Patent Publication Number: US-2009223953-A1

Title: Collapsible container

Description:
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/033,858, filed Mar. 5, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to collapsible crates and more particularly to a collapsible crate with support members for supporting another container thereon. 
     Collapsible crates are well known. Four walls each connected via a hinge to a base are selectively movable about the hinge between a use position, in which the wall is generally perpendicular to the base, and a collapsed position onto the base. Various latch mechanisms have been provided to connect adjacent walls at the corner to selectively lock the crate in the use position. 
     Some collapsible crates also include retractable supports so that another container can be supported thereon. One such crate includes end walls each having a support that is partially supported on the adjacent walls when in the support position. One problem with some of these crates is retaining the upper container stacked on the supports. Another problem is that supports are sometimes knocked back toward the retracted position as the upper container is placed on the supports. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a container having a plurality of walls extending upwardly from a base. At least one wall has a support pivotably mounted by a hinge. The support is pivotable between a support position where it can support another container thereon and a retracted position against the wall. The support may include a contact surface that is angled inwardly into the container for supporting an upper container thereon. In another feature, the support may include a tab projecting upwardly from an exterior edge of the support to help retain the upper container on the support. 
     In the particular embodiment shown, the walls are collapsible onto the base for ease of storage and shipping when empty. The supports are formed on short end walls of the container, such that the supports and end walls can be collapsed onto the base and the long side walls can be pivoted onto the end walls. Alternatively, the supports could be formed on the long walls (or on equally-sized walls). Also, the supports could be pivotably and/or slidably mounted to the walls. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container according to one embodiment of the present invention with its walls in an assembled, upright, use position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 1  with its walls in a collapsed position. 
         FIG. 3  is an interior view of one of the corners of the container of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of one end of one of the side walls of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an interior perspective view of the container of  FIG. 1  with the support in the support position. 
         FIG. 6  is an interior view, with a sidewall broken away, showing the support in the support position. 
         FIG. 7  is an end perspective view of the container of  FIG. 6  with another container supported on the support. 
         FIG. 8  is a side perspective view of the containers of  FIG. 7 , with the side wall broken away. 
         FIG. 9  is an interior perspective view of the container of  FIG. 1  with the support in the retracted position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container  10  according to one example of the present invention. The container  10  includes a base  12 , upstanding side walls  14  (or long walls) and upstanding end walls  18  (or short walls). The side walls  14  and end walls  18  are pivotably connected along long and short edges of the base  12 , respectively. Each end wall  18  has a support  20  pivotably connected to the end wall  18 . The side walls  14  and end walls  18  are pivotable onto the base  12  into a collapsed position as shown in  FIG. 2 , with the side walls  14  on top of the end walls  18 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the support  20  is pivotably mounted at its lower edge to a position spaced below an upper edge of the end wall  18 . Other types of supports  20  which are mounted differently could be used, depending upon the particular application. The support  20  is shown in  FIG. 3  pivoted to a support position, where it projects into the interior of the container  10  where it can support another container stacked thereon. The support  20  includes a back rail  19  projecting upward from an upper surface of the support  20  in the support position. The back rail  19  is spaced slightly inwardly of an outboard edge of the upper surface of the support  20 . The back rail  19  extends from one end of the support  20  continuously to the opposite end of the back rail  19 . A plurality of tabs  50  (one shown) extend upwardly from the back rail  19 . The supports  20  each include a tab  21  projecting from each side into the adjacent side wall  14 . The end walls  18  each include a lip  25  protruding inwardly from the uppermost edge above the support  20 . The lip  25  includes a pair of openings  52  (one shown) therethrough aligned with the tabs  50  on the back rail  19  for accommodating the tabs  50  when the support is pivoted toward the retracted position. The openings  52  also provide access for a user to manually deploy the support  20  by pushing on the tabs  50  through the openings  52 . 
     The interiors of the side walls  14  each include an upper frame portion  22  protruding into the container  10 . A curved channel  24  is formed through each upper frame portion  22  adjacent the end wall  18 . The interior of each side wall  14  further includes a lower frame portion  26  having a channel  28  formed therethrough below each curved channel  24 . A recess  30  is defined between the upper frame portion  22  and the lower frame portion  26 . The base  12  includes a pair of side upstanding portions  32  to which the side walls  14  are pivotably attached. Each side upstanding portion  32  includes a channel  34  formed on an interior thereof, below each channel  28 . The channels  24 ,  28  and  34  are aligned with one another and with the tabs  21  on the supports  20 , so that the end walls  18  can be pivoted to the collapsed position prior to the side walls  14  being collapsed, such that the side walls  14  are collapsed onto the end walls  18 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates one end of one of the side walls  14 . Each end of the side wall  14  includes a latch  36 . At the top of the curved channel  24  is a rail  38  spaced inwardly into the container  10 . The rail  38  includes a step  40  having a substantially vertical leading face  42 . The leading face  42  forms a stop, which will be explained below. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate the support  20  in the support position, with the tab  21  resting on the rail  38  and abutting the step  40 , which prevents the support  20  from being moved into the retracted position. Each support  20  includes an upper surface having contact surfaces  56  that are angled inwardly toward the interior of the container  10 . In the embodiment shown, the upper surface of the support  20  is flat and generally parallel to the base  12 , while the contact surfaces  56  forms a recess that is angled inwardly. However, alternatively, the entire upper surface of the support  20  could be angled inwardly as the contact surfaces  56  is. Referring to  FIG. 5 , the support  20  includes a flange  46  extending downwardly from the tab  21  behind (that is, toward the exterior of) the rail  38 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , in the support position, the support  20  is prevented from retracting by the face  42  of the step  40  on the rail  38 . 
     When another container  100  is stacked on the supports  20 , as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the weight on the supports  20  keeps the supports  20  down on the rail  38 , such that the step  40  prevents the supports  20  from being inadvertently knocked back into the retracted position. As also shown in  FIG. 7 , the back rail  19  on the upper surface  16  of the support  20 , particularly the tabs  50 , prevent the container  100  from sliding further toward the end wall  18 , which could cause the opposite end of the container  100  to slide inwardly of that support  20 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the upper container  100 , particularly lower ribs  102 , rest on the contact surfaces  56  of the upper surface  16  of the support  20 , while the back rail  19  of the support  20  locates the upper container  100  properly between the end walls  18 . Although the upper container  100  is shown in contact with the back rail  19  and tabs  50 , it is anticipated that some tolerance would be permitted. This may depend upon the particular upper containers  100  with which the container  10  is to be used. The tabs  50  extend upward sufficiently to contact the upper container  100  on its vertical outer surface, above the rounded, tapered or angled surfaces that transition to the base of the upper container  100 . This prevents the upper container  100  from riding up on the back rail  19 . 
     The contact surfaces  56  have a profile that matches that of the lower ribs  102  (which are the lower contact surfaces) of the upper container  100  as shown. This reduces the tendency of the angled surface of lower ribs  102  to push the support  20  back toward the end wall  18 . The matching profiles of the lower ribs  102  and the contact surfaces  56  results in a more downward force being applied to the supports  20 , which keeps the supports  20  engaged in front of the steps  40  on the rails  38  in the side walls  14  ( FIG. 7 ). 
     The hinge connection between the support  20  and the end wall  18  includes sufficient tolerance for the support  20  to be lifted over and onto the step  40  by the user, as shown in  FIG. 9 . In fact, the natural movement of the support  20  being moved by a user toward the retracted position tends to lift the support  20  over the step  40 , so no additional effort is required. 
     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, in any of the occurrences above, the hinge members and hinge pins could be reversed and formed on opposite parts. Alphanumeric identifiers on method steps are for convenient reference in dependent claims and do not signify a required sequence of performance unless otherwise indicated in the claims.