Container system, related components and method with a removable lid

Abstract

Disclosed is a container of the large foldable container (i.e., "LFC") type having a removable lid and container sidewalls. The removable lid comprises at least one lid attachment portion projecting inwardly from the back surface of the lid. The container sidewalls comprise at least one corresponding lid receiving portion for receiving the lid attachment portion. The at least one lid attachment portion and the corresponding lid receiving portion are configured such that by housing the at least one lid attachment portion within the at least one corresponding lid receiving portion with at least a majority and in most cases all of the back surface of the lid facing the outer surface of the container sidewalls, the lid can be placed on the container sidewalls by a user. In such a manner, the removable lid can be easily and conveniently placed on the container sidewalls without compromising access to the sealable volume of the container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the attachment of parts of a container, such parts of such a container, such a container and related methods. In particular, such a container may be a foldable large container, i.e., a "FLC", which can be assembled and disassembled, for transporting dry goods. More specifically, the present invention relates to the attachment of a lid of such a container, such a lid, a container and / or a container assembly provided with such a lid, and related methods.

Background Art

[0002] Containers for transporting dry goods through the distribution network are well known. These goods include dry raw materials, parts, packaging materials, packaged products and / or bulk commodities. These containers are often called freight containers or transport containers. In one example, a container can have a total capacity or volume of about 700 liters, although various sizes and shapes are otherwise available. For example, these containers can each generally have a capacity ranging from about 1000 liters to about 1500 liters. The container body is usually sized corresponding to the installation area of its base, which usually corresponds to the size of a standard pallet.

[0003] Such a type of container can be called a "foldable large container", i.e., a "FLC". Typically, an FLC has relatively rigid side panels (also referred to as "walls") that can be folded and assembled individually.

[0004] Another type of such a container is generally called a "sleeve pack container", i.e., an "SPC". Typically, an SPC has relatively flexible side sleeves that can be folded and assembled, although not entirely.

[0005] FLC and SPC are particularly advantageous for improving the efficiency and thus the cost - effectiveness of reverse logistics in the supply chain when stored (i.e., used as reusable containers). In addition to side panels and / or sleeves, FLC and SPC generally also comprise a base and a removable lid. When the lid is removed, the body (i.e., the side panels and / or sleeves) can conveniently be folded onto the base of these containers. The lid is then typically retrieved and placed on top of the folded container. In this way, the empty folded container assembly is ready to be returned to the service center after use. In the context of this application, the term "container assembly" is understood to refer to a folded container of the FLC or SPC type, for example, in a state where the folded body of the container is disposed within the corresponding base and the lid covers the base, the folded body, and any shelves that may be provided on the container (for a brief explanation, see below).

[0006] In the assembled state, the base, body, and lid of the container define a sealed space capable of storing contents. One or more removable shelves may be provided to divide the sealed space into, for example, two or more compartments. This may enable more efficient use of the sealed space during the transportation of goods. However, once the goods are loaded and unloaded, the shelves, like the lid, are removed so that a new storage cycle can be started for the container, and they are placed in the folded container assembly for return to the service center.

[0007] The lid and any shelves can be particularly problematic as they may be left behind. Since time is required to retrieve these parts to complete the loading / unloading operation of the container, this may result in at least some time waste and thus inefficiencies in the logistics chain. Therefore, it is desirable to implement the attachment of such parts of the container that can solve this problem or at least mitigate the problems related to the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a container system comprising a removable lid for a container and a container sidewall, the removable lid comprising at least one lid attachment protruding inwardly from the back surface of the lid, and the container sidewall comprising at least one corresponding lid receiver for receiving the lid attachment, the at least one lid attachment and the corresponding lid receiver being configured such that the lid can be placed on the container sidewall by housing the at least one lid attachment within the at least one corresponding lid receiver with at least a majority, preferably all, of the back surface of the lid facing a part of the outer surface of the container sidewall. Thus, advantageously, the lid can be placed on the container sidewall at a position that does not interfere with any container loading / unloading operations.

[0009] The at least one lid attachment may be substantially T-shaped with a shaft portion extending substantially perpendicular to the back surface of the lid and a head portion extending substantially transverse to the shaft portion. Placing the lid on the sidewall using such a T-shaped lid attachment is particularly convenient and intuitive.

[0010] The lid may comprise a skirt that at least partially surrounds the back surface of the lid, and the shaft portion may extend adjacent to the skirt, so that an arrangement is obtained in which substantially all or effectively all of the back surface of the lid is disposed facing the outer portion of the container sidewall.

[0011] The shaft portion may extend in a first direction parallel to the extending portion of the skirt portion in the depth direction, that is, inward toward the container even when the lid covers the container. Thereby, the lid attachment portion is particularly inconspicuous in that the intrusion into the sealed space of the container is suppressed to a minimum. In order to more advantageously form the shaft portion in view of this advantage, the shaft portion may further extend in a second direction perpendicular to the circumferential extending portion of the skirt portion which is effectively configured to protrude from the skirt portion. Thereby, the lid attachment portion becomes particularly easy to form, for example, by injection molding, and / or for example, when it is necessary to replace the lid attachment portion and place a new lid attachment portion at a predetermined position by welding it at a position in contact with the skirt portion, the repair becomes easy. Therefore, more advantageously, the shaft portion extends from the skirt portion and may be integrally formed therewith.

[0012] The head of the lid attachment portion may also extend adjacent to the skirt portion so as not to be conspicuous, but extends alongside the skirt portion rather than inward toward the sealed space of the container. In particular, the head may extend in a first direction parallel to the circumferential extending portion of the skirt portion. However, the head may extend in a second direction perpendicular to the skirt portion, and in a preferred configuration, the head extends from the skirt portion and is integrally formed therewith.

[0013] So that the lid attachment portion withstands an appropriate force and does not need to be repaired and replaced too frequently, the lid attachment portion may be shaped to define a first T-shaped portion and a second T-shaped portion, where the first T-shaped portion is disposed outside the second T-shaped portion with respect to the sealed space of the container when the lid is positioned to cover the container, and the first and second T-shaped portions may together form the substantially T-shaped lid attachment portion in a state having an installation area larger than the corresponding installation area of the second T-shaped portion.

[0014] The lid attachment part may comprise at least one hook-shaped end for holding the lid attachment part within the lid receiving part so that the lid cannot be accidentally removed from the placement position on the container side wall. Optionally, the at least one hook-shaped end may be provided at the end of the head. Optionally, the head comprises two hook-shaped ends arranged at opposite ends of the head.

[0015] The lid attachment part and thus the lid together with the lid attachment part can advantageously swing relatively freely within the lid receiving part such that the placement position of the lid can naturally incline at a slight angle with respect to the outer surface and is not exactly parallel. This may be the case, for example, when a second lid attachment part (further described below) abuts against the outer surface to determine the placement position of the lid. To support this swinging, the lid attachment part may comprise at least one of a distal recess, a distal rounded corner, a distal chamfer and a distal bevel angle, each of which may be configured to enable or facilitate the swinging of the lid attachment part within the corresponding lid receiving part when the lid attachment part is received in the lid receiving part for placing the lid on the container side wall.

[0016] Next, regarding the lid receiving part, the lid receiving part may simply be formed as a recess. To facilitate access, the recess may be formed at the upper edge of the container side wall.

[0017] The recess may include first and second concave portions arranged adjacent to each other, the first concave portion having a width smaller than the corresponding width of the second concave portion, the width being measured in a direction parallel to and alongside the edge of the container side wall. This configuration properly holds the lid attachment part in place within the lid receiving part and further minimizes unintentional removal.

[0018] The first and second concave portions may have the same depth measured in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the container and extending in the same conceptual plane as the container side wall.

[0019] The lid receiving part may be provided as a retractable receptacle configured to be deployed and housed within the container sidewall. In some forms, the retractable receptacle may be pivotally deployable and retractable, and in other forms the retractable receptacle may be slidably deployable and retractable.

[0020] In the case of the FLC introduced above, the container lid is substantially rectangular and includes at least two opposing lid attachment parts, which may be symmetrically arranged on the back of the lid with respect to the long axis of symmetry of the center of the lid in the plane of the lid. Since the lid can be placed on the container sidewall via any of the lid attachment parts, it is of course convenient to position each lid attachment part in the middle along the corresponding adjacent side of the lid.

[0021] In a particularly preferred arrangement, at least one lid attachment part is positioned on the back of the lid such that when the lid is positioned on the container to cover the sealed space defined by the container, the at least one lid attachment part is received within the corresponding lid receiving part to reduce or prevent contamination of the sealed space of the container by any external pathogens. In other words, in this configuration, the lid attachment part functions effectively as a plug and the corresponding lid receiving part functions effectively as a socket at least in part. More specifically, in a preferred arrangement, the concave part of the lid receiving part is replaced compared to the configuration described above in a state where its head completely obstructs any passage from the external space to the sealed space of the container in order to further reduce and / or eliminate any contamination, that is, the narrow concave part is positioned inwardly, that is, towards the sealed space of the container, and the wide concave part is positioned outwardly, that is, towards the external space around the container.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a container is provided that includes the container system described above.

[0023] The container may be substantially cuboid in shape, including two opposing short side walls, two opposing long side walls, and a base, where the side walls may each include a container side panel, each of which may be foldable over the base and returned from the folded configuration to an assembled state. Further, the base may include a pallet base.

[0024] The container may be made of a substantially rigid plastic material.

[0025] The container lid may be configured to fit with the container base such that the lid is removable while being firmly held on the container body or base, and is configured to receive the assembled container body or the folded container body.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a container assembly comprising a container base and a folded container body disposed on the container base, the container assembly comprising the container system described above. The installation area of the container assembly or the corresponding container may be sized according to a standard pallet size.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of placing a removable lid on a container side wall, the removable lid comprising at least one lid attachment portion protruding inwardly from the lid back surface, and the container side wall comprising at least one corresponding lid receiving portion for receiving the lid attachment portion, the method including housing the at least one lid attachment portion within the at least one corresponding lid receiving portion with at least a majority, preferably all, of the lid back surface facing a portion of the outer surface of the container side wall.

[0028] Next, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described merely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a rigid container 100 for transporting dry goods. This container is included in the category of FLCs described above. Next, the general shape and configuration of this rigid container 100 will be described. The rigid container 100 defines a sealed space 105 in which the goods to be transported can be stored. The sealed space 105 is laterally delimited by a body having one or more container walls 106, each of the container walls 106 being longitudinally foldable in half at the bottom by a container base 104 and at the top by a removable container lid 110, as shown in FIG. 1, to facilitate access to the goods (there are a total of four panels 101, including front and rear short panels 101 and two long side panels 101). However, the removable lid 110 is usually provided as a single part.

[0031] The front wall 106 including the front short panel 101 incorporates an operable front door 109 that can be opened to facilitate access to the goods (or any shelf that can be provided inside the container 100 that can support these goods). One of the side walls 106 includes a long side panel 101 incorporating an operable side door 107 that can be used in the same manner as the front door 109. One or more removable shelves (not shown in FIG. 1 but further described below) can be disposed within the container 100 to divide the sealed space 105 of the container into two or more compartments respectively. However, the focus of this specification is on the removable lid 110 and how this removable lid 110 can be supported on the container 100 during container loading and unloading operations. This type of removable lid 110 is generally rectangular and is usually made by injection molding as a single part from a polymer material such as plastic.

[0032] Before proceeding further with the description, it should be noted that the term "side wall" 106 of the container 100 used above refers to the entire side of the container 100 regardless of whether it is in an assembled configuration or a folded configuration, and the "side panel" 101 generally means a part of the side wall 106 that can be folded in place and returned to the assembled state when the container 100 is foldable, and in the case where it is not, it means a part of the side wall 106 that actually divides the sealed space 105 of the container.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows an SPC type container 100 with another removable lid 110. The container body 101 is provided in the form of a flexible sleeve as is known in this example. The lid 110 includes a set of radially extending ribs 120. These radially extending ribs 120 still provide the necessary reinforcement to the lid 110 (in the sense of increasing the bending stiffness of the lid 110), but they are also effective when functioning as a water guide 200 for centrifugally moving water when the lid 110 is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the lid 110 passing through its center C as shown in FIG. 2 for example. However, these aspects of the lid 110 are not the focus of this application.

[0034] Rather, the present application focuses on those features shown in FIG. 2, where the removable lid 110 is supported by a T-shaped hook 10 on one of the short side panels of the SPC container 100. Supporting the removable lid 100 in this way is advantageous because otherwise the lid 110 may be difficult to move and retrieve after the container loading / unloading operation is completed. However, half of the removable lid 110 that protrudes outside may still interfere with the loading / unloading operation. The present application provides a solution to this problem. The solution proposed herein is suitable for both SPC and FLC 100, but it will be understood that it can preferably be applied to an FLC having a side panel 101 that can be more easily or effectively adapted as described herein.

[0035] FIG. 3 and in particular FIGS. 3-1 to 3-4 schematically show a method of preparing the foldable rigid container (or "FLC") 100 of FIG. 1, which has a single component shown in FIG. 2, namely a removable lid 110, for reverse logistics. In this example, the container 100 is folded by first placing the short side panels 101 one on top of the other (FIGS. 3-1 and 3-2) and then folding both in turn over the base 104 of the container 100 as shown in FIGS. 3-3 and 3-4, and then folding the long side panels 101 over the front and rear panels 101. All the panels 101 are connected by hinges, but the details of these hinges are outside the scope of this specification. Alternatively, the panels 101 may be foldable in a different way, for example by removing each of the panels 101 or all of the panels 101 together from the base 104 of the container 100 and laying them flat on top of the container base 104. In FIGS. 3 to 5, the removable lid 110 is housed on the base 104 of the container 100 and the folded body panels 101.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows the obtained container assembly 100, which is a folded FLC type container 100 with a removable lid 110 thereon that is ready to be returned to the service center for readjustment (if necessary) and redeployment.

[0037] FIG. 5 shows the features of the back surface 111 of the lid 110 in more detail. In particular, the presence of two lid attachment parts 10 that protrude from the peripheral region 112 of the lid back surface 111 and are respectively arranged in the middle along the opposing long sides of the lid back surface 111 is interesting. Each lid attachment part 10 is equidistant from the corner 114 near the lid back surface 111. The lid 110 also includes a skirt part 117 that surrounds the lid back surface 111. As shown in FIG. 5, the lid attachment parts 10 are arranged near the skirt part 117, are symmetrically arranged along the central symmetry axis of the lid 110, and extend parallel to the long side surface through the center C of the lid 107.

[0038] FIG. 6 shows the components of the container 100 of FIGS. 4 and 5 in a state where the lid 110 is coupled to one of the long side panels 101 of the container. Thus, FIG. 6 shows the system described in this specification. This system includes a removable lid 110 having one or more lid attachment parts 10, and a container side panel 101, which is a component of the container side wall 106 considered more generally above, provided with corresponding lid receiving parts 20 shown in FIG. 6. One of the lid attachment parts 10 is received in one of the lid receiving parts 20 of the long side panel 101 of the container 100, and thus the lid 110 is placed on the side panel 101 and thus on the corresponding side wall 106 of the container. The lid receiving part 20 is provided at the upper edge 102 of the side panel 101 in the middle along the length of the side panel 101. FIG. 6 shows the solution proposed by this application. The lid 110 is properly accommodated on the side panel 101 by a single lid attachment part 10 and a single dedicated lid receiving part 20 formed in one of the side panels 101 of the container in this case.

[0039] Compared with the lid 110 in FIG. 2, only one lid attachment part 10 is used to attach the lid 110 to the wall 106 of the container 110. Instead, more lid attachment parts can be used. However, it is important to note that essentially all of the back surface 111 of the lid is "hidden" behind one of the long side panels 101 of the container, and the rectangular lid 110 is placed "horizontally" on the container 100 rather than in the "vertical" orientation. All of the back surface 111 of the lid is configured to face a part of the outer surface 103 of the wall 106. Thus, the lid is stored in a convenient position, and any interference during any loading / unloading operations is minimized compared to the configuration of the lid 110 shown in FIG. 2. This has been made possible by providing the lid receiving part 20 as described above.

[0040] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing in more detail the shape of one of the lid attachment parts 10 of FIG. 5. The lid attachment part 10 is substantially T-shaped and projects from the back surface 111 of the lid, more specifically from its periphery 112 near the skirt part 117. The lid attachment part comprises a shaft part 11 that terminates in a head part 12. The shaft part 11 extends substantially perpendicular to the back surface 111 of the lid, and the head part 112 extends substantially parallel to the skirt part 117. The T-shaped lid attachment part 10 comprises two T-shaped parts, namely an outer T-shaped part 13 (facing the skirt part 117 of the lid) and an inner T-shaped part 14 (facing the sealed space 105 of the container).

[0041] The outer T-shaped portion 13 has a wider installation area and encompasses the entire installation area of the inner T-shaped portion 14. The head 12 terminates in two hook-shaped ends 15 that make it more difficult to remove the lid attachment portion from the lid receiving portion 20 when the lid 110 is placed on the panel 101 of the container. The recess 16 is formed at the distal end of the lid attachment portion 10 on the head 12 of the lid attachment portion, and all along the head 12 of the lid attachment portion. The purpose of this recess 16 is to allow the lid attachment portion 10 to swing relatively freely inside the lid receiving portion 20 so that the lid 110 can be placed at a slight angle and not completely parallel to the outer surface 103 of the wall. This configuration is determined by the contact between the second lid attachment portion 10 and / or the skirt portion 117 of the lid and the outer surface 103 when the lid 110 is placed on the container 100, as will be further described below.

[0042] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the shape of the second lid attachment portion 10 of Figure 5 in more detail. This figure also shows the inside of the lid attachment portion 10 of Figure 7 better (the two lid attachment portions 10 are essentially the same in shape but are symmetrically arranged with respect to the back surface 111 of the lid).

[0043] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the lid receiving portion 20 introduced together with the description of Figure 6. As previously described, the lid receiving portion 20 is formed on the upper edge portion 102 of one of the long side walls 106 of the container 100. The lid receiving portion defines a recess 21. The recess 21 is then defined by two concave portions, namely a first narrow concave portion 22 arranged outwardly towards the outside of the container 100 and a second wider concave portion 23 facing the sealed space 105 of the container instead. This configuration facilitates the attachment of the lid 110 from above, and the protruding flange defining the narrow concave portion 23 functions as a holding device that cooperates with the hook-shaped ends 15 of the head 12 of the lid attachment portion 10 to hold the lid 110 in place within the lid receiving portion 20 as desired.

[0044] Figure 10 shows the lid mounting portion 10 of FIG. 7 accommodated in the recess 21 of the lid receiving portion 20 of FIG. 9. The lid 110 can be removed only by first moving the lid 110 upward to overcome the holding action of the flange described above, and then pulling the lid 110 outward. As can be seen from FIG. 10, the lid mounting portion 10 and the lid receiving portion 20 are complementarily, that is, correspondingly shaped so that the lid mounting portion 10 can fit exactly into the recess 21 of the lid receiving portion 20.

[0045] FIGS. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views included to more particularly show the angle at which the lid 110 is placed with respect to the side wall 106 of the container when one of the lid mounting portions 10 is received within the lid receiving portion 20. The angle is likely very small, within the range of 5 to 15 degrees, and will be noticed to be determined by the skirt portion 117 of the lid 110 and / or a second (not used in this case) lid mounting portion 10 that abuts against the lower part (not shown) of the side wall 106.

[0046] FIG. 13 more particularly shows the angular relationship between the lid mounting portion 10 and the recess 21 inside the lid receiving portion 20. The same angle described above is formed between the lower surface of the recess 21 on which the lid mounting portion 10 rests during use and the shaft portion 11 of the lid mounting portion 10. Thanks to the recess 16 formed at the distal end of the lid mounting portion 10 on its head 12, the lid mounting portion 10 can swing relatively freely within its seating surface so that the lid 110 can take the configuration in which it is naturally suspended as seen in FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0047] FIG. 14 more particularly shows how the lower part of the lid 110 and the side panel 101 in which the lid 110 is received are arranged relative to each other when the lid 110 is placed on the side panel 101. A part of the second lid mounting portion 10 and / or the skirt portion 117 of the lid abuts against a part of the base 104 of the container that defines the side wall 106 of the container 100 in which the lid 110 is received together with the side panel 101. The base 104 is not shown in FIG. 14 so that the lid mounting portion is visible.

[0048] FIG. 15 is a different perspective view of the back surface 111 of the lid 110. FIG. 15 is included for the reason of enabling a viewer to understand how the lid attachment portion 10 is arranged when the lid 110 is in use to cover the sealed space 105 of the container 100.

[0049] FIG. 16 is merely an enlarged view of a part of the lid 110 in FIG. 15, and shows the lid attachment portion 10 in more detail in the said orientation. The lid attachment portion 10 is positioned sufficiently close to the skirt portion 117 of the lid so that the lid attachment portion 10 is at least partially received within the lid receiving portion 20 in order to limit or prevent contamination of the sealed space 105 of the container 100 during transportation when the lid 110 covers the container 100.

[0050] FIGS. 17 to 22 are self - explanatory and show variations of the lid receiving portion 20 described above. In this variation, the lid receiving portion 20 is not provided simply as a recess formed in the upper edge portion 102 of one of the side panels 101 of the container 100. Instead, the lid receiving portion 20 is provided as a retractable receptacle 24 that can be deployed in its upper region near its upper edge portion 102 and housed within the side panel 101. FIG. 17 shows the position of the retractable receptacle 24. FIG. 18 shows the details of the pivot - operated receptacle 24 in the housed configuration. FIG. 19 shows the details of the receptacle 24 in the deployed configuration. The receptacle 24 defines a recess 21 similar to the recess described above for the previous lid receiving portion 20 in the deployed configuration of FIG. 18. FIG. 20 shows the lid attachment portion 10 housed in the recess 21. FIG. 21 shows the details of the lid attachment portion 10 received in the recess 21 of the retractable receptacle 24. FIG. 22 shows the purpose of this variation of further improving access to the sealed space 105 of the container by moving the lid slightly further away from the edge portion 102 of the side panel 101.

[0051] Finally, FIGS. 23 and 24 show a modification of the lid attachment portion 10 described above. Here, the lid attachment portion 10 is provided as a single T-shape without the first and second T-shaped portions. This lid attachment portion 10 can be described as a single shaft portion 11 and a single head portion 12 without a hook-shaped end. Further, in this modification, the lid attachment portion 10 protrudes not only from the back surface 111 of the lid but also from the skirt portion 117 of the lid.

[0052] FIG. 23 is a detailed perspective view of the back surface 111 of the lid showing this modification of the lid attachment portion 10 alone. FIG. 24 interestingly shows a cross-section taken along a plane substantially parallel to the lid 110 directly below the back surface 111 of the lid while the lid is in use to cover the container sealing space 105. FIG. 24 shows a lid receiving portion 20 that is still provided as a recess 21 formed in the upper edge portion 102 of the side panel, but differs in that the narrower and wider concave portions 22, 23 are interchanged. Next, the narrower concave portion 22 is provided inwardly towards the sealed space 105 of the container, and the wider concave portion 23 is provided outwardly towards the outside of the container. Thus, when the lid is in use as described, the lid attachment portion 10 effectively acts as a "plug" and the wider concave portion 23 of the lid receiving portion 20 effectively acts as a corresponding "socket", substantially or completely preventing access to the sealed space 105 of the container by potential contaminants through the narrower recess 22.

[0053] This lid attachment part 10 can not only better prevent contaminants from potentially entering the sealed space 105 of the container 100, but can also claim that it is easier to repair or replace. Furthermore, since it is attached not only to the back surface 111 of the lid but also to the skirt part 117 of the lid, it can be claimed that it is stronger than the previous form. Repair of the damaged lid attachment part 10 can be achieved by cutting off any remaining parts of the damaged lid attachment part 10 and then welding a new lid attachment part in place by plastic welding (these techniques are well known in the art). Due to the fact that this form of the lid attachment part 10 also protrudes from the skirt part 117 as well as the back surface 111 of the lid, an additional welding surface becomes available for any welding operation for repairing the lid attachment part 10. This is preferable for welding the new lid attachment part 10 only to the surface of the back surface 111 of the lid.

[0054] A shelf provided with a pin-shaped shelf installation member using the same attachment principle described above in this specification In an attempt to reduce the omission or loss of removable shelves for hard containers for transporting dry goods, the inventors have found that it may be desirable to provide one or more shelf installation members 210, 211 on the removable shelves 201, 202 as shown in FIG. 25.

[0055] FIG. 25 shows removable shelves 201, 202 for a rigid container for the dried product. The described removable shelves 201, 202 are continuous panels 209 that can be made from one or more rigid members that are essentially plastic. Thus, the removable shelves 201, 202 may be received as a single or integral panel 209, or may be assembled from a number of sub-components and / or may be assemblable. The removable shelves 201, 202 may be manufactured according to different methods or techniques and may be made of or include components that are not plastic, but for the purposes and uses herein, plastic is advantageous because it can readily provide the lightweight and suitable hardness as known in the art.

[0056] The removable shelves 201, 202 comprise at least one shelf mounting member 210, 211. Each shelf mounting member 210, 211 or collectively the shelf mounting members 210, 211 are usable by the user to prevent the removable shelves 201, 202 from being left behind or lost after being removed from the container. To do so, the user can attach the removable shelf 201 to the container by means of the shelf mounting members 210, 211 as further described below. Thus, the removable shelves 201, 202 can be easily installed. The removable shelves 201, 202 may include only two and only two shelf mounting members 210, 211, which may be provided on the front face 203 of the shelf 201. However, different numbers (for example only one) of shelf mounting members would be possible as well.

[0057] The removable shelves 201, 202 described in this specification are in the form of two front shelf installation members 210, 211 shown in FIG. 25 provided on the front face 203 of the shelves 201, 202 and two rear shelf installation members 212, 213 provided on the rear shelf face 203 (not shown in FIG. 25 but visible in FIG. 27). For example, actually a total of four shelf installation members 210, 211, 212, 213 are provided on each removable shelf 201, 202. The importance of the rear shelf installation members 212, 213 is that additional removable shelves 201, 202 can be attached to any removable shelf 201, 202. Before explaining further removable shelves 201, shelf installation members 210, 211 and the container, next some definitions that are useful in particular for explaining the removable shelves 201, 202 are introduced.

[0058] The removable shelves 201, 202 comprise a pair of opposing faces 203 (only one is shown in FIG. 25), one of which provides support for articles (not shown) during use (as the upper face). The face 203 is surrounded by an edge 208 that defines the boundary of the removable shelves 120, 202. FIG. 25 shows a substantially rectangular shelf shape, but other shapes are in principle possible. Also, each removable shelf 201, 202 may be provided as a complete shelf, or a complete shelf may be made from two or more smaller shelves that can together provide the required support surface. The edge 208 surrounds each rectangular removable shelf 201 at its four side faces 204. Accordingly, each shelf face 203 also has a corresponding rectangular side face 204. In the described removable shelves 201, 202, as shown in FIG. 25, the shelf installation members 210, 211, 212, 213 are provided near the adjacent corners 205 of the shelf 201 and near the opposing edge 206 of the shelf 201 near one of the edges 208 and side faces 204 of the shelves 201, 202. The removable shelves 201, 202 have two short side faces 204 extending along a first axis and two long side faces 204 extending along a second axis.

[0059] Next, returning to the operation of the removable shelves 201, 202 described herein, the removable shelves 201, 202 can each advantageously be removably attached to the container side panel 101 via another shelf 202, i.e., the intermediate shelf 202, already attached to the container side panel 101 so that the removable shelf 201 is not left behind in relation to the container 100. It will be understood that the removable shelves 201, 202 described herein can be attached one at a time or simultaneously as a group of two or more pre-attached removable shelves 201, 202.

[0060] Figure 26 shows a rigid container 100 for the transport of dry goods. One or more of the removable shelves 201, 202 described herein can each be disposed within the container 100 to divide the enclosed space 105 into two or more compartments 306, which will be described in more detail hereinafter in connection with FIGS. 26-29.

[0061] Figures 26-28 show the container of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a state where one removable shelf 201 is lowered in place inside the container 100 to support an article. The removable shelf 201 is placed on appropriate protrusions (not described herein) provided inside along the vertical side surfaces of the container 100 by shelf rests 215 (shown in FIG. 1) arranged at four corners 205 of the removable shelf 201. This operation is made very easy, as can be imagined, by providing one or more handles 214 (also shown in FIG. 25) on the shelf 201. There is another removable shelf 202 shown in FIGS. 26-28, and this second removable shelf is attached in a state facing the rear panel 101 of the container 100 by two of its shelf installation members 210, 211 and two corresponding complementary shelf installation members 212, 213 provided on the rear panel 101 of the container 100. This removable shelf 202 also has additional shelf installation members 212, 213, which may be similar or the same with respect to the shelf installation members 212, 213 provided on the container rear wall 101, and the shelf installation members 212, 213 are provided on the shelf back 203 to receive the shelf installation members 210, 211 of the removable shelf 201 currently arranged inside the container 100 when the removable shelf 201 is no longer needed for transporting articles but is attached to and stored in the container 100. Vice versa, the currently attached removable shelf 202 can be removed from its position on the rear panel 101 of the container 100 and deployed as an additional shelf 202 inside the container 100 to divide the enclosed space 105 into three compartments 306 instead of just two for transporting articles.

[0062] Next, it will be understood that the front shelf installation members 210 and 211 shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 to 28 are male shelf installation members 210 and 211 configured to be received by corresponding female shelf installation members 212 and 213 provided at the edge of the container side panel 101 or at the edge 208 of the intermediate shelf 202 attached to the container side panel 101. Also, as shown in FIGS. 26 to 28, when the shelves 201 and 202 are vertically attached in a state facing the container panel 101, the edges 208 of the shelves 201 and 202 close to the shelf installation members 210 and 211 are the upper edges of the shelves 201 and 202. However, these configurations are not essential.

[0063] One or more male shelf installation members 210 and 211 can be replaced, for example, by one or more female shelf installation members 212 and 213 on one of the shelf surfaces 203, and vice versa. As long as the shelf installation members 210, 211, 212, and 213 can be used together to attach the shelves 201 and 202 to the container side panel 101 or to one or more intermediate shelves already suspended from the container side panel 101 (in the specific case of the described shelves 120 and 202, attached by suspension), one or more female shelf installation members 212 and 213 on other surfaces 203 of the shelves 201 and 202 or on the container side panel 101 can be replaced, for example, by one or more corresponding male shelf installation members 210 and 211. Therefore, it is important that the shelf installation members 210, 211, 212, and 213 are positioned and shaped regardless of their specific structure and position on the shelves 201 and 202 in order to achieve this result.

[0064] In a configuration where the shelves 201 and 202 are vertically attached facing the rear wall 101 of the container 100, it is not necessarily the case that the shelf installation members 210, 211, 212, and 213 are arranged near the upper side 204 or the edge 208 of the shelves 201 and 202. Instead, the shelf installation members 210, 211, 212, and 213 can be arranged near the bottom edge or the side surface of the shelves 201 and 202, or arranged horizontally. However, it is important to arrange the male and female shelf installation members 210, 211, 212, and 213 at spatially corresponding positions 207 on the nominal plane of the removable shelves 201 and 202 so that the paired engaged male-female shelf installation members 210, 212 and 211, 213 can be formed to attach the panel 209 onto the container 100 as desired during use. Such a position is shown, for example, in FIG. 27.

[0065] The advantages brought about by providing the shelf installation members 210, 211, 212, and 213, as described in this specification, are increased by providing the foldable container 100. When using the foldable container 100, at least one of the container panels 101 is folded so that the container 100 can be configured in a more compact form for returning to the transportation service center together with any attached removable shelves 201 and 202. Therefore, any removable shelves 201 and 202 can be properly stored inside the folded container 100. At the service center, the usage cycle of the container 100 can be restarted. That is, the container 100 is first readjusted, then shipped to the place of use, where they are assembled and loaded with the items to be transported. At this moment, the removable shelves 201 and 202 are still stacked inside the container 100, but when the container is prepared for transporting items, it is in a state ready to be installed in the sealed space 105.

[0066] In principle, any method of removably attaching the shelves in a state facing the container wall or an intermediate shelf attached to the container wall can be considered. Further, instead, a plurality of shelves can be attached to a plurality of container walls, and all of these plurality of container walls may be individually foldable. An advantageous method of removably attaching the shelves in a state facing the container wall or another shelf is simply by hanging the shelves. Thus, it will be understood that instead of the design described herein, the shelf installation members may each be provided in the form of a hanger or a hook. In such a case, the shelves 201, 202 can be directly hung inside or outside the container side panel 101 or any intermediate shelf without the need for corresponding shelf installation members such as the female shelf installation members 212, 213 described herein.

[0067] Next, referring to FIG. 29, at least one male shelf installation member 210, 211 described is generally provided in the form of pins 220 inside the shelves 201, 202. At least one female shelf installation member 212, 213 is instead generally provided in the form of slots 222, and since they are at least somewhat complementary in shape to the shape of the pins 220, the pins 220 can be easily and intuitively received into the slots 220, and thus the shelves 201, 202 can be attached as intended as a result.

[0068] Each pin 220 has an enlarged head 224, and each complementary slot 222 has an opening in the form of an aperture 226 that opens at the edge 208 of the shelves 201, 202 (or the container side panel 101 if the shelf mounting members 212, 213 are provided thereon). This aperture or opening 226 is configured to receive at least the enlarged head 224 of the pin 220, although it may receive all of the pin 220. The aperture 226 enables the attachment of the removable shelves 201, 202 by engaging each pin 220 with its respective slot 22 and then sliding the pin 220 in the "w" direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 29. The narrow or shaft portion of the pin 232 couples to the enlarged pin head 224 and the surface 203 of the shelves 201, 202. Thus, the user can easily identify the shelf mounting members 210, 211, 212, 213, 220, 222 on both the shelves and / or the container wall or intermediate shelves attached to the container wall and use them in the intended manner. Further, the enlarged head 224 of the pin 220 prevents the removable shelves 201, 202 from becoming loose or disassembled inadvertently when the shelves 201, 202 are properly attached as intended. The shelves 201, 202 cannot be removed by pulling them away perpendicular to the direction "w". To remove either of the shelves 201, 202, the user must slide one shelf 201, 202 at a time or both shelves 201, 202 together along the "w" line in a direction opposite to that of the arrow shown.

[0069] Alternatively, the pin could have a cylindrical shape and the slot could correspondingly have the shape of a cylindrical cavity, and the shelf could be positioned in the intended location by translational movement and coupling along the "w" direction. For example, other holding methods in the form of interference fits between the pin and the slot could have been devised, but this was not a very preferable solution.

[0070] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the solutions described above in connection with the lid 110 of the container and the shelves 201, 202 are generally similar in principle. Accordingly, the following clauses also form part of the present disclosure.

[0071] A removable panel for a rigid container for transporting dry goods that can be used to attach a removable panel to a wall of the container or an intermediate removable panel attached to said wall in a state facing each other, i.e., a removable panel provided with at least one panel mounting member.

[0072] At least one shelf mounting member is on the surface of the removable panel Optionally on or near its side Optionally at or near its corner The removable panel described above, provided at.

[0073] The removable panel has at or near the opposite edge of the panel Optionally along said side Optionally at or near an adjacent corner of the shelf Each provided with at least two panel mounting members arranged Instead, the removable panel is provided with at least one panel mounting member disposed substantially in the middle along its long side, the removable panel described above.

[0074] The removable panel comprises at least one male panel mounting member and at least one complementary female panel mounting member, said male and female panel mounting members being provided at corresponding opposite positions on either surface of the panel, and instead the female panel mounting member may be provided on a side panel of the container, the removable panel described above.

[0075] At least one male shelf installation member is generally provided in the form of a pin, and at least one female shelf installation member defines a slot or recess complementary to the pin, the removable panel described above.

[0076] The pin has an enlarged head, and the complementary slot has an opening at the edge of the removable panel or the side panel referred to above, and the opening is configured to receive the enlarged head, the removable panel described above.

[0077] A rigid container system for transporting dry goods, comprising the removable panel described above and side panels for the container, and optionally the side panels are foldable.

[0078] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the features and aspects of the present disclosure disclosed in connection with the lid of the container can be equally applied to the shelves of the container, and vice versa.

[0079] List of reference signs 10 Lid attachment part 11 Shaft part 12 Head 13 First T-shaped part 14 Second T-shaped part 15 Hook-shaped end 16 Distal recess of the lid attachment part 20 Lid receiving part 21 Recess 22 First (narrow-width) concave part 23 Second (wide-width) concave part 24 Retractable receptacle 100 Container (assembled) or container assembly (folded) 101 Side, front and rear panels of the container (whether shown individually or together) 102 Upper edge of the container panel 103 Outer surface of the container panel / wall 104 Container base 105 Sealed space of the container 106 Container wall (whether shown individually or collectively) 107 Side door of the container 109 Front door of the container 110 Removable lid 111 Inner surface of the lid 112 Periphery of the inner surface of the lid 114 Corners of the lid (whether shown individually or collectively) 117 Skirt portion 120 Radially extending rib C Center of the lid 201 First removable shelf 202 Second (intermediate) removable shelf 203 Shelf surface 204 Side surface of the shelf (or shelf surface) 205 Shelf corner 206 End of the shelf 207 Corresponding position on the shelf surface 208 Shelf edge 209 Shelf panel 210, 211 First and second male shelf installation members 212, 213 First and second female shelf installation members 214 Shelf handle 215 Shelf placement part 220 Pin 222 Slot or recess 224 Enlarged head of the pin 226 Mouth of the slot 232 Shaft portion of the pin (narrow portion of the pin) w Insertion direction of the shelf pin

Claims

1. A container system comprising a removable lid for a container and a container side wall, wherein the removable lid comprises at least one lid attachment part protruding inwardly from the back surface of the lid, and the container side wall comprises at least one corresponding lid receiving part for receiving the lid attachment part, and the at least one lid attachment part and the corresponding lid receiving part are configured such that the lid can be placed on the container side wall by housing the at least one lid attachment part in the at least one corresponding lid receiving part with at least a majority, preferably all, of the back surface of the lid facing a part of the outer surface of the container side wall. Container system.

2. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lid attachment part is substantially T-shaped with a shaft part extending substantially perpendicular to the back surface of the lid and a head part extending substantially laterally with respect to the shaft part.

3. The container system according to claim 2, wherein the lid comprises a skirt part at least partially surrounding the back surface of the lid, and the shaft part extends adjacent to the skirt part.

4. The shaft part extends in a first direction parallel to the depthwise extension of the skirt part, Optionally, the shaft part extends in a second direction perpendicular to the peripheral extension of the skirt part, Optionally, the shaft part extends from and is integral with the skirt part. Container system according to claim 3.

5. The container system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the head part also extends adjacent to the skirt part but extends alongside the skirt part.

6. The head part extends in a first direction parallel to the peripheral extension of the skirt part, Optionally, the head part extends in a second direction perpendicular to the skirt part, Optionally, the head part extends from and is integral with the skirt part. Container system according to claim 5.

7. The lid attachment portion is shaped to define a first T-shaped portion and a second T-shaped portion, the first and second T-shaped portions together forming the substantially T-shaped lid attachment portion with the first T-shaped portion disposed outside the second T-shaped portion and having an installation area larger than the corresponding installation area of the second T-shaped portion, the container system according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

8. The lid attachment portion includes at least one hook-shaped end for holding the lid attachment portion within the lid receiving portion. Optionally, the at least one hook-shaped end is provided at an end of the head. Optionally, the head includes two hook-shaped ends disposed at opposite ends of the head, the container system according to any one of claims 2 to 7.

9. The lid attachment portion includes at least one of a distal recess, a distal rounded corner, a distal chamfer, and a distal bevel angle configured to support rocking of the lid attachment portion within the corresponding lid receiving portion when the lid attachment portion is received in the lid receiving portion for placing the lid on the container sidewall, the container system according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. The lid receiving portion is formed as a recess. Optionally, the recess is formed at an upper edge portion of the container sidewall, the container system according to any one of the preceding claims.

11. The recess includes first and second concave portions disposed adjacent to each other, the first concave portion having a width smaller than the corresponding width of the second concave portion, the width being measured in a direction parallel to and alongside the edge of the container sidewall, the container system according to claim 10.

12. The first and second concave portions are measured in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the container and have the same depth extending in the same conceptual plane as the container sidewall, the container system according to claim 11.

13. The receiving portion includes a retractable receptacle configured to be deployed and housed within the container sidewall. Optionally, the retractable receptacle is pivotally deployable and retractable. Alternatively, the retractable receptacle is slidably deployable and retractable, the container system according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. The container lid is substantially rectangular and has at least two opposing such lid attachment portions. Optionally, the at least two opposing lid attachment portions are symmetrically arranged on the back surface of the lid, the container system according to any of the preceding claims. **Claim 15** The at least one lid attachment portion is positioned on the back surface of the lid such that when the lid is positioned on the container to cover the sealed space defined by the container, the at least one lid attachment portion is received in the corresponding receiving portion to reduce or prevent contamination of the sealed space of the container, the container system according to any of the preceding claims. **Claim 16** A container comprising the container system according to any one of the preceding claims. **Claim 17** The container is substantially rectangular parallelepiped in shape including two opposing short side walls, two opposing long side walls and a base, the side walls may each include a container side panel, each of them may be foldable on the base, and may be returned from the folded configuration to an assembled state, the container according to claim 16. **Claim 18** The base comprises a pallet base, the container according to claim 17. **Claim 19** The container is made of a substantially rigid plastic material, the container according to any one of claims 16, 17 and 18. **Claim 20** The container lid is configured to receive the assembled container body, or the container body folded so that the lid is removably but firmly held on the container body or base, so as to be consistent with the interference to the container base, the container according to any one of claims 16 to 19. **Claim 21** A container assembly comprising a container base and a folded container body disposed on the container base, the container assembly comprising the container system according to any one of claims 1 to 15. **Claim 22** Its installation area is sized according to the standard pallet size, the container according to any one of claims 16 to 19 or the container assembly according to claim 20 or 21. **Claim 23** A method of placing a removable lid for a container on a container sidewall, wherein the removable lid comprises at least one lid mounting portion protruding inwardly from the lid back surface, and the container sidewall comprises at least one corresponding lid receiving portion for receiving the lid mounting portion, accommodating the at least one lid mounting portion within the at least one corresponding lid receiving portion with at least a majority, preferably all, of the lid back surface facing a part of the outer surface of the container sidewall including a method.

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