The present invention relates generally to containers and more particularly to a crate that is particularly useful for transporting egg cartons or other items to a store.
Currently, egg cartons are shipped to stores in metal crates. The crates must be unloaded onto shelves for the customers to select and purchase. This requires labor for handling the egg cartons in the store. The metal crates are expensive and are damaged easily. They are also subject to rust and are not recyclable. They are also not easily repairable.
A crate includes a base and a plurality of walls defining a crate interior. The plurality of walls are movable between an upright position and a collapsed position on the base. The plurality of walls include a front wall having a first portion movable between a retracted, open position and a closed position. A latch selectively secures the first portion in the closed position. The latch includes a cantilevered portion having a free end, the free end having a lower wall portion extending downward and then outward of the crate.
According to another feature, a crate includes a base and a plurality of walls defining a crate interior. A latch selectively secures a first portion of one wall in an upright position. The latch includes a hook portion selectively engaging a rib adjacent an aperture having an enlarged portion. The latch is latchable by snapping the hook portion past the rib. The latch is selectively released by sliding the hook portion toward the enlarged portion of the aperture.
According to another feature, a crate includes a base and a plurality of walls defining a crate interior. One of the walls includes a hinge having a hinge pin having a cap. The cap is a portion of increased diameter. The cap is captured outward of a rib, such that the hinge pin and the cap rotate relative to the rib.
A perspective view of a crate according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in
A container 10 according to one embodiment is shown in
The front wall 18 includes a frame 20 pivotably connected to the base 12 and selectively connected to the end walls by latches 22. The front wall 18 further includes an upper (or “first”) portion 24, a mid-portion (or “second” portion) 26 and a lower (or “third”) portion 50. The upper portion 24 includes a horizontal wall portion 28 and a pair of arms 30 extending downward from ends of the horizontal wall portion 28 (in an inverted U-shape). The upper portion 24 is connected to the frame 20 by a latch 25. The mid-portion 26 includes a horizontal wall portion 32 and a pair of arms 34 extending upward from ends of the horizontal wall portion 32. Upper ends of the arms 34 are attached by hinges 40 to an approximate mid-point on the front of the arms 30 of the upper portion 24 (in an upright U-shape). The arms 30 of the upper portion 24 are pivotably connected to the frame 20 by hinges 38. A mid-portion latch 44 snap-connects each end of the mid-portion 26 to the frame 20.
The lower portion 50 includes a horizontal wall portion 51 and a pair of arms 52 extending downward from ends of the horizontal wall portion 51 to hinges 54 at the lower ends of the arms 52 attached to the frame 20 (in an inverted U-shape). The upper edge of the lower portion 50 is connected to the lower edge of the mid-portion 26 by a hinge 56, such as a living hinge or a snap-fit hinge or other suitable hinge.
In
In
In
The latch 25 is latched by pressing the upper portion 24 of the front wall 18 into the frame 18, causing the inner sloped surface of the catch portion 68 to contact the ramp portion 64 of the latch receiver 27, which in turn causes the latch 25 to deflect downward. When the latch 25 is past the latch receiver 27, the latch 25 snaps behind the latch receiver 27 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.
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