container

Abstract

The stacking structure needs to be made more stable. [Solution] The first container 10 of this disclosure has a stacking recess 25 formed at the upper end of the first side wall 13, which opens to the inner surface and the upper end flange wall 13F. The stacking recess 25 has a first recess 25A and a second recess 25B, and the first recess 25A is formed by further deepening a part of the second recess 25B. When the first containers 10 are stacked on top of each other, the protrusion 20 of the first side wall 13 of the upper first container 10 is received by the first recess 25A of the lower first container 10. When the second container 40 is stacked on top of the first container 10, the protrusion 50 of the first side wall 43 of the second container 40 is received by the second recess 25B of the first container 10.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a container capable of stacking containers on top of each other and abutting a plurality of protrusions on the outer surface of the upper container against the upper part of the lower container for stacking.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of container, a container capable of stacking separate containers has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0024] and FIG. 5, etc.)

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described conventional container, when containers are stacked on top of each other or when a separate container is stacked on top of a container, a plurality of protrusions on the outer surface of the container or the separate container are supported by the upper end surface of the container or are in a floating state from the upper end surface. On the other hand, it is required to make the stacked state more stable.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A first aspect of the invention made to achieve the above objective is a container that can be stacked on top of other containers, with multiple protrusions on the outer surface of the upper container abutting against the upper part of the lower container, and can also be stacked with other containers of a different size that are themselves stackable, wherein the upper part of the container is provided with a first recess capable of receiving the protrusions of the container to be stacked on top of it, and a second recess capable of receiving the protrusions of the other container to be stacked on top of it, and the heights of the bottom surface of the first recess and the bottom surface of the second recess are different.

[0006] A second aspect of the invention is a container according to the first aspect, which allows for stacking of additional containers on top of a plurality of containers arranged side by side, and comprises a pair of opposing first side walls and a pair of second side walls, wherein the first recess and the second recess are arranged on the pair of first side walls, and the upper surface of the second side wall is located below the upper surface of the first side wall.

[0007] A third aspect of the invention is the container according to the second aspect, wherein the lower of the bottom surface of the first recess and the bottom surface of the second recess is located at the same height as or above the upper surface of the second side wall.

[0008] A fourth aspect of the invention is a container according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein one of the first recess and the second recess is made by further deepening a portion of the other recess.

[0009] A fifth aspect of the invention is a container according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, comprising a container body having the protrusion, the first recess and the second recess, and a lid that closes the upper opening of the container body, wherein a ridge portion having the first recess and the second recess protrudes from the outer edge of the upper surface of the lid.

[0010] A sixth aspect of the invention is a container according to the fifth aspect, comprising a lid projection that protrudes downward from the outer edge of the lid and is received in the first recess or the second recess.

[0011] A seventh aspect of the invention is a container set comprising a plurality of containers described in any one of the first to sixth aspects, and the aforementioned other container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In the container of the first embodiment and the container set of the seventh embodiment, when containers are stacked on top of each other, and when another container is stacked on top of a container, the protrusions of the upper container or the other container are received by the first recess or the second recess of the container. As a result, the protrusions are positioned, the displacement of the upper container or the other container is restricted, and the stacked state is stabilized.

[0013] In the container of the second embodiment, since the upper surface of the second side wall is located lower than the upper surface of the first side wall, it is possible to place containers side by side with their second side walls adjacent to each other, and to place another container straddling them. Furthermore, since the first recess and the second recess are located in the first side wall, the effective interior height can be increased compared to when they are located in the second side wall, which has a lower upper surface.

[0014] In the container of the third embodiment, the lower of the bottom surfaces of the first recess and the second recess is located at the same height as or above the top surface of the second side wall, so the effective internal height can be increased compared to the case where the bottom surface of the lower recess is located below the top surface of the second side wall.

[0015] In the container of the fourth embodiment, one of the first recess and the second recess is formed by further deepening a portion of the other recess; in other words, the first recess and the second recess are partially shared, so the area of ​​recess formation can be made smaller than if the first recess and the second recess were placed in different locations.

[0016] According to the container of the fifth aspect, stacking of container bodies on top of each other and stacking of another container on top of the container are possible. Moreover, even when the container body is covered with a lid, stacking of containers on top of each other and stacking of another container on top of the container are possible. Therefore, it is possible to select whether to stack only the container bodies or to stack them with the lid on, depending on the situation.

[0017] In the container of the sixth aspect, when the container body is covered with a lid, the lid protrusion is received in the first recess or the second recess, so that the state with the lid on is stabilized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] Perspective view of the container set according to the present disclosure [Figure 2] Perspective view of the first container [Figure 3] Perspective view of the first container [Figure 4] Bottom side perspective view of the first container [Figure 5] Perspective view of the state where the first containers are stacked on top of each other [Figure 6] Side cross-sectional view of the state where the first containers are stacked on top of each other [Figure 7] Perspective cross-sectional view of the state where the first containers are stacked on top of each other [Figure 8] Perspective view of the second container [Figure 9] Perspective view of the second container [Figure 10] Perspective view of the state where the second containers are stacked on top of each other [Figure 11] Enlarged view of the state where the second container is stacked on top of the first container [Figure 12] Side cross-sectional view of the state where the second container is stacked on top of the first container [Figure 13] Enlarged view of the state where the second container is stacked on top of the first container [Figure 14] Side cross-sectional view of the state where the second container is stacked on top of the first container [Figure 15] Perspective view of the container set [Figure 16] Perspective view of the lid [Figure 17] Perspective view of the underside of the lid [Figure 18] Perspective view of two lidded containers stacked on top of each other. [Figure 19] Perspective cross-sectional view of two lidded containers stacked on top of each other. [Figure 20] Side cross-sectional view of a container with a lid stacked on top of another container (Container 1). [Figure 21] Side cross-sectional view showing the second container stacked on top of the first container with a lid. [Figure 22] Side cross-sectional view showing the second container stacked on top of the first container with a lid. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] The container set 100 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 22. As shown in Figure 1, the container set 100 includes a first container 10 (corresponding to "container" and "container body" in the claims) and a second container 40 which is larger than the first container 10 (corresponding to "another container" in the claims).

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first container 10 has a box shape with a rectangular top opening 10K, and side walls 12 and 13 rise from the outer edge of the rectangular bottom wall 11. In detail, the side walls 12 and 13 consist of a pair of first side walls 13 rising from the short side and a pair of second side walls 12 rising from the long side of the bottom wall 11, and these side walls 12 and 13 are inclined so that the opening expands as they move upward. The connecting parts between adjacent side walls 12 and 13 are rounded. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the first container 10 (i.e., the direction in which the pair of first side walls 13 face each other) is referred to as the first horizontal direction H1, and the short direction (i.e., the direction in which the pair of second side walls 12 face each other) is referred to as the second horizontal direction H2.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the bottom wall 11 of the first container 10 is provided with a bottom fitting portion 14 that protrudes downward. The bottom fitting portion 14 is located in two regions obtained by dividing the bottom wall 11 in the second horizontal direction H2, and has a surrounding rib 14A that encloses the region, and a grid rib 14B formed in a grid pattern inside the surrounding rib 14A. In addition, the area between the two bottom fitting portions 14 on the lower surface of the bottom wall 11 is a bottom groove 11M that extends in the first horizontal direction H1.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the side walls 12 and 13 are provided with upper flange walls 12F and 13F that protrude laterally from the upper end, and reinforcing flange walls 15 positioned below them and extending around the entire outer surface of the first container 10. In addition, approximately in the vertical center of the first container 10, a corner flange wall 16 is formed, which is formed by dividing the middle portion of each side wall 12 and 13 from the approximately entire outer surface of the first container 10, i.e., protruding only from the corner portion. These upper flange walls 12F and 13F, the reinforcing flange wall 15, and the corner flange wall 16 are connected by a plurality of vertical ribs 17. Furthermore, the first container 10 has finger grip portions 18 formed in the center of the first side wall 13 and the center of the second side wall 12, where a part of the reinforcing flange wall 15 bulges upward and the lower surface is open.

[0023] As shown in Figure 5, the first container 10 of this embodiment can be stacked in a stacking state or a nesting state depending on the orientation of the first container 10. The configuration for stacking in a stacking state or a nesting state will be described below.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, each side wall 12, 13 has a pair of projections 19, 20 and vertical grooves 21, 22. Each projection 19, 20 extends downward from the reinforcing flange wall 15 or corner flange wall 16 on the outer surface of each side wall 12, 13, and each has a pair of vertical ribs 19T, 20T arranged side by side, horizontal ribs 19Y, 20Y connecting the lower end positions of the pair of vertical ribs 19T, 20T, and hanging walls 19S, 20S hanging down from the outer ends of the horizontal ribs 19Y, 20Y. The lower end surfaces of the vertical ribs 19T, 20T and the lower end surfaces of the hanging walls 19S, 20S are flush and constitute the lower ends of the projections 19, 20. Furthermore, the lower ends of each projection 19, 20 are all positioned at the same height and are located above the lower end surface of the first container 10 (the lower end surface of the lower fitting portion 14).

[0025] Each vertical groove 21, 22 is formed in a groove shape extending vertically on the inner surface of each side wall 12, 13, opening into the upper end flange walls 12F, 13F, with its lower end located at approximately half the height of the first container 10. Furthermore, each vertical groove 21, 22 is positioned to correspond to each protrusion 19, 20 when the first container 10 is rotated 180 degrees in plan view, and has a size (specifically, a width along the lateral direction of the first container 10 and a depth along the inward and outward directions of the first container 10) that can accommodate the corresponding protrusions 19, 20.

[0026] In a pair of second side walls 12, protrusions 19 and vertical grooves 21 are located at both ends. More specifically, in one of the pair of second side walls 12 (the left second side wall 12 in Figure 2), vertical grooves 21 are located at both ends, with protrusions 19 located next to them on the inside, while in the other second side wall 12 (the left second side wall 12 in Figure 3), protrusions 19 are located at both ends, with vertical grooves 21 located next to them on the inside.

[0027] Furthermore, one of the protrusions 19 on the second side wall 12 is a relatively narrow protrusion 19B, while the other protrusion 19 on the second side wall 12 is a wider protrusion 19A. The vertical groove 21 on one of the second side wall 12 is a wide vertical groove 21A capable of receiving the wide protrusion 19A, while the vertical groove 21 on the other second side wall 12 is a narrow vertical groove 21B capable of receiving the narrow protrusion 19B.

[0028] In each pair of first side walls 13, a relatively wide projection 20A is positioned at the left end in Figure 2, and a relatively narrow projection 20B is positioned to the right of the center. A wide vertical groove 22A capable of receiving the wide projection 20A is positioned at the right end in Figure 2, and a narrow vertical groove 22B capable of receiving the narrow projection 20B is positioned to the left of the center.

[0029] As shown in Figure 5, when another first container 10 (the topmost first container 10 in Figure 5) is stacked on top of the first container 10 (the middle first container 10 in Figure 5) rotated 180 degrees in plan view, the protrusions 19 and 20 of the upper first container 10 are received by the vertical grooves 21 and 22 of the lower first container 10, resulting in a nesting state. In the nesting state, the lower ends of the protrusions 19 and 20 of the upper first container 10 are positioned away from the bottom of the vertical grooves 21 and 22 of the lower first container 10, and the corner flange wall 16 of the upper first container 10 abuts against the upper end flange wall 13F of the lower first container 10, determining the fitting depth (see Figure 6).

[0030] On the other hand, when another first container 10 (the middle first container 10 in Figure 5) is stacked on top of the first container 10 (the bottommost first container 10 in Figure 5) in the same orientation, as shown in Figure 5, the protrusions 19, 20 of the upper first container 10 come into contact with the upper ends of the side walls 12, 13 of the lower first container 10, resulting in a stacked state.

[0031] In this embodiment, the first container 10 has a stacking recess 25 formed at the upper end of the first side wall 13, opening into the inner surface and the upper flange wall 13F. As shown in Figure 2, the stacking recesses 25 are located to the left of each pair of vertical grooves 22 (left in Figure 2) and are recessed in two steps from the upper flange wall 13F. More specifically, the stacking recess 25 has a first bottom wall 25E and a second bottom wall 25F located above the first bottom wall 25E. In the right-hand stacking recess 25 in Figure 2, the first bottom wall 25E is located in the center, with the second bottom walls 25F located on either side of it. On the other hand, in the left-hand stacking recess 25 in Figure 2, the first bottom wall 25E is located on the left, and the second bottom wall 25F is located on the right. Hereafter, the portion of the stacked recess 25 with the first bottom wall 25E as its base will be referred to as the first recess 25A, and the portion of the stacked recess 25 with the second bottom wall 25F and its extended plane as its base will be referred to as the second recess 25B. In other words, the first recess 25A is formed by further deepening a portion of the second recess 25B.

[0032] Furthermore, each first recess 25A is located above each projection 20, and its width in the second horizontal direction H2 corresponds to the width of each projection 20. That is, the first recess 25A above the wide projection 20A is relatively wide and sized to accommodate the wide projection 20A, and the first recess 25A above the narrow projection 20B is relatively narrow and sized to accommodate the narrow projection 20B. In addition, the first bottom wall 25E is provided with a restricting projection 25T that protrudes upward.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the upper surfaces of a pair of second side walls 12 are positioned lower than the upper surfaces of a pair of first side walls 13. More specifically, the upper end flange walls 13F of the pair of first side walls 13 extend to both ends of the second horizontal direction H2 of the first container 10, and the first side walls 13 are provided with extended surfaces 13E that hang down from the inner side edges of both ends of the second horizontal direction H2 of the upper end flange walls 13F, extending the inner surface of the first side walls 13 to the end of the second horizontal direction H2 of the first container 10. The upper end flange walls 12F of the second side walls 12 connect the lower ends of the extended surfaces 13E of the opposing first side walls 13. The upper surface of this upper end flange wall 12F is at the same height as the bottom surface of the first recess 25A.

[0034] Furthermore, at both ends of the first side wall 13 in the second horizontal direction H2, inclined portions 13K are formed where the corners between the upper end flange wall 13F and the inner surface (including the extension surface 13E) of the first side wall 13 are cut out. In addition, the upper end flange wall 12F of the second side wall 12 is provided with one upwardly protruding restricting projection 12T at each end.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5, when the first containers 10 are stacked on top of each other, the projection 20 of the first side wall 13 of the upper first container 10 is received by the first recess 25A of the lower first container 10, and the lower end of the projection 20 abuts against the first bottom wall 25E (see Figure 6). This restricts lateral movement of the upper and lower first containers 10. In addition, the projection 19 of the second side wall 12 abuts against the upper end flange wall 12F of the second side wall 12 of the lower first container 10 (see Figure 5). Then, as shown in Figure 7, the lower fitting portion 14 of the upper first container 10 fits into the upper opening 10K of the lower first container 10, and the restricting projections 12T and 25T of the second side wall 12 and the first side wall 13 engage with the lower ends of the respective projections 19 and 20, thereby suppressing lateral movement of the upper and lower first containers 10.

[0036] Next, the second container 40 shown in Figure 8 will be described. The second container 40 will be described with its short side aligned with the first horizontal direction H1 and its long side aligned with the second horizontal direction H2. As shown in Figure 8, the side walls 42 and 43 of the second container 40 consist of a pair of first side walls 43 rising from the long side of the bottom wall 41 and a pair of second side walls 42 rising from the short side of the bottom wall 41. The bottom wall 41 of the second container 40 has a grid pattern with square holes 41K arranged throughout, and grid ribs 41L are provided on its lower surface (see Figure 9). The lower end surface of these grid ribs 41L and the lower end surface of the side walls 42 and 43 are flush.

[0037] As shown in Figure 10, the second container 40, like the first container 10, is equipped with a pair of protrusions 49, 50 and vertical grooves 51, 52 on each side wall 42, 43, allowing it to be stacked or nested. Furthermore, the height difference between the lower end of the second container 40 itself (i.e., the lower ends of the grid rib 41L and side walls 42, 43) and the lower ends of the protrusions 49, 50 is approximately the same as the height difference between the bottom surface of the second recess 25B of the first container 10 and the upper surface of the second side wall 12. In addition, in the second container 40, the upper surface of the first side wall 43 and the upper surface of the second side wall 42 are flush. When the second containers 40 are stacked on top of each other, the protrusions 49 and 50 come into contact with the upper surfaces of the first side wall 43 and the second side wall 42, and the lower end of the upper second container 40 fits into the upper opening 40K of the lower second container 40.

[0038] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the protrusions 49 and 50 of the second container 40 are also divided into wide protrusions 49A and 50A and narrow protrusions 49B and 50B, similar to the protrusions 19 and 20 of the first container 10 (see Figure 2). In a pair of second side walls 42, two wide protrusions 49A are provided on one second side wall 42 (the second side wall 42 on the left in Figure 8), and two narrow protrusions 49B are provided on the other second side wall 42 (the second side wall 42 on the left in Figure 9). The protrusion 49 of the second side wall 42 of the second container 40 is located in approximately the same position as the protrusion 19 of the second side wall 12 of the first container 10 (see Figure 11). In the pair of first side walls 43, a narrow projection 50B is positioned near one end of each (near the left end in Figure 8), and a wide projection 50A is positioned at the other end of each (near the right end in Figure 8). Then, wide vertical grooves 51A, 52A and narrow vertical grooves 51B, 52B are positioned at positions corresponding to the wide projections 49A, 50A and narrow projections 49B, 50B when the second container 40 is rotated 180 degrees in plan view.

[0039] As mentioned above, the second container 40 is larger than the first container 10, but its length and width are as follows. That is, the length of the first horizontal direction H1 (short side) of the second container 40 is the same as the length of the first horizontal direction H1 (long side) of the first container 10, while the length of the second horizontal direction H2 (long side) of the second container 40 is 3.5 times the length of the second horizontal direction H2 (short side) of the first container 10. As a result, the planar shape of three first containers 10 arranged in the second horizontal direction H2 is approximately the same as the planar shape of two second containers 40 arranged in the second horizontal direction H2.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 and 12, if all containers 10 and 40 are oriented in the same direction (in Figures 1 and 12, the narrow protrusions 20B and 50B of the first side walls 13 and 43 are positioned on the left side), two second containers 40 can be stacked on top of three first containers 10 arranged side by side. In this state, each protrusion 50 of the first side wall 43 of the second container 40 is received by the second recess 25B of the first container 10, and the lower end of the protrusion 50 abuts against the second bottom wall 25F.

[0041] At this time, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, the left projection 50 of each second container 40 approaches or abuts against the left inner surface of the corresponding second recess 25B, and the right projection 50 approaches or abuts against the right inner surface of the corresponding second recess 25B, thereby restricting the movement of the second container 40 in the second horizontal direction H2. In addition, since each projection 50 of the second container 40 approaches or abuts against the rear inner surface of the corresponding second recess 25B, and the lower end of the second container 40 fits between the pair of first side walls 13 of the first container 10, the movement of the second container 40 in the first horizontal direction H1 is also restricted.

[0042] Furthermore, since the upper surfaces of the pair of second side walls 12 of the first container 10 are positioned lower than the upper surfaces of the pair of first side walls 13, as shown in Figure 14, interference between the lower end of the second container 40, which is positioned to straddle the two first containers 10, and the adjacent second side walls 12 of the two first containers 10, which would cause the stacking to become unstable, can be avoided.

[0043] Moreover, the height difference between the bottom surface (second bottom wall 25F) of the second recess 25B (see Figure 2) of the first container 10 and the top surface of the second side wall 12 is approximately the same as the height difference between the lower end of the second container 40 itself (i.e., the lower ends of the grid ribs 41L and side walls 42, 43) and the lower ends of the protrusions 49, 50. As shown in Figure 14, the lower end of the second container 40 is supported by contacting the upper surfaces of the adjacent second side walls 12 of the two first containers 10. In addition, the restricting protrusion 12T of the second side wall 12 of the first container 10 enters the compartment 41H partitioned by the grid ribs 41L at the lower end of the second container 40, further restricting the lateral movement of the second container 40. Furthermore, in the area where the second side wall 12 of the first container 10 and the second side wall 42 of the second container 40 are aligned vertically, the protrusion 49 of the second side wall 42 of the second container 40 is held in a state where it is floating above the upper surface of the second side wall 12 of the first container 10.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, it is also possible to stack three first containers 10 (topmost in Figure 15) on top of two second containers 40 (second from the top in Figure 15) arranged side by side. In this case, the protrusions 19,20 of the first container 10 abut against the upper surface of the second container 40, and the lower fitting portion 14 (see Figure 4) of the first container 10 fits into the upper opening 40K of the second container 40. In addition, in the case of a first container 10 that straddles two second containers 40 (the first container 10 in the middle), the adjacent second side walls 42 of the two second containers 40 are received in the lower groove 11M, so that the lower fitting portion 14 does not interfere with the second side walls 42 of the second container 40, and the bottom surface of the lower groove 11M (the bottom surface of the bottom wall 11) abuts against the upper surface of the adjacent second side walls 42, thereby supporting the first container 10.

[0045] Incidentally, the first container 10 of this embodiment can be stacked on top of each other and mixed with the second container 40, even when closed with the lid 30. The details will be explained below. The first container 10 with the lid 30 on top will be referred to as the "first container 90 with lid" (corresponding to "container" in the claims) as appropriate.

[0046] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the lid 30 has a top plate 31 that closes the top opening 10K (see Figure 2) of the first container 10, a first embankment portion 33 that overlaps the first side wall 13 (see Figure 15) of the first container 10 from above, and a second embankment portion 32 that overlaps the second side wall 12 (see Figure 15) of the first container 10 from above. Each embankment portion 32, 33 has an upper inner wall 32A, 33A that rises from the outer edge of the top plate 31, a lower inner wall 32B, 33B that hangs down from a circle inside the outer edge of the top plate 31, an outer wall 32C, 33C that faces the upper inner wall 32A, 33A and the lower inner wall 32B, 33B from the outside, and an upper end flange wall 32F, 33F that connects the upper inner wall 32A, 33A and the outer wall 32C, 33C. The upper inner wall 33A and lower inner wall 33B of the first embankment section 33 extend to both ends of the lid body 30 in the second horizontal direction H2, and the upper end flange wall 32F of the second embankment section 32 connects the upper inner walls 33A of the first embankment section 33. The upper inner walls 32A, 33A and the lower inner walls 32B, 33B are connected to the outer walls 32C, 33C by multiple connecting ribs 32L, 33L.

[0047] Similar to the first container 10 (see Figure 2), the upper flange wall 32F of the second embankment 32 of the lid 30 is located lower than the upper flange wall 33F of the first embankment 33. The height difference between the upper flange wall 32F of the second embankment 32 and the upper flange wall 33F of the first embankment 33 is approximately the same as the height difference between the upper flange wall 12F of the second side wall 12 and the upper flange wall 13F of the first side wall 13 in the first container 10.

[0048] Furthermore, a stacking recess 35 is formed in the first embankment portion 33 of the lid 30 at the same position as the stacking recess 25 in the first side wall 13 of the first container 10 (see Figure 15). As shown in Figures 2 and 16, the stacking recess 35 of the lid 30 has substantially the same shape as the stacking recess 25 of the first container 10, except that it does not have a restricting projection 25T, and has a first recess 35A and a second recess 35B. Also, at both ends of the first embankment portion 33, an inclined portion 33K is formed where the corner between the upper end flange wall 33F and the upper inner wall 33A is cut out, similar to the inclined portion 13K of the first container 10. In addition, a restricting projection 32T is provided in the upper end flange wall 32F of the second embankment portion 32 at the same position as the restricting projection 12T of the first container 10.

[0049] As shown in Figure 17, the lower inner wall 33B of the first embankment section 33 and the lower inner wall 32B and outer wall 32C of the second embankment section 32 are flush with each other at their lower ends. On the other hand, the lower end surface of the outer wall 33C of the first embankment section 33 is flush with the lower surface of the top plate 31 via the lower end surface of the connecting rib 33L. The height difference between the lower end surface of the outer wall 33C of the first embankment section 33 and the lower end surface of the outer wall 32C of the second embankment section 32 is approximately the same as the height difference between the upper end flange wall 12F of the second side wall 12 and the upper end flange wall 13F of the first side wall 13 in the first container 10 (see Figure 2).

[0050] Furthermore, at both ends of the first embankment section 33, there are thickened sections 33N extending from the upper end of the upper inner wall 33A to the middle of the lower inner wall 33B. The lower end surface of this thickened section 33N forms a lower inclined section 33M that approaches downwards as it approaches the lower inner wall 33B. When the lid 30 is placed over the first container 10 (see Figure 18), the lower inclined section 33M is close to or in contact with the inclined section 13K of the first container 10, and when the lids 30 are stacked on top of each other (not shown), the lower inclined section 33M is close to or in contact with the inclined section 33K of the lower lid 30.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the first embankment portion 33 is provided with a lid projection 36 that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the first bottom wall 35E, which is the bottom of the first recess 35A. The lid projection 36 has a "U" shape in cross-section and is connected to the outer surfaces of the upper inner wall 33A and the lower inner wall 33B, and extends to the same height as the lower end surface of the second embankment portion 32.

[0052] As shown in Figures 18 to 20, when the lid 30 is placed over the first container 10, the outer wall 33C of the first embankment 33 of the lid 30 and the lower end surface of the connecting rib 33L abut against the upper end flange wall 13F of the first side wall 13 of the first container 10, and the lower end surface of the second embankment 32 of the lid 30 abuts against the upper end flange wall 12F of the second side wall 12 of the first container 10. The lid projection 36 of the lid 30 is received by the first recess 25A of the first container 10, and the portion between the lower inner walls 33B of the pair of first embankments 33 of the lid 30 fits between the first side walls 13 of the first container 10.

[0053] When another first container 10 (including the first container 10 of the first container 90 with a lid) is stacked on top of the first container 90 with a lid, the protrusion 20 of the first side wall 13 of the upper first container 10 is received by the first recess 35A of the lid 30 and abuts against the bottom surface of the first recess 35A, while the protrusion 19 of the second side wall 12 of the upper first container 10 abuts against the upper end flange wall 32F of the second embankment 32 of the lid 30. The lower fitting portion 14 of the upper first container 10 is then fitted into the area surrounded by the embankments 32 and 33 of the lid 30, and the restricting protrusion 32T of the second embankment 32 of the lid 30 engages with the lower end of the protrusion 19 of the second side wall 12 of the upper first container 10. This suppresses lateral displacement between the first container 90 with a lid and the first container 10.

[0054] Then, as shown in Figure 15, when two second containers 40 are stacked on top of three first containers 90 with lids arranged side by side, the protrusions 50 of the first side walls 43 of the second containers 40 are received by the second recesses 35B of the lids 30 of the first containers 90, similar to when the second containers 40 are stacked on top of the first containers 10 (see Figure 1), and lateral movement is restricted (see Figure 21). Then, as shown in Figure 22, the lower end of the second container 40, which is positioned to straddle the two first containers 90 with lids, is supported by contacting the upper surfaces of the adjacent second embankments 32 of the lids 30 of the two first containers 90 with lids. In addition, the restricting protrusions 32T of the second embankments 32 of the lids 30 enter the compartment 41H at the lower end of the second container 40, further restricting the lateral movement of the second container 40.

[0055] The configuration of the container set 100 of this embodiment is as described above. Next, the effects will be explained. The container set 100 of this embodiment has a first container 10 and a second container 40, and the first containers 10 and the second containers 40 can be stacked on top of each other or nested on each other. This allows the first containers 10 or the second containers 40 to be stacked on top of each other when they contain work (not shown), or to be stacked on top of each other or nested on each other when they are empty.

[0056] Furthermore, in the container set 100 of this embodiment, two second containers 40 can be stacked on top of three first containers 10 arranged side by side, and three first containers 10 can be stacked on top of two second containers 40 arranged side by side. This allows the two types of containers 10 and 40 to be compactly arranged, improving transport efficiency.

[0057] In this embodiment of the container set 100, when the first containers 10 are stacked on top of each other, the protrusion 20 of the first side wall 13 of the upper first container 10 is received by the first recess 25A of the lower first container 10, and when the second container 40 is stacked on top of the group of first containers 10, the protrusion 50 of the first side wall 43 of the second container 40 is received by the second recess 25B of the first container 10, so that the protrusions 20 and 50 are positioned and the stacked state is stabilized.

[0058] Furthermore, since the bottom surface of the first recess 25A is located lower than the bottom surface of the second recess 25B, the fitting depth between the first containers 10 is greater than the fitting depth when the second containers 40 are stacked, and the stacking of the first containers 10 is stable. When the second containers 40 are stacked on top of the first containers 10, the second containers 40 straddle the two first containers 10, and the distance between a pair of protrusions 50 is greater than the distance between a pair of protrusions 20 on the first containers 10, thus stabilizing the stacked state.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to avoid interference with the lower end of the second container 40, the upper surface of the second side wall 12 of the first container 10 is located lower than the upper surface of the first side wall 13. However, since the first recess 25A and the second recess 25B are located on the first side wall 13 rather than the second side wall 12, the effective internal height of the first container 10 can be increased compared to when they are located on the second side wall 12, which has a lower upper surface. Moreover, since the bottom surface of the first recess 25A of the first container 10 is located at the same height as the upper surface of the second side wall 12, the effective internal height can be increased compared to when the bottom surface of the first recess 25A is located lower than the upper surface of the second side wall 12. In addition, the first recess 25A is formed by further deepening a part of the second recess 25B, that is, the first recess 25A and the second recess 25B are partially shared, so the formation range of the recesses 25A and 25B can be reduced compared to when the first recess 25A and the second recess 25B are located in different positions.

[0060] Furthermore, the height difference between the first embankment 33 and the second embankment 32 of the lid 30, and the shape of the stacking recess 35, are matched to the height difference between the first side wall 13 and the second side wall 12 of the first container 10, and the shape of the stacking recess 25. As a result, the shape of the upper part of the lid 30 corresponds to the shape of the upper part of the first container 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the lid 30 is placed over the first container 10 (in the state of a first container 90 with a lid), it is possible to stack the first container 10 or the first container 90 with a lid on top of it. Thus, it is possible to choose whether to stack the first container 10 alone or with the lid 30 on top, depending on the situation.

[0061] Furthermore, the lid 30 is provided with a lid projection 36 that is received by the first recess 25A of the first container 10 when the lid 30 is placed over the first container 10, thus stabilizing the state in which the lid 30 is placed over the first container 10. In addition, the load of the first container 10 and the second container 40 stacked on top of the lid 30 is transmitted to the first container 10 below via the lid projection 36, thereby suppressing damage to the lid 30.

[0062] Furthermore, the portion connecting the lower end of the first embankment portion 33 and the lower end of the second embankment portion 32 of the cover 30 is stepped and is considered prone to damage. However, this portion is made of a thickened section 33N, and its lower end surface is a sloping lower section 33M, so this connecting portion is reinforced and less prone to damage.

[0063] [Other embodiments] (1) The container set 100 does not need to have a lid 30.

[0064] (2) The bottom surface of the first recess 25A of the first container 10 may be located above or below the top surface of the second side wall 12. In this case, it is preferable to change the height of the lower end surface of the projection 19 of the first container 10 to match the height of the bottom surface of the first recess 25A. Considering the effective internal height of the first container 10, it is preferable that the bottom surface of the first recess 25A is at the same height as the top surface of the second side wall 12 or located above the top surface of the second side wall 12.

[0065] (3) The first side wall 13 and the second side wall 12 of the first container 10 may be of the same height. Also, the stacking recess 25 may be provided on the second side wall 12.

[0066] (4) The first recess 25A and the second recess 25B may be located apart from each other.

[0067] (5) The ends of the second side wall 12 of the first container 10 may be flush with the top surface of the first side wall 13.

[0068] (6) The lid projection 36 may be configured to be received in the second recess 25B instead of the first recess 25A.

[0069] (7) The bottom surface of the second recess 25B may be located below the bottom surface of the first recess 25A. In this case, when the first containers 10 are stacked on top of each other, the protrusion 20 of the first side wall 13 of the upper first container 10 is received by the first recess 25A of the lower first container 10, and the lower end of the protrusion 20 abuts against the first bottom wall 25E. Also, when two second containers 40 are stacked on top of three first containers 10 arranged in a row, the protrusions 50 of the first side wall 43 of the second containers 40 are received by the second recess 25B of the first container 10, and the lower ends of the protrusions 50 abut against the second bottom wall 25F. The same applies to the first recess 35A and the second recess 35B of the lid 30.

[0070] Furthermore, in this case, if the upper surface of the upper end flange wall 12F of the first side wall 12 and the bottom surface of the second recess 25B are made to the same height, and the lower ends of the lattice ribs 41L and side walls 42, 43 of the second container 40 and the lower ends of the protrusions 49, 50 are made to the same height, then when the second container 40 is stacked on top of the first container 10, the lower end of the second container 40 will come into contact with the upper end flange wall 12F of the first container 10, thus enabling stable stacking without reducing the effective internal height of the lower first container 10 in each stacking state.

[0071] (8) In the above embodiment, the length of the second container 40 in the second horizontal direction H2 was 3 / 2 times the length of the first container 10 in the second horizontal direction H2, but it is not limited to this, and for example it may be shorter than the length of the first container 10 in the second horizontal direction H2. If the length of the second container 40 in the second horizontal direction H2 is made m / n times the length of the first container 10 in the second horizontal direction H2 (m, n are integers), it becomes possible to stack n second containers 40 on top of m first containers 10 arranged in the second horizontal direction H2.

[0072] (9) In the above embodiment, two protrusions 19, 20, 49, 50, 36, vertical grooves 21, 22, 51, 52, and recesses 25, 35 were provided on each side wall 12, 13, 42, 43 and embankment 33, but the embodiment is not limited to this, and there may be one or three or more of each. Also, the number of each does not have to be the same. For example, the number of second recesses 25B, 35B may be greater than the number of protrusions 19, 20, 49, 50, 36 and vertical grooves 21, 22, 51, 52 to allow stacking of multiple types of different containers.

[0073] While this specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but also includes various modifications and changes to these examples, as well as parts of the examples taken individually. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 10. Container No. 1 (Container, Container Body) 12. Second side wall 13. First side wall 14 Bottom fitting part 19,20 Protrusions 21,22 Vertical grooves 25A First recess 25B Second recess 30 Lid 32 Second Embankment Section 33. First embankment section 35A First recess 35B Second recess 36 Lid protrusion 40 Container 2 (another container) 42 Second side wall 43 First side wall 49, 50 Protrusions 51, 52 Vertical grooves 90 Container No. 1 with lid (container) 100 Container Set

Claims

1. A container having a pair of protrusions spaced laterally apart on the outer surface of each of the two opposing side walls, and a pair of recesses spaced laterally apart on the upper surface of each of the two side walls, wherein when the containers are stacked, the pair of protrusions of the upper container are received by the pair of recesses of the lower container. A container having additional recesses on the upper surface of the pair of side walls for receiving the protrusions of another container when that other container, having a different arrangement or width of protrusions, is stacked on top of the container.

2. On the inner surface of each of the pair of side walls, a pair of vertical grooves are provided at intervals in the lateral direction. The container according to claim 1, wherein the vertical groove is deeper than the recess and the additional recess, and when the containers are stacked in a direction different from that of stacking, it can receive the protrusion of the upper container and be nested.

3. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the recess and the additional recess have different bottom heights.

4. The container according to claim 3, wherein one of the recesses, the recess and the additional recess, is made by further deepening a portion of the other recess.

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