AU2006243658A1 - A collapsible container - Google Patents

Description

WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 A COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Field of the Invention 5 This invention relates to collapsible containers and, more particularly, to containers that form structures of uniform height when in the collapsed condition to allow stacking of the containers. Background to the Invention 0 Containers that are collapsible typically have side walls constructed in such a manner so as to enable them to be folded into the collapsed condition in a specific sequence to achieve the minimum collapsed height possible. 5 The dimensions and configuration of the container permit the collapsing thereof into a relatively flat structure, which may be achieved by the walls of the container having differing heights, by the base of the container being so large that no overlapping of the collapsed walls occurs, or by an asymmetrical design of the walls of the container. Side walls of uneven height lead to the container 0 not being stackable in a stable manner, whilst large container bases or asymmetrical designs may be impractical. The inventor believes that a need exists for a collapsible container, the free edges of which are spaced apart equally from the base of the container to permit 5 stable stacking of the container and which container is collapsible into a relatively flat structure for space conserving storage thereof when the container is not in use. 0 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 Summary of the Invention A collapsible container including: - a base portion having first and second opposed sets of base walls 5 extending therefrom; - first and second sets of hinge axes defined in said first and second sets of base walls, wherein the first set of hinge axes is located in a plane below that in which the second set of hinge axes is located; and - first and second sets of opposed side walls configured to engage the first 10 and second sets of hinge axes to define the container, the side walls being pivotally displaceable between an upright and a collapsed condition, wherein the dimensions of the side walls are selected so that in the collapsed condition, opposed sets of side walls do not overlap and wherein the container is stackable in a collapsed as well as in an operative 15 condition. The first and second sets of opposed side walls may be provided with engaging formations that interlock in the operative condition so as to retain the side walls in a fixed relationship relative to each other. 20 In the operative condition, free edge regions of the side walls of the container may be in a common plane. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the height of each wall of the second set of side walls is about equal to half of the width of a wall of the first set of side walls. 25 In the collapsed condition, the container may form a unit having a uniform height so permit stacking of the container. The base portion may be square or rectangular in plan view. 30 2 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 The first set of base walls may be lower than the second set of base walls so that the first set of hinge axes is located in a plane below that in which the second set of hinge axes is located. 5 The hinge axes may be defined by two or more recesses configured and dimensioned to receive complementary engaging formations of the side walls so that pivoting of the side walls about said hinge axes is permitted. The recesses may be configured so as to inhibit pivoting of the side walls past 10 the upright position in a direction away from the base portion but to permit pivoting of the side walls inwardly, towards the base portion into the collapsed condition. The base portion and walls may be provided with a plurality of openings to permit 15 air to flow into the container. One set of opposed side walls may be provided with flanges along their lateral edges extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom towards the opposed side wall. Each flange may include openings therein for receiving engaging 20 formations provided on the other set of opposed side walls therethrough. The engaging formations may be in the form of one or more clips having opposed gripping formations that are biased into an engaging condition. 25 In order to collapse the container from the operative into the collapsed condition, the side walls may be disengaged and the first opposed set of side walls may then be pivoted towards the base portion. Thereafter the second opposed set of side walls may be pivoted towards the 30 base portion so that they overlay the first opposed set of side walls. The order of folding the side walls into the collapsed condition is thus uncomplicated. 3 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 The resulting collapsed container presents a relatively flat unit to allow for space conserving stacking and storage of the container. In the collapsed condition, the side walls may be parallel to the base portion. 5 A container in the collapsed condition may serve as a lid for a container in the operative condition. The height of the collapsed container may be substantially equal to the height of 10 the second set of opposed base walls. One or both sets of opposed side walls may be provided with handle portions in the form of suitably dimensioned openings or handles. 15 The container may be manufactured by an injection molding process using any suitable synthetic plastics material such as, for example, polypropylene. Other suitable manufacturing processes and/or materials may alternatively be used. When in the operative condition, a plurality of containers may be stacked during 20 transport or storage thereof. Typically, a first layer of containers is formed by positioning three containers adjacent each other so that their second set of side walls touch and by positioning a further two containers with their first set of side walls touching and 25 their second set of side walls touching first set of side walls of the other three containers. A second layer of containers having the same arrangement of containers as the first layer may be stacked onto the first layer. However, the arrangement of the 30 containers in the second layer may be rotated by 180 degrees relative to the arrangement of containers in the first layer. Therefore, the containers of the first 4 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 and second layers are not stacked in register on top of each other, thus permitting a large number of layers to be stacked. In order to inhibit movement between the stacked containers, free edges of the 5 side walls and free edges of the base portion may be provided with complementary engaging formations which engage each other when the containers are in the stacked condition. The dimensions of the container may vary according to a user's particular 10 requirements. Typically, the container is about 400 mm wide, 600 mm long and between 100 and 240 mm deep in the operative condition. Detailed Description of the Invention 15 The invention will now be described by way of the following, non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: 20 Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a container in accordance with the present invention in the operative condition; Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the container of Figure 1; 25 Figure 3 shows an enlarged partial view of adjacent base walls and corresponding side walls of the container of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of a clip when viewed in the direction of arrow "A" in Figure 1; 30 5 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of a clip when viewed in the direction of arrow "B" in Figure 1; Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the container of Figure 1 in which the first 5 set of opposed side walls of the container is being pivoted into the collapsed condition; Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the container of Figure 1 in which the second set of opposed side walls of the container is being pivoted into the 10 collapsed condition; Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the container of Figure 1 in which one of the second set of opposed side walls is in the collapsed condition and the other is being pivoted into the collapsed condition; 15 Figure 9 shows a two-layered stack of containers in accordance with the present invention; Figure 10 shows an enlarged view of section "C" in Figure 9; and 20 Figures 11 a to c show perspective views of a container in the operative condition, a stack of five containers in the inoperative condition, and a container in the inoperative condition respectively. 25 In the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally indicates an embodiment of a collapsible container in accordance with the present invention. A collapsible container 10 includes a base portion 12 having first and second opposed sets of base walls 26.1 and 26.2 extending therefrom. 30 6 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 First and second sets of hinge axes 14.1 and 14.2 are defined in said first and second sets of base walls 26.1 and 26.2, so that the first set of hinge axes 14.1 is located in a plane below that in which the second set of hinge axes 14.2 is located as is clearly shown in Figure 3. 5 First 18 and second 16 sets of opposed side walls are configured to engage the first and second sets of hinge axes 14.1 and 14.2 to define the container 10, the side walls 16 and 18 being pivotally displaceable between an upright (see Figure 1) and a collapsed (see Figure 8) condition. 0 The dimensions of the side walls 16 and 18 are selected so that in the collapsed condition, opposed sets of side walls 16 and 18 do not overlap. As shown in Figures 9 and 11, the container 10 is stackable in a collapsed as well as in an operative condition. 15 The first and second sets of opposed side walls 16 and 18 are provided with engaging formations 20 that interlock in the operative condition so as to retain the side walls 16 and 18 in a fixed relationship relative to each other. 20 In the operative condition, free edge regions 22 of the side walls 16 and 18 of the container 10 are in a common plane. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the height of each wall of the second set of side walls 16 is about equal to half of the width of a wall of the first set of side walls 18. 25 In the collapsed condition, the container 10 forms a unit having a uniform height so permit stacking of the container 10. In the embodiment shown, the base portion 12 is rectangular in plan view. 7 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 The first set of base walls 26.1 is lower than the second set of base walls 26.2 so that first set of hinge axes 14.1 is located in a plane below that in which the second set of hinge axes 14.2 is located. 5 The hinge axes 14.1 and 14.2 are defined by two or more recesses 28 configured and dimensioned to receive complementary engaging formations 30 of the side walls 16 and 18 so that pivoting of the side walls 16 and 18 about said hinge axes 14.1 and 14.2 is permitted. 10 The recesses 28 are configured so as to inhibit pivoting of the side walls 16 and 18 past the upright position in a direction away from the base portion 12 but to permit pivoting of the side walls 16 and 18 inwardly, towards the base portion 12 into the collapsed condition. 15 The base portion 12 and walls 16 and 18 are provided with a plurality of openings 32 and 48, respectively, to permit air to flow into the container 10. The second set of opposed side walls 16 is provided with flanges 34 along their lateral edges extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom towards the 20 opposed side wall 16. Each flange 34 includes openings 36 therein for receiving engaging formations 38 provided on the first set of opposed side walls 18 therethrough. The engaging formations 38 are in the form of one or more clips 40 having 25 opposed gripping formations 42 that are biased into an engaging condition. Referring now to Figure 6: when wall 18 is pivoted towards already upright wall 16, the gripping formations 42 are urged apart as they pass through the openings 36 in the flanges 34 and thereafter engage the flanges 34 so that the walls 16 30 and 18 interlock. 8 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 In order to disengage the walls 16 and 18, the gripping formations 42 are urged apart sufficiently to enable the gripping formations 42 to disengage the flange 34 of wall 16 and so that wall 18 can be pivoted towards the base portion 12 into the inoperative condition. 5 In order to collapse the container 10 from the operative into the collapsed condition 10, the side walls 16 and 18 are disengaged as described above and the first opposed set of side walls 18 is pivoted towards the base portion 12. 10 Thereafter the second opposed set of side walls 16 is pivoted towards the base portion 12 so that they overlay the first opposed set of side walls 18 (see Figure 8). The order of folding the side walls 16 and 18 into the collapsed condition is thus uncomplicated. 15 The resulting collapsed container 10 presents a relatively flat unit to allow for space conserving stacking and storage of the container 10 as shown in Figure 11b. In the collapsed condition, the side walls 16 and 18 are parallel to the base 20 portion 12. A container 10 in the collapsed condition can serve as a lid for a container 10 in the operative condition. 25 The height of the collapsed container 10 is substantially equal to the height of the second set of opposed base walls 26.2. The first set of opposed side walls 18 is provided with handle portions 46 in the form of suitably dimensioned openings. 30 9 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 The container 10 is manufactured by an injection molding process using any suitable synthetic plastics material such as, for example, polypropylene. Other suitable manufacturing processes and/or materials may alternatively be used. 5 When in the operative condition, a plurality of containers 10 can stacked during transport or storage thereof. Referring now to Figure 9: a first layer of containers 10 is formed by positioning three containers adjacent each other so that their second set of side walls 16 0 touch and by positioning a further two containers 10 with their first set of side walls 18 touching and their second set of side walls 16 touching first set of side walls 18 of the other three containers 10. A second layer of containers 10 having the same arrangement of containers as 15 the first layer is stacked onto the first layer. However, the arrangement of the containers 10 in the second layer is rotated by 180 degrees relative to the arrangement of containers 10 n the first layer. Therefore, the containers 10 of the first and second layers are not stacked in register on top of each other, thus permitting a large number of layers to be stacked. 20 In order to inhibit movement between the stacked containers 10, free edges 22 of the side walls 16 and 18 and free edges of the base portion 12 are provided with complementary male 50 and female 52 engaging formations which engage each other when the containers 10 are in the stacked condition. 25 The dimensions of the container 10 vary according to a user's particular requirements. Typically, the container 10 is about 400 mm wide, 600 mm long and between 100 and 240 mm deep in the operative condition. 30 It is to be appreciated, that the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment or configuration as hereinbefore generally described or illustrated. 10

Claims (14)

1. A collapsible container including: - a base portion having first and second opposed sets of base walls 5 extending therefrom; - first and second sets of hinge axes defined in said first and second sets of base walls, wherein the first set of hinge axes is located in a plane below that in which the second set of hinge axes is located; and - first and second sets of opposed side walls configured to engage the first 10 and second sets of hinge axes to define the container, the side walls being pivotally displaceable between an upright and a collapsed condition, wherein the dimensions of the side walls are selected so that in the collapsed condition, opposed sets of side walls do not overlap and wherein the container is stackable in a collapsed as well as in an operative 15 condition.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of opposed side walls are provided with engaging formations that interlock when the container is in the operative condition so as to retain the side 20 walls in a fixed relationship relative to each other.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein when free edge regions of the side walls of the container are in a common plane when the container is in the operative condition. 25

4. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the height of each wall of the second set of side walls is about equal to half of the width of a wall of the first set of side walls. 30

5. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first set of base walls is lower than the second set of base walls so that the 11 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058 first set of hinge axes is located in a plane below that in which the second set of hinge axes is located.

6. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the 5 hinge axes are defined by two or more recesses configured and dimensioned to receive complementary engaging formations of the side walls so that pivoting of the side walls about said hinge axes is permitted.

7. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the 10 base portion and walls are provided with a plurality of openings to permit air to flow into the container.

8. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein collapsing the container from the operative into the collapsed condition 15 includes the following steps: - disengaging adjacent side walls from each other; - pivoting the first opposed set of side walls towards the base portion; and - pivoting the first opposed set of side walls towards the base portion 20 so that they at least partially overlay the first opposed set of side walls.

9. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls are parallel to the base portion when the container is in the 25 collapsed condition.

10. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the height of the collapsed container is substantially equal to the height of the second set of opposed base walls. 30 12 WO 2006/119513 PCT/ZA2006/000058

11. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein free edges of the side walls and free edges of the base portion are provided with complementary male and female engaging formations which engage each other when two or more containers are in a stacked condition. 5

12. A collapsible container according to the invention, as hereinbefore generally described.

13. A collapsible container as specifically described with reference to or as 10 illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

14. A collapsible container including any new and inventive integer or combination of integers, substantially as herein described. 13