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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
First Claim
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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.

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