Collapsible container

• US 4,809,851 A
• Filed: 04/03/1987
• Issued: 03/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: World Container Corp.
• Original Assignee: World Container Corp.
• Inventors: Price, William F., Oestreich, Gerald F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOY, JOSEPH MAN
• Application Number:
  US07/034,027
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 206/600, 206/503, 206/508, 206/571, 206/599, 220/4 T
• US Class Current: 206/599
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/12 Collapsible pallets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0217 Containers with a closure presenting stacking elements B65D21/064 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00174 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00184 Combination, e.g. different elements made of different materials, laminates
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00208 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00268 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00338 contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00422 on the walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00497 whereby at least one side wall is made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00517 cell type, e.g. honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00611 side walls maintained connected to each other by means of auxiliary locking elements, e.g. spring loaded locking pins
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00661 side walls maintained connected to pallet by means of auxiliary locking elements, e.g. spring loaded locking pins
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00711 removable lid or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00965 when loaded
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 7/32 separate from container walls

Abstract

A collapsible container having a rigid construction including a base and upstanding sides which can be disassembled and stacked upon the base for storage. The base is provided with a generally flat supporting surface with a plurality of legs with mortises arranged to extend downward from the planar base support surface to receive and lock tenons attached to upstanding sides. The plurality of legs are spaced about the periphery of the base so that a container in either an assembled or collapsed position may be easily supported by a forklift or other such material-handling unit. Upstanding sides with tenons inserted into mortise elements of the unit are held in substantially erect position with the edges of the upstanding sides having tongue and groove connectors. Two of the sides are provided with grooves at the edges with the other two sides providing tongue elements at the edges and receivable into the grooves to provide a rigid and positive corner construction. Locking corner caps are attached to the upper edge of one of the sides of either the tongue or groove side. The locking L-shaped corner caps engages the upper edge of two corner sections of the adjacent side and lock the two sides together. The corner caps further includes a flange to engage legs of another container for vertical stacking. The upstanding sides of the container are vertically ribbed and may be re-enforced to increase the columnar strength of the unit.

Claims

1. A collapsible container for transporting and storage of materials and parts which comprises:

A. A rectangular base having a generally planar support surface;

B. A plurality of legs mounted about the periphery of said support surface and extending from said surface downwardly and perpendicular to said support surface;

C. Said legs having mortises extending into said legs and from the periphery of said support surface and perpendicular to said support surface;

D. A first pair of sides having tenons extending from a bottom edge of each of said first pair of sides and for engaging the mortises in said legs to form a mortise joint to position each of said pairs of first sides in an upright position perpendicular to said support surface on opposite sides of said base;

E. A second pair of sides having tenons extending from a bottom edge of each of said second pairs of sides and for engaging the mortises in said legs to form a mortise joint to position each of said pairs of second side in an upright position perpendicular to said support surface on opposite sides of said base and in edge to edge contact with said first sides; and

,

F. Means for connecting said first and second sides in the rectangular configuration of said base.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 in which said legs are positioned about the periphery of said base to provide openings between the legs to accommodate a fork lift to lift the container.

3. A container in accordance with claim 1 in which said first and second sides each have vertically disposed, hollow ribs spaced laterally and extending perpendicular to said support surface to provide rigidity to such sides and to increase the columnar strength of such sides.

4. A container in accordance with claim 1 in which said first pair of sides has a groove extending along the entire length of each edge of said first sides which are perpendicular to the bottom edge of said first side and in which said second pair of sides has a tongue member extending along the entire length of each edge of said second sides which are perpendicular to the bottom edge of said second sides, said tongue members of said second sides engaging adjacent grooves of said first side to form tongue and groove edge connection between said first and second pairs of sides.

5. A container in accordance with claim 1 which further includes a center leg mounted in the center of said base and extending downwardly from said base to provide support for said support surface and in which said center leg is positioned with respect to said plurality of legs to accommodate lifting of said base by a fork lift.

6. A container in accordance with claim 1 in which said means for connecting includes corner caps interconnecting said first and second sides where such sides make edge-to-edge contact.

7. A container in accordance with claim 1 in which said legs have ribs extending along one side of said mortises and in which said tenons have ribs for engaging the ribs in said mortises.

8. A container in accordance with claim 1 which further includes reinforcing ribs mounted in said planar support surface and extending between said legs to strengthen said planar support surface.

9. A container in accordance with claim 1 which further includes a tension member connected to each side of said rectangular base and for connection to an individual side of each of said first and second pairs of sides to secure each of said first and second sides to said base.

10. A container in accordance with claim 1 in which each mortise and tenon is tapered to insure locking engagement between the tenon and the mortise and to ease removal of each tenon from the engaged mortise.

11. A container in accordance with claim 3 which further includes reinforcing rods mounted in selected of said hollow ribs to increase the columnar strength of said first and second pairs of sides.

12. A container in accordance with claim 3 which further includes reinforcing rods mounted perpendicular to said hollow ribs in each of said pairs of first and second sides and along a top edge of each of such sides opposite said bottom edge.

13. A container in accordance with claim 6 in which said corner caps are generally L-shaped and permanently attached to said first pair of sides and removably engage said second sides and in which said corner caps have a flange for engaging a container unit positioned above said container for stacking.

14. A container in accordance with claim 13 which further includes a top for covering said container and in which said top has corner members for engaging said flanges of said corner caps to secure said top to said container.

15. A container in accordance with claim 14 in which said corner members are L-shaped and include a hollow extension for engaging said flange and for restraining a container unit positioned above said cover for stacking.

16. A collapsible container for transporting and storage of materials and parts which comprises:

A. A rectangular base having a generally planar support surface with an outside edge about the entire periphery of said support surface;

B. said outside edge forming a channel along said periphery;

C. A plurality of legs mounted about the periphery of said support surface and extending from said channel downwardly and perpendicular to said support surface;

D. Said legs having mortises extending from said channel in the periphery of said support surface and extending into said legs perpendicular to said support surface;

E. A first pair of sides having tenons extending from a bottom edge of each of said first pair of sides and for engaging the mortises in said legs to form a mortise joint to position each of said pairs of first sides in an upright position perpendicular to said support surface on opposite sides of said base;

F. A second pair of sides having tenons extending from a bottom edge of each of said second pairs of sides and for engaging the mortises in said legs to form a mortise joint to position each of said pairs of second side in an upright position perpendicular to said support surface on opposite sides of said base and in edge to edge contact with said first sides;

G. The bottom edge of said first and second pairs of sides engaging said channels; and

H. Means for connecting said first and second sides in the rectangular configuration of said base.