ES2982529T3 - Folding sidewall container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container with collapsible side walls, comprising a base (2), on which said side walls (3) are individually folded by means of a hinge, and comprising means for fixing between adjacent side walls in the assembly position. The fixing means comprise a trigger piece (5), fixed on a side wall, and further comprise a first piece (6) and a second piece (7), fixed on an adjacent side wall, the second piece being capable of being articulated on the first. The second piece comprises a slot (8) for inserting the trigger piece during assembly and for removing the trigger piece during folding, by means of the articulation of the second piece on the first. The first and second pieces are coupled in an articulated manner and independently fixed on an adjacent side wall, comprising a flexible deformable configuration to allow the second piece to be articulated on the first piece by exerting pressure on said second piece. (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Folding sidewall container

Object of the invention

The present invention relates to a container with foldable side walls, the main objective of which is to provide a solid and stable connection between its side walls during assembly, which also facilitates the folding of the container.

The invention is applied to any type of container with foldable walls, which are individually folded onto a base to take up less space during storage and transport, after emptying the container, such as pallet-type containers or any other. An example of containers to which the invention is applied is those that can include a conventional flexible interior structure, designed to separate and protect the products to be transported, in which case, in addition, the invention prevents the need to disassemble said flexible interior structure or any of its parts when folding, so that in these cases the folding/assembly is considerably simplified. The invention can also be applied to boxes and in general to any type of container that has foldable side walls.

Background of the invention

Currently, folding containers are on the market. They are equipped with a base from which side walls emerge and are folded separately, folding them towards the inside of the container. Once the side walls are folded, the assembly is closed by a lid that covers them. This lid is also used to close the container when it is deployed and assembled.

In this regard, we can mention the Spanish utility model with application number U9601828 (publication number ES1034598U) which describes a folding container pallet comprising a base and straight quadrangular side plates that can be folded sequentially onto the base. It also comprises a folding prismatic laminar piece made of a strap, washer or band, which, in the deployed position of the side plates, is arranged on the outside and around said side plates, sheathing them to maintain the deployed position. It also comprises a closing lid both in the folded and deployed position. The container can be made from different materials, such as plastic, cardboard, wood, metal, etc.

This configuration has the disadvantage that it requires the incorporation of the foldable prismatic laminar piece, and the need to manipulate it when assembling the container, which complicates the structure of the container and its folding/assembly.

In order to simplify the previous configuration, another type of folding container was created in which its side walls are materialized by the folding prismatic laminar piece of the previous model, which forms the strap, avoiding the use of the folding straight quadrangular plates. In this case, the configuration of the folding prismatic laminar piece is required to be more resistant and heavier, so that in the assembled position it is inserted into the base, so to carry out the folding, it is necessary to extract it from the base, lift its weight, fold it and lay it down on the base, and in the assembly operation the reverse operation is carried out, which makes its handling difficult, both at the time of assembly and folding.

Other types of thick-walled and heavier containers can also be mentioned, which are manufactured and marketed by numerous companies, such as Schoeller Allibert, Schoeller Area System, Ropak, UTZ, Qpall, Kaiser+Kraft or Auer.

In this regard, we can cite the European patent document with publication number EP0911268, which describes a foldable container equipped with a base, with side walls that fold separately, towards the interior of the container, and equipped with hooking formations with the adjacent walls, which fit together, fixing the walls in the assembly, and in addition, the folding is carried out on hinges, which also house the hooking formations of the adjacent side wall when the container is folded, to hook them when folding. This container has the disadvantage of being equipped with a rather complex hooking structure that makes the product more expensive and makes its handling difficult.

In the Spanish patent document with application number P202030165, the above problem is solved by providing a foldable container provided with hooking means between adjacent side walls, which comprise a retaining element, arranged on one side wall, and a flap, configured to be retained by the retaining element of an adjacent side wall, when assembling the container. This configuration, although useful, has the disadvantage that sometimes when handling the container, the flap becomes unhooked from the retaining element, releasing the joint made between the side walls.

Japanese patent document JP S56103425 U discloses a connecting member that slideably supports an end portion on one side wall and is provided that the locking portion extends outward from the end wall, and on the other side wall, a first cylindrical body having a second opening, rotatably mounted in a hollow portion, which has an opening of the connecting member, wherein the coupling portion of the connecting member is inserted into the cylindrical body through both openings, and the connecting member is locked to the tubular body.

European patent EP0947436 discloses a foldable packaging box, applicable to the transport of goods, provided with a base with folding side panels that are hinged and a top lid. The side panels are provided on the vertical edges with profiles that serve as a limit for the other two panels, once unfolded. The panels are kept in a vertical position due to the action of interlocking mechanisms, or clips that act on the sides or the contours. The lid is attached to the box by means of the contours attached to the periphery thereof.

Description of the invention

In order to achieve the objectives and solve the problems discussed above, the invention provides a container according to claim 1. The container comprises foldable side walls which, like those provided in the state of the art, comprise a base on which the side walls are individually folded by means of a hinge, and includes fixing means between the adjacent side walls in the assembled position.

The fixing means comprise a trigger piece, fixed to a side wall and also comprise a first piece and a second piece, fixed to an adjacent side wall, with the possibility of articulating the second piece on the first. The second piece comprises a slot for inserting the trigger piece when the container is folded, and for extracting the trigger piece when the container is folded, all by means of articulating the second piece on the first.

The main novelty of the invention lies in that the first and second pieces are articulated and independently fixed to an adjacent side wall, which comprises a flexible deformable configuration to allow the articulation of the second piece on the first by exerting pressure on the second piece.

The trigger piece comprises a tab, which constitutes the element that is retained in the slot of the second piece.

In the preferred embodiment, the first piece comprises a "U" configuration, which is located in a recess provided in the adjacent side wall of the container, and whose side walls of the "U" configuration include a housing in which an axle provided in the second piece is retained, with the possibility of movement. The free end of said side walls of the "U" configuration is finished off by perpendicular wings through which the first piece is fixed to the adjacent side wall of the container. In addition, the second piece comprises a portion that protrudes from the first piece, by means of which it is fixed to the adjacent side wall of the container, such that the second piece is allowed to tilt on the first piece by acting on the second piece by deformation of the adjacent side wall.

In the preferred embodiment, the side walls of the container are made of plastic, to allow their flexible deformation by pressing on the second piece, allowing the assembly and folding of the side walls of the container.

In order to facilitate the fixing of the trigger piece on an adjacent side wall of the container, it has been provided that said trigger piece includes a longitudinal extension that is inserted into a window made in the side wall of the container to which it is fixed.

The configuration described has the advantage of providing a solid, stable and long-lasting fixation between side walls when assembling the container, since in order to perform the folding it is necessary to apply pressure on the second piece so that the tab of the trigger piece can come out of the slot of said second piece and the separation between adjacent side walls can occur.

The trigger pieces are fixed to the same side wall of the container, and therefore the first and second pieces are also fixed to the same adjacent side wall of the container, to facilitate the assembly of the container, although any other arrangement is obvious.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the adjacent side wall of the container is provided with an inwardly folded flap, on which the first and second piece are fixed, such that the trigger piece is separated by a distance from the edge of the side wall of the container, which is a function of the width of the flap to allow its insertion into the slot of the second piece.

In one embodiment of the invention, the hinging of the side walls of the container is materialized by axes defined by grooves made in said side walls.

The hinging axes of opposite side walls are arranged at the same height, and those of the side walls adjacent to the previous ones are arranged at different heights, so that first the side walls whose axes are arranged at a lower height are folded and then those with a higher height are folded over the previous ones, which facilitates the folding of some side walls over others.

In one embodiment, the container comprises a closing lid which is used both in the assembled position, to close the container and protect its contents, and in the folded position to cover and protect the side walls, and to obtain a compact folded container. The lid is provided to include handles to facilitate handling.

At the bottom of the side walls and below the hinges, it includes a perimeter band for fixing and reinforcing said side walls, on which, in addition, corner pieces can be incorporated for reinforcing and fixing adjacent side walls.

In one embodiment, the base is attached to a platform with support blocks, pallet type, to facilitate stacking and handling of the containers using forklifts.

In addition, the lid includes stops for centering the containers when stacked.

The described configuration provides a solid, stable and long-lasting fixation between side walls when assembling the container, and facilitates the assembly and folding of the container by a single person by applying pressure only on the second pieces, which guarantees great ease and comfort of use.

Description of the figures

To complete the description and in order to assist in a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, this descriptive report is accompanied, as an integral part thereof, by a set of figures in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a possible embodiment of the invention of an assembled container with a lid in place.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the previous figure in which the cover has been removed. In addition, a detail of the fixing means has been shown.

Figure 3 shows a partial perspective view with the fixing means shown in an exploded view. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of Figure 3, in the position in which the folding of the container has begun.

Figure 5 shows the container in a more advanced phase of folding.

Figure 6 shows the container in the folded position with the lid on.

Preferred embodiment of the invention

The preferred embodiment of the invention consists of a foldable container 1, which is provided with a base 2 and side walls 3 hinged by means of axes 4, defined by grooves made in the side walls 3, to allow them to be folded, separately, on the base 2. In the example, the container 1 is made of flexible deformable material, such as plastic, and the base 2 is of quadrangular configuration, with four side walls, but it could have any other configuration with any other number of side walls, depending on the required needs.

The axes 4 of opposite side walls 3 are arranged at the same height and the axes 4 of the other two walls, adjacent to the previous ones, are arranged at the same height but different from that of the previous ones, to allow their folding, as will be described later.

The side walls 3 are provided with fixing means between adjacent side walls to carry out the assembly and folding of the container 1.

The fixing means comprise a trigger piece 5, fixed to a side wall 3, and a first piece 6 to which a second piece 7 is coupled, both fixed to a side wall adjacent to the previous one.

In the exemplary embodiment, a container 1 is shown provided with flaps 17, folded inwards and provided on two facing side walls 3, such that the first and second pieces are fixed on said flaps, and the trigger pieces 5 are fixed on the side walls lacking flaps, in a position spaced a certain distance from the edge of the side wall, a distance which is a function of the width of the flaps 17, to allow the second pieces to be retained on the trigger pieces 5, as described below.

The trigger piece 5 includes a longitudinal extension 10, which is inserted into a window 11 made in the side wall of the container 1, to which it is fixed by means of rivets 26. In addition, the trigger piece 5 is provided with a tab 9 (figure 4), which performs the function of a trigger, as explained below.

The first piece 6 comprises a "U" configuration whose side walls are finished at their free end by perpendicular wings 13, such that the "U" configuration is arranged in a recess 24 of the flap 17 of a side wall 3 of the container 1, the wings 13 resting on the surface of said flap, to which it is fixed by means of rivets 15. In addition, the side walls of the first piece include a housing 12 of an axis 14 provided in the second piece 7, which is also provided with a slot 8, in which the tab 9 of the trigger piece 5 is inserted when fixing between two adjacent side walls of the container 1 in the assembled position, as will be described.

Furthermore, the second piece 7 comprises a portion 25 that projects from the first piece 6 through which it is fixed by means of rivets 16 to the flap 17, such that when the second piece is pressed, its articulation on the first piece occurs, the side walls being deformable and flexible, through the displacement of the axis 14 in the housings 12.

The invention also provides for the possibility that the container 1 may incorporate a flexible interior structure, which has not been represented in the figures because it is conventional and not the object of the invention, such as, for example, it may be an interior compartmentalization for separating and protecting the products contained in the container 1. This flexible structure, for example, may be of a textile nature, such as a canvas or similar which, by means of rings, is held on bars (not shown, because they are conventional, which are fixed between two flaps 17) along which they can slide in order to be able to extend it or collect it during assembly/folding.

In addition, container 1 has a lid 18, which closes it both in its folded and assembled position, and on the upper side of which it includes handles 19 to facilitate its handling.

At the bottom of container 1, and below the folding axes 4, it comprises a perimeter band 20, with reinforcing corners 20a, to give greater resistance to container 1.

Next, based on the structure described, we proceed to explain how container 1 is folded and assembled.

Starting from the assembled container 1 with the lid 18 fitted (Figure 1), the lid 18 must first be removed (Figure 2) and then one of the second pieces 7 is pressed, causing it to hinge onto the first piece 6, as described, so that the tab 9 comes out of the slot 8 of the second piece, which allows the separation of two adjacent side walls. The same operation is then carried out on the second piece opposite the previous one, leaving one side wall with the flaps free, which allows it to be folded onto the base 2.

The opposite side wall with flaps is then released and folded towards the base 2 in the same way (Figure 4).

To achieve correct folding, the height of the axis 4 of the side walls must be greater than the width of the flaps 17.

In the case where the container 1 includes a flexible interior structure, and given that it is fixed on the bars, provided between the flaps 17, the circumstance arises that when the side walls are folded towards the interior of the container 1, they take the flexible structure with them, placing it on the base 2 where it occupies a certain space, so that, in this case, the height of the axes 4 of these side walls must also remain above this flexible structure when it has been folded, so that said flexible structure is housed under said side walls.

Therefore, the height of the axes 4 is a function of the width of the flaps 17, or of the space occupied by the flexible structure, depending on which is greater.

Finally, the other two side walls without flap 17, i.e. those fitted with trigger pieces 5, are also released and fold towards the inside of container 1 (Figure 5), which, as the height of its axes 4 is higher, is perfectly positioned on the previous side walls. Finally, the lid 18 is placed on the side walls, leaving container 1 folded to form a compact structure (Figure 6).

The unfolding process is the reverse, that is, starting from the folded position of the container 1, and with the lid 18 in place (figure 6), first the lid 18 is removed and the side walls fitted with the trigger pieces 5 are unfolded, followed by those including the flaps 17. Next, a second piece is placed against a trigger piece 5 and the flap 17 is pushed, such that the second piece presses on the tab 9 of the trigger piece 5, causing the second piece to articulate towards the first, by means of the flexible deformation of the flap, which determines that the tab is inserted and retained in the slot 8 of the second piece, creating the joint between two adjacent side walls.

In the exemplary embodiment, the base 2 is attached to a platform 21 with support blocks 22, of the pallet type, to allow stacking and handling by forklifts. The upper face of the cover 18 includes stops 23, configured to facilitate the centering of the support blocks 22 during the stacking operation.

Claims (12)

1. A collapsible sidewall container (1), comprising a base (2), hinged sidewalls (3) configured to individually fold over the base (2), and securing means between adjacent sidewalls (3) in the assembled position; wherein the securing means comprise: - a trigger piece (5), fixed on a first side wall (3), - a first piece (6) and a second piece (7), fixed on an adjacent side wall, characterized in that the first (6) and the second piece (7) are coupled in an articulated manner and are independently fixed on the adjacent side wall (3), comprising a flexible deformable configuration to allow the second piece to articulate on the first piece when it exerts pressure on said second piece; where the second piece (7) comprises a slot (8) for inserting the trigger piece (5) when assembling the container (1) and for extracting the trigger piece (5) when folding the container (1), by means of articulating the second piece on the first; and where the trigger piece (5) comprises a tab (9) that is retained in the slot (8) of the second piece. 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the first piece comprises a "U" configuration, arranged in a recess (24) provided in the adjacent side wall of the container, and the side walls of the "U" configuration include a retaining housing (12), which allows an axis (14) of the second piece (7) to move, the free end of the side walls of the "U" configuration being finished by perpendicular wings (13) through which it is fixed to the adjacent side wall of the container, and wherein the second piece comprises a portion (25) protruding from the first piece, by which it is fixed to the adjacent side wall of the container, to allow the second piece to tilt on the first piece by acting on the second piece by deformation of the adjacent side wall. 3. The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls of the container are made of plastic. 4. The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trigger piece comprises a longitudinal extension (10) that is inserted into a window (11) formed in the first side wall of the container. 5. The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trigger pieces are fixed on the same side wall of the container and the first and second pieces are fixed on the same adjacent side wall of the container. 6. The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adjacent side wall of the container comprises an inwardly folded flap (17) on which the first and second pieces are fixed, wherein the trigger piece is spaced a distance from an edge of the first side wall of the container, which is a function of the width of the flap to allow its insertion into the slot of the second piece. 7. The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hinging of the side walls of the container is materialized by axes (4) defined by slits made in said side walls. 8. The container according to claim 7, wherein the height of the hinging axes of opposite side walls are arranged at the same height and those of the adjacent side walls are arranged at different heights, to facilitate folding the side walls over each other. 9. The container according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a lid (18) for closing the container both in the folded position and in the assembled position. 10. The container, according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising, in the lower part of the side walls and below the hinges, a perimeter band (20) for fixing and reinforcing said side walls of the container. 11. The container, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base is integral with a platform (21) with support blocks (22), pallet type. 12. The container according to claim 9, wherein the lid comprises centering stops (23) to facilitate stacking of the containers.