WO2011148189A1

WO2011148189A1 - Collapsible container

Info

Publication number: WO2011148189A1
Application number: PCT/GB2011/051003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kenneth David Alker; Marko Niko Juhani Salonen; Lars Jonas Larsson
Original assignee: Pilkington Group Ltd
Current assignee: Pilkington Group Ltd
Priority date: 2010-05-27
Filing date: 2011-05-27
Publication date: 2011-12-01
Anticipated expiration: 2012-11-27
Also published as: GB201008882D0

Abstract

A collapsible container (121) for transporting glass sheets, such as vehicle windscreens, is disclosed. The container comprises a base (124), a first wall (127), a second wall (129) and a third wall (131). When assembled, the first wall, the second wall and the third wall are releasably connected to the base. The second wall is positioned adjacent an end of the first wall such that the first wall and the second wall define a first corner portion of the container, second corner portion of the crate is defined by the second wall and the third wall. The first wall has first locating means extending from the edge opposite the first corner. The first locating means engage with a first receiving means configured as part of the base.

Description

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER

The present invention relates to collapsible containers, in particular collapsible crates for transporting glass sheets.

In the automotive industry, glazing panes such as windscreens, sidelights and sunroofs are usually transported between locations in wooden crates. It is common practice for the crates to be reused and as such, the empty crates are returned to the glazing supplier. Conventional wooden crates occupy a large volume, limiting the number of crates that can be returned to the glazing supplier on a lorry.

A known collapsible container for the containerized shipment of bulk goods is described in EP0071467A2. Such a prior art container comprises a base and four walls made of a thermoplastic material. The walls connect to the base by engaging projections on the lower edge of each wall with slots in the base. The projections are curved and are complementary to the slots. As such, the walls only attach and detach to the base when tilted outwardly with respect to the base. The walls can neither be attached to, nor detached from, the base in a direction perpendicular to the base.

The design of such crates requires carefully designed male and female connections, which is ideally suited to being moulded in plastic.

Another collapsible container for transporting goods is described in FR2082383. Such a container has a base and four lateral walls that are articulated at the base. Each wall includes along one vertical side an edge which reaches the corresponding edge of the adjacent wall, and a means to lock the walls to one another in order to make the container rigid. The walls connect to the base in such a way to ensure there is a seal between the walls and base.

A conventional crate for transporting glass windscreens is shown in figures 1 and 2. The crate 1 has a rectangular base 3 and three vertical walls extending upwards from the periphery of the base, these walls being a left sidewall 5, a right sidewall 7 and a rear wall 11. Theses walls are nailed to the base making it difficult to quickly disassemble the crate without damage thereto. In practical terms, the walls are not releasably connected to the base. The three walls 5, 7 and 11 when connected to the base 3 define an interior storage volume. The crate 1 also has a removable front wall 9. When the wall is inserted into the base, the crate is fully assembled. The front wall gives further protection to the contents of the crate (shown as windscreens 2) and by being removable the contents of the crate can easily be taken out of the crate. A lid 13 is placed on top of the walls to create an enclosed storage volume, and the lid may be secured to the crate by straps 15, 17 to ensure the lid does not come free when the crate is being transported. A number of such crates may be stacked one on top of another. The walls, lid and base are made from wood, such as pine.

Such a crate is useful for transporting glass windscreens, but due to the large volume the crate occupies when the windscreens have been unloaded, the number of such crates that may be loaded onto a lorry is small.

There is a need for a crate for transporting windscreens that overcomes the above problems.

Accordingly the present invention provides from a first aspect a collapsible container having an assembled state and a disassembled state, the container comprising a base, a first wall, a second wall and a third wall, wherein in the assembled state, the first wall, the second wall and the third wall are releasably connected to the base, with the second wall positioned adjacent an end of the first wall such that the first wall and the second wall define a first corner portion of the container, a second corner portion of the container being defined by the second wall and the third wall, and wherein the first wall has first locating means extending from the edge opposite the first corner, the first locating means being engaged with a first receiving means configured as part of the base.

In the assembled state, the first wall is opposite the third wall.

By connecting the first wall with the base via engaging the first wall first locating means with the base first receiving means, the container is sufficiently rigid but easily able to be disassembled.

Preferably the first wall is sufficiently sized such that the second wall is located in a slot formed by part of the base and part of the first wall. Suitably a portion of the major face of the second wall faces the end of the first wall. This provides the advantage of further improving the rigidity of the container in the assembled state, by allowing the first wall and second wall to interlock.

Preferably in the assembled state, the second wall is positioned adjacent an end of the third wall to define the second corner portion of the container, and wherein the third wall has first locating means extending from the edge opposite the second corner, the third wall first locating means being engaged with a second receiving means configured as part of the base. This further improves the structural rigidity of the container in the assembled state. Suitably the third wall is sufficiently sized such that the second wall is located in a slot formed by part of the base and part of the third wall.

In other embodiments, the second wall comprises first retaining means adapted to engage with a portion of the first wall, thereby limiting vertical movement of the first wall relative to the base when the container is in the assembled state. This makes the container stronger in the assembled state, whilst still making disassembly easy.

In other embodiments, the second wall comprises second retaining means adapted to engage with a portion of the third wall, thereby limiting vertical movement of the third wall relative to the base when the container is in the assembled state.

In some embodiments, in the assembled state the first wall and the second wall are connected by a first removable retaining member. The first removable retaining member is configured to maintain the arrangement of the first wall with respect to the second wall.

In other embodiments, in the assembled state the third wall and the second wall are connected by a second removable retaining member. The second removable retaining member is configured to maintain the arrangement of the third wall with respect to the second wall.

In a preferred embodiment, the second wall comprises an elongate member arranged to engage with a portion of the base and configured to run from the base towards an upper edge of the second wall. The elongate member adds strength to the second wall. The contents of the container to be transported may rest against the elongate member. Preferably the second wall comprises a pair of spaced elongate members, one longer than the other, and wherein one elongate member is configured to engage with an upper portion of the base and the other elongate member is arranged to engage with a lower portion of the base, the lower portion of the base being spaced relative to the upper portion of the base.

A collapsible container comprising a base, a first wall, a second wall and a third wall, configured in accordance with the first aspect of the invention defines a storage volume. Such a container may be used to transport and/or store glass sheets. To transport two such containers, the open side of the first container may face the open side of the second container. Alternatively, the open side of the first container may face the second wall of the second container. Another possibility is the first container may be stacked on top of the second container, such that the base of the first container forms a lid for the second container. In another preferred embodiment, the collapsible container comprises a fourth wall, configured to be releasably connected to the base in the assembled state. Preferably in the assembled state, the fourth wall is located in a slot defined by part of the first wall, part of the third wall and part of the base. The fourth wall may be located in between the first wall and the third wall, such that a first lateral edge of the fourth wall faces a major surface of the first wall and a second lateral edge that is at an opposite end of the fourth wall to the first lateral edge, faces a major surface of the third wall.

Preferably in the assembled state the fourth wall and the first wall are connected by a third removable retaining member. Preferably in the assembled state the fourth wall and the third wall are connected by a fourth removable retaining member.

In a most preferred embodiment, the collapsible container comprises a lid configured to sit on portions of the first wall, second wall and third wall in the assembled state. When the container further comprises a fourth wall, the lid is configured to sit on at least one portion of the fourth wall in the assembled state.

In preferred embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the first wall first locating means comprises a first projection extending from the edge of the first wall that is opposite the first corner portion of the container. The projection is configured to engage with a first slot portion in the base.

When in the assembled state, and the second wall is positioned adjacent an end of the third wall, and wherein the third wall has first locating means engaged with a second receiving means configured as part of the base, preferably the third wall first locating means comprises a projection extending from the edge of the third wall opposite the second corner portion of the container, configured to engage with a second slot portion in the base.

Suitably the projection comprises a reinforcing element, preferably made from metal.

In some embodiments, reinforcing tape is used around the exterior facing surfaces of the first, second and third walls. This provides extra strength, especially when one container is stacked on top of another container.

Preferably a container in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention is suitable for transporting at least 100kg of glass sheets, more preferably between 500kg and 2000kg. The preferred material to make the container from is wood or plastic. When wood is used, sheets or planks may be used to form the component parts of the container (i.e. walls, base and lid when present). Any suitable connecting means such as nails, screws or glue may be used to make each component part, providing the container in the assembled state has sufficient strength and rigidity.

A preferred container according to the first aspect of the present invention is a crate.

The present invention also provides from a second aspect a method of transporting a plurality of glass sheets using a collapsible container according to the first aspect of the invention, the method comprising the steps (i) assembling the container by connecting the first wall, the second wall and the third wall to the base; (ii) placing the glass sheets into the container; (iii) placing the assembled container with glass sheets therein onto a suitable vehicle for transportation to a location; (iv) transporting the assembled container with the glass sheets therein to first location; (v) removing the container from the vehicle; (vi) removing the glass sheets from the container; (vii) disassembling the container by disconnecting the first wall, the second wall and the third wall from the base; and (viii) transporting the container in the disassembled state to a second location.

A method of transporting glass sheets in accordance with the second aspect of the advantage has the advantage that return transportation costs of the containers is reduced because more containers can be returned at the same time. The container may be assembled and loaded with glass sheets at the second location prior to the assembled container with glass sheets therein being transported to the first location. Alternatively the container may be assembled at a different location and transported to a location where the glass sheets are stored.

Preferably a plurality of disassembled containers are transported at the same time to the second location.

The present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures (not to scale) in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a prior art crate for transporting vehicle windscreens;

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the crate shown in figure 1 with the front wall and lid removed; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a simplified crate used to define the terminology used hereinafter;

Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of the crate shown in figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a crate according to the first aspect of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a base for use in a crate according to the first aspect of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a corner portion of the base shown in figure 6;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the base shown in figure 6;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the front left corner portion of the base as shown in figure 8; Figure 10 is a perspective view of the rear left corner portion of the base shown in figure 6

Figure 11 is a plan view of the upper left corner portion of the base as shown in figure 8;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a left sidewall for use in a crate according to the first aspect of the present invention;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a toe portion of the left sidewall shown in figure 12; Figure 14 is a perspective view of a rear wall for use in a crate in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention;

Figure 15 is a perspective view of a portion of the rear left corner of the crate shown in figure 5 in the assembled state;

Figure 16 is a perspective view of a front wall for use in a crate in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention;

Figure 17 is a perspective view of a lid for use with a crate in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention;

Figures 18a, 18b and 18c show the first three steps in assembling a crate according to the first aspect of the present invention;

Figures 19a, 19b and 19c show how the left sidewall in a crate according to the first aspect of the present invention is connected to the base;

Figure 20 shows a perspective view of a rear portion of a crate in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention;

Figure 21 shows an upper portion of the rear left corner of a crate in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention;

Figures 22a and 22b show two possible retaining members; Figure 23 shows a perspective view of the retaining member in figure 22a in the in use position; and

Figure 24 shows a plan view of a crate assembled in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, with four retaining members of the type in figure 22a in position.

For clarity, a simplified partially exploded schematic of a crate is shown in figure 3 to define the nomenclature used hereinafter. With reference to the orientation of the crate shown in figure 3, the crate 21 has a lid 23, a base 24, a left hand wall 27, a right hand wall 29, a rear wall 31 and a front wall 35. The three walls 27, 29 and 31 define a storage volume 33. The crate also has a front wall 35. When fully assembled, all of the four walls four walls 27, 29, 31 and 35 are connected to the base 24. The left hand wall 27, the right hand wall 29 and the rear wall 31 are fixed to the base using non-releasable means such as nails. The front wall 35 is releasably connected to the base, for example by fitting into a suitably sized slot in the base (not shown). The base 24 has an upper surface 25 forming the floor portion of the crate, and a lower surface 26 to engage with the ground. The upper surface 25 is spaced from the lower surface 26. There may be feet connected to the lower surface. Each of the four walls 27, 29, 31 and 35 has an inner facing surface and an outer facing surface. For example the right hand wall 29 has an inner facing surface 36 that faces the storage volume. The outer facing surface of the right hand wall 29 is opposite the inner facing surface 36.

The four walls 27, 29, 31 and 35 are shown spaced from the base but would be connected to the base by moving in the direction of the arrow 41. When the three walls 27, 29 and 31 are connected to the base, objects may be inserted into the storage volume in the direction of the arrow 39. The view in the direction of the arrow 39 is the view of the front of the crate. When the front wall 35 is releasably connected to the base 24, the storage volume is enclosed. The lid 23 may be placed on top of the four walls 27, 29, 31 and 35 in the direction of arrow 37. With the lid in place, the storage volume 33 is fully enclosed, thereby offering the most protection to objects within the crate. The lid may be secured by using suitable securing means such as nylon tape extending around the exterior of the crate, or by screws or nails. To ease removal of the lid, preferably the securing means are able to easily be removed when desired.

A plan view of the crate 21 is shown in figure 4. With the three walls 27, 29 and 31 connected to the base, a plurality of glass sheets 43, for example curved windscreens, may be loaded into the crate in the direction of arrow 39 and positioned on the floor portion 25 of the crate. When in the crate, the plurality of windscreens are indicated as 43'. The front wall 35 may then be connected to the base (the front wall in the connected position is shown as 35'). The lid may then be placed on the crate to fully enclose the storage volume.

The description of figures 3 and 4 shall be used to define the walls, lid and base hereinafter.

Figure 1 shows a conventional crate 1 used for transporting vehicle windscreens between locations. The crate 1 contains a plurality of windscreens. The crate has a base 3, a left side wall 5, a right sidewall 7, a front wall 9, a rear wall 11 and a lid 13. Nylon straps 15, 17 are used to hold the lid on the crate and to provide extra strength. The nylon straps may be removed by cutting. Nylon strap 15 is shown after having been cut

The front of the crate is defined as that side into which the windscreens are loaded and unloaded. In principle the contents of the crate may be removed from the top of the crate, but this is not done practically for windscreens.

The base 3 is a pallet-like construction and has a lower portion with two openings 19, 21 for engagement with the fork of a fork lift truck to move the crate i.e. in the direction of arrows 22a, 22b. Each of the walls, base and lid are constructed primarily from wooden planks. Plastic elements may be used on exterior corner portions of the base to provide extra reinforcement.

The rear wall 11 and two sidewalls 5, 7 are fixed to the base by nails or screws, such that they may not be easily removed from the base without damage thereto. In practical terms, the rear wall and two side walls are permanently fixed to the base by nails.

Once the nylon straps have been removed, for example by cutting, the lid may be removed from the four walls since the lid is not nailed to any of the walls i.e. the lid is releasably connected to the walls. The front wall fits into a slot defined by the base and the portions of the two sidewalls. The front wall is not nailed to the base i.e. the front wall is releasably connected to the base so is easily removable therefrom. Once the lid has been removed by moving in the direction of arrow 14, the front wall can be lifted from the base by moving in the direction of arrow 8 a. The windscreens 23 may then be removed from the crate in the direction of arrow 8b. The windscreens may be located on a separate rack or the like to allow easy removal of the windscreens from the crate.

Since the rear wall and two sidewalls are nailed to the base, it is not possible to easily disassemble the crate any further than as shown in figure 2 without taking much effort and without risk of damage to the crate. As such, the crate in the unloaded state i.e. with the windscreens removed, takes up a volume similar to the loaded crate. Consequently it is difficult to transport a large number of such empty crates for re-use cost effectively.

Figure 5 shows a crate in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention. The appearance of the crate in the assembled state is similar to the crate shown in figure 1. However, in order to reduce the volume of the crate when unloaded, the crate shown in figure 5 is constructed according to the first aspect of the present invention, as will be described hereinafter.

The crate 121 comprises a lid 123, a left hand wall 127, a right hand wall 129, a rear wall 131 and a base 124. The base has a floor portion 126 and ground engaging portions 125. The floor engaging portions are part of feet 130a, 130b, 130c and 130d. The pairs of feet 130a, 130b and 130c, 130d are sufficiently spaced to accommodate the fork of a fork lift truck to facilitate moving the crate when in the assembled state shown. Each wall 127, 129, 131 and 135 is releasably connected to the base 124. The front of the crate i.e. that side through which objects may be loaded into the crate is the side of the crate when viewed in the direction of arrow 139.

The crate 121 may be disassembled into the six component parts; the base 124, the lid 123, the left hand sidewall 127, the right sidewall 129, the rear wall 131 and the front wall 135. As with the conventional crate shown in figure 1, each component part is made primarily from wooden planks, such as pine, plywood or the like, suitably fixed together with nails, screws or other fixing means.

In the assembled state shown in figure 5, the crate has the same storage volume as the conventional crate shown in figure 1, and is capable of carrying the same number and weight of windscreens. The crate may carry about 1000kg of glass and such crates may be suitably stacked one on top of another. A different size crate could be used to transport a different weight of glass.

Each of the component parts of the crate 121 will now be described. The base 124 will be described with reference to figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the base 124 viewed in the direction 139 i.e. towards the front of the crate. The front right corner of the base is shown in figure 7.

The base 124 has a pallet-like construction made from wooden planks and has a ground engaging portion 125 and a floor portion 126. The floor portion consists of four planks of wood. The ground engaging portion 125 consists of four feet 130a, 130b, 130c and 130d extending from the front of the base to the rear of the base. The feet portions are sufficiently spaced such that two slots are present having a spacing engageable with the fork of a fork lift truck. The ground engaging portion 125 is vertically displaced relative to the floor portion 126.

The leftmost side of the base consists of upwardly extending side elements 141, 143 connected to opposite ends of the foot 130a. The right hand side of the base consists of upwardly extending side elements 145, 147 connected to opposite ends of the foot 130d. The front of the base consists of an upwardly extending front member 149 in the form of a wooden plank connected to an upper portion of the feet 130a, 130b, 130c and 130d. The front member 149 extends between the left and right hand sides of the base i.e. between the lateral edges. The front left hand corner of the base consists of side element 141 and part of front member 149. The front right hand corner of the base consists of side element 145 and part of the front member 149.

One edge of the side element 141 is adjacent to the inner facing major surface of the front member 149. One edge of the side element 145 is adjacent to the inner facing major surface of the front member 149. To reinforce the front corners of the base, a reinforcing member 151, 153 connects the respective side element 141, 145 to the front member 149. The reinforcing element 151, 153 is an L-shaped plastic component connected to side element 141, 145 and front member 149 by steel staples or other fixing means.

At the rear of the base is an upwardly extending rear member 155 in the form of a wooden plank extending between the left and right sides of the base. The rear left hand corner of the base consists of part of the rear member 155 and part of the side element 143. The inner facing major face of the rear element 155 faces an edge of the side element 143 and is adjacent thereto. The rear right hand corner of the base consists of part of the rear member 155 and part of the side element 147. The inner facing major face of the rear element 155 faces an edge of the side element 143 and is adjacent thereto. As with the front corners of the base, there are also reinforcing members (not shown) at the rear corners of the base.

Figure 8 shows a plan view of the base 124 and figure 9 shows a closer view of the front left hand corner of the base.

The side elements 141, 143 are fixed to foot 130a such that there is a space

157 between the side elements and the ends of the floor portions 126. This space 157 is part of a slot that extends between the front member 149 and the rear member 155. The bottom of this slot is a portion of the foot 130a. This slot on the left of the base is of sufficient size to accommodate the left hand wall in the assembled state shown in figure 5. That is, the left hand wall can be mounted in the left hand slot such that the left hand wall is substantially perpendicular to the base. For clarity, the front left hand corner of the base is shown in figure 9. Part space 157 is shown, and can be seen to be formed by ends 126' of floor portions 126 and the inner facing surface 141 ' of side element 141.

There is a similar slot on the right hand side of the base. The side elements

145, 147 are fixed to foot 130d such that there is a space 159 between the side elements and the ends of the floor portions 126. The slot on the right of the base is of sufficient size to accommodate the right hand wall in the assembled state shown in figure 5. That is, the right hand wall can be mounted in the right hand slot such that the right hand wall is substantially perpendicular to the base.

At the rear of the base there is a slot that extends between the side element 143 and the side element 147. This slot is formed by the inner facing surfaces of the side elements 143, 147, the inner facing surface of the rear member 155 and portions of the feet 130a, 130d. This slot shall be referred to as the rear slot. The rear wall 131 is configured to fit into the rear slot such that in the assembled state shown in figure 5, the rear wall 131 is substantially perpendicular to the base 124.

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of the rear left hand corner of the base and figure 11 shows a plan view of the same corner. As is shown in figure 10, plank 130g of foot 130a extends beyond the body of foot elements 130h and 130L The lower part of the rear wall 131 (not shown) is able to engage with the plank 130g to rest thereon in the assembled state shown in figure 5. There is a space 161 between the end of the foot elements 130h, 130i and the inner facing surface of rear member 155 that defines the width of the rear slot. The rear right hand corner is configured in the same manner (but is a mirror image). The sidewalls will now be described. Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the left sidewall of the crate and figure 13 shows a zoomed in lower corner portion of the left sidewall 127. Figure 12 is viewed from the bottom of the sidewall towards the top.

The left sidewall 127 consists of two parallel spaced wooden uprights 163,

165. In the assembled state show in figure 5, uprights 163, 165 are substantially perpendicular to the base. The uprights 163, 165 are wooden planks and are joined by rectangular plywood panels 167, 169. The panel 169 has a toe portion 170 at the bottom corner thereof. The toe portion 170 is a rectangular projection extending from the bottom forward facing corner of plywood panel 169. In addition, the toe portion 170 has a rigid L-shaped reinforcing member 171 made of steel secured to the plywood panel 169 by suitable fixing means such as screws 173. The screws may extend through the plywood panel 169 into the upright 163. By having the L-shaped reinforcing member 171 in addition to the projection from the plywood panel, the toe portion 170 has extra strength. The reinforcing member may have other suitable configurations, for example it may be rectangular. If desired, the toe portion may not have any reinforcing member. The toe portion is configured to engage with a slot in the front member 149 of the base, as will be described hereinafter.

Extending between the two uprights 163, 165 and attached to the upper and lower portions of the sheet of plywood 167 are wooden cross members 175, 177. Extending across the upper portion of the sheet of plywood 169 and attached thereto is a cross member 179. The cross members 175, 177, 179 give the left sidewall increased rigidity and strength. The sidewall may have no cross members 175, 177, 179.

The right hand sidewall is constructed in a similar manner.

The rear wall will now be described. Figure 14 shows the rear wall 131. The rear wall is made of a number of wooden planks nailed together to make the substantially rectangular in outline rear wall. The rear wall 131 has a left upright 203 and a right upright 205 in a parallel spaced arrangement. In the assembled state show in figure 5, the left and right uprights are substantially perpendicular to the base. The left and right uprights 203, 205 are connected by four parallel spaced wooden planks 207, 209, 211 and 213. Spaced from the left upright and connected to the planks 207, 209, 211 and 213 there is a first reinforcing assembly 214 comprising a pair of parallel spaced wooden planks 215, 217 one longer than the other. The planks 215, 217 are separated by three wooden spacer blocks. The first reinforcing assembly is substantially parallel to the left upright. The planks of the reinforcing assembly 214 are edge-on compared to the left upright 203. There is a similar second reinforcing assembly 216 comprising a pair of parallel spaced wooded planks 219, 221 one longer than the other.

In between the upright 203 and the first reinforcing assembly 214 is a plank

218 extending from the lower portion of upright 203 to the upper portion of reinforcing assembly 214. In between the upright 205 and the second reinforcing assembly 216 is a plank 220 extending from the upper portion of reinforcing assembly 216 to the lower portion of upright 205. The planks 218, 220 provide the rear wall with additional strength.

The thickness of the uprights 203, 205 is such that the uprights fit into the space 161, 162 in the base i.e. into the rear slot in the base.

Part way up the left upright 203 is a rectangular wooden block 223. The underside 225 of the block 223 is configured to engage with the upper surface 179' of the cross member 179 of the left wall when the crate is in the assembled state show in figure 5. This is shown in figure 15. There is a similar wooden block 227 part of the way up the right upright 205. The underside of this block 227 is configured to engage with the upper surface of a cross member on the right hand sidewalk The wooden blocks 223, 227 are suitably fixed to the respective upright 203, 205 by nails or the like. Vertical movement of the left hand wall relative to the base is restricted by the block 223. Vertical movement of the right hand wall relative to the base is restricted by the block 227.

The front wall will now be described with reference to figure 16. The front wall 133 is essentially identical to the front wall used in conventional crates as shown in figure 1. The front wall 133 has a side 252 to face the exterior of the crate, the opposite side of the front wall facing the storage volume of the crate. The front wall is made of nine wooden planks nailed together to form a front wall having a substantially rectangular outline. There are four uprights 253, 255, 257 and 259 in a spaced parallel arrangement. In the assembled state shown in figure 5, these uprights are substantially perpendicular to the base. The uprights are connected by horizontally extending planks 261, 263 and 265 in spaced parallel arrangement. There is a reinforcing member 267 in between uprights 253 and 255, extending from the lower part of upright 253 to the upper part of upright 255. There is a similar reinforcing member 269 in between uprights 257 and 259.

The thickness of the uprights 253, 255, 257 and 259 is such that the front wall is able to fit into a front slot in the base. The front slot in the base comprises the inner facing surfaces of the left sidewall 127, the right sidewall 129 and the front member 149.

Figure 17 shows the lid 123. The lid is a simple pallet like structure made of four planks 303, 305, 307 and 309 connected by cross members 311, 313. The walls of the lid are made from planks 315, 317, 319 and 321 edge-on relative to the planks 303, 305, 307, 309. The lid is configured to fit on top of the walls when the crate is assembled. The lid 123 is essentially the same as that used in a conventional crate as shown in figures 1 and 2.

The component parts are assembled as follows. With reference to figures 18a, 18b and 18c, a base as described with reference to figure 6 is positioned such that the feet portions are on the ground. This base differs only is respect of that shown in figure 6 in that there are two support members 351 and 353 included on the floor portion. The support members extend 351, 353 between the front member 149 and rear member 155 of the base and are substantially perpendicular thereto. The ends of the support members are adjacent the inner facing surface of the rear member 155, and the other ends of the support members are spaced from the front member 149 such that the front wall is able to fit into the front slot.

Next the left and right sidewalls 127, 129 are the connected to the base, as shown schematically in figure 18b. With reference to figures 19a, 19b and 19c, the left hand sidewall is connected to the base 124 as follows. The left sidewall 127 is inserted into the slot in the left hand side of the base by moving in the direction of arrow 401. The wooden uprights 163, 165 fit into the space 157 in between the ends of the floor portion 126 and the respective side elements 141, 143. The distance between the end of the toe portion 170 and the opposite edge 169' of the panel 169 is such that the left sidewall fits into the left hand slot in the base. In the front member 149 there is a slot 150, suitably sized to fit the toe portion 170 i.e. by being a snug fit. With the sidewall 127 inserted in the left hand slot in the base, the partially assembled crate is as shown in figure 19b. In this configuration, the toe portion 170 faces the slot 150 in the front member 149. The rear edge of the sidewall is adjacent to the inner facing surface of the rear member 155. The left sidewall is then fully engaged with the base by moving the sidewall in the direction of arrow 402. The toe portion 170 on the left sidewall is then inserted into the slot 150 in the front member 149 of the base. This configuration is shown in figure 19c. With the left sidewall connected to the base in this way, the rear edge of the left sidewall is spaced from the inner facing surface of the rear member 155 thereby providing space 161, 162 into which the uprights 203, 205 of the rear wall can fit.

The right hand sidewall is connected to the base in a similar manner, such that the partially assembled crate resembles figure 18b.

The rear wall 131 may then be connected to the base by inserting into the rear slot of the base. The rear wall 131 is inserted in the slot by inclining the rear wall at an angle to the base in order that the wooden blocks 223, 227 are able to move past the cross member on the left and right sidewalls. The uprights 203, 205 of the rear wall then fit into the space 161, 162 in between the end of the feet portions 130a, 130d and the rear member 155. The bottom of the left upright 203 rests on the plank 130g of foot 130a. The bottom of the right upright 205 rests on a similar plank of foot 130d. The bottom face of the wooden plank 217 rests on a lower plank portion of foot 130b and the bottom face of the wooden plank 215 rests on the upper surface of the support member 351. Similarly, the bottom face of the wooden plank 219 rests on a lower plank portion of foot 130c and the bottom face of the wooden plank 221 rests on the upper surface of the support member 353. If no support members 351, 353 are present, the bottom surface of plank 215, 221 may rest on the floor portion 126. The reinforcing assembly 214 just prior to the rear wall being fully inserted in the rear slot is shown in figure 20. This figure shows that the floor portion 126 is sufficiently spaced from the rear member 155 such that the plank 217 fits in this space and the bottom face thereof can engage with a plank portion of foot 130b. The shorter plank 215 can rest on the upper surface of support member 351.

With the rear wall connected to the base, the crate is in the assembled state shown in figure 18c.

The rear left corner is then configured as shown in figure 21. The inner facing surface of upright 203 is adjacent the outer facing edge of the upright 165. In order to maintain this configuration and add extra strength and rigidity, a retaining member is inserted over the upper portion of the uprights 165, 203. The retaining member 405 has an L-shape in outline and is shown in figure 22a in plan view. Another example retaining member 406 is shown in figure 22b. Other suitable configurations may be used.

The retaining member 405 is an L- shaped ring of steel configured to fit over the upper portions of the left sidewall and rear wall, as shown in figure 23. The retaining member 405 maintains the arrangement of the left hand sidewall relative to the rear wall.

A similar retaining member may be used for the rear right hand corner of the crate.

With the crate in the partially assembled state as shown in figure 18c, windscreens may be loaded into the crate. The front wall 133 may be inserted into the front slot defined by the front member 149, the inner facing surfaces of the left and right sidewalls and the end of the support members 351, 353.

Retaining members of the type described with reference to figure 22a may be used on upper portions of the front left and right corners of the crate, as shown in plan view in figure 24. Retaining members 405a, 405b are used to retain the arrangement of the front wall relative to the right and left sidewalls. Retaining members 405c, 405d are used to retain the arrangement of the rear wall relative to the left and right sidewalls.

To fully protect the contents of the crate, a lid as described with reference to figure 17 is finally placed on top of the four walls. The lid may be fixed to the crate by use of banding tape running around the crate, as shown in relation to a conventional crate in figure 1. In addition, banding tape i.e. nylon tape, may be used around the four walls, such that the tape goes around the perimeter of the walls. Use of banding tape in this way has been found to give the crate additional strength, particularly when one loaded crate is stacked on top of another loaded crate.

The assembled crate with windscreens therein may then be loaded onto a lorry and transported to another location. The crate may then be unloaded. To remove the windscreens from the crate, any banding tape is first removed i.e. by cutting the tape. Then the lid is removed, following which the front wall is removed by first removing the L-shaped front retaining members and then lifting the front wall out of the front slot in the base.

The windscreens, which may be on a separate pallet, may then be removed from the crate. In order to transport the crate to another location, the crate is further disassembled by removing the L-shaped retaining members from the rear corners. Next the rear wall and the left and right walls are removed from the base. The crate in the disassembled state has less volume, approximately a third less, than the crate in the assembled state. This means three times as many crates can be returned to a location on a single lorry, thereby reducing the transportation costs and reducing the environmental impact.

In a variation to the example shown, the base may be configured such that the base can also function as a lid. In such a configuration, it is not necessary to use a separate lid, thereby reducing the number of different components that need to be manufactured.

In another embodiment, the rear wall may be suitable configured, for example by having sufficient thickness, such that when one crate is adjacent to another crate, the rear wall functions both as a rear wall for one crate and as a front wall for another crate. This makes the number of walls required to be manufactured less.

A crate made in accordance with the first aspect of the present inventions has been used to transport a plurality of curved windscreens, typical around 20-30, which weigh about 1000kg. The crate is able to accommodate different curvature of windscreen by using a different rack within the crate for supporting the windscreens.

In accordance with the second aspect of the invention, a method of transporting glass sheets shall be described. First a collapsible crate as described with reference to figures 5 to 24 is assembled. That is, the first wall, the second wall and the third wall are connected to the base. Then the glass sheets, which may be on a suitable pallet or rack, are placed into the crate. The front wall of the crate is then inserted into the front slot of the base. The upper retaining elements that are L-shape in outline are then placed over the upper portions of the walls. The lid is then placed into the upper walls. Nylon banding tape is then used to secure the lid to the body of the crate. A loop of nylon banding tape is then placed around the central portions of the outside of the walls to provide additional rigidity, especially if another laden crate is to be placed on top of the crate. The assembled crate with glass sheets therein is then placed onto a suitable vehicle for transportation to a location. The crate is then transported to another location and removed from the vehicle. The loops of banding tape are removed and the lid taken off. The front wall is then removed to allow easy access to the glass sheets therein. The glass sheets are then removed from the crate to leave and empty crate that is to be returned to the initial location. The crate is then disassembled by disconnecting the first wall, the second wall and the third wall from the base. All the component parts of the crate are then stacked together, placed onto a lorry and transported back to the initial location. A plurality of disassembled crates may be transported at the same time to another location, thereby providing a reduced transportation cost.

Whilst crates in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention may be used to transport glass sheets, which may be curved as is usually the case for vehicle windscreens, the crates may be used to transport other goods. The crate may also be used with other sheet material, such as ceramics and plastics.

The preferred material to construct the container is wood, although plastic may be used. The material used must provide a container of sufficient strength to safely transport the goods, whilst remaining cost effective to manufacture the component parts thereof.

Claims

1. A collapsible container having an assembled state and a disassembled state, the container comprising a base, a first wall, a second wall and a third wall, wherein in the assembled state, the first wall, the second wall and the third wall are releasably connected to the base, with the second wall positioned adjacent an end of the first wall such that the first wall and the second wall define a first corner portion of the container, a second corner portion of the container being defined by the second wall and the third wall, and wherein the first wall has first locating means extending from the edge opposite the first corner, the first locating means being engaged with a first receiving means configured as part of the base.

2. A collapsible container according to claim 1, wherein the first wall is sufficiently sized such that the second wall is located in a slot formed by part of the base and part of the first wall.

3. A collapsible container according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein in the assembled state, the second wall is positioned adjacent an end of the third wall to define the second corner portion of the container, and wherein the third wall has first locating means extending from the edge opposite the second corner, the third wall first locating means being engaged with a second receiving means configured as part of the base.

4. A collapsible container according to claim 3 when dependent upon claim 2, wherein the third wall is sufficiently sized such that the second wall is located in a slot formed by part of the base and part of the third wall.

5. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the second wall comprises first retaining means adapted to engage with a portion of the first wall, thereby limiting vertical movement of the first wall relative to the base when the container is in the assembled state.

6. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the second wall comprises second retaining means adapted to engage with a portion of the third wall, thereby limiting vertical movement of the third wall relative to the base when the container is in the assembled state.

7. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein in the assembled state the first wall and the second wall are connected by a first removable retaining member configured to maintain the arrangement of the first wall with respect to the second wall.

8. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein in the assembled state the third wall and the second wall are connected by a second removable retaining member configured to maintain the arrangement of the third wall with respect to the second wall.

9. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the second wall comprises an elongate member arranged to engage with a portion of the base and being configured to run from the base towards an upper edge of the second wall.

10. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the second wall comprises a pair of spaced elongate members, one longer than the other, wherein one elongate member is configured to engage with an upper portion of the base and the other elongate member is arranged to engage with a lower portion of the base, the lower portion of the base being spaced relative to the upper portion of the base.

11. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, further comprising a fourth wall configured to be releasably connected to the base in the assembled state.

12. A collapsible container according to claim 11, wherein in the assembled state, the fourth wall is located in a slot defined by part of the first wall, part of the third wall and part of the base.

13. A collapsible container according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein in the assembled state the fourth wall and the first wall are connected by a third removable retaining member configured to maintain the arrangement of the first wall with respect to the third wall.

14. A collapsible container according to any of the claims 11 to 13, wherein in the assembled state the fourth wall and the third wall are connected by a fourth removable retaining member configured to maintain the arrangement of the fourth wall with respect to the third wall.

15. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, further comprising a lid, configured to sit on portions of the first wall, second wall and third wall in the assembled state.

16. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the first wall first locating means comprises a first projection extending from the edge of the first opposite the first corner portion of the container, configured to engage with a first slot portion in the base.

17. A collapsible container according to claim 3 or claim 4 or any of the claims 5 to 16 when appendant upon claim 3, wherein the third wall first locating means comprises a projection extending from the edge of the third wall opposite the second corner portion of the container, configured to engage with a second slot portion in the base.

18. A collapsible container according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the projection comprises a reinforcing element, preferably made from metal.

19. A method of transporting a plurality of glass sheets using a collapsible container according to any of the preceding claims comprising the steps i. assembling the container by connecting the first wall, the second wall and the third wall to the base;

ii. placing the glass sheets into the container;

iii. placing the assembled container with glass sheets therein onto a suitable vehicle for transportation to a location;

iv. transporting the assembled container with the glass sheets therein to a first location;

v. removing the container from the vehicle;

vi. removing the glass sheets from the container;

vii. disassembling the container by disconnecting the first wall, the second wall and the third wall from the base; and

viii. transporting the container in the disassembled state to a second location.