it experiences
irreversible deformation.
[0060] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the top surfaces 43 of the
sidewalls 34, 36 and the end walls 44, 46 are contoured. These
surfaces 43 have a plurality of stacking tabs 58 that extend
upwardly in a direction away from base 14 for being received in
pockets 62. As shown in FIG. 2, the receiving pockets 62 are
positioned along the bottom, outer edge of the base 14 so that the
container 10 can be securely stacked on top of another container in
ether a chimney stack or a cross stack pattern. As is well known in
the art, chimney stacking includes positioning containers on top of
each other so that they are all oriented in the same direction.
Conversely, cross stacking includes stacking the containers so that
containers from adjacent rows are oriented in alternate directions
and containers from alternating rows are oriented in the same
direction. The stacking tabs 58 and the receiving pockets 62 permit
a user of these containers to interlock them while their walls are
in an upright position. As a result, in either stacking pattern, a
plurality of the stacking tabs 58 engage a corresponding number of
receiving pockets 62 in order to prevent relative movement between
the stacked containers.
[0061] In a preferred embodiment, the shape of the stacking tabs 58
and receiving pockets 62 is rectangular. However, any shape that
can be used to securely stack containers on top of each other could
be employed. Also, it is possible for the stacking tabs 58 to
extend from the bottom of the base 14 and the receiving pockets to
be positioned around the top surfaces. It is also possible for the
container 10 to nest with other containers when the sidewalls 34,
36 and end walls 44, 46 are in folded positions.
[0062] As discussed above, the sidewalls 34, 36 can have any
height. However, when the combined height of the sidewalls 34, 36
including their stacking tabs 58 is greater than the width of the
base 14, as shown in FIG. 15, the top surface 43 of each sidewall
34, 36 includes recesses 56. These recesses 56 correspond to and
receive the stacking tabs of the opposing sidewall when the
sidewalls 34, 36 are folded. The recesses 56 eliminate the need for
the sidewalls 34, 36 to be folded on top of each other. As a
result, the folded height of the container 10 remains low because
the height of the bottom panel 15 is not increased so that the end
walls 44, 46 can be folded over the sidewalls 34, 36. The
relationship between the stacking tabs 58 and the recesses 56 is
clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 15. The recesses 56 can also be used
to receive other portions of an opposing sidewall. When the height
of the sidewalls 34, 36 is less than the width of the base 14 and
the stacking tabs 58 will not engage the opposing sidewall, the top
surface 43 of each sidewall does not need to be notched as shown in
FIGS. 15 and 16.
[0063] It is understood, of course, that while the forms of the
invention herein shown and described include the best mode
contemplated for carrying out the present invention, they are not
intended to illustrate all possible forms thereof. It will also be
understood that the words used are descriptive rather than
limiting, and that various changes may be made without departing
from the spirit or scope of the invention as claimed below.
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