Folding, lightweight, hygienic, heavy-duty food shipping container

• US 9,884,718 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greenbox International, LLC
• Original Assignee: Greenbox International, LLC
• Inventors: Parnall, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Mathew, Fenn C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Volz, Elizabeth
• Application Number:
  US14/178,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20140224795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 220 6, 220 7, 220 428, 220 429, 220 431, 220501, 220503, 220505, 220527, 220529, 220531, 220 2383, 220 2386, 220826, 220817, 206514, 211188, 211194, 211195
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/0276 Stackable modular units, each consisting of a closed periphery A47B87/0292 takes precedence; stackable containers B65D21/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/10 Adjustable or foldable or dismountable display stands foldable racks in general A47B43/00; dismountable racks in general A47B47/00; assemblies of elements of the same kind, e.g. stackable A47B87/00; publicity panels G09F15/0068
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/18 collapsible, i.e. with walls hinged together or detachably connected
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/1833 whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to the base panel B65D11/186 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/18 made wholly or mainly of plastics material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/38 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/385 Frames, corner posts or pallet converters, e.g. for facilitating stacking of charged pallets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0233 Nestable containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0237 Rigid or semi-rigid containers provided with a recess on their external surface for accommodating a smaller container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/086 Collapsible or telescopic containers B65D1/0292 and B65D21/068 take 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 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00323 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00338 contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00497 whereby at least one side wall is made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00572 with separate auxiliary element, e.g. screws, nails, bayonets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00587 side walls directly connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00651 : integrally formed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0086 : Protection against environmental hazards, e.g. humidity, bacteria, fire
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/009 : whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to the base panel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/52 : collapsible, i.e. with walls hinged together or detachably connected
• 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 90/041 : Rigid liners fixed to the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/14 : Legs, e.g. detachable
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/02 : Joints between panels and corner posts
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/10 : using pegs, bolts, tenons, clamps, clips, or the like glued F16B12/04; fastening means per se F16B15/00 - F16B47/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 : Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

A reusable, sanitary and folding container includes a base, two folding sidewalls, two folding end walls and latches and hinges. The base includes slots that receive the hinge pins that allow the sidewalls and end walls to fold up and down. These hinge slots are open and provide for water or spray through them during the cleaning process of a container after it has been used. The container is formed of a resilient, but light polyurethane/fiber composite material.

Claims

1. A reusable, sanitary and folding container comprising:

a base, two folding sidewalls, two folding end walls and end wall latches and hinges;

wherein the base comprises a rectangular platform having four corner portions fixed at each of the four corners of the base platform respectively, with each corner portion in the shape of a raised, two-wall, V-shape that defines the corner of the platform; and

further wherein each of the corner walls of the V-shape corner portion comprises a vertical slot that is an open slot through the thickness of the corner wall;

wherein the two folding sidewalls are rectangular surfaces, each sidewall comprising two hinge pins that extend outwardly from two corners along a bottom side of each rectangular sidewall, the hinge pins being received in two of the vertical slots of adjacent corner portions so that the bottom sides of the sidewalls are hingedly connected to the base; and

wherein the sidewalls are mounted on opposite sides of the base; and

further wherein each sidewall comprises a C-shaped channel attached to opposite side edges that are each perpendicular to the bottom sides of the sidewalls;

the C-shaped channel comprising a latch pin fixed across the channel and proximate a top side of the sidewalls and the end of the C-shaped channel opposite the bottom side of the sidewalls;

wherein the two folding end walls are rectangular surfaces, each end wall comprising two hinge pins that extend outwardly from two corners along a bottom side of each rectangular end wall, the hinge pins being received in two of the vertical slots of adjacent corner portions so that the bottom sides of the end walls are hingedly connected to the base; and

wherein the end walls are mounted on opposite sides of the base; and

further wherein each end wall latch extends outwardly from the end wall on opposite side edges perpendicular to the bottom sides of the end walls;

the latch comprising a slot for engaging the latch pin of an adjacent sidewall when the sidewall and end wall are rotated in the up position substantially normal to the plane of the bottom of the box,

wherein the sidewall and end wall hinge pins are the only connection of the sidewalls and end walls respectively to the base;

wherein the sidewalls and end walls not including their hinge pins are each monolithic and contain no hollow portions therein;

further wherein there are no crevices in the topography of the surface of the sidewalls and end walls, whereby the sidewalls and end walls may be efficiently cleaned between uses;

and further wherein one of the vertical slots in each corner portion has a lower horizontal section connected to the vertical slot to receive the respective sidewall hinge pin, and when the sidewall is in its generally perpendicular position with respect to the base, the hinge pin is moved to the lower horizontal section which prevents the sidewall from moving up and down in the vertical length of the vertical slot.

2. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 1,

wherein the latch on each side of each end wall comprises a flange having a latch groove therein adapted to receive and engage the latch pin of the adjacent sidewall.

3. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 1, wherein the base, two folding sidewalls and two folding end walls are comprised of plastic.

4. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 3, wherein the plastic comprises a polyurethane and fiberglass composite.

5. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 1, wherein the latch comprises an L-shaped finger adapted to hook over and engage the latch pin of the adjacent sidewall.

6. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 1, wherein the base comprises a plurality of feet attached thereto on the opposite side of the platform from the corner portions;

and wherein the feet are substantially monolithic and include essentially no exposed crevices therein.

7. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 6, wherein the feet are comprised of polyurethane.

8. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 1,

wherein the corner portions comprise a locking guide thereon on one of the walls of each of the corner portions;

and

whereby either the sidewall or the end wall is prevented from moving up and down by the locking guide.

9. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 1,

further comprising a damage reduction insert, the insert comprising a rectangular box sized to fit inside the container, wherein the box comprises a base, two sidewalls and two end walls and the box sidewalls and end walls have a height that is less than the height of the container sidewalls and end walls;

and the box further comprises a box flange on the top side of the box sidewalls and end walls and opposite the box base;

wherein the box flange is flared outwardly and is adapted to engage the top of the container sidewalls and end walls so that the box base is secured inside the container and above the container base.

10. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 9, wherein the box base comprises a door that is retained on the box base edge but that is hingedly connected to the box base so that the door rotates upwardly when the box base is inverted to an upside down position.

11. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 1, wherein the base, sidewalls and end walls are each monolithic and contain no hollow portions therein.

12. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 11, wherein the surfaces that comprise the base, sidewalls and end walls are substantially flat and define no crevices, whereby the container is able to be reliably washed for reuse and there are no crevices to harbor pathogens.

13. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 12, wherein the topography of the base, sidewalls and end walls comprise no texture more than about one-half of the thickness of the respective base, sidewall or end wall having an uneven surface.

14. A reusable, sanitary and folding container comprising:

a base, two folding sidewalls, two folding end walls and end wall latches and hinges;

wherein the base comprises a rectangular platform having four corner portions fixed at each of the four corners of the base platform respectively, with each corner portion in the shape of a raised, two-wall, V-shape that defines the corner of the platform; and

further wherein each of the corner walls of the V-shape corner portion comprises a vertical slot that is an open slot through the thickness of the corner wall;

wherein the two folding sidewalls are rectangular surfaces, each sidewall comprising two hinge pins that extend outwardly from two corners along a bottom side of each rectangular sidewall, the hinge pins being received in two of the vertical slots of adjacent corner portions so that the bottom sides of the sidewalls are hingedly connected to the base; and

wherein the sidewalls are mounted on opposite sides of the base; and

further wherein each sidewall comprises a C-shaped channel attached to opposite side edges that are each perpendicular to the bottom sides of the sidewalls;

the C-shaped channel comprising an aperture in the channel that is perpendicular to the sidewall and proximate a top side of the sidewalls and the end of the C-shaped channel opposite the bottom side of the sidewalls;

wherein the two folding end walls are rectangular surfaces, each end wall comprising two hinge pins that extend outwardly from two corners along a bottom side of each rectangular end wall, the hinge pins being received in two of the vertical slots of adjacent corner portions so that the bottom sides of the end walls are hingedly connected to the base; and

wherein the end walls are mounted on opposite sides of the base; and

further wherein each end wall latch extends outwardly from the end wall on opposite side edges perpendicular to the bottom sides of the end walls;

the latch adapted to engage the aperture in the channel of an adjacent sidewall when the sidewall and end wall are rotated in the up position substantially normal to the plane of the bottom of the box,

wherein the sidewall and end wall hinge pins are the only connection of the sidewalls and end walls respectively to the base;

wherein the sidewalls and end walls not including their hinge pins are each monolithic and contain no hollow portions therein;

further wherein there are no crevices in the topography of the surface of the sidewalls and end walls, whereby the sidewalls and end walls may be efficiently cleaned between uses;

and further wherein one of the vertical slots in each corner portion has a lower horizontal section connected to the vertical slot to receive the respective sidewall hinge pin, and when the sidewall is in its generally perpendicular position with respect to the base, the hinge pin is moved to the lower horizontal section which prevents the sidewall from moving up and down in the vertical length of the vertical slot.

15. A reusable, sanitary and folding container as described in claim 14, wherein the end wall latches comprise a clip that frictionally engages the sidewall aperture.