The present invention relates generally to collapsible crates and more particularly to a collapsible crate with support members for supporting another container thereon.
Collapsible crates are well known. Four walls each connected via a hinge to a base are selectively movable about the hinge between a use position, in which the wall is generally perpendicular to the base, and a collapsed position onto the base. Various latch mechanisms have been provided to connect adjacent walls at the corner to selectively lock the crate in the use position.
Some collapsible crates also include retractable supports so that another container can be supported thereon. One such crate includes end walls each having a support that is partially supported on the adjacent walls when in the support position. However, the support can be knocked from a support position back into the retracted position by the container being stacked thereon. This is inconvenient for the user, who has to reposition the support and re-stack the upper container more carefully.
The present invention provides a collapsible container having a plurality of walls collapsible onto the base. At least one wall has a support pivotably mounted below an upper end thereof. The support is pivotable between a support position where it can support another container thereon and a retracted position against the wall. In the support position, the lateral ends of the support are supported on the long walls. A stop is formed on the long wall to inhibit movement of the support out of the support position when another container is stacked thereon. In order to move the support out of the support position, the support must first be lifted over the stop.
In the particular embodiment shown, the supports are formed on short end walls of the container, such that the supports and end walls can be collapsed onto the base and the long side walls can be pivoted onto the end walls. Alternatively, the supports could be formed on the long walls (or on equally-sized walls).
Other advantages of the present invention can be understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Each end wall 18 has a support 20. The support 20 is pivotably mounted at its lower edge to a position spaced below an upper edge of the end wall 18. The support 20 is shown in
The interiors of the side walls 14 each include an upper frame portion 22 protruding into the container 10. A curved channel 24 is formed through each upper frame portion 22 adjacent the end wall 18. The interior of each side wall 14 further includes a lower frame portion 26 having a channel 28 formed therethrough below each curved channel 24. A recess 30 is defined between the upper frame portion 22 and the lower frame portion 26. The base 12 includes a pair of side upstanding portions 32 to which the side walls 14 are pivotably attached. Each side upstanding portion 32 includes a channel 34 formed on an interior thereof, below each channel 28. The channels 24, 28 and 34 are aligned with one another and with the tabs 21 on the supports 20, so that the end walls 18 can be pivoted to the collapsed position prior to the side walls 14 being collapsed, such that the side walls 14 are collapsed onto the end walls 18, as shown in
However, when another container 100 is stacked on the supports 20, as shown in
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope. For example, in any of the occurrences above, the hinge members and hinge pins could be reversed and formed on opposite parts. Alphanumeric identifiers on method steps are for convenient reference in dependent claims and do not signify a required sequence of performance unless otherwise indicated in the claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1689217 | White | Oct 1928 | A |
1809523 | McLean | Jun 1931 | A |
2134875 | Henze | Nov 1938 | A |
2760669 | Kreutzer | Aug 1956 | A |
3220603 | Bromley | Nov 1965 | A |
3360180 | Venturi | Dec 1967 | A |
3446415 | Bromley | May 1969 | A |
3591212 | Rhyne | Jul 1971 | A |
3853238 | Luisada et al. | Dec 1974 | A |
3874546 | Sanders et al. | Apr 1975 | A |
3951265 | Carroll | Apr 1976 | A |
4106623 | Carroll | Aug 1978 | A |
4109791 | Clipson et al. | Aug 1978 | A |
4148407 | Sinclair | Apr 1979 | A |
4241831 | Locatelli | Dec 1980 | A |
4247004 | Bird | Jan 1981 | A |
4391369 | Stahl et al. | Jul 1983 | A |
4423813 | Kreeger et al. | Jan 1984 | A |
4466541 | Tabler et al. | Aug 1984 | A |
4573577 | Miller | Mar 1986 | A |
4591065 | Foy | May 1986 | A |
RE32223 | Kreeger et al. | Aug 1986 | E |
4643310 | Deaton | Feb 1987 | A |
4735330 | Hoss | Apr 1988 | A |
4759451 | Apps | Jul 1988 | A |
4848578 | Schafer | Jul 1989 | A |
4863062 | Holliday | Sep 1989 | A |
4887874 | Joffe | Dec 1989 | A |
4901859 | Jones | Feb 1990 | A |
4905833 | Kreeger et al. | Mar 1990 | A |
4917255 | Foy et al. | Apr 1990 | A |
4923079 | Foy | May 1990 | A |
4947992 | Schafer | Aug 1990 | A |
4960223 | Chiang et al. | Oct 1990 | A |
5083666 | Lam | Jan 1992 | A |
5094356 | Miller | Mar 1992 | A |
5161709 | Oestreich, Jr. | Nov 1992 | A |
5332114 | Sano et al. | Jul 1994 | A |
5398834 | Umiker | Mar 1995 | A |
5398835 | Blinstrub | Mar 1995 | A |
5467885 | Blinstrub | Nov 1995 | A |
5494163 | Apps | Feb 1996 | A |
5515987 | Jacques et al. | May 1996 | A |
5586675 | Borsboom et al. | Dec 1996 | A |
5588549 | Furtner | Dec 1996 | A |
5609254 | Loftus | Mar 1997 | A |
5632392 | Oh | May 1997 | A |
D381203 | Ackermann | Jul 1997 | S |
5671857 | Stromberg | Sep 1997 | A |
5772033 | Loftus | Jun 1998 | A |
5797508 | Loftus et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
5853099 | Lessard | Dec 1998 | A |
5860527 | Frankenberg et al. | Jan 1999 | A |
5924572 | Cope | Jul 1999 | A |
5975324 | Schmitt | Nov 1999 | A |
6015056 | Overholt et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
6029840 | Brauner | Feb 2000 | A |
6056177 | Schneider | May 2000 | A |
6059114 | Loftus | May 2000 | A |
6073790 | Umiker | Jun 2000 | A |
6082570 | Tai | Jul 2000 | A |
6098827 | Overholt et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
6142329 | Dotan | Nov 2000 | A |
6179156 | Aiken | Jan 2001 | B1 |
6209742 | Overholt et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
D446392 | Overholt et al. | Aug 2001 | S |
6286701 | Umiker | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6290081 | Merey | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6293418 | Ogden et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
D452614 | Overholt | Jan 2002 | S |
6382458 | Mori | May 2002 | B2 |
6386388 | Overholt | May 2002 | B1 |
D458753 | Overholt et al. | Jun 2002 | S |
6398054 | Overholt | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6405888 | Overholt et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6409041 | Overholt et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6446825 | Godoy | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6581330 | Helsloot et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
6722516 | Zelko | Apr 2004 | B1 |
6772897 | Kellerer et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6863180 | Apps et al. | Mar 2005 | B2 |
6994216 | Wong | Feb 2006 | B2 |
7017766 | Hsu et al. | Mar 2006 | B2 |
7195128 | Murakami et al. | Mar 2007 | B2 |
20020108950 | Moorman et al. | Aug 2002 | A1 |
20030000950 | Murakami et al. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20030132228 | Apps et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
20030222081 | Apps et al. | Dec 2003 | A1 |
20040069780 | Apps et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040129700 | Oster et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20050040166 | Nolet et al. | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20050098556 | Kellerer | May 2005 | A1 |
20070095842 | Apps et al. | May 2007 | A1 |
20070125779 | Cope | Jun 2007 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2309234 | Nov 2000 | CA |
1536040 | Dec 1969 | DE |
2033724 | Jul 1970 | DE |
3511321 | Oct 1986 | DE |
3521894 | Jan 1987 | DE |
9103975 | Mar 1991 | DE |
19939019 | Aug 1999 | DE |
20002537 | Feb 2000 | DE |
0073357 | Mar 1983 | EP |
0299657 | Jul 1988 | EP |
0341074 | May 1989 | EP |
0385914 | Sep 1990 | EP |
0404041 | Dec 1990 | EP |
0690003 | Jan 1996 | EP |
0705764 | Apr 1996 | EP |
0785142 | Jul 1997 | EP |
0962394 | Dec 1999 | EP |
0962396 | Dec 1999 | EP |
1114779 | Jul 2001 | EP |
1160169 | Dec 2001 | EP |
1182139 | Feb 2002 | EP |
1241105 | Sep 2002 | EP |
1 785 360 | May 2007 | EP |
2 003 062 | Dec 2008 | EP |
1040163 | Oct 1953 | FR |
2701690 | Feb 1993 | FR |
2702198 | Mar 1993 | FR |
1215049 | Dec 1970 | GB |
2068338 | Aug 1981 | GB |
2129401 | May 1984 | GB |
2139189 | Nov 1984 | GB |
2141778 | Jan 1985 | GB |
2171980 | Sep 1986 | GB |
2431921 | May 2007 | GB |
2431922 | May 2007 | GB |
11222233 | Aug 1999 | JP |
2001180670 | Jul 2001 | JP |
20030220037 | Jan 2003 | JP |
7905105 | Jun 1979 | NL |
1533952 | Jan 1990 | SU |
9324378 | Dec 1993 | WO |
9749613 | Dec 1997 | WO |
9856668 | Dec 1998 | WO |
0027716 | May 2000 | WO |
0066440 | Nov 2000 | WO |
0206128 | Jan 2002 | WO |
0234630 | May 2002 | WO |
03104094 | Dec 2003 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20090114647 A1 | May 2009 | US |