Folding container

Abstract

To provide a folding container that is easy to fold and prevents fingers or feet from getting caught during the folding process. [Solution] The structure comprises a bottom frame 20, an upper frame 30, a longitudinal side plate 4 rotatably mounted between the bottom frame 20 and the upper frame 30 relative to the bottom frame 20 and the upper frame 30, and a short side plate 5 rotatably mounted between the bottom frame 20 and the upper frame 30 relative to the bottom frame 20. The longitudinal side plate 4 is divided into upper and lower halves, and has an upper side plate body 41u and a lower side plate body 41d that are foldable via a hinge 42. A rounded cutout 47 is provided at the bending point when the upper side plate body 41u and the lower side plate body 41d are folded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a folding container in which longitudinal side plates and transverse side plates can be folded with respect to the bottom frame or the upper frame of a base member.

Background Art

[0002] In a folding container, longitudinal side plates and transverse side plates can be folded with respect to a bottom frame or an upper frame. When storing items, the longitudinal side plates and the transverse side plates are assembled. When not storing items, they are folded, and by stacking another folding container thereon, space can be saved.

[0003] The folding storage cart 1 described in Patent Document 1 has a pair of longitudinal side plate portions 41a (41b) and a pair of transverse side plate portions 51a (51b). Note that the names and reference numerals of each part related to the folding storage cart 1 described in Patent Document 1 shall be used as those described in Patent Document 1.

[0004] The longitudinal side plate portion 41a (41b) consists of an upper longitudinal side plate portion 42 and a lower longitudinal side plate portion 43. The upper longitudinal side plate portion 42 is rotatable about a horizontal axis with respect to the upper longitudinal frame portion 31a (31b), and the lower longitudinal side plate portion 43 is rotatable about a horizontal axis with respect to the lower longitudinal frame portion 11a (11b). Further, the upper longitudinal side plate portion 42 and the lower longitudinal side plate portion 43 are connected via a hinge 47 and are rotatable about a horizontal axis. In the state where the storage cart 1 is assembled, the upper longitudinal side plate portion 42 and the lower longitudinal side plate portion 43 are flush and in a vertical state.

[0005] The transverse side plate portion 51a (51b) is rotatable about a horizontal axis with respect to the upper transverse frame portion 32a (32b), and in the state where the storage cart 1 is assembled, the transverse side plate portion 51a (51b) is in a vertical state.

[0006] At this time, the upper longitudinal side plate portion 42 and the lower longitudinal side plate portion 43, which are in a vertical position, are prevented from bending because the short side plate portion 51a (51b) is located between the upper longitudinal side plate portion 42 and the lower longitudinal side plate portion 43 (on the inside of the storage trolley 1).

[0007] To fold the storage trolley 1, first rotate the short side plate portion 51a (51b) so that the handle portion 55 attached thereto is lifted inward towards the storage trolley 1.

[0008] Next, by lifting the short side panels 51a (51b) slightly above the horizontal position, the upper long side panel 42 and the lower long side panel 43 can be folded. By folding the upper long side panel 42 and the lower long side panel 43 while lowering the upper long frame 31a (31b) and the upper short frame 32a (32b), the folding of the storage trolley 1 is completed. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-23318 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] By the way, in the folding storage trolley 1 described in Patent Document 1, the folding of the upper longitudinal side plate 42 and the lower longitudinal side plate 43 is prevented until the short side plate 51a (51b) is lifted and placed in a horizontal position, but as soon as the short side plate 51a (51b) is placed in a horizontal position, the upper longitudinal side plate 42 and the lower longitudinal side plate 43 become foldable.

[0011] Furthermore, if the handle portion 55 of the short side plate portion 51a (51b) is not held, the upper long side plate portion 42 and the lower long side plate portion 43 will fold up, causing the upper frame (upper long frame portion 31a (31b) and lower long frame portion 11a (11b)) to fall, and there is a problem that hands or feet may get caught between the folded upper long side plate portion 42 and the lower long side plate portion 43.

[0012] This is because when the short side panels 51a (51b) are in a horizontal position, the left and right long side panels 41a (41b) become foldable simultaneously, and also because there is no mechanism to control the folding operation until the folding is complete.

[0013] Therefore, in the case of the foldable storage trolley 1 described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to either have two or more people work on it, or to make it a size that is easy to fold, which presents the problem that the storage trolley 1 cannot be made larger.

[0014] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a folding container that can be easily folded by a single worker, and that prevents accidents involving pinching of hands or feet by allowing the left and right long side panels to be folded one at a time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] To solve the above problems, the folding container according to the present invention comprises a base member having a rectangular bottom frame, an upper frame located above the base member and having the same shape as the bottom frame, a longitudinal side plate provided on the longitudinal side between the bottom frame and the upper frame so as to be rotatable with respect to at least the bottom frame or the upper frame, and a short side plate provided on the short side between the bottom frame and the upper frame so as to be rotatable with respect to at least the bottom frame or the upper frame, wherein the longitudinal side plate is divided into upper and lower parts having an upper side plate body and a lower side plate body, the upper side plate body and the lower side plate body are foldable via hinges, the short side plate is rotatably supported with respect to the bottom frame and is foldable, and a locking mechanism may be provided at the bending portion when the upper side plate body and the lower side plate body are folded so as to be locked in a state where the upper side plate body and the lower side plate body are flush with each other.

[0016] The folding container according to the present invention may be configured such that the locking means is provided on the side where the bend between the upper side plate and the lower side plate forms a valley fold.

[0017] The folding container according to the present invention may have a locking mechanism comprising a slide pin slidably provided on the upper side plate or the lower side plate, and a receiving body provided on the lower side plate or the upper side plate into which the slide pin is inserted.

[0018] The folding container according to the present invention may be configured such that the slide pin is slidably provided on the upper side plate, the receiving body is provided on the lower side plate, and the sliding pin is locked by inserting it into the receiving body.

[0019] The folding container according to the present invention may be equipped with a short-side plate locking mechanism comprising: a handle provided on the outside of the upper frame or the bottom frame and positioned on the outside of the short side plate when it is upright; a locking plate provided on the inside of the upper frame or the bottom frame and positioned on the inside of the short side plate when it is upright, which jointly grips the rotating end of the short side plate with the handle; a support shaft pivotally supported on the short side frame of the upper frame or the bottom frame, with the handle and the locking plate fixed to both ends; and an index plunger provided on the locking plate that locks and maintains the gripped state of the short side plate.

[0020] The folding container according to the present invention may be configured such that the frame bodies constituting the frame of the side plate body are connected to each other via connecting elbows. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, the left and right longitudinal side panels are each divided into upper and lower parts, and the upper and lower side panels are made foldable via hinges. A locking mechanism is provided at the bending point when the upper and lower side panels are folded, so that the upper and lower side panels are locked in a flush position. When folding the folding container, the left and right longitudinal side panels can be folded one at a time. Therefore, when one longitudinal side panel is being folded, the other longitudinal side panel will not be folded, thus preventing accidents such as hands or feet getting caught due to unintentional folding.

[0022] Furthermore, since the long side panels can be folded one at a time, the folding process is simple. In particular, there is no need to support one long side panel while folding the other, making it possible for one person to do the work, which also allows for larger folding containers.

[0023] According to the present invention, if the locking mechanism is provided on the side where the bend between the upper and lower side plates forms a valley fold, the operation of setting and releasing the lock can be made easier.

[0024] According to the present invention, when the locking means is constituted by a slide pin slidably provided on the upper side plate body or the lower side plate body, and a receiver provided on the lower side plate body or the upper side plate body for inserting the slide pin, the locking means can have a relatively simple and inexpensive structure.

[0025] According to the present invention, when the slide pin of the locking means is provided on the side (upper side) where locking is applied by its own weight, locking is not released in the assembled state, and safe transportation work can be performed.

[0026] According to the present invention, when an index plunger for locking and maintaining the clamping state of the short side plate is provided inside the short side plate in the short side plate locking means, as long as the top plate is in a closed state and locked, the short side plate cannot be folded, and thus, it is possible to prevent the removal of the goods loaded from the folding container.

[0027] According to the present invention, when the frame bodies are connected via a connecting elbow, the frame bodies can be firmly connected to each other, and the efficiency of the assembly work of the side plate bodies can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1] This shows a folding container according to an embodiment of the present invention, and this figure is a front view. [Figure 2] It is a side view. [Figure 3] It is a plan view. [Figure 4] The rectangular handle is shown enlarged, (a) is a front view, and (b) is a side view. [Figure 5] It is an enlarged view of the short side plate locking means. [Figure 6]Figures 7 to 9 are used to explain the folding procedure for the folding container, and this figure shows the container in its assembled state. [Figure 7] This shows one of the long side panels folded down. [Figure 8] This indicates the folded state. [Figure 9] This shows one container stacked on top of another, which has been folded. [Figure 10] Both Figure 11 and Figure 12 show the specific structure of the side plate body, and this figure is a front view. [Figure 11] This is an enlarged view showing a disassembled corner section of the side panel. [Figure 12] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view along the line XII-XII in Figure 10. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] The present invention will be described below based on the illustrated embodiment. The side showing the longitudinal side panel 4 of the folding container 1 will be referred to as the front.

[0030] Figures 1 to 12 illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and the folding container 1 comprises a base member 2 having a rectangular bottom frame 20, an upper frame 30 located above the base member 2 and having the same shape as the bottom frame 20, a longitudinal side plate 4 provided between opposing longitudinal frame bodies 21 of the bottom frame 20 and the longitudinal frame bodies 31 of the upper frame 30, and a short side plate 5 provided between opposing short side frame bodies 22 of the bottom frame 20 and the short side frame bodies 32 of the upper frame 30.

[0031] The bottom frame 20 is provided with connecting members 23 that connect the central parts of the longitudinal frame bodies 21 that face each other on the left and right, and connecting members 23 that connect the central parts of the longitudinal frame bodies 22 that face each other at the front and rear. Each of these frame bodies 21, 22 and connecting members 23 are made of, for example, square hollow pipes made of aluminum alloy. L-shaped reinforcing brackets 20a are provided at each of the four corners of the bottom frame 20, and the upper edges of the reinforcing brackets 20a protrude upward from the upper surface of the bottom frame 20.

[0032] The two long side frames 21 on the left and right have auxiliary members 24 attached to their upper surfaces, which have almost the same cross-sectional shape and length as the long side frames 21, in order to secure space when the short side plates 5 are folded relative to the bottom frame 20.

[0033] Each frame 21 and 22 of the bottom frame 20 has a deep channel groove that opens inward from the bottom frame 20, integrally formed on one side of the hollow pipe that makes up the frame, and the bottom plate 25 is attached so as to fit into this groove. This bottom plate 25 is made of, for example, corrugated plastic (sometimes called Danpla) or Texcel (registered trademark) to reduce weight.

[0034] The base member 2 is constructed by providing three caster mounting plates 26 on both ends and approximately in the center of the bottom frame 20 in the longitudinal (front-to-back) direction, so as to span the longitudinal frame 21 from below.

[0035] Fixed casters 27 are attached to both the left and right ends of the caster mounting plate 26 in the center of the base member 2, and swivel casters 28 are attached to the center of the caster mounting plates 26 at both the front and rear ends in the short side (left and right) direction.

[0036] With one swivel caster 28 on each side of the front and rear, and one fixed caster 27 on each side of the central front and rear section, the folding container 1 can be moved in both the front-to-back and left-to-right turning directions depending on the direction in which the worker pushes or pulls the folding container 1.

[0037] The upper frame 30 has almost the same shape as the bottom frame 20, but the long side frame 31 and the short side frame 32 do not have deep channel grooves, and therefore no corrugated plastic sheets or other plate materials are provided. However, the two short side frame 32 have top plates 34 that open like double doors in a plan view, via hinges 33 at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction. In Figure 3, only one top plate 34 is shown, and the others are omitted. The top plate 34 prevents rainwater from entering during transport. This top plate 34 is made of corrugated plastic or similar material to reduce weight. Reinforcement brackets 30a bent into an L shape are provided at each of the four corners of the upper frame 30, and the lower edges of the reinforcement brackets 30a protrude below the bottom surface of the upper frame 30.

[0038] A handle 35 is attached to the center of the top panel 34 near the opening edge, facilitating the opening and closing of the top panel 34. The handle 35 is attached to the top panel 34 by screws or the like, but it is preferable to provide screw covers for waterproofing.

[0039] A handle 36, made of a roughly rectangular round bar, is attached to the longitudinal center of the longitudinal frame 31 of the upper frame 30 via a hinge 37. Specifically, the hinge 37 is constructed by attaching a receiving part 38, which rotatably supports one side of the rectangular handle 36 as a pivot axis 36a, to the longitudinal frame 31 of the upper frame 30.

[0040] Furthermore, the rectangular handle 36 is rotatable between a position where it overlaps the top plate 34 and is horizontal, and a position where it rotates 270 degrees to the opposite side and becomes almost vertical.

[0041] The position where the rectangular handle 36 rotates upward and overlaps the top plate 34 coincides with the position of the wheel 27a of the fixed caster 27 of the upper folding container 1 when another folding container 1 is stacked on top of this folding container 1.

[0042] The longitudinal side panels 4 cover two opposing longitudinal sides of the folding container 1, and consist of two side panels 41 of approximately the same size, connected by a hinge 42. Both side panels 41 consist of a rectangular frame 43 and a panel 44 embedded in the frame 43. The frame 43 of these side panels 41 is a square hollow pipe with a deep channel groove integrally formed, similar to the frames 21, 22, 31, and 32 described above, and the panel 44 is made of corrugated plastic or the like.

[0043] The upper and lower side panels 41u and 41d are connected by the hinge 42 so that the outer side of the connection between the side panels 41u and 41d forms a valley fold.

[0044] By dividing the long side panel 4 into upper and lower side panel bodies 41u and 41d, folding it into several smaller parts is easier than folding one large long side panel 4 against the bottom frame 20 or upper frame 30. This allows for smaller folding operations, a more compact folded state, and a simpler folding process.

[0045] The upper frame 43u of the upper longitudinal side plate 4 is rotatably mounted on the longitudinal side frame 31 of the upper frame 30 via a rubber hinge 45, and similarly the lower frame 43d of the lower longitudinal side plate 4 is rotatably mounted on the longitudinal side frame 21 of the bottom frame 20 via a rubber hinge 45. When the upper and lower side plates 41u and 41d are folded by the hinge 42, the two rubber hinges 45 above and below maintain a horizontal position for both the bottom frame 20 and the upper frame 30.

[0046] Each of the upper and lower side plates 41u and 41d is provided with a square-shaped hollow pipe auxiliary member 46 in the center in the front-to-back direction, and rounded holes 47 are provided on these upper and lower auxiliary members 46, 46.

[0047] Specifically, the slide pin 47a of the drop-off mechanism 47 is provided on the auxiliary material 46 of the upper side plate body 41u, and the receiving body 47b is provided on the auxiliary material 46 of the lower side plate body 41d (that is, the drop-off mechanism 47 is provided at the bending point when the upper side plate body 41u and the lower side plate body 41d are folded), so that when the longitudinal side plate 4 is not folded, the slide pin 47a is dropped and inserted into the receiving body 47b, creating a locked state.

[0048] By providing such rounded locks 47 on the upper and lower side panels 41u and 41d and locking them, it is possible to prevent the upper and lower side panels 41u and 41d from folding.

[0049] Furthermore, by inserting a spacer member into the hinge of the above-mentioned hinge 42, interference with the round drop 47 can be avoided when the upper and lower side plates 41u and 41d are folded.

[0050] The short side panels 5 cover two opposing sides of the short side of the folding container 1 and consist of a rectangular frame 51 and a panel 52 embedded in the frame 51. The frame 51 is a square hollow pipe with a deep channel groove integrally formed, similar to the frames 21, 22, 31, and 32 described above, and the panel 52 is made of corrugated plastic or the like.

[0051] In this configuration, the lower frame 51d of the short side panel 5 is rotatably attached to the short side frame 22 of the bottom frame 20 via a rubber hinge 53. This rubber hinge 53 acts to cause the short side panel 5 to tilt inward, preventing it from tilting outward.

[0052] When such a short side plate 5 is erected vertically (assembled), its upper frame 51u is in close proximity to the short side frame 32 of the upper frame 30 from below, and the short side plate locking means 54 provided in the center of the short side frame 32 of the upper frame 30 maintains the short side plate 5 in a vertical position.

[0053] Specifically, the short-side plate locking mechanism 54 has a handle 56 at the outer end of a support shaft 55 that penetrates the short-side frame 32 of the upper frame 30, and a locking plate 57 at the inner end, with an index plunger 58 located near the lower end of the locking plate 57.

[0054] The handle 56 is attached to the short side frame 32 so as to extend downward, and the lock plate 57 is attached to the inner end of the support shaft 55. Both the handle 56 and the lock plate 57 are fixed to the support shaft 55, and the support shaft 55 is pivotally supported relative to the short side frame 32, that is, it is rotatably supported. As a result, the handle 56 and the lock plate 57 can rotate like a pendulum around the support shaft 55 relative to the short side frame 32.

[0055] The locking plate 57 is longer than the width dimension of the upper frame 51u of the short side plate 5, and the handle 56 is formed to be even longer than the locking plate 57.

[0056] The distance between the handle 56 and the locking plate 57 is formed to be slightly larger than the width dimension of the upper frame 51u of the short side plate 5.

[0057] Then, with the handle 56 and lock plate 57 positioned horizontally and aligned with the short side frame 32, the short side plate 5 is raised vertically, and the rotating end of the short side plate 5 is clamped by raising the handle 56 and lock plate 57 vertically in this state.

[0058] When the handle 56 and the locking plate 57 are in a vertical position, a locking hole 51h is formed at the position of the short-side frame 32 corresponding to the tip of the index plunger 58, and by fitting the tip of the index plunger 58 into this locking hole 51h, the locking plate 57 is maintained in a horizontal position.

[0059] Although not shown in the diagram, when the lock plate 57 is in a horizontal position, a hole is formed in the short-side frame 32 corresponding to the tip of the index plunger 58. By fitting the tip of the index plunger 58 into this hole, the lock plate 57 is maintained in a horizontal position.

[0060] Furthermore, an auxiliary member 59 extending vertically is provided in the left and right center of the short side panel 5, and a handle 60 is attached to this auxiliary member 59 to facilitate opening and closing the short side panel 5.

[0061] Next, the folding and assembly procedures for folding container 1 will be explained according to Figures 6 to 9.

[0062] To fold the folding container 1, first rotate the top plate 34 upward to open the top surface of the folding container 1.

[0063] Next, the short side panel locking mechanism 54 is released, and the short side panel 5 is folded inward. The short side panel locking mechanism 54 is released by pulling the tip of the index plunger 58 out of the lock hole 51h and rotating the lock plate 57. This operation is extremely easy to perform, as it only requires opening the top panel 34 and then operating the short side panel locking mechanism 54 located on the top of the short side panel 5.

[0064] The short side panels 5 can be folded inward simply by releasing the short side panel locking mechanism 54 described above. Before folding the short side panels 5, the open top panel 34 is rotated to cover the top surface of the folding container 1. The other short side panel 5 will not be folded by the short side panel locking mechanism 54 until the folding of one short side panel 5 is complete.

[0065] Furthermore, even when the short side panel locking mechanism 54 is released and the two short side panels 5 are folded, the rounded ends 47 of the two long side panels 4 remain locked, so the two long side panels 4 maintain their upright position and do not fold.

[0066] After one short side panel 5 is folded, the other short side panel 5 is folded. The other short side panel 5 will not be folded by the short side panel locking means 54 until the folding of one short side panel 5 is complete.

[0067] After folding the short side panels 5, the top panel 34 is rotated to cover the top surface of the folding container 1.

[0068] Furthermore, even when the short side panel locking mechanism 54 is released and the two short side panels 5 are folded, the rounded ends 47 of the two long side panels 4 remain locked, so the two long side panels 4 maintain their upright position and do not fold.

[0069] Next, the rounded stopper 47 on one of the long side panels 4 is removed and the long side panel 4 is folded. At this time, the worker holds the rectangular handle 36 on the top of the upper frame 30 with one hand and releases the lock of the rounded stopper 47 with the other hand, but because the long side panel 4 is being supported with the other hand, the folding motion of the long side panel 4 can be suppressed while performing this action.

[0070] Even if the lock on the rounded stopper 47 of one long side panel 4 is released, the rounded stopper 47 of the other long side panel 4 remains locked. As a result, the other long side panel 4 remains upright, and the folding of the other long side panel 4 is not completely finished. This prevents it from folding unintentionally and trapping hands or feet.

[0071] Next, the rounded stopper 47 on the other long side panel 4 is removed and that long side panel 4 is folded. In this case as well, as when folding one of the long side panels 4, the worker holds the rectangular handle 36 on the top of the upper frame 30 with one hand and releases the lock of the rounded stopper 47 with the other hand. In this case as well, since the rectangular handle 36 is being supported with one hand, it does not fold suddenly, and there is no risk of pinching hands or feet.

[0072] Furthermore, the two long side panels 4 on the left and right can be folded one side at a time, allowing one worker to perform the folding operation. Moreover, even with containers larger than the size of the container shown in Patent Document 1, one worker can perform the folding and assembly operations.

[0073] Rotate the rectangular handle 36 on the upper part of the long side panel 4 upwards to a horizontal position. At this time, since the upper frame 30 is covered by the top plate 34, the rectangular handle 36 will be positioned above the top plate 34.

[0074] As described above, after completing the folding of folding container 1, when stacking another folding container 1, the positioning of the upper folding container 1 can be easily performed by positioning the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27 of the upper folding container 1 to be stacked within the rectangular handle 36. Moreover, in order to position the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27 within the rectangular handle 36, the folding container 1 to be stacked on top is placed on top of the lower folding container 1, and then the folding container 1 to be stacked is pushed forward, causing the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27 to easily pass over one side of the rectangular handle 36 and be positioned within the rectangular handle 36. This operation can also be easily performed by a single worker.

[0075] The assembly procedure for folding container 1 is almost the reverse of the folding procedure described above.

[0076] First, the stacked folding containers 1 are lowered. This is done by gripping the folding containers 1 from the short side panel 5 and pulling them. When the folding containers 1 are pulled forward or backward, the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27 located on the rectangular handle 36 of the lower folding container 1 will move over one side of the handle 26, thereby allowing them to be lowered.

[0077] Next, hold the rectangular handle 36 on one of the long side panels 4 with one hand and pull it upward, extending the two folded side panels 41u and 41d so that they are flush. Keep the hand holding the rectangular handle 36 in place and lock the round stopper 47. This prevents the long side panel 4 from folding even if you release the hand holding the rectangular handle 36.

[0078] Moving to the other longitudinal side panel 4, the worker extends that longitudinal side panel 4 in the same way as the first longitudinal side panel 4, making it flush with the surface. In this state, the two rounded cutouts 47 each act to prevent the longitudinal side panel 4 from folding, allowing the worker to release their hands.

[0079] Since the two long side panels 4 are self-supporting, the two short side panels 5 can be assembled separately without having to support other components.

[0080] Then, the short side plate 5 is rotated to stand vertically. At this time, the upper edge (rotating end) of the short side plate 5 abuts against the reinforcing bracket 30a provided on the upper frame 30, preventing further rotation.

[0081] Next, by rotating the top plate 34 and opening the top surface of the folding container 1, it becomes possible to operate the index plunger 58 of the short side plate locking means 54 provided on the inside of the short side frame 32.

[0082] Since the locking plate 57 of the short side plate locking mechanism 54 is in a horizontal position, the knob of the index plunger 58 is pulled to make the locking plate 57 rotatable and set to a vertical position.

[0083] As a result, the shorter side plate 5 has its upper frame 51u sandwiched between the handle 56 and the locking plate 57, and the tip of the index plunger 58 fits into the locking hole 51h formed in the upper frame 51u, thereby locking it in place.

[0084] As described above, the index plunger 58 for locking the lock plate 57 is provided on the inside of the short side frame 32. Therefore, unless the top plate 34 is opened and the top surface of the folding container 1 is opened, the short side plate locking means 54 cannot be operated. If the top plate 34 is closed and locked, the short side plates 5 cannot be folded, and thus, it is possible to prevent the removal of goods loaded into the folding container 1.

[0085] Figures 10 to 12 show an example of the specific structure of the side plate body 41 described above. The upper frame 30 and the short side plates 5 may also be formed with a similar structure.

[0086] The frame 43 of the side plate body 41 consists of connecting elbows 70 made of synthetic resin at the four corners, a hollow frame body 71 that connects the upper and lower or left and right connecting elbows 70, and triangular corner members 72 that are attached to the inner corners of the frame bodies 71 that intersect at right angles.

[0087] The connecting elbow 70 consists of a cubic corner member 70a and fitting members 70b that are integrally projected from two orthogonal faces of the corner member 70a and fitted to the end of the frame body 71.

[0088] The frame body 71 consists of a hollow square pipe 71a and a groove portion 71b that protrudes from one side of the square pipe 71a and forms a deep channel groove.

[0089] The frame body 43 is constructed by fitting the ends of the square pipes 71a of the frame body 71 into the two fitting members 70b of each connecting elbow 70.

[0090] When fitting the connecting elbow 70 to the frame body 71, a relief portion 71d is formed in one of the grooves 71b (the vertical frame body 71) so that the grooves 71b of the two perpendicular frame bodies 71 do not interfere with each other, and the grooves 71b of the frame bodies 71 communicate with each other. Alternatively, the grooves 71b may be cut diagonally to prevent the ends of the grooves 71b of the frame bodies 71 from interfering with each other.

[0091] The triangular corner member 72 is formed from a plate with approximately the same thickness as the spacing between the grooves 71b of the frame body 71, and is inserted into the corner formed by the grooves 71b of the two frame bodies 71 when the two frame bodies 71 are fitted into the connecting elbow 70.

[0092] The panel 44 is roughly rectangular overall, but its corners are cut diagonally 44a so as not to interfere with the triangular corner members 72 when assembled into the frame 43, and its thickness is formed to be approximately the same as the spacing of the grooves 71b of the frame 71.

[0093] The triangular corner member 72 has two small holes 72a, and the groove portion 71b also has small holes 71c near both ends. When the triangular corner member 72 is inserted into the groove portions 71b at the four corners of the frame 43, the small holes 72a in the triangular corner member 72 and the small holes 71c in the groove portions 71b are in communication with each other.

[0094] With the triangular corner member 72 inserted into the groove 71b of the two orthogonal frame bodies 71, the triangular corner member 72 is attached to the frame body 43 by inserting screws 73 into the small holes 71c and 72a and fastening them. In this way, the two orthogonal frame bodies 71 are firmly connected by the connecting elbow 70 and the triangular corner member 72. Note that the triangular corner member 72 is not limited to a triangle but may also be trapezoidal. Furthermore, although the triangular corner member 72 is attached by screw fastening, it may also be attached by rivet.

[0095] The side panel body 41 is assembled by first connecting three frame bodies 71 to three connecting elbows 70, attaching triangular corner members 72 to each corner to create a U-shaped frame body 43, and then inserting and sliding the panel 44 into each groove 71b from the open side of the U-shape.

[0096] In this case, since the U-shaped frame 43 is firmly connected at each corner by the connecting elbow 70 and the triangular corner member 72, the U-shaped open end of the frame 43 does not open, and the panel 44 can be smoothly inserted into and slid into the groove 71b.

[0097] Next, the side plate body 41 is formed by connecting the frame body 71, to which the connecting elbow 70 and triangular corner member 72 are attached, to the opening side of the U-shaped frame body 43. Furthermore, the side plate body 41 can be made even more robust by screwing the periphery of the panel 44, especially the edge extending in the longitudinal direction, into the groove 71b at appropriate positions.

[0098] In this way, by connecting the two frame bodies 71 using the connecting elbow 70 and then attaching the triangular corner member 72, the two frame bodies 71 can be connected precisely at a right angle and firmly, and the efficiency of the assembly work of the side plate body 41 can be improved.

[0099] Furthermore, the mounting structure for the triangular corner member 72 to the corner and the mounting structure for the panel 44 to the frame body 71 are not limited to those described above, and various other structures (1)(2) are possible.

[0100] For example, (1) a groove may be formed on the panel 44 side of the triangular corner member 72, and the corner of the panel 44 may be inserted into this groove. In this case, since the four corners of the panel 44 are inserted into the triangular corner member 72, the periphery of the panel 44 does not need to be inserted into the groove 71b of the frame body 71. Of course, the periphery of the panel 44 may also be inserted into the groove 71b as described above.

[0101] When inserting the panel 44 into the groove provided in the triangular corner member 72, the panel 44 may be fastened to the groove 71b of the triangular corner member 72 with screws as described above.

[0102] Alternatively, (2) the thickness of the triangular corner member 72 may be reduced and inserted into the groove 71b together with the panel 44 and screwed in place. In this case, the periphery of the panel 44 will be loosely fitted into the groove 71b of the frame body 71 with a slight gap, so it is preferable to fill the gap or screw it in place at an appropriate location. At this time, it is optional whether the triangular corner member 72 is positioned on the outside or inside of the side plate body 41.

[0103] As described above, in the folding container 1 according to the present invention, the upper side plate 41u and the lower side plate 41d are locked in a flush state, so when folding the folding container 1, the left and right longitudinal side plates 4 can be folded one at a time. Therefore, when one longitudinal side plate 4 is being folded, the other longitudinal side plate 4 will not be folded, thus preventing accidents in which hands or feet may be caught due to unintentional folding.

[0104] Furthermore, since the long side panels 4 can be folded one at a time, the folding process is simple. In particular, there is no need to support the other long side panel 4 while one is being folded, making it possible for one person to do the work, which also allows for a larger folding container 1.

[0105] In the above embodiment, a folding container 1 equipped with casters 27 and 28 was described, but the present invention can also be applied to folding containers such as so-called storage boxes that do not have casters.

[0106] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a rounded stopper 47 was described as an example of a locking means for locking the upper side plate 41u and the lower side plate 41d, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a structure in which one end of a rod is detachably attached to one side plate and the other end is detachably attached to the other side plate may also be used.

[0107] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the locking mechanism (specifically, the rounded lock 47) is provided on the valley-fold side of the upper side plate 41u and the lower side plate 41d, because the valley-fold side of the side plate 41 is on the outside of the folding container 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the locking mechanism (for example, the rounded lock 47) may be provided on the inside of the folding container 1.

[0108] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the short-side plate locking means 54 is provided on the short-side frame 32 of the upper frame 30, but it is not limited to this, and may also be provided on the short-side frame 22 of the bottom frame 20.

[0109] Although embodiments of this invention have been described above, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the gist of this invention are also included. For example, although the short side plate 5 is rotatably mounted on the bottom frame 20, the invention is not limited to this, and the short side plate 5 may be rotatably mounted on the upper frame 30, for example.

[0110] Alternatively, the top plate 34 may be rotatably supported on the short side frame 32 via a removable flag hinge, which allows the top plate 34 to be removed from the folding container 1 after it has been released. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0111] 1. Folding container 2 Base member 20 Bottom frame 22 Short side frame 30 Upper frame 32 Short side frame 4 Long side panels 41 Side plate 41u Upper side plate 41d Lower side plate 42 Hinge 43 Frame 47. Round drop (locking component) 47a Slide pin 47b Receiving body 5 Short side panels 54 Short side plate locking mechanism 55 Spindle 56 Handle 57 Locking plate 58 Index Plunger 70 Connecting Elbow 71 Frame Body

Claims

1. A rectangular bottom frame, An upper frame located above the aforementioned bottom frame, The upper frame comprises a side plate interposed between one of the two opposing sets of sides of the upper frame and the bottom frame, The aforementioned side plate is made foldable via a hinge between the upper and lower side plate bodies. A handle attached to the center of one side of the aforementioned pair, The upper side plate and the lower side plate are folded, and the locking mechanism is located below the handle at the bent portion. A folding container characterized by the following features.

2. The locking mechanism is provided on the side where the bent portion becomes a valley fold. The folding container according to feature 1.

3. A rectangular bottom frame, An upper frame located above the aforementioned bottom frame, The upper frame comprises a side plate interposed between one of the two opposing sets of sides of the upper frame and the bottom frame, The aforementioned side plate is made foldable via a hinge between the upper and lower side plate bodies. A locking mechanism is provided at the bending portion when the upper side plate and the lower side plate are folded. The locking means comprises a slide pin provided on the upper side plate or the lower side plate, and a receiving body for the slide pin provided on the lower side plate or the upper side plate. A folding container characterized by the following features.

4. The slide pin is provided on the upper side plate body, and the receiving body is provided on the lower side plate body. The folding container according to feature 3.

5. A rectangular bottom frame, An upper frame located above the aforementioned bottom frame, The upper frame comprises a side plate interposed between one of the two opposing sets of sides of the upper frame and the bottom frame, The side plate is rotatably supported with respect to the bottom frame or the upper frame. A handle provided on the outside of the upper frame or the bottom frame, A locking plate provided on the inside of the upper frame or the bottom frame, which jointly grips the rotating end of the side plate with the handle, A support shaft is pivotally supported on the upper frame or the bottom frame, with the handle and the locking plate fixed to both ends, The locking plate is provided with an index plunger that locks the clamped state of the side plate, and the side plate locking means is provided with the locking plate, A folding container characterized by the following features.

6. The frame bodies that constitute the frame of the side plate are connected to each other via connecting elbows. A folding container according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images