Container
The container's innovative design with groove-shaped reinforcements and an inner container structure addresses fork collision damage, ensuring cargo protection and cost-effective maintenance.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024024884
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-02-21
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-02
AI Technical Summary
Conventional containers with fork insertion holes in the side walls are prone to damage from fork collisions, which can harm the cargo.
A container design featuring an outer container with groove-shaped reinforcement portions and an inner container that protects cargo by absorbing fork impacts, allowing forks to be inserted through spaces defined by hanging legs and preventing direct collision with the cargo.
The design reduces damage to the container by absorbing fork impacts, enabling easy replacement of the outer container while protecting the cargo, thus minimizing repair costs.
Smart Images

Figure 2025127891000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a container into which the forks of a forklift can be inserted at a lower end. [Background technology]
[0002] Known containers of this type have fork insertion holes in the side walls that extend downward from the bottom wall (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-22583 A (Claim 1, Figure 1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] However, in the above-mentioned conventional containers, the forks could break through the side walls and damage the cargo. In contrast, the present invention provides a container that can protect cargo from being hit by forks. [Means for solving the problem]
[0005] One aspect of the invention of the present disclosure is a container comprising an outer container and an inner container that is removably fitted inside the outer container, and comprising a plurality of legs that hang down from multiple points on the outer container and form fork insertion spaces between them, and a grooved reinforcement portion that is positioned above the entrance to the fork insertion spaces and is formed by bending the side wall of the outer container into a groove shape. [Effects of the Invention]
[0006] The container disclosed herein comprises an outer container and an inner container removably fitted inside the outer container. The spaces between multiple legs hanging down from the outer container form fork insertion spaces, into which forks can be inserted for transport. The container disclosed herein is provided with a groove-shaped reinforcement section formed by bending the side wall of the outer container into a groove above the entrance to the fork insertion space, preventing the container from being easily damaged by a fork collision. Even if the outer container is damaged by a fork collision, the inner container prevents the fork from colliding with the cargo, and repair costs can be reduced by replacing only the outer container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a container according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the container from below. [Figure 3] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a container body, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the container body to which individual support components are attached. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the container body to which the individual support parts are attached. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of stacked containers. [Figure 6] FIG. 6A is a side cross-sectional view of the container taken along a cross section parallel to a second horizontal direction, and FIG. 6B is a side cross-sectional view of the container taken along a cross section parallel to a first horizontal direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a container and an outer container stacked on top of it in the wrong orientation. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the outer containers stacked on top of each other. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of inner containers stacked on top of each other. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A container 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the container 10 of this embodiment includes an outer container 11, an inner container 30, and a lid 50. The outer container 11, the inner container 30, and the lid 50 are vacuum-formed resin products, forming a container structure with a substantially rectangular planar shape. As shown in FIG. 3A, the inner container 30 is fitted inside the outer container 11 to form a container body 10H, and as shown in FIG. 5, the lid 50 is attached onto the container body 10H. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3B, individual support components 70 are assembled inside the inner container 30 according to the type of luggage 99.
[0009] The outer container 11, the inner container 30, and the lid 50 are not limited to vacuum-formed resin products, but may be injection-molded resin products or products molded by other manufacturing methods as long as they are resin molded products. Furthermore, although the individual support component 70 of this embodiment is an injection-molded resin product, it may also be a resin molded product molded by other manufacturing methods, and may further be made of metal or wood, for example.
[0010] Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the approximately rectangular planar shape of the container 10 will be referred to as the first horizontal direction H1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the short direction will be referred to as the second horizontal direction H2, and the structure of each component of the container 10 will be described.
[0011] 1, the outer container 11 has a bottom wall 12 having a substantially rectangular planar shape, a pair of side walls 13 rising from the outer edges of a pair of long sides of the bottom wall 12, a pair of side walls 14 rising from the outer edges of a pair of short sides of the bottom wall 12, and a plurality of legs 15A, 15B, 15C hanging down from the bottom wall 12. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the side walls 13 and 14, the side wall 13 will be referred to as the "long side wall 13" and the side wall 14 will be referred to as the "short side wall 14."
[0012] The side walls 13, 14 have step portions 10D1, 10D2 near the center and near the top end in the vertical direction, and the side walls 13, 14 as a whole expand outward as they extend upward. The upper ends of the side walls 13, 14 are provided with flange portions 10F that slightly protrude outward. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6A , the long side wall 13 has an upright portion 13A between the bottom wall 12 and the step portion 10D1, which rises substantially vertically from the bottom wall 12 to a position near the step portion 10D1, and an inclined portion 13B that bends outward from the upper end of the upright portion 13A and connects to the step portion 10D1. The long side wall 13 slopes outward at the same angle from the step portion 10D1 to the top end, and is offset outward at the step portion 10D2 provided midway along the slope. As shown in FIG. 6B, the short side walls 14 are inclined outward at approximately the same angle from the bottom wall 12 to the top end, and are offset outward in a stepped manner at step portions 10D1 and 10D2 provided along the way.
[0013] 6A shows a cross section of a groove-shaped reinforcing portion 16 (described later) formed by bulging a portion of the long side wall 13, and FIG. 6B shows a cross section of an inclined portion 14A formed by recessing a portion of the short side wall 14. The inclined portion 14A is located below the center of each short side wall 14 in the horizontal direction, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the multiple legs 15A, 15B, and 15C are formed by bulging out part of the outer edge of the bottom wall 12 downward, and are arranged two by two in the second horizontal direction H2 at three locations: both ends and the middle part in the first horizontal direction H1 of the outer container 11.
[0015] The pair of legs 15A arranged on one end side in the first horizontal direction H1 have a rectangular planar shape extending along the outer edge of one short side of the bottom wall 12, and the pair of side walls of each leg 15A are continuous with one long side wall 13 and one short side wall 14 (see FIG. 1). Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a step portion 15D is provided on the farther ends of the pair of legs 15A, and the lower surfaces of the farther ends of the pair of legs 15A are raised in a stepped manner.
[0016] The pair of legs 15B in the middle in the first horizontal direction H1 have a rectangular underside shape that is long in the first horizontal direction H1, and the center of the underside of the pair of legs 15B in the first horizontal direction H1 is shifted toward the pair of legs 15A from the center of the entire bottom wall 12 in the first horizontal direction H1. One side wall of each leg 15B is continuous with the long side wall 13.
[0017] The pair of legs 15C arranged on the other end side in the first horizontal direction H1 have an L-shaped planar shape extending along a pair of corner portions of the bottom wall 12, and the pair of side walls of each leg 15C are continuous with one of the long side walls 13 and one of the short side walls 14. In addition, a step portion 15F is provided in the middle of the portion of each leg 15C that extends along the outer edge of the bottom wall 12 on the long side wall 13 side, and the underside of one side of the step portion 15F is higher in a stepped manner.
[0018] A pair of fork insertion spaces 90 are formed between the adjacent leg portions 15A, 15B, 15C in the first horizontal direction H1, and a pair of forks can be inserted from the second horizontal direction H2.
[0019] In this embodiment, the height of the legs 15A, 15B, and 15C may be large enough to allow a pair of forks of a hand truck to be inserted therein. The container 10 of this embodiment may also be configured so that a single wide fork can be inserted between the legs 15A, between the legs 15B, and between the legs 15C in the first horizontal direction H1. In this embodiment, six legs 15A, 15B, and 15C are provided, one pair per leg in the first horizontal direction H1. However, the arrangement and number of the legs are not limited to the above-described structure as long as the container 10 is configured so that a fork can be inserted therein. For example, the container 10 may be configured so that one leg extending in the second horizontal direction H2 is provided at each of three locations in the first horizontal direction H1.
[0020] The side walls 13, 14 are formed with a plurality of groove-shaped reinforcement portions 16 extending across substantially the entire lateral direction. Each groove-shaped reinforcement portion 16 is formed by bending a portion of the side wall 13, 14 into a rectangular groove extending in the vertical direction. The groove-shaped reinforcement portion 16 is recessed in the inner surface of the side wall 13, 14 and protrudes like a rib on the outer surface. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B , each groove-shaped reinforcement portion 16 extends from the step surface of the step portion 10D1 near the vertical center of the side wall 13, 14 to the lower end of the side wall 13, 14, gradually decreasing in extent as it extends downward. The amount by which the upper end of the groove-shaped reinforcement portion 16 protrudes from the side wall 13, 14 is the same as the size of the step of the step portion 10D1.
[0021] In this embodiment, the groove-shaped reinforcement 16 is a square groove, but may also be a round groove. The groove-shaped reinforcement 16 is provided below the middle of the side walls 13, 14 in the vertical direction, but may also have a shape that extends over the entire vertical direction of the side walls 13, 14 or a shape that extends horizontally. Furthermore, the groove-shaped reinforcement 16 is provided dispersedly over almost the entire lateral direction of the side walls 13, 14, but as long as it is provided above the entrance to the fork insertion space 90, it does not have to be provided in other parts.
[0022] 2, the walls of the legs 15A, 15B are also provided with a plurality of groove-shaped reinforcing portions 18. Specifically, the side walls of the legs 15A, 15B that are not continuous with the side walls 13, 14 have a circular groove shape extending in the vertical direction when viewed from the outside. Note that the groove-shaped reinforcing portions 18 are circular groove-shaped, but they may also be angular groove-shaped.
[0023] A pair of central angular grooves 17 extending in the vertical direction are formed in the center of each pair of long side walls 13 in the first horizontal direction H1. The central angular grooves 17 are recessed into a rectangular groove shape on the outer surface of each long side wall 13 and extend continuously to the lower ends of the legs 15B. The central angular grooves 17 gradually narrow upward. The flanges 10F are also formed at the upper ends of the central angular grooves 17. Furthermore, the central angular grooves 17 are located at one end of one side surface of the leg 15B in the first horizontal direction H1, with one side of the central angular grooves 17 opening laterally. A through-hole 17A is formed near the upper end of each central angular groove 17 for attaching a fastening belt (not shown). The fastening belt has a structure in which a hook is fixed to one end of a band-shaped rubber belt and an arrowhead-shaped protrusion is integrally formed at the other end, and the protrusion is press-fitted into the through-hole 17A to fasten one end of the fastening belt to the outer container 11. The hook is then engaged with an engaging recess 66A of the lid 50, which will be described later.
[0024] Next, the inner container 30 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the inner container 30 has a bottom wall 32 having a substantially rectangular planar shape, a pair of side walls 33 rising from the outer edges of a pair of long sides of the bottom wall 32, and a pair of side walls 34 rising from the outer edges of a pair of short sides of the bottom wall 32. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the side walls 33 and 34, the side wall 33 will be referred to as the "long side wall 33" and the side wall 34 will be referred to as the "short side wall 34."
[0025] 6A and 6B, side walls 33, 34 of inner container 30 form main body portions 33A, 34A that slope outward more than side walls 13, 14 of outer container 11 from the bottom end to a position near the top end, and are bent toward the top end to form substantially vertical portions 33B, 34B above the bent portion. Furthermore, flange portion 35A extends horizontally outward from the upper end of side walls 33, 34 of inner container 30, and first hanging wall 35B hangs down from the tip of flange portion 35A, and further, flange portion 35C extends slightly outward from the lower end of first hanging wall 35B. When the inner container 30 is fitted into the outer container 11, the bottom wall 32 of the inner container 30 overlaps the bottom wall 12 of the outer container 11, the flange portion 35A of the inner container 30 overlaps the collar portion 10F of the outer container 11, and the first hanging wall 35B covers the upper portions of the side walls 13, 14 of the outer container 11 from the outside.
[0026] As shown in Fig. 1, a pair of central angular grooves 47 corresponding to the pair of central angular grooves 17 of the outer container 11 are formed in the center of the pair of long side walls 33 of the inner container 30 in the first horizontal direction H1. Similar to the central angular grooves 17, the central angular grooves 47 are recessed toward the angular groove side on the outer surface of each long side wall 33 and gradually narrow upward. The aforementioned flange portion 35A, first hanging wall 35B, and flange portion 35C are also formed at the top of the central angular groove 47. When the inner container 30 is fitted into the outer container 11, the central angular grooves 17 are fitted into the central angular grooves 47.
[0027] A pair of support blocks 37 are formed at a pair of corners at one end of the inner container 30 in the first horizontal direction H1. Each support block 37 is made up of a base protrusion 37B that protrudes inward in a stepped shape from a position near the upper end of the corner of the side walls 33, 34, and a positioning protrusion 37A that protrudes inward in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from a position below the middle of the base protrusion 37B in the up-down direction.
[0028] A protrusion 39 protrudes inward from the lateral center of one of the short side walls 34 having the pair of support blocks 37. The protrusion 39 is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped and is lower than the positioning protrusion 37A, with a small protrusion from the short side wall 34.
[0029] A support block 40 protrudes from the lateral center of the other short side wall 34. The support block 40 consists of a flat, rectangular parallelepiped base protrusion 40B, whose lower portion protrudes inward in a stepped manner below a position near the upper end of the short side wall 34; a first additional protrusion 40A, whose lower portion protrudes inward below a vertically intermediate position of the base protrusion 40B; and a second additional protrusion 40C, which protrudes upward from the lateral center of the top surface of the first additional protrusion 40A. The first additional protrusion 40A has the same lateral width as the base protrusion 40B, and the surfaces facing the opposing short side walls 34 form a common vertical plane perpendicular to the bottom wall 32.
[0030] Each long side wall 33 is provided with a positioning protrusion 38, 41. The positioning protrusions 38, 41 protrude from the portion of the long side wall 33 below the vertical midpoint, forming a rectangular parallelepiped shape thinner than the positioning protrusion 37A. One positioning protrusion 38 is connected to the support block 37, and a pair of positioning protrusions 41 are arranged on both sides of the central square groove 47. The inner surfaces of the positioning protrusions 38, 41 facing the opposing short side walls 34 are arranged in a common vertical plane perpendicular to the bottom wall 32. The upper surface of each positioning protrusion 41 is formed with a slit 41A extending laterally of the positioning protrusion 41.
[0031] The bottom wall 32 is provided with a rectangular parallelepiped positioning protrusion 36 that protrudes from the inner surface of the bottom wall 32. The positioning protrusion 36 is located in the center of the bottom wall 32 in the second horizontal direction H2 and closer to the support block 40 in the first horizontal direction H1. The surface of the positioning protrusion 36 facing the protrusion 39 is a vertical plane that is perpendicular to the bottom wall 32.
[0032] FIG. 3B shows the individual support component 70 mounted inside the inner container 30. The individual support component 70 of this embodiment includes a tray portion 70H that is rectangular in plan view and flat in the vertical direction, and a pair of protrusions 71 that protrude from the tray portion 70H in both directions in the first horizontal direction H1, forming a symmetrical structure in the first horizontal direction H1 and the second horizontal direction H2. The tray portion 70H also includes a recess 72 that is rectangular in plan view, for example. The pair of protrusions 71 protrude from the lower edges of both side surfaces of the tray portion 70H, with the same width as the tray portion 70H. A pair of mounting holes 71A extend vertically through both ends of the pair of protrusions 71 in the second horizontal direction H2. The mounting holes 71A are countersunk holes with an enlarged diameter on the upper surface. As shown in FIG. 4, the individual support parts 70 are surrounded by the positioning protrusions 36, 37A, 38, and 41 of the inner container 30 (corresponding to "positioning parts" in Feature 2 described later) and are positioned two-dimensionally.
[0033] The individual support parts 70 are also attached to jigs of equipment that manufacture the products that are the cargo 99 of the container 10. That is, the individual support parts 70 can be used in common with the container 10 and the jigs.
[0034] Next, the lid 50 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lid 50 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a generally rectangular planar shape and an open bottom. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the lid 50 has a flange abutting portion 55A that is placed on top of the flange portion 35A of the inner container 30, a second hanging wall 55B that hangs down from the outer edge of the flange abutting portion 55A and surrounds the first hanging wall 35B of the inner container 30, and a flange portion 55C that projects slightly outward from the lower end of the second hanging wall 55B.
[0035] The side walls 53, 54 of the lid 50 rise from the flange abutment portion 55A. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the side walls 53, 54, the side wall 53 located on the long side of the planar shape will be referred to as the "long side wall 53," and the side wall 54 located on the short side will be referred to as the "short side wall 54," as in the cases of the outer container 11 and the inner container 30.
[0036] 1, the side walls 53, 54 are provided with a plurality of groove-shaped reinforcing portions 56 that extend from their upper ends to their lower ends and that protrude outward from the side walls 53, 54 increasingly downward. Each of the pair of short side walls 54 is recessed on its outer surface and has a pair of grooves 54M that extend the entire length of the pair of short side walls 54 in the up-down direction. The flange abutting portion 55A is partially separated at the portion where the plurality of groove-shaped reinforcing portions 56 are formed, and the flange abutting portion 55A is wider at the portion where the pair of short side walls 54 are formed.
[0037] 2, a plurality of slippage prevention protrusions 69 protrude downward from the flange contact portion 55A. These slippage prevention protrusions 69 are formed by part of the flange contact portion 55A bulging downward in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and are arranged in four locations: approximately in the center of a pair of short sides and near the center of a pair of long sides of the rectangular planar shape of the lid 50.
[0038] 1, the ceiling wall 52 of the lid 50 is provided with an upper surface groove 68 at a midpoint in the first horizontal direction H1. The upper surface groove 68 has a rectangular groove shape and penetrates in the second horizontal direction H2. The upper surface groove 68 is positioned slightly offset to one side from the center of the lid 50 in the first horizontal direction H1.
[0039] The main protrusion 60, sub-protrusions 60T and 62, and a base 61 are provided in a first upper surface region R1 on the side of the upper surface of the ceiling wall 52 where the upper surface groove 68 is offset in the first horizontal direction H1. The main protrusion 60 is a rectangular parallelepiped that protrudes upward from the ceiling wall 52 and has a recess on the side facing the groove 54M, and its planar shape resembles the Japanese character "recess." The sub-protrusion 62 protrudes lower than the main protrusion 60 within the recess of the main protrusion 60. The sub-protrusion 60T is formed in the horizontal center of the side of the main protrusion 60 facing the upper surface groove 68, and gradually becomes lower with increasing distance from the main protrusion 60. The base 61 is a rectangular parallelepiped with a height intermediate between that of the main protrusion 60 and the sub-protrusion 62, and is disposed adjacent to both sides of the main protrusion 60 facing the second horizontal direction H2.
[0040] In a second upper surface region R2 on the upper surface of the ceiling wall 52, which is on the opposite side of the first upper surface region R1 from the upper surface groove 68, a bank portion 63 is provided near the end portion on the side away from the upper surface groove 68. The bank portion 63 extends over the entirety of the ceiling wall 52 in the second horizontal direction H2. In the second upper surface region R2, on the side away from the upper surface groove 68 than the bank portion 63, a pair of pedestals 64 are provided extending in the first horizontal direction H1 perpendicular to both longitudinal ends of the bank portion 63. In addition, the pair of pedestals 64 are slightly lower than the bank portion 63. In the second upper surface region R2, on the side closer to the upper surface groove 68 than the bank portion 63, a plurality of ceiling grooves 65 are formed extending parallel to the first horizontal direction H1.
[0041] A pair of central angular grooves 57 and a pair of side protrusions 66 are formed in the center of the pair of long side walls 53 of the lid 50 in the first horizontal direction H1. The pair of central angular grooves 57 are formed by bending the flange abutment portion 55A, second hanging wall 55B, and flange portion 55C of the lid 50 into a concave shape corresponding to the central angular groove 47 of the inner container 30. The pair of side protrusions 66 are formed by partially bulging outward from the long side walls 53, and are shaped to have engagement recesses 66A formed by recessing the upper surface of a rectangular parallelepiped. Furthermore, a pair of triangular ribs 66B are provided on both sides of the side surfaces of the side protrusions 66 facing outward in the second horizontal direction H2 to connect the flange abutment portions 55A of the long side walls 53 and the side protrusions 66.
[0042] This completes the description of the structure of the container 10 of this embodiment. Next, the effects of this container 10 will be described. When the container 10 of this embodiment is stored in a work-in-progress state before being made into a finished product, or when multiple containers are transported to a user, it can be made compact by, for example, fitting multiple outer containers 11 together, multiple inner containers 30 together, and multiple lids 50 together. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8 , when multiple outer containers 11 are fitted together, if the outer containers 11 are fitted together in the same orientation, the outer containers 11 fit together deeply, thereby reducing the overall bulk of the multiple outer containers 11. In contrast, if the outer containers 11 are fitted together in orientations that are 180 degrees different, the legs 15A, 15B, and 15C of the upper outer container 11 abut against the bottom wall 12 of the lower outer container 11, thereby increasing the gap between the outer containers 11. This increases the overall bulk of the multiple outer containers 11, but makes it easier to separate the outer containers 11 one by one. 9, when the inner containers 30 are similarly fitted together in orientations that differ by 180 degrees, the bottom wall 32 of the upper inner container 30 abuts against the support blocks 37, 40 of the lower inner container 30, increasing the gap between the inner containers 30 and facilitating the task of separating the inner containers 30 one by one. That is, in this embodiment, the legs 15A, 15B, 15C and bottom wall 12 of the outer container 11, and the support blocks 37, 40 and bottom wall 32 of the inner container 30 function as the "gap forming portions" of Feature 2 below, preventing the outer containers 11 and the inner containers 30 from sticking together and facilitating the task of separating them.
[0043] When the container 10 is used, a pair of belts (not shown) are stretched in the second horizontal direction H2 and applied to the underside of the inner container 30. Both ends of the pair of belts are passed through the slits 41A of the two pairs of positioning projections 41 of the inner container 30 and pulled out above the inner container 30. Then, as shown in FIG. 3A, the inner container 30 is fitted inside the outer container 11 to form the container body 10H. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the flange 35A of the inner container 30 overlaps the upper surface of the side wall of the outer container 11, and the first hanging wall 35B hanging from the tip of the flange 35A of the inner container 30 laterally overlaps the upper parts of the side walls 13 and 14 of the outer container 11. This prevents foreign matter from entering the gap between the outer container 11 and the inner container 30. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3B, individual support components 70 corresponding to the shape of the cargo 99 are attached to the container body 10H as needed.
[0044] A portion of the load 99 is placed on the individual support parts 70, and the remainder is placed on the bottom wall 32 of the inner container 30, or on the positioning portion 36 or the support blocks 37, 40. Then, a pair of belts are wrapped around the load 99 and tightened.
[0045] Next, the lid body 50 is attached onto the container body 10H. As a result, the top of the cargo 99 is received in the main protrusion 60 of the lid body 50. If the lid body 50 is attached in an incorrect orientation by 180 degrees relative to the container body 10H at this time, the top of the cargo 99 will no longer be received in the main protrusion 60 and will interfere with the ceiling wall 52 of the lid body 50, causing the flange abutment portion 55A of the lid body 50 to float above the flange portion 35A of the inner container 30, and the error will be noticed.
[0046] When the lid body 50 is attached to the container body 10H, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the flange abutment portion 55A of the lid body 50 overlaps the flange portion 35A of the inner container 30, and the second hanging wall 55B hanging down from the tip of the flange abutment portion 55A of the lid body 50 overlaps the first hanging wall 35B from the side. This prevents foreign objects from entering the luggage storage space between the inner container 30 and the lid body 50. Furthermore, each of the slippage prevention protrusions 69 provided on the four sides of the rectangular planar shape of the lid body 50 is received within the top opening 30K of the inner container 30 and faces the upper inner surface of the inner container 30, preventing the lid body 50 from slipping on the inner container 30. Then, the hook of the locking belt (not shown) attached to the through-hole 17A of the outer container 11 is locked into the engagement recess 66A of the lid body 50. This completes the storage of the luggage 99 in the container 10.
[0047] Containers 10 containing cargo 99 can be stacked as shown in FIG. 5 . Furthermore, in container 10, fork insertion spaces 90 are formed between the multiple legs 15A, 15B, and 15C, allowing forks to be inserted therein for stacking and transporting operations. Here, container 10 of this embodiment is provided with groove-shaped reinforcement portions 16 formed by bending the sidewall of outer container 11 into a groove shape above the entrance to fork insertion spaces 90, preventing container 10 from being easily damaged by a fork collision. Even if outer container 11 is damaged by a fork collision, inner container 30 prevents the fork from colliding with cargo 99, and repair costs can be reduced by replacing only outer container 11.
[0048] Incidentally, when the containers 10 are stacked in different orientations by 180 degrees, imbalance in the centers of gravity of the containers 10 containing cargo is reduced. In view of this, in the container 10 of this embodiment, when the containers 10 in a combined three-piece state in which the outer container 11, the inner container 30, and the lid 50 are assembled are stacked in the same orientation, they interfere with each other and prevent stacking, but when they are stacked in different orientations by 180 degrees, stacking is permitted. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the containers 10 are stacked in different orientations by 180 degrees, at one end side of the first horizontal direction H1, the main protrusion 60 of the lower container 10 is fitted inside a pair of legs 15C of the upper container 10 that have an L-shaped planar shape, and the stepped portions of the lower surfaces of the pair of legs 15C overlap a pair of base portions 61 of the lower container. At the other end in the first horizontal direction H1, the legs 15A of the upper container 10, which have a rectangular planar shape, are aligned along the bank portion 63 of the lower container 10, and the stepped portions of the lower surfaces of the pair of legs 15A overlap the pair of lower-side pedestals 64. The entire pair of upper-side legs 15B overlaps the upper surface (ceiling wall 52) of the lower container 10 between the upper surface groove 68 and the bank portion 63.
[0049] On the other hand, when the containers 10 are stacked in the same orientation, the legs 15C of the upper container 10 climb up onto the bank 63 of the lower container 10, making it impossible to keep the upper container 10 in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 7. That is, in this embodiment, the bank 63 and the legs 15C of the containers 10 act as the "mis-stacking abutment" of Feature 6 described below, preventing the containers from being stacked in an orientation that would cause imbalance.
[0050] Furthermore, the containers 10 of this embodiment have an upper surface groove 68 formed at a position offset from the lateral center in the first horizontal direction H1 and are provided with central angular grooves 17, 47, 57 in the center, so that when stacking, the upper surface grooves 68 of the upper and lower containers 10 are alternately offset and the central angular grooves 17, 47, 57 of the upper and lower containers 10 are aligned in a straight line, making stacking easy. Furthermore, when stacking, a load is applied that tends to open the side walls 53, 54 of the lid body 50 of the lower container 10 outward, but because the slippage prevention protrusion 69 engages with the inside of the top surface opening 30K of the inner container 30, deformation that would open the side walls 53, 54 of the lid body 50 is prevented.
[0051] By arranging a plurality of types of individual support components 70 on a portion of the bottom wall 12 of the inner container 30 in a stacked manner, it is possible to stabilize various loads of different shapes within the inner container 30.
[0052] [Other embodiments] Although the container 10 in the above embodiment includes the individual support parts 70 and the lid body 50, it may be configured without either or both of the individual support parts 70 and the lid body 50.
[0053] The lid 50 of the container 10 in the above embodiment has a container structure with an open bottom, but the lid 50 may also be plate-shaped.
[0054] The container 10 in the above embodiment is sized so that the inner container 30 fits just inside the outer container 11, but for example, the outer container 11 alone may have a structure in which one or both of the pair of long side walls 13 and the pair of short side walls 14 of the outer container 11 are warped inward so that the pair of long side walls 13 and the pair of short side walls 14 of the outer container 11 are pushed outward by the inner container 30 fitted into the outer container 11, thereby elastically deforming. By using such a structure, it is possible to eliminate play between the outer container 11 and the inner container 30. Similarly, the lid body 50 and the inner container 30 may be configured to engage with each other in a state where the second hanging wall 55B of the lid body 50 is pressed from the inside by the first hanging wall 35B of the inner container 30, or the pair of long side walls 13 and the pair of short side walls 14 of the inner container 30 are pressed outward by the anti-slip protrusions 69 of the lid body 50, thereby eliminating any play.
[0055] One or both of the bottom wall 12 of the outer container 11 and the bottom wall 32 of the inner container 30 may be provided with a groove-shaped reinforcing portion formed by bending the bottom walls 12, 32 into a groove shape.
[0056] <Additional Notes> The following describes the features extracted from the above embodiment, while indicating, as necessary, the effects, etc. Note that, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above embodiment are indicated in parentheses as appropriate below, but these features are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses.
[0057] [Feature 1] The container (10) comprises an outer container (11) and an inner container (30) removably fitted inside the outer container (11), and further comprises a plurality of legs (15A-15C) hanging down from a plurality of locations on the outer container (11) and defining fork insertion spaces (90) between them, and a groove-shaped reinforcing portion (16) arranged above an entrance to the fork insertion spaces (90) and formed by bending the side wall of the outer container (11) into a groove shape.
[0058] [Feature 2] The container (10) according to Feature 1, wherein the outer container (11) and the inner container (30) are provided with gap forming portions (12, 15A to 15C, 32, 37, 40) that come into contact with each other when the outer containers (11) and the inner containers (30) are stacked in different orientations by 180 degrees, thereby widening the gap between the outer containers (11) and between the inner containers (30) compared to when the outer containers (11) and the inner containers (30) are stacked in the same orientation.
[0059] [Feature 3] 3. A container (10) according to feature 1 or 2, comprising: a lid (50) closing an upper opening (30K) of the inner container (30); a flange portion (35A) formed on the inner container (30) and overlapping an upper surface of the side wall (13, 14) of the outer container (11); a first depending wall (35B) hanging down from a tip of the flange portion (35A) of the inner container (30) and overlapping a side of an upper part of the side wall of the outer container (11); a flange abutting portion (55A) formed on the lid (50) and overlapping the flange portion (35A) of the inner container (30); and a second depending wall (55B) hanging down from a tip of the flange abutting portion (55A) of the lid (50) and overlapping a side of the first depending wall (35B).
[0060] [Feature 4] A container (10) according to any one of features 1 to 3, comprising a lid (50) capable of closing a top opening (30K) of the inner container (30) and on which the outer container (11) can be placed, the planar shapes of the outer container (11), the inner container (30), and the lid (50) are rectangular, and the lid (50) has a plurality of anti-slip projections (69) provided on the four sides of the rectangular planar shape of the lid (50), the anti-slip projections (69) being received in the top opening (30K) of the inner container (30) when the lid (50) closes the top opening (30K) of the inner container (30) and facing an upper portion of the inner surface of the inner container (30).
[0061] [Feature 5] A container (10) according to any one of features 1 to 4, comprising: a plurality of types of individual support parts (70) arranged on top of a portion of the bottom wall of the inner container (30) and having different shapes depending on the cargo to be stored in the container (10); and positioning portions (36, 37A, 38, 41) formed on the inner container (30) that surround the individual support parts (70) and position them two-dimensionally.
[0062] [Feature 6] The container (10) according to any one of features 1 to 5, wherein the outer container (11) and the inner container (30) have a rectangular planar shape that is elongated in a first horizontal direction (H1), and the container (10) has a rectangular planar shape that can close an upper opening (30K) of the inner container (30); mis-stack abutment portions (15C, 63) that interfere with each other and prevent stacking when the three-piece combined containers (10) formed by assembling the outer container (11), the inner container (30), and the lid (50) are stacked in the same orientation, but allow stacking when the three-piece combined containers (10) are stacked in orientations that differ by 180 degrees; and an upper surface groove (68) that is provided on an upper portion of the lid (50) and penetrates in a direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction (H1) at a position shifted from the lateral center in the first horizontal direction (H1).
[0063] [Feature 7] The container (10) according to Feature 6, wherein the outer container (11), the inner container (30), and the lid (50) are provided with central angular grooves (17, 47, 57) formed in the center of a pair of long side walls, recessed on the outside, protruding inward, and extending in the vertical direction.
[0064] The container of Feature 1 comprises an outer container and an inner container that is detachably fitted inside the outer container. The spaces between multiple legs hanging down from the outer container form fork insertion spaces, into which forks can be inserted for transport. The container of Feature 1 is provided with a groove-shaped reinforcement section formed by bending the side wall of the outer container into a groove above the entrance to the fork insertion space, preventing the container from being easily damaged by a fork collision. Even if the outer container is damaged by a fork collision, the inner container prevents the fork from colliding with the cargo, and repair costs can be reduced by replacing only the outer container.
[0065] According to the structure of Feature 2, when storing or transporting multiple containers, multiple outer containers can be fitted together, and multiple inner containers can be fitted together. Furthermore, when the outer containers and the inner containers are fitted together in different orientations by 180 degrees, the gap-forming portions provided on the outer containers and the inner containers prevent the outer containers and the inner containers from sticking together, so the outer containers and the inner containers can be easily separated one by one. Furthermore, when the outer containers and the inner containers are fitted together in the same orientation, the gaps between the outer containers and the inner containers are reduced, thereby saving space.
[0066] In the container of Feature 3, when the inner container is fitted to the outer container, the flange portion of the inner container overlaps the upper surface of the side wall of the outer container, and a first hanging wall hanging down from the tip of the flange portion of the inner container laterally overlaps the upper part of the side wall of the outer container. This prevents foreign objects from entering the gap between the outer and inner containers. Furthermore, when the lid is attached to the fitted outer and inner containers, the flange abutment portion of the lid overlaps the flange portion of the inner container, and a second hanging wall hanging down from the tip of the flange abutment portion of the lid laterally overlaps the first hanging wall. This prevents foreign objects from entering the luggage storage space between the inner container and the lid.
[0067] In the container of Feature 4, the outer container, inner container, and lid have a rectangular planar shape, and each of the anti-slip projections provided on the four sides of the rectangular planar shape of the lid is received in the top opening of the inner container and faces the upper part of the inner surface of the inner container, preventing the lid from slipping on the inner container. Furthermore, if the lid has a container structure with an opening at the bottom, deformation of the lid that would cause the lower ends of the side walls to open due to a load from above is prevented.
[0068] According to the structure of feature 5, by arranging a plurality of types of individual support components in a stacked manner on a part of the bottom wall of the inner container, it is possible to stabilize various loads of different shapes inside the inner container.
[0069] When stacking containers, stacking them in 180-degree different orientations reduces imbalance in the centers of gravity of the containers containing cargo. In light of this, a container with Feature 6 has mis-stack abutments that interfere with each other when the combined three-piece containers, consisting of the outer container, inner container, and lid, are stacked in the same orientation, but allow stacking when the containers are stacked in 180-degree different orientations. Therefore, when stacking the containers, the containers are stacked in 180-degree different orientations, thereby reducing imbalance in the centers of gravity as described above. Furthermore, the lid of the container with Feature 6 has top grooves positioned off-center in the first horizontal direction, making it easy to check the orientation of the containers and facilitating stacking. Furthermore, with a container that combines Features 6 and 7, stacking is facilitated by alternately offsetting the top grooves of the upper and lower containers and aligning the central corner grooves on the container body and lid.
[0070] Although the present specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but also includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, and also includes parts of the specific examples taken out alone. [Explanation of symbols]
[0071] 10 containers 11 Outer container 12 Bottom wall (gap forming part) 15A, 15B Legs (gap forming parts) 15C Legs (Gap forming parts, mis-stacked contact parts) 16 Grooved reinforcement 17,47,57 Center corner groove 30 Inner container 32 Bottom wall (gap forming part) 35A flange 35B 1st hanging wall 36,37A,38,41 Positioning protrusion (positioning part) 37,40 Support block (gap forming part) 50 Lid 55A flange contact part 55B 2nd hanging wall 63 Bank section (mis-stacking abutment section) 68 Top groove 69 Anti-slip protrusion 70 Individual support parts 90 Fork insertion space 99 Luggage H1 1st horizontal direction H2 2nd horizontal direction
Claims
1. A container comprising an outer container and an inner container detachably fitted inside the outer container, a plurality of legs hanging down from a plurality of locations on the outer container, the legs defining fork insertion spaces therebetween; a groove-shaped reinforcing portion arranged above an entrance to the fork insertion space and formed by bending a side wall of the outer container into a groove shape.
2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the outer container and the inner container are provided with gap forming portions that abut against each other when the outer containers and the inner containers are stacked in different orientations by 180 degrees, thereby widening the gap between the outer containers and the inner containers compared to when the outer containers and the inner containers are stacked in the same orientation.
3. a lid that closes the top opening of the inner container; a flange portion formed on the inner container and overlapping an upper surface of a side wall of the outer container; a first hanging wall that hangs down from a tip of the flange portion of the inner container and laterally overlaps an upper portion of the side wall of the outer container; a flange abutment portion formed on the lid and overlapping the flange portion of the inner container; The container according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a second hanging wall that hangs down from a tip of the flange abutment portion of the lid and laterally overlaps the first hanging wall.
4. a lid body that can close an upper opening of the inner container and on which the outer container can be placed, the outer container, the inner container, and the lid have a rectangular planar shape; 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the lid body has a rectangular planar shape and is provided with a plurality of anti-slip protrusions on the four sides thereof, the anti-slip protrusions being received within the top opening of the inner container when the lid body is closing the top opening of the inner container and facing the upper part of the inner surface of the inner container.
5. a plurality of types of individual support parts that are arranged on a portion of the bottom wall of the inner container and have different shapes depending on the loads to be accommodated in the container; The container according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a positioning portion formed on the inner container, surrounding the individual support component and positioning the individual support component two-dimensionally.
6. The outer container and the inner container have a planar shape that is a rectangle elongated in a first horizontal direction, a lid having a rectangular planar shape capable of closing the top opening of the inner container; an erroneous stacking abutment portion that interferes with each other and prevents stacking when the three-body combined containers, each including the outer container, the inner container, and the lid body, are stacked in the same orientation, and allows stacking when the three-body combined containers are stacked in orientations that are 180 degrees different from each other; The container according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: an upper surface groove provided on the upper portion of the lid body, the upper surface groove penetrating in a direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction at a position offset from the lateral center in the first horizontal direction.
7. The container according to claim 6, wherein the outer container, the inner container, and the lid are provided with a central angular groove portion formed in the center of a pair of long side walls, recessed on the outside, protruding inward, and extending in the vertical direction.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Container for storing and conveying waste
JP2007022583A