Containers
First Claim
1. A container comprising a four sided base, four side panels, coupling means coupling said panels respectively to the base at the four sides of the base, said coupling means allowing the panels to be moved between operative condition where they are upstanding on the base and storage condition where the panels lie one over the other over the base, releasable securing means to secure together adjacent edges of the panels when they are upstanding on the base, the panels are arranged in pairs with a first pair of panels of a first height respectively mounted at two opposite sides of the base and coupled by the coupling means to corner posts on the base, the panels of said first pair when upstanding rest on raised rails on the base at opposite sides of said base extending between corner posts of the base and are engaged with retainers on said rails, the other pair of panels are of greater height that said first pair of panels and are respectively coupled by said coupling means to corresponding ends of said rails and when upstanding rest on the base and are engaged with retainers on the base, said coupling means comprises track followers on the panels and tracks in said posts and said rails, said track followers can pivot in said tracks to allow arcuate movement of said panels, each of said tracks has a first portion which is open at one end and communicates at a second end with a track further portion, track followers when engaged in said track first portions can move in directions towards and away from the base to allow the panels after arcuate movement to be stacked one on the other on the base, said track followers when engaged in said further track portions can move in directions substantially parallel to the plane of the base to allow engagement and disengagement of the panels when upstanding with said retainers, all of the panels can be demounted from the base by disengagement of their track followers from the first portions of said tracks through the open ends thereof, the panels of said first panel pair occlude the open ends of the first portions of the rail tracks thereby preventing the removal of the panels of said other panel pair prior to the demounting from the base of the panels of said first panel pair.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A container (1) comprising a base (2) and four side panels (6, 7, 8, 9), a pair of opposed side panels (6, 8) are coupled to upstanding comer posts (10) of the base (2) and the other pair of panels (7, 9) are coupled to rails (5) upstanding from the base (2), the couplings (14, 17 and 44, 19) normally allow the panels to be moved between upstanding condition where the panels are interlocked with each other and are held by retainers (12) to the base (2) and the rails (5), and storage condition where the panels lie one over the other over the base. The couplings are through panel mounted track followers (14, 44) engaged in “L” shaped tracks (17, 19) in the corner posts (10) and the rails (5) respectively. First limbs (17a, 19a) of the “L” shaped tracks (17, 19) are open ended allowing sequential demounting of the panels (6, 8 and 7, 9) from the base (2) by passage of the track followers (14, 44) through the open ends of the tracks (17, 19). Demounting of the panels (7, 9) coupled to the rails (5) is normally prevented until the panels (6, 8) coupled to the posts (10) have been demounted from the base (2).
72 Citations
16 Claims
- 1. A container comprising a four sided base, four side panels, coupling means coupling said panels respectively to the base at the four sides of the base, said coupling means allowing the panels to be moved between operative condition where they are upstanding on the base and storage condition where the panels lie one over the other over the base, releasable securing means to secure together adjacent edges of the panels when they are upstanding on the base, the panels are arranged in pairs with a first pair of panels of a first height respectively mounted at two opposite sides of the base and coupled by the coupling means to corner posts on the base, the panels of said first pair when upstanding rest on raised rails on the base at opposite sides of said base extending between corner posts of the base and are engaged with retainers on said rails, the other pair of panels are of greater height that said first pair of panels and are respectively coupled by said coupling means to corresponding ends of said rails and when upstanding rest on the base and are engaged with retainers on the base, said coupling means comprises track followers on the panels and tracks in said posts and said rails, said track followers can pivot in said tracks to allow arcuate movement of said panels, each of said tracks has a first portion which is open at one end and communicates at a second end with a track further portion, track followers when engaged in said track first portions can move in directions towards and away from the base to allow the panels after arcuate movement to be stacked one on the other on the base, said track followers when engaged in said further track portions can move in directions substantially parallel to the plane of the base to allow engagement and disengagement of the panels when upstanding with said retainers, all of the panels can be demounted from the base by disengagement of their track followers from the first portions of said tracks through the open ends thereof, the panels of said first panel pair occlude the open ends of the first portions of the rail tracks thereby preventing the removal of the panels of said other panel pair prior to the demounting from the base of the panels of said first panel pair.
- 5. A container comprising a four sided base, four side panels, coupling means coupling said panels respectively to the base at the four sides of the base, said coupling means allowing the panels to be moved between operative condition where they are upstanding on the base and storage condition where the panels lie one over the other over the base, releasable securing means to secure together adjacent edges of the panels when they are upstanding on the base, the panels are arranged in pairs with a first pair of panels of a first height respectively mounted at two opposite sides of the base and coupled by the coupling means to corner posts on the base, the panels of said first pair when upstanding rest on raised rails on the base at opposite sides of said base extending between corner posts of the base and are engaged with retainers on said rails, the other pair of panels are of greater height that said first pair of panels and are respectively coupled by said coupling means to corresponding ends of said rails and when upstanding rest on the base and are engaged with retainers on the base, said coupling means comprises track followers on the panels and tracks in said posts and said rails, said track followers can pivot in said tracks to allow arcuate movement of said panels, each of said tracks has a first portion which is open at one end and communicates at a second end with a track further portion, track followers when engaged in said track first portions can move in directions towards and away from the base to allow the panels after arcuate movement to be stacked one on the other on the base, said track followers when engaged in said further track portions can move in directions substantially parallel to the plane of the base to allow engagement and disengagement of the panels when upstanding with said retainers, said retainers comprise hookingly engaged complementarily shaped hooking elements on said panels and on said rails and said base, said securing means including notched members on the panels of said first panel pair and lugs on the panels of said other panel pair shaped to engage in notches of said notched members and when so engaged provide a pivot point for pivotal movement of panels to hookingly engage and disengage said retainers.
- 8. A container comprising a four sided base, four side panels, coupling means coupling said panels respectively to the base at the four sides of the base, said coupling means allowing the panels to be moved between operative condition where they are upstanding on the base and storage condition where the panels lie one over the other over the base, releasable securing means to secure together adjacent edges of the panels when they are upstanding on the base, the panels are arranged in pairs with a first pair of panels of a first height respectively mounted at two opposite sides of the base and coupled by the coupling means to corner posts on the base, the panels of said first pair when upstanding rest on raised rails on the base at opposite sides of said base extending between corner posts of the base and are engaged with retainers on said rails, the other pair of panels are of greater height that said first pair of panels and are respectively coupled by said coupling means to corresponding ends of said rails and when upstanding rest on the base and are engaged with retainers on the base, said coupling means comprises track followers on the panels and tracks in said posts and said rails, said track followers can pivot in said tracks to allow arcuate movement of said panels, each of said tracks has a first portion which is open at one end and communicates at a second end with a track further portion, track followers when engaged in said track first portions can move in directions towards and away from the base to allow the panels after arcuate movement to be stacked one on the other on the base, said track followers when engaged in said further track portions can move in directions substantially parallel to the plane of the base to allow engagement and disengagement of the panels when upstanding with said retainers, all of the panels can be demounted from the base by disengagement of their track followers from the first portions of said tracks through the open ends thereof, the panels of said first panel pair occlude the open ends of the first portions of the rail tracks thereby preventing the removal of the track followers of said other panel pair from their associated tracks prior to the demounting from the base of the panels of said first panel pair, and wherein at least one of the panels of said other panel pair is a slip panel having at least one of its track followers retractable to allow subsequent manipulation of the slip panel to disengage it from said base whilst the panels of said first panel pair remain coupled to the base.
Specification