Folding crate

Abstract: The invention concerns a folding crate having two double standing longitudinal sides (1) and two standing transverse sides (2), hooked into a bottom and into an upper frame (11), the upper frame (11) having two protruding axle pins (4) onto which a brace-shaped handle (3) is hingedly mounted, the extremity of said axle pins (4) showing a widened round head (5) having two straight walls (6) that are opposed diametrically and narrowly fit into an elongated slit (7) of the handle (3) locally showing a cylindrical bore (8) widened with respect to this slit (7), dimensioned such, that the handle (3) can be revolved over 90° when said cylindrical bore (8) arrives at the height of the widened round head (5) of said axles pins (4).

Description: This invention relates to a folding crate having two double standing longitudinal sides and two standing transverse sides, hooked into a bottom and into an upper frame and having a brace-shaped handle hingedly mounted on the upper frame by means of two protruding axle pins cooperating with an elongated slit, said axle pins having two straight walls narrowly fit into the elongated slit locally showing a cylindrical bore widened with respect to the slit and dimensioned such that when the handle is pushed down into a position in which said cylindrical bore arrives at the height of said axle pins, the handle can be revolved over 90° in an horizontal or lowered position. With such a folding crate, the handle does not revolve with respect to the folding crate in the position of use and the components, i.e. the folding crate propper and the brace shaped handle can be easily assembled. DE 296 05 882 U1 relates to such a folding crate in which the axle pins are part of the handle and cooperate with an elongated slit provided in the upper frame of the crate. However, with the folding crate according to DE 296 05 882 U1, whatever is the position of the handle when mounted on the upper frame of the crate, this handle can be easily removed from said frame by simply drawing apart the arms of the handle. This is problematic since there is thus no resting horizontal or lowered position of the handle on the crate in which said handle couldn't be unwillingly removed from said crate, for example in the event of shocks during storage operation of the folded crate. Indeed, according to DE 296 05 882 U1, when the handle is pushed down in a position in which the cylindrical bores of the slit provided in the upper frame of the crate arrive in line with the axle pins of the handle and said handle is then revolved over 90° into an horizontal lowered position, it remains possible in this horizontal position to remove the handle from the upper frame of the crate. The invention overcomes this problem in providing a folding crate characterised in that the axle pins project outwardly from the periphery of the upper frame, the elongated slit is provided in the brace-shaped handle and in that the extremity of said axle pins shows a widened head comprising two opposite straight portions and two opposite rounded portions such that the handle can only be mounted on the upper frame of the folding crate by snapping the cylindrical bore of the elongated slit over the widened head of the axle pins and such that when the handle is revolved over 90° in said horizontal or lowered position, said handle cannot be removed from the upper frame of the folding crate. Still according to the invention, in above said transverse sides, substantially at the height of above said axle pins, along both sides thereof, two elongated protrusions projecting from the wall of the transverse sides are provided to maintain the arms of the handle in the vertical position. Other details and particulars of the invention will show from the following description of a folding crate according to the invention. This description is exclusively given as an example and does not limit the invention. The reference numbers refer to the attached figures. Figure 1 is a side view of the longitudinal side of the folding crate according to the invention. Figure 2 is a side view of the transverse side of the folding crate according to the invention. Figure 3, is a perspective representation, on a much enlarged scale, of an extremity of an arm belonging to the handle of the folding crate according to the invention (vertical position of the handle). Figure 4 is an analogous representation of an extremity of an arm belonging to the folding crate according to the invention (oblique position of the handle). Figure 5 shows a detail of the folding crate according to the invention. Figure 6 relates to another detail of the folding crate according to the invention. The folding crate represented by these figures, as usual, has a rectangular shape, with two longitudinal sides 1 and two transverse sides 2. A brace-shaped handle 3 is mounted hingedly with respect to the transverse sides 2. Thereto, the transverse sides 2 each show an axle pin 4 and having at its end a widened head 5 comprising two opposite rounded portions and straight walls 6 that are opposed diametrically. The axle pins 4 narrowly fit into an elongated slit 7 provided near the extremities of the arms 3' of the handle. The upper part of the elongated slit 7 (considered in the vertical position of use of the handle) ends into a transverse cylindrical bore 8. The bore 8 is dimensioned such, that when the handle is pushed down, the handle can be revolved over 90°. The diameter of the widened head 5 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the widened bore 8. After turning the handle, the latter rests on the edge 9 of the folding crate provided thereto. This edge may extend along the longitudinal sides, as well as partially along the transverse sides. To maintain the brace-shaped handle in the vertical position, on each transverse side, small elongated protrusions 10 projecting from these sides are provided. They keep the brace-shaped handle in its vertical position, but cannot prevent the handle to be brought from its vertical to a horizontal position by the user, on the one hand because their height is too insignificant, and, on the other hand, because the handle is manufactured of sufficiently resilient material. In its horizontal or lowered position, the handle cannot be removed. The handle can only be mounted, i.e. snapped over the axle pins 4, when the axle pins are in line with the cylindrical bore 8 of the handle and when the arms 3' of the brace-shaped handle 3, due to the elasticity of the material they are composed of, are slightly drawn apart. As usual, the folding crate is provided with longitudinal and transverse sides, respectively 1 and 2, hinging with respect to an upper frame component 11. These sides are connected hingedly with their extremities to this frame component 11. When the folding crate, in particular the filled folding crate, is carried by its handle, the part of the frame component on which the axle pins 4 occur, shows a tendency of removing itself from the side wall concerned. In order to remediate this, each time in the middle of the part of the frame component 11 that extends in the transverse direction of the folding crate, an additional hinge joint with the transverse side 2 is provided. This hinge joint is formed by two pegs 12 directed at each other, over which two wings 13 with a central bore 14, belonging to the upper frame component 11 of the folding crate, are snapped. The pegs 12 are situated on two reinforcing ribs 15 belonging to each of the transverse sides 2. Thus an additional hinge joint is created between a transverse side 2 and the frame component 11. Consequently, these components no longer show a tendency to remove themselves from each other. Finally, the handle shows a bore 16, into which a separate plug 17 delivered upon buying the folding crate, can be pushed permanently. By doing so, at the cash desk of the chain store, which for example puts the folding crates at the disposal of its customers, it may be established that the folding crate has become the property of the user.

Claims: Folding crate comprising two double standing longitudinal sides (1) and two standing transverse sides (2) hooked into a bottom and an upper frame (11) so as to enclose a central storage space, the folding crate further having a brace-shaped handle (3) hingedly mounted to opposite sides of the upper frame (11) by means of a cooperating axle pin (4) and elongated slit (7), the elongated slit (7) being present in the handle (3), the axle pin (4) protruding from the upper frame (11) in a direction pointing away from the central storage space, the elongated slit (7) comprising an elongated slit portion and a cylindrical bore portion (8), the cylindrical bore portion (8) of the elongated slit (7) being widened with respect to the elongated slit portion of the elongated slit (7) so as to permit rotation of the handle (3) when the axle pin (4) engages the cylindrical bore portion (8) in a rotary position, the elongated slit portion of the elongated slit (7) being dimensioned so as to inhibit rotation of the handle (3) when the axle pin (4) engages the elongated slit portion of the elongated slit (7) in a carrying position characterised in that each axle pin (4) is provided with a widened head (5) at an end protruding from the upper frame (11) and pointing away from the central storage space, the widened head (5) comprising two opposite straight portions (6) and two opposite rounded portions, the straight portions (6) and the rounded portions of the widened head (5) being dimensioned so as to permit a translatory displacement of the handle (3) when the axle pin (4) and the widened head (5) engage the elongated slit portion of the elongated slit (7), and a rotatory guidance of the handle (3) when the axle pin (4) and the widened head (5) engage the cylindrical bore portion (8) of the elongated slit (7), the two straight portions (6) of the widened head (5) being further dimensioned so as to allow mounting of the handle (3) on the upper frame (11) of the folding crate by snapping the cylindrical bore portion (8) of the elongated slit (7) over the widened head (5) of the axle pin (4) and to prevent removal of the handle (3) from the upper frame (11) of the folding crate when the handle (3) is in a lowered position. Folding crate according to claim 1, characterized in that the folding crate comprises means for maintaining the brace-shaped handle (3) in a vertical position when the axle pin (4) and the widened head (5) engage the cylindrical bore portion (8) of the elongated slit (7), the means comprising two elongated protrusions (10) mounted on opposite sides of the axle pin (4), each elongated protrusion (10) protruding from the upper frame (11) in a direction pointing away from the central storage space of the folding crate, the protrusions (10) being spaced from each other so as to receive between them the handle (3), the protrusions (10) extending in height direction of the folding crate so as to maintain the handle (3) in the vertical position. Folding crate according to any one of claims 1-2, characterised in that the brace-shaped handle (3) is mounted to opposite transverse sides of the upper frame (11). Folding crate according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the elongated slit (7) is provided in the vicinity of the opposite ends of the brace-shaped handle (3). Folding crate according to any one of claim 1-4, characterized in that the brace-shaped handle (3) is provided with a bore (16) for permanently receiving a plug (17), the plug (17) establishing that the folding crate has become a property of the buyer. Folding crate according to any one of claims 1-5, characterised in that the longitudinal (1) and transverse (2) sides comprise an extremity which is hingedly mounted to the upper frame (11) wherein each transverse side (2) of the folding crate at a central position in transversal direction of the folding crate comprises an additional hinge connection to a corresponding transverse side of the upper frame (11). Folding crate according to claim 6 characterized in that the hinge connection comprises a co-operating pair of pegs (12) and pair of wings (13), the pegs (12) being mounted on the transverse side (2) of the folding crate and pointing to each other, the wings (13) being mounted to the upper frame (11) and extending therefrom in a direction towards the transverse side (2) of the folding crate, each wing (13) comprising a bore (14) for receiving a peg (12), the wings (13) being snapped over the pegs (12).

Inventors: JANSEN HENRI, TRAPPENIERS CAMILLE, WEYN RIA, JANSEN, HENRI, TRAPPENIERS, CAMILLE, WEYN, RIA
Applicants: D M S, D.M.S.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65D25
IPC codes: B65D25