Abstract:
A folding box ( 100 ), comprising: a bottom plate ( 1 ), and a pair of first side plates ( 2 ) and a pair of a second side plates ( 3 ) capable of being folded with respect to the bottom plate ( 1 ). The first side plates ( 2 ) and the second side plates ( 3 ) are releasably interlocked via a locking mechanism ( 4 ). The locking mechanism ( 4 ) comprises a handle ( 41 ), a locking member ( 42 ), and a guidance feature ( 31 ). When the first side plates ( 2 ) and the second side plates ( 3 ) are in a locked state, the handle ( 41 ) restricts the position of the locking member ( 42 ), thus limiting the movement of the locking member ( 42 ), when the handle ( 41 ) restricts the position of the locking member ( 42 ), thus limiting the movement of the locking member ( 42 ), when the handle ( 41 ) moves and provides the locking member ( 42 ) space required for movement of the locking member ( 42 ), the locking member ( 42 ) cooperates with the guidance feature ( 31 ) to drive the locking member ( 42 ) to move so as to unlock the same. When the folding box is empty and recycled, the side plates are easy and convenient to unlock, and are difficult to be unlocked by an accidental triggering when using.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a container, particularly relates to a folding box. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The existing folding box has side plates with regular thickness and height. When in use, the side plates are unfolded and upright oppositely, and four side plates are interlocked, thus forming a relatively closed space to accommodate the cargo. And after cargo is empty, the box needs to be recycled. In order to maximize the cost savings, the side plates of the box are to be folded, so that more of the recycled box can be accommodated in the same space. 
         [0003]    In the recycling process of the folding box, it&#39;s necessary to keep easy cleaning, and clean after use is particularly important for the folding box used to load fruits, vegetables and other fresh foods. And meanwhile, in use of the box, it is necessary to not only ensure safe and reliable in case of loading, but also to make the side plates simple and easy to be unlocked and folded in the case of emptying. 
         [0004]    The side plates of the existing folding box, such as the folding box disclosed in Patent application WO2011062565A1, can be quickly locked, but the handle of the box is mounted on the outer edge of the side plates. When the folding box is in use, it will suffer an expansion force from the loaded cargo applying to the side plates, and the handle needs an assembly gap for moving up and down, which is easy to cause the handle portion to be deformed to protrude the outer edge of the side plates. In such cases, it is easy to trigger the handle and make it unlock in the course of moving or using the foldable container, which brings security risks for it. In addition, the side plates of the folding box is provided with a large number of the reinforcing ribs to strengthen the strength of the side plates, which makes it easy to dirty in use of the box and hard to be quickly cleaned after use, thus it is not conducive to the food hygiene such as fruits, vegetables and other fresh foods. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The object of the present invention is to provide a foldable and double smooth folding box with a smooth appearance without ribs, and liable to quickly clean, based on the deficiency of the prior art. When the box is empty and recycled, the side plates are easy and convenient to unlock, and the handle is provided on the inner side of the side plates, which is difficult to be unlocked by an accidental triggering when using. 
         [0006]    In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a folding box comprising a bottom plate, a pair of first side plates and a pair of second side plates, the first side plates and the second side plates are hinged to the bottom plate and foldable with respect to the bottom plate, and the first side plates and the second side plates are releasably interlocked via a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism comprises: 
         [0007]    a handle being movably mounted on the first side plate; 
         [0008]    a locking member for interlocking adjacent first side plates and the second side plates; 
         [0009]    a guide feature provided on the second side plate; 
         [0010]    wherein when the first side plates and the second side plates are in a locked sate, the handle restricts position of the locking member, thus limiting movement of the locking member, after the handle moves and provides the locking member with space required for the movement, the locking member being capable of cooperating with the guide feature so as to drive the locking member to move and thus being unlocked. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the guide feature is provided on the inner wall of the second side plate. 
         [0012]    Preferably, the guide feature is provided with a projection with a guide slope. 
         [0013]    Preferably, the first side plate is shorter than the second side plate. 
         [0014]    Preferably, the handle is mounted on the inner side of the first side plate and can move up and down along the first side plate. 
         [0015]    Preferably, both ends of the handle is provided with a handle elastic piece, the handle elastic piece is used for driving the handle to move then reset. 
         [0016]    Preferably, the handle moves upwardly or downwardly by a predetermined distance so as to provide the locking member space required for its movement. 
         [0017]    Preferably, the locking member is provided with a latch and a first latch tab, the latch is capable of cooperating with the guide feature so as to drive the latch to move and drive the first latch tab to deform and thus being unlocked, upon locking, the first latch tab can reset and drive the latch to reset. 
         [0018]    Preferably, the second side plate is provided with a stop, and edges of both left side and right side of the second side plate extend vertically a connection portion, upon locking, one end of the locking member is located between the stop and the connection portion, and the guide feature is provided on the stop. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, the inner wall of the first side plate extends a mounting wall parallel to the inner wall of the first side plate, and one of the first side plate and the handle is provided with a hook and the other is provided with trough, and the handle is housed in the space formed between inner wall of the first side plate and the mounting wall and the hook cooperates with the trough so that the handle can slide up and down along the first side plate. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, one end of the locking member is provided with a latch, and the other end is provided with a latch tab, and the outer side is provided with a stopper projection and a trigger projection; and the first side plate is provided with a stopper hole and a trigger hole and the inner side is provided with a stop, and the second side plate is provided with a trigger portion; wherein the stopper projection is engaged with the stopper hole so that the locking member can be held in the locked state, and the trigger projection cooperates with the trigger portion so that the stopper projection can disengage from the stopper hole, and the stop cooperates with the first latch tab, so that the latch tab is deformed upon unlocking and drive the locking member to reset upon locking. 
         [0021]    Preferably, the first latch tab is V-shaped elastic piece. 
         [0022]    Preferably, the locking member is provided with a second latch tab, and the second latch tab is provided with the stopper projection and a trigger projection, and the first side plate is provided with the corresponding stopper hole and trigger hole. 
         [0023]    Preferably, the locking member is provided with a third latch tab on the upper side or the lower side of the locking member. 
         [0024]    In one embodiment, the locking member is provided with a latch and a first latch tab, one end of the first latch tab is hinged to the first side plate, and the other end is fixed on the latch, and when first side plates and second side plates are in the locked state, one end of the latch is restricted by the handle, while the other end of the latch extends into the second side plate, upon unlocking, one end of the latch disengages from the handle and the other end of the latch cooperates with the stop feature so that the latch disengages from the second side plate and thus being unlocked. 
         [0025]    In one embodiment, the handle and the locking member is configured that when the first side plates and the second side plates are in the locked state, both ends of the handle respectively abut against one end of two locking members, while after the handle moves by a predetermined distance, both ends of the handle disengage from the locking member. 
         [0026]    In one embodiment, both ends of the handle are provided with a gripping portion, when the first side plates and the second side plates are in the locked state, and both ends of the handle respectively hold one end of two locking member, while the handle moves by a predetermined distance and the first side plate is pushed toward the inside of the folding box, the gripping portion of the handle disengages from the locking member. 
         [0027]    In one embodiment, both ends of the handle are provided with the handle guide slope, one end of the locking member is provided with corresponding locking guide slope, upon unlocking, the locking guide slope can move along the handle guide slope. 
         [0028]    In one embodiment, the stopper feature is configured as a projection provided on inner wall of the second side plate with a guide slope, and the locking member is provided with a latch and a latch tab, and one end of the latch tab is hinged to the first side plate, and the other end is fixed on the latch, when the first side plates and the second side plates are in a locked state, one end of the latch is held in the gripping portion of the handle while the other end of the latch extends into the second side plate, upon unlocking, one end of the latch disengages from the handle and the other end of the latch cooperates with the raised guide slope so that the latch disengages from the second side plate and thus being unlocked. 
         [0029]    According to another aspect of the present invention, also provided a folding box, the folding box comprising a bottom plate, a pair of first side plates and a pair of second side plates, the first side plates and the second side plates being hinged to the bottom plate and capable of being foldable with respect to the bottom plate, and the first side plates and the second side plates being releasably interlocked via a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism comprises: 
         [0030]    a handle which is movably mounted on the first side plate; 
         [0031]    a locking member for interlocking the adjacent first side plates and the second side plates and provided with a latch and a first latch tab; 
         [0032]    A guide feature, which is provided on the second side plate; 
         [0033]    wherein when the first side plates and the second side plates are in a locked sate, the handle restricts the position of the locking member, thus limiting the movement of the locking member, after the handle moves and provides the locking member the space required for the movement, the locking member being capable of cooperating with the guide feature so as to drive the latch to move and drive the first latch tab to deform and thus being unlocked, upon locking, the first latch tab can reset and drive the latch to reset. 
         [0034]    In one embodiment, the locking member also comprises a second latch tab provided on the outer side of the locking member, and the second latch tab is provided with a stopper projection and a trigger projection, and the first side plate is respectively provided with a stopper hole for housing the stopper projection and a trigger hole for housing the trigger projection, wherein the stopper projection cooperates with the stopper hole so that the locking member can be kept in an unlocked state, and the trigger projection is able to be triggered by the second side plate so that the stopper projection disengages from the stopper hole. 
         [0035]    Preferably, the locking member also comprises the third latch tab provided on the upper side or the lower side of the locking member, and the third locking tab is capable of cooperating with the first side plate. 
         [0036]    When the folding box is empty and recycled, the side plates are easy and convenient to unlock, and the handle is provided on the inner side of the side plate which is difficult to be unlocked by an accidental triggering when using. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0037]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a folding box according to an embodiment of the present invention, part of which is cut to show a locking mechanism; 
           [0038]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0039]      FIG. 3 a    is a perspective view of the first side plate on which the locking mechanism of  FIG. 2  is mounted; 
           [0040]      FIG. 3 b    is an enlarged view of the part L of  FIG. 3   a;    
           [0041]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a side plate provided with locking mechanism of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0042]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view along line C-C of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0043]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of part D of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0044]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of part A of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0045]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of part B of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0046]      FIG. 9  is a front view of the locking mechanism of  FIG. 2  in the locked state; 
           [0047]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged view of part E in  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0048]      FIG. 11  is a front view of the locking mechanism of  FIG. 2  in the unlocked condition; 
           [0049]      FIG. 12  is an enlarged view of part F in  FIG. 11 ; 
           [0050]      FIG. 13  shows a perspective view of the locking mechanism in the unlocked state; 
           [0051]      FIG. 14-15  is an enlarged view of the part G of  FIG. 13 , showing the movement of the locking member in the locking mechanism in the locking process; 
           [0052]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view the folding box of  FIG. 1  viewed from another perspective; 
           [0053]      FIG. 17-19  is an enlarged view of part H of  FIG. 16 , showing the locking process of the adjacent side plates of the folding box; 
           [0054]      FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the folding box of  FIG. 1  viewed from another perspective; 
           [0055]      FIG. 21-23  is an enlarged view of part I of  FIG. 20 , showing the unlocking process of the adjacent side plates of the folding box; 
           [0056]      FIG. 24  shows an exploded perspective view of a locking mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0057]      FIG. 25  is a perspective view of the side plates provided with the locking mechanism of  FIG. 24 , part of which is cut to show part of the locking mechanism; 
           [0058]      FIG. 26-28  is an enlarged view of part J of the  FIG. 25 , showing the unlocking process of the adjacent side plates of the folding box; 
           [0059]      FIG. 29  is another perspective view of the side plates provided with the locking mechanism of  FIG. 24 ; 
           [0060]      FIG. 30  is an enlarged view of part K of the  FIG. 29 ; 
           [0061]      FIG. 31  is an exploded perspective view of the locking mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0062]      FIG. 32  is a perspective view of the side plates used for mounting the locking mechanism of  FIG. 31 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0063]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompany drawings in order to provide a clearer understanding of the objects, features and advantages of the present invention. It is to be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, but merely to illustrate the spirit of the invention. 
         [0064]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a folding box  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention, part of which is cut to show the locking mechanism. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the folding box  100  comprises a bottom plate  1 , a pair of first side plates  2 ,  2  and a pair of second side plates  3 ,  3 , wherein the first side plates  2  and the second side plates  3  are respectively hinged to the bottom plate  1  and are capable of being foldable with respect to the bottom plate  1 . The adjacent first side plate and second side plate can be releasably interlocked via a locking mechanism  4 . Preferably, both of the first side plates and the second side plates are double smooth side plates. In the embodiment, the first side plate is shorter than the second side plate, so the first side plate is also referred to a short side plate and the second side plate is also referred to a long side plate. The long and short side plates are preferably made of high strength materials, such as high strength plastics. 
         [0065]    In the embodiment, the locking mechanism  4  comprises a handle  41 , a locking member  42  and a guide feature  31  (such as a projection  31  provided with guide slope shown in  FIGS. 17 to 19 ), wherein the handle is mounted on the first side plate so as to be movable up and down. The locking member  42  serves to interlock the adjacent first side plate  2  and second side plate  3 . Specifically, when the first side plate  2  and the second side plate  3  are in a locked state, the handle  41  restricts the locking member  42  so as to limit the movement of the locking member  42 . While the handle  41  moves upwardly (in the other embodiments may also move downwardly) by a predetermined distance to provide the locking member  42  with the space required for movement, the locking member  42  is capable of cooperating with the guide feature such as a guide slope, for example, moving along the guide slope, thereby driving the locking member  42  to move (retract) and thus being unlocked, as will be described in further detail below. 
         [0066]      FIG. 2  shows an exploded perspective view of the locking mechanism  4  according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the middle of the handle  41  is a hand-held portion, and both ends of it are provided with an abutment portion  411 . The abutment portion  411  is provided with a handle guide slope  4111 . Preferably, both ends of the handle  41  are provided with a handle elastic piece  412 , which is used for driving the handle  41  to reset after moving. Both ends of the handle  41  are also provided with a trough  414 , which is used for cooperating with the hook  25  of the first side plates  2  (as shown in  FIG. 3 b   ) so that the handle  41  connects to the first side plate  2  and moves up and down along the first side plate  2 . 
         [0067]    Also as shown in  FIG. 2 , the locking member  42  is provided with a latch  422  at one end and a V-shaped elastic piece  421  at the other end (also referred to a first latch tab, in the other embodiments, the first latch tab may also be of other shapes, as long as it can drive the locking member to retract upon locking). The latch  422  is provided with a circular guide surface. The locking member  42  is provided with a second latch tab  423  on the outer side (preferably in the middle), and the second latch tab  423  is provided with a stopper projection  424  and a trigger projection  425 . The term “outer side” herein refers to the same side as the outside of the folding box. The locking member  42  is provided with a third latch tab  424  on the upper side (in the other embodiments, the third latch tab can be provided on the lower side of the locking member). The third latch tab  424  is used when the latch is in full release (i.e., the latch is in a locked and extended state) while the first side plate is in a folded state, at this time, the first side plate moves towards upright direction (the box is unfolded and locked), and the latch will be guided along the stop of the second side plate, forcing the third latch tab  424  to elastically deform, so that the latch swings toward the upper edge of the first side plate. When the latch crosses over the stop of the long side plate, the outer side of the third latch tab is always confined in the corresponding mounting portion of the first side plate, and the latch tab is pushed between the stop of the second side plate and the connection portion of the second side plate via a resilient reset member so that the long side plate is in the locked state. 
         [0068]    The locking member  42  is provided with a locking guide slope  425  (as shown in  FIG. 10 ) corresponding to the first guide slope  4111  at the same end as the V-shaped elastic piece  421 . Upon unlocking, the locking guide slope  425  can move along the handle guide slope  4111 . 
         [0069]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b   , the inner wall of the first side plate  2  extends a mounting wall  21  parallel to the inner wall of the first side plate. A hook  25  is also formed on the inner wall of the side plate. At the time of assembly, the handle  41  is housed in the space formed between the inner wall of the first side plate and the mounting wall  21 , and the hook  25  is engaged with the trough  414  so that the handle can slide up and down along the first side plate  2 . It is to be noted that the hook herein may also be provided on the handle, and accordingly, the trough is provided on the first side plate, which can achieve the same function as well. 
         [0070]    The first side plate  2  is also provided with a stopper hole  26  and a trigger hole  27  (for example, shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 ). The inner side of the first side plate  2  is provided with a stopper rib  22 . And the second side plate  3  is provided with a trigger portion  32  (as shown in  FIG. 22 ), wherein the stopper projection  424  provided on the locking member is engaged with the stopper hole  26  so that the locking member  42  can be kept in the unlocked state. The trigger projection  425  is engaged with the trigger portion  32  so that the stopper projection  424  can be disengaged from the stopper hole  26 . The stopper rib  22  is engaged with the V-shaped elastic piece so that the V-shaped elastic piece can be deformed upon unlocking and drive the locking member  42  to reset upon locking. 
         [0071]    The inner wall of the second side plate  3  is provided with a projection (also referred to as a stop portion)  31  with a guide slope  311  near the first side plate. And both edges of left side and right side of the second side plate  3  extend a connection portion  33 . Under the locked state, one end (latch end) of the locking member  42  is located between the projection  31  and the connection portion  33  and is confined by the projection  31  and connection portion  33 . 
         [0072]    The locking and unlocking (folding and unfolding) process of the folding box according to the present invention is as follows: when side plates are folded or unfolded upright, the arc surface of the latch provided on the first side plate  2  guides to the guide slope of the stop portion on the second side plate, so as to facilitate the latch to eject back toward the middle of the first side plate or to swing toward the upper edge of the first side plate. The V-shaped elastic piece is used to drive the latch to move out toward the outer edge of the first side plate (the reset when the arc surface of the latch crosses over the stop of the long side plate, then ejects to the direction of the long side plate) when the first side plate and the second side plate are locked. The third latch tab  424  is used when the latch is in full release (i.e., the latch is in a locked and extended state) while the first side plate is in folded state, at this time, the first side plate is moved in upright direction (the box is unfolded and locked), and the latch will guide along the stop of the second side plate, forcing the third latch tab  424  to elastically deform, the latch swinging toward the upper edge of the first side plate. When the latch crosses over the stop of the long side plate, the outer side of the third latch tab is always confined in the corresponding mounting portion of the first side plate, and the latch tab is pushed between the stop of the second side plate and the connection portion of the second side plate via a resilient reset so that the long side plate is in the locked state. Upon unlocking, the handle is first lifted upwards to provide an avoid space for the movement of the locking member, and the first side plate is pushed inwardly, the latch guiding along the guide slope of the stop of the second side plate, forcing it to retract toward the middle of the first side plate. And when the latch is about to cross over the stop, the oppressed second latch tab  423  restores and ejects with the stopper projection  424  provided on the second latch tab  423 , entering the stopper hole  26  of the first side plate. At the same time, the stopper projection  424  of the second latch tab  423  is anchored in the stopper hole  26 , so that the latch in the unlocked state. Upon locking, the first side plate moves in the upright direction, and the trigger projection  425  of the latch touches the edge of end face of the long side plate (i.e., the trigger portion  32  on the connecting portion  33 ), forcing the trigger projection  425  of the latch to retreat and causing the second latch tab  423  deform in the direction of the inside of the box while the stopper projection  424  of the latch also disengages from the stopper hole  26  of the first side plate. And the latch is pushed between the stopper of the second side plate and the connection portion end via the resilient reset of the V-shaped elastic piece (first latch tab) so that the first side plate and the second side plate are in the locked state. 
         [0073]      FIG. 24  to  FIG. 30  show a locking member  5  of the folding box according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 24 , both ends of the handle  51  are provided with a gripping portion  513 . When the first side plate  2  and the second side plate  3  are in the locked state, one end of each of two locking members  52  are held by both ends of the handle respectively by means of the gripping portion  513  (shown in  FIG. 26 ). While the handle moves up or down by a predetermined distance and the first side plate is pushed inwardly, griping ends  513  at both ends of the handle disengage from the locking member  52  (shown in  FIG. 28 ). 
         [0074]    Also as shown in  FIG. 24 , the locking member  52  is provided with a latch  521  and a latch tab  522 . The latch  521  is provided with an elongated hinge hole  5211 . One end of the latch toward the second side plate extends a clamped end  523 . One end of the latch tab  522  is fixed on the latch, and the other end is provided with a hinge pin  524 . At the time of assembly, the latch  521  movably connects to the first side plate, and the latch tab  522  is hinged to the first side plate  2 , as shown in  FIG. 30 . 
         [0075]    When the first side plate  2  and the second side plate  3  are in a locked state, the clamped end of the latch  52  is held by the gripping portion  513  of the handle, and the other end of the latch  52  extends into the second side plate, and specifically extends between the projection (the stop) of the second side plate and connection portion. Upon unlocking, the clamped end of the latch disengages from the gripping portion of the handle and the latch is engaged with guide slope of the projection so that the latch is disengaged from the second plate and unlocked. Specifically, upon unlocking, when the handle is lifted up, the griping portion of the handle disengages from the latch  52 , at the same time, the side plate is pushed toward the folding direction (toward the inside of the folding box), and the end of the latch interferences with the stop of the side plate to force the latch elastic piece to elastically deform (inwardly curved), and at this time the latch is guided along the slope of the stop of the second side plate and retracts toward the middle of the first side plate so as to be unlocked. After the latch crosses over the stop, the latch is ejected and substantially parallel to the first side plate by recovery of the latch tab, and when the first plate is locked upright, the latch guides along the slope of the stop of the side plate to deform the elastically shrapnel so as to retract back to the middle of the side plate. After crossing over the stop, the elastic piece is restored, the latch extends and the side plate is locked. 
         [0076]      FIG. 31-32  show a modified example of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-23 . The locking member  6  of the embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-23  in that the handle  6  is rotatabely mounted to the first side plate  2  via a pin  611 . The handle  61  rotates inwardly when the side plate is unlocked, so that the farthest end  612  of the handle dislocates from the latch  52  so that the latch has a space to retract toward the middle of the side plate. The rest is basically the same, no longer elaborate here. 
         [0077]    It is to be noted that the principle of the present invention is that: under the locked state, the handle limits movement of the locking member so that the adjacent two side plates remain in locked state, and under the unlocked state, the handle moves to provide an avoiding space for the locking member, where the locking member can cooperate with the guide feature and retract into the first side plate. The manner in which the handle moves herein included suitable means such as moving up and down, moving left and right or rotating about an axis, as long as the handle is moved to provide the locking member with avoid space retracting back to the inside of first side plate. 
         [0078]    While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the above teachings of the present invention. These equivalents are also intended to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto.