ES2912309A1 - Foldable side wall container (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Folding side wall container, includes a base (2), on which these side walls (3) by abasradate, and includes fixing means between adjacent side walls in the armed position are folded individually; Characterized by the fixation means comprise a trigger piece (5), fixed on a side wall, and also comprise a first (6) and a second piece (7), fixed on a next side wall with the possibility of articulation of the second piece on the first. The second piece includes a slot (8) of insertion of the trigger piece into the assembly and extraction of the trigger piece in the folding, by joint of the second piece on the first. The first and second piece are coupled jointly and independently fixed on a next side wall, which includes a flexible deformable configuration to allow the joint of the second piece on the first piece by exerting pressure on that second piece. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

CONTAINER WITH FOLDING SIDE WALLS

Object of the invention

The present invention relates to a container with collapsible 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 folding walls, which fold individually on a base to take up less space for storage and transport, after emptying the container, such as pallet-type containers or any other. An example of containers in which the invention is applied is those that can include a conventional flexible interior structure, intended to carry out the separation and protection of the products to be transported, in which case, in addition, the invention prevents them from having to be disassembled. said flexible inner structure or some of its parts, when folding, so that in these cases the folding/assembly is considerably simplified. The invention can also be applied in boxes and in general in any type of container that has collapsible side walls.

Background of the invention

Currently, folding containers are marketed that are equipped with a base from which side walls emerge that fold separately, folding them towards the interior of the container. Once the side walls have been folded, the assembly is closed by means of a lid that covers them. This lid is also used to close the container when it is unfolded and armed.

In this sense, the Spanish utility model with application number U9601828 can be cited in which a folding container pallet is described that comprises a base and straight quadrangular side plates that can be folded sequentially on the base. It also comprises a foldable prismatic laminar piece of band, washer or band, which, in the unfolded position of the side plates, is arranged on the outside and around said side plates, sheathing them to maintain the unfolded position. It also comprises a closing cover both in the folded and unfolded position. The container can be made of different materials, such as plastic, cardboard, wood, metal, etc.

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

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 band, avoiding the use of folding straight quadrangular plates. In this case, it is required that the configuration of the folding primatic laminar piece be more resistant and heavier, so that in the armed position it is inserted in the base, so to fold it, it is required to extract it from the base, lift its weight, fold it and lay it on the base, and in the assembly operation the reverse operation is carried out, which makes it difficult to handle, both at the time of assembly and folding.

The existence of other types of containers with thick and heavier walls can also be mentioned, which are manufactured and marketed by numerous companies, such as Schoeller Allibert, Schoeller Arca System, Ropak, UTZ, Qpall, Kaiser+Kraft or Auer.

In this sense, the European patent document with publication number EP0911268 can be cited, which describes a collapsible container provided with a base, with separately collapsible side walls, towards the interior of the container, and provided with hooking formations with the adjoining walls. , which fit together fixing the walls in the assembly, and that furthermore, the folding is carried out on hinges, which also house the hooking formations of the adjoining side wall when the container is folded, to hook them in the folding. This container has the drawback of being provided with a rather complex hooking structure that makes the product more expensive and makes it difficult to handle.

In the Spanish patent document with application number P202030165 the above problem is solved, for which it consists of a foldable container provided with hooking means between adjoining side walls, comprising a retaining element, arranged on one side wall, and a flap, configured to be retained by the retaining element of an adjoining side wall, when assembling the container. Although this configuration is useful, it has the drawback that sometimes, when handling the container, the flap of the retaining element becomes unhooked, releasing the joint made between the side walls.

Description of the invention

In order to achieve the objectives and solve the aforementioned problems, the invention provides a container with collapsible side walls which, like those provided in the state of the art, comprises a base on which the side walls fold individually by means of a hinge, and includes fixing means between the adjoining side walls in the armed position.

The main novelty of the invention lies in the fact that the fixing means comprise a trigger part, fixed on a side wall and also comprise a first part and a second part, fixed on an adjoining side wall, with the possibility of articulation of the second part 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 articulating the second piece on the first,

The first and second pieces are hingedly coupled and independently fixed on an adjoining side wall, which comprises a flexible deformable configuration to allow the second piece to hinge on the first by exerting pressure on 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 it is retained. , with the possibility of displacement, an axis that is provided in the second part. The free end of said side walls of the "U" configuration is finished off with perpendicular wings through which the first piece is fixed to the adjoining side wall of the container. In addition, the second piece comprises a portion that protrudes from the first piece, through which it is fixed to the adjacent side wall of the container, in such a way that the second piece is allowed to tilt over the first piece when acting on the second piece by deformation. from the adjoining side wall.

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

In the preferred embodiment, the side walls of the container are made of plastic, to allow their flexible deformation when 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 part on an adjoining side wall of the container, provision has been made for said trigger part to comprise a longitudinal extension that is inserted into a window made in the side wall of the container in which it is fixed.

The configuration described has the advantage of providing a solid, stable and durable fixation between side walls in the assembly of the container, since to fold it is necessary to exert pressure on the second piece so that the tab of the trigger piece can come out of the groove of said second piece and the separation between adjoining side walls occurs.

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 adjoining 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, provision has been made for the adjoining side wall of the container to be provided with an inwardly folded flap, on which the first and second pieces are fixed, so that the trigger piece is separated 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 hinged side walls of the container are materialized by means of axes defined by slits made in said side walls.

The hinge 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 the side walls whose axes are arranged at a lower height are folded first. height and then the higher ones 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 that 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 expected to include handles to facilitate handling.

In the lower part of the side walls and below the hinged ones, it comprises a perimeter band for fixing and reinforcing said side walls, on which, in addition, some reinforcement and fixing corners for adjoining side walls can be incorporated.

In one embodiment, the base is integral with a platform with support blocks, pallet type, to facilitate the stacking and handling of containers by forklift trucks.

In addition, the lid includes centering stops for the containers in the stack.

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

Description of the figures

To complete the description and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of figures is attached to this description, as an integral part of it, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, it has been represented the next:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a possible embodiment of the invention of an armed container with a lid on.

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 exploded.

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 stage of folding.

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

Preferred embodiment of the invention

The preferred embodiment of the invention consists of a collapsible container 1, which is provided with a base 2 and side walls 3 hinged by means of axes 4, defined by slits made in the side walls 3, to allow it to be folded, separately, on the base 2. In the example, the container is made of flexible deformable material, such as plastic, and the base has a 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 fastening means between adjoining side walls to assemble and fold the container.

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

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

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

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

In addition, the second piece 7 comprises a portion 25 that protrudes from the first piece 6 through which it is fixed by rivets 16 on the flap 17, so that when When pressed on the second piece, its articulation is produced on the first piece, as the side walls are flexible deformable, by means of the displacement of the axis 14 in the housings 12.

The invention also provides for the possibility that the container may incorporate a flexible internal structure, which has not been shown in the figures because it is conventional and not the object of the invention, such as, for example, an internal partitioning for separation and protection of the products contained in the container. This flexible structure, for example, can be of a textile nature, such as a canvas or the like that, by means of rings, is retained on bars (not shown, as they are conventional, which are fixed between two flaps 17) through which they can slide to to be able to extend it or collect it in the assembly/folding.

In addition, the container has a lid 18, which closes it both in its folded position and in its armed position, on whose upper face it includes handles 19 to facilitate its handling.

In the lower part of the container, and below the folding axes 4, it comprises a perimeter band 20, with reinforcing corners 20a, to give the container greater resistance.

Next, based on the structure described, we proceed to explain the way in which the folding and assembly of the container is carried out.

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

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

To carry out the 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 in which the container includes a flexible internal structure, and given that it is fixed on the bars, provided between the flaps 17, the circumstance occurs that when folding the side walls towards the inside of the container, they take the flexible structure with them, placing it on the base 2 where it occupies a certain space, so, in this case, the height of the axes 4 of these side walls also it must be 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.

Lastly, the other two side walls that do not have a flap 17, that is, those that are equipped with the trigger parts, have also been released and fold towards the interior of the container (figure 5), which, being the height of their axes 4 upper, are perfectly located on the previous side walls. Finally, the lid 18 is placed on the side walls, leaving the folded container forming a compact structure (figure 6).

The unfolding process is the reverse, that is, starting from the folded position of the container, and with the lid 18 on (figure 6), first the lid 18 is removed and the side walls equipped with the trigger parts 5 and 5 are unfolded. then those that include the flaps 17. Next, a second piece faces a trigger piece and the flap 17 is pushed, so that the second piece presses on the flange 9 of the trigger piece causing the articulation of the second piece 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, making the union between two adjoining side walls.

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

Claims (14)

1. - Container with collapsible side walls, comprising a base (2), hinged side walls (3) configured to fold individually on the base, and fixing means between adjoining side walls in the armed position; characterized in that the fixing means comprise: - a trigger piece (5), fixed on a side wall, - a first part (6) and a second part (7), fixed to an adjoining side wall with the possibility of articulation of the second part on the first part, where the second part comprises a slot (8) for inserting the trigger part , in the assembly of the container and extraction of the trigger piece in the folding of the container, by means of articulation of the second piece on the first. 2. - Container according to claim 1, wherein the first and second pieces are hingedly coupled and fixed independently on an adjoining side wall, comprising a flexible deformable configuration to allow the articulation of the second piece on the first piece by exerting pressure on that second piece. 3. - Container according to claim 2, wherein the first piece comprises a "U" configuration, arranged in a recess (24) provided in the adjoining side wall of the container, and whose side walls of the "U" configuration include a retention housing (12), with the possibility of displacement, of a shaft (14) of the second piece, the free end of the side walls of the "U" configuration being finished off by means of perpendicular wings (13) through which is fixed to the adjacent side wall of the container, and where the second piece comprises a portion (25) that protrudes from the first piece, through which it is fixed to the adjacent side wall of the container, to allow the tilting of the second piece on the first piece by acting on the second piece by deformation of the adjoining side wall. 4. - Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls of the container are made of plastic. 5. - Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trigger part comprises a flange (9) that is retained in the slot (8) of the second part. 6. - Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trigger piece comprises a longitudinal extension (10) that is inserted in a window (11) made on the adjoining side wall of the container. 7. - Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trigger pieces are fixed to the same side wall of the container and the first and second pieces are fixed to the same adjoining side wall of the container. 8. - Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adjoining side wall of the container comprises a flap (17) folded inward, in which the first and second pieces are fixed, where the trigger piece is separated 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. 9. - Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hinged side walls of the container is materialized by axes (4) defined by grooves made in said side walls. 10. - Container according to claim 9, where the height of the hinge axes of opposite side walls are arranged at the same height and those of the adjoining side walls are arranged at different heights, to facilitate the folding of the side walls , one on top of the other. 11. - 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 armed position. 12. - Container according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising in the lower part of the side walls and below the hinged ones, a perimeter band (20) for fixing and reinforcing said side walls of the container. 13. -Container according to any one of the preceding claims, where the base is integral with a platform (21) with support blocks (22), pallet type. 14. - Container according to claim 11, wherein the lid comprises centering stops (23) of the containers, in the stack.