Connecting mechanism and collapsible container comprising the same

• US 10,640,287 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2015
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: China International Marine Containers Limited (China International Marine Containers Company Limited), CIMC Containers Holding Company, Ltd., Dalian Cimc Special Logistics Equipments Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Dalian Cimc Special Logistics Equipments Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Su, Jijun, Liu, Chunliang
• Primary Examiner(s): Volz, Elizabeth J
• Application Number:
  US15/526,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20170305658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 220 6, 220 15, 220 7, 220 428, 220 429, 220 433, 24287
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/022 in multiple arrangement, e.g. stackable, nestable, connected or joined together side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/522 all side walls hingedly connected to each other or to another component of the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/524 and one or more side walls being foldable along an additional median line
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/0006 Coupling devices between containers, e.g. ISO-containers coupling devices between containers and vehicles B60P7/13
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/0026 Corner fittings characterised by shape, configuration or number of openings

Abstract

A connecting mechanism is used for a collapsible container, the collapsible container comprises a top cover and a chassis, four corners of the top cover are provided with a top corner piece which is connected with a top cover corner pillar, and four corners of the chassis are provided with a bottom corner piece which is connected with a chassis corner pillar, the connecting mechanism comprises a crook lug located at one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar; and a crook locking plate rotatablely provided at the outer end face of the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar, the crook locking plate is provided with a crook part cooperating with the crook lug.

Claims

1. A connecting mechanism for a collapsible container, the collapsible container comprises a top cover and a chassis, four corners of the top cover are provided with a top corner piece which is connected with a top cover corner pillar, and four corners of the chassis are provided with a bottom corner piece which is connected with a chassis corner pillar, characterized in that the connecting mechanism comprises:

a crook lug located at one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar; and

a crook locking plate rotatablely provided at the outer end face of the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar, the first end of the crook locking plate is provided with a crook part cooperating with the crook lug,

wherein the connecting mechanism further comprises an elastic element, one end of which abuts against the outer end face of the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar and the other end of which abuts against the crook locking plate.

2. The connecting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the crook lug extends and protrudes from the outer end face of the one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.

3. The connecting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the connecting mechanism further comprises a crook locking plate shaft by means of which the crook locking plate is hinged with the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.

4. The connecting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the first end of the crook locking plate and the crook lug is provided with a second guiding inclined plane.

5. The connecting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the crook locking plate is provided with a groove for receiving the elastic element, and the elastic element abuts against the bottom surface of the groove.

6. The connecting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting mechanism further comprises a stopper mechanism detachably connected with the crook locking plate.

7. The connecting mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that the stopper mechanism is provided at the outer end face of the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.

8. The connecting mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that the stopper mechanism comprises a first stopper and a first stopper shaft, the first end of the first stopper is provided with a hole through which the first stopper shaft passes to be hinged with the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar, a second end of the first stopper is provided with a stopper crook cooperating with the second end of the crook locking plate.

9. The connecting mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one of the second end of the crook locking plate and the second end of the first stopper is provided with a first guiding inclined plane.

10. The connecting mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that the first end of the crook locking plate is provided with an operating panel laterally protruding from the crook locking plate.

11. The connecting mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that the stopper mechanism is provided at the outer end face of the one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.

12. The connecting mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that the stopper mechanism comprises a second stopper and a second stopper shaft, the first end of the second stopper is provided with a hole through which the second stopper shaft passes to be hinged with the one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar, the second stopper cooperates with the crook locking plate.

13. The connecting mechanism according claim 12, characterized in that the connecting mechanism further comprises stop block for restraining the second stopper, and the stop block is provided at the one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.

14. The connecting mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that a second end of the second stopper is provided with a handle.

15. The connecting mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that the first end of the crook locking plate is provided with an operating panel laterally protruding from the crook locking plate, and the operating panel cooperates with the second stopper.

16. The connecting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the crook locking plate is provided at a location in contact with an unlock piece on a hoist bracket of the collapsible container, and when the collapsible container is in a folded state, the unlock piece on the hoist bracket contacts with the crook locking plate to disengage the crook locking plate from the crook lug.

17. A collapsible container, characterized in that it comprises a connecting mechanism for the collapsible container, the collapsible container comprises a top cover and a chassis, four corners of the top cover are provided with a top corner piece which is connected with a top cover corner pillar, and four corners of the chassis are provided with a bottom corner piece which is connected with a chassis corner pillar, characterized in that the connecting mechanism comprises:

a crook lug located at one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar; and

a crook locking plate rotatablely provided at the outer end face of the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar, the first end of the crook locking plate is provided with a crook part cooperating with the crook lug, and

wherein the connecting mechanism further comprises an elastic element, one end of which abuts against the outer end face of the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar and the other end of which abuts against the crook locking plate.

18. The collapsible container according to claim 17, characterized in that it comprises the connecting mechanism that the crook lug extends and protrudes from the outer end face of the one of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.

19. The collapsible container according to claim 18, characterized in that it comprises the connecting mechanism that further comprises a crook locking plate shaft by means of which the crook locking plate is hinged with the other of the top cover corner pillar and the chassis corner pillar.