Collapsible Container Having Collapsible Dunnage With Integral Stabilizing Members

Abstract

This invention provides a collapsible container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse that has a body including at least two collapsible side structures with support members attached thereto. Dunnage is suspended from the support members. The dunnage comprises a plurality of flexible members, at least some of the flexible members having stabilizers attached to the flexible member for stabilizing and protecting product being shipped. In one embodiment, tracks may be attached to opposite sides of the body, and support member assemblies extend between the tracks. Dunnage is suspended from the support member assemblies. Portions of the support member assemblies move in the tracks to move products suspended by the dunnage to a more ergonomically friendly position for loading or unloading.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to containers for use in shipping, and more particularly, to containers which are returnable in an empty state for reuse.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]A large number of different container structures are utilized by manufacturers to ship a variety of different products to end users, which may be, for example, assembly plants. In the automobile industry for example, an assembly plant assembling a particular automobile might utilize a number of different parts from different manufacturers. These manufacturers ship their respective parts to the assembly plant in reusable container structures where the parts are then removed from dunnage or support members inside the container structure and assembled into a finished automobile.[0003]The return and reuse of empty containers results in a substantial cost savings for the supplier and / or the end manufacturer or assembler because reuse reduces the number of new containers which mus...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]The present invention provides a reusable and returnable collapsible container for holding product therein during shipment. The collapsible container has a body having at least two opposing and moveable side structures or walls. These side structures or any portion therefore may be secured to a base or bottom of the container. These side structures are configured for being moved outwardly away from each other into an erected position from a collapsed position and for being moved inwardly toward one another into a collapsed position from the erected position for reducing the size of the container for return. The container is typically filled or at least partially filled with products secured in a manner described below when erected and devoid of products when collapsed.

[0026]In selected embodiments, the collapsible container has an open side for horizontal or side loading of product into the dunnage inside the container. The open side is in alignment with the dunnage for providing access to the dunnage and products within the dunnage from one side of the container. The products in an erected container may thus be transferred into and out of the erected container easily and efficiently in a process known in the art as horizontal loading. The present invention is particularly useful for assembly line use as products in an erected container may be removed and transferred to an assembly line in one smooth movement. Unnecessary lifting of the products is reduced and / or eliminated to further assist an assembly line worker or other person using the shipped products.

[0027]For retaining products within the collapsible container, collapsible dunnage spans between opposing dunnage supports and is suspended from them. One of the dunnage supports may be secured to the frame. The collapsible dunnage, which may assume numerous forms as described below, is movable between an erected position for receiving product when the side structures are erected and a collapsed position in the container body when the side structures are collapsed. When the dunnage is collapsed the dunnage remains with the container when collapsed and returned. In that way, the dunnage in the collapsible container is also reusable, reducing dunnage replacement costs, and also reducing and / or eliminating labor costs associated with handling and discarding used dunnage from a container and assembling new dunnage prior to the container being loaded with product and shipped.

[0029]Another form of collapsible dunnage which may be used in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of generally rectangular flexible webs or sheets. The flexible material from which the webs are made may be polyvinylchloride or any other suitable material. Each web is generally vertically oriented when the dunnage is erected with the container. The upper corner of each web may have a grommet surrounding an opening in the web sized and adapted to receive one of the dunnage supports described above. This arrangement enables the webs to move horizontally within the container, guided by the dunnage supports. In accordance with the present invention, the webs may be attached to two opposed side structures in any other desired manner.

[0037]Such embodiments of collapsible container in accordance with the present invention may be used so that an operator located at the front of an erected container may pull dunnage holding product to be emptied forwardly in the container to a more ergonomically friendly position after products suspended by the more forward dunnage have been unloaded or removed from the container. Thus, a person unloading the container from the front of the container will not have to stretch or reach to the back of the container to unload remaining product.

[0038]Similarly, a person loading an erected container from the front of the container need not stretch or reach to the back of the container to insert or load products into the container. The loader of the container may push the support member assemblies and dunnage hanging therefrom already loaded with product rearwardly and load additional product in a more ergonomically friendly position or manner at the front of the container. Thus, the present invention allows products to be more efficiently and safely removed from these containers or inserted therein reducing stress or strain on the unloader or loader.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, the returned containers alleviate the assembly plant's task and associated costs with storing, destroying, or otherwise disposing of the containers.

While returnable and reusable containers reduce costs by eliminating the need to constantly purchase new containers and reduce disposal costs, it may still be relatively costly to provide for their return shipment.

Therefore, there was not much of a shipping cost savings when returning empty reusable containers even though empty containers weighed less.

Furthermore, the cost of storing conventional reusable containers may further reduce the other economic benefits they offer because empty containers also require the same warehouse or storage space as full containers.

Storage space is valuable and may be limited, and it is usually desirable to utilize the space for something other than bulky, empty containers waiting to be shipped or returned.

Additionally, collapsed, stored containers require substantially less storage space.

While some such containers address the issue of return shipment and storage costs, they still have certain drawbacks.

The dunnage elements are then discarded or otherwise disposed of by the assembly plant, further adding to the plant's overall cost for the shipment.

Furthermore, the supplier incurs additional costs by constructing or acquiring new dunnage elements each time the returned container is reused.

Additionally, the labor costs associated with constructing and installing dunnage elements in a container, and the additional labor for collapsing, removing and disposing of the dunnage elements after shipment, further increases the overall cost of shipping product utilizing conventional containers.

Therefore, even with existing collapsible, returnable containers, high shipping costs may be incurred on both ends, i.e., by the supplier who constantly acquires new dunnage elements and by the assembly plant which constantly must dispose of the old dunnage elements or pay to have those dunnage elements returned with the container.

Moreover, dunnage elements, depending on the size of the container, may be heavy, and as such, the assembly of the dunnage elements to accept a product can be physically stressful for the worker and may lead to job related injuries.

Job related injuries increase costs.

Additionally, because someone must physically assemble the dunnage, the dunnage elements and the containers have been limited in size and weight in accordance with what an average worker can physically and safely erect.

Some existing containers are difficult to access which makes removal of the parts therein difficult and time consuming.

Any delay in access and removal of the part from the container is undesirable.

The size and / or weight of the parts or work pieces may cause stress or strain on the line worker, and more particularly on the back of the worker when inserting or removing parts from such a container.

Such ergonomically unfriendly movements may cause physical trauma, pain, and other injuries that may lead to lost production time.

This requires space around the container which may not be available, depending on the physical layout of the plant or facility.

The length (front to back) of certain containers may be limited because the container manufacturer needs to eliminate the need for a line worker to walk around the container to remove product from inside the container.

The more containers needed to ship a predetermined number of parts, the greater the cost to the shipper.

This movement by the line worker is ergonomically unfriendly because the line worker must lean forward and bend down into the container to insert or remove a part or work piece from the bottom of the container.

Depending upon the number of times the line worker repeats this unnatural motion into the interior of the container, strain in the back, legs and arms may result.

The size and / or weight of the parts or work pieces may increase the strain on the line worker.

Thus, simply removing multiple parts during a work day may cause physical trauma, pain, and other injuries that may lead to lost production time.

One of the difficulties encountered with existing dunnage located inside known collapsible containers is that the dunnage may not adequately protect the parts placed therein during shipment.

Often the parts rest on the bottom of the cell, thereby straining the connection or joint between this member of the cell and the vertically oriented side portions or members of the cell.

Again, the parts may rest on the bottom of the pouches, thereby creating stress or strain on the pouches which may cause one or more pouches to tear or otherwise be damaged.

Additionally, parts or products residing in the dunnage may become damaged if they shift or move during shipment.

Images