Folding box combination

Abstract

A folding box combination comprising at least two folding boxes (1), each folding box (1) having a base (2) and side walls (3, 4) pivotably mounted on the base (2), which side walls can be brought into an upright position orthogonal to the base (2), characterized in that, in order to connect two folding boxes (1) arranged next to one another, a connecting element (5) is inserted into the lateral end edge of a first, upright side wall (3) of a first folding box (1) and additionally into the lateral end edge of a first, upright side wall (3) of a second folding box (1), and that in both the first folding box (1) and the second folding box (1), a second side wall (4) is in each case adjacent to the first side wall (3) of the same folding box (1) and is in an upright position at least partially covering the connecting element (5).

Description

The invention relates to a hinge-box combination comprising at least two hinge-boxes, each hinge-box having a bottom and side walls pivotably supported on the bottom, which can be brought into an upright position.Folding boxes are known which are usually made of plastic and have side walls pivotably mounted on a base, which can be set up vertically, wherein the side walls are latched into one another in the set-up state. The folding boxes can be adjusted between an out-of-use position, in which the side walls lie flat on the floor, and a use position with raised and latched side walls. The folding boxes can be stacked one on top of the other in the position of use in such a way that the bottom of an upper folding box rests on the front edge of a lower folding box.The invention is based on the object of creating a stable folding box combination with at least two folding boxes with simple measures.This object is achieved according to the invention with the features of the claim. The dependent claims indicate advantageous further developments.The hinge-lid box combination according to the invention comprises at least two hinge-lid boxes known per se, each of which has a base and side walls pivotably mounted on the base. Each folding box can be adjusted between an out-of-use position, in which the side walls rest on the floor, and a use position, in which the side walls stand upright and are latched to one another at an angle orthogonal to the floor.The folding boxes have a rectangular basic geometry with longitudinal sides and shorter transverse or narrow sides, so that the folding boxes accordingly have a rectangular cuboid shape in the use position with the side walls set up.To improve the stability of folding boxes stacked laterally on top of one another, a connecting element is used which is inserted into the lateral front edge of a first, upright side wall of a first folding box and additionally into the lateral front edge of a first, upright side wall of a second folding box. After the insertion of the connecting element, in each of the two folding boxes, a second side wall, which adjoins the first side wall of the same folding box, is brought into an upright position and at least partially covers the connecting element. The second side wall is at a right angle to the first side wall.This embodiment significantly improves the stability of two hinge boxes coupled via the connecting element, so that it is possible to stack two or more hinge boxes one above the other in such a way that the hinge box openings are directed to the side. It is possible, for example, to place one folding box longitudinally on the side and to place a second folding box thereon, using at least one connecting element. The two folding boxes are thus firmly connected to one another, so that the stability is increased. If appropriate, a plurality of folding boxes can be stacked on top of one another and two directly adjacent folding boxes can be connected to one another in each case via connecting elements. In this way, a rack system with lateral openings can be realized.Furthermore, it is possible to arrange two or more folding boxes next to one another and to stack further folding boxes on each folding box. In yet another embodiment, it is possible for the folding boxes to be placed on the floor on edge with their narrow side and for folding boxes lying above to be positioned on edge with lateral alignment of the folding box opening.Preferably, two connecting elements are used to connect two folding boxes. The connecting elements are advantageously arranged on opposite lateral front edges.By folding up the respective second side wall, which adjoins the first side wall with inserted connecting elements, the connecting element is covered by the second side wall. Even if the connecting element extends in the front edge of the first side wall as far as the side surface, it is covered after the second, adjoining side wall has been folded up. The connecting element cannot be removed after the second side wall has been folded up. This is thus a self-stabilizing system.Furthermore, it is advantageous that, when folding boxes are stacked laterally on top of one another, height differences between the front and rear sides of the folding boxes can be compensated for by means of the connecting element. In this way, a horizontally oriented, planar shelf compartment, formed by a side wall of the folding boxes stacked laterally on top of one another, can be realized.In a further advantageous embodiment, the first side wall and the second side wall of each folding box assume a latching or clamping connection in the upright position. The locking or clamping connection can be realized by corresponding locking or clamping means, wherein in this position removal of the connecting element between adjacent folding boxes is not possible. In order to release the connection, the latching or clamping connection must first be released and the second side wall must be folded down into the out-of-use position, whereupon the connecting element can be removed again.According to a further advantageous embodiment, the connecting element extends as far as the side face of each first side wall. The connecting element is inserted into a recess introduced on the end side, which can have an open recess toward the side wall, so that the connecting element extends as far as or approximately as far as the side wall. However, when the second side wall is folded upward, the connecting element is covered by this second side wall.According to yet another advantageous embodiment, the connecting element has an upper clamping section and a lower clamping section, which are connected to one another via a connecting web. Each clamping section is inserted into an associated recess at the front edge of the two adjoining first side walls of different folding boxes. Each clamping section has, for example, two side wings which can be inserted into a respective recess on the end edge. For example, a first clamping portion of the connecting element extends as far as the side surface of the first side wall, whereas the other clamping portion is separated by a wall part from the side surface of the first side wall.According to a further advantageous embodiment, the connecting element is arranged adjacent to the free, upper end face of the first side wall. The connecting element is thus located opposite a hinge via which the first side wall is pivotably connected to the base of the folding box. Advantageously, two connecting elements are arranged at opposite ends of the first side wall.In a further advantageous embodiment, the folding box combination comprises a coupling element which is arranged on the floor for the connection of at least two folding boxes arranged next to one another on the floor side. The bases of adjacent folding boxes can thus be connected to one another via the coupling element, whereas the first side walls of adjacent folding boxes are connected via the connecting element.The coupling element comprises, for example, two recesses for placing on projections on the bottom of adjacent folding boxes or, in a further embodiment, four such recesses, via which a total of four adjacent folding boxes can be connected.Further advantages and practical embodiments can be taken from the further claims, the description of the figures and the drawings. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a folding box combination, with two folding boxes lying next to one another in a folded out-of-use position, FIG. 2 is a front view of a connecting element for connecting two folding boxes, FIG. 3 is a rear view of the connecting element, FIG. 4 shows the connecting element in plan view, FIG. 5 shows a coupling element for the connection of two folding boxes on the base side, FIG. 6 shows a coupling element in a further embodiment, FIG. 7 shows the folding box combination with partially raised first side walls, wherein a connecting element is inserted into the lateral front edge of a side wall, FIG. 8 shows the folding box combination with fully set-up first side walls and with the connecting element in both lateral front edges of the side walls, wherein a second side wall is largely set up, FIG. 9 shows the hinge-lid box combination according to FIG. 8 with the second side wall fully set up, FIG. 10 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 1 of two hinged boxes arranged side by side in the initial state without connection, FIG. 11 shows the folding boxes arranged next to one another with a coupling element according to FIG. 5, FIG. 12 shows four adjoining folding boxes with a coupling element according to FIG. 6. FIG. 13 shows two folding boxes stacked one on top of the other and connected to one another.In the figures, identical components are provided with identical reference numerals.The folding boxes 1 shown in the figures have a rectangular basic geometry with longitudinal sides 3 and shorter narrow sides 4, which are each pivotably mounted on the circumferential edge region of a base 2 of the folding box 1. FIG. 1 shows two folding boxes 1 lying next to one another along their longitudinal side, which are in their out-of-use position, in which the longitudinal sides 3 and the narrow sides 4 are folded down and rest on the floor 2. In FIG. 13, on the other hand, the folding boxes 1 are in their position of use, in which the longitudinal sides 3 and the narrow sides 4 are set up and stand perpendicularly on the floor 2. The two longitudinal sides 3 form first side walls and the two narrow sides 4 form second side walls in each folding box 1.FIGS. 2 to 4 show a connecting element 5 which serves to connect the first side walls 3 of adjacent folding boxes 1 to one another. The connection takes place in the upper edge region at the lateral front edges of the first side walls 3 and serves to form a loadable folding box combination of two or more folding boxes 1, which are stacked one on top of the other in the manner of a rack, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 13.The connecting element 5 comprises an upper clamping section 6 and a lower clamping section 7, which are connected to one another via a connecting web 8. The connecting element 5 is advantageously made of a plastic material, wherein the clamping sections 6 and 7 and the connecting web 8 are contiguous and form a one-piece component. Each clamping section 6 and 7 has two side wings, which each extend laterally of the centrally arranged connecting web 8.Each side wing of the upper and lower clamping portions 6, 7 protrudes into an associated recess on the outer side of the first side wall 3. The left side wings of the upper and lower clamping sections 6, 7 are inserted into associated recesses located on the outer side of the first side wall 3 of the left folding box 1.The production of the connection with the aid of the connecting element 5 is explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 7 to 9. In the out-of-use position according to FIG. 1, the connecting element 5 can be inserted into the recesses on the outer side of the first side wall 1 of the left folding box 1. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7, the first side walls 3 of directly adjacent folding boxes 1 are adjusted into a pivoted-open position until the vertical position of the first side walls 3 is reached, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The right side wings of the upper and lower clamping sections 6, 7 of the connecting element 5 thereby engage with the associated recesses of the first side wall 3 of the adjacent right folding box 1. The first side walls 3 of adjacent folding boxes 1 lying directly next to one another are now connected to one another in the region of the upper lateral front edge of their first side walls 3.In a subsequent step, the second side walls 4-the narrow sides-are likewise folded up from the non-use position into the use position. In this case, they pass into a locking position with the first side walls 3 already set up, in which the side walls 3 and 4 assume a right angle to one another. The parallel side walls 3, which are connected to one another via the connecting elements 5, are located between the two narrow second side walls 4 which are set up. The connecting element 5 cannot be removed in this position, so that a secure, permanent connection is provided between the two adjacent hinge boxes 1 which are located next to one another.By means of the connecting elements 5, adjacent folding boxes 1 are connected to one another over their length adjacent to their free, upper end face of the first side wall 3. A further connection of adjacent folding boxes 1 on the base side is effected via a coupling element 10, which, as is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is provided, for example, with two recesses or with four recesses placed squarely and can be placed on projections 9 in the edge-side region of the bases 2 (see FIGS. 10 to 12 ). Advantageously, similarly to the two connecting elements 5, two coupling elements 10 are also arranged on opposite sides of the bases 2. With the coupling element 10 according to FIG. 5, which has two recesses, two folding boxes 1 lying next to one another can be connected to one another. With the coupling element 10 according to FIG. 6, which has four recesses arranged in a square manner, four folding boxes 1 lying next to and behind one another can be connected to one another accordingly.By means of the connecting elements 5 and the coupling elements 10, height differences between the front and rear sides of the folding boxes 1 can be compensated for, so that, as shown in FIG. 13, horizontally oriented, planar shelf compartments can be formed when the folding boxes 1 are stacked on top of one another.

Claims

Hinge-box combination comprising at least two hinge-boxes (1), each hinge-box (1) having a base (2) and side walls (3, 4) pivotably mounted on the base (2), which can be brought into an upright position perpendicular to the base (2), characterized in that, for the connection of two hinge-boxes (1) arranged next to one another, a connecting element (5) is inserted into the lateral front edge of a first upright side wall (3) of a first hinge-box (1) and additionally into the lateral front edge of a first upright side wall (3) of a second hinge-box (1), and in that, both in the first hinge-box (1) and in the second hinge-box (1), in each case a second side wall (4) adjoining the first side wall (3) of the same hinge-box (1), in an upright position and at least partially covering the connecting element (5).Hinge-box combination according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first side wall (3) and the second side wall (4) of each hinge-box (1) assume a latching or clamping connection in the upright position.Hinge-lid box combination according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the connecting element (5) extends as far as the side face of each first side wall (3).Folding box combination according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first side wall (3) of each folding box (1) has, on its outer side, a cutout into which the connecting element (5) can be inserted.Hinge-lid box combination according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the connecting element (5) has an upper clamping section (6) and a lower clamping section (7), the clamping sections (6, 7) being connected to one another via a connecting web (8).Hinge-lid box combination according to Claim 5, characterized in that each clamping section (6, 7) has two side wings which can be inserted into a respective cutout on the lateral front edge of the first side walls (3).Hinge-lid box combination according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that one clamping section (7) of the connecting element (5) extends as far as the side surface of the first side wall (3) and that the other clamping section (6) of the connecting element (5) is separated by a wall part from the side surface of the first side wall (3).Folding box combination according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the connecting element (5) is arranged adjacent to the free, upper end face of the first side wall (3).Folding box combination according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a coupling element (10) is arranged on the base for the connection on the base side of at least two folding boxes (1) arranged next to one another.Folding box combination according to Claim 9, characterized in that the coupling element (10) has two or four recesses for placing on projections (9) on the base.

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