Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02678679 2009-09-15
COLLAPSIBLE CRATE WITH MULTIPLE POSITION SUPPORT
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial Number
61/097,192, filed September 15, 2008.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to containers and more particularly to
a
collapsible container with support members for supporting another container
thereon at multiple
heights.
Many different types of collapsible containers for transporting and storing
goods are
known. Generally, the collapsible containers include end walls and side walls
pivotably
connected to a base. The end walls and side walls latch to one another to
remain in an upright,
use position and are collapsible onto the base for efficient storage and
shipping when empty.
Some collapsible containers include retractable supports so that another
(generally different type)
container can be supported thereon. One such container includes end walls each
having a
support that is partially supported on the adjacent walls when in the support
position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a collapsible container having at least one
support that
can be selectively positioned at more than one height relative to the base.
Generally, the collapsible container includes a plurality of walls pivotably
connected to a
base. The walls latch to one another to remain in an upright, use position and
are collapsible
onto the base for efficient storage and shipping when empty. The collapsible
container includes
retractable supports so that another container can be supported thereon. The
support can be
selectively positioned at more than one height relative to the base for more
efficient stacking of
containers, depending upon the size of the goods stored in the container. For
smaller goods, the
lower stacking height can be used, thereby reducing the overall stacking
height of the containers.
For larger goods, the high stacking height is used to accommodate the larger
goods.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container according to one embodiment of
the present
invention with the supports in a retracted position.
CA 02678679 2009-09-15
Figure 2 shows the container of Figure 1 with the supports in a high stacking
position.
Figure 3 shows the container of Figure 1 with the supports in a low stacking
position.
Figure 4 shows the container of Figure 1 in a collapsed position.
Figure 5 is an interior perspective view of one quarter of the container of
Figure 1 with
the support in the retracted position.
Figure 6 is similar to Figure 5, with the end wall being moved toward a
collapsed
position.
Figure 7 is similar to Figure 6 with the end wall in the collapsed position.
Figure 8 is similar to Figure 7 with the side wall collapsed onto the end
wall.
Figure 9 is similar to Figure 5, with the support in a vertically extended
position.
Figure 10 is similar to Figure 9 with the support being moved toward the high
stacking
position.
Figure 11 is similar to Figure 10 with the support in the high stacking
position.
Figure 12 is similar to Figure 5, with the support in the retracted position.
Figure 13 is similar to Figure 12, with the support being moved toward the low
stacking
position.
Figure 14 is similar to Figure 13, with the support being in the low stacking
position.
Figure 15 is similar to Figure 14, with the support and the end wall being
moved toward
the collapsed position.
Figure 16 shows the end wall in the collapsed position.
Figure 17 shows the support in the high stacking position.
Figure 18 shows the support and end wall being moved from the high stacking
position of
Figure 17 toward the collapsed position.
Figure 19 shows the end wall in the collapsed position.
Figure 20 is a perspective view of half of the end wall.
Figure 21 is a perspective view of half of the support.
Figure 22 is a perspective view showing the support mounted to the end wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A collapsible container 10 includes a base 12, collapsible side walls 14 (or
"long walls")
and collapsible end walls 18 (or "short walls"). The side walls 14 are
pivotably connected to
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upstanding side members 16, which are integrally molded with the base 12 and
extend upwardly
along the side edges of the base 12. Each end wall 18 includes a support
member 20 pivotably
and slidably connected thereto by arms 24. Each of the support members 20
includes a support
portion 21 extending between opposite ends 22, which protrude outwardly
relative to the arms
24.
Each side wall 14 includes a set of channels 26, 28, 30 adjacent each end wall
18. An
upper channe126 and a first lower channel 30 are open at an upper edge of the
side wall 14. The
upper channel 26 and a second lower channel 28 meet at a recess 34 in the side
upstanding side
members 16.
The end walls 18 each include a handle portion 36 defined by a handle opening
38
therebelow.
In Figure 1, the support members 20 are shown in the retracted position. In
Figure 2, the
support members 20 are shown in a high stacking position, where they extend
across a mouth of
the container 10 to facilitate stacking of another container (not shown) on
the support portions 21
of the support members 20.
Figure 3 illustrates the support members 20 in a low stacking position where
the support
portions 21 extend across the interior of the container 10 such that a
container can be supported
on the support portions 21 of the support members 20 at a lower height, thus
reducing stacking
height when the containers 10 are not full.
Figure 4 illustrates the container 10 in a collapsed position, where the end
walls 18 are
collapsed onto the base 12 and the side walls 14 are collapsed on top of the
end walls 18. In the
collapsed position, the empty container 10 can easily be shipped for reuse
while occupying the
least volume.
The positions of the container 10 shown in Figures 1-4 and described briefly
above will
be described in more detail with reference to Figures 5-19, which are quarter
section views of the
container 10 of Figures 1-4. As shown in Figures 1-4, the container 10 is
symmetric about the
section lines.
Figure 5, again illustrates the container 10 with the support member 20 in the
retracted
position. The interior surface of the side wall 14 includes the upper
channe126, which extends in
an arcuate path from an opening through the upper surface of the side wall 14
down to an
opening through the lower surface of the side wall 14 where it is aligned with
the recess 34 in the
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CA 02678679 2009-09-15
side upstanding member 16. A high stacking notch 27 is formed adjacent the
upper channel 26.
A first lower channel 30 extends from the opening through the upper surface of
the side wall 14
to a low stacking notch 29 in a generally arcuate path. A second lower channel
28 extends in an
arcuate path from the low stacking notch 29 to meet and join with the upper
channel 26 at the
opening through the lower surface of the side wall 14, again aligned with the
recess 34 in the
side upstanding member 16.
As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the end wall 18 can be pivoted from the upright
position of
Figure 5 to the collapsed position of Figure 7 on the base 12. As the end wall
18 is pivoting
downwardly, the end 22 of the support member 20 is captured in the upper
channel 26 (Figure 6)
and is then received in the recess 34 in the side upstanding member 16 (Figure
7). As shown in
Figure 8, the side wall 14 is then pivoted onto the end wall 18.
As shown in Figure 9, the arms 24 of the support member 20 are also slidable
relative to
the end wall 18. As shown in Figure 9, the support member 20 can be pulled
upward to the
position shown, where the support portion 21 is spaced directly above the end
wall 18. From
that position, the support member 20 can be pivoted downward as shown in
Figure 10. The
support portion 20 is then further pivoted to the high stacking position,
shown in Figure 11. In
this position, the ends 22 of the support member 20 are received in the high
nesting notches 27.
Again, starting from the retracted position shown in Figure 12, the support
member 20
can be pivoted downward into the first lower channel 30, as shown in Figure
13. The end of the
support member 20 is captured in the first lower channel 30 and is pivoted
downward into the
low stacking notch 29 as shown in Figure 14. From the low stacking position,
the end wall 18
can still be collapsed directly, as shown in Figure 15. The end 22 of the
support member 20 is
captured in the second lower channel 28 as the end wall 18 is pivoted toward
the base 12. The
end 22 is received in the recess 34 of the side upstanding member 16 as the
end wall 18 is
received on the base 12, as shown in Figure 16.
Similarly, the end wall 18 can be collapsed when the support member 20 is in
the high
stacking position, as shown in Figure 17, where the end 22 of the support
member 20 is received
in the high stacking notch 27. As shown in Figure 18, the end 22 of the
support member 20
moves downward within the upper channel 26 as the end wall 18 is pivoted
downward toward
the base 12. Again, the end 22 of the support member 20 is received in the
recess 34 of the side
upstanding member 16 as the end wall 18 is received on the base 12 as shown in
Figure 19.
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Figure 20 is a perspective view of half of the end wall 18 mounted in the base
12. The
end wall 18 includes a vertical slot 40 adjacent a vertical flange 42 on each
side of the end wall
18.
Figure 21 is a perspective view of half of the support 20. As shown, each arm
24
includes an inwardly protruding pin 44. Referring to Figure 22, the pin 44 of
each arm 24 is
received in the adjacent vertical slot 40 in order to slidably and pivotably
mount the support 20
to the end wall 18. The vertical flange 42 abutting each arm 24 keeps the
support 20 from
rotating outward of the end wall 18. Other ways of slidably and pivotably
mounting the support
20 to the end wall 18 or even the side walls 14 could also be used.
In use, the container 10 can be loaded with goods when the support members 20
are in
the retracted position as shown in Figure 1. If the goods occupy almost all of
the interior of the
container 10, the support members are moved to the high stacking position as
shown in Figure 2,
such that a dissimilar container (typically, a nestable container, rather than
a collapsible
container) can be stacked thereon. If the goods occupy only a small portion of
the interior of the
container 10, the support members 20 are moved to the low stacking position,
as shown in Figure
3, so that the container stacked thereon will have a lower stacking height,
thus enabling more
containers to occupy less height.
When the container is empty, it can be collapsed completely as shown in Figure
4 for
return and reuse, while occupying a minimum volume.
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,
although two stacking heights are disclosed, three or more stacking heights
could also be
provided. Further, although the support member design is shown extendable
above the
container, other designs with support members that never extend above the
container are also
known and could be adapted to the multi-position invention. Also, other
support member
designs, such as how they attach to the end wall, are known, and would be
within the scope of
the invention,
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