Container

Abstract

To facilitate stacking work.SOLUTION: A container 10 has three undersurface projection parts 40 on a reverse surface of a bottom wall 11, and containers 10 can be stacked in a first stacking state in which all side walls 12, 13 are put vertically one over the other and a second shift stacking state in which one short-side side wall 12 of the lower-side container 10 is received between the undersurface projection parts 40. The containers 10 have annular projection parts 21 projecting upward from inner edge parts at upper end flange parts 20 of the side walls 12, 13. Then when the upper-side container 10 slides and is stacked on the lower-side container 10 in an inclined attitude, the bottom wall 11 of the upper-side container 10 comes into frictional contact on the annular projection part 21 of the lower-side container 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to stackable containers. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, containers of this type are known that can hold the upper container in a horizontal position in a first stacked state in which all of the side walls of the upper and lower containers are stacked vertically, and in a second stacked state in which the first side walls of the upper and lower containers are misaligned (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-270526 A (Fig. 4, etc.) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional containers described above, it is desired to make stacking easier. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The container of the present disclosure is a box-shaped container having an opening at the top, a pair of first side walls opposing each other in a first direction, a pair of second side walls opposing each other in a second direction, a bottom wall, and a bottom projection projecting from the bottom surface of the bottom wall (11). When stacked, the upper container is in an inclined position in which one of the pair of first side walls (12) is higher than the other, and the bottom projection (40) of the upper container is received between the pair of second side walls of the lower container, allowing the upper container to slide in the first direction on the pair of second side walls, thereby enabling a slide stack. In a container that can hold the upper container in a horizontal position in a first stacking state in which all of the side walls of the upper and lower containers are stacked vertically by a lock, and in a second stacking state in which the first side walls (12) of the upper and lower containers are misaligned in the first direction, the container is equipped with at least one of a sliding protrusion that protrudes from the upper surface of the pair of second side walls, extends in the first direction, and comes into sliding contact with the lower surface of the bottom wall (11) of the upper container during the slide stacking, and a sliding protrusion that protrudes from the outer edge of the lower surface of the bottom wall (11) and comes into sliding contact with the upper surface of the pair of second side walls of the lower container during the slide stacking. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the containers of the present disclosure, stacking between the first stacked state and the second stacked state is possible by slide stacking, making stacking easy. Moreover, during slide stacking, the upper container slides against the slide-contact protrusion of the lower container, or the slide-contact protrusion of the upper container slides against the upper surface of the second side wall of the lower container, reducing friction between the bottom wall of the upper container and the upper surface of the second side wall of the lower container, making sliding easier. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the containers in the first stacked state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom side of the container. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the bottom view of the container. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the containers in the second stacked state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the containers in the first stacked state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the containers in the second stacked state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the containers in the second stacked state. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the containers in the second stacked state. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows a front view of the container when the slides are stacked. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows an enlarged view of the container when the slides are stacked. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of containers in a rotating stack. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a front view of the containers in a rotating stack. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the containers in a rotating stack. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the containers in a rotating stack. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of a container according to a second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a container according to a second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the positioning protrusion. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the positioning recess. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the positioning protrusion and the positioning recess. [Figure 21] FIG. 21A is a side cross-sectional view of containers in a rotating stacked state, and FIG. 21B is a side cross-sectional view of containers in a rotating stacked state. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a bottom surface of a container according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [First embodiment] 1 to 15 show a container 10 according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the container 10 has a rectangular bottom wall 11 with side walls 12 and 13 extending from the outer edge thereof, and has a top opening 10A at the top. The side walls 12 and 13 are slightly inclined so as to gradually widen outward as they extend upward. The corners of the container 10 are curved in an arc. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the side walls 12 and 13, the one extending from the short side of the bottom wall 11 will be referred to as the short side wall 12 (corresponding to the "first side wall" in the claims), and the one extending from the long side of the bottom wall 11 will be referred to as the long side wall 13 (corresponding to the "second side wall" in the claims). The direction in which the pair of short side walls 12 face each other will be referred to as the first direction H1, and the direction in which the pair of long side walls 13 face each other will be referred to as the second direction H2.

[0009] The side walls 12, 13 are disposed inward from the outer edge of the bottom wall 11. In other words, the bottom wall 11 includes a lower flange portion 14 that protrudes outward from the side walls 12, 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower flange portion 14 has a thickness greater than that of the portion of the bottom wall 11 that is more inward than the lower flange portion 14 (hereinafter referred to as the "bottom wall main body portion 11A" as appropriate). The lower surfaces of the lower flange portion 14 and the bottom wall main body portion 11A are located in approximately the same plane, while the upper surface of the lower flange portion 14 is located above the upper surface of the bottom wall main body portion 11A.

[0010] 1, the side walls 12, 13 are formed with an upper flange portion 20 and an intermediate flange portion 30. The upper flange portion 20 protrudes outward from the entire upper end periphery of the side walls 12, 13, and the intermediate flange portion 30 protrudes outward from a height of the side walls 12, 13 closer to the upper flange portion 20.

[0011] Additionally, an annular protrusion 21 that protrudes upward around the entire periphery is provided on the inner edge of upper flange 20. As shown in Figure 2, annular protrusion 21 has a generally triangular cross section with an upper end 21A at the horizontal center, an inner tapered portion 21B that slopes from upper end 21A toward the inner edge of upper flange 20, and an outer tapered portion 21C that slopes outward from upper end 21A. The portion of annular protrusion 21 that is located on long side wall 13 corresponds to the "sliding ridge" in the claims.

[0012] 1, a plurality of vertical ribs 35 are formed on the side walls 12, 13 to protrude and connect the upper flange portion 20 and the lower flange portion 14. In detail, one vertical rib 35 is disposed near each end of the short side wall 12 and the long side wall 13, and one vertical rib 35 is disposed on each long side wall 13 inward in the first direction H1 from the vertical ribs 35 at both ends, at a distance of about 1 / 5 of the length between the vertical ribs 35 at both ends.

[0013] A plurality of reinforcing ribs 36 are provided between the upper flange portion 20 and the intermediate flange portion 30. The reinforcing ribs 36 are arranged one at each of the four corners of the container 10, two between each of the inner vertical ribs 35 of the long side wall 13, and three between each of the vertical ribs 35 of the short side wall 12. The container 10 also has a handle portion 31 formed by bulging upward between the outer reinforcing ribs 36 of the intermediate flange portion 30 of the short side wall 12. Triangular ribs 15 are provided at the lower end of each of the four corners of the container 10, connecting the lower flange portion 14 to the side walls 12, 13.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom wall 11 is provided with three lower surface protrusions 40 that protrude downward. The three lower surface protrusions 40 are aligned in the first direction H1 slightly inside the outer edge of the bottom wall 11, and each lower surface protrusion 40 has a rectangular surrounding rib 40A and a lattice rib 40B formed in a diagonal lattice pattern inside the surrounding rib 40A. The outer edge of each lower surface protrusion 40 forms a tapered portion 40K that slopes upward as it extends outward (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, the lower surface protrusions 40 at both ends will be referred to as "end lower surface protrusions 41," and the lower surface protrusion 40 in the center will be referred to as "center lower surface protrusion 42."

[0015] The central lower surface protrusion 42 has a planar shape of a square with one side having approximately the same length as the short side of the top opening 10A. The end lower surface protrusions 41 have a rectangular shape that is long in the second direction H2. On the underside of the bottom wall 11, a portion between the lower surface protrusions 40 (i.e., between the end lower surface protrusions 41 and the central lower surface protrusion 42) forms a lower surface groove 43 extending in the second direction H2. In this embodiment, the distance between the opposing side edges of the central lower surface protrusion 42 in the first direction H1 and the outer edge of the adjacent end lower surface protrusion 41 is approximately the same as the distance between the vertical rib 35 on the end side of the long side wall 13 and the inner vertical rib 35.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the lower surface groove 43 is formed with multiple protrusions 48. Each protrusion 48 extends inward from the inner side of the end lower surface protrusion 41 in the first direction H1 to the center of the width of the lower surface groove 43. Six protrusions 48 are provided in each lower surface groove 43 and aligned in the second direction H2. The protrusions 48 at both ends are positioned closer to the ends of the end lower surface protrusions 41 in the second direction H2. The inner protrusions 48 are aligned in the second direction H2 with the vertical ribs 35 of the short side walls 12, and the further inner protrusions 48 are aligned in the second direction H2 with the outer reinforcing ribs 36 of the short side walls 12. A gap is formed between the tip of each protrusion 48 and the central lower surface protrusion 42.

[0017] 5, the tip of protrusion 48 forms an upwardly inclined inclined portion 48A, and the inclination angle of this portion relative to the vertical direction is approximately the same as that of outer tapered portion 21C of annular protrusion 21. In addition, the distance from the inner side edge of end lower surface protrusion 41 to the lower end of inclined portion 48A of protrusion 48 is shorter than the distance from the outer edge of upper end flange 20 to the lower end of outer tapered portion 21C of annular protrusion 21.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the lower surface of the bottom wall 11 is formed with lower surface protrusions 45 formed by bending the outer edge obliquely downward. The lower surface protrusions 45 include short-side lower surface protrusions 45A extending along the short sides of the bottom wall 11 and long-side lower surface protrusions 45B extending along the long sides of the bottom wall 11, and the lower surface protrusions 45 are not formed at the corners of the bottom wall 11. Each short-side lower surface protrusion 45A extends entirely between positions near both ends of the short sides of the bottom wall 11, and each long-side lower surface protrusion 45B extends between positions near both ends of the long sides of the bottom wall 11 and has two recesses 45K. The recesses 45K are located on extensions of the lower surface grooves 43. Specifically, the recesses 45K are formed at approximately the same length and position in the first direction H1 as the gap between the side edge of the central lower surface protrusion 42 and the inner end of the protrusion 48. The recess 45K is flat with the lower end flange portion 14 and is recessed relatively upward from the lower surface ridge 45.

[0019] The amount by which the protrusion 48 and the lower surface ridge 45 protrude from the lower surface of the bottom wall 11 is substantially the same as the amount by which the annular protrusion 21 protrudes from the upper surface of the upper end flange portion 20 .

[0020] As shown in FIG. 6, when the containers 10 are stacked such that all of the side walls 12, 13 overlap one another, the outer edge of the bottom wall 11 of the upper container 10 overlaps the upper flange 20 of the lower container 10, and the lower protrusion 40 of the upper container 10 fits into the upper opening 10A of the lower container 10 (see FIG. 2). At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the lower flange 14 of the upper container 10 abuts or is close to the annular protrusion 21 of the lower container 10, and the lower protrusion 45 of the upper container 10 abuts or is close to the upper flange 20 of the lower container 10, so that the lower container 10 bears the weight of the upper container 10. The lower protrusion 45 faces the annular protrusion 21 from the outside, and the lower protrusion 40 fits into place, preventing the containers 10 from shifting relative to one another. Hereinafter, the stacked state shown in FIG. 6 will be referred to as the "first stacked state."

[0021] Furthermore, in the container 10 of this embodiment, the lower surface protrusion 40 is divided into multiple parts, and lower surface grooves 43 are formed between them.As a result, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, even if the upper container 10 is shifted in the first direction H1 so that one of the short side walls 12 of the lower container 10 is received in the lower surface groove 43 of the upper container 10, the upper container 10 can be stacked horizontally. 7 and 8, the containers 10 are stacked such that the central lower protrusion 42 of the upper container 10 faces one short side wall 12 of the lower container 10 from the inside. However, the dimensions of the containers 10 may be designed so that the containers 10 can be stacked such that the central lower protrusion 42 of the upper container 10 faces one short side wall 12 of the lower container 10 from the outside, for example, by making the length of the other end lower protrusion 41 in the first direction H1 greater than the combined length of the central lower protrusion 42 and one end lower protrusion 41. Hereinafter, the stacked state shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 will be referred to as the "second stacked state." The second stacked state is used when it is desired to expose the contents to outside air, for example, when cooling or drying the contents.

[0022] In the second stacking state, the bottom flange 14 of the upper container 10 abuts against or is close to the long side portion (portion arranged on the long side wall 13) of the annular protrusion 21 of the lower container 10, and the bottom ridge 45 of the upper container 10 abuts against or is close to the top flange 20 of the long side wall 13 of the lower container 10. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5, the protrusion 48 of one bottom groove 43 of the upper container 10 abuts against or is close to the top flange 20 of one short side wall 12 of the lower container 10, and the ceiling surface of the bottom groove 43 (portion inside the protrusion 48) of the upper container 10 abuts against or is close to one short side portion (portion arranged on one short side wall 12) of the annular protrusion 21 of the lower container 10.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the protrusion 48 is disposed on the outer side of the lower surface groove 43 in the first direction H1, so the protrusion 48 of the upper container 10 faces the annular protrusion 21 of the lower container 10 from the outside. Furthermore, as described above, the distance from the inner side edge of the end lower surface protrusion 41 to the lower end of the inclined portion 48A of the protrusion 48 is shorter than the distance from the outer edge of the upper end flange 20 to the lower end of the outer tapered portion 21C of the annular protrusion 21. Therefore, even if the protrusion 48 and the annular protrusion 21 approach each other until the end lower surface protrusion 41 of the upper container 10 abuts against the upper end flange 20 of the lower container 10, a gap will be created between them. In other words, in the second stacked state, no matter where the upper container 10 is positioned in the first direction H1, the protrusion 48 and the annular protrusion 21 do not come into contact with each other, so the protrusion 48 and the annular protrusion 21 are prevented from pushing against each other and being scraped or crushed.

[0024] Furthermore, in the second stacked state, as shown in Figure 9, the protrusion 48 one step inward from both ends is positioned on the vertical rib 35 of the container 10 on the lower tier, and the protrusion 48 further inward is positioned on the reinforcing rib 36 of the container 10 on the lower tier. In addition, in this embodiment, the distance between the opposing side edge of the central undersurface protrusion 42 in the first direction H1 and the outer edge of the adjacent end undersurface protrusion 41 (i.e., the amount of misalignment of the upper container 10 relative to the lower container 10) is approximately the same as the distance between the vertical rib 35 on the end side of the long side side wall 13 and the inner vertical rib 35 thereof.Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, in the second stacking state, the inner vertical rib 35 on one end side of the long side side wall 13 of the upper container 10 overlaps above the vertical rib 35 on one end side of the long side side wall 13 of the lower container 10, and the vertical rib 35 on the other end side of the long side side wall 13 of the upper container 10 overlaps above the inner vertical rib 35 on the other end side of the long side side wall 13 of the lower container 10.

[0025] The containers 10 of this embodiment can be stacked in the first or second stacking state by aligning the upper container 10 with the lower container 10 and then lowering them, but they can also be stacked using a slide stack, in which the upper container 10 is lowered to a position halfway between the lower container 10 and slid. Details will be explained below.

[0026] When slide stacking, the worker first tilts the upper container 10 by lowering one end in the first direction H1 so that one short side wall 12 is higher than the other short side wall 12, and then abuts its lower end against any intermediate position on the top surface of the long side wall 13 of the lower container 10. At this time, one end of the lower flange portion 14 on the long side of the upper container 10 overlaps the upper flange portion 20 on the long side of the lower container 10, and one end of the lower protrusion 40 of the upper container 10 is received between the pair of long side walls 13 of the lower container 10. Depending on the tilt angle of the upper container 10, one end of the lower long side protrusion 45B of the upper container 10 may face the annular protrusion 21 on the long side wall 13 of the lower container 10 from the outside (see FIG. 10 ).

[0027] Next, the upper container 10 in the inclined position is slid toward the rear (toward the other short side wall 12) in the first direction H1 using the lower protrusion 40 as a guide, and the upper container 10 is lowered onto the lower container 10 when, for example, the lower protrusion 41 at the rear end in the sliding direction of the upper container 10 is positioned on the rear short side wall 12 in the sliding direction of the lower container 10, as shown in Figure 10.

[0028] If the upper container 10 is pushed further inward (toward the other short side wall 12) from this state, the rear end underside protrusion 41 of the upper container 10 passes through the rear short side wall 12 of the lower container 10, and the entire underside protrusion 40 of the upper container 10 is received in the top opening 10A of the lower container 10, resulting in the first stacking state of the containers 10. Note that while the upper container 10 is being pushed in, the front short side underside protrusion 45A of the upper container 10 interferes with the front short side portion of the annular protrusion 21 of the lower container 10, but because the inner tapered portion 21B is formed on the annular protrusion 21, the short side underside protrusion 45A easily passes over the annular protrusion 21.

[0029] On the other hand, when the upper container 10 is pulled toward the front (toward one of the short side walls 12), the rear end underside protrusion 41 of the upper container 10 moves back from the rear short side wall 12 of the lower container 10, and the rear short side wall 12 of the lower container 10 is received in the rear underside groove 43 of the upper container 10, resulting in a second stacked state.

[0030] As described above, according to the containers 10 of this embodiment, the containers 10 can be selectively stacked into either the first stacked state or the second stacked state by sliding, which makes it easy to align the upper and lower containers 10 with each other and facilitates the stacking operation. Furthermore, the containers 10 are provided with annular protrusions 21 on the upper surfaces of the side walls 12, 13, and the bottom wall 11 of the upper container 10 slides while making frictional contact with the annular protrusions 21 on the long side wall 13 of the lower container 10. This reduces the contact area compared to when the annular protrusions 21 are not provided, thereby reducing friction during sliding and facilitating the sliding operation.

[0031] Furthermore, in a configuration in which the load of the upper container 10 is supported only by the annular protrusion 21, there is a concern that the annular protrusion 21 may be damaged. However, in this embodiment, the underside of the container 10 is provided with a lower surface protrusion 45 and protrusions 48, and the load of the upper container 10 is transmitted to the lower container 10 via these as well, preventing damage to the annular protrusion 21 and the container 10 itself and improving load-bearing capacity. Furthermore, in the second stacking state, a portion of the protrusion 48 of the upper container 10 is positioned on the vertical rib 35 of the lower container 10, effectively reinforcing the portion of the upper container that is subjected to the load. This makes the container 10 less susceptible to damage and improves load-bearing capacity.

[0032] Furthermore, because the lower surface protrusions 45 of the upper container 10 face the annular protrusions 21 of the lower container 10 from the outside, the side walls 12, 13 of the lower container 10 are prevented from bulging outward when a load is applied. In this embodiment, the lower surface protrusions 45 are not provided at the corners of the containers 10, so that the lower surface protrusions 45 and the annular protrusions 21 do not interfere with each other during sliding and stacking.

[0033] Furthermore, in the container 10 of this embodiment, as described above, the planar shape of the central lower surface protrusion 42 is a square with one side having approximately the same length as the short side of the top opening 10A, so that the upper container 10 can be placed in a horizontal position even in a rotated stacked state in which the upper container 10 is rotated 90 degrees in the horizontal plane and only the central lower surface protrusion 42 of the lower surface protrusions 40 is received between a pair of long side walls 13 of the lower container 10, as shown in Figures 12 and 13. This makes it possible to adjust the opening area when stacked by selecting the stacked state from the second stacked state and the rotated stacked state.

[0034] In the rotated stacking state, when an upper container 10 is placed at the end of a lower container 10 and one long side wall 13 of the upper container 10 is placed on one short side wall 12 of the lower container 10, the long side underside protrusion 45B of the upper container 10 faces the annular protrusion 21 on the short side wall 12 of the lower container 10 from the outside, thereby restricting displacement of the upper container 10 in the second direction H2, as shown in Fig. 14. Also, in this state, the inner vertical rib 35 on one long side wall 13 of the upper container 10 overlaps the vertical rib 35 on one short side wall 12 of the lower container 10, so that the vertical rib 35 of the lower container 10 effectively bears the load of the upper container 10, as shown in Fig. 13.

[0035] 15, in the rotated-stacked state, the recessed portion 45K of the long-side lower protrusion 45B of the upper container 10 receives the annular protrusion 21 of the lower container 10. In other words, the recessed portion 45K is arranged in the long-side lower protrusion 45B at a position that corresponds to the annular protrusion 21 of the lower container 10 in the rotated-stacked state, preventing interference between the long-side lower protrusion 45B and the annular protrusion 21.

[0036] [Second embodiment] 16 to 21 show a container 10W according to a second embodiment. The container 10W according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a positioning protrusion 49 (see FIG. 16) is provided in the lower surface groove 43, and a positioning recess 22 (see FIG. 17) is provided in the upper end flange portion 20.

[0037] 16 and 18, the positioning protrusion 49 is disposed in the center of the lower surface groove 43 in the second direction H2, and like the protrusion 48, extends from the inner side edge of the end lower surface protrusion 41 to the center of the width of the lower surface groove 43. In addition, the amount of protrusion of the positioning protrusion 49 from the lower surface of the container 10 is greater than the amount of protrusion of the protrusion 48.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 17 and 19 , the positioning recess 22 is formed by recessing a portion of the upper flange 20 outside the annular protrusion 21 into a groove-like shape extending inward and outward of the container 10, and is capable of receiving the positioning protrusion 49. In this embodiment, one positioning recess 22 is provided on each short side wall 12 and three on each long side wall 13. The positioning recess 22 on the short side wall 12 is disposed at the center in the second direction H2, while one of the three positioning recesses 22 on the long side wall 13 is disposed at the center in the first direction H1, and the remaining two are disposed to the sides of the first direction H1. The positioning recess 22 on the lateral side of the long side wall 13 is disposed at a position where its distance from the end of the long side wall 13 is half the length of the container 10 in the second direction H2. In other words, the distance from the positioning protrusion 49 to the long side wall 13 is approximately the same as the distance from the positioning recess 22 on the lateral side of the long side wall 13 to the short side wall 12.

[0039] According to this embodiment, when the containers 10 are placed in the second stacked state, the positioning protrusion 49 of the upper container 10 is received in the positioning recess 22 of the short side wall 12 of the lower container 10 (see FIG. 20), so that the upper container 10 is positioned relative to the lower container 10 and the stacked state is stabilized. Furthermore, when the containers 10 are placed in a rotational stacked state, the positioning protrusion 49 of the upper container 10 can be received in the positioning recess 22 of the lower container 10 in both a state in which the upper container 10 is placed at the end of the lower container 10 and one short side wall 12 of the lower container 10 overlaps one long side wall 13 of the upper container 10, as shown in FIG. 21A, and a state in which the upper container 10 is placed in the center of the lower container 10, as shown in FIG. 21B.

[0040] Furthermore, in the rotated stacked state where the upper container 10 is disposed at the end (the state in FIG. 21A ) and in the second stacked state, the gap between the positioning protrusion 49 and the positioning recess 22 is smaller than the gap between the lower surface ridge 45 and the annular protrusion 21. This prevents the lower surface ridge 45 and the annular protrusion 21 from coming into contact with each other even if the upper container 10 rattles, preventing the lower surface ridge 45 and the annular protrusion 21 from being scraped or damaged.

[0041] [Other embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and for example, the embodiments described below are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, various modifications other than those described below can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the central lower surface protrusion 42 has a square shape and can be rotated and stacked, but it may have a configuration that does not allow for the central lower surface protrusion 42 to be rotated and stacked, for example, such as a rectangular shape. Also, as shown in Figure 22, the recess 45K does not have to be provided in the long side lower surface protrusion 45B.

[0043] The annular protrusion 21 may be arranged on the outer edge of the upper flange portion 20, and when stacked, the lower surface protrusion 45 of the upper container 10 may face the annular protrusion 21 of the lower container 10 from the inside.

[0044] Although the protrusion 48 is disposed on the outside of the lower surface groove 43, it may be disposed on the inside. In this case, the protrusion 48 of the upper container 10 may be configured to face the annular protrusion 21 of the lower container 10 from the inside in the second stacked state.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the end undersurface protrusions 41 are provided on both sides of the central undersurface protrusion 42, but the end undersurface protrusion 41 may be provided on only one side of the central undersurface protrusion 42. That is, the configuration may include two undersurface protrusions 40 and one undersurface groove 43. In this case, in the rotated stacked state, only one long side wall 13 of the lower container 10 is received in the undersurface groove 43 of the upper container 10, and the containers are stacked in an L-shape when viewed from above.

[0046] A configuration having four or more lower surface protrusions 40 and three or more lower surface grooves 43 may also be used.

[0047] The lower surface grooves 43 may be configured to extend in the first direction H1 (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the container 10). Alternatively, the container 10 may be configured to include both lower surface grooves 43 extending in the first direction H1 (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the container 10) and lower surface grooves 43 extending in the second direction H2 (i.e., the lateral direction of the container 10).

[0048] The configuration of the present disclosure may be applied to a foldable container having foldable side walls.

[0049] Instead of the annular protrusion 21, a configuration in which a protrusion is provided only on the long side wall 13 may be used.

[0050] The long-side lower surface protrusions 45B may have a length that allows them to abut against the upper end flange portions 20 of the pair of long-side side walls 13 of the container 10 on the lower level when slid and stacked.

[0051] The containers 10 may be configured to have sliding protrusions on the outer edge of their lower surfaces that come into sliding contact with the upper flanges 20 of the pair of long side walls 13 of the lower container 10 during slide stacking. In this case, the annular protrusions 21 may not be provided, or may be provided so that the sliding protrusions of the upper container 10 come into sliding contact with the upper flanges 20 of the lower container 10, and the lower flanges 14 of the upper container 10 come into sliding contact with the annular protrusions 21 of the lower container 10.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the opening area in the rotationally stacked state is larger than the opening area in the second stacked state, but the opening area in the rotationally stacked state may be the same or the opening area in the second stacked state may be larger.

[0053] <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.

[0054] [Feature 1] A container (10) having a box shape with an upper opening (10A), a pair of first side walls (12) facing each other in a first direction, a pair of second side walls (13) facing each other in a second direction, a bottom wall (11), and a lower surface protrusion (40) protruding from the lower surface of the bottom wall (11), In the containers (10), when stacked, the upper container (10) is inclined so that one of the pair of first side walls (12) is higher than the other, and the lower surface protrusion (40) of the upper container (10) is received between the pair of second side walls (13) of the lower container (10), allowing the upper container (10) to slide in the first direction on the pair of second side walls (13), and the upper container (10) can be horizontally positioned in a first stacking state in which all of the side walls of the upper and lower containers (10) are overlapped vertically by the slide stacking, and in a second stacking state in which the first side walls (12) of the upper and lower containers (10) are misaligned in the first direction, A container (10) having at least one of a sliding protrusion (21) that protrudes from the upper surfaces of the pair of second side walls (13), extends in the first direction, and comes into sliding contact with the lower surface of the bottom wall (11) of the upper container (10) during the slide stacking, and a sliding protrusion that protrudes from the outer edge of the lower surface of the bottom wall (11) and comes into sliding contact with the upper surfaces of the pair of second side walls (13) of the lower container (10) during the slide stacking.

[0055] According to the container of Feature 1, stacking between the first stacked state and the second stacked state is possible by slide stacking, making stacking easy. Moreover, during slide stacking, the upper container slides against the slide-contact protrusion of the lower container, or the slide-contact protrusion of the upper container slides against the upper surface of the second side wall of the lower container, reducing friction between the bottom wall of the upper container and the upper surface of the second side wall of the lower container, making sliding operation easy.

[0056] [Feature 2] The sliding contact protrusion (21) is provided, and the sliding contact protrusion (21) abuts against or is close to the bottom wall (11) of the upper container (10) in the first stacked state and the second stacked state, The container (10) according to Feature 1 has a lower surface protrusion (45) that protrudes from the outer edge of the lower surface of the bottom wall (11), faces the sliding protrusion (21) from the outside in the first stacked state and the second stacked state, and abuts or is close to the upper surface of the pair of second side walls (13) of the container (10) on the lower level.

[0057] According to the container of Feature 2, when stacked, the load of the upper container is transmitted to the lower container via the lower ribs as well as the sliding contact ribs, which prevents damage to the sliding contact ribs and improves load resistance compared to containers with only sliding contact ribs. In addition, because the lower ribs face the sliding contact ribs from the outside, outward bulging of the sidewall of the lower container is suppressed when a load is applied.

[0058] [Feature 3] a ring-shaped protrusion (21) including the sliding contact protrusion (21) and protruding from the upper surface of the side wall of the container (10) to abut against or be close to the bottom wall (11) of the upper container (10) in the first stacked state; The lower surface protrusions (40) include inner lower surface protrusions (42) that face the first side wall (12) of the lower container (10) from the inside in the second stacked state, and outer lower surface protrusions (41) that face the first side wall (12) of the lower container (10) from the outside, The container (10) according to Feature 2, wherein the bottom wall (11) is provided with a protrusion (48) that protrudes downward between the inner lower surface protrusion (42) and the outer lower surface protrusion (41) and that, in the second stacked state, faces the annular ridge (21) on the first side wall (12) of the lower container (10) and abuts or is close to the upper surface of the first side wall (12).

[0059] According to the container of Feature 3, in the second stacked state, the inner and outer lower protrusions of the upper container are arranged to sandwich the first side wall of the lower container, making it difficult for the containers to shift relative to each other. Also, in the second stacked state, the lower container can bear the load of the upper container not only through the second side wall but also through one of the first side walls via the annular ridge and the protrusion.

[0060] [Feature 4] The container (10) according to Feature 3, wherein the protrusion (48) is positioned so that, in the second stacked state, a gap is created between the protrusion (48) and the annular protrusion (21) of the lower container (10) at any position within a range from the position where the inner lower protrusion (42) abuts against the first side wall (12) of the lower container (10) to the position where the outer lower protrusion (41) abuts against the first side wall (12) of the lower container (10).

[0061] According to the container of feature 4, the protrusion and the annular ridge do not come into contact within the range of displacement in the second stacked state, so that the two are prevented from being scraped or crushed by pushing against each other.

[0062] [Feature 5] The first side wall (12) has a vertical rib (35) that protrudes outward and extends vertically from the upper surface of the first side wall (12) to the bottom wall (11), The container (10) according to Feature 3, wherein in the second stacked state, the protrusion (48) of the upper container (10) and the vertical rib (35) of the lower container (10) overlap in the vertical direction.

[0063] According to the container of feature 5, in the second stacked state, vertical ribs are arranged at positions where the load of the upper container is applied via the protrusion, making the container less likely to break and improving load-bearing capacity.

[0064] [Feature 6] The upper container (10) can be rotated 90 degrees in a horizontal plane relative to the lower container (10) to place the upper container (10) in a horizontal position in a rotated stacked state in which the second side wall (13) of the lower container (10) is received between the inner lower surface protrusion (42) and the outer lower surface protrusion (41) of the upper container (10), The container (10) according to any one of Features 3 to 5, wherein the annular ridge (21) and the lower surface ridge (45) are arranged so that when the upper container (10) is further placed at the end of the lower container (10) in the rotating stacked state, the lower surface ridge (45) of the upper container (10) faces the annular ridge (21) of the first side wall (12) of the lower container (10) from the outside.

[0065] According to the container of Feature 6, the opening area during stacking can be adjusted by selecting the stacking state from the second stacking state and the rotational stacking state. Furthermore, when an upper container is placed at the end of a lower container in the rotational stacking state, the ridge on the lower surface of the upper container faces the annular ridge on the first side wall of the lower container from the outside, thereby restricting displacement of the upper container in the first direction of the lower container.

[0066] [Claim 7] The bottom wall (11) is provided with a positioning protrusion (49) between the inner lower surface protrusion (42) and the outer lower surface protrusion (41), the positioning protrusion (49) protruding downward further than the protrusion (48), The container (10) described in Feature 6 has positioning recesses (22) formed on the upper surfaces of the first side wall (12) and the second side wall (13) that receive the positioning protrusions (49) of the upper container (10) in the second stacked state and the rotated stacked state.

[0067] According to the container of feature 7, in the second stacked state and the rotational stacked state, the upper container is positioned, and the stacked state is stabilized.

[0068] 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]

[0069] 10,10W container 11 Bottom wall 12 Short side wall (1st side wall) 13 Long side wall (second side wall) 20 The upper part of the upper part 21 annular protrusion (folded protrusion) 22 The position is determined by the concave part 40 Lower protrusion 41 End lower protrusion (outer lower protrusion) 42 Central lower protrusion (inner lower protrusion) 45 lower protrusion 48 protrusion 49 Position Decision Protrusion

Claims

1. A container having a box shape with an upper opening, a pair of first side walls opposing each other in a first direction, a pair of second side walls opposing each other in a second direction, a bottom wall, and a bottom projection projecting from a bottom surface of the bottom wall, When stacked, the upper container can be inclined so that one of the pair of first side walls is higher than the other, and the lower surface protrusion of the upper container is received between the pair of second side walls of the lower container, allowing the upper container to slide in the first direction on the pair of second side walls, and the slide stack allows the upper container to be in a horizontal position in a first stacking state in which all of the side walls of the upper and lower containers are overlapped vertically, and in a second stacking state in which the first side walls of the upper and lower containers are misaligned in the first direction, A container having at least one of a sliding protrusion that protrudes from the upper surface of the pair of second side walls, extends in the first direction, and comes into sliding contact with the underside of the bottom wall of the upper container during the slide stacking, and a sliding protrusion that protrudes from the outer edge of the underside of the bottom wall and comes into sliding contact with the upper surface of the pair of second side walls of the lower container during the slide stacking.

2. The sliding contact protrusion is provided, and the sliding contact protrusion abuts against or is close to the bottom wall of the upper container in the first stacked state and the second stacked state, 2. The container according to claim 1, further comprising a lower surface protrusion protruding from the outer edge of the lower surface of the bottom wall, facing the sliding protrusion from the outside in the first stacked state and the second stacked state, and abutting or being close to the upper surface of the pair of second side walls of the container on the lower level.

3. a ring-shaped protrusion including the sliding contact protrusion and protruding from the upper surface of the side wall of the container so as to abut against or be close to the bottom wall of the upper container in the first stacked state; the lower surface protrusions include an inner lower surface protrusion that faces the first side wall of the lower container from the inside in the second stacked state, and an outer lower surface protrusion that faces the first side wall of the lower container from the outside, 3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the bottom wall has a protrusion between the inner lower surface protrusion and the outer lower surface protrusion, the protrusion protruding downward and facing the annular protrusion on the first side wall of the lower container in the second stacked state and abutting or being close to the upper surface of the first side wall.

4. The container described in claim 3, wherein the protrusion portion is positioned so that, in the second stacked state, a gap is created between the annular protrusion of the lower container at any position within a range from the position where the inner lower surface protrusion abuts the first side wall of the lower container to the position where the outer lower surface protrusion abuts the first side wall of the lower container.

5. the first side wall includes a vertical rib that protrudes outward and extends vertically from the top surface of the first side wall to the bottom wall; 4. The containers according to claim 3, wherein in the second stacked state, the protrusion of the upper container and the vertical rib of the lower container overlap in the vertical direction.

6. The upper container can be rotated 90 degrees in a horizontal plane relative to the lower container, and the upper container can be placed in a horizontal position in a rotated stacked state in which the second side wall of the lower container is received between the inner lower surface protrusion and the outer lower surface protrusion of the upper container, 6. A container according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the annular protrusion and the lower surface protrusion are arranged so that when an upper container is placed at the end of a lower container in the rotating stacked state, the lower surface protrusion of the upper container faces the annular protrusion on the first side wall of the lower container from the outside.

7. a positioning protrusion that protrudes downwardly beyond the protruding portion is provided on the bottom wall between the inner lower surface protrusion and the outer lower surface protrusion, The container according to claim 6, wherein the upper surfaces of the first side wall and the second side wall are formed with positioning recesses that receive the positioning protrusions of the upper container in the second stacked state and the rotationally stacked state.

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