Collapsible containers

Abstract

A collapsible shipping container has a corner post located at each corner of a base frame. A respective stile of an end cover frame, which may support at least one door, is pivotally mounted on the base frame adjacent each corner post. Respective lifting members on each corner post and stile have curved abutment faces which engage when the stile is in the erected position, and a latch member releasably locks the stile in the erected position. The or each end cover frame may be provided with a spring—or winch system to assist in moving the end cover frame to the erected position.

Description

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]THIS INVENTION relates to collapsible containers.[0002]The invention particularly relates, but is not limited to, containers for holding items therein, and which are collapsible (for storage and / or transport) when empty.2. PRIOR ART[0003]Containerisation, including the development and standardization of freight containers and of complementary specialized container-handling equipment, was a quantum leap in the field of materials handling.[0004]The containers are used to hold items, both while in storage and while being transported between destinations by vehicles including trucks, trains, aircraft, ships, or other transport vehicles.[0005]The costs of storage and transportation of the goods in containers are based on the respective volumes occupied by the containers; and so the costs are the same even if the containers are empty or partially-filled to capacity.[0006]In many instances, the containers are only used once, e.g., when used to transport goods...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]It is an object of the present invention to alleviate, or to at least reduce, one or more of the disadvantages of the known collapsible containers.

[0015]It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide a collapsible container which is stable and meets the container standards when erected (and up to fully loaded) and / or when collapsed.

[0018]It is a still further preferred object to provide a collapsible container where adjacent components can be securely locked together when the container is erected, but allow easy release when the container is to be collapsed.

[0027]in the erected position, the respective abutment faces of the lower lifting restraint and of the lower lifting restraint block are engaged to increase the load strength of the collapsible container, in the vertical direction, when erected.

Problems solved by technology

When empty containers are returned to their original destinations, or forwarded to other destinations, the transportation costs are the same as if the containers are full; and the operations of many ships or other transport vehicles are effectively wasted as they are transporting no more than big boxes of air.

While the empty containers are awaiting re-use, they typically occupy valuable storage space e.g. on wharves, in railway yards, or at remote storage sites; and typically incur additional transportation costs to and from the storage sites.

However, the prior art collapsible containers, including those disclosed in (i) WO 90 / 02084 and (ii) WO 2006 / 024104 do not meet the stringent container standards set by the transportation authorities and international insurance bodies around the world.

None of the known collapsible containers pass all these tests.

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