Patent ID: 7431173
Filing Date: 2008-10-07
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
1. An intermediate bulk container comprising a storage container which is made from a suitable flexible material, a forklift pallet base which is hollow moulded from a suitably rigid plastics material, is square or rectangular in plan and includes a plurality of pole engaging sockets in its upper surface which are arranged in a spaced relationship about its periphery, at least eight poles, the lower end of each of which is releasably engageable with a pole engaging socket on the pallet base to be perpendicular to the general plane of the upper surface of the pallet base to collectively provide a support cage for the storage container, a centrally holed pole location member which is hollow moulded from a suitably rigid plastics material to have the same outer shape and dimensions as the pallet base and includes a plurality of pole engaging sockets with which the upper ends of the poles are releasably engaged to lock the upper ends of the poles together to inhibit transverse outward bulging of the storage container from between the poles and to preserve the integrity of the container support cage against transverse loads imposed on it by a load in the storage container, the underside of the pallet base and the upper surface of the pole locating member include, adjacent their outer sides and centrally spaced from their corners, interengageable formations which are releasably engageable with compatible formations on intermediate bulk containers below and above it in a stack to prevent horizontally transverse dislocation of one container from another in the stack, the end portions of the poles are frictionally engaged, in use, in the sockets in the pallet base and the pole location member to inhibit skewing of the poles relatively to the components with which they are engaged, the pole location member includes outwardly projecting formations which face the pallet base and through which the pole sockets pass into the member to increase the length of the sockets in which the upper end portions of the poles are frictionally engaged, in use, and a portion of the lengths of the pole sockets in the pallet base, from their mouths in the upper surface of the pallet base, are dimensioned and shaped to receive the pole location member projecting formations when the pole location member is placed on the pallet base.