Folding container and folding and unfolding method

Abstract

A folding container comprises a top plate, two side plates, two end plates and a bottom plate, and the two side plates and the two end plates are movably connected to the bottom plate through hinges. The top plate, the two side plates and the two end plates are connected through the plug pins and the hasps to form an integral container, after the plug pins are pulled out, the top plate, the two side plates and the two end plates can be put down to form a flat plate, corner pieces are arranged at the four corners of the top plate and the four corners of the bottom plate, and each corner piece is provided with three connecting parts perpendicular to one another. The aluminum alloy container has the advantages that the structure is simple, the strength is good, the size of the container meets the international standard, and the sealing and heat preservation performance is good due to the fact that the aluminum alloy core plate is used.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to general cargo containers, and in particular to a foldable container and a method for folding and unfolding the same. Background Art

[0002] With the development of global economic trade, the volume of goods transportation is increasing. Whether it is the shipping industry or transportation by road or rail, containers are used. The use of containers makes goods transportation simpler and faster. Nowadays, cargo containers are usually standardized in terms of size and structure according to internationally recognized standards. Sometimes, these containers have to be transported empty from one place to another. If the empty containers can be folded, they may occupy less space and save transportation costs. Currently, many foldable cargo containers have been proposed in the prior art, but the market has not accepted this prior art. It can be seen that there are still significant deficiencies in the prior art.

[0003] Chinese Patent CN200910221168.4 discloses a foldable container cabinet and a folding method thereof. The foldable container cabinet includes two side plates, a door frame and a front frame. The two side plates, the door frame and the front frame can be folded inwards, and the folding is compact. When folding, first control the top frame, remove the connecting bolts at various places, and then fold the door frame, the front frame and the two side plates inwards in sequence, and then lower the top frame and lock the top frame to the bottom plate. However, there are problems with the structural strength of the box body and the stability performance after folding of this technology, and it has not been used in batches in practice. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to overcome the above deficiencies of the prior art and provide a foldable container and a method for folding and unfolding the same.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is: a foldable container includes a top plate, two side plates, two end plates and a bottom plate. The two side plates and the two end plates are movably connected to the bottom plate through hinges; the top plate is connected to the two side plates and the two end plates through pins to form an integral container. After pulling out the pins, the top plate, the two side plates and the two end plates can be put down to form a flat plate. There are top plate corner fittings at the four corners of the top plate. There are two mutually perpendicular connecting parts and a plug perpendicular to the plane of the top plate on the top plate corner fittings.

[0006] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the plug has a conical shape with a larger upper part and a smaller lower part, and there is a first pin hole at the lower end of the plug. When the top plate is covered downwards, the conical plug can play a guiding role. When the top plate is completely covered on the end plate, due to the larger bottom of the plug, it also plays a fixing role, making the overall structure more stable and not easy to shake during transportation. The front of the plug is in an arc shape, which has two advantages. One is that it will not damage other components or the staff, and the other is that it has sufficient area and strength to open pin holes on it.

[0007] The front of the plug can also be in a sharpened shape, and the sharpened plug also plays a guiding role at the same time.

[0008] The first pin hole is in a conical shape with a larger front and a smaller rear. The shape of the pin hole with a larger front and a smaller rear is to facilitate the entry of the pin.

[0009] There are jacks at the corresponding positions of the upper part of the end plate and the plug. The jacks are in a shape with a larger upper part and a smaller lower part and are matched with the plug. The jacks in the upper part of the end plate are used after the container is opened. After the container is loaded with goods and the top plate is covered, the plug on the top plate is inserted into it to form a complete container. There are also the same jacks on the outer side of the lower part of the end plate. After the container is folded and the top plate is covered, the plug on the top plate is inserted into it to form a flat plate.

[0010] There is also a second pin hole in the upper part of the end plate. The second pin hole corresponds to the first pin hole. There is an internal thread at the rear end of the second pin hole. The pin can pass through the first pin hole and the second pin hole at the same time to achieve the purpose of fixedly connecting the end plate and the top plate.

[0011] There are also bottom corner fittings at the four corners of the bottom plate. The bottom corner fittings include a main body and three mutually perpendicular connecting parts. There is a hinge on the connecting part of the bottom corner fitting connected to the end plate, and there is a third pin hole above the outer side of the hinge. The third pin hole has the same size and structure as the second pin hole in the upper part of the end plate and has an internal thread at the rear end. The end plate is movably connected to the hinge and can rotate along the hinge. The end plate rotates along the hinge to achieve the states of being laid flat and standing up. There is a third pin hole above the outer side of the hinge to fix the end plate.

[0012] There is an internal thread at the rear end of the third pin hole. The pin can fix the end plate through the third pin hole to make it in an upright state. When the pin is removed, the end plate can be placed upside down to a flat state.

[0013] When the end plate is placed upside down to a flat state, the top plate is covered on the end plate, and the plug on the top plate is inserted into the jack in the lower part of the end plate. At this time, the first pin hole corresponds to the third pin hole, and the pin can pass through the first pin hole and the third pin hole at the same time to fixedly connect the top plate and the end plate together.

[0014] A further technical solution of the present invention is as follows: there is a first twist-lock hole above the top corner fitting, and a second twist-lock hole below the bottom corner fitting. When the folded containers are stacked together, the first twist-lock hole and the second twist-lock hole are fixedly connected through a twist lock. In this way, two folded containers are tightly connected together. By analogy, five folded containers are connected together to form a complete container size. The advantage of this is that the structure of the fixed empty container is stable.

[0015] There is a frame at the connection part between the top plate and the top corner fitting.

[0016] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the height of a folded container is 518 mm; the height of five stacked folded containers is 2590 mm, which is the height of 1 container. Five folded containers are locked by twist locks to form a whole. The data provided here are the data provided in the international standard for container size. Similarly, the allowable error in the standard is also within the scope protected by the present invention.

[0017] The materials used for the top plate, side plates and end plates are aluminum alloy core plates with a thickness of 60 mm; the bottom plate is an aluminum alloy core plate with a thickness of 150 mm. Here, the aluminum alloy core plate means that both sides are aluminum plates or aluminum alloy plates, hereinafter simply referred to as aluminum alloy plates. In the middle of the two aluminum alloy plates are small metal tubes perpendicular to them. Through brazing, the two aluminum alloy plates and the metal tubes are made into a whole composite material. Since the six sides of the container of the present invention are all core plates, each of its sides is a double-layer structure. Its heat preservation function is much better than that of a single-layer plate, and at the same time, its waterproof ability is also much better.

[0018] If a container made of aluminum alloy core plate material is filled with heat preservation materials such as asbestos or foam between the two layers of aluminum alloy plates, a heat preservation container is formed. Only our company in the world can produce: a core plate with a one-time forming, 2 meters wide and 12 meters long.

[0019] There are also tie rods between the top plate and the two end plates; the tie rod includes a rod body, a fixed tie rod pin and a hanging rail pulley. The two ends of the rod body are respectively connected to the fixed tie rod pin and the hanging rail pulley. The fixed tie rod pin is connected to the end plate, and the hanging rail pulley is connected to the lower part of the top plate of the folded container. A slide rail is installed at the lower part of the top plate, and the hanging rail pulley slides left and right in the slide rail.

[0020] The rod body is connected to the end plate through a tie rod pin, and the rod body can rotate around the tie rod pin. The rod body is divided into two parts, long and short, connected together through the first movable tie rod pin and can rotate flexibly. There are two or three hanging rail pulleys, and the hanging rail pulley is connected to the rod body through the second tie rod pin, and the rod body can rotate around the hanging rail pulley. The length of the rod body is 200mm to 400mm, and the effect is best when the length of the rod body is 300mm. The top plate and the two end plates are connected by a tie rod, so when the top plate is lifted, the end plates are also lifted, reducing the workload during assembly. A further technical solution of the present invention is: when folding, first pull out the latch, put down the left side panel, and then put down the right side panel. The height of the hinge of the left side panel is lower than the height of the hinge of the right side panel by the thickness of one side panel. After the two side panels are put down, they are just stacked together; then put down the top panel, and at the same time put down the front and rear end panels, and then cover the top panel to form a folded rectangular plate structure, and finally insert the latch and tighten it. Five folded containers are stacked together and fixedly connected in pairs by twist locks to form a whole, which is convenient for transportation; when it is necessary to load goods, they are folded into five containers, and the top panel is lifted, and then the side panels and end panels are erected and fixed with latches to form five standard containers.

[0021] Put the left side panel first, then the right side panel, because the side panels are not like the end panels, the left and right end panels will not overlap, and after the side panels are put down, the left and right side panels will overlap, so the left side panel will be one side panel lower than the right side panel after it is put down. This is mainly achieved by the different heights of the hinges.

[0022] The bottom plate corner piece is connected to the side plate, the bottom plate corner piece is provided with a protrusion, and the side plate is provided with a corresponding groove; the connection part between the top plate corner piece and the top plate is provided with a protrusion, and the top plate is provided with a corresponding groove.

[0023] When the top plate is lifted up, the end plates are driven by the connecting rods to change from a lying state to an upright state; when the end plates are about to stand upright, the force of the top plate lifting up is increased to give the end plates an inertia to make them completely upright; then, the right and left plates are respectively made upright, and the top plate is lowered, so that the plugs on the top plate corner fittings are inserted into the upper sockets of the front and rear end plates, and then the side plates and end plates are fixed to form a container.

[0024] In addition, the present invention can also be like this: when the end plate is about to stand upright, an artificial thrust is applied to make the end plate stand completely upright, and then the top plate is lowered, so that the plug on the top plate corner piece is inserted into the upper jack of the front and rear end plates, and then the side plates and the end plates are fixed to form a container.

[0025] The connection part between the bottom plate corner piece and the bottom plate is provided with a protrusion, the bottom plate is provided with a corresponding groove, and the bottom plate is also provided with a frame.

[0026] There are also buckles between the left and right side plates and the top plate. After the top plate is lowered, the buckles are used to tighten the side plates and the top plate.

[0027] Another technical solution of the present invention is as follows: When folding, first pull out the pin, slightly lift the top plate by a certain height, lower the left side plate, and then lower the right side plate. The height of the second hinge connected to the left side plate is lower than the height of the third hinge connected to the right side plate by the thickness of a side plate. After the two side plates are lowered, they just overlap each other; then lower the top plate, and at the same time lower the front and rear end plates. The plug on the corner fitting of the top plate is inserted into the jack above the corner fitting of the bottom plate, and then insert the pin again to fix the folded container; Five folded containers are stacked together and fixed to each other in pairs through twist locks to form a whole, which is convenient for transportation; When loading goods, it is disassembled into five containers, the top plate is lifted, and then the side plates and end plates are erected and fixed with buckles to form five standard containers.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following characteristics: First, the structure of the present invention is simple. The six surfaces forming the container are all complete flat plates, with high structural strength. Second, the structure is stable. The movable parts are fixed with shafts and pins. There are protrusions for clamping between the top plate and the end plates, and buckles for tightening between the top plate and the side plates, so the structure is stable. Third, the size of the container of the present invention meets the international standards. Regarding the thickness of the sheet material, we specifically produce sheet materials with the required thickness, so that the height of five folded containers is exactly the height of one container. Fourth, the material is innovative. The sheet material used for the folding container of the present invention is an aluminum alloy core board, which is light in weight and strong in structure. Only our company in the world can produce: a one-time formed core board with a width of 2 meters and a length of 12 meters.

[0029] The following further describes the detailed structure of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings and specific embodiments. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030] Att Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention.

[0031] Att Figure 2 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of part A of

[0032] Att Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the bottom plate corner fitting.

[0033] Att Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the stacked structure after folding and five containers.

[0034] Att Figure 5 is Figure 4 an enlarged view of part B of

[0035] Att Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the connecting structure of the pull rod between the top plate and the end plate.

[0036] Appended Figure 7 is Figure 6 a C-C cross-sectional view of

[0037] Appended Figure 8 is a schematic structural view of the side plate of the present invention after folding.

[0038] Appended Figure 9 is a schematic view of the positional relationship of each component of the present invention after folding.

[0039] 101 is the bottom plate, 102 is the end plate, 103 is the side plate, 104 is the top plate, 105 is the buckle, 201 is the top plate corner fitting, 202 is the first twist lock hole, 203 is the plug, 204 is the first pin hole, 205 is the pull rod, 206 is the jack, 207 is the second pin hole, 301 is the bottom plate corner fitting, 302 is the second twist lock hole, 303 is the first hinge, 304 is the third pin hole, 501 is the twist lock, 601 is the fixed pull rod pin, 602 is the first movable pull rod pin, 603 is the slide rail, 604 is the hanging rail pulley, 605 is the second movable pull rod pin, 801 is the second hinge, 802 is the third hinge, 803 is the bamboo splint. Detailed implementation mode

[0040] As shown in the attached drawings: A folding container, there are four bottom plate corner fittings 301 on the bottom plate 101, two end plates 102 are movably connected to the bottom plate 101 through the bottom plate corner fittings 301, two side plates 103 are movably connected to the bottom plate 101 through the bottom plate corner fittings 301, there are four top plate corner fittings 201 on the top plate 104, and the top plate 104 can be fixedly connected to the two end plates 102 through the top plate corner fittings 201.

[0041] When shipping goods, a box needs to be formed. At this time, the two end plates 102 and the two side plates 103 are erected simultaneously and fixed with pins. After loading the goods, then cover the top plate 104, so that the plug 203 on the top plate corner fitting 201 is inserted into the upper jacks 206 of the front and rear end plates, and the buckle 105 on the side plate 103 is locked with the top plate 104 to form a complete container. When it is necessary to transport the empty box, then cover the top plate 104, so that the plug 203 on the top plate corner fitting 201 is inserted into the upper jacks 206 of the front and rear end plates, and the buckle 105 on the side plate 103 is locked with the top plate 104 and fixed with pins. A flat box body is formed, and five folded box bodies are overlapped and fixedly connected to each other in pairs to form a complete container size.

[0042] As appended Figure 2As shown: The top plate corner fitting 201 includes a first twist lock hole 202, a plug 203, a first pin hole 204, a tie rod 205, a socket 206, and a second pin hole 207. There is a first twist lock hole 202 above the top plate corner fitting 201, a plug 203 below the top plate corner fitting 201, a first pin hole 204 at the lower part of the plug 203, a socket 206 at the upper corner of the end plate, and a second pin hole 207 on the side of the end plate. The tie rod 205 is movably connected to the top plate 104 and the end plate 102. The plug 203 is in the shape of being smaller at the bottom and larger at the top, and the lower part of the plug 203 is in an arc shape. The arc-shaped plug 203 makes the first pin hole 204 stronger. The lower part of the plug 203 can also be in a sharpened shape, and the sharpened plug 203 serves as a guiding function at the same time.

[0043] When forming a container and covering the top plate 104, the top plate 104 moves downward. The shape of the plug 203 being smaller at the bottom and larger at the top makes it easier to align with the socket 206. Even if there is an error, it will be aligned during the lowering process. After the top plate 104 is completely lowered, the top plate 104 will be clamped on the two end plates 102. When the top plate 104 needs to be opened, the shape of the plug 203 being smaller at the bottom and larger at the top also makes the opening unobstructed.

[0044] After covering the top plate 104, insert a pin into the first pin hole 204 and the second pin hole 207. The first pin hole 204 is in the shape of being larger outside and smaller inside, and there is also an internal thread. The shape of the first pin hole 204 being larger outside and smaller inside makes it easy to insert the pin. Through the internal thread, tightening fixes the pin so that it does not come out during transportation, and loosening allows the pin to be easily pulled out. When the top plate 104 needs to be opened, just pull out the pin.

[0045] When folding the container, the end plate 102 falls down. There is also a socket 206 at the outer lower part of the end plate 102, which is the same as the socket 206 above the end plate 102. The plug 203 can be inserted into it and fixed with a pin to achieve the purpose of fixing the folded container.

[0046] As shown in the appendix Figure 3 As shown: The bottom plate corner fitting 301 includes: a second twist lock hole 302, a first hinge 303, and a third pin hole 304. The second twist lock hole 302 is located on the bottom plane of the bottom plate corner fitting 301, the first hinge 303 is located above the bottom plate corner fitting 301, and the third pin hole 304 is located outside and above the first hinge 303.

[0047] The bottom plate 101 is fixed to the lower part of the bottom plate corner fitting 301. Two side plates 103 are placed upside down and stacked on the bottom plate 101. The first hinge 303 is used to movably connect the end plate 102, and the pin hole 304 is used to fix the end plate 102.

[0048] When the end plate 102 is placed upside down to a flat state, the top plate 104 covers the end plate 102, and the plug 203 on the top plate 104 is inserted into the jack at the lower part of the end plate 102. At this time, the first pin hole 204 corresponds to the third pin hole 304, and the pin can pass through the first pin hole 204 and the third pin hole 304 simultaneously, so that the top plate 104 and the end plate 102 are fixedly connected together.

[0049] As shown in the Figure 4 and 5 figures: After folding, the container is a whole flat plate. Stacking five folded containers together forms a new container size. At this time, the lower surface of the bottom corner fitting 301 is adjacent to the upper surface of the top corner fitting 201. There is a first twist lock hole 202 on the upper surface of the top corner fitting 201, and a second twist lock hole 302 on the lower surface of the bottom corner fitting 301. The twist lock 501 passes through the first twist lock hole 202 and the second twist lock hole 302 to fix two folded containers together. The four corner fittings of the top corner fitting 201 and the bottom corner fitting 301 have the same structure. Fixing and connecting the top corner fitting 201 and the bottom corner fitting 301 at the four corner points, and so on, to fix and connect five containers together. The advantage of such connection is that the structural strength is high, and the assembly and disassembly are very convenient. More importantly, this will not affect the structure of the container itself, that is, after assembly, the container has good sealing performance. After folding, the container also has good sealing performance inside. Because folding and assembly are only completed on the corner fittings. Therefore, the internal structure will not be changed, and moreover, the six main boards are a whole, ensuring the firmness of the container.

[0050] As shown in the Figure 6 and 7 figures: The tie rod 205 is movably connected to the side plate 103 and the top plate 104. The tie rod 205 includes: a fixed tie rod pin 601, a first movable tie rod pin 602, a slide rail 603, a suspension rail pulley 604, and a second movable tie rod pin 605. The fixed tie rod pin 601 is fixed on the end plate 102, and the rod body 205 is connected to the end plate 102 through the fixed tie rod pin 601. The rod body 205 can rotate around the fixed tie rod pin 601. The rod body 205 is divided into two parts of different lengths and is connected together through the first movable tie rod pin 602, which can rotate flexibly. The reason for not directly connecting the rod body to the fixed tie rod pin 601 is that at the initial stage of starting, a buffer is needed so as not to generate a large impact force on the connection part, and at the same time, it is ensured that when the tie rod 205 is pulled up, the process of the side plate 103 being laid down does not interfere with the tie rod 205. The other end of the rod body of the tie rod 205 is movably connected to the second movable tie rod pin 605. The second movable tie rod pin 605 is connected to the suspension rail pulley 604. The suspension rail pulley 604 is installed on the slide rail 603, and the suspension rail pulley 604 can slide on the slide rail 603. The slide rail 603 is fixed under the top plate 104.

[0051] During the disassembly and assembly of the container, it is necessary to lift the top plate 104 and erect or lay down the two side plates 103 and the two end plates 102. The top plate 104 is relatively heavy and is generally lifted by mechanical force such as a crane. In the present invention, a tie rod 205 is used to connect the top plate 104 and the end plate 102, so that the end plate 102 can be automatically erected by driving the end plate 102 through the top plate 104, without manually lifting the end plate 102, thus saving the assembly time. One tie rod can be used for one end plate 102, placed at the middle position of the end plate 102, or two tie rods can be used and placed at the two ends of the end plate 102.

[0052] As shown in the Figure 8 accompanying drawings: The bottom plate 101 is fixed to the bottom plate corner fitting 301. There is a second hinge 801 above the bottom plate corner fitting 301. The side plate 103 is movably connected to the bottom plate corner fitting 301 through the second hinge 801. The side plate 103 can rotate around the second hinge 801 and is in an upright state or a fallen state. There are two or more buckles 105 at the upper end of the side plate 103. When the side plate 103 is in an upright state, the buckle 105 is used to fixedly connect the side plate 103 and the top plate 104. There is a third hinge 802 above another bottom plate corner fitting 301, and another side plate is connected to the corresponding bottom plate corner fitting through the third hinge 802. The second hinge 801 is higher than the third hinge 802, and the height difference is the thickness of one side plate. In this way, after the two side plates are laid down, they can fit closely, so that the force is balanced during transportation.

[0053] There is a bamboo splint 803 between the laid-down side plate 103 and the bottom plate 101, which can play a buffering role between the side plate 103 and the bottom plate 101, and can also better maintain the parallel position between the side plate 103 and the bottom plate 101, so that the force is balanced.

[0054] As shown in the Figure 9 accompanying drawings: After folding, the container is: The bottom plate 101 is fixedly connected to the bottom plate corner fitting 301. Above the bottom plate 101 is the bamboo splint 803. Above the bamboo splint 803 are two side plates 103 stacked up and down. Above the side plate 103 is the end plate 102. Above the end plate 102 is the top plate 104. The top plate 104 is fixedly connected to the top plate corner fitting 201. The end plate 102 is movably connected to the bottom plate corner fitting 301 through the first hinge 303. The end plate 102 can rotate around the first hinge 303, or be in an upright state, or be in a laid-down state. When in an upright state, it is fixed by the pin in the third pin hole 304. When in a laid-down state, the third pin hole 304 corresponds to the first pin hole 204 again, which is used to fixedly connect the top plate 104.

[0055] The materials of the top plate 104, two end plates 102, two side plates 103 and the bottom plate 101 are all double-sided aluminum alloy core plates. The core plate 901 includes a bottom panel 903, a top panel 904 and core tubes 902. The bottom panel 903 is connected to the top panel 904 through the core tubes 902. The core tubes 902 are welded between the top panel 904 and the bottom panel 903. There is a frame 906 at the end of the core plate 901. The frame 906 is fixedly connected to the top plate corner fitting 201 through rivets 905, angle aluminum and a patch plate.

[0056] The number of core tubes 902 in the core plate 901 can be many and can be varied according to the strength requirements. When the number of core tubes 902 is large, the generated core plate 904 can bear the weight of a truck.

[0057] The working principle and usage method of the present invention are as follows: When folding, first pull out the bolt, slightly lift the top plate 104 by a certain height, lower the left side plate 103, and then lower the right side plate 103. The height of the second hinge 801 connected to the left side plate is lower than the height of the third hinge 802 connected to the right side plate by the thickness of a side plate. After the two side plates are lowered, they just stack together; then lower the top plate 104, and at the same time lower the front and rear end plates 102. The plug 203 on the top plate corner fitting 201 is inserted into the jack above the bottom plate corner fitting 301, and then the bolt is inserted again to fix the folded container; Five folded containers are stacked together and fixedly connected to each other through twist locks 501 to form a whole, which is convenient for transportation; When it is necessary to load goods, it is disassembled into five containers, the top plate 104 is lifted, and then the side plates 103 and the end plates 102 are erected and fixed with bolts to form five standard containers.

Claims

1. A folding container, comprising a top plate, two side plates, two end plates and a bottom plate. The two side plates and the two end plates are movably connected to the bottom plate by hinges. A whole container is formed by connecting the top plate with the two side plates and the two end plates. After pulling out the bolt, the top plate, the two side plates and the two end plates can be put down to form a flat plate. It is characterized in that: There are corner fittings on the four corners of the top plate. There are two mutually perpendicular connecting parts and a plug perpendicular to the plane of the top plate on the corner fittings of the top plate.

2. The folding container according to claim 1, wherein: The plug is in the shape of a cone with a larger upper part and a smaller lower part, and there is also a first pin hole at the lower end of the plug.

3. The folding container according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first pin hole is in the shape of a cone with a larger front part and a smaller rear part.

4. A foldable container according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is a jack at the upper part of the end plate corresponding to the plug. The jack is in the shape of a larger upper part and a smaller lower part and fits the plug.

5. A folding container according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is also a second pin hole at the upper part of the end plate. The second pin hole corresponds to the first pin hole. There is internal thread at the rear end of the second pin hole. The pin can pass through the first pin hole and the second pin hole at the same time.

6. A folding container according to claim 1, wherein: There are bottom plate corner fittings on the four corners of the bottom plate. The bottom plate corner fittings include a corner fitting body and three mutually perpendicular connecting parts. There is a hinge on the connecting part where the bottom plate corner fitting is connected to the end plate. There is a third pin hole above the outer side of the hinge; the third pin hole is equal in size and structure to the second pin hole and has internal thread at the rear end.

7. A folding container according to claim 1, wherein: There is a first twist lock hole above the top plate corner fitting and a second twist lock hole below the bottom plate corner fitting. When the folded containers are stacked together, they are fixedly connected through a twist lock between the first twist lock hole and the second twist lock hole.

8. A folding container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height of a folded container is 518 mm; the height of five stacked folded containers is 2590 mm, which is the height of 1 container. The five folded containers are fixedly connected in pairs through twist pins to form a whole.

9. A foldable container according to claim 8, characterized in that: the materials used for the top plate, side plates and end plates are aluminum alloy core plates with a thickness of 60 mm; the bottom plate is an aluminum alloy core plate with a thickness of 150 mm.

10. A foldable container according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is also a pull rod between the top plate and the two side plates; the pull rod includes a rod body, a fixed pull rod pin and a hanging rail pulley. The two ends of the rod body are respectively connected to the fixed pull rod pin and the hanging rail pulley. The fixed pull rod pin is connected to the end plate, and the hanging rail pulley is connected to the lower part of the top plate of the foldable container. There is a slide rail installed at the lower part of the top plate, and the hanging rail pulley slides left and right in the slide rail.

11. A folding container according to claim 10, characterized in that: The rod body is divided into a long part and a short part and is connected together through a first movable pull rod pin and can rotate flexibly. The short rod body is connected to the end plate through the fixed pull rod pin and can rotate around the fixed pull rod pin. The long rod body is connected to the hanging rail pulley through a second movable pull rod pin.

12. A folding container according to claim 10, wherein: There are two or three hanging rail pulleys. The hanging rail pulley is connected to the rod body through a second roller and the rod body can rotate around the hanging rail pulley.

13. A folding container according to claim 10, characterized in that: The length of the rod body is from 200 mm to 400 mm; the effect is the best when the length of the rod body is 300 mm.

14. A foldable container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end plate is movably connected to the hinge and can rotate along the hinge; the pin can fix the end plate through the second pin hole to make it in an upright state. When the pin is removed, the end plate can fall down to a flat state.

15. A method for storing and retrieving a folding container, characterized in that: When folding, first pull out the pin, slightly lift the top plate by a certain height, lower the left side plate, and then lower the right side plate. The height of the second hinge connected to the left side plate is lower than the height of the third hinge connected to the right side plate by the thickness of one side plate. After the two side plates are lowered, they just stack together; then lower the top plate, and at the same time lower the front and rear end plates. The plug on the corner fitting of the top plate is inserted into the jack above the corner fitting of the bottom plate, and then insert the pin again to fix the folded container; five folded containers are stacked together and fixed to each other in pairs through twist locks to form a whole, which is convenient for transportation; when loading goods, unfold them into five containers, lift the top plate, and then stand up the side plates and end plates and fix them with buckles to form five standard containers.

Images