Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D11/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material
  • B65D11/18—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material collapsible, i.e. with walls hinged together or detachably connected
  • B65D11/1833—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material collapsible, i.e. with walls hinged together or detachably connected whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to the base panel
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D11/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material
  • B65D11/20—Details of walls made of plastics material
  • B65D11/22—Reinforcing for strengthening parts of members
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D11/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material
  • B65D11/20—Details of walls made of plastics material
  • B65D11/22—Reinforcing for strengthening parts of members
  • B65D11/26—Local reinforcements, e.g. adjacent to closures

Definitions

• the disclosure relates to a foldable collapsible container with a base plate, side walls pivotally hinged to the base plate and a release lever which is arranged on at least one side wall in order to release a locking mechanism of two side walls in an upright operating position when the collapsible container is moved in a vertical direction beyond an upper edge of the side wall, in order to pivot the side walls into a folded transport position.
• Collapsible containers/boxes/crates for transporting goods or merchandise are known in the prior art. These boxes conventionally have a base and several foldable or collapsible side walls, which can be pivoted between the unfolded usable position and the folded transport position.
• collapsible containers In their operating position, these collapsible containers can be used to transport goods, such as fruits or vegetables, from a producer to a customer. For convenient loading and thorough cleaning, it is advantageous to keep the side walls in the open operating position.
• Locking mechanisms for the side walls are known from the prior art.
• EP 2 431 287 A1 A collapsible container with a locking mechanism that engages two side walls and can be released using a release lever.
• the release lever is mounted on the container in such a way that it can move vertically along the container, thus releasing the locking mechanism. It releases when a user moves the release lever over an upper edge of the collapsible container.
• the collapsible containers For reuse, the collapsible containers must be transported back to the producer after unloading at the customer's location. It is crucial that the containers, when folded for transport, occupy the smallest possible volume, as this allows for the transport of as many containers as possible in a single return shipment.
• WO 2010 / 119 068 A1 For example, a foldable box with foldable side walls is shown, in which the side walls have spherical, convex wall areas and struts and ribs extending between these wall areas.
• the present disclosure aims to eliminate or at least reduce the disadvantages of the prior art and, in particular, to provide an improved folding container which ensures the smallest possible or minimized volume in the folded transport position while maintaining sufficient stability in all positions.
• the collapsible container is configured as disclosed such that the base plate has a closed, fully circumferential and constant height base edge, and the side walls (including the release lever) are completely inside and completely below the base edge in the folded transport position.
• the base plate of the collapsible container has a base rim that extends around its entire circumference.
• This base rim is closed, i.e., without openings or perforations.
• the base rim has a constant height around its entire circumference, so that no depressions or undercuts, nor any raised areas or projections, are formed along the base rim.
• an upper edge of the base rim, facing away from the base plate is essentially equidistant from a lower edge of the base rim.
• a base rim designed in this way contributes to an increase in the torsional rigidity of the collapsible container in its folded transport position.
• a completely continuous rim i.e., an rim without interruption or abrupt height differences or jumps, ensures that the base resists torsional stress and does not buckle at any point.
• the height of the base edge is, as disclosed, chosen such that the side walls, including the release lever, do not protrude beyond the base plate or the base edge when the container is folded for transport. This means that the dimensions of the collapsible container in the folded transport position are defined solely by the base plate and the base edge.
• a first pivot axis, about which the at least one first side wall can be pivoted relative to the base plate, and a second pivot axis, about which the at least one second side wall can be pivoted relative to the base plate can be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction of the collapsible container. That is, the pivot axes about which the first and second side walls can be pivoted are formed at different levels in the vertical direction of the collapsible container, so that the first and second side walls can be folded flat on top of each other, and thus the collapsible container can be made particularly flat in the folded transport position. In other words, the volume of the collapsible container can be further reduced in the folded transport position. It can be particularly advantageous if the first pivot axis is arranged below the second pivot axis in the vertical direction of the collapsible container.
• At least one first side wall can be pivotally hinged directly to the base plate, and at least one second side wall can be pivotally hinged directly to the edge of the base plate. It can be particularly advantageous if at least one first hinge for pivoting the at least one first side wall is arranged directly on the base plate, and at least one second hinge for pivoting the at least one second side wall is arranged directly at the edge of the base plate. That is, the first side wall can preferably be pivoted to the base plate via the first hinge, whereas the second side wall can be pivoted to the edge of the base plate via the second hinge.
• At least one first side wall and at least one second side wall can be aligned perpendicular to each other in the upright usable position and abut each other in corner areas of the folding container.
• two first side walls and two second side walls can be arranged on opposite edges of the, preferably rectangular, base plate.
• At least one side wall in corner areas where two side walls abut each other in the upright position, can have a reinforcing matrix/stiffening matrix/reinforcement pattern with alternating positive reinforcing projections and negative reinforcing recesses arranged in a vertical and longitudinal direction of the at least one side wall. It may be advantageous for the reinforcing matrix to extend over the entire length of at least one side wall in the vertical direction. Furthermore, it is advantageous for at least two positive reinforcing projections and/or at least two negative reinforcing recesses to be arranged in the longitudinal direction of the at least one side wall.
• the reinforcing matrix leads to improved stability of the collapsible container without the addition of any material. In other words, the side walls can be stabilized by providing the reinforcing matrix, allowing them to be made with a thinner wall thickness, which in turn reduces the weight of the collapsible container.
• Figure 1 shows a perspective partial view of a collapsible container 2 according to a preferred embodiment.
• the collapsible container 2 is preferably made of plastic, particularly by injection molding.
• the collapsible container 2 has a rectangular base plate 4, to the edges of which first side walls or end walls 6 and second side walls or longitudinal walls 8 are pivotally hinged.
• first side walls or end walls 6 and second side walls or longitudinal walls 8 are pivotally hinged.
• first side walls or end walls 6 and second side walls or longitudinal walls 8 are pivotally hinged.
• first side walls 6 and one second side wall 8 are shown, and the opposite (identically constructed) side wall is not.
• the first side walls 6 are arranged at the short edges of the base plate 4, whereas the second side walls 8 are attached to the long edges of the base plate 4.
• first side walls 6 and the second side walls 8 are pivotally hinged to the base plate 4, allowing them to pivot between a folded transport position and an unfolded operating position.
• the side walls 6 and 8 rest on the base plate 4. That is, the side walls 6 and 8 are arranged parallel to the base plate 4.
• the side walls 6 and 8 are oriented perpendicular to the base plate 4 and, together with the base plate 4, define an interior space 10 that can be filled or loaded with goods to be transported.
• locking elements are arranged in corner areas of the collapsible container 2 where the first side walls 6 and the second side walls 8 abut each other.
• the locking elements are in the form of a A releasable locking connection is provided, such that a locking element on one of the first side walls 6 or the second side walls 8 engages with a corresponding counter-locking element on the other side wall 6 or the second side walls 8.
• a release lever 12 is provided on each of the first side walls 6 in the preferred embodiment.
• the release lever 12 is U-shaped and has a locking element at each of its two ends, which engages with the corresponding counter-locking element. Furthermore, the release lever 12 is attached to the first side wall 6 such that one apex is located directly below a handle opening 14.
• the release lever 12 is pulled upwards in a vertical direction of the folding container 2, i.e., away from the base plate 4, the locking mechanism of the side walls 6, 8 is released, and the side walls 6, 8 can be pivoted into the transport position. In this process, the release lever 12 is moved, in particular, over an upper edge of the first side wall 6.
• the release lever 12 is moved relative to the first side wall 6 in the vertical direction of the folding container 2 such that it is at least partially above the upper edge of the first side wall 6 or at least partially extends beyond the upper edge of the first side wall 6.
• FIG. 2 Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the collapsible container 2 according to the preferred embodiment in the folded transport position. It can be seen that the first side walls 6 and the second side walls 8 are completely enclosed within and, in the vertical direction, completely below a bottom edge 16 of the base plate 4 in the folded transport position.
• base plate 4 as shown in Fig. 3
• the closed, fully circumferential, and constantly high base edge 16 is shown. That is, the base plate 4 has the base edge 16, which extends in the form of a strip without openings along the four edges of the base plate 4. Furthermore, the base edge 16 has a constant height. Extension in the vertical direction of the folding container 2 such that an upper end edge 18 of the bottom edge 16 has at every point on the base plate 4 substantially the same distance to a lower end edge 20 of the bottom edge 16.
• first side walls 6 and the second side walls 8 are pivotally mounted on the base plate 4 and the base edge 16, respectively.
• at least one first hinge 22 is arranged or formed directly on the base plate 4 for pivoting the first side wall 6.
• four first hinges 22 are formed directly on the base plate 4 for each of the two first side walls 6.
• the first hinges 22 define a first pivot axis 23 about which the first side wall 6 can be pivoted relative to the base plate 4.
• At least one second hinge 24 is provided for the pivotable connection of at least one second side wall 8. As in Fig. 3 As can be seen, at least one second hinge 24 is arranged or formed directly at the bottom edge 16. In the preferred embodiment of the folding container 2, four second hinges 24 are provided for each of the two second side walls 8. The second hinges 24 define a second pivot axis 25 about which the second side wall 8 can be pivoted relative to the base plate 4.
• first pivot axis 23 and the second pivot axis 25 are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction of the folding container 2.
• first pivot axis 23 is located below the second pivot axis 25. That is, the first pivot axis 23 is located closer to the base plate 4 than the second pivot axis 25.
• the bottom edge 16 Due to its closed and circumferential geometry, the bottom edge 16 also ensures sufficient torsional rigidity of the folding container 2 in the folded transport position.
• the reinforcement matrix 26 is formed from the reinforcement projections 28 and the reinforcement recesses 30, which are arranged alternately in rows and columns. In the longitudinal direction, three columns of the reinforcement matrix 26 are formed on each of the side walls 6, 8, whereas the reinforcement matrix 26 extends over the entire height of the hinged container 2.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Rigid Containers With Two Or More Constituent Elements (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=90826677

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Citations (4)

• 2024
  • 2024-04-22 EP EP24171626.5A patent/EP4640574A1/fr active Pending
• 2025
  • 2025-03-24 WO PCT/EP2025/057984 patent/WO2025223766A1/fr active Pending

Patent Citations (4)

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