The invention relates to a container for transporting and storing goods, the container including a container base and at least two side walls that can be folded on top of one another according to the preamble of patent claim 1.
Foldable containers are well known in the art. Folding containers of this type typically include a container base with a rectangular plan view, wherein the foldable side walls are linked at the edges of the base through hinges, wherein the hinges are linked through hinge bolts in hinge receivers, this means the hinges are rotatably supported.
In a folded up position of the side walls, the side walls are connected to one another through a snap lock connection, which can also be disengaged again in order to fold up the containers e.g. for empty transportation, which, however, is not mandatory.
For many folding containers the side walls are configured higher than half the width of the container base, so that the side walls overlap when two side walls disposed opposite to one another are folded towards one another. A container is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,717 B1 in which the folded over side wall can be brought into two end positions, thus a lower end position in which the folded over side wall contacts the container base flush, and an upper end position in which the side wall contacts the opposite folded over side wall in a location which is offset in upward direction relative to the upper end position in a direction perpendicular from the container base in a parallel manner. The side wall can be erected from the upper end position. U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,717 B1 provides a hinge bolt receiver for this purpose which extends upward from the container base and is shaped as an arcuate slotted hole, wherein the hinge bolt is freely moveable in the hinge bolt receiver in the slotted hole when the sidewall is folded down.
It is disadvantageous for those foldable containers that the folded down side wall initially has to be lifted from its lower end position into its upper end position, in which the rotation for erecting the side wall can then be performed. When it is accidentally attempted to erect the side wall starting from its lower end position, a jamming of the hinge bolt can occur in the hinge bolt receiver, which can lead to damaging the container.
It is the object of the invention to provide a simply configured and robust folding mechanism for a container with foldable side walls, wherein the mechanism is characterized by particularly simple operation compared to known folding mechanisms.
The object is accomplished according to the invention through the features of the body patent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized by the features of the depending claims.
Thus, it is provided to configure the hinge, so that the hinge bolt is provided with a supported translatoric movement during folding the side wall up from the lower end position, this means for a rotation of the hinge bolt in the hinge bolt receiver, so that the side wall is displaced in an upward direction perpendicular to the base of the container.
The hinge bolts are thus disposed in the upper portion of the hinge bolt recess when the side wall is erected and configured to be arranged in the lower or in the upper portion of the recess when the side wall is folded down. This facilitates on the one hand side that no folding sequence is required for folding down the side walls which are disposed opposite to one another, since two end positions are provided for the folded down side wall. On the other hand it is assured that the erected side wall is always in the same position, since the movement of the hinge bolt follows a predetermined path during erecting or folding up the side wall. Jamming the hinge bolt in the lower end position is prevented, since it is forced into a translatoric movement through a rotation.
According to a preferred embodiment the hinge bolt receiver includes a recess configured as a slotted hole extending substantially in a direction perpendicular to the container base, wherein the slotted hole is configured tapered in downward direction, this means towards the base of the container and the tapered portion forms a positive guide for the hinge bolt for folding the side wall up from the lower end position.
In a particularly preferred embodiment the recess is thus defined in the tapered portion by a slanted ramp or a slanted surface oriented towards the interior of the case. The slanted ramp can thus be configured as a straight or linear surface, but also cambered, convex or concave surfaces can be provided, which extend upward from the outside of the case to the inside of the case and form a side wall of the tapered portion.
In a particularly preferred embodiment the ramp is configured straight or linear and inclined between 30° and 70°, preferably between 50° and 60°, particularly preferably inclined by 53° relative to the base surface or the container base. Namely it has become apparent that jamming the hinge bolt in the hinge bolt receiver is prevented particularly well for such angles.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment the hinge bolt has a structure which is different from a hinge bolt configured with a circular cross section, in particular a cross section with a circular or a circular segment shaped main body and a lug, which can preferably comprise a rounded lug tip or a flat area, or which comprises an oval cross section which may be provided with a flat area, or it can be configured with an eccentric cross section. The translatoric movement of the hinge bolt is provided particularly well through the structure which differs from a circular cross section.
Thus, it has become apparent that it is advantageous when the lug or the main axis of the hinge bolt is substantially oriented downward for a folded down side wall, wherein an inclination of approximately 100° relative to the base of the container or relative to a main surface of the base, in particular of 10° in a direction towards the exterior of the case is preferred.
Further advantages and embodiments of the invention are described with reference to drawing figures, wherein
a, b, c, d illustrate sectional views of hinge bolts.
The sectional views of
Hinge bolt receivers 5 are respectively disposed in the edge bars 3 for receiving a hinge bolt 6 disposed at a bottom side of the side wall 4. The hinge bolt receiver 5 is subsequently described in more detail with reference to
The position of the right side wall 4 illustrated in
With reference to
The recess 7 is surrounded or defined by an upper wall 10, an outer side wall 11, an inner side wall 12 and a lower wall 13, wherein the hinge bolt 6 is moveable in the cage formed by the walls 10, 11, 12, 13.
The lower wall 13 is configured herein as a slanted ramp 14 extending from the outer side wall 11 to the inner side wall 12 in upward direction, which provides a triangular configuration in cross-section to the tapered portion 9. Thus, the slanted ramp 14 is inclined by 53° relative to the base of the container.
The hinge bolt 6 comprises a main body 15 with a circular shape in cross-section and a protruding lug 16. When the side wall 4 is folded down, the lug 16 faces substantially downwards, as illustrated in
When the side walls are folded down, the hinge bolt 6, coming from the upper end position of the side wall 4 illustrated in
The folding process of side wall 4 is described with reference to
More precisely the slanted ramp 14 with the outer side wall 11 of the recess 7 forms a positive guide for the hinge bolt 6 when the side wall 4 is folded up, wherein the circular main body 15 rolls up on the outer side wall 11 and the lug 16 slides up on the slanted ramp 14.
The positive guide for the lug 16 terminates approximately at the slanted ramp 14, as illustrated in
a, 8b, 8c and 8d illustrate different embodiments of the hinge bolt 6. Corresponding to the embodiments of
d illustrates a hinge bolt 6 with an oval cross section, which includes a main axis 26, which defines a direction in a plane like the lugs 16.
Reinforced portions can certainly be attached or molded on in particular on the surfaces of the hinge bolts 6, which surfaces are in contact with the slanted ramp 14 of the hinge bolt receiver (5), hence the portion slide up on the ramp, which can increase the service life of the foldable container.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4735330 | Hoss | Apr 1988 | A |
5938059 | Luburic | Aug 1999 | A |
6460717 | Smyers et al. | Oct 2002 | B1 |
20030132228 | Apps et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20110259884 A1 | Oct 2011 | US |