CRATE WITH RETRACTABLE WALL

• US 20170129694A1
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Original Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Inventors: Cavalcante, Mauricio D., Zelek, John Bobel, Apps, William P., Meers, Ryan C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,077,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 11/184 and one or more side walls being foldable along a median line
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/005 Side walls formed with an aperture or a movable portion arranged to allow removal or insertion of contents B65D5/16, B65D7/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/30 Hand holes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/32 for eggs
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/10 parallelepipedic B65D88/12 takes precedence
• 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 88/524 and one or more side walls being foldable along an additional median line

Abstract

A crate includes a base and a plurality of walls including a front wall. The front wall is movable between a retracted, open position and a closed position. In some embodiments, the front wall includes a frame, a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is hingeably connected to the frame and the second portion is hingeably connected to the first portion.

Claims

1. A crate comprising:

a base; and

a plurality of walls including a front wall, wherein the front wall is movable between a retracted, open position and a closed position.

2. The crate of claim 1 wherein the front wall includes a frame, a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is hingeably connected to the frame and the second portion is hingeably connected to the first portion.

3. The crate of claim 2 wherein the first portion and the second portion each include a horizontal wall portion and a pair of arms.

4. The crate of claim 3 wherein the second portion is connected to the crate only via hinges at outer ends of the pair of arms of the second portion.

5. The crate of claim 4 wherein the arms extend upward from the horizontal portion of the second portion when the front wall is in the closed position and when the front wall is in the retracted, open position.

6. The crate of claim 5 wherein the arms extend downward from the horizontal portion of the first portion when the front wall is in the closed position and wherein the arms extend upward from the horizontal portion of the first portion when the front wall is in the retracted, open position.

7. The crate of claim 6 wherein the arms of the second portion are hingeably connected to the arms of the first portion between the horizontal portion of the first portion and the hinged connection of the first portion to the frame.

8. The crate of claim 7 wherein the horizontal portion of the first portion is spaced vertically above the horizontal portion of the second portion when the front wall is in the closed position.

9. The crate of claim 8 wherein the horizontal portion of the first portion is at substantially the same height as the horizontal portion of the second portion when the front wall is in the open, retracted position.

10. The crate of claim 3 wherein the front wall includes a third portion hingeably connected to the second portion and hingeably connected to the frame.

11. The crate of claim 1 wherein the front wall is connected to a plurality of arms and wherein the front wall is retractable to a retracted position adjacent an outer surface of the rear wall.

12. The crate of claim 1 wherein the plurality of walls includes a pair of side walls adjacent the front wall and wherein the front wall includes a pair of front wall portions that are selectively retractable into a position parallel to the side walls.

13. The crate of claim 12 wherein each of the side walls and each of the front wall portions includes a handle opening and wherein the handle openings of the front wall portions align with the handle openings of the side walls when the front wall portions are retracted.

14. The crate of claim 1 wherein the front wall includes an upper rail and a plurality of cords extending from the upper rail to the base, wherein the upper rail is movable from an upper position when the front wall is in the closed position, to a lower position when the front wall is in the open, retracted position.

15. The crate of claim 1 wherein the front wall includes an upper rail and a plurality of braces extending from the upper rail to the base, wherein the braces are pivotably and slidably connected to the upper rail and to the base.

16. A crate comprising:

a base; and

a plurality of walls including a front wall, wherein the front wall is movable between a retracted, open position and a closed position, the front wall including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, wherein the first portion is hingeably connected to the crate and the second portion is hingeably connected to the first portion and to the third portion.

17. The crate of claim 16 wherein the first portion, the second portion and the third portion each include a horizontal wall portion and a pair of arms.

18. The crate of claim 17 wherein the arms extend upward from the horizontal portion of the second portion when the front wall is in the closed position and when the front wall is in the retracted, open position.

19. The crate of claim 18 wherein the arms extend downward from the horizontal portion of the first portion when the front wall is in the closed position and wherein the arms extend upward from the horizontal portion of the first portion when the front wall is in the retracted, open position.

20. The crate of claim 19 wherein the front wall includes a frame and the arms of the first portion are connected to the frame at a hinged connection, the arms of the second portion are hingeably connected to the arms of the first portion between the horizontal portion of the first portion and the hinged connection of the first portion to the frame.