Knock down container

Abstract

The knock-down container has a number of panels each having a margin which extends inward from an outer edge. Each margin has an elongated groove formed therein. A number of elongated couplings interconnects adjacent panels. Each coupling has at least one central wall and a pair of spaced apart inner and outer walls extending outwardly from opposite sides of the central wall. The central wall is disposed between the edges of adjacent panels. Each pair of inner and outer walls define an elongated recess for receipt of one edge and the adjacent margin of one of the adjacent panels. The coupling further has a hook or barb at an end of one of the outer wall and the inner wall. The barb extends into the groove of whichever panel is adjacent thereto to removably interconnect the adjacent panels and the coupling.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to knock-down containers and more particularly to knock-down containers composed of material which is strong enough for shipping breakable or fragile articles but which, while reusable, is cheap enough to discard should the circumstances not warrant its re-usage.

[0002] Articles such as furniture, televisions, V.C.R.'s and the like are conventionally shipped in cardboard containers. The containers are destroyed when the articles are unpacked and the cardboard is discarded or recycled for reuse in another form.

[0003] I have invented a knockdown container that can be dismantled after use and returned in compact form to its owner for reuse. The container is composed of material which is relatively strong but cheap such as low grade plywood so that the initial cost of the container is relatively low. In view of its cost, the container can be discarded after use should it not be feasible to reuse the container.

[0004] Briefly, the knock-down container of the invention comprises a plurality of panels each having oppositely facing interior and exterior walls and a margin terminating at an edge. Each margin has an elongated groove formed therein. A number of elongated couplings interconnects adjacent panels. Each coupling has at least one central wall and a pair of spaced apart inner and outer walls extending outwardly from opposite sides of the central wall. The central wall is disposed between the edges of adjacent panels. Each pair of inner and outer walls define an elongated recess for receipt of one edge and the adjacent margin of one of the adjacent panels. The coupling further has a barb at an end of one of the outer wall and the inner wall. The barb extends into the groove of whichever panel is adjacent thereto to removably interconnect the adjacent panels and the coupling.

[0005] The knock-down container of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container in the absence of its top panel;

[0007] FIG. 2 is an elevation of one panel of the container in conjunction with couplings for interconnecting adjacent panels;

[0008] FIG. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, in enlarged scale;

[0009] FIG. 4 is a section of a second embodiment of the coupling of the invention, shown closed in conjunction with portions of panels;

[0010] FIG. 5 is a section of the coupling of FIG. 4 shown open;

[0011] FIG. 6 is a section of a third embodiment of the coupling of the invention in conjunction with portions of panels; and

[0012] FIG. 7 is a section of a fourth embodiment of the coupling.

[0013] Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings.

[0014] With reference to FIG. 1, the knock-down container, generally 10, comprises a bottom panel 12, front and back panels 14, 16 and side panels 18, 20. The container also includes a top panel which is not illustrated in the Figure.

[0015] There is a coupling 24 at each corner of the container. The couplings serve to removably interconnect the panels at the corners of the container.

[0016] The panels are all of the same construction and only one will be described in detail, that one being front panel 14. With reference to FIG. 2, front panel 14 has a central area 30 and a margin 32 adjacent to each of its four edges 34. An elongated groove 36 is formed in each margin. The groove extends parallel to and spaced apart from the edge which delimits the margin. Thus, for example, groove 36a is parallel to and spaced apart from edge 34a which delimits the margin 32a in which the groove is formed.

[0017] The couplings illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 are all of the same construction and only one is described. The one described is coupling 24a identified in FIG. 1. That coupling is illustrated in detail in FIG. 3 and with reference to that Figure, coupling 24a has a central wall 40 which extends from corner 41 of the coupling and terminates at a pair of inner walls 44, 48. A pair of outer walls 42, 46 extend outwardly from corner 41 and are disposed on opposite sides of the central wall.

[0018] Inner and outer walls 42, 44 on one side of the central wall are disposed at right angles to inner and outer walls 46, 48 on the opposite side of the central wall. Thus the angle between outer walls 42 and 46, indicated 50, is 90 degrees. The angle between the central wall and the inner and outer walls of each pair on each side of the central wall indicated 52 is 45 degrees.

[0019] Inner and outer walls 44, 42 define a recess 54 for receipt of the margin and edge of panel 18 while outer and inner walls 46, 48 define a like recess for panel 14.

[0020] A barb or hook 60 is formed at the distal end of outer wall 42. The barb extends inwardly into recess 54 while a like barb 62 is formed at the same place on outer wall 46. The letter barb extends into the other recess and is removably received in groove 36b of panel 14 while the former barb is received in the groove formed in the margin of panel 18 located within recess 54. Each barb has a bevelled outer face 60a and a relatively flat inner face 60b. Both faces extend outwardly from the outer wall and intersect at an edge 60c.

[0021] The container of the invention may be dismantled from the position illustrated in FIG. 1 by prying the barbs of each coupling out of the grooves in which they are received. The panels may then be removed from the recesses of the couplings.

[0022] Reassembly of the container involves reinserting the panels into the recesses of the couplings. Preferably the couplings are composed of resiliently deformable material such as flexible polymeric material so that as the panels are inserted into the recesses, the panels contact the barbs and cause the walls to which they are attached to deform resiliently outward to allow the panels to be inserted fully into the recesses. When the barbs reach the grooves in the panels, the side walls snap inward to their undeformed state and the barbs enter the grooves and lock the couplings to the panels. The bevelled and flat faces 60a,b of the barb cooperate to ensure that the panels are easy to insert into the recesses but once in cannot be removed unless they are pried. A screw driver is suitable for this purpose.

[0023] With reference to FIG. 4, the coupling is generally U-shaped and is composed of parallel outer walls 72 and a web 74 which extends between those walls.

[0024] A pair of central and inner walls 76, 78 is spaced apart from the outer walls. The recesses 80, 82 between each inner and outer wall receives the margins and edges of a pair of panels. A barb 84 is attached to each outer wall and extends inwardly therefrom. Each barb is removably received in the groove formed in the two panels.

[0025] The web is substantially rigid except for a central area 86 which is flexible so that the coupling can be folded about the central area from a closed position illustrated in FIG. 4 to an open position as illustrated in FIG. 5. In the open position, the less flexible portions of the web contact each other and the two outer walls are in alignment. When so aligned the inner and outer faces of panels 90, 92 will be co-planar.

[0026] The coupling illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 serve to interconnect two panels which make up one wall of the container. The coupling illustrated in FIG. 6 also does so. With reference to FIG. 6, the outer walls 94, 95 of the coupling are integral with each other and a barb 96 is formed at each end to interconnect the coupling with two side by side panels.

[0027] Between the central walls 97 and inner walls 98 is a pair of spaced intermediate walls 100, 102 which define a recess 104 for a panel 106. Panel 106 can be used as a shelf or spacer within the container.

[0028] One of the intermediate walls has a barb 110 to secure the shelf or spacer to the coupling.

[0029] With reference to FIG. 7, the coupling is the same as that illustrated in FIG. 6 except that the coupling lacks intermediate walls. The coupling of FIG. 7 is an economical device for interconnecting two panels of the same wall.

[0030] It will be understood of course that modifications can be made in the structure of the container illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope and purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A knock-down container comprising: a plurality of panels each having oppositely facing interior and exterior walls and a margin terminating at an edge, each said margin having an elongated groove formed therein; a plurality of elongated couplings for interconnecting adjacent said panels, each said coupling having at least one central wall and a pair of spaced apart inner and outer walls extending outwardly from opposite sides of said central wall, said central wall being disposed between the edges of adjacent said panels, each said pair of inner and outer walls defining an elongated recess for receipt of one said edge and the adjacent said margin of one of said adjacent panels, said coupling further having a barb at an end of one of said outer wall and said inner wall said barb extending into the groove of whichever said panel is adjacent thereto to removably interconnect said adjacent panels with said coupling.

2. The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling has one only said central wall which terminates at a pair of said inner walls, each said outer wall and a respective one of said inner walls defining one said recess.

3. The container as claimed in claim 2 wherein the outer and inner walls which define each recess are parallel to one another and said outer walls are perpendicular to one another.

4. The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling has a pair of central walls each having an inner wall which extends outwardly therefrom, said coupling further having a web which interconnects said outer walls, each said outer wall and a respective one of said inner walls defining a recess for removable receipt of one said panel, said web being rigid save and except for a flexible central area such that said web is pivotal from a closed position in which the interior faces of panels received in said recesses are parallel to one another to at open position in which the latter said interior faces are coplanar.

5. The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling has a pair of central walls each having an inner wall which extends outwardly therefrom, said coupling further having a rigid web which interconnects said outer walls, each said outer wall and a respective one of said inner walls defining a recess for removable receipt of one said panel, the interior faces of panel received in said recesses being coplanar.

6. The container as claimed in claim 5 further including a pair of intermediate walls disposed between said central walls, said intermediate walls defining a recess for receipt of one said panel, the interior face of the latter said panel being perpendicular to the interior faces of panels within the recesses defined by said outer walls.

7. The container as claimed in claim 6 wherein one of said intermediate walls has a barb which extends into the groove of whichever said panel is adjacent thereto to removably interconnect the latter said panel to said coupling.

8. A coupling for interconnecting adjacent panels of a knock-down container, each said panel having oppositely facing interior and exterior walls and a margin terminating at an edge, each said margin having an elongated groove formed therein, said coupling comprising at least one central wall; a pair of spaced apart inner and outer walls extending outwardly from opposite sides of said central wall, said central wall being adapted to be disposed between the edges of adjacent said panels, each said pair of inner and outer walls defining an elongated recess for receipt of one said edge and the adjacent said margin of one of said adjacent panels; and a barb at an end of one of said outer wall and said inner wall, said barb extending into the groove of whichever said panel is adjacent thereto to removably interconnect said adjacent panels with said coupling.

9. The coupling as claimed in claim 8 wherein said coupling has one only said central wall which terminates at a pair if said inner walls, each said outer wall and a respective one of said inner walls defining one said recess.

10. The coupling as claimed in claim 8 wherein the outer and inner walls which define each recess are parallel to one another and said outer walls are perpendicular to one another.

11. The coupling as claimed in claim 8 wherein said coupling has a pair of central walls each having an inner wall which extends outwardly therefrom, said coupling further having a web which interconnects said outer walls, each said outer wall and a respective one of said inner walls defining a recess for removable receipt of one said panel, said web being rigid save and except for a flexible central area such that said web is pivotal from a closed position in which the interior faces of panels received in said recesses are parallel to one another to an open position in which the latter said interior faces are coplanar.

12. The coupling as claimed in claim 8 wherein said coupling has a pair of said central walls each having an inner wall which extends outwardly therefrom, said coupling further having rigid web which interconnects said outer walls, each said outer wall and a respective one of said inner walls defining a recess for removable receipt of one said panel, the interior faces of panels received in said recesses being coplanar.

13. The coupling as claimed in claim 12 further including a pair of intermediate walls disposed between said central walls, said intermediate walls defining a recess for receipt of one said panel, the interior face of the latter said panel being perpendicular to the interior faces of panels within the recesses defined by said outer walls.

14. The coupling as claimed in claim 13 wherein one of said intermediate walls has a barb which extends into the groove of whichever said panel is adjacent thereto to removably interconnect the latter said panel to said coupling.