Patent ID: 8807367

Claim:
A foldable crate, comprising: (a) a base platform comprising: (I) a pair of longitudinal portions; (II) a pair of flanking portions; (III) at least one structural element, disposed about said longitudinal portions of said base platform; (IV) at least one structural element, disposed about said flanking portions of said base platform; (b) a pair of longitudinal sidewalls, each of said longitudinal sidewalls comprising at least one structural element, adapted to form a hinged connection with said at least one structural element, disposed about said longitudinal portion of said base platform; (c) a pair of flanking sidewalls, each of said flanking sidewalls comprising: (I) at least one structural element, adapted to form a hinged connection with said at least one structural element, disposed about said flanking portion of said base platform; (II) a tab adapted to serve as a gripping handle; (III) a structured centric recess, essentially surrounding said tab and adapted to accommodate a locking mechanism; said structured centric recess including a circular indentation or aperture; (IV) a pair of channels at the top portion of said flanking sidewall; (d) a locking mechanism, said locking comprising: (I) a pair of actuators, each one of said actuators being slidable inside said structured centric recess of said flanking sidewalls and comprising: (i) an aperture offset the centerline of a top portion of said actuator; (ii) at least one leaf-spring, adapted to drive said actuator downwards; (iii) an actuators tab essentially congruent to said tab of said flanking sidewall; (II) at least one pair of locking elements threaded into said pair of channels at the top portion of said flanking sidewalls; (III) a rotor disposed in and rotatable about said circular indentation or aperture, in said structured centric recess of said flanking sidewall, said rotor comprises: (i) a driven pin disposed in said indentation or aperture in said top portion of said actuator; and (ii) a pair of driving pins threaded into said locking elements; wherein upon forceful elevation of said actuator in an upward direction, said rotor is rotated and said locking elements are consequently retracted into said channels, thereby allowing folding said crate; and wherein upon release of said forceful elevation, said at least one leaf-spring drives said actuator in a downward direction and said locking elements are consequently retracted from said channels of said flanking sidewalls, into said longitudinal sidewalls; thereby locking said crate in an assembled position.