Foldable container

Abstract

To provide a foldable container, and a carriage including the foldable container.SOLUTION: A foldable container 100 is mounted with: a pair of long-side side plates 120 in one-sheet plate where columns 140 are provided at four corners of a rectangular bottom plate, which are rotatable by a rotation shaft that is mounted on the column 140 corresponding to each of the long sides of the bottom plate so as to be parallel to the long sides, and is slidable in a height direction; and a pair of short-side side plates 130 in one-sheet plate which are rotatable by a rotation shaft that is mounted on the column 140 corresponding to each of the short sides of the bottom plate so as to be parallel to the short sides.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a foldable container. [Background technology]

[0002] As shown in Patent Document 1, folding containers with a wide variety of structures have been developed and are used for a variety of purposes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3157071 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention provides a foldable container and a dolly equipped with the foldable container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention of claim 1 provides a foldable container comprising: a substantially rectangular bottom plate; pillars attached to the four corners of the bottom plate in the height direction; a pair of single-plate long side plates rotatable by rotary shafts attached to the pillars corresponding to each long side of the bottom plate so as to be parallel to the long sides of the bottom plate; a pair of single-plate short side plates rotatable by rotary shafts attached to the pillars corresponding to each short side of the bottom plate so as to be parallel to the short sides of the bottom plate; a rectangular lid; and a support mechanism for maintaining the upright state of the side plates when they are raised, wherein the container can be selectively configured into a folded state in which the pair of long side side plates are folded down onto the bottom plate and the pair of short side side plates are also raised; and an assembled state in which the pair of short side side plates are raised up and the pair of long side side plates are raised up, so that the pair of long side side plates and the pair of short side side plates form side walls that are rectangular in plan view.

[0006] The invention of claim 2 is the folding container according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotation shaft of the long side panel is slidable in the height direction, and the pair of long side panels can be folded down by stacking them on the bottom panel.

[0007] The invention of claim 3 is the foldable container according to claim 1, characterized in that a convex guide is provided on the bottom surface of the bottom plate, and the foldable container can be mounted, placed, and attached by using the guide to fit into a groove provided on a wheeled cart.

[0008] The invention of claim 4 is the foldable container according to claim 3, characterized in that the pillars are fitted to the bottom surface of the bottom plate or the bottom surface of the cart, avoiding the wheels, so that the foldable containers can be stacked.

[0009] The invention of claim 5 is the foldable container according to claim 1, characterized in that a bar is provided to connect the pillars together and serve as a handle.

[0010] The invention of claim 6 is the foldable container according to claim 5, characterized in that the support mechanism is provided on the bar to support the side plate.

[0011] The invention of claim 7 is the foldable container according to claim 1, characterized in that one end of the support mechanism is formed in a convex shape, and when the side plate is raised to a predetermined position, the edge portion of the side plate is supported by the convex portion.

[0012] The invention of claim 8 is the foldable container according to claim 1, characterized in that the lid can be fitted with a lockable lid locking mechanism for security purposes.

[0013] The invention of claim 9 is a dolly with a folding container comprising: a substantially rectangular bottom plate; pillars attached to the four corners of the bottom plate in the height direction; a pair of single-plate long side plates rotatable by rotary shafts attached to the pillars corresponding to each long side of the bottom plate so as to be parallel to the long sides; a pair of single-plate short side plates rotatable by rotary shafts attached to the pillars corresponding to each short side of the bottom plate so as to be parallel to the short sides; a rectangular lid; and a support mechanism for maintaining the upright state of the side plates when they are raised, wherein the folding container can be selectively configured into a folded state in which the pair of long side side plates are folded down onto the bottom plate and the pair of short side side plates are also raised; and an assembled state in which the pair of short side side plates are raised and the pair of long side side plates are raised, so that the pair of long side side plates and the pair of short side side plates form side walls that are rectangular in plan view.

[0014] The invention of claim 10 is the cart equipped with the foldable container according to claim 9, characterized in that the rotation axis of the long side panel of the cart equipped with the foldable container is slidable in the height direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The present invention provides a foldable container and a dolly equipped with the foldable container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A to 1F are diagrams showing a folding container according to an embodiment of the present invention when being used on a dolly, in which (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a left side view, (e) is a right side view, and (f) is a perspective view. [Figure 2] 1A to 1F are diagrams showing a folding container according to an embodiment of the present invention in standalone operation, in which (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a left side view, (e) is a right side view, and (f) is a perspective view. [Figure 3]1A to 1F are diagrams showing a folded state of a folding container according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a left side view, (e) is a right side view, and (f) is a perspective view. [Figure 4] 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams illustrating an assembly procedure for a folding container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams illustrating a procedure for folding the long side panels of the folding container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the stacked state of the foldable containers of the present invention, where (a) and (b) show when using a dolly, and (c) and (d) show when using a single container. [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams and operational diagrams of a support mechanism for the long sides of a folding container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1A to 1C are diagrams and operational diagrams of a support mechanism for the short sides of a folding container according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] A folding container according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The folding container of this embodiment can be made of not only resin but also aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or plated steel, and other materials can be selected depending on the intended use, such as robustness, weight, and cost. FIG. 1 shows the folding container of the present invention when used on a dolly, with (a) being a front view, (b) being a plan view, (c) being a bottom view, (d) being a left side view, (e) being a right side view, and (f) being a perspective view. FIG. 2 shows the folding container of the present invention when used alone, with (a) being a front view, (b) being a plan view, (c) being a bottom view, (d) being a left side view, (e) being a right side view, and (f) being a perspective view. FIG. 3 shows the folding container of the present invention in a folded state, with (a) being a front view, (b) being a plan view, (c) being a bottom view, (d) being a left side view, (e) being a right side view, and (f) being a perspective view. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the assembly procedure for the folding container of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the folding procedure for the long side panels of the folding container of the present invention, viewed from the short side. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the state in which folding containers of the present invention are stacked, with (a) and (b) showing when using a dolly and (c) and (d) showing when using a single container. Fig. 7 is a diagram and operation diagram of the support mechanism for the long sides of the folding container of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a diagram and operation diagram of the support mechanism for the short sides of the folding container of the present invention.

[0018] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a foldable container 100 of the present invention attached to a cart 200 with wheels 210, and Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the foldable container 100 alone. The foldable container 100 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 2.

[0019] The foldable container 100 has pillars 140 attached to the four corners of a rectangular bottom plate 110, a pair of single-plate long side plates 120 attached to the pillars 140 corresponding to the long sides of the bottom plate 110 so as to be parallel to the long sides and rotatable by rotation shafts 122 that can slide in the height direction, and a pair of single-plate short side plates 130 attached to the pillars 140 corresponding to the short sides of the bottom plate 110 so as to be rotatable by rotation shafts that are attached to the pillars 140 so as to be parallel to the short sides. Handles and reinforcement bars 160 are provided on the long sides of the pillars 140. Support mechanisms 151 for supporting the long side plates 120 when they are upright are provided near the upper edges of the inner walls of the short side plates 130, and support mechanisms 152 for supporting the short side plates 130 when they are upright are provided near both ends of the bars 160. A removable lid 170 is provided on the top surface of the container. A lid locking mechanism 180 for locking the lid 170 is provided on the short side panel 130 .

[0020] The foldable container 100 is designed primarily to be placed on a dolly 200 for use, and has a structure to prevent it from shifting when placed on top of the container. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the foldable container 100 with its side panels folded and the dolly 200 attached can be stacked as a set. In this embodiment, the dolly 200 is a flatbed dolly, but this is not limiting and any dolly with a handle may also be used. Because the foldable container 100 can be placed on a dolly for use, this has the advantage of making it extremely easy to move the container.

[0021] The bottom plate 110 has a generally rectangular shape in plan view, and is provided on the bottom surface with a convex guide 111 that can fit into a recess in the cart 200 when placed on the cart 200 to prevent it from slipping.

[0022] The pillars 140 are provided at the four corners of the bottom plate 110. The pillars 140 have an L-shaped structure when viewed from above, and in addition to serving to lock the side plates, they also serve to increase strength and as bases when stacking the foldable containers 100 or carts 200. In particular, in order to enable the foldable containers 100 with their side panels folded and the dolly 200 attached to them to be stacked as a set, the pillars 140 have a height that allows them to clear the wheels 210 of the dolly 200, as shown in Figure 6. In addition, the tops of the pillars 140 are chamfered, so that even if the stacking position is slightly misaligned during stacking, the chamfered portions guide the containers back into place.

[0023] A pair of long-side side panels 120 and a pair of short-side side panels 130 are attached to the pillar 140. In this embodiment, the side panels are made by stacking and joining two panels in the height direction, taking into consideration ease of manufacturing, manufacturing costs, and strength, and are not designed to be foldable.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the long side panels 120 are attached to elongated holes 141 in the height direction provided in the pillars 140 so as to be rotatable about rotation shafts 121 that can slide in the height direction. When the long side panels 120 are folded, they overlap due to the relationship between their height and the length of their short sides, but because the rotation shafts 121 are designed to be slidable in the height direction, they can be folded and overlapped as shown in Figures 5(c) and 5(d). Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5(c) and 5(d), no matter which long side panel 120 is folded first, they can be neatly stacked.

[0025] In this embodiment, the short-side side panels 130 are configured to be folded onto the long-side side panels 120. Since the short-side side panels 130 do not overlap when folded, the rotation shaft rotates without being slidable in the height direction. However, if the container is configured to be sized so that the short-side side panels 130 overlap when folded, the rotation shaft may be attached so as to be slidable in the height direction, just like the long-side side panels 120.

[0026] The side panels are single plates rather than foldable, ensuring strength and contributing to cost reduction. Furthermore, the folding container of this embodiment does not require the top frame that is commonly seen in conventional containers to improve strength, which also contributes to cost reduction.

[0027] A support mechanism is provided to keep the side panels upright. The support mechanism 151 for the long-side side panel 120 is provided near the upper edge of the inner wall of the short-side side panel 130, as shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 8(b), the support mechanism 151 has a leaf spring with one end having a convex shape like a right triangle. As the long-side side panel 120 stands up, it comes into contact with the support mechanism 151 and bends it while standing up. Once the long-side side panel 120 is upright, the support mechanism 151 returns to its initial position, preventing it from falling over. When folding, the worker pushes the support mechanism 151 to bend it, which releases it.

[0028] In this embodiment, the support mechanism 152 for the short-side side panel 130 is attached to the inner wall of one end of the bar 160, as shown in Figure 8. Similar to the support mechanism 151, the support mechanism 152 itself has a leaf spring with one end formed in a convex shape resembling a right triangle. A hole is provided in the bar 160, through which a portion of the convex portion of the support mechanism 152 is exposed. Similar to the support mechanism 151, as the short-side side panel 130 rises, it comes into contact with the support mechanism 152 and bends it as it rises. Once the short-side side panel 130 is raised, the support mechanism 152 returns to its initial position, preventing it from tipping over. To fold the short-side side panel, the worker pushes the support mechanism 152 to bend it, releasing it. This support mechanism 152 offers the advantages of saving space and reducing costs compared to a separate mechanism.

[0029] The bar 160 is a square steel pipe with a hollow rectangular cross section, and connects the long sides of the columns 140. The bar 160 not only serves as a handle and reinforcement, but also has a support mechanism 152 attached to the inner wall on one end of the bar 160, as described above.

[0030] The lid 170 is rectangular and of the same size as the bottom plate 110, and in this embodiment is structured so that it can be folded in half (opened and closed on one side) with a hinge at the center. In addition, a lid locking mechanism 180 for locking the lid is provided on the wall surface of the short side plate 130. The structure of the lid locking mechanism 180 is not limited to a snatch lock structure to which a padlock or other lock can be attached, or any other mechanism that can lock the lid, and it can also be a password-authenticated electronic lock. Even if important items are stored in a locked container, the possibility of the container being broken into and stolen can be significantly reduced.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, the assembly procedure for the folding container 100 is as follows: first, remove the lid 170; second, raise the short side panels 130 and support them with the support mechanisms 152; third, raise the long side panels 120 and support them with the support mechanisms 151; and finally, place the lid 170 on top to complete the assembly.

[0032] The folding procedure for the folding container 100 is the reverse of the assembly procedure shown in FIG. 4. First, the lid 170 is removed. Second, the long side panels 120 are folded as shown in FIG. 5 without the need to consider which side to fold first. Third, the short side panels 130 are folded. Fourth, the removed lid 170 is stored, completing the folding process as shown in FIG. 3. [Industrial Applicability]

[0033] The foldable container 100 of the present invention can be folded and stacked even when attached to a cart, so it can be used not only to transport tools and measuring instruments but also as a security box, and can be stored in a space-saving manner after use. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 100 Folding Container 110 Bottom plate 111 Guide 120 Long side panel 121 Rotation axis 130 Short side panel 140 pillars 141 Slot 151 Support mechanism 152 Support mechanism 160 bars 170 Lid 180 Lid locking mechanism 200 carts 210 wheels

Claims

1. A substantially rectangular bottom plate; pillars attached to the four corners of the bottom plate in a height direction; a pair of single-plate-shaped long-side side plates that are rotatable by rotation shafts attached to the pillars corresponding to the long sides of the bottom plate so as to be parallel to the long sides; a pair of single-plate-shaped short-side side plates that can be rotated by rotation shafts attached to the pillars corresponding to the short sides of the bottom plate so as to be parallel to the short sides; A rectangular lid; a support mechanism for maintaining the side plate in an upright state when the side plate is upright; and a folded state in which the pair of long-side side plates is folded down onto the bottom plate and the pair of short-side side plates is also folded down, and an assembled state in which the pair of short-side side plates is erected and the pair of long-side side plates is erected, so that the pair of long-side side plates and the pair of short-side side plates form a side wall that is rectangular in plan view.

2. 2. The foldable container according to claim 1, wherein the rotation shafts of the long-side side panels are slidable in the height direction, and the pair of long-side side panels can be folded down by stacking them on the bottom panel.

3. 2. The foldable container according to claim 1, wherein a convex guide is provided on the bottom surface of the bottom plate, and the container can be mounted and attached by using the guide to fit into a groove provided on a wheeled cart.

4. 4. The foldable container according to claim 3, wherein the pillars are fitted to the bottom surface of the bottom plate or the bottom surface of the dolly, avoiding the wheels, so that the foldable containers can be stacked.

5. 2. The foldable container according to claim 1, further comprising a bar that connects the pillars together and serves as a handle.

6. 6. The foldable container according to claim 5, wherein the support mechanism is provided on the bar to support the side panel.

7. 2. The foldable container according to claim 1, wherein the support mechanism has a leaf spring whose one end is formed in a convex shape, and when the side plate is raised to a predetermined position, the edge portion of the side plate is supported by the convex portion.

8. 2. The foldable container according to claim 1, wherein the lid can be fitted with a lockable lid locking mechanism for security purposes.

9. A substantially rectangular bottom plate; pillars attached to the four corners of the bottom plate in a height direction; a pair of single-plate-shaped long-side side plates that are rotatable by rotation shafts attached to the pillars corresponding to the long sides of the bottom plate so as to be parallel to the long sides; a pair of single-plate-shaped short-side side plates that can be rotated by rotation shafts attached to the pillars corresponding to the short sides of the bottom plate so as to be parallel to the short sides; A rectangular lid; a support mechanism for maintaining the side plate in an upright state when the side plate is upright; and a folded state in which the pair of long-side side plates are folded down onto the bottom plate and the pair of short-side side plates are also folded down, and an assembled state in which the pair of short-side side plates are erected and the pair of long-side side plates are erected, thereby forming a side wall that is rectangular in plan view with the pair of long-side side plates and the pair of short-side side plates.

10. 10. The dolly equipped with a foldable container according to claim 9, wherein the rotation shaft of the long side plate of the dolly equipped with the foldable container is slidable in a height direction.

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