Collapsable Storage Container

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage container intended for loose stacking and transport of piece goods, e.g. cartons of milk, which has at least three wall members of which one is a front wall and the other two are side walls hingedly connected with at least one of the wall members and collapsable against the same. Said storage container is also convertible from a normal position in which it has essentially the form of a parallelepiped, to a stowing position requiring less space. The invention is mainly characterized in that the side walls are swingable out from their normal positions, in which they form essentially a 90.degree. angle with the front wall, to outer positions appropriate for stowing the container, in which positions said angle is obtuse and in which the internal distance between the rear edges of the side walls is greater than the breadth of the front part of the container. The swinging outward of the side walls is limited at the outer positions by a blocking member, mounted on the side walls or parts connected to the side walls, stopping against the front wall or against parts connected thereto or vice versa.

Description

The present invention relates to a collapsable storage container intended for loose stacking and transport of piece goods, for example cartons of milk comprising at least three wall members, one of which is a front wall and the other two are side walls hingedly connected with the front wall, and a bottom member hingedly connected with at least one of the wall members and collapsable against the same, said storage container being convertible from a normal position, in which it essentially has the shape of a parallelepiped, to a stowing position requiring less space.

Storage containers of the type disclosed are previously known. They are constructed with the intention that they shall have, in their normal position, the shape of a parallelepiped for the purpose of loose stacking and at the same time that they shall take up, in their stowing position, the minimum possible space when kept in storage rooms. They have, however, either the disadvantage that their conversion from the normal position to the stowing position and/or vice versa is complicated and time-consuming or that the volume in the stowing position has only been reduced to a very small extent. For the sake of completeness, it should also be added that a storage container with essentially parallelepipedic shape is intended, since even relatively small deviations from this shape reduce the utility of the storage container.

The object of the present invention is to avoid the disadvantages mentioned in previously known storage containers of the type described. This is done by giving instructions for the construction of a storage container, which construction combines the parallelepipedic shape, ideal for loose stacking, with small volume after being collapsed. Another object is to construct the storage container so that it is easily collapsed as well as set up again for use.

A collapsable storage container of the type disclosed is characterized according to the invention in that the side walls are swingable out from their normal positions, in which they form essentially a 90.degree. angle with the front wall, to outer positions appropriate for stowing the container, in which said angle is obtuse and in which the internal distance between the rear edges of the side walls is greater than the width of the front part of the container. The swinging outward of the side walls to their outer positions is then limited by a blocking member, mounted on the side walls or parts connected to the side walls, stopping against the front wall or against parts connected to it or vice versa.

Further characteristic features of a storage container according to the invention are evident from the following claims.

Further advantages of a storage container according to the invention and other embodiments of the same are described in more detail below with reference to the enclosed drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a preferred embodiment of the storage container according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a part of an end view viewed from behind of the storage container in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view from above of the same storage container,

FIG. 4 shows a view from above of two collapsed storage containers telescoped into each other and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the corner of FIG. 4 indicated by a dash-and-dot circle, in which some of the details are shown in cross-section for increased clarity.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the storage container designated in its entirety by the numeral 1 in its normal position, i.e. ready for use in loose stacking of the piece goods, which in this case consist of cartons of milk, as a storage place for the goods at a retail store, etc.

With special reference to the three Figures, the numeral 2 designates the two sides of the storage container, 3 the front wall and 4 the back wall. The bottom member is designated by the number 5. Each one of the walls 2, 3 and 4 and the bottom member 5, is presented in the Figures as an undivided unit. However, it is conceivable that one or more of these members can be constructed of several parts. It is also conceivable that one or more of the walls, for example the front wall 3, could consist only of a frame, which may be closed and essentially have the shape of a rectangle or be open and then have the shape of a U. However, it is essential that the members 2-5 give the storage container the shape of a parallelepiped when it is in its normal position. This shape ensures a safe storage place for the loosely stacked cartons of milk.

The side walls 2 are flexibly connected by means of a hinge 6 or the like with the front wall 3. In the embodiment shown in the Figures the rear wall 4 is also flexibly connected by means of a hinge or the like with the left side wall 2, the rear wall is alternatively connectable with the right side wall or with the bottom member 5. The bottom member 5 is in turn flexibly connected with one of the walls and in the example shown in the Figures, with the front wall 3. This connection can be made by means of the hinges 8, shown in the Figures, or by another similar means.

The bottom member 5 has on its outer edges 9 facing the side walls triangle-shaped knobs 10 with oblique stop faces 11. These knobs can conceivably be constructed differently than as shown in the Figures and also be placed differently. However, they must be constructed in such a way that they force the side walls 2 to swing outward from the inside of the storage container just before the bottom member is completely folded up against the front wall 3. As is most clearly evident from FIG. 5, this occurs in the illustrated example, by the oblique stop face 11 on the knob 10 pushing the part 12 of the side wall 2 outward.

On the front edge 13 of each side wall 2 there is also, according to FIG. 4, a rigidly mounted arm 14, which is bent at an angle towards the inside of the storage container. This arm is so constructed that with slight pressure it makes contact with the front wall 3 when the storage container is in its normal position. Accordingly, in this position the arms serve to make the storage container more rigid. These arms 14, in the collapsing of the storage container, also have the important function of contributing to the stabilization of the side walls. This will be dealt with in more detail below.

As is most clearly shown in FIGS. 1-3, the storage container according to the invention is also provided with means 16 designed to facilitate moving the storage container. The Figures show wheels attached to the side walls 2 and mounted in wheel housings.

In spite of the fact that the storage container 1 according to the invention has the shape, ideal for its use, of a parallelepiped, it requires a minimum of space when moved empty, when kept in storage etc. The reason for this is that it is quickly and easily collapsable to a shape which is extremely well suited for this purpose. Viewed from above, this shape can be most clearly characterized as a trapezoid, in which the longer of the two parallel sides is missing. This shape is illustrated in FIG. 4, where two collapsed storage containers, viewed from above, are telescoped into each other.

A collapsing of this sort is performed in the example shown in the Figures by folding the rear wall 4 against the side wall 2, with which it is hingedly connected, and by subsequently folding up the bottom member 5 against the front wall 3. Just before the folding up of the bottom member is completed, the oblique stop faces 11 of the knobs 10, as was touched upon earlier, press against the part 12 of the side walls, thereby forcing the walls 2 to uniformly swing outwards from the positions which they assume when the storage container is in the normal position. As the side walls 2 swing outwards, the arms 14 follow in the swinging motion, so that the free ends of the arms move backwards, toward the inside of the storage container. During this movement the arms 14 touch the bottom member 5 in the final stage of the folding up movement. When the members 5 and 14 come into contact with each other their movement is halted, as well as the swinging movement of the side walls 2 rigidly attached to the arms. Two opposing and mutually counterbalancing torques hereby fix the side walls at an obtuse angle relative to the front wall 3, by locking the bottom member 5 to the front wall by means of a hook or by another appropriate means.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Storage container for loose stacking and transport of piece goods such as cartons of milk, said container having at least three wall members, one of which being a front wall and two of which being side walls hingedly connected to the front wall, and a bottom member hingedly connected to at least one of the wall members and being collapsible against said wall member, said container being convertible from a working condition giving said container essentially the form of a parallelepiped to a stowing condition giving said containers a space-saving form when stowed in a group together with other containers of the same kind, said side walls being swingable outwards at an acute angle from parallel positions in said working condition to outer positions in said stowing condition, blocking members being connected to said side walls limiting the swinging movement of said side walls by stopping against parts connected to said front wall.

2. Storage container as defined in claim 1, wherein said bottom member is foldable against the wall to which it is hingedly connected when said container is in said stowing condition.

3. Storage container as defined in claim 2, wherein said bottom member is hingedly connected to said front wall, the side edges of said bottom member each being provided with a guide means having an oblique guide surface facing the adjacent one of said side walls, said guide surface striking against a part connected to the adjacent side wall when said bottom member is in the final stage of a folding-up motion against said front wall, said guide surfaces thereby forcing said side walls to swing outwards to said outer positions.

4. Storage container as defined in claim 3, wherein said bottom member is spaced horizontally a short distance from said front wall when said container is in said stowing condition, said blocking members being bent arms rigidly mounted on the front edges of said side walls.

5. Storage container according to claim 4, characterized in that said blocking members comprise arms bent at an angle and rigidly mounted on the front edges of the side walls, which arms, in the normal position, make the container more rigid by pressing against the inside of the front wall and which swing in towards the interior of the container when the side walls swing outward and which stop against the folded-up bottom member, in the final stage of the collapsing of the container to the stowing position, thereby stabilizing the side walls in their outer positions.

6. Storage container as defined in claim 4, wherein means for moving said container are attached to said side walls.

7. Storage container as defined in claim 2, wherein said bottom member is hingedly connected to said front wall, said side walls each being provided with a guide means on an inner fore part of the wall, said guide means having an oblique guide surface facing said bottom member when being in a final stage of a folding-up motion against said front wall, said bottom member having parts connected to said member striking against said guide surfaces in said final stage of said folding motion, said parts connected to said bottom member thereby forcing said side walls to swing outwards to said outer positions.

8. Storage container intended for loose stacking and transport of piece goods such as cartons of milk, said container having four wall members and one bottom member, one of said wall members being a front wall, two wall members being side walls and one being a rear wall, said side walls being hingedly connected to said front wall, said bottom member and said rear wall being hingedly connected to at least one of said other four members, said container being convertible from a working condition giving said container essentially the form of a parallelepiped to a stowing condition giving said container a space-saving form when stowed in a group together with other containers of the same kind, said side walls being swingable outwards at an acute angle from parallel positions in said working condition to outer positions in said stowing condition, blocking members being connected to said side walls limiting the swinging movement of said side walls by stopping against parts connected to said front wall.

9. Storage container as defined in claim 8, wherein said bottom member and said rear wall are hingedly connected to one of said side walls and collapsible against the same wall.

10. Storage container as defined in claim 8, wherein said bottom member and said rear wall are hingedly connected to one each of said side walls and collapsible against the same wall.

11. Storage container as defined in claim 8, wherein said bottom member is hingedly connected to said front wall and collapsible against the same wall, said rear wall being hingedly connected to one of said side walls and collapsible against the same wall.

12. Storage container as defined in claim 8, wherein said bottom member is hingedly connected to said front wall and collapsible against the same wall, said rear wall being hingedly connected to said bottom member and collapsible against said bottom member.