Collapsible container for air shipment cargo and method of use

Abstract

A collapsible container for air shipment cargo comprises a base, a top, front and rear wall panels hingedly secured to the base and side walls hingedly secured to the base and top. Each of the side walls has upper and lower wall panels hinged together so as to enable each side wall to collapse inwardly. A hinged door is formed in one of the side walls. Flaps having fasteners are hingedly secured to the side walls and used to assemble the container. Portions of the top have fasteners which are used to secure the front and rear wall panels to the top. The rear panel has upper and lower portions forming an obtuse angle with each other when the container is assembled.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a collapsible container for use in an aircraft cargo hold. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART [0002] Special containers are used on aircrafts for storing fragile parcels containing breakable or perishable goods, or for storing passenger luggage. Due to the limited space available in aircraft cargo holds, the shape of such a container is generally designed to fit the shape of the walls of the aircraft cargo hold or luggage compartment. One of the most important factors airlines use in selecting a suitable container for use in an aircraft cargo hold is gross weight. The heavier the container, the heavier the airplane and the more fuel must be used to fly a predetermined distance. [0003] In order to reduce the space occupied by such a container once it has been emptied, such a container has been designed to collapse. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,612 discloses a collapsible aircraft container which has a rigid base frame suppo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] Each of the wall panels and flaps is preferably made of plastic but may be made of any suitable material. In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the wall panel is made of a plastic material sold under the mark CON-PEARL® by Friedola Gebr. Holzapfel Gmbh & Co. of Germany. The panel material may be selected as appropriate to protect or prevent surface damage to the products being stored and / or shipped in the erected container.

[0016] One of the assemblers then enters the interior of the container via the open door of the partially erected container. The first assembler located outside the partially erected container passes rotatable latches located on the flanges of the top of the container through openings in the front and rear wall panels of the container. The assembler located inside the container then rotates the latches to prevent the latches from passing back through the openings in the front and rear wall panels of the container. The second assembler located outside the container also passes the fasteners in the form of rotatable latches located on the flaps of the container through openings in the front and rear wall panels of the container. The assembler located inside the container then rotates the latches to prevent the latches from passing back through the openings in the front and rear wall panels of the container and secure the flaps to the front and rear wall panels of the container.

[0018] In this manner, the container may be quickly and inexpensively assembled or erected. For purposes of this document, the term “fastener” refers to any type of fastener including a rotatable latch.

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, the container is heavy, even when empty.

Again, due to the support posts, the container is heavy, even when empty.

Images