RS20120115A1 - Flexibly usable box - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a flexibly usable box (10), comprising a base (12) and four side walls (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), which lie opposite each other in pairs and which extend upward from the base (2) in a vertical direction (16). One of the four side walls (14a-14d) is designed as an opening wall (14d), which in a closed state fully covers a side area and which can be moved into an open state, in which the opening wall (14d) covers only a part of the side area, such that in the open state the opening wall (14d) at least partially overlaps with one of the adjacent side walls (14a, 14c) or with the base (12) of the box.

Description

MULTIPURPOSE BOX

The invention relates to a box in which goods can be transported and which allows greater flexibility in use, for example, by making the box easier to load or unload with transported goods.

Transport or storage boxes are available on the market in many different forms. In this case, boxes or box containers with a rectangular base are most often used, the dimensions of which are adapted to the goods for which they are intended to be transported. Furthermore, fruits and vegetables in particular are often packed directly into suitable shipping boxes in the field and offered to consumers in retail shelves, so that customers take them directly from the shipping box. Also, goods that are delivered in their packaging are often offered for sale directly in transport boxes in order to reduce the required number of handlings in the retail store and thereby reduce costs. Thus, for example, eggs, which are packed in retail quantities of, for example, six or ten pieces, are offered directly from their transport boxes on the shelves so that the customer can take them himself from the transport box.

Such boxes purposely have rigid side walls, so that their loading and unloading is done from above, so that the goods transported in them are loaded from above or unloaded from them from above. This can be disadvantageous from the point of view of use because, for example, a customer who wants to take the goods from the box can be difficult to do so, when the box is, for example, on a higher shelf thus making access to the box from the top impossible. Also, when the boxes are stacked on top of each other to save space, access to the goods in the boxes placed below is not possible, because their opening is covered by the boxes placed above them.

Hence, there is a need for more flexible boxes where loading and unloading of transported goods would be possible in a more flexible way than before, ie. where the box is used for multiple purposes and in a more flexible way.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, increased flexibility is achieved by the box comprising a base and four side walls arranged oppositely in pairs, rising from the base in a vertical direction upwards, one of the four side walls being openable. An opening side wall that completely covers the side in the closed position (in which it extends vertically, in a vertical direction, from the base up), can be placed in an open position in which the opening wall covers only a part of the side so that in the open position the opening wall at least partially covers one of the adjacent side walls or the base.

In the closed position, the opening wall is in contact with the base and with the adjacent side walls but not with sliding or frictional connections. In the fully open position, on the other hand, the opening side wall is also connected to the base, with a certain connection solution, but it no longer forms a side wall of the box that would limit the volume of the box in the lateral direction to the outside. In the closed state, the box can be used for transport and then, together with the base, it is surrounded by side walls on all four sides. However, the opening wall is at least partially movable from this closed position or closed state, so that the side which in the closed position is completely closed by the opening wall, in the open position is only partially closed or not closed at all by this opening wall. So, in the open state, through the side that is no longer closed, the goods can be unloaded or loaded, without the need to access the box from above. This essentially increases the flexibility of the box, because in this way, for example, the product transported in such a box can be displayed directly on the shelf. By moving the opening wall to the open position, direct and effortless access to the goods can be provided without having to pay too much attention to exactly where the box is placed.

The advantage here is that, thanks to some solutions, the opening wall does not separate completely from the box when it is opened, which would lead to certain logistical and handling problems. Instead, the opening wall can be placed in the open position so that it remains connected to the box and in particular by partially covering one of the adjacent side walls or the base. This can be achieved thanks to the solutions of the side wall or the mechanisms for opening and locking the side wall which will be explained in the following text, and the advantage is that in the open position the opening wall remains attached to the other parts of the box so that it cannot be lost. In some embodiments of the present invention, the remaining three side walls are placed collapsible, so that the entire box is collapsible in that the three side walls can be folded from an upright position to a horizontal position in which they are generally parallel to the base of the box and partially cover it. In some further embodiments of the present invention, the opening wall is movable in such a way that in the open position it covers the base or adjacent side walls but does not interfere with their assembly on the base.

According to some embodiments, this is achieved by the fact that the opening wall when opening can be placed on the side of the base opposite to that on which the other side walls are located. In some embodiments, the opening wall is placed in an open position in which it is placed parallel to the underside of the base, opposite to the side on which the other side walls are mounted or attached. In this way, when the opening wall is open, the other side walls can be folded from the upper side of the base, which makes it possible to obtain a compactly folded box, which, when folded, requires little space and can be transported cost-effectively to be reloaded.

An alternative possibility is to move the opening wall to a position where it covers one of the adjacent side walls in the open position, so that the corresponding side wall together with the opening wall can be folded onto the surface of the base, while the rest of the box remains collapsible. In some embodiments, the opening wall has no function other than to completely cover the side. Namely, according to some solutions, it is possible for the opening wall to move only partially in the direction of its opening, so that access to the goods transported in the box can be gradual and controlled, i.e. in this version, it is possible to gradually open the side of the box that is no longer covered by the opening wall, either continuously or in leaps and bounds. In some embodiments, the opening wall is divided into two or more parts, so that they can be separated independently of each other and placed in a folded position with an adjacent side wall or base of the box. This also enables, for example, the selective display of goods transported or stored in a box.

According to some further solutions, the boxes can be stacked both in the folded state with the opening wall in the open position and in the transport position, when the opening wall is in the closed position. So, the base has a structure that allows the box to have a fixed boundary surface on the bottom side, ie. on the side of the base opposite to that on which the side walls are located, which is fixed and projects downwards in the vertical direction, which allows the boxes to be stacked on top of each other. Having the above in mind, the edges of the base according to some solutions of the present invention extend further in the vertical direction than the opening wall, even when it is in the open state. This makes it possible to maintain the possibility of stacking the boxes even when the opening wall is in the open state below the plane of the base of the box.

According to some solutions, the side walls or the opening wall each individually have a locking mechanism with the use of which the side walls or the opening wall can be locked with the adjacent side walls, when they are in a vertical position, which guarantees high stability of the box during transport.

In the following text, some solutions of this invention are explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1: shows the solution of the box that is the subject of the invention with the opening wall in its closed position;

Figure 2: shows the box solution of Figure 1, with the opening wall in its semi-open position;

Figure 3: shows the solution of the box from Figures 1 and 2 with the opening wall in the open position;

Figure 4: shows the solution of the box from drawings 1 to 3 in the folded state;

Fig. 5a: shows a cross-section through 2 assembled boxes of drawings 1 to 4 stacked on top of each other;

Figure 5b: shows the box in projection from the direction of the edge of the base;

Fig. 6: shows some other solutions of the box according to the present invention; and

Figure 7: Represents alternative ways of using the box

Figure 1 shows a solution of a multi-purpose box 10. The box 10 comprises a base 12 and four side walls 14a to 14d which are placed opposite in pairs, respectively, and rise from the base 12 in a vertical direction 16, upwards. In the solution shown in Figure 1, all four side walls 14a to 14d are approximately the same height, ie. they extend in the vertical direction 16 in the same length. However, this is only an example, and other embodiments may vary individually in the lengths of the sidewalls 14a to 14d. For example, opposite side walls may have the same height, or each side wall may be of different height.

Thanks to the structural details, the side wall 14d forms an opening wall which is shown in Figure 1 in its closed position, in which the opening wall 14d closes the box to the outside, i.e. covers the entire side or the area covering the side. As will be explained in connection with the following solutions, the complete side that is closed in the closed position by the opening wall 14b, or at least a part of this side, can be exposed by means of the opening wall 14d, so that through the exposed side that is otherwise closed in the closed position of the opening wall, it is possible to access the interior of the box in order to take transported goods from it or insert objects into the box. As will be explained in connection with Figures 2 through 4, the opening wall 14d can be placed in the open position from the position shown in Figure 1 and the opening wall 14d only partially encloses the side surface so that in the open position the opening wall 14d at least partially covers the base 12.

The opening wall 14d further comprises a first locking mechanism 18a and a second locking mechanism 18b by which the opening wall 14d can be locked in a closed position with its adjacent walls 14a or 14c to ensure the stability of the box 10. Similarly, the side walls 14a and 14c contain locking mechanisms 20a and 20b by which the side walls 14a and 14c can be locked with side wall 14b. The side walls 14a, 14b and 14c are positioned so that they can be moved relative to the base 12 so that the side walls can be folded on the base from the vertical position shown in Figure 1 towards the interior of the plane of the base, so that they are, in fact, in a horizontal position parallel to the base 12 as shown in Figure 4. Hereinafter, the terms inside and inside refer to the space enclosed in the closed state of the box by the side walls 14a to 14d, ie in which the transported goods can be loaded into the box. All directions defined as horizontal are generally placed normal to the vertical direction 16, i.e. all directions that are parallel to the plane defined by base 12.

In order to ensure the collapsibility of the side walls 14a to 14c, at the positions of the first side wall 14a, the second side wall 14b, and the third side wall 14c, the base 12 of each includes a fixed edge member 22a, 22b, 22c extending upwardly in the vertical direction 16, where the edge members 22a and 22c of the base corresponding to the opposite side walls 14a and 14c extend in the vertical direction 16 in a shorter length than the edge element 22b corresponding to the side wall 14b. At the upper end of the edge elements of the base, the side walls 14a, 14b and 14c are each individually placed on the base 12 or their corresponding edge surfaces 22a to 22c by means of hinge connections. This allows that in the folded position shown in Figure 4, the side walls 14a to 14c lie in a horizontal position, parallel to the base, in such a way that each of the side walls at least partially covers the base. The solutions according to the present invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 further comprise an opening wall 14d which is movable in such a way that in its fully open position it is on the side of the base 12 opposite the other side walls 14a to 14c. As shown in figures 2 and 3, the side wall, after unlocking the hooks 18 and 18b, can be folded or deflected outwards so that after removal it is in a horizontal position, parallel to the base. From this position, as shown in Figure 2, the side wall can slide or be inserted under the base in the insertion direction 24, so that after insertion it is in the position under the base, shown in Figure 3, i.e. the opening wall 14d is located on the side of the base opposite the other side walls 14a to 14c.

This makes it possible, in the position shown in Figure 3, to unload the goods from the box or to load them into it without the need to access the box from the top.

At the same time, by removing the side wall to the outside and stacking it under the base, it is possible that the opening wall does not enter the volume of the box when opening and closing, so that the opening wall can be opened even when the box is completely full.

Although only one opening wall 14d is presented in Figures 1 to 3, in alternative solutions it is also possible to enable the opening of other side walls, for example, to enable the opening of another side wall 14b, so that the side wall 14b or the side wall 14d can alternatively be used as the opening wall.

At the same time, in some further alternative solutions, the other side walls, in addition to the opening side wall, are rigid, i.e. they do not have the possibility of assembly.

The collapsibility of the side walls 14a to 14c provides the additional advantage that when the opening wall 14d is in the open position and the side walls 14a to 14c are folded, the box takes up very little space and when empty can be easily transported at minimal cost. In order to ensure the stackability of the boxes in both the upright and folded states shown in Fig. 4, the base 12, on the opposite side of the side walls 14a to 14c, contains fixed edge members, each of which extends in a vertical direction 16 downwards, which can be seen in Figs. position. This can be seen in particular from Figure 5 which shows a cross-section through two boxes, stacked one over the other in their folded state, where the section is made along the section line 30 as shown in Figure 4.

As can be seen in cross-section in Fig. 5a, the fixed, edge member 32 of the base opposite the walls 14a and 14c extends downward in the vertical direction 16, for a greater length than the opening wall in its open position, folded under the base. This allows the box 10 to be stacked in both its upright and collapsed states regardless of whether the opening wall is in the open or closed position, as the base 12 or its lower, fixed, edge members can always be used as a contact surface.

As can also be seen from Figure 5, in the solution shown in Figures 1 to 4, the opening wall 14d can be pushed under the base 12 when it is folded. For this purpose, the base 12, on the opposite sides of the side walls 14a and 14c, on the immovable, lower edge elements, has grooves or grooves that are guides to the opening wall 14d.

Figure 5d shows a simplified projection of the immovable edge element in connection with the side wall 14a. This is the view from direction 40 shown in Figure 4.

A cross-sectional view of the base 12 and a view of the fixed base edge member 22a extending vertically upward and the fixed base edge member 32 extending vertically downward. In the downwardly extending edge element 32 of the base, a guide or groove (guide) 42 is placed along which the opening wall 14d can be guided when it is inserted under the base 12. In the solution shown in Figure 5b, for this purpose, the opening wall 14d can, for example, contain a screw, which extends in the direction 40 from the opening wall 4d and is coupled to the guide 42. How is guide 42, as shown in figure 5b, closed towards the top in the direction of the opening wall 14, i.e. at its end 44 in the vertical direction 16, through the bolt from the opening wall, in the upright position, the load is transferred to the base 12. As long as the groove 42 is also closed in advance, ie in the horizontal direction 45, the opening wall cannot be separated from the box.

Figure 6 shows a further solution of the box according to the invention which also includes a base 12 and four outer walls 14a to 14d placed opposite, in pairs, in the closed state of the box. In the solution shown in Figure 6, the side wall 14d, which is also the opening wall, has a bundle of lamellas placed on top of each other in the vertical direction, so that the opening wall 14d can be removed continuously or in jumps, to and from the vertical direction 16, in order to partially or completely open the side. Here, as in the previous solutions, the side is the surface that is fully exposed in the maximally open position, or in other words, the surface that is covered by the opening wall 14d in the fully closed position.

In the solution shown in Figure 6, the opening wall 14d having the lamellae is therefore movable, so that the opening wall, in the fully open state, is entirely located on the side of the base 12 opposite to the other side walls 14a, 14b and 14c. In this solution, the opening wall 14d having the lamellae can, for example, be in the guides 42 on the non-bearing plane of the base 12, as, for example, shown in FIG. 5b. Further, the opening wall 14d may, for example, also be in the grooves on the side walls 14a and 14c. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, it is also convenient that, in the open state, the opening wall partially covers the base 12, ie. remains connected to the box so that the volume occupied by the box is not increased by placing the opening wall in the open position. Similarly, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, it is possible that the side walls 14a, 14b and 14c may be collapsible.

Figure 7 shows a further alternative solution of the multi-purpose box which also includes a base 12 and side walls 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d placed opposite in pairs, in the closed state of the box, with the side wall 14d being formed as an opening wall.

In the solution shown in Figure 7, the opening wall can be divided into a first wall section 50a and a second wall section 50b, each of which has a stack of lamellae placed normally in the vertical direction. In the open state, the first wall section 50a at least partially covers the side wall 14a and the second wall section 50b at least partially covers the side wall 14c. Of course, only one of the wall sections 50a or 50b can be open, so that only one of the wall sections partially or completely covers the corresponding side wall 14a or 14c. Also in this embodiment, the opening wall is solved so that in the open position of the opening wall 14d at least partially or completely covers one of the adjacent side walls 14a or 14c, so that, if necessary, the side walls can be folded.

As an alternative to the solution shown in Figure 7, the opening wall can consist of only one element, again composed of a bundle of lamellae, so that in the open state only one of the side walls 14a or 14c is partially covered by the opening wall.

Although the described solutions show a box for fruit and vegetables or for transporting goods intended for retail, the concept of the invention is applicable to any other type of container. For example, pallet boxes, containers or freight containers can be made as boxes within the scope described, so that an alternative access to the inner volume of the container or box is provided through the opening wall.

In addition, tool boxes and crates, as well as any other types of boxes, chests, or the like, can be equipped with open walls according to the above solutions.

Furthermore, the geometry of the boxes is not limited to the rectangular base shapes shown above. Alternatively, the boxes may have any number of side walls, such as for example triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal or generally speaking boxes with any number of side walls.

In alternative embodiments, unlike boxes that are not closed from the top, the box may have a lid that closes the box from the top. The use of opening walls according to the invention enables multipurpose use of the box even when it has a lid. In such solutions, the cover can be placed with a detachable or non-detachable connection on all four, or on any number of side walls, on the side opposite to the base.

Claims (16)

1. Box (10), which contains: base (12); four side walls (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) arranged oppositely in pairs, rising upwards in a vertical direction (16) from the base (12); characterized in that one of the four side walls (14d) is designed as an opening wall (14d) that completely closes the side in the closed position and can be placed in an open position in which the opening wall (14d) closes only part of the side, so that in the open position the opening wall (14d) at least partially covers one of the adjacent side walls (14a, 14c) or the base (12). 2. Box (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that in the open position the opening wall (14d) is placed on the side of the base (12) which is at least partially opposite to the other side walls (14a, 14b, 14c) 3. Box (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that in the open position the opening wall (14d) is placed entirely on the side of the base (12) opposite the other side walls (14a, 14b, 14c) 4. Box (10) according to claims 2 or 3, characterized in that in the open position, part of the opening wall (14d) which is placed on the side of the base opposite the other side walls (14a, 14b, 14c), is placed parallel to the base (12). 5. The box (10) according to one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the base (12) on the side opposite to that on which the side walls (14a, 14c) are adjacent to the opening wall contains immovable edge elements (32), each of which further extends in the vertical direction (12) opposite the opening wall (14d) in the open position. 6. Box (10) according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the non-movable edge elements contain a guide (42) opposite the corresponding surfaces that guide the opening wall (14d) when placed in the open position 7. Box (10) according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the opening wall (14) contains a pin that connects to the guide (42). 8. Box (10) according to claim 7, indicated by the fact that the guide (42) is closed from the top in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction at its ends towards the adjacent side surfaces, so that the pin cannot leave the guide (42) and in the vertical direction (16) a sliding connection between the pin and the guide is achieved. 9. Box (10) according to one of the previous requirements, characterized by the fact that the opening wall (14d) is connected to the base (12), so that the opening wall (14d) can be removed from the outside from the upright position by lifting it vertically upwards and bringing it into position parallel to the base (12) of the box (10). 10. Box (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the opening wall (14d) contains a bundle of lamellae that enter the guide (42) when the opening wall (14d) is placed in the open position. 11. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening wall (14d) contains a bundle of lamellas that rise from the base (12) in a vertical direction upwards. 12. Box according to claim 11, characterized in that the opening wall (14d) in the open position at least partially covers one of the adjacent side walls (14a, 14c). 13. Box according to claim 11, characterized in that the opening wall (14d) consists of a first wall section (50a) and a second wall section (50b), wherein the first wall section (50a) in the open position at least partially covers the first of the adjacent side walls (14a) and the second wall section (50b) in the open position at least partially covers the second adjacent side wall (14c) placed opposite the first adjacent side wall (14a). 14. Box according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the opening wall (14d) in the open position covers the adjacent side walls (14a, 14c) from the outside. 15. A box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening wall (14d) contains at least two locking mechanisms (18a, 18b), each of the locking mechanisms (18a, 18b) being designed to lock the opening wall (14d) with one of the adjacent side walls (14a, 14c) in the closed position. 16. A box according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the side walls (14a, 14b, 14c) which are not designed as an opening wall (14d) are placed movable in relation to the base (12) so that the side walls can be folded inwards from an upright position in the direction of the base, so that in the folded state they are in a horizontal position parallel to the base.