Patent Publication Number: US-2011049144-A1

Title: Collapsible crate

Description:
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/237,668 filed Aug. 27, 2009. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     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, non-collapsible, nestable container can be supported thereon. One such collapsible crate includes end walls each having a support that is partially supported on the adjacent walls when in the support position. The nestable containers can be supported on the supports when the supports are in the support position. Ends of the supports are received in arcuate channels in the adjacent walls to permit the end walls to be collapsed. 
     The collapsible crates may be stacked on a dolly having spring-loaded locking fingers designed to interlock with recesses on some containers stacked thereon. On some dollies, the spring-loaded locking fingers are aligned with the collapsible crate in a location where a recess cannot be provided. In particular, the spring-loaded locking fingers are aligned with the arcuate channels in the adjacent walls. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a container having a end walls and side walls extending upwardly from a base. The walls are movable between an upright position and a collapsed position on the base. Supports are pivotably mounted to the end walls. Ends of the supports are received in arcuate channels in the side walls. A tab or other projection downward from the base is aligned with arcuate channel to engage the spring-loaded fingers on a dolly. 
     The container may further include at least one rib on an exterior of the side wall. The rib may include a recess formed therein to accommodate the downward projection of an identical container stacked thereon when the container is in a collapsed position with the plurality of walls collapsed on the base 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container according to one embodiment of the present invention in an assembled upright position. 
         FIG. 2  shows the container of  FIG. 1  in a collapsed position. 
         FIG. 3  is an interior perspective view of a quarter of the container of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an interior view of one of the end walls. 
         FIG. 5  is an exterior view of the quarter of the container of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a section view of the container of  FIG. 2  in a collapsed position with the base of an identical container stacked thereon. 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a section view through a portion of the container of  FIG. 1  adjacent an alignment finger on a dolly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A collapsible container  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . The collapsible container  10  includes a base  12 , collapsible side walls  14  (or “long walls”) and collapsible end walls  18  (or “short walls”). The side walls  14  are pivotably connected to upstanding side members  16 , which are integrally molded with the base  12  and extend upwardly along the side edges of the base  12 . Each end wall  18  includes a support member  20  pivotably and slidably connected thereto by arms  24 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the end walls  18  and side wall  14  are collapsible onto the base  12  for convenient shipping and storage when empty. 
     A quarter view of the collapsible container  10  is shown in  FIG. 3 . The collapsible container  10  would be symmetric about the section lines. Each of the support members  20  includes a support portion  21  extending between opposite ends  22 , which protrude outwardly relative to the arms  24 . Each side wall  14  includes an arcuate channel  30  adjacent each end wall  18 . The end  22  of the support member  20  is received in the associated channel  30 . The channel  30  extends from an upper portion of the side wall  14  to a vertical channel  34  through the upstanding portion  16 . 
     In  FIG. 3 , the support member  20  is shown in the support position. In  FIG. 4 , the support member  20  is shown pivoted to a retracted position. 
       FIG. 5  is an exterior view of the container  10  showing the bottom of the base  12 . As shown, the base  12  includes a plurality of feet  38  (or a drag rail) protruding downwardly. Aligned at least partially with the channel  34  through the upstanding portion  16  is a downward projection, such as an alignment rib or tab  40  projecting downwardly from the base  12 . The alignment rib  40  is arranged to abut a spring-biased finger or button (which may be spring biased and retractable) on a dolly or other support surface, to prevent the container  10  from sliding relative to the dolly or support surface. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the side wall  14  includes some recesses to accommodate the alignment rib  40 . For example, the exterior surface of the side wall  14  may include vertical ribs  42 ,  44  which overlap an exterior surface of the arcuate channel  30 . An opening  46  is formed through the surface of the arcuate channel  30  and a recess  48  is formed through one of the vertical ribs  44 . 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  show the collapsed container  10  with the base  12 ′ of an identical container  10 ′ stacked thereon (walls of the upper container  10 ′ removed for clarity). As shown, when stacking collapsed containers  10 ,  10 ′, the alignment rib  40 ′ of the upper container  10  is received in the opening  46  through the surface of the arcuate channel  30  and the recess  48  through the rib  44 . This permits the containers  10 ,  10 ′ to stack stably when in the collapsed position. 
       FIG. 9  is a section view through a portion of the container  10  on a dolly  60 . The dolly  60  includes a plurality of alignment fingers  62  (one shown) each biased upwardly by a spring  64  to prevent the container  10  from sliding off the dolly  60 . The base  12  of the container  10  partially compresses the finger  62  into the deck of the dolly  10  and the rib  40  abuts an inner surface of the finger  62  to help keep the container  10  in position on the dolly  10 . The container  10  may include such a rib  40  aligned with each of the vertical channels  34  in the upstanding members  16 , and the ribs  40  may each engage a different spring-loaded finger  62  in the manner shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     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.