Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTIC>N
Open five-piece container with bail bar arrangements
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a container formed of a bottom piece and a
pair
of opposite side pieces and a pair of opposite end pieces which are hingedly
foldable onto the bottom piece. More particularly, the present invention
pertains
to such container having a pair of bail bar arrangements to reinforce the open
container when the side pieces and end pieces are in the erected position.
Five-piece open containers are wef!-known and comprise a bottom piece formed
of plastics material and four side pieces also formed of plastics material and
pivotally mounted to the bottom piece so that the side pieces may be pivotally
moved between an erected position and a non erected folded position.
The upper corner of each piece is provided moving parts which are integral
with
the side pieces and which enable the side pieces to be secured in an erected
inter-engagement. One example of such container may be found described in
applicant's U.S. patent I~o. 5,515,987 issued May 14, 1996. Some five-piece
open containers comprise side pieces which are much longer than the end
pieces; hence, the side pieces may be subjected to flexing when similarly
constructed containers are stacked one above the other. One example of such
open container may be found described in applicant's Canadian patent No.
2,202,119 issued May 23, 2000.
OBJECTS AND STATEII~ENT OF THE iNVENTtOt~l
It is an object of the present invention to provide an open five-piece
container
wherein the side pieces are prevented to flex under heavy loads.
This is achieved by providing a five-piece open container with a pair of
pivotable
bail bar arrangements which further secure the container in its erected
position,
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especially when similarly constructed containers are stacked one on top of the
other.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such container with a
pair
of bail bar arrangements wherein one side piece of the; erected container may
be
outwardly open to give access inside the container wllen In a stacked
formation
with other similarly constructed containers.
This is achieved by providiing a container which comprises:
a bottom piece having opposite side edges and opposite end
edges;
a pair of opposite side pieces, each having an upper edge and a
lower edge, the lower edge hingedly connected to an associated side edge of
the
bottom piece;
a pair of opposite end pieces, each having are upper edge and a
lower edge, the lower edge being hingedly connected to associated end edge of
the bottom piece;
latching means for securing the side pieces and the end pieces to
one another in a vertical condition so as to form an open five-piece
container;
a pair of bail bar arrangements having one end hingedly connected
to the upper edge of the end pieces and an opposite end;
the upper edges of the side pieces having lodging means receiving
opposite end portions of the opposite end of the bail bar arrangement;
whereby the bail bar arrangements are pivotabie between a first position
wherein
the bail bar arrangements rests substantially horizontally ornthe side pieces
to
reinforce the side pieces and a second position substantially parallel to
outer
faces of the end pieces.
In one form of the invention, each bail bar arrangement consists of a rr-
shaped
~0 configuration consisting of two-parallel arms having one end hingedly
connected
to an end piece and an opposite end formed of a 'transverse rod having its
opposite ends engaged in 'the upper edge of the side pieces.
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It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container with
foldable
side pieces and end piece s equipped with a bail bar arrangement so configured
that, when the end pieces and side pieces are inwardly folded to lie in a
plane
substantially parallel to the plane of the bottom piece, the bail bar
arrangement
will also lie in a substantially similar parallel plane to the bottom piece.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will
become apparent from thE: detailed description given hereinafter. It should be
understood, however, that: this detailed description, while indicating
preferred
embodiments of the invention, is given by way of illustration only, since
various
changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will
become apparent to those skilled in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTI~N ~F TtiE DRAIIVINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container made in accordance with the
present invention;
Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the connection of one end of
the bail arrangement;
Figure 3 is an enlarged perspeotive view showing the connection of an opposite
end of the bail arrangement;
Figure 4. is a cross-sectional view showing one end of the container with its
bail-
bar arrangement in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the container in the non-erected
condition;
Figure 6 is a perspective view, similar to that shown in figure 3, showing the
bail
bar arrangement lying substantially in the plane of the end pieces; and
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Figure 7 is a perspective exploded view showing a cross stacking arrangement
of containers made in accordance with the present invention.
DESGRIPTtON OF PREFERRED EMDODIMENT
Referring to figure 1, there is shown a five-piece open container, generally
denoted 10, made entirely of rigid plastics material. The container
essentially
consists of a bottom piece 12, a pair of opposite side pieces '14 and 16 and a
pair
of opposite end pieces 18 and 20. To facilitate the manual handling of the
container, each opposite side piece displays an elongated opening 22, 24 and
each opposite end piece displays an elongated opening 26, 28 . The structural
appearance of the five pieces of the container is conveni:ional, consisting of
reinforcing ribs to provide rigidity while a plurality of openings provide
lightness
(and, in certain cases, aeration to products therein).
The side pieces and end pieces are hingedly connected to the bottom piece
along the lower edge thereof. A detailed construction of the connection of the
lower edges of the side and end pieces to the sides and ends of the bottom
piece
will not be described as it does not form part of the present invention;
however,
reference may be made to applicant's U.S. patent No. 5,515,987 issued May 14,
1996 for an understanding of its construction. The advantage of such
construction is that no metallic parts are used for the connection of the side
and
end pieces to the bottom piece.
Similarly, the corners of the upper part of the side anrJ end pieces are
provided
with latching means for securing the end pieces and the side pieces to one
another in a vertical erecteri condition so as to form an open five-piece
container.
Again, a detailed construci:ion of the latching means wilt not be described as
it
does not form part of the present invention. However, reference may be made
to applicant's above mentioned U.S. patent. The advantage of such latching
construction is that quick connection and disconnection can be effected to
move
the container from an erected condition to a non-erected condition, or vice-
versa,
as illustrated in the drawings.
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The present invention is particularly concerned with further securing the side
and
end pieces to one another in their erected position, especially in those cases
where the side pieces are much longer than the end pieces. The invention
therefore provides a pair of bait bar arrangements, generally denoted 40, 42
which are of identical construction (hence, it is considered unnecessary to
describe each one separately). Thus, referring to the bail bar arrangement 40,
it consists of a rr-shaped construction consisting of a pair of arms 44 and
46,
each having one end pivotally mounted at the upper edge of the end piece 18
(see figure 2} and an opposite end integrally fixed to a transverse rod 48
(see
figure 3). The opposite ends 50 and 52 of rod 48 are engaged in
correspondingly
shaped recesses (one being shown in figure 3 as 53} at the upper edges of the
side pieces 14 and 16.
Figure 4 shows that the ar-m 44 of the bail bar arrangement 40 is pivotable
(as
indicated by arrow 54) to a substantially horizontal position to engage the
recess
in the upper edge of the side piece 14. Arm 44 is also pivotable to a position
substantially parallel to the outer waN of the end piece 18 (see figure 5).
As can be seen in figures ~t and 2, the arms 44, 46 have a T'-shaped end 56,
58
engaging reinforcing ribs in the side wall on the end piece 18. The geometry
of
the extremities of the arms 44, 46 is such that the pin can be forced into a
snap-in
engagement to the ribs of the end piece as a result of the use of flexible
plastic
material for the entire container. Similarly, and for the same reasons, the
opposite end 50 of the trarosverse rod 48 has a circular portion 52a between
rib
positions 52b and 52c trvhich may be snapped in engagement in their
corresponding recess 53 at the upper edge of the side piece 14. The rib
positions 52b and 52c limit lateral movement of the long side piece 16. A
similar
arrangement is provided on the opposite end 50 for the long piece 14.
Figure 5 shows the five-piece container in the folded condition with the side
pieces 14 and 16 lying over the bottom piece 12 and the end pieces 18 and 20
lying horizontally over the folded side pieces 14 and 15. Figure 5 shows the
bail
bar arrangements 40 and 42 in a position lying substantially parallel to the
plane
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of their respective end pieces 18 and 20. On the other hand, figure 6 which 4
is
a view similar to that of figure 5 shows, however, the bail bar arrangements
40
and 42 lying substantially in a plane including the plane of the end pieces 18
and
20 and over the side piece 14. Hence, the rotation of the bail bar, whether
lying
on an end side piece or in a plane extending on the prolongation of the end
piece
does not affect the collapsing height. For the collapsing configuration of
figure
5, there is sufficient room under the bottom piece to receive the bail bars.
Referring to figure 7, there is shown four similarly constructed containers
10, 10',
10", 10"' so disposed as to be mounted in a cross wise stacking arrangement.
It can be seen that the provision of the bail bar arrangements 40 and 42 of
the
lower container 10 wilt prevent the upper containers 10' and 10"' to
accidently
slide into the lower container 10.
These containers may also be stacked vertically one above the other. Indeed,
it is well known in the art that these containers have upper edges so
configured
so that they may engaged with correspondingly shaped side and end edges of
the bottom piece of a superposed container. However, a detailed construction
is not deemed necessary. On the other hand, in such stacked condition, the
engagement of the transverse rod of the bail bar arrangements is such that one
of the rod end may be snapped-out of engagement from its corresponding recess
in the upper edge of one side piece and the latching means at the corners of
the
side piece with the opposite end piece released so tl-at one side piece may be
outwardly moved to provide access to the inside of tile container even though
forming part of a staked arrangement.
In some cases where it may be desired to have access to a product through an
end piece of the container, the bail bar is snapped out of its engagement in
the
recesses 53 and rotated 270° in a position parallel to the end piece.
The latching
at the corners is removed, the side pieces are flexed towards the inside to
disengage the fluides 60 (see figure 2) and the end piece is pivoted
outwardly.
Although the invention has been described above with respect to one specific
form, it will be evident to a person skilled Yn the art that it may be
modified and
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refined in various ways. It is therefore wished to have it understood that the
present invention should not be limited in scope, except by the terms of the
following claims.
