Abstract:
A container for transport and for storage of objects, consisting of a floor part and two lengthwise and crosswise walls that stand opposite one another, in each instance, which project vertically from the floor part, and can be collapsed onto one another about hinges disposed in the floor region. The hinge of at least one of the side walls is configured in such a manner that its hinge parts, which interact with one another, can be separated from one another and connected with one another, respectively, in a defined position relative to one another.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates to a large container for transport and for storage of objects, consisting of a floor part and two lengthwise and crosswise walls that stand opposite one another, which project vertically from the floor part, and can be collapsed onto one another about hinges disposed in the floor region.  
         [0003]     2. The Prior Art  
         [0004]     Such large containers have floor dimensions of 1.20 m×0.80 m, for example. These relatively large dimensions make it problematic, during unloading of the container, to remove objects situated at the end of the container facing away from the removal side, without using aids.  
         [0005]     This problem is not solved, either, by using partial regions in the side walls that can be collapsed down to the floor region, as is already known.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The invention is therefore based on the task of further developing a large container that is freely accessible from at least one side, so that the person occupied with unloading the container can also get into the backmost region.  
         [0007]     The invention comprises a large container in which the hinge of at least one of the side walls is configured in such a manner that its hinge parts, which interact with one another, can be separated from one another and connected with one another, respectively, in a defined position.  
         [0008]     In this manner, it is possible to completely remove a side wall, without assembly effort, so that the container becomes freely accessible from one side.  
         [0009]     To remove this side wall, the locks present in the upper edge region are released, the side wall is tilted by a slight angle, and in this position, the hinge part situated on the side wall is lifted out of the hinge part situated in the floor region. Insertion of this side wall takes place in the opposite sequence.  
         [0010]     In a first alternative, the hinge is configured so that the hinge part disposed in the floor region forms an arc of &gt;180° in cross-section, and the complementary hinge part, disposed on the side wall, has cylinder-shaped axle stumps, whose cross-section is complementary to the arc-shaped cross-section of the hinge part disposed in the floor region. In this connection, the axle stumps are circular in cross-section, with a flattened region. The diameter of the circle is therefore greater than the arc opening of the hinge part disposed in the floor region, so that the hinge parts can only be separated from one another in a position in which the flattened region of the axle stump is positioned so that the projection of the arc opening has a slightly greater diameter than the projection of the axle stump.  
         [0011]     In a second embodiment, the hinge part disposed in the floor region is a rectangular hollow profile. In the top of the hinge part, facing away from the floor region, a slot-shaped opening is provided, through which opening the hinge part on the side wall, which part is L-shaped in cross-section, can be introduced, or moved out of it, respectively.  
         [0012]     The lengthwise shank of the L is disposed on the underside of the side wall in the form of a crosspiece, while the crosswise shank of the L points to the outside of the container. The dimensions of this crosswise shank are selected so that it can easily be introduced into the slot-shaped opening, but cannot be moved out of this slot-shaped opening when the side wall is vertical.  
         [0013]     In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the hinge part disposed in the floor region is also formed by a hollow profile that is rectangular in cross-section. In the top of the hinge part, facing away from the floor region, a slot-shaped opening is provided, through which opening the hinge part on the side wall can be introduced into the hollow profile, or moved out of it, respectively. The side wall hinge part consists of a crosspiece that proceeds from the lower edge of the side wall, and a bead-like thickened region disposed on the crosspiece, which thickened region has a minimal and a maximal diameter, so that the maximal diameter is greater than the width of the opening slot, and the minimal diameter is smaller than the diameter of the opening slot.  
         [0014]     Similar to the previous embodiment, the projection of the opening slot is smaller than the maximal diameter of the bead-like thickened region in the vertical position of the side wall, while the projection of the opening slot is slightly greater than the minimal diameter of the bead-like thickened region in the disassembly position.  
         [0015]     In a further embodiment, the hinge part disposed in the floor region is formed by a hollow profile that is rectangular in cross-section. In the top of the hinge part, facing away from the floor region, slot-shaped openings are provided, in such a manner that each slot-shaped opening has a region having a lesser width and a subsequent region having a greater width, and the hinge part on the side wall has a crosspiece connected with the lower edge of the side part and a cylinder-shaped widened region disposed on this crosspiece. The smaller diameter of the slot-shaped opening corresponds to the width of the crosspiece, and the widened region of the slot-shaped opening corresponds to the cylinder-shaped widened region.  
         [0016]     In this connection, the dimensions of this slot geometry are selected in such a manner that the side wall to be inserted can be set on laterally within the container tolerances, in such a manner that the cylinder-shaped widened region is disposed above the broader region of the slot-shaped opening, can be introduced into this region, and then can be pushed in the direction of the narrower opening slot, so that the crosspiece is positioned in the narrower opening slot.  
         [0017]     Another alternative provides that the hinge part disposed in the floor region is a hollow profile that is rectangular in cross-section. In the top of the hinge part, facing away from the floor region, there is a slot-shaped opening having the edges which are shaped in approximately a right angle, in funnel shape, upward, and form elastic tongues. The hinge part on the side wall consists of a roller-shaped region connected with the side wall by way of a crosspiece. The diameter of the roller-shaped part is slightly greater than the projection of the slot-like, funnel-shaped opening.  
         [0018]     By means of the funnel-shaped and elastic configuration of the introduction slot, the side wall can be inserted entirely without problems, or removed from the container composite, respectively. The roller-shaped region can be engaged into the floor-side hinge part with very little expenditure of force, or pulled out of it, respectively.  
         [0019]     The floor part may be configured in a pallet-like manner, so that the large container according to the invention can easily be transported or moved by means of forklifts or lifting trucks.  
         [0020]     The container can also be configured so that partial regions that can be folded down outward, in the direction of the floor region, are provided in the side walls.  
         [0021]     For the protection of objects packed into the container, and also for the protection of the collapsed container in and of itself, the container can be closed off by a lid, both in the assembled and in the collapsed state.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]     Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.  
         [0023]     In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:  
         [0024]      FIG. 1  shows a large container in the assembled state, in a perspective view;  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  shows a large container according to  FIG. 1 , with the removable side wall folded down;  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  shows a large container according to  FIG. 1 , with a disassembled side wall;  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  shows a large container according to  FIG. 1 , with a removed side wall;  
         [0028]      FIG. 5  shows a first alternative of a hinge design for the removable side wall;  
         [0029]      FIGS. 6   a  to  c  show a second alternative of the hinge region of the removable side wall;  
         [0030]      FIGS. 7   a  to  c  show a third alternative of the hinge region;  
         [0031]      FIGS. 8   a  to  c  show a fourth alternative of the hinge region;  
         [0032]      FIGS. 9   a  to  c  show a fifth alternative of the hinge region;  
         [0033]      FIG. 10  shows a large container according to  FIG. 1 , in the collapsed state; and  
         [0034]      FIG. 11  shows a cover for use with the container according to  FIG. 1   
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0035]     Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIGS.  1  to  4  and  10  show a large container made of plastic, generally referred to with the reference symbol  1 . It consists of a floor region  2  and side walls  3  and  4  that rise vertically from floor region  2 . Side walls  3  represent the lengthwise side walls and side walls  4  represent crosswise side walls.  
         [0036]     Side walls  3  and  4  can be connected with one another in the upper edge region by means of suitable locking devices  5 , which are known. In the floor region, side walls  3  and  4  are configured so that they can be collapsed towards one another, into the interior of the container, by hinges not shown in greater detail. This state is shown in  FIG. 10 .  
         [0037]     In the present exemplary embodiment, a pallet-like base  6  is integrated into floor region  2 , so that large container  1  can easily be moved by a forklift or lifting truck.  
         [0038]     One of the crosswise side walls  4  can be removed from the container composite, as shown in FIGS.  2  to  4 .  
         [0039]      FIG. 2  shows that the upper edge connection to the lengthwise side walls  3  has been released, and the side wall  4  is tilted into the interior of the container  1  by a slight angle.  
         [0040]      FIG. 3  shows that the crosswise side wall  4  is separated from floor region  2 , while  FIG. 4  shows the state in which crosswise side wall  4  has been completely removed, and therefore the interior of container  1  is freely accessible from this side.  
         [0041]     In side walls  3 ,  4 , partial regions  24  can be folded down to the outside, in the direction of floor  2 .  
         [0042]     The hinge configurations of the removable crosswise side wall  4  are shown in FIGS.  3  to  9 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 5  shows a hinge geometry as is evident from  FIGS. 2 and 3 .  
         [0044]     Hinge part  7 , disposed in floor region  2 , is configured like a bearing shell and has an arc-shaped cross-section, in which the arc is greater than 180°. Hinge part  8  disposed on crosswise side wall  4  has axle stumps that are configured to be complementary to the arc-shaped configuration of hinge part  7 . In other words, here, too, an arc-shaped cross-sectional surface having a flattened region  9  is provided.  
         [0045]     In the vertical state of the crosswise side wall  4  as shown, the opening width of the arc opening is less than the diameter of the arc of the axle stump  8 .  
         [0046]     In the state of crosswise side wall  4  shown in  FIG. 2 , in which it is tilted into the interior of the container by a slight angle, flattened region  9  of axle stump  8  stands perpendicular, so that the axle stump can be pulled out through the arc opening.  
         [0047]     An alternative embodiment of the hinge region is shown in  FIGS. 6   a  to  6   c.    
         [0048]     Here, floor-side hinge part  7  is a rectangular hollow profile, in the top  10  of which, facing away from the floor, a slot-shaped opening  11  is provided.  
         [0049]     Hinge part  12  situated on crosswise side wall  4  is configured in L shape, in such a manner that crosswise shank  13  of the L approximately agrees with the width of slot-shaped opening  11 .  
         [0050]      FIG. 6   b  shows the state in which the crosswise side wall  4  has been brought into the disassembly position.  
         [0051]     In  FIG. 6   c , crosswise side wall  4  has been lifted out of floor-side hinge part  7 .  
         [0052]      FIGS. 7   a  to  7   c  show a third embodiment of the invention. Here again, floor-side hinge part  7  is a rectangular hollow profile having a slot-shaped opening  11  disposed in its top  10 .  
         [0053]     In this case, the hinge part disposed on crosswise side wall  4  is a bead-like thickened region  15  molded onto the underside of crosswise side wall  4  by means of a crosspiece  14 , which thickened region has a minimal and a maximal diameter, in such a manner that the maximal diameter is greater than the width of the opening slot  11 , and the minimal diameter is smaller than the diameter of opening slot  11 . Thus, the bead-like thickened region  15  can easily be introduced into lower hinge part  7 , through slot  11 , in a certain position, and, since the bead-like thickened region has a slight crosswise inclination, it cannot exit from slot  11  in the vertical state of crosswise side wall  4 .  
         [0054]     Another embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 8   a  to  8   c.    
         [0055]     Here, floor-side hinge part  7  again is a rectangular hollow profile, in the top  10  of which slot-shaped openings  16  are provided, which consist, in each instance, of a narrower region  17  and a wider region  18 . Cylinder-shaped thickened regions  19  are disposed on the underside of crosswise wall  4  by way of a cross-piece; the diameter of these regions approximately corresponds to the width of region  18 , while the width of the crosspiece approximately corresponds to the width of region  17 .  
         [0056]     In  FIG. 8   a , crosswise side wall  4  is positioned in such a manner that cylinder-shaped widened regions  19  are disposed directly above regions  18 .  
         [0057]     In  FIG. 8   b , cylinder-shaped widened regions  19  are dipped into regions  18 , and in  FIG. 8   c , crosswise side wall  4  is shown in the assembled position, after crosswise side wall  4  has been pushed in the direction of narrower slot region  17 .  
         [0058]     Another embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 9   a  to  9   c , in which floor-side hinge part  7  again is a rectangular hollow profile. Again, a slot-shaped opening  11  is provided in top  10  of the profile, but the edges of the opening are shaped about 90° upward, and form a funnel-shaped opening  21 .  
         [0059]     The hinge part situated on crosswise side wall  4  consists of a crosspiece-shaped region  22 , onto which a roller-shaped region  23  is formed.  
         [0060]     In this connection, the diameter of roller-shaped region  23  is greater than the clear width of opening slot  11 .  
         [0061]     The erect ends  20  are configured to be elastic, so that roller-shaped part  23  can easily be pulled out of floor-side hinge part  7 , or inserted into it, by means of slight pressure or tension, respectively.  
         [0062]     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the invention can also include a cover  50  for protecting the contents of container  1 . Cover  50  can be placed on top of the top edges of walls  2 - 5  to enclose container  1 .  
         [0063]     Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.