Patent Publication Number: US-2009218343-A1

Title: Foldable Container

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The utility model is a container like storage and transportation vessel, or more detailed description a foldable container, which belongs to the field of large storage and transportation vessels. 
     TECHNICAL BACKGROUND 
     Large size containers have been widely used in the world for handling and transportation, especially in USA and other developed countries, container rental service has been very large-scale business. Recently, a new way of container handling and storage is rising in USA, viz. some leasing companies lend fixed large size containers to their clients, and the clients place their goods in the containers in the following ways:
         1. The client places his goods in the container at the former place for temporary storage and pay daily rent.   2. The container with the client&#39;s good is placed in the storehouse of the leasing company, pay daily container rent and storage charge.   3. The client can transport the container with his goods from one place to the other. After application, the leasing company will collect the container (empty) back or lease it locally. The rent and transport charges depends on dates and distance.       

     Now, there are approximate 25,000 containers like that transporting on road in USA. The leasing companies reduce rent to attract clients. In 2005, rent for a container per day is about USD5-7 in USA. The current container leasing in USA is fixed and made in USA, but exists the following shortage: 
     Because transportation empty fixed containers back will take large area, transporting quantity is less, transporting cost is higher;
         1. By the same token, a empty container will take large area in the warehouse;   2. Sea freight for import and export is much higher.   3. Cubage per large container is about 25-30 m 3 . In order to reduce cost of production, the USA leasing companies want to manufacture in China. But because the container has fixed size, it will cost highly to ship from China to USA or other countries, the problem of cost is not resolved finally.       

     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Purpose of the utility model is to resolve lacks of existing technology, such as large space usage and high transporting cost. It is a large foldable container with simple structure and easy producing, firm and durable, convenient to dismounting and transportation. 
     Purpose of the utility model is realized through the following technical scheme. 
     The foldable container consists of base, left wall, right wall, rear wall and front door wall, which has features of: there are hinges between the base and walls, and hinges with removable pins between walls and between the roof and walls, sealing strips at lower outside parts of walls and outside beams of the base. 
     Walls and the roof are folded on the base when storing. In case of leasing, open it, lift the roof, set up the left wall, then the right wall, and finally the rear wall and the front door wall. When the four walls form 90° each other, align the hinges at the four corners between walls, insert the pins into the center holes of hinges to fix the four walls, then cover the roof on the walls, align relative hinges and insert pins from one side to fix the whole container. In the end, mount the front door, the large transporting vessel: the foldable container is ready. 
     Advantage of the utility model:
         1. All walls can be folded on the base, and the roof can be on the folded walls, cubage of the whole is only ⅕ of the fixed container;   2. Reduced container cubage can reduce transporting cost, take less area and space for storage;   3. Joints of the container is hinges, it is simple and convenient for foldable and installation, saving working and time.       

     The leasing company can reduce all kinds of cost and obtain more economic benefit by application of the foldable container. So market competitive power can be increased largely. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is the assembly drawing; 
         FIG. 2  is the plan; 
         FIG. 3  is the partial enlarged view of joint between FIG.  2    base and the wall; 
         FIG. 4  is foldable diagram of FIG.  2    left and right walls; 
         FIG. 4  is the partial enlarged view of joint between FIG.  4    base and the wall base, and foldable position of left and right walls; 
         FIG. 6  is the foldable diagram of FIG.  2    front door wall and rear wall; 
         FIG. 7  is the joint diagram of FIG.  2    between walls, wall and roof; 
         FIG. 8  the partial enlarged view of joint between wall and roof of FIG.  7     
         FIG. 9  is the partial enlarged view of joint between walls of FIG.  7     
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter describe the utility model according to the attached figures and detailed examples. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 6 , the foldable container consists of base  1 , left wall  2 , right wall  3 , front door wall  4 , rear wall  5 , door  6  and roof  7 . There are hinges  9  for jointing the base  1  and lower parts of the left wall  2 , right wall  3 , front door wall  4  and rear wall  5 ; as shown in  FIG. 7  to  FIG. 9 , left and right wall  2  and  3 , front door wall  4  and rear wall  5  are jointed by hinges  13  with removable pins; left and right walls  2  and  3 , front door wall  4 , rear wall  5  and the roof are jointed by hinges  14  with pins. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the base is a plate, there are a beam  8  fixed above the four edges, and the hinge  9  on the beam  8 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  6 , by jointing the low parts of the front door wall  4 , the rear wall  5  and the beam  8  on the base  1  by the hinges  9 , the front door wall  4  and the rear door  5  can be folded on the plate of the base  1  directly. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , joints for left and right walls  2  and  3  and the base  1  are: the lower part of the right wall  3  bears down on the right wall base  11 , the hinge  9  is mounted at the joint of the lower part inside of the right wall  3  and the upper inside surface of the right wall base  11 . Height of the right wall base  11  is same as wall thickness of the front door wall  4  and the rear wall  5 . So the right wall  3  can be on the outside of the front door wall  4  and the rear wall  5  after foldable. The left wall  2  bears down on the left wall base  12 , the hinges  9  is mounted at the joint between the lower inside of the left side wall  2  and the upper inside surface of the left wall base  12 . While height of the left wall base  12  is same as sum of the wall thickness of the front door wall  4  and the rear wall  5 , plus thickness of the right wall  3 . So the left wall can be on the outside of the right wall  2  after foldable. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , wall corners at inner sides of left wall  2 , right wall  3  and the rear wall  5  are jointed by the hinge  13  with removable pins; as shown in  FIG. 8 , upper side of the right wall  3  and inner edge frame of the roof  7  are jointed by the hinge  14  with removable pins; as shown in  FIG. 9 , inner side of left wall  2  and right wall  3  and inner corners of the front door wall  4  and the rear wall  5  are jointed by the hinge  13  with removable pins. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , there are sealing strips  10  at lower outside parts of all walls and upper outside parts of beam  2 . 
     Walls and the roof are folded on the base when storing. In case of leasing, open it, lift the roof  7 , set up the left wall  2 , then the right wall  3 , and finally the front door wall  4  and the rear wall  5 . When the four walls are set up and vertical to the base  1 , align the hinges  13  at the four corners between walls, insert the pins into the center holes of hinges from the top down to fix the four walls, then cover the roof  7  on the walls, align relative hinges  14  of the frame beams of roof  7  and the wall inner sides, insert pins from one side to fix the roof  7  on the four walls. In the end, mount the front door  6 , the large transporting vessel: the foldable container is ready. 
     In order to show implementation of the utility model, the above mentioned example is introduced. But it is indisputable that other changes and modification for the utility model is obvious for technicians in the field, so the utility model is not limited in the described implementation. Thereby any/all modification, change or equivalent change concerned real essential and basic principle of the public content of the utility model should be protected in range of the patent of utility model.