Patent Publication Number: US-2005116433-A1

Title: Wheeled container

Description:
This invention relates to wheeled containers and to containers and display units including wheeled base assemblies.  
      In shops such as supermarkets and grocery stores goods are moved around the stores between storage areas and display areas on wheeled vehicles such as trolleys and wheeled containers. One particular type of container commonly used for transporting goods is a bulk display unit. A quantity of goods loaded onto this type of container can be moved from a goods storage area to a display area where consumers can select goods directly from the unit. For example, a bulk display unit may be used to transport a type of vegetable from a refrigerated warehousing area to the correct place on the shop floor. When required, a shop assistant pushes the display unit through the store and positions it adjacent other units containing other vegetables.  
      The bulk display units typically have a plurality of wheels or castors, for example it is not uncommon for such units to have two wheels and two castors. Wheels/castors are normally attached to the underside of the unit and support the unit above the floor. It is intended that further references to wheels in the specification include references to castors, unless otherwise stated.  
      Some consumers prefer to have display units that include shrouds for some, or all of the wheels, whereas others prefer display units that do not include shrouds. A shroud is a wall of material that depends from the base member of a wheeled container to enclose the wheel. Meeting different consumers&#39; needs causes problems for display unit manufacturers since it is necessary to produce different versions of each display unit. This greatly increases manufacturing costs as the manufacturer requires different tooling for each version. The manufacturer is also obliged to stock each version of the display unit leading to increased warehouse size and associated storage costs.  
      Accordingly, the present invention seeks to mitigate some of the afore-mentioned problems.  
      According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a wheeled container including a base member having a surface for supporting goods, a plurality of wheels for supporting the base member above a floor, and at least one shroud, wherein the shroud is releasably attached to the base member.  
      Since the shroud can be releasably attached to the base member the manufacturer only has to produce one version of the wheeled container. Shrouds can be attached to the base member, or not, according to the orders received. This provides a significant advantage to the manufacturer since he can stock display units without the shrouds attached and include them in the product only in response to orders requesting units with shrouds.  
      The present invention is not to be construed as being limited to bulk display units. The base member can be included in any wheeled container or wheeled vehicle for transporting goods such as trolleys and dollies.  
      Advantageously the container includes a locating assembly for locating the shroud on the base member in the correct position. Preferably the locating assembly includes at least one locating pin formed on one of the shroud and the base member and at least one recess formed in the other.  
      Advantageously the container includes a first locking mechanism having at least one detent formed in one of the shroud and the base member and at least one complementary hole formed in the other arranged for snap-fit engagement. In use, the detent engages with the hole when the shroud is attached to the base member to lock the shroud to the base member and the shroud is unlocked from the base member by depressing the detent clear of the hole.  
      Preferably the locating pin is formed integrally with the shroud and the detent is formed integrally with the locating pin, and wherein the recess and the hole are formed in the base member.  
      Preferably the wheeled container includes a second locking mechanism. For example the shroud may be screwed or bolted to the base member to increase the strength of the joint.  
      Preferably the base member and/or the shroud is made from a plastics material. 
    
    
      An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate equivalent features, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bulk display unit from above;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the bulk display unit of  FIG. 1  with side and end walls folded down;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a collapsed bulk display unit;  
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the bulk display unit of  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a bulk display unit from below;  
       FIG. 6  is a plan view of a base assembly from below;  
       FIG. 7   a  is a detail front view of a base assembly with shroud;  
       FIG. 7   b  is a detail sectional view of the base assembly of  FIG. 3   a;    
       FIG. 7   c  is a detail sectional view of the base assembly of  FIG. 3   a  in a larger scale; and  
       FIG. 7   d  is a detail view of a detent. 
    
    
       FIGS. 1 and 5  show a bulk display unit  2  for transporting and displaying goods, wherein the display unit  2  includes a base assembly  4  having a base member  6 , two castors  8 , two wheels  10 , two first shrouds  12   a  and two second shrouds  12   b.    
      The base assembly  4  supports two side walls  14  and two end walls  16 . The side walls  14  and end walls  16  define a space for storing goods to be transported and/or displayed within the display unit  2 . The side and end walls  14 , 16  are typically made from a plastics material. The end walls  16  and the side walls  14  have a plurality of through holes  14   a , 16   a  which reduce the weight of the bulk display unit  2  and allow air to circulate around the goods stored in the unit  2 . The end walls  16  each have a hinged part  16   b  centrally located within the wall  16  which can fold downwards from peripheral parts  16   c  of the end walls (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). This allows the height of the end walls  16  to be reduced allowing easier access to the goods stored within the unit  2  as the quantity of the goods reduces. Similarly, the side walls  14  comprise upper and lower parts  14   b ,  14   c . The upper parts  14   b  of the side walls can fold downwards to reduce the height of the side walls.  
      Advantageously, the display unit  2  is collapsible for easy storage (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The side walls  14  are attached to the peripheral parts  16   c  of the end walls by integrally formed snap-fit fittings and to the base member  6  by hinges. The side walls  14  can be disengaged from the peripheral parts  1   6 c of the end walls and folded over the base member  6 . The end walls  16  are attached to the base member  6  via sliding hinge arrangements  16   d . These allow the end walls  16  to be folded across the upper surface of the base member whilst remaining pivotally engaged with the base member  6 .  
      The base member  6  is substantially rectangular in plan and is made from a plastics material and is preferably manufactured using a moulding technique such as injection moulding. The underside of the base member has a rectangular cross-sectioned honeycomb arrangement to provide a lightweight and stiff base member  6  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ).  
      The wheels  10  and castors  8  are located towards the corners of the underside of the base member. Partially surrounding each wheel  10  and each castor  8  are first and second shrouds  12   a ,  12   b  respectively. The first and second shrouds  12   a ,  12   b  have three side walls  13  and a top plate  15 . When the shrouds  12   a ,  12   b  are attached to the underside of the base member, the side walls  13  depend from the base member to form substantially ␣-shaped barriers around the wheels  10  and castors  8 . However the invention is not limited to these specific types of shrouds. For example, the wheeled container may be arranged to include elongate shrouds that partially surround more than one wheel  10  or castor  8 , or the container may include a single shroud that is adapted to surround all wheels  10  and castors  8 . In the latter case, the shroud may include four side walls  13  that extend around the perimeter of the base member and that depend from the underside of the base member.  
      The side walls  13  of the shrouds are reinforced by ribs to increase the rigidity of the shrouds  12   a ,  12   b  and hence the level of protection provided to the wheels  10 /castors  8 . The arrangement of ribs for the first shrouds  12   a  differ to those of the second shrouds  12   b  since the second shrouds  12   a  have to accommodate rotational movement of the castors  8  about a vertical axis (see  FIG. 5 ). Preferably the side walls  13  of the shroud are arranged to be flush with the side walls of the base member.  
      The first and second shrouds  12   a ,  12   b  are attached to the underside of the base member in the same manner. The top plate  15  of the shrouds  12   a ,  12   b  lies against the underside of the base member. The top plate  15  includes a pair of locating pins  18  that fit into a pair of complementary recesses  20  in the underside of the base member to correctly locate the shrouds  12   a ,  12   b . The locating pins  18  are rectangular sectioned tubular protrusions that are integrally formed with the shrouds  12   a ,  2   b . The recesses  20  are rectangular sectioned cavities formed in the underside of the base member, preferably towards an edge of the base member. The locating pins  18  each include a detent  22  (see  FIGS. 3   c  and  3   d ) which snap-fits into a corresponding hole  24  in the side wall  26  of the base member. The detents  22  comprise cylindrical tubes with bevelled edges. To release the shroud  12   a ,  12   b  from the base member the detents  22  are depressed and the shroud is separated from the base member  6 . The top plate  15  also includes four through holes. During assembly the shroud  12   a ,  12   b  is correctly located on the underside of the base member by engaging the locating pins  18  with the recesses  20 . The wheel  10  (or castor  8 ) is then attached to the base member by four bolts  28  which pass through the holes in the top plate  15  thereby firmly securing the shroud  12   a ,  12   b  to the base member  6 .  
      The shrouds  12   a ,  12   b  can be removed from the base member  6  by removing bolts  28 , removing the wheels  10 /castors  8 , depressing the detents  22  and disengaging the locating pins  18  from the recesses  20 . The manufacturer of the display units  2  therefore only has to produce one version of the display unit  2  since shrouds  12   a ,  12   b  can be added to, or removed from, the display units  2  at any time to meet individual consumers&#39; needs. This leads to a reduction in manufacturing and storage costs.  
      It will be apparent to the skilled person that other arrangements for attaching shrouds  12   a ,  12   b  to the base member  6  can be used.