Collapsible container

Abstract

A collapsible container (10) for transporting goods is provided, the collapsible container (10) comprising: a base (16); a first pair of walls (14) that attach to the base (16), the first pair of walls (14) comprising a first wall and a second wall adjacent to the first wall; and a second pair of walls (12) that attach to the base (16), the second pair of walls (12) comprising a third wall and a fourth wall adjacent to the third wall; a first locking flap (24) that attaches to the first wall; wherein the second wall comprises a corresponding first locking formation (38) that is configured to engage with the first locking flap (24); a second locking flap (24) that attaches to the third wall; wherein the fourth wall comprises a corresponding second locking formation (38) that is configured to engage with the second locking flap (24); wherein each locking flap (24) pivotably attaches to the respective wall (12, 14) and is configured to pivotably move between an unlocking position and a locking position.

Description

[0001] COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER

[0002] The present invention relates to a collapsible container for transporting goods, and a method of assembling a collapsible container for transporting goods. The goods may comprise goods that have specific thermal requirements, for example perishable goods and / or other goods that must remain chilled or frozen during transportation. The goods may comprise food items, such as seafood, for example fish.

[0003] BACKGROUND

[0004] The global seafood packaging industry is currently valued at around 17 billion USD, with predictions to rise to around 25 billion USD by 2030. As a result, large volumes of fish must be transported across the globe each year. From fisher to end consumer, fish supply chains can have up to 15 intermediaries, including processing and / or distribution facilities. It is therefore important that the fish can be quickly packed and unpacked at each facility in order to ensure that the large volumes of fish can be handled efficiently. Efficient packing and unpacking of the fish is also important for ensuring that the fish can reach the end consumer in the smallest amount of time possible, and for enabling the fish to be consistently kept at low temperatures, therefore keeping it safe for consumption.

[0005] At present, the most common method of storing fish during transport is by using single-use polystyrene boxes. In the UK, it is estimated that in excess of 22 million polystyrene boxes are used annually for fish and seafood. Whilst these boxes are cost- effective, thermally insulating, and suitable for meeting the required food hygiene standards, they create large amounts of waste as they cannot be re-used. As a result, huge numbers of these non-biodegradable polystyrene boxes end up in landfill. Many of these boxes also can end up in bodies of water, where they will degrade and create micro-plastics that will eventually be eaten by marine species. Thus, the current use of polystyrene boxes for fish packaging is a significant contributor to marine pollution, and has a significant negative environmental impact.

[0006] Moreover, boxes transporting fish and seafood are required to maintain a certain hygiene standard, and therefore cross-contamination between the boxes during transportation must be avoided. Such cross-contamination can occur when ice within the boxes melts and leaks from one box onto other boxes. If this melted ice water from one box enters another box, e.g. through gaps in the box walls, then the contents of the box can become contaminated by any pathogens or bacteria that may be present in that melted ice water. Thus, preventing water ingress for these boxes is particularly important also. There is therefore a need for a more environmentally-friendly container for storing and transporting fish, which not only provides the advantages associated with the polystyrene boxes (such as in thermal insulation, strength, and hygiene), but also is quick and easy to pack and unpack as needed, and has a reduced risk of leakage therefrom. There are similar needs for storing and transporting other goods, including other goods with thermal requirements, including but not limited to other foodstuffs and medicines that must remain chilled or frozen during transportation.

[0007] SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0008] In overview, a collapsible container is provided herein that enables safe and reliable containment of goods, such as but not limited to goods that have thermal requirements, such as seafood that must remain chilled or frozen, during and often after transportation. The collapsible container is configured to remain securely closed, when desired by the user, for example during transportation. The secure closure may be watertight, thus making it difficult - potentially impossible - for water or other liquid to escape from, or enter into, the container, when it is in an assembled state. Moreover, the collapsible container is configured to be readily and efficiently collapsed - either partially or fully - when desired by the user, for example but not limited to when the user wishes to unpack some or all of the stored contents from the container. The collapsible container may remain at least partially collapsed for washing (or other hygiene treatment), between storage uses, and / or for transportation or storage, when it is not required for storing goods. This enables many such containers to be stored and / or transported together efficiently. The ability of the container to be collapsed for washing enables all parts of the container to be accessed and washed hygienically, thus rendering the container suitable for repeat use. Thus, an efficient, reliable, economical and environmentally sustainable solution is provided.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a collapsible container for transporting seafood is provided, the collapsible container comprising: a base; a removeable lid; a first pair of walls that attach to the base, the first pair of walls comprising a first wall and a second wall adjacent to the first wall; a second pair of walls that attach to the base, the second pair of walls comprising a third wall and a fourth wall adjacent to the third wall; a first locking flap that attaches to the first wall; wherein the second wall comprises a corresponding first locking formation that is configured to engage with the first locking flap; a second locking flap that attaches to the third wall; wherein the fourth wall comprises a corresponding second locking formation that is configured to engage with the second locking flap; wherein each locking flap pivotably attaches to the respective wall and is configured to pivotably move between an unlocking position and a locking position; and wherein the first pair of walls and the second pair of walls are thermally insulated.

[0010] The collapsible container of the first aspect therefore provides a securely fastenable storage space for transporting goods. In particular, the locking formation and the locking flap in each of the first and second pair of walls are able to engage one another and hold the walls of the container tightly and securely against one another. This tight-fit between the walls of each pair ensures that the container can retain its shape even when subjected to external forces (e.g. compressive forces during stacking and / or movement during transportation or (un)loading), and can protect its contents by preventing ingress and egress of unwanted pollutants such as (but not limited to) water. This tight connection between the walls is particularly useful for perishable goods that are subject to strict hygiene standards, such as fish and other seafood, as the containers holding such goods are susceptible to ingesting pollutants from their surroundings, if not secure.

[0011] Furthermore, the collapsible container of the first aspect is adaptable and can be reused multiple times. As the locking mechanism of a pair of walls of the present container (i.e. , the locking flap and locking formation) is reversibly actuatable via the pivoting movement of the locking flap, the walls can be disconnected from one another at any point selected by the user (which may be any combination of human user and / or robotic user such as a machine or tool), and collapsed - i.e., moved away from one another, and relative to the base, such that the container will adopt a substantially flattened form. As such, the container can be easily collapsed, cleaned, and transported between uses, and then securely re-assembled and re-used accordingly. The collapsible container of the first aspect therefore provides a sustainable solution to transporting goods, which produces substantially less waste than existing single-use transport containers.

[0012] The collapsible container is suitable for transporting perishable goods. For example, the collapsible container may be suitable for transporting chilled and / or frozen food. In particular, the collapsible container is suitable for transporting seafood, such as fish. The container is particular suited for perishable goods, as the tight engagement between the locking flaps with their respective locking formations ensures that the goods are shielded from the exterior surroundings, both physically and thermally.

[0013] One or more of the walls may be removably attachable to the base. This may allow the walls to be transported, cleaned, and stored separately from the base, which can be advantageous if the various components require individual processing between uses. Alternatively, or additionally, one or more of the walls may be fixedly (i.e., non-removably) attached to the base, but moveable between a collapsed position and an assembled (or, non-collapsed) position. In this case, all the components can be transported, cleaned, and stored together as a single unit, which can be advantageous for ensuring speedy processing of the containers between uses. Regardless of whether the walls are removably or fixedly attachable to the base, the collapsible container of the first aspect provides a re-usable container that can be assembled or disassembled quickly and easily by positioning the walls appropriately relative to the base, and relative to one another, and securely holding adjacent pairs of walls in place using the locking flaps and the locking formations.

[0014] The term ‘adjacent’ is used herein to refer to a wall that shares an edge (or, boundary) with the respective other wall of its pair of walls, when the collapsible container is in an assembled state. In other words, at least one edge of a wall will touch, or abut, an edge of the respective other wall of its pair of walls, when the collapsible container is in an assembled state. Dependent on the shape of the container, in an assembled state, the angular separation of two walls in a pair may vary. For example, it may be up to approximately 180 degrees. For example, for a substantially cubic or cuboidal container, the angular separation of two walls in a pair, when assembled, may be approximately 90 degrees.

[0015] In the locking position, the (or each) locking flap may be configured to engage with its respective corresponding locking formation. Conversely, in the unlocking position, the (or each) locking flap may not be engaged with (i.e. , may be disengaged from) the respective corresponding locking formation. Thus, when the locking flap is in the locking position, each wall of the corresponding pair of walls may be configured to securely connect to the respective other wall of the pair. Conversely, when the locking flap is in the unlocking position, the walls of the corresponding pair of walls may not be connected to one another. In this way, the container can be assembled quickly and securely by engaging the locking flap with the locking formation, but can also be quickly and easily disassembled by disengaging engaging the locking flap from the locking formation.

[0016] The walls in each pair of walls may be configured to connect to one another via the locking flap and the locking formation. In particular, for each pair of walls, the locking flap of one wall may be configured to engage with the locking formation of the other, adjacent wall, or vice versa, thereby securely connecting the pair of walls to one another. At least one wall to which the locking flap attaches may comprise at least two locking flaps. At least one wall comprising the locking formation may comprise at least two locking formations. Additionally, or alternatively, at least one wall to which the locking flap attaches may also comprise a locking formation. At least one wall comprising the locking formation may also comprise a locking flap. For example, at least one wall may comprise a locking flap or locking formation at a first (lateral) end thereof, for attaching to a first adjacent wall, and may further comprise another locking flap or locking formation at a respective second (lateral) end, for attaching to a second adjacent wall. In practice, one or each wall may have any suitable combination of locking flaps and locking formations, and thus the connection each wall makes with its adjacent walls can be strengthened through the combined use of different locking features.

[0017] The container may be arranged such that, when assembled, each part of the container, at which two adjacent walls meet, comprises at least one locking flap and at least one locking formation. As such, each pair of walls may comprise at least two locking flaps and at least two locking formations. Each wall in the first pair of walls may be configured to connect to both the respective other wall in the first pair of walls and also to an adjacent wall in the second pair of walls, via the at least two locking flaps and the at least two locking formations. Conversely, each wall in the second pair of walls may be configured to connect to both the respective other wall of the second pair of walls and also to an adjacent wall in the first pair of walls via the at least two locking formations and the at least two locking flaps. In this way, the walls may be securely attachable to one another substantially at each corner of the container. This increases the overall strength of the container, reducing the risk of buckling or collapse, whilst also creating a tightly sealed interior volume to store goods in.

[0018] Two or more walls, or wall sections, may connect to one another at a location other than a ‘corner’ of the container. For example, for a four-sided container, it may be possible for a single ‘side’ (or, a single ‘end’) of the container to comprise two or more adjacent walls - which may be referred to as ‘wall sections’ or ‘wall portions’ - that, when the container is assembled, would be at approximately 180 degrees to one another, and so would form a substantially continuous, substantially planar ‘side’ (or, ‘end’) of the assembled container. This can be advantageous depending on the particular shape or purpose of the container, and may provide a more structurally robust frame for the container, as the locking formation and locking flap between wall sections may add structural integrity to the otherwise-weaker middle section of a wall.

[0019] Whilst a four-sided container (i.e., a container that is quadrilateral, such as square or rectangular, in plan view) is described in detail herein, other shapes of container are also contemplated. For example, a three-side container (that is triangular, in plan view) is contemplated. In such an embodiment, one of the walls in the first pair of walls may be one and same as one of the walls in the second pair of walls. Other shapes of container are also contemplated, such as but not limited to containers that are hexagonal or octagonal in cross section. In general terms, therefore, two ‘adjacent’ walls in the assembled container may have an (internal) angle between them of up to approximately 180 degrees. For example, the internal angle between two adjacent walls may be approximately 45 degrees. For example, the internal angle between two adjacent walls may be approximately 90 degrees. Thus, the containers may be shaped to conform to any appropriate shaping for the goods within and / or for the storage and / or transportation of multiple such containers in an appropriate storage space or transportation means, including any shaping that is standardized for the particular industry that the containers will be used within. Furthermore, certain shapes (e.g. hexagons) may be advantageous in terms of stacking, thereby optimising the number of containers that can fit within a given space.

[0020] Each locking flap may be configured to be operated independently of the respective other locking flap(s). By having a plurality of locking flaps and corresponding locking formations in the walls, the connections between the walls can be made more secure. Further, by having more locking flaps and locking formations than is absolutely necessary to fully assemble a container, certain locking flaps and locking formations can act as “back-ups” that can provide the necessary connection between the walls even if some of the other locking flaps and locking formations have become faulty. In other words, redundancy can be provided, in the event of the mechanical failure of one of the locking flap / formation combinations and / or in the event of human error leading to one of the locking flap / formations not being put into a locked position. As the containers are reusable and may therefore be disassembled and reassembled numerous times over their lifetime, the risk of human error and / or automation / machine error and / or automation wear coming into play, and / or of one of the locking flap / formation combinations becoming faulty, increases substantially, and the importance of providing redundancy increases.

[0021] For each pair of walls, one wall may comprise one locking flap at a first lateral edge of the wall and another locking flap at a second lateral edge of the wall, the first and second lateral edges being laterally distal to one another, on an outer face of said wall. The other wall of the pair of walls may comprise one locking formation at a first lateral edge of the wall and another locking formation at a second lateral edge of the wall, the first and second lateral edges being laterally distal to (i.e., laterally opposite) one another on an outer face of said wall. Additionally, or alternatively, each wall in the pair of walls may comprise one locking flap at its first lateral edge and one locking formation at its second, distal lateral edge. In particular, the locking flap(s) and / or the locking formation(s) of each wall may be configured such that each portion of the container at which two adjacent walls meet, when the container is assembled, may comprise at least one locking flap and at least one locking formation. As such, it can be ensured that each intersection between the walls can be securely sealed so as to prevent ingress (or egress) of pollutants, and so as to ensure there are no points of structural weakness present in the container. A proximal part of each locking flap may be positioned (or, positionable) at or near a respective edge of the wall to which it attaches. The ‘edge’ may be regarded as being a line or border, along which the inner and outer faces of the wall meet one another. A proximal part of each locking flap may be positioned on a face of the wall to which it attaches at a position either directly adjacent to its respective edge or laterally inwards of its respective edge. In this way, it can be ensured that the locking flap will not impede the close fit between adjacent walls, and will be able to pivot freely regardless of whether the container is in its assembled or collapsed state. The position of the proximal part of the locking flap on the wall to which it attaches may be defined as the point (or points, or line) on the wall at which the locking flap is pivotably attached to the wall. The locking flap may be appropriately sized and positioned sufficiently close to the edge of the wall to enable it to be pivotable to a position in which it can interact with the locking formation of the adjacent wall.

[0022] Each locking formation may be located on an outer face of the respective wall that it is located on, at a position either directly adjacent to its respective edge or laterally inwards of its respective edge. In this way, it can be ensured that the locking formation will not impede the close fit between adjacent walls

[0023] It will be appreciated that one or more of the walls may comprise more than two locking flaps or locking formations, respectively. At least one wall may comprise a plurality of locking flaps and / or locking formations at (or near) each lateral edge. For example, the respective wall may comprise at least one locking flap and at least one locking formation at each opposing lateral edge. In this case, the respective wall may comprise four or more locking formations and / or locking flaps in total. Additionally, or alternatively, the respective wall may comprise two or more locking flaps at one lateral edge and two or more locking formations at the opposing lateral edge. As mentioned above, this use of multiple locking flaps and locking formations both strengthens the overall connection between adjacent walls, and provides redundancy in case of human error or failure of the locking flap / formation over the lifetime of the container.

[0024] Each locking flap may be configured to engage with the corresponding locking formation in a tension-compression-fit relationship. Additionally, or alternatively, each locking flap may be configured to engage with the corresponding locking formation in a snap-fit relationship. In this way, it may be ensured that no external tools are required to either lock or unlock adjacent walls from one another. Instead, only the use of sufficient force (as may be applied by a person) is required to engage or disengage the locking flap from the locking formation. However, in some cases at least, the user may choose to use a locking / unlocking tool or machine, to manipulate the locking flap(s). Moreover, the use of a tension- compression-fit locking mechanism enhances the reusability of the box, as the locking flap can be engaged and disengaged from the locking mechanism numerous times without requiring any replacement of parts (unlike if, e.g., adhesive was used).

[0025] A surface, such as an inner surface, of the locking flap may be configured to come into contact with, and to abut or wrap around, at least a portion of a corresponding surface - such as an outer surface - of the corresponding locking formation. In particular, the locking flap may be resiliently deformable. The locking flap may be configured to resiliently deform during engagement with the locking formation. The locking flap may in particular be configured such that it will not deform under the usual forces that the container may encounter during transit (and therefore will not accidentally disengage during transit), but rather will only deform upon sufficient intentional application of force in a particular direction. The locking flap may be configured to be held in tension against the locking formation during engagement with the locking formation and / or the locking formation may be configured to be held under compression by the locking flap during engagement with the locking flap. In other words, the locking flap may be configured to be pulled into tension, and for at least part of the locking flap to deform, in order for it to be brought into engagement with the corresponding locking formation. A distal end of the locking flap may be configured to fit around, or over, a portion of the locking formation. The engagement of the locking flap with the corresponding locking formation may create pressure, or compression, in at least part of the locking formation. This pressure and / or compression may securely hold the locking flap and the locking formation together even whilst the container is being transported, whilst also pulling the walls into a tight-fit with one another to prevent ingress and / or egress of pollutants.

[0026] The locking flap may comprise a hooked portion along at least a portion of its length. That is, the locking flap may have a horizontal cross-section having, at least in part, a hookshape, the horizontal cross-section being the cross-section of the locking flap when viewed from its upper or lower edge (i.e. , in plan view). The hooked portion may be substantially S- shaped, for example. The hooked portion may be provided at a distal end of the locking flap - i.e., at the end of the locking flap that is furthest from the attachment of the locking flap to the wall to which it attaches. The hook-shape chosen for the locking flap may provide a more secure engagement between the locking flap and the locking formation, as - compared to some other possible shapes - greater effort and / or force is needed to disengage the hook from the locking formation, thereby ensuring that the locking flap will not accidentally disengage from the locking formation e.g. during transport. The locking formation may comprise one or more protrusions. The locking formation may comprise one or more tapered or wedge-shaped protrusions. This may aid the deformation of the locking flap as it moves to engage the locking formation, as the locking flap can be gradually deformed as it moves along the tapered protrusion, thereby reducing the chance of the locking flap breaking as it engages with the locking formation. Each / a protrusion of the locking formation may taper substantially outwardly from the wall that it is located on, along a first, longer edge to form an apex or ‘nose’ of the protrusion, and then may turn inwardly, along a second, shorter edge, to again meet the wall that it is located on. The one or more protrusions may each comprise a groove, e.g. along the second, shorter edge. This groove may interact with the point of the hooked portion to create secure engagement between the two that would require the intentional application of force to reverse, and so will not disengage accidentally as the container is transported. As the locking flap is pivoted from the unlocking position to the locking position, the hooked portion of the locking flap may be configured to engage the one or more protrusions of the locking formation, causing the hooked portion of the locking flap to deform until the hooked portion travels over the apex or nose of the / each protrusion, and travels along the second, shorter edge, towards the wall that comprises the locking formation. The hooked portion may fit or nestle into the groove(s) of the one or more protrusion(s). That is, the hooked portion may act as a male locking part and the groove(s) of the one or more protrusion(s) may act as a female locking part. In this way, the hooked portion may engage the one or more protrusions of the locking formation, thereby providing a secure connection between the pair of walls that can only be reversed through further, purposeful deformation of the locking flap. In the locking position, the locking flap may lie across part of the outer face of the wall that comprises the locking formation and / or may substantially cover the locking formation. Thus, the locking flap may act as a barrier to prevent damage to the locking formation.

[0027] The hooked portion may be configured to disengage the grooves of the one or more protrusions upon application of sufficient outward force to the locking flap, the “outward” force being a force that is applied to pivot the locking flap away from the locking formation. The outward force may be applied by a person or a suitable tool or machinery during disassembly of the container and unpacking of its contents, for example. To aid this, the locking flap may comprise a tab portion. The tab portion may extend along at least part of the (top to bottom) length, or height, of the locking flap, thereby allowing the locking flap to be grasped from various points along its length. The tab portion may be positioned toward one lateral edge of the locking flap, whilst the pivoting attachment to the endwall to which it attaches may be positioned at the opposite lateral edge of the locking flap. In other words, the tab portion may be at the distal end of the locking flap and the pivoting attachment may be provided at the proximal end of the locking flap. This may allow easier grasping of the tab portion, as it has a wider range of movement at the distal end of the locking flap, and the force required to pivot the locking flap is at its minimum at the distal end. The tab portion may be configured such that a user (and / or a machine or tool) can engage the tab portion and apply an outward force to the tab portion to disengage the locking flap from the locking formation. The force applied by the user / machinery / tool may comprise a substantially straight outward pull and / or it may comprise a rotational pull. The tab portion may be adjacent to the hooked portion of the locking flap. The tab portion may form an extension of, or indeed may form a distal part of, the hooked portion. The tab portion may, in the locking position, extend outwardly, away from the outer face of the wall comprising the locking formation. This may allow a user (or machine or tool) to more easily grab the tab portion when disengaging the locking flap from the locking formation.

[0028] Alternatively, the locking flap may comprise one or more protrusions, and the locking formation may comprise a hooked portion. In this case, the locking flap may act as a female locking part and the locking formation may act as a male locking part.

[0029] Additionally, or alternatively, the locking formation (for example, the one or more protrusions of the locking formation) may be resiliently deformable. As the locking flap is pivoted from the unlocking position to the locking position, the one or more protrusions may be configured to resiliently deform, thereby allowing the hooked portion of the locking flap to hook around and into the grooves of the protrusions. When sufficient outward and / or rotational force is applied to the locking flap, the one or more protrusions may be configured to deform further, thereby allowing the locking flap to be disengaged from the locking formation.

[0030] The locking flap may be pivotably attached to the wall to which it attaches using a hinge. The hinge may be any suitable hinge, such as but not limited to a living hinge. In this way, the hinge may be integral with both the wall to which the locking flap attaches and to the locking flap. The wall to which the locking flap attaches, the locking flap, and the living hinge may form a unitary body. The living hinge may comprise the same material as the locking flap and the endwall to which the locking flap attaches. This may aid manufacture of the container, as the container can be produced in single step using e.g. 3D printing, blowmoulding, injection-moulding, and / or vacuum forming. Alternatively, the living hinge may comprise a different material to the locking flap and / or to the wall to which the locking flap attaches. This may allow the material of the hinge to be chosen independently of the material of the locking flap and / or the wall, thereby allowing the material chosen for each component to be optimised for the purpose of that component. At least a proximal part of the locking flap and the wall to which it attaches may be substantially rigid, whilst the living hinge may be flexible, thereby allowing the locking flap to pivot about the line of the living hinge. As such, the living hinge may comprise a more flexible material than the (proximal part of the) locking flap and / or the wall to which the locking flap attaches. Alternatively, the living hinge may comprise the same material as the locking flap and / or the wall to which the locking flap attaches, and may be more flexible as a result of its thin design, and / or as a result of its shape or profile. Such use of a living hinge may allow the locking flap and the wall to which it attaches to be manufactured easily and at low cost, whilst also providing a reliable attachment between the two that is subject to minimal friction and wear. The hinge may extend across at least a portion of the height of the wall to which the locking flap attaches. The hinge may extend in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the base when the locking flap is in engagement with the locking formation. The rotation axis of the locking flap may be defined along the hinge. Therefore, the rotation axis of the locking flap may be substantially perpendicular to the base when the locking flap is in engagement with the locking formation.

[0031] The locking formation may be integral with the wall that it is located on. That is, the locking formation may form a section of the outer face of the wall that it is located on, wherein that section is contoured to engage with the locking flap. In particular, the locking formation may be contoured to form the one or more protrusions in the outer face of the wall that it is located on. This may simplify the design of the container, thereby enabling easier manufacture of the container, and requiring fewer individual parts to keep track of. The one or more protrusions may comprise a plurality of protrusions (for example, three protrusions) spaced along the (top to bottom) length, or height, of the locking formation. The plurality of protrusions may be equidistantly spaced along the height of the locking formation (thereby ensuring that the forces acting on the formation during locking are evenly distributed), or they may be unevenly spaced along the height of the locking formation (thereby allowing the distribution of the forces acting on the formation during locking to be optimised for the particular container). The locking formation may extend along at least a portion of the height of the wall that it is located on. The locking formation may be located inward of the outer face of the wall that it is located on, i.e. the locking formation may be sunk into the outer face of the wall that it is located on. In other words, the outer face of the wall that the locking formation is located on may be recessed at / towards its lateral edge, and the protrusion(s) of the locking formation may be formed within this recessed portion of the outer face of said wall. In this way, it can be ensured that the locking formation itself, and the locking flap when engaged with the locking formation, do not project past the plane of the outer face of the wall that the locking formation is located on. This may allow the container to be more closely stacked together with other containers, thereby increasing the potential density of containers that could be stacked in a given volume.

[0032] The collapsible container may be configured to move between a collapsed state and an assembled state. In the collapsed state, the walls in each pair of walls may not be connected to one another. In the assembled state, the walls of the first and the second pairs of walls are connected to one another so as to form a container. That is, the walls the first pair of walls and the walls of the second pair of walls at least partially abut one another in the assembled state, and may be connected in such a way that they are held in place in the assembled state. In the assembled state, the walls of the first pair of walls may be locked to one another through the respective first locking flap and the locking formation, and the walls of the second pair of walls may be locked to one another through the respective second locking flap and the locking formation. That is, the first wall of the first pair of walls may be locked to the second wall of the first pair of walls in the assembled state, and the third wall of the second pair of walls may be locked to the fourth wall of the second pair of walls in the assembled state. Preferably, each wall may be locked to both of its two adjacent walls in the assembled state.

[0033] In the assembled state, the walls may be substantially perpendicular to the base of the container. Thus, in the assembled state, the rotation axis of the locking flap may be substantially perpendicular to the base of the container. In the assembled state, the locking flap may be configured to engage with the locking formation when pivoted to the locking position. Thus, the locking flap and the locking formation may ensure that the walls remain in the assembled state when the locking flap is in the locking position.

[0034] For the first and / or the second pair of walls, the wall to which the locking flap is attached may comprise a recess for engagement with a corresponding projection on the wall that comprises the locking formation. This engagement may ensure that adjacent walls are held in the correct position relative to one another in the assembled state, and do not fold any further inwards or outwards than is needed. Thus, the walls of the respective pairs may be in the correct relative positions for a sound locking connection to be made between the corresponding locking flap and locking formation. The recess may be located on an inner face of the wall to which the locking flap attaches. The recess may be located towards a lateral edge of the wall to which the locking flap attaches, the lateral edge being the edge towards or on which the locking flap is attached. The recess may extend along at least a portion of the height of the wall to which the locking flap attaches. The recess may extend along the entire height of the wall to which the locking flap attaches. The wall to which the locking flap attaches may comprise two recesses, and the recesses may be located on the inner face of the endwall toward opposing lateral edges of the endwall. Additionally, or alternatively, the wall to which the locking flap attaches may comprise the recess towards the lateral edge closest to the locking flap and a protrusion towards the opposing lateral edge.

[0035] For the first and / or the second pair of walls, the wall that comprises the locking formation may comprise a projection for engagement with a corresponding recess in the wall to which the locking flap attaches. The projection may be located on a lateral edge of the wall that comprises the locking formation, the lateral edge being the lateral edge closest to the locking formation. The projection may project from the lateral edge of the wall that comprises the locking formation. The projection may comprise a tab along the lateral edge of the wall that comprises the locking formation. The projection may extend along at least a portion of the height of the wall that comprises the locking formation. The projection may extend along the entire height of the wall that comprises the locking formation. The wall that comprises the locking formation may comprise two projections, and the projections may be located on opposing lateral edges of the wall. Additionally, or alternatively, the wall that comprises the locking formation may comprise a projection towards the lateral edge closest to the locking formation and a recess towards the opposing lateral edge.

[0036] When the container is in the assembled state, the recess and the projection of the first and / or the second pair of walls may be configured to engage one another. In other words, the projection of the wall to which the locking flap is attached may be configured to slot into the recess of the wall comprising the locking formation when the container is in the assembled state. Thus, the recess and the projection may form a connection between the first and / or second pair of walls when the container is in the assembled state. The engagement of the recess and the projection may serve to connect and to align the two walls of the pair with one another, in preparation for being locked to one another by the locking flap and locking formation. The engagement may further prevent the walls from falling away from one another in the assembled state, either by folding too far inwards or outwards. The recess and the projection may be in a tight-fit relationship when engaged with one another. Thus, the gap between the recess and the projection may be minimised, and the ingress or egress of pollutants from the container may be prevented. The container may be configured such that, when the container is in the assembled state, each corner comprises at least one projection in engagement with at least one recess. In this case, the strength of the container may be improved as the walls at each corner are held tightly together by the recess and the protrusion. When in engagement with one another, the recess and the projection may form a substantially water-tight seal for preventing water entering or leaving the container. That is, the gap between the recess and the projection may form a tortuous path for preventing water ingress or egress. The recess and the projection may, for therefore, be described as forming a ‘labyrinth seal’. Thus, there may be no need to introduce any separate sealing material to the container, as the design of the container itself (particularly the recesses and the protrusions between walls) creates a structure that is naturally impervious to water ingress or egress. It is particularly important for water ingress to be prevented in the case where the goods being stored by the container are perishable, as water can and often does carry pollutants that could render the goods stored by the container unusable if it enters the container. Further, it is often required for ice to be packed in the container with any perishable goods, and so it is advantageous to prevent any melted ice water from leaking from the container in an uncontrolled manner.

[0037] The connection formed by the recess and the projection may be made in addition to the locking connection formed by the locking flap and the locking formation, when the container is in the assembled state. The engagement of the locking flap and the locking formation may be configured to tighten the fit between the recess and the projection, and to lock the recess and projection in their fitting engagement with one another. That is - the tension under which the locking flap will be placed may help to pull the recess, within the wall to which the locking flap attaches, closer towards the projection of the wall comprising the locking formation. Similarly, the pressure, or compression, under which the locking formation will be placed may help to push the projection of the wall comprising the locking formation further into / towards the recess in the wall to which the locking flap attaches. Hence, the use of a tension-compression locking mechanism may be particularly advantageous when used in combination with the recess and protrusion, as the fit between said recess and protrusion will be strengthened by the tension-compression locking mechanism, and vice versa.

[0038] Similarly, the engagement between the recess and the projection may also be configured to tighten the engagement between the locking flap and the locking formation, and to help align the pair of walls relative to one another to enable a secure locking connection to be made by the locking flap and locking formation. As such, the connection through the recess and the projection and the connection through the locking flap and the locking formation may work in combination to provide a more secure overall connection between the pair of walls than would be achievable through either connection alone. Furthermore, by using the locking flap and locking formation to tighten the fit between the recess and the projection, the gap between the recess and the projection may be reduced. As such, the seal between the recess and the projection may be made more water-tight when the locking flap is engaged with the locking formation, and the ingress or egress of water may be further prevented. Moreover, the material in the locking flap and / or of the locking formation itself may act as a seal. The material of the locking flap and / or of the locking formation may be slightly deformable, such that it may replace (or at least reduce) the conventional need for a separate seal. This allows the material of the locking flap and / or of the locking formation to compensate for any tolerances on edges that would otherwise cause the walls of the container to not line up correctly and potentially allow water to pass. With the deformable material and tensioning force from the lock, the material’s ability to deform around any missing tolerances, irregularities, productions errors, wear, and potentially even foreign bodies from operation in dusty conditions, is harnessed.

[0039] The locking flap may be positioned laterally outwards of the recess in the wall to which the locking flap attaches. In particular, the hinge of the locking flap may be positioned laterally outwards of the recess in the wall to which the locking flap attaches. In other words, the hinge of the locking flap may be positioned closer to the lateral edge of the wall to which the locking flap attaches than the recess is. Consequently, when the recess is engaged with the projection of the wall comprising the locking formation, the hinge of the locking flap may be positioned closer to the lateral edge of the wall to which the locking flap attaches than the projection is, i.e. the hinge may be laterally outwards of the projection. As such, when the locking flap is in engagement with the locking formation, the locking flap (in conjunction with the outer face of the wall to which the locking flap attaches) may cover the interconnected recess and the projection. For example, the locking flap may wrap around, from the wall that it attaches to, to the adjacent wall, ‘covering’ and blocking access, from outside the container, to the inter-engaging recess and projection. This arrangement may help to create the above-mentioned tighter engagement between the locking flap and the locking formation. This arrangement may also prevent water ingress to the container, as water is prevented from entering the container through the gap between the recess and the projection from the outer face of the walls. Furthermore, this may make the path for water to enter or leave the container even more tortuous, as the water would have to pass through the (very small) gap between the locking flap and the locking formation, as well as through the (very small) gap between the recess and the projection.

[0040] It will be appreciated that the locking formation and the locking flap, when engaged with one another, themselves form a tortuous path for water to pass through if entering the container. Thus, the locking formation and the locking flap also provide a substantially water-tight seal (e.g., a labyrinth seal) for the container, that is independent from seal formed by the projection and the recess. At least some of the walls may comprise at least one tapered lateral edge. That is, a lateral edge of at least some of the walls may be angled (for example, but not limited to, being angled at approximately a 45° angle) with respect to the inner and / or outer face of the wall. As such, the lateral width of the outer face of the wall may be greater than the lateral width of the inner face of the wall. The tapered lateral edge of the wall may be configured to abut a complementary tapered lateral edge of an adjacent wall. This may prevent the walls folding too far inwards when assembling the container and may help to align the walls relative to one another before engagement of the locking flap and the locking formation.

[0041] When in the assembled state, the container may comprise one or more drainage holes. However, drainage holes may not be present in all embodiments. The drainage holes may be formed by cut-out portion(s) in at least one of the walls and / or in the base. The container may comprise a drainage hole at each of its lower corners when in the assembled state. The one or more drainage holes may provide a route for water or other liquid to exit the internal storage volume of the container without pooling at the base of the container and interfering with its contents. Further, the one or more drainage holes may allow controlled leakage of water from the containers. Any suitable container or other collector may be provided, suitably sized and located, to collect any water that is leaked in this controlled manner from the container. This can be particularly advantageous when the container is being transported over roadways, as if water leaks from transport vehicles on these roadways, the water can freeze in certain climates and create hazardous road conditions. By controlling the points at which water can leak from the container, measurements can be taken to ensure that this water is collected in or routed to a secure location, thereby preventing it from subsequently leaking onto roads.

[0042] Each drainage hole of the one or more drainage holes may comprise an upper edge and / or a lower edge that is angled with respect to the horizontal plane, i.e. that is angled with respect to the plane of the base. The upper edge may be formed in at least one of the walls. The lower edge may be formed in the base. The upper and lower edges of each drainage may be angled to slope downwardly, in a direction away from the internal storage volume of the container. In this way, any water inside the container may be guided out of the container by gravity when passing through the drainage holes. This allows the leaked of the water to be controlled accordingly, which is advantageous for the reasons discussed above. Further, water external to the container may be prevented from entering the container through the drainage holes, as the water cannot travel up the sloped edges of the drainage hole due to gravity. This may prevent the contents of the container being contaminated by any external water, or pollutants of any kind. Each drainage hole of the one or more drainage holes may comprise an inlet and an outlet. The inlet may be the opening through which water or other liquid internal to the container enters the drainage hole. The outlet may be the opening through which water or other liquid in the drainage hole exits the drainage hole. The inlet may be located wholly or at least partly below the inner face of the base. This may further prevent any water external to the container entering the container through the drainage holes, as said water would have to overcome gravity to pass from the inlet of the drainage hole to the inner face of the base. Thus, the contents of the container resting on the base may be prevented from coming into contact with the external water, and may avoid contamination from said water.

[0043] At least some of the walls may be pivotably attachable to the base. The pivoting attachment between the base and the at least some of the walls may be a permanent attachment or a detachable attachment. The at least some of the walls may be configured to pivot between the assembled state and the collapsed state of the container. This may allow the container to be easily and quickly transitioned between the collapsed and assembled states. In particular, in the case where the walls are permanently attached to the base, the entire container can be transported and cleaned as a unitary piece, whether it is in the assembled or dissembled state. This can simplify the processing of the container. Conversely, in the case where the walls are detachable from the base, they can be processed separately from the base, which can be advantageous in certain circumstances, e.g. where the base and the walls are formed of different materials and / or have different cleaning requirements.

[0044] The at least some of the walls may be attached to the base via a living hinge. This may provide a simple attachment between the walls and the base that still permits movement between the walls and the base. In this case, the at least some of the walls may form a unitary body with the base. At least some of the walls may comprise the same material as the base. The living hinge may be a thin section of material that allows the rigid walls to pivot about the line of the living hinge. The at least some of the walls may be configured to pivot between the assembled state and the collapsed state of the container. The at least some of the walls may be configured to fold outwardly from the assembled state to the collapsed state of the container, or vice versa. The at least some of the walls may be substantially coplanar with the base in the collapsed state. This may allow the container to be made as flat as possible, such that the container can be easily stacked with other containers whilst occupying a minimal volume - i.e. , with little or no gap between adjacent disassembled containers in the stack. Further, this flat shape of the container in the collapsed state may make cleaning of the container (for example, in between uses) easier, as each surface of the container is more easily accessible. This contributes to the use (and to the repeated use) of the collapsible container being more efficient and cost effective.

[0045] At least some of the walls may be detachable from the base. In this case, the at least some of the walls may be attached to the base via a mechanical hinge. For example, the at least some of the walls may be attached to the base via compression and / or tension hinges. The mechanical hinge may comprise a plurality of alternating compression and tension hinges. The mechanical hinge may be configured to attach to the base through a tension-compression-fit and / or a snap-fit locking mechanism. When sufficient force is applied to the at least some of the walls, the mechanical hinge may be detached from the base. This may allow easy assembly and disassembly of the walls and the base, as no external tools are required, only the application of sufficient force. The at least some of the walls may be configured to pivot between the assembled state and the collapsed state of the container. This may allow the walls and the base to be assembled together into the collapsed state, which may be easier than assembly into the assembled state, and then pivoted to the assembled state. The at least some of the walls may be configured to fold inwardly from the assembled state to the collapsed state, or vice versa. The at least some of the walls may be detached from the base in the collapsed state. By detaching at least some of the walls from the base in the collapsed state, storage and cleaning of the individual components of the container in the collapsed state may be made easier.

[0046] Alternatively to the above, at least some of the walls may be rigidly attachable to the base. That is, the at least some of the walls may be detachable from the base. When the at least some of the walls are attached to the base, however, they may be fixed in the attached position. In other words, the at least some of the walls may not be movable relative to the base when attached to the base. The at least some of the walls may therefore be attached to the base directly in the assembled position, i.e. they may be attached to the base such that they are substantially perpendicular to the base. This may be advantageous in terms of the strength of the container, as the walls in this case will not move relative to the base and thus cannot accidentally fold away from the base during use.

[0047] The walls are thermally insulated. This is particular advantageous when the container is being used to transport seafood, such as fish, , as said goods must be held within a particular temperature range during transit, and may be packed with ice. In particular, the walls may be double-walled. That is, the walls may comprise an inner wall spaced apart from an outer wall. The space between the inner wall and the outer wall of at least some of the walls may comprise a thermally insulating material. The thermally insulating material may be any suitable material, such as air, water, fibreglass, or polystyrene. Additionally, or alternatively, the space between the inner and outer wall of at least some of the walls may comprise a vacuum. The base may also be thermally insulated, e.g. the base may also be double-walled, and may comprise an inner wall separated from an outer wall by an insulating material or a vacuum. This may ensure heat cannot enter or exit the container from any of the walls or the base.

[0048] The space between the inner and outer walls of the walls and / or the base may comprise at least one divider for dividing the space into a plurality of sections. Each of the sections may contain the insulating material. The at least one divider may be positioned such that the volume of each section is sufficiently small to reduce or prevent convection of liquid within the sections. In particular, when air or water is used as the insulating material, the convection of the air or water is limited by the volume of each section, and consequently heat transfer via convection is also limited. This prevents the air or water transferring heat either into or out of the container, thereby ensuring that the temperature of the container remains substantially constant even over long periods of time (e.g., during travel). This is advantageous for keeping the goods inside, which may be perishable, within a desired temperature range during the entire transit journey.

[0049] The space (if present) between the inner and outer walls of the walls and / or the base should be sufficiently wide so as to enable proper thermal insulation. However, as containers for goods transportation, such as for fish transportation, typically fall into standard sizes, the larger this thermal insulation space is, the less volume that is available in the container for the storage of the goods. It is therefore important to ensure that a balance is reached to ensure proper thermal insulation without compromising the storage volume of the container. To this end, the thickness of the walls may be between 10mm and 18mm, preferably between 12mm and 16mm, and more preferably 14mm. For each wall, the thickness of the inner wall and / or the thickness of the outer wall may then be between 0.5mm and 2.0mm, preferably between 1.0mm and 1.5mm, and more preferably 1.3mm. In this way, the overall thickness of the walls can be kept within acceptable ranges, but the volume of insulating material can be maximised by making the inner and outer walls as thin as possible. The thickness of the base may be the same as the thickness of the walls. That is, the thickness of the base may be between 10mm and 18mm, preferably between 12mm and 16mm, and more preferably 14mm. The thickness of the inner wall of the base and / or the thickness of the outer wall of the base may be between 0.5mm and 2.0mm, preferably between 1.0mm and 1.5mm, and more preferably 1.3mm.

[0050] When the container is in the collapsed state, the base and the walls may be substantially coplanar. As such, the height of the container in the collapsed state may be defined by the thickness of the base and the walls. Hence, the height of the container in the collapsed state may be between 10mm and 18mm, preferably between 12mm and 16mm, and more preferably 14mm. The volume of the container in the height direction in the collapsed state is therefore small. Furthermore, due to the container being substantially flat in its collapsed state, the container can be more easily stacked with other containers. Thus, it is possible to stack a large number of containers in the collapsed state upon one another for a given volume. This is particularly advantageous during transportation of the containers between uses, as the number of collapsed containers that can be stacked in a given volume is maximised, and so the number of journeys, shipping containers, and / or transport vehicles can be reduced.

[0051] When in the assembled state, the container may comprise a storage volume defined between the walls and the base. The storage volume may be configured to store any suitable goods, including but not limited to medicines, fish, seafood, meat, fruit, vegetables, etc. The container, when in the assembled state, may be substantially cuboidal in shape. For example, the container may be a rectangular cuboid or a cube in shape when in the assembled state. As a result, the storage volume may also be substantially cuboid in shape. The first wall of the first pair of walls may therefore have a greater width than the second wall of the first pair of walls, may have a smaller width than the second wall of the first pair of walls, or may have the same width as the second wall of the first pair of walls. Similarly, the third wall of the second pair of walls may have a greater width than the fourth wall of the second pair of walls, may have a smaller width than the fourth wall of the second pair of walls, or may have the same width as the fourth wall of the second pair of walls. The container may have a width of between 60mm and 100mm, preferably 80mm. In particular, one wall in each of the first and second pair of walls may define the width of the container, and so may have a width of between 60mm and 100mm, preferably 80mm. The container may have a length of between 300mm and 500mm, preferably 400mm. In particular, the other wall in each of the first and second pair of walls may define the length of the container, and so may have a width of between 300mm and 500mm, preferably 400mm. The container may have a height of between 100mm and 300mm, preferably 200mm. The walls may therefore also have a height of between 100mm and 300mm, preferably 200mm.

[0052] At least one wall may comprise at least one spacer on its outer surface. The at least one spacer may project outwardly from the outer surface. The at least one spacer may be substantially cuboid in shape, and / or may be frustum-shaped, or may adopt any other suitable shape. The at least one spacer may comprise a plurality of spacers spaced laterally and / or longitudinally apart from one another along the width of the wall. The distance between each spacer may be sufficiently large as to permit the flow of air between spacers. This may allow cooling air to pass between the containers when the containers are arranged in stacks, as the spacers ensure that gaps exist between the containers in the stacks. For example, when the containers are stacked within a refrigerated truck container, cooled air from a transportation refrigeration unit may be able to pass between the containers by virtue of the spacers. In this way, it can be ensured that the cooling air is supplied to all containers in the stack, rather than just the containers at the edge of the stack. Moreover, it enables the containers to benefit from the thermal capabilities of the transportation vehicle, in addition to their own inherent thermal capabilities. This is particularly beneficial when the containers are used to transport perishable goods, such as fish, that must be kept cool throughout their entire transit journey. Furthermore, by enabling the cooling air to reach all the containers, the melting of any ice within the container can be prevented, and melted ice water can be prevented from leaking and contaminating the surrounding containers.

[0053] The container comprises a removeable lid. The removeable lid may be attachable to the upper edges of the walls. Thus, the removeable lid can engage the walls of the container to create a closed interior volume for the storage and / or transport of goods, which is protected from any external pollutants. The removeable lid may comprise one or more lid recesses on its inner face, the lid recesses being configured to engage with one or more protrusions located on the upper edges of one or more of the walls. Alternatively, the lid may comprise the one or more protrusions, and the upper edges of the walls may comprise the one or more recesses. In this way, the lid may be securely attached to the rest of the container when the recesses are engaged with the protrusions, and the risk of the lid detaching from the container during transit (and thereby exposing the goods to external pollutants) is reduced. The lid may comprise at least one locking flap pivotably attached to the lid, the locking flap being for engagement with at least one locking formation on the walls The at least one locking flap may be positioned toward any of the edges of the removeable lid, and the at least one locking formation may be positioned toward the upper edge of the wall on which it is formed. The locking flap and the locking formation for connecting the lid to the walls may be identical in form to the locking flap and the locking formation used to connect the walls to one another. In particular, the locking flap of the lid may be configured to engage the locking formation of the walls in a tension-compression-fit and / or snap-fit relationship. Additionally, or alternatively, the lid may comprise at least one locking formation, and at least one wall may comprise a locking flap for engaging the locking formation on the lid. In this way, the lid may be locked to the walls such that it will not detach from the rest of the container during transit, and the need to use straps to secure the lid to the rest of the container (e.g., during transit) may be avoided. The removeable lid may comprise at least one protrusion on its outer face, the at least one protrusion being for engagement with a corresponding recess in the outer face of a base of another container. Conversely, the base may comprise at least one recess on its outer face, the at least one recess being for engagement with a corresponding protrusion on the outer face of a lid of another container. In this way, when the containers are stacked, the protrusions of the lid and the recesses of the base may each engage with the containers stacked below and above the container, respectively. As such, relative movement of the containers in the stack may be reduced or prevented, and so possible collapse of the stack can also be prevented. This is particularly helpful during transit of the containers, where movement of the transit vehicle can cause shaking and / or instability in the stacks of containers.

[0054] The removeable lid may be thermally insulated. In particular, the removeable lid may be double-walled. That is, the removeable lid may comprise an inner wall spaced apart from an outer wall, with the space between the inner wall and the outer wall comprising either a thermally insulating material or a vacuum. Thus, heat may be prevented from exiting or entering the container from every face of the container, and any perishable goods held by the container can be maintained within a desired temperature range.

[0055] The walls, the base, and / or the removeable lid may comprise any suitable material, such as but not limited to plastic, polymers, carbon fibre, graphene, coconut fibre, and / or aerogel. For example, at least some of the walls, the base, and the removeable lid may comprise a thermoplastic polymer such as polypropylene, expanded polypropylene or polyethylene. Additionally, or alternatively, at least some of the walls, the base, and / or the removeable lid may comprise a carbon fibre matrix material. Such materials may be lightweight yet strong, thereby enabling easy transport of the container without risking its collapse. At least some (if not all) of the walls, the base, and / or the removeable lid may comprise the same material as one another.

[0056] The walls and the base may be integral with one another. In other words, the walls and the base may form an integral piece. In this case, the walls may be attached to the base via living hinges. The integral piece may be manufactured using any suitable method, such as but not limited to injection moulding, blow moulding, 3D printing, injection-moulding, vacuum forming, etc. In particular, by using blow moulding, imperfections and unwanted air bubbles in the integral piece can be avoided. The integral piece may comprise a plurality of materials. That is, one or more of the components of the integral piece (such as the walls and / or the base) may comprise different materials. The material chosen for a particular component may be based on the function and location of the component. Even in the case where the various components comprise different materials, the components can nevertheless be formed as an integral piece, e.g. through 3D printing.

[0057] At least one wall may comprise at least one rib on its inner face. The at least one rib may be a reinforcing rib for strengthening the wall. In particular, the reinforcing rib may provide the walls with resistance to buckling under large compressive forces, e.g. when the container is stacked with other container during transport. The at least one rib may be a concave rib. That is, the at least one rib may extend from the inner face of the wall, towards the outer face of the wall. This may ensure the rib does not extend into the storage volume of the container and restrict the space available for the goods held within. The at least one rib may extend at least partially inwardly from the inner face of the wall toward the outer surface of the wall. The at least one rib may extend across the entire thickness of the wall from the inner surface to the outer surface. The at least one rib may have a trapezoid horizontal cross-section. The at least one rib may extend along at least part of the height of the wall. The at least one rib may act as the divider in the space between the inner and outer faces of the wall. That is, the at least one rib may divide the space between the inner and outer faces of the wall into the plurality of sections. Thus, the rib may not only provide added strength to the container walls, but may simultaneously improve the thermal characteristics of the wall by dividing the space between the inner and outer walls into smaller volumes, in which convection of any thermally insulating liquid is restricted. The at least one rib may comprise a plurality of ribs spaced apart from one another along the width of the wall. The plurality of ribs may be laterally equidistant from one another. This may ensure the walls are strengthened equally along their entire width, and there are no areas of localised weakness in the container.

[0058] At least one wall may comprise at least one indent in its inner face. The at least one indent may be a concave dome. The at least one indent may extend inwardly from the inner surface of the wall toward the outer face of the wall. The at least one indent may be substantially oval in shape. In particular, the at least one indent may have a stadium-like shape. The at least one indent may extend across at least part of the height of wall. The at least one indent may extend across at least a majority of the height of the wall. The at least one indent may comprise a plurality of indents space apart from on another along the width of the wall. The at least one rib may comprise a plurality of ribs and the at least one indent may comprise a plurality of indents, and each indent may be positioned in a space between adjacent ribs. This arrangement of ribs and indents may provide structural support to the container, particularly in terms of compressive strength. This is particular advantageous considering said containers are often arranged in a stack, and therefore may have to withstand the compressive load of other containers in the stack. In particular, the at least one indent may act - in case of excessive compressive loads - to control the collapse of the container in such a way that the goods held within the container are not destroyed.

[0059] Additionally or alternatively, at least one wall may comprise a smooth outer and / or inner surface. That is, the at least one wall may not comprise any indents and / or ribs. In this case, the at least one wall may be double-walled, i.e. comprising an inner wall separated from an outer wall. The inner wall may be separated from the outer wall by an insulating material, such as foam. This may provide both thermal insulation to the container as well as structural integrity.

[0060] The base may comprise one or more grooves in its inner surface. The grooves may be suitable for gathering water. Containers for transporting chilled and / or frozen goods (such as fish, produce, or medicine) frequently require ice to be packed within the container. If some of this ice melts, the melted water may pool at the base of the container, and may reduce the cooling effects of the ice. By collecting this melted water in the grooves, it can be collected away from the ice, and can be prevented from negatively impacting the cooling effects of the ice.

[0061] At least one wall may comprise a label region on its outer face for adhesion of a label. This may allow important information to be easily visible on the exterior of the container. The label region may comprise a plurality of indents and / or protrusions in a predetermined pattern. The indents and / or protrusions may be, for example, rectangular or oval in shape. The indents and / or protrusions may have a greater width than height, i.e. they may extend laterally across the outer surface of the wall. A sub-area of the label region comprising protrusions and / or indents may be greater than a sub-area of the label region not comprising the protrusions and / or indents. The use of this predetermined pattern of indents and / or protrusions may aid removal of the label during cleaning of the container using, for example but not limited to, a jet wash. The container may comprise a label removable attached to the label region. The label may comprise one or more of: identification information, contents information, travel information, and / or purchasing information.

[0062] At least one wall may comprise a tag region on its outer face and / or its inner face for attachment of a tag. The tag may, for example, be a wireless communications tag, such as a RFID tag or an NFC tag. Additionally or alternatively, the tag may be an optical communications tag. The optical communications tag may be configured to transmit and receive information using visible and / or non-visible wavelengths of light. For example, the optical communications tag may be an infrared communications tag. The tag region may be on the same wall as the label region. The tag region may be adjacent to the label region, or may overlap with the label region. The container may comprise the tag. The tag may be removably attachable to the tag region. Additionally or alternatively, the tag may be integrally moulded with the wall. The tag may comprise a wireless communications tag, such as an NFC tag and / or a RFID tag. Additionally or alternative, the tag may comprise an optical communications tag. The tag may be configured to store one or more of: identification information, contents information, travel information, and / or purchasing information. The tag may be configured to transmit information to a user device, a cloud network, and / or an Internet-of-Things (loT). Conversely, the tag may be configured to receive information from a user device, a cloud network, and / or an Internet-of-Things (loT). Users may therefore be able to learn information with respect to the container by reading the information from the tag. Users may also be able to add information to the tag for other users to read. The use of a wireless communications tag as an alternative, or an addition, to a label ensures that sensitive or confidential information is readable from the container via the wireless communications tag, but only if a user has the correct equipment or permissions to access that information.

[0063] At least one wall may have an outer face that is at least partially contoured for aiding gripping of the container, e.g. using automated machinery. In particular, the at least one wall may have an outer face that is at least partially ridged. The wall with a contoured and / or ridged outer face may be the same wall with the label and / or tag region. The contoured and / or ridged area of the outer face may be located at the bottom of the outer face. The contoured and / or ridged area may extend from the bottom edge of the outer face towards the top edge of the outer face. This may aid processing of the container, in particular stacking or unstacking of the container between destinations.

[0064] At least one wall may comprise at least one user grip means, such as an indent or a handle. The at least one user grip means may be an indent on the outer face of the wall. The at least one user grip means may extend at least partially inward from the outer face toward the inner face of the wall. In particular, two opposing walls of the container may each comprise a user grip means. This may allow a user to securely grab and move the container.

[0065] The container may comprise a liner for lining the inner surfaces of the container. The liner may line the inner faces of each of the walls. The liner may line the inner face of the base. The liner may be sealed to the inner surfaces of the container, for example using a vacuum seal. This may improve the hygiene of the container. The liner may be single use or may be configured for repeated use, with appropriate washing or other hygiene treatment between uses. The liner may comprise any material beneficial for transport of perishable goods, removal or / and cleaning, such as, but not limited to, polymers, plastic, wood, and so on.

[0066] The container may comprise a cling film wrapping for entirely covering the surfaces of the container. This may ensure that the container does not become dirty during transit and dirt and / or water cannot enter the container. The cling film wrapping may be used when the container is in the assembled state or the collapsed state.

[0067] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of assembling a collapsible container for transporting seafood, the container comprising a base; a removeable lid; a first pair of walls that attach to the base, the first pair of walls comprising a first wall and a second wall adjacent to the first wall; a second pair of walls that attach to the base, the second pair of walls comprising a third wall and a fourth wall adjacent to the third wall; a first locking flap that attaches to the first wall; wherein the second wall comprises a corresponding first locking formation that is configured to engage with the first locking flap; a second locking flap that attaches to the third wall; wherein the fourth wall comprises a corresponding second locking formation that is configured to engage with the second locking flap; wherein each locking flap pivotably attaches to the respective wall and is configured to pivot move between an unlocking position and a locking position; and wherein the first pair of walls and the second pair of walls are thermally insulated; the method comprising: moving the walls to a position where the walls are substantially perpendicular to the base; pivoting the locking flap of each of the pairs of walls from an unlocking position to a locking position; engaging each locking flap with the corresponding locking formation of the respective pair of walls; and providing a removeable lid for attachment to upper edges of the walls.

[0068] The method of the second aspect may be for assembling the collapsible container of the first aspect, including any optional features thereof. In particular, it may include attaching the removeable lid to the remainder of the container.

[0069] The method may include pivoting the walls to a position where the walls are substantially perpendicular to the base. The method may include pivoting the walls from a collapsed state to an assembled state in which the walls are substantially perpendicular to the base. The method may include pivoting the walls either inwardly from the collapsed state to the assembled state, or vice versa.

[0070] The method may include attaching the walls to the base using a tension- compression-fit locking and / or snap-fit mechanism. The method may include directly attaching the walls to the base in the assembled state. Alternatively, the method may include attaching the walls to the base in the collapsed state, and pivoting the walls to the assembled state.

[0071] During the moving of the walls to the position where the walls are substantially perpendicular to the base, the method may include firstly moving the a first opposing pair of the walls to the position where they are substantially perpendicular to the base, and then moving a second pair of opposing walls to the position where they are substantially perpendicular to the base. It may not matter in what order each wall is moved to the position where it is substantially perpendicular to the base. Alternatively, it may be necessary to move each wall in an order that allows each wall to be correctly connected to one another.

[0072] The method may include engaging a projection on at least one wall with a corresponding recess on at least one adjacent wall when moving the walls into the assembled state. In particular, the method may include engaging a projection on a wall to which the locking flap is attached with a corresponding recess on a wall comprising the locking formation. This step of the method may occur prior to the pivoting of the locking flap.

[0073] The method includes attaching a removeable lid to the upper edges of the walls. The method may include connecting the lid to one or more of the walls using at least one locking flap pivotably attached to the lid, and at least one locking formation on the walls. Additionally or alternatively, the method may include connecting the lid to one or more of the walls using at least one locking flap pivotably attached to at least one wall and a corresponding locking formation on the lid.

[0074] The method may include assembling a plurality of collapsible containers and stacking the plurality of collapsible containers. The method may include arranging a first layer of containers facing a first direction. The method may include arranging a second layer of containers atop the first layer, the second layer of containers facing a direction perpendicular to the first direction. This may be continued for third, fourth, fifth layers etc., with each layer of containers being arranged facing a direction perpendicular to the direction faced by the containers in the layers above and below.

[0075] The method may include engaging a protrusion on the upper surface of the lid of a first container with a recess on the lower surface of the base of a second container when stacking the second container atop the first container.

[0076] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a collapsible container for transporting goods is provided comprising: a base; a pair of opposing endwalls that removably attach to the base; and a pair of opposing sidewalls that removably attach to the base; wherein the container comprises a locking mechanism for locking each endwall to at least one adjacent sidewall in an assembled state of the container. In this aspect of the present invention, the locking mechanism may be a tension-compression locking mechanism. Each endwall of the pair of endwalls may comprise a male locking part of the tension-compression locking mechanism for engaging a female locking part of the tensioncompression locking mechanism on a sidewall of the pair of sidewalls, or vice versa. The locking parts may engage one another sequentially as the endwalls and sidewalls are moved into the assembled state. This further aspect of the present invention may comprise any of the features of the first aspect (including any optical features thereof), and may be assembled using the method of the second aspect (including any optional features thereof).

[0077] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a collapsible container for transporting goods is provided comprising: a base; and a plurality of walls that attach to the base; wherein each pair of adjacent walls in the plurality of walls comprises at least one locking flap and at least one locking formation configured to engage one another, a first wall of the pair of adjacent walls comprising the at least one locking flap, and a second wall of the pair of adjacent walls comprising the at least one locking formation; and wherein each locking flap is pivotably attached to the first wall and is configured to move between an unlocking position and a locking position.

[0078] The fourth aspect of the present invention may include all of the optional features of the first aspect. The container of the fourth aspect may comprise four walls or fewer than four walls or more than four walls. The container of the fourth aspect, when in the assembled state, may therefore be substantially triangular, cuboid, hexagonal, octagonal, etc. in shape depending on how many walls are present.

[0079] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a collapsible container for transporting goods is provided, the collapsible container being configured to transition between a collapsed state and an assembled state, wherein the collapsible container comprises: a base; a plurality of walls pivotably attached to the base; and a plurality of fasteners for locking adjacent walls to one another in the assembled state.

[0080] The fifth aspect of the present invention may include all or some of the optional features of the first, second, third, and / or fourth aspect of the present invention.

[0081] At least some of the plurality of fasteners may be completely detachable from the walls, for example in the collapsed state. At least some of the fasteners may be configured to lock together adjacent walls that, in the assembled state, are perpendicular (i.e. at 90 degrees) to one another. At least some of the fasteners may be configured to lock together adjacent walls that, in the assembled state, are coplanar (i.e. at 180 degrees) with one another. The plurality of fasteners may create a water-tight connection between adjacent walls.

[0082] At least some of the plurality of fasteners may comprise at least one tag. The at least one tag may comprise a wireless communications tag and / or an optical communications tag. For example, the at least one tag may comprise an NFC tag and / or a RFID tag. The tag may be configured to store one or more of: identification information, contents information, travel information, and / or purchasing information. The tag may be configured to transmit information to a user device, a cloud network, and / or an Internet-of-Things (loT). Conversely, the tag may be configured to receive information from a user device, a cloud network, and / or an Internet-of-Things (loT). The at least one tag may be attachable to the container via attachment of the fasteners to the walls of the container. Similarly, the at least one tag may be detached from the container via detachment of the fasteners from the walls of the container.

[0083] According to a sixth aspect of the invention, a collapsible container for transporting goods is provided, the collapsible container comprising: a base; a first pair of walls that attach to the base, the first pair of walls comprising a first wall and a second wall adjacent to the first wall; and a second pair of walls that attach to the base, the second pair of walls comprising a third wall and a fourth wall adjacent to the third wall; a first locking flap that attaches to the first wall; wherein the second wall comprises a corresponding first locking formation that is configured to engage with the first locking flap; a second locking flap that attaches to the third wall; wherein the fourth wall comprises a corresponding second locking formation that is configured to engage with the second locking flap; wherein each locking flap pivotably attaches to the respective wall and is configured to pivotably move between an unlocking position and a locking position.

[0084] The container of the sixth aspect of the invention may comprise a removeable lid. The container may be for transporting seafood, such as fish. The first pair of walls may be thermally insulated. The second pair of walls may be thermally insulated.

[0085] The container of the sixth aspect may include all or some of the optional features of the first, second, third, fourth and / or fifth aspect of the present invention.

[0086] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0087] Certain embodiments of the disclosure will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a container in a collapsed state;

[0088] Figure 2 shows a schematic view of the container of Figure 1 in an assembled state;

[0089] Figure 3 shows a locking flap and a locking formation of the container;

[0090] Figure 4A shows the locking flap and the locking formation in an unlocking position;

[0091] Figure 4B shows the locking flap and the locking formation in a locking position;

[0092] Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the locking flap and the locking formation in the unlocking position;

[0093] Figure 6 shows the cross-section of the locking flap and the locking formation in the locking position;

[0094] Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the locking flap and the locking formation in the locking formation;

[0095] Figure 8 shows a removeable lid of the container;

[0096] Figure 9 shows an underneath view of the container;

[0097] Figure 10 shows a cross-section of the lid engaged with the container;

[0098] Figure 11 shows a perspective view of a container with spacers;

[0099] Figure 12 shows a top-view of a container stack;

[0100] Figure 13 shows a perspective view of the container stack;

[0101] Figure 14 shows an alternative collapsible container in a collapsed state;

[0102] Figure 15 shows the alternative collapsible container of Figure 14 in an assembled state;

[0103] Figure 16 shows an alternative collapsible container with detachable fasteners at each corner;

[0104] Figure 17 shows an alternative collapsible container with detachable fasteners at a mid-point between the walls;

[0105] Figure 18 shows an alternative collapsible container with walls with smooth inner surfaces; and

[0106] Figure 19 shows the collapsible container of Figure 18 with walls with smooth outer surfaces.

[0107] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0108] Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a collapsible container 10 for storing and transporting fish or other seafood or other goods. The container 10 is a reusable container that can transition between an assembled state and a collapsed state. The container 10 comprises two opposed sidewalls 12, two opposed endwalls 14, and a base 16. Each sidewall 12 interacts with a respective endwall to form an interconnectable pair of walls, as detailed further below. The terms ‘sidewall’ and ‘endwall’ are used herein for the purpose of aiding understanding of the figures only. They are not to be construed as limiting. Moreover, the relative sizes of the sidewalls and endwalls in the figures are illustrative of one possible example only, and should not be construed as limiting. The use of the container for storing and transporting seafood such as fish is also illustrative only. It will be appreciated that the container is also suitable for transporting other goods.

[0109] The sidewalls 12 and the endwalls 14 are attached to the base via living hinges in the embodiment of Figure 1 , and are configured to pivot about the respective hinges between the collapsed state and the assembled state. Whilst living hinges in particular are used in this embodiment, any suitable alternative hinge construction for allowing pivoting movement between the walls 12, 14 and the base 16 can be used alternatively. Further, it is possible for the walls 12, 14 to be detachable from the base 16, and for there to be no pivoting movement between the walls 12, 14 and the base 16.

[0110] In Figure 1 , the container 10 is shown in the collapsed state, where the sidewalls 12 and endwalls 14 are substantially co-planar with the base. The container 10 may be in this collapsed state, for example, prior to packing of the container, or during unpacking. The container 10 may also be transported in this state during times when it is not being used for fish and / or seafood storage. Due to the flat shape of the container 10 in the collapsed state, it can be ensured that a greater number of containers 10 can be stored in a particular volume (e.g. during transport) than would be possible in their assembled state. Furthermore, the flat shape of the container 10 in the collapsed state aids cleaning of the container 10, e.g. in between uses. The container 10 is shown in the assembled state in Figure 2.

[0111] As can be seen in Figure 1 , the sidewalls 12 and the endwalls 14 each can comprise a plurality of ribs 18. The ribs 18 are in this embodiment concave ribs on an inner face of the sidewall 12 or endwall 14, and can extend either across the entire height of the sidewall 12 or endwall 14, or across only part of the height of the sidewall 12 or endwall 14. The ribs 18 act as reinforcing ribs that strengthen the sidewall 12 or endwall 14. In particular, the ribs 18 enable the sidewalls 12 and endwalls 14 to withstand higher compressive forces, which is particularly important for when the container 10 is stacked with other containers and must withstand the compressive load exerted by said containers. The sidewalls 12 in this embodiment further comprise a plurality of indents 20. The indents 20, like the ribs 18, are concave formations on an inner face of the sidewall 12. The indents 20 are however shallower than the ribs 18. The indents 20 may be positioned between adjacent ribs 18, or may be positioned between a rib 18 and a lateral edge of the sidewall 12. These indents 20, together with the ribs 18, work to improve the strength of the sidewalls 12. The indents 20 also provide an “imperfection” in the endwalls for controlling the collapse of the sidewall 12 in the event that the container 10 is subjected to excessive compressive forces.

[0112] It will be appreciated, however, that the sidewalls 12 and / or the endwalls 14 may not comprise any ribs or indents, and may instead each have smooth outer and / or inner surfaces. As described in further detail below with reference to Figure 7, the sidewalls 14 and endwalls 12 may be double-walled, i.e. with inner and outer walls that are separated from one another by a space 58. The space may be filled with an insulating material such as foam. This may provide structural stability to the container 10.

[0113] The base 16 in this embodiment comprises grooves 22, where the grooves 22 act as a reservoir for any water in the container 10. However, these grooves 22 are not essential in all embodiments. For transportation of fish, seafood, and the like, it is typical for the container 10 to be packed with ice. As time passes, some of this ice will usually melt, resulting in the melted ice water pooling at the bottom of the container 10. This can lead to the melted water interacting with the fish and / or the remaining ice in the container and reducing cooling. To prevent this, the grooves 22 are designed to gather any melt water and prevent the melt water otherwise interfering with the contents of the container 10. They can also prevent such melt water from escaping the container.

[0114] Figure 2 shows a schematic view of the container 10 in its assembled state. In this state, the container 10 is configured to store any suitable goods, particularly fish and seafood. To transition from the collapsed state (of Figure 1) to the assembled state (of Figure 2), the sidewalls 12 and the endwalls 14 in this embodiment are pivoted about the living hinge to a position in which they are substantially perpendicular to the base 16. In embodiments where the walls 12, 14 are detachable from the base 16, the walls 12, 14 may be directly attached to the base 16 in the assembled state (i.e., perpendicular to the base 16), or may be attached to the base 16 in an at least partially collapsed state and pivoted to the assembled state. Once in this position, a number of locking flaps 24 attached to the endwalls 14 are rotated from an unlocking position (shown in Figure 1) to a locking position (shown in Figure 2), in which they each engage with a corresponding locking formation 38 (not visible in Figures 1 or 2) on the sidewalls 12. This securely connects the sidewalls 12 to the endwalls 14 and ensures that they remain in the assembled state. Whilst shown with the locking flaps 24 attached to the endwalls 14 and the locking formations 38 attached to the sidewalls 12 in Figure 2, it will be appreciated that the inverse situation can be true, and each wall 12, 14 can have any combination of locking flaps 24 and locking formations 38 at their corners for engagement with one another. A removeable lid 26 may then be placed upon the upper edges of the sidewalls 12 and endwalls 14, thereby creating a closed storage volume within the container 10 which can be used to store and transport goods, and that is protected from external pollutants.

[0115] The outer face of the endwall 14 is shown in Figure 2. On its outer face, the endwall 14 can comprise one or more of a tag region 28, a label region 30, a handle 32, and a ridged portion 34. The tag region 28 is for attachment of a tag, such as a wireless or optical communications tag. The tag could be, for example, an RFID tag. The tag can comprise similar information to the information that could be put on a label. Once the tag is attached to the tag region 28 of the container 10, users can receive information from or transmit information to the tag. As such, users at different stages along the journey of the container 10 can use the tag to convey important information to later users. In contrast to a label, however, users may require special permissions or equipment to access the information on the tag, and so confidential or sensitive information can be stored on the tag.

[0116] The label region 30 is for attachment of a removeable label, wherein the label may comprise information relating to the container 10. For example, the label may comprise information relating to the contents of the container 10, information relating to the origin and / or the destination of the container, identification details, and / or travel details. The label region 30 in Figure 2 comprises a pattern of laterally extending recesses 36 for aiding removal of the label between uses of the container 10. To further aid removal of the label in between uses of the container 10, the portion of the label region 30 comprising these recesses 36 is made greater than the portion of the label region 30 not comprising the recesses 36.

[0117] Figures 3, 4A, and 4B show the locking flap 24 of an endwall 14 and the locking formation 38 of a cooperating sidewall 12 in greater detail. In Figure 3, the locking flap 24 is shown in the unlocking position, where it is not engaged with the locking formation 38. The locking flap 24 is attached toward the lateral edge of sidewall 14 via a hinge 40 (for example, via a living hinge). Through the hinge 40, the locking flap 24 is able to pivot between the unlocking position and the locking position. The locking formation 38 is located on the outer face of the sidewall 12, and is integral with the sidewall 12. In other embodiments that are not shown, the locking flap 24 may alternatively be detachably attached to the outer face of the sidewall 14. The locking formation 38 is positioned within a sunken portion of the sidewall 12, thereby ensuring that the locking flap 24 does not protrude past the outer face of the sidewall 12 when it is put into engagement with the locking formation 38. This allows the container 10 to be easily stacked with other containers 10 as its outer faces will not have any protruding portions. As will be explained in further detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6, the locking formation 38 comprises a plurality of protrusions 42 for engaging the locking flap 24 in a tension-compression-fit relationship. The locking flap 24 shown in the Figures is resiliently deformable to enable this tension-compression-fit relationship, but in other embodiments it may be the locking formation 38 that is resiliently deformable to enable the tension-compression-fit relationship.

[0118] Figure 4A shows the container 10 in the assembled state, with the locking flap 24 in the unlocking position. The locking flap 24 has a hooked portion 44 that is configured to abut the protrusions 42 of the locking formation 38 in the locking position. In particular, the hooked portion 44 is configured to “wrap around” the protrusions 42 in the locking position, thereby securely hooking the locking flap 24 to the locking formation 38 and preventing accidental disengagement during transit of the container 10. As can be seen from Figure 4A, an inner face of the hooked portion 44 comprises cavities, into which the protrusions 42 of the locking formation 38 insert when the locking flap 24 is in the locking position. In this embodiment, there are ledges, or barriers, formed between the respective cavities on the inner face of the hooked portion 44, wherein each ledge locates in between two respective protrusions 42, when the locking flap 24 is in the locking position. Other configurations of the locking flap 24 are of course possible provided they would enable engagement with the locking formation 38. Similarly, other configurations of the locking formation 38 to that shown in the Figures is possible, provided said configurations would enable engagement with the locking flap 24.

[0119] The locking flap 42 is pivoted about the hinge 40 toward the locking formation 38 when moving from the unlocking position to the locking position. The locking flap 42 is shown in the locking position in Figure 4B. As the locking flap 42 is pivoted to the locking position, the hooked portion 44 engages with the protrusions 42, thereby locking the endwall 14 to the sidewall 12. As can be further seen from Figure 4A, the locking flap 24 further comprises a tab portion 46 for a user (or a suitable machine or tool) to grip. To disengage the locking flap 24 from the locking formation 38, a user can grip the tab portion 46 and pull or rotate to exert a force on the locking flap 24 that causes it to deform again and moves it away from the locking formation 38, thereby disengaging the locking flap 24 from the locking formation 38.

[0120] Figure 5 shows a horizontal cross-section of the locking flap 24 and the locking formation 38 when the locking flap 24 is in the unlocking position. The horizontal crosssection of Figure 5 is taken along the line A-A shown in Figure 4A. From this view, it can be seen that the hooked portion 44 has a hook-shape with an innermost point 48. Meanwhile, the protrusion 42 is shown having an outermost point 50 and a groove 52 on a side of the protrusion 42. As the locking flap 24 is rotated about hinge 40 toward the locking position (shown in Figure 6), the innermost point 48 abuts (i.e., comes into contact with) the outermost point 50 of the protrusion 38. If rotational force by the user (or by a machine or tool) on the locking flap 24 is continued at this time, this causes the hooked portion 44 to resiliently deform - and for the locking flap 24 to stretch - until it moves around the protrusion 38 and settles within groove 52, as shown in Figure 6. This deformation happens gradually due to the tapered shape of the protrusion 42, thus preventing snapping or breakage of the locking flap 24 as it is moved into engagement with the locking formation 38.

[0121] Figure 6 shows a horizontal cross-section of the locking flap 24 and the locking formation 38 when the locking flap 24 is in the locking position. The horizontal cross-section of Figure 6 is taken along the line A-A shown in Figure 4B. In Figure 6, the locking flap 24 - particularly the hooked portion 44 of locking flap 24 - is held in tension against the protrusion 42. Similarly, the protrusion 42 is held under compression by the hooked portion 44. In order to disengage the hooked portion 44 from the groove 52, a pulling force would need to be applied to deform the hooked portion 44 once more. The pulling force required is greater (and of a different nature / direction) than the forces that the container would typically undergo during transport, and so accidental disengagement of the hooked portion 44 from the groove 52 is prevented. As can be seen from Figure 6, the tab portion 46 of the locking flap 24 extends outwardly from the outer face of the sidewall 12. This allows a user to easily grip and pull the tab portion 46.

[0122] As can be further seen from Figures 5 and 6, the endwall 14 further comprises a recess 54 for engagement with a corresponding projection 56 of the sidewall 12. The recess 54 is located on the inner face of the endwall 14, whilst the projection 56 extends from a lateral edge of the sidewall 12. In some embodiments, the inverse is true, and so the recess 54 is located on the inner face of the sidewall 12, and the projection 56 extends from a lateral edge of the endwall 14. When the container 10 is in the assembled position, the projection 56 is configured to engage the recess 54, thereby providing a further connection between the endwall 14 and sidewall 12. The recess 54 and projection 56 are configured to enter a tight-fit relationship with one another when the container is in the assembled state. The gap between the recess 54 and projection 56 is therefore minimized so as to prevent the ingress of water through the gap. The gap is made even smaller once the locking flap 24 is put into engagement with the locking formation 38, as the projection 56 is pressed further into engagement with the recess 54 in this state. The locking flap 24 is outward of the recess 54 and projection 56 in the locking position, and so the locking flap - either alone or in combination with part of the outer face of the endwall 14 - acts as a cover for the recess 54 and projection 56 in the locking position. This further prevents water leakage from the container 10, and prevents water on outer surfaces of the container 10 entering the container 10.

[0123] Furthermore, it can be seen that the path that water (or any other liquid or contaminant or other matter) must take to enter the container is formed by both the gap between the recess 54 and the projection 56, and the gap between the locking flap 24 and the locking formation 38. This path forms a labyrinth for the water to pass through. In other words, a tortuous path for water to enter the container 10 is formed by the recess 54 and projection 56, as well as by the locking flap 24 and locking formation 38. These gaps are extremely narrow. This arrangement significantly reduces the chance of water passing through the entirety of the path, and therefore significantly reduces the likelihood of external water entering the container 10 during transit. Due to the presence of this tortuous path, the container can be made substantially water-tight without the need for additional sealing materials.

[0124] Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the horizontal cross-section shown in Figures 5 and 6. In this view, it can be seen that the endwall 14 and the sidewall 12 of this embodiment are each double-walled to provide insulation. That is, the sidewall 12 comprises an inner wall 12a and an outer wall 12b which are separated from one another by space 58. In this space 58, an insulating material may be found. For example, the insulating material may be air, water, or any other suitable insulator. Alternatively, there may be no insulating material, and the space 58 may be a vacuum. Sidewall 14 has the same double-walled structure, as can be seen from Figure 7. As fish and seafood must be retained at certain temperatures, often below freezing, during the whole duration of transport in order to meet hygiene safety standards, it is important for the container 10 to be properly insulated. The double-walled structure of the endwalls 14 and sidewalls 12 therefore provides this insulation.

[0125] The space 58 in this embodiment is divided into smaller sections by ribs 18. In this way, the ribs 18 act as dividers for dividing the space 58 into the smaller sections. The volume of each section is therefore smaller than the overall volume of space 58. This is advantageous when the insulating material used is a fluid, as it can be ensured that the volume of each section is sufficiently small so as to reduce or prevent convection of the fluid. This in turn prevents heat transfer between the inside and outside of the container. Figure 7 further shows the cross-section of rib 18, which is trapezoid in shape. However, it will be appreciated that any suitable shape of rib cross-section is possible and that ribs are not essential in all embodiments. As can be further seen from Figure 7, the container 10 of this embodiment comprises a drainage hole 76 at its bottom corner, i.e. at the bottom part of the interface between the sidewall 12 and endwall 14. The drainage hole 76 provides a path for water or other liquid within the container 10 to exit the container 10. That is, liquid that has pooled at the base 16 is able to flow out of container 10 through drainage hole 76. The drainage hole 76 is formed by a number of cut-out portions in the sidewall 12, the endwall 14, and the base 16. When the container 10 is in its assembled state, the cut-out portions combine to form drainage hole 76. The drainage hole 76 allows controlled leakage of liquid from the container 10.

[0126] The drainage hole 76 is slanted with respect to the plane of base 16 such that it slopes downwards from the base 16 to the exterior of container 10. This prevents water or other liquid entering the container 10 through the drainage hole 76. Further, drainage hole 76 has an inlet (not visible in Figure 7) that is located below the upper face of base 16. This further prevents water entering the container, as gravity will prevent water travelling upwards from the drainage hole 76 inlet onto the base 16. Thus, the drainage holes 76 are designed to allow egress of internal water in a controlled manner, but also to prevent ingress of external water that could contaminate the goods within the container 10. Drainage holes are not required in all embodiments. In embodiments that do have drainage holes, a stopper or other means may be provided, for selectively sealing the / each drainage hole, so that the drainage of water or other matter out of the / each drainage hole may be selectively controlled.

[0127] Figure 8 shows a perspective view of removeable lid 26. In this embodiment, the removeable lid 26 comprises a plurality of protrusions 60 on its upper or outer surface. In the example of Figure 8, these protrusions 60 are L-shaped.

[0128] Figure 9 shows a bottom view of base 16. The lower or outer surface of base 16 is therefore shown by Figure 9. The base 16 in this embodiment comprises a plurality of L- shaped recesses 62 on its outer surface. In this embodiment, the recesses 62 are configured to engage the protrusions 60 of the removeable lid 26 when multiple containers 10 are stacked upon one another. Due to the L-shape of the protrusions 60 and recesses 62, the containers 10 can be stacked upon one another in such a way that the containers 10 may face perpendicular directions and the protrusions 60 and recesses 62 will still be able to engage one another. This can enable efficient stacking of the containers 10, whilst also preventing collapse of the stacks during transit, as adjacent containers 10 are connected to one another via the L-shaped recesses 62 and protrusions 60.

[0129] A cross-section of the removeable lid 26 is shown in Figure 10. As can be seen from Figure 10, the lid 26 of this embodiment comprises a recess 64 in its lower surface that is configured to engage a protrusion 66 on an upper edge of one of the endwalls 14 or sidewalls 12. The protrusion 66 comprises a vertical portion and a slanted portion on both its inner and outer surfaces, and the recess 64 is shaped to conform to the shape of protrusion 66 accordingly. The presence of the vertical portions provides greater stability to the connection between the recess 64 and the protrusion 66, as the vertical portions resist any forces acting on the container 10 from the side (i.e., in a horizontal direction) and thereby prevent disengagement of the lid 26 from the container 10 in the presence of such forces. In other embodiments, the lid comprises the protrusion 66 and the walls 12, 14 comprise the recess 64. In this way, the lid 26 can be secured to the endwalls 14 and sidewalls 12 when placed upon their upper edges.

[0130] An alternative (or additional) method of connecting the lid 26 to the endwalls 14 and sidewalls 12 is shown in Figure 11. In this example, the lid 26 comprises a plurality of locking flaps 68 for engaging corresponding locking formations (not visible in Figure 11) on the sidewalls 12. In other examples that are not shown, the lid 26 can comprise a plurality of locking formations, which are engageable with locking flaps attached to the walls 12, 14. The locking flaps 68 for the lid 26 function in substantially the same way as the locking flaps 24 for connecting the endwalls 14 and the sidewalls 12, i.e. the locking flaps 68 also utilise a tension-compression locking mechanism. Such use of locking flaps 68 for the lid 26 reduces or eliminates the need for additional strapping to the container 10 in order to hold the lid 26 in place during transmit.

[0131] Figure 11 further shows that the sidewalls 12 can comprise spacers 70. These spacers 70 are positioned on the outer face of the sidewalls 12 and act to ensure that, when the containers 10 are stacked together, there are gaps 72 between the containers 10 formed by the space between the spacers 70. This is better shown in Figure 12.

[0132] Figure 12 shows a top-view of a possible stack 74 of containers 10. A single layer of containers 10 in the stack 74 is visible in Figure 12. A perspective view of the stack 72 is shown in Figure 13, where further layers are visible. As can be seen from Figures 12 and 13, some of the containers 10 are oriented in a first direction, and others are oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. It will be appreciated that other relative positionings between containers in a stack are possible.

[0133] The spacers 70 ensure that the containers 10 are spaced apart from one another in the stack 74, thereby creating gaps 72 between the containers 10 for air to flow through. This is especially advantageous when the containers 10 are stacked within a refrigerated transport vehicle, where cooling air is supplied to the surroundings of the containers. Without the spacers 70 (and consequent gaps 72), the cooling air could not reach any containers 10 toward the centre of the stack. As a result, these containers 10 may reach undesirably high temperatures. By introducing the spacers 70 and gaps 72, the cooling air can reach all containers 10 in the stack, thereby ensuring that all containers 10 are properly cooled regardless of position in the stack.

[0134] An alternative collapsible container 100 is shown in Figure 14. The collapsible container 100 is similar to the collapsible container 10 of Figures 1 to 13, comprising a base 116 to which walls 112, 114 are pivotably attached, and using a locking flap 124 and locking formation (not shown) to connect adjacent walls 112, 114 to one another, as described in detail hereabove in relation to the earlier Figures. In Figure 14, the container 100 is in its collapsed state, and the walls 112, 114 are disconnected from one another; as such, locking flap 124 is in its unlocking position in Figure 14. In contrast to the container 10, the container 100 of Figure 14 does not comprise indents 20 or grooves 22, and there are fewer reinforcing ribs 118 positioned along the inner surface of the walls 112, 114. Figure 14 is therefore one illustrative example of an alternative container design. Other designs, with respective other combinations of (or omissions of) surface features such as indents, grooves, ribs, and so on, are also contemplated herein.

[0135] The container 100 of Figure 14 is shown in its assembled state in Figure 15, and a removeable lid 126 is positioned upon the upper edges of the container walls 112, 114. As with the container 10 of Figures 1 to 13, collapsible container 100 can comprise, on the outer surface of endwall 114, a tag region 128, a label region 130, a handle 132, and a ridged portion 134, and these can all serve substantially the same respective purposes as the tag region 28, label region 130, handle 32, and ridged portion 34 of the container 10 of the previous Figures. As can be seen from Figure 15, label region 130 is smooth in this embodiment (i.e., without recesses 36), which may aid adhesion to a label to the label region 130.

[0136] The container 100 of Figure 15 additionally comprises reinforcing ribs 118 on the outer surface of the container, specifically shown here on the outer surface of the sidewalls 112, though it is also possible to add such reinforcing ribs to one or more endwalls 114 as well or instead of to the one or more sidewalls 112. By adding reinforcing ribs 118 to the outer surface of the walls 112, 114, the number of ribs 118 required on the inner surface of the walls 112, 114 can be reduced without compromising the strength of the container 100. Again, Figure 15 is one illustrative example of an alternative container design. Other designs, with respective other combinations of (or omissions of) surface features such as ribs, recesses, tag regions, label regions, handles, ridged portions, and so on, are also contemplated herein. It will however be appreciated that the container 100 of Figure 15 may not comprise any reinforcing ribs 118. In this case, the sidewalls 112 and / or the endwalls 114 may have smooth outer and / or inner surfaces.

[0137] A further alternative collapsible container 200 is shown in Figure 16. In Figure 16, the container 200 comprises a plurality of walls 202 that are pivotably attached to a base 204 via a hinge mechanism, such as a living hinge. Adjacent walls 202 are locked together using detachable fasteners 206 at each corner of the container 200. As can be seen from Figure 16, the detachable fasteners 206 may slide onto the container 200 when the walls 202 are placed in the assembled state (i.e. at 90 degrees to the base 204), thereby locking the walls 202 together. Each pair of adjacent walls 202 may additionally comprise a recess and protrusion arrangement as described with reference to the container 10 described in Figures 1 to 13.

[0138] Another alternative collapsible container 300 is shown in Figure 17. The container 300 comprises two walls 302 pivotably connected to base 304, e.g. via a living hinge. Each wall 302 comprises a central wall portion 302a and two side wall portions 302b, the side wall portions 302b being respectively pivotably attached to opposing lateral ends of the central wall portion 302a. In the assembled state of the container 300, the walls 302 are pivoted to a position where they are approximately perpendicular to the base 304, and the side wall portions 302b are pivoted to a position where they are each approximately perpendicular to the central wall portion 302a. Detachable fasteners 306 are then attached between adjacent side wall portions 302b to lock the walls 302 together in the assembled state. As with container 200 in Figure 16, the detachable fasteners 306 may slide onto walls 302, and the adjacent side wall portions 302b may comprise a recess and protrusion arrangement as described with reference to the container 10 of Figures 1 to 13.

[0139] Another alternative collapsible container 400 is shown in Figures 18 and 19. Figure 18 shows the container 400 in the collapsed state with the inner surfaces of the base 416, the sidewalls 412, and the endwalls 414 visible. Figure 19 shows the container 400 in the collapsed state with the outer surfaces of the base 416, the sidewalls 412, and the endwalls 414 visible. The container 400 has substantially the same structure as the container 10 of Figures 1 to 13 and container 100 of Figures 14 to 15. However, the outer and inner surfaces of the sidewalls 412 and endwalls 414 of container 400 are smooth in this embodiment. In other words, the sidewalls 412 and endwalls 414 of container 400 do not comprise any ribs, indents, or other formations on their outer or inner surfaces. Although not visible from Figures 18 and 19, the walls 412, 414 of container 400 may be double-walled, thereby providing structural integrity to the container 400. The container 400 may also comprise a removeable lid (not shown). A collapsible container may be provided with any suitable combination of the locking flap and locking formation locks described in relation to Figures 1 to 13 with either or both of the fastener types shown in Figures 14 and 15, respectively. Similarly, a collapsible container may be provided with a combination of the fastener types shown in Figures 14 and 15, respectively.

[0140] Thus, it is apparent from the foregoing description that a reusable, collapsible container is provided which is easy-to-use, sturdy, insulated, and hygienic, and is therefore particularly suited for the transport and storage of fish and other seafood, whilst also being suitable for the transportation and / or storage of other goods, including but not limited to those that must be chilled or frozen. The collapsible container described herein is environmentally friendly and sustainable, thus making it suitable for meeting current and likely future requirements in the storage and transportation industries. The container may be manufactured by any suitable method and using any suitable material or materials. It may be made according to any suitable size and / or shape requirements.

[0141] It will be appreciated that any positional or directional terms used herein - such as but not limited to ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘end’, ‘side’ and so on are used for illustrative purposes only. They should not be construed as limiting.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A collapsible container for transporting seafood, comprising: a base; a removeable lid; a first pair of walls that attach to the base, the first pair of walls comprising a first wall and a second wall adjacent to the first wall; and a second pair of walls that attach to the base, the second pair of walls comprising a third wall and a fourth wall adjacent to the third wall; a first locking flap that attaches to the first wall; wherein the second wall comprises a corresponding first locking formation that is configured to engage with the first locking flap; a second locking flap that attaches to the third wall; wherein the fourth wall comprises a corresponding second locking formation that is configured to engage with the second locking flap; wherein each locking flap pivotably attaches to the respective wall and is configured to pivotably move between an unlocking position and a locking position; and wherein the first pair of walls and the second pair of walls are thermally insulated.

2. The collapsible container according to claim 1 , wherein the wall to which the locking flap is attached, in each of the respective pairs of walls, comprises a recess for engagement with a corresponding projection on the wall comprising the corresponding locking formation.

3. The collapsible container according to claim 2, wherein the recess and the projection form a substantially water-tight seal when engaged with one another.

4. The collapsible container according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, in the locking position, the locking flap is outward of the recess and the projection.

5. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the first wall and the second wall are configured to connect to one another via the first locking flap and the first locking formation, and wherein the third wall and the fourth wall are configured to connect to one another via the second locking flap and the second locking formation.

6. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the first locking flap and / or the second locking flap is configured to engage with the respective corresponding locking formation in a tension-compression-fit relationship.

7. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the first locking flap and / or the second locking flap is configured to resiliently deform during engagement with the respective corresponding locking formation.

8. The collapsible container according to claim 7, wherein the first locking flap and / or the second locking flap is configured to be held in tension against the respective corresponding locking formation during engagement with the respective corresponding locking formation.

9. The collapsible container according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the first locking formation and / or the second locking formation is configured to be held under compression by the respective locking flap during engagement with the respective locking flap.

10. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the first locking flap and / or the second locking flap is attached to its respective wall by a living hinge.

11. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein each of the walls is moveable between a collapsed state and an assembled state, the walls being substantially perpendicular to the base in the assembled state.

12. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the walls are pivotably attached to the base.

13. The collapsible container according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein at least some of the walls are removably attachable to the base.

14. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein said at least one of the walls comprises an inner wall spaced from an outer wall.

15. The collapsible container according to claim 14, wherein the space between the inner wall and the outer wall comprises an insulating material.

16. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the base is thermally insulated.

17. The collapsible container of claim 16, wherein the base comprises an inner base layer spaced from an outer base layer.

18. The collapsible container according to claim 17, wherein the space between the inner base layer and the outer base layer comprises an insulating material.

19. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the walls comprises at least one spacer on its outer surface.

20. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the removable lid comprises at least one locking flap that pivotably attaches to the lid for engaging a corresponding locking formation on at least one wall, and / or wherein the removable lid comprises at least one locking formation for engaging a corresponding locking flap that pivotably attaches to at least one wall.

21. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim , wherein the removable lid comprises at least one recess for engagement with a protrusion on an upper edge of at least one wall.

22. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the container is formed of at least one of, or from a combination of one or more of: plastic, polymers, carbon fibre, coconut fibre, graphene, and / or aerogel.

23. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one wall comprises at least one rib and / or at least one indent on its inner surface.

24. The collapsible container according to claim 23, wherein said at least one wall comprises two ribs with an indent therebetween.

25. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one wall comprises a smooth outer surface and / or a smooth inner surface.

26. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one wall comprises at least one region for attachment of a label, a wireless communications tag, and / or an optical communications tag.

27. The collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the first locking flap and / or the second locking flap comprises a hooked portion along at least a portion of its length, and the first locking formation and / or the second locking formation comprises one or more protrusions.

28. The collapsible container according to claim 27, wherein the hooked portion is configured to engage the one or more protrusions of the corresponding locking formation when the locking flap is in engagement with the locking formation.

29. The collapsible container according to claim 27 or claim 28, wherein the one or more protrusions each comprise a groove configured to interact with a point of the hooked portion of the corresponding locking flap.

30. A method of assembling a collapsible container for transporting seafood, the container comprising: a base; a removeable lid; a first pair of walls that attach to the base, the first pair of walls comprising a first wall and a second wall adjacent to the first wall; a second pair of walls that attach to the base, the second pair of walls comprising a third wall and a fourth wall adjacent to the third wall; a first locking flap that attaches to the first wall; wherein the second wall comprises a corresponding first locking formation that is configured to engage with the first locking flap; a second locking flap that attaches to the third wall; wherein the fourth wall comprises a corresponding second locking formation that is configured to engage with the second locking flap; wherein each locking flap pivotably attaches to the respective wall and is configured to pivot move between an unlocking position and a locking position; and wherein the first pair of walls and the second pair of walls are thermally insulated; the method comprising: moving the walls to a position where the walls are substantially perpendicular to the base; pivoting the locking flap of each of the pairs of walls from an unlocking position to a locking position; engaging each locking flap with the respective corresponding locking formation; and providing a removeable lid for attachment to upper edges of the walls.31 . The method according to claim 30, comprising attaching the removeable lid to the upper edges of the walls.