Foldable container and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

A foldable container and a manufacturing method thereof, the foldable container includes a base (1) and a plurality of side plates (2), the plurality of side plates (2) are foldably attached to the base (1), and one storage chamber is enclosed by the side plates (2) and the base (1), the foldable container further includes at least one side discharge port (3) and a gate plate (4), a first notch (13) is provided in the base (1) and a second notch (23) is provided in the side plate (2) opposite the first notch (13), the first notch (13) and the second notch (23) together form the side discharge port (3), the gate plate (4) is slidably attached to the side plate (2), and the gate plate (4) has a first state in which it closes the side discharge port (3) and a second state in which it opens the side discharge port (3) as the gate plate (4) moves on the side plate (2). The side discharge port of this collapsible container is obtained by directly processing the base and side plates of a conventional container, which has the advantage of being low cost.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This patent application claims priority from the following Chinese patent applications:

[0002] "Submission date: March 8, 2023, Application number: 202310226372.5, Invention name: Foldable container and manufacturing method thereof" The entire text of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The present invention relates to the technical field of travelling containers, and more particularly to collapsible containers and methods for manufacturing the same. [Background technology]

[0004] Unlike traditional wooden or iron boxes, the two pairs of side panels of the foldable cardboard box can be folded inward relative to the base, reducing the space occupied when empty boxes are stored, which means that the foldable cardboard box has cost advantages in the return transportation of empty boxes, making it popular for packaging applications in many industries.In loading and unloading cargo, the methods that can be used for both the one-piece cardboard box and the foldable cardboard box are almost the same, and in most cases the cargo is loaded and unloaded manually or by robotic hands.However, in special situations, such as when loading bottle embryos and caps, a tipping table is required to fix and position the box and then rotate and tilt it.

[0005] However, many manufacturers have not adopted tipping tables to a high degree. This is primarily due to the relatively high manufacturing costs and the potential for safety hazards. Boxes with a tipping angle of around 135 degrees must be strong enough to withstand the risk of foreign objects adhering to the box entering the loading port along with the cargo. To address this issue, the prior art adopted two solutions: one with a discharge port at the center of the base, a hopper plate inside the box, and a gate plate between the discharge port and the hopper plate. The discharge port is aligned with the loading port during unloading, and the gate plate is then opened to allow loading. The other solution is to install a discharge port at the bottom of a side panel, with a corresponding gate plate attached to the side panel. The gate plate can be opened by either moving or rotating relative to the side panel. During unloading, the discharge port is aligned with the loading port, and the gate plate is then opened to allow the card box to float at a slight angle.

[0006] In actual use, the hopper plate of a hopper-type folding card box is quite high, so when empty boxes are returned, the box body needs to be folded by removing the hopper plate, and the hopper plate also needs to be stacked and packed for transportation, which has been criticized by customers. Side-discharge card boxes do not have the above problems, but as is well known, the cost of injection molding molds for medium and large container parts is high, the market demand for single bottle embryos and caps is limited, and few manufacturers are willing to invest in development. Therefore, there is a need to provide a low-cost foldable card box with a side discharge port. Summary of the Invention

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible container which has side discharge ports formed in the side plates and base and which can be realized by modifying a conventional collapsible container, and which has the advantage of low cost.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] A foldable container comprising a base and a plurality of side panels, the side panels being foldably attached to the base, the side panels and the base being surrounded by a single storage chamber, further comprising: at least one side outlet; a gate plate slidably attached to the side plate, the gate plate having a first state in which it closes the side discharge port by movement on the side plate, and a second state in which it opens the side discharge port; A foldable container having a first notch in the base, a second notch in the side plate opposite the first notch, and the first notch and the second notch together constituting the side discharge outlet.

[0010] In one embodiment, the foldable container further includes a back plate fixed to the inner surface of the side plate, the back plate having a third notch that aligns with the second notch, a slide groove on the side of the back plate facing the side plate, and the gate plate being slidably positioned within the slide groove.

[0011] In one embodiment, a first positioning bump and a second positioning bump are provided in the slide groove, and positioning holes are provided in the gate plate to align with the first positioning bump and the second positioning bump, and the positions of the first positioning bump and the second positioning bump in the slide groove correspond to the first state and the second state of the gate plate, respectively.

[0012] In one embodiment, the gate plate is further provided with guide grooves corresponding to the first positioning bump and the second positioning bump, and when the gate plate moves, the first positioning bump and the second positioning bump slide into the guide grooves.

[0013] In one embodiment, the backing plate has a thickness not exceeding 9 mm.

[0014] In one embodiment, the gate plate is provided with a handle portion.

[0015] In one embodiment, the base and side panels are both vacuum formed.

[0016] In one embodiment, the bottom surface of the first cutout is not higher than the receiving surface of the base.

[0017] In one embodiment, the bottom surface of the first cutout is covered with a first baffle.

[0018] In one embodiment, the entire inner wall of the second notch is covered with the second baffle.

[0019] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a foldable container, the method comprising the steps of: providing a box-shaped body having a base and four side panels arranged two by two opposite each other, the four side panels being foldably attached to the base, the side panels and the base being surrounded by a storage chamber; machining a first notch and a second notch opposite the first notch in the base and the side panels, respectively, the first notch and the second notch forming a side discharge port together; and further providing a gate plate and a back plate, The back plate has a third notch that is provided in conjunction with the second notch, and is fixed to the inner surface of the side plate on which the second notch is provided, and the back plate and side plate form a slide groove that accommodates a gate plate, and the gate plate is slidably positioned within the slide groove, and has a first state in which the gate plate closes the side discharge port and a second state in which the gate plate opens the side discharge port as the gate plate moves within the slide groove.

[0020] In one embodiment, the method further includes a manufacturing step of, after machining a first notch and a second notch in the base and the side panel, respectively, covering a first baffle and a second baffle on the bottom surface of the first notch and the inner wall of the second notch, respectively.

[0021] The present invention employs the above-mentioned technical solution and has the following beneficial effects: The side discharge port of the foldable container provided by the present invention is jointly formed by the first and second notches on the base and side plate, and the gate plate, so that the foldable container can be provided with a side discharge port by directly modifying the base and side plate of the conventional foldable container, and the added parts are all profiles, plates, or vacuum-formed parts, which has extremely low investment costs, sufficient reliability, and easy operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 10 shows a schematic diagram of the state when the gate plate of the collapsible container closes the side discharge opening. [Figure 2] 10 shows a schematic diagram of the state when the gate plate of the collapsible container opens the side discharge port. [Figure 3] 1 shows a schematic view of a collapsible container with a side panel that does not have a side outlet removed. [Figure 4] 10 shows a schematic diagram of a side panel of a collapsible container without a side outlet. [Figure 5] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a base of a collapsible container. [Figure 6] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a side panel with a side outlet of a collapsible container. [Figure 7] A schematic diagram of the back plate is shown. [Figure 8] A schematic diagram of a gate plate is shown. [Figure 9] 1 shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a side outlet. [Figure 10] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a gate plate having a handle portion. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a first baffle covering a first cutout in a base. [Figure 12] A schematic diagram showing a second baffle covering a second cutout in the side plate is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to make the objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood. It should be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are intended to describe the essential spirit of the technical solution of the present invention.

[0024] In the following description, for purposes of explaining various disclosed embodiments, specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the various disclosed embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments can be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known devices, structures, and techniques relevant herein may not be shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily confusing the description of the embodiments.

[0025] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout the specification and claims, the word "comprises" and variations thereof, such as "includes" and "having," are to be understood in their open and inclusive sense, i.e., to be interpreted as "including, but not limited to."

[0026] References throughout the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Also, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any manner in one or more embodiments.

[0027] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "said" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "or" is generally used in its sense including "and / or" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0028] In the following description, many directional terms are used to clearly indicate the configuration and operation of the present invention, but terms such as "front," "rear," "left," "right," "outside," "inside," "outward-facing," "inward-facing," "up," and "down" should be understood as terms of convenience rather than as limiting terms.

[0029] Additionally, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "suspended" do not require a part to be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but may be slightly tilted. "Horizontal" simply means that the direction is more horizontal than "vertical," meaning that the structure does not have to be perfectly horizontal and can be slightly tilted.

[0030] In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "mounting," "coupling," and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, or internal communication between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application according to specific cases.

[0031] Example 1 This embodiment provides a foldable container. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the foldable container includes a base 1 and four side panels 2, two of which are arranged opposite each other. The four side panels 2 and the base 1 enclose a rectangular storage chamber 10, and each of the side panels 2 and the base 1 is a vacuum-formed body manufactured by a vacuum forming process. The base 1 is provided with a plurality of protective edges 11 extending in the depth direction of the storage chamber 10. Each protective edge 11 corresponds to one of the side panels 2, and each protective edge 11 is provided with a number of hanging grooves 12. The bottom of each side panel 2 is also provided with hooks 21 corresponding to the hanging grooves 12. The hooks 21 at the bottom of each side panel 2 engage with the corresponding hanging grooves 12, preventing each side panel from detaching upward from the base when the box is unfolded and in use, and also restricting the amount of outward displacement and distortion of each side panel. Furthermore, the hooks 21 are provided with rotation shafts 211, and the hanging grooves 12 are provided with pivot grooves 121 that align with the rotation shafts 211, with the rotation shafts 211 of the hooks 21 positioned within the pivot grooves 121 of the corresponding hanging grooves 12, allowing each side panel 2 to be folded relative to the base 1, and the folded side panel 2 can be attached to the base 1 or can be removed separately. The side panel 2 may further be provided with a door 22 that can be opened and closed relative to the side panel.

[0032] 5 and 6, this foldable container has at least one side discharge opening 3 and a gate plate 4. A first notch 13 is formed in the base 1, and the bottom surface of the first notch 13 is not higher than the receiving surface of the base 1, preventing any obstruction between the first notch 13 and the receiving surface of the base 1, facilitating the operation of unloading luggage through the side discharge opening 3. A second notch 23 is formed in the side plate 2 opposite the first notch 13, and the first notch 13 and the second notch 23 together form the side discharge opening 3. Note that although the drawings of this embodiment show an example of only one side discharge opening, the number of side discharge openings can be determined according to actual needs. For example, two side discharge openings can be provided in two side plates and the base, and of course three or more side discharge openings are also possible.

[0033] The gate plate 4 is slidably attached to the side panel 2, and as the gate plate 4 moves on the side panel 2, the gate plate 4 has a first state in which the side discharge opening 3 is closed and a second state in which the side discharge opening 3 is open. When the gate plate 4 closes the side discharge opening 3, the inside of the foldable container is in its normal storage state. When cargo stored in the foldable container needs to be unloaded, the discharge opening is aligned with the loading opening during unloading. Then, the gate plate is opened and the card box is slightly tilted, allowing the cargo in the container to be discharged from the side discharge opening to the loading opening by gravity or external force. The side discharge opening 3 provided in this embodiment is jointly formed by the first notch 13 and second notch 23 provided on the base 1 and side panel 2 and the gate plate 4. Therefore, a conventional foldable container can be directly modified to have a side discharge opening in the foldable card box. All additional parts are profiles, plate materials, or vacuum-formed parts, which require very low investment costs while providing sufficient reliability and ease of operation.

[0034] In this embodiment, the gate plate opens and closes the side discharge opening 3 by linear displacement. Specifically, referring to Figures 7 to 9, the foldable container further includes a back plate 5, which has a plurality of fixing holes 55 formed therein and is fixed to the inner surface of the side plate 2 by rivets housed in the fixing holes 55. The back plate 5 also has a third notch 51 formed therein to match the second notch 23, and the shape of the third notch 51 is substantially the same as the shape of the second notch 23. The third notch 51 on the back plate 5 is positioned directly opposite the second notch 23 on the side plate 2, so that the side surface of the third notch 51 is aligned with the side surface of the second notch 23, facilitating alignment during assembly.

[0035] A slide groove 52 is provided on the side surface of the back plate 5 facing the side plate 2, and this slide groove 52 extends in the depth direction of the storage chamber 10. The gate plate 4 is slidably positioned within the slide groove 52 and can slide within the slide groove 52 in the depth direction of the storage chamber 10 to open and close the side discharge port. Here, the back plate 5 is provided with a protrusion 50 that accommodates the gate plate 4 and allows it to move, the inner width of the protrusion 50 being slightly larger than the width of the gate plate 4, for example, about 2 mm, and the height of the protrusion 50 being slightly larger than the thickness of the gate plate 4. The protrusion 50 of the back plate 5 is attached to the inner plate of the side plate 2, and the gap between the back plate 5 and the side plate 2 forms the slide groove 52 that accommodates the gate plate 4.

[0036] Preferably, a first positioning bump 53 and a second positioning bump 54 are provided in the slide groove 52, and the gate plate 4 is provided with positioning holes 41 that align with the first positioning bump 53 and the second positioning bump 54, and the positions of the first positioning bump 53 and the second positioning bump 54 in the slide groove 52 correspond to the first state and the second state of the gate plate 4, respectively, so that the gate plate 4 is maintained in a fully closed position or a fully open position and is not easily moved by insignificant external forces such as shaking or vibration.

[0037] More preferably, the gate plate 4 is further provided with guide grooves 42 corresponding to the first positioning bump 53 and the second positioning bump 54, and when the gate plate 4 moves, the first positioning bump 53 and the second positioning bump 54 slide within the guide grooves 42, thereby reducing the frictional resistance of the positioning bumps against the gate plate 4 when the gate plate 4 moves up and down, and facilitating the movement of the gate plate 4.

[0038] 9 and 10, a handle portion 43 is further provided on the gate plate 4, which makes it easy to grip and to perform a displacement operation on the gate plate 4. The handle portion can be riveted to the gate plate 4 with a rivet 44, and the handle portion 43 makes it easier to open and close the gate plate 4.

[0039] In this embodiment, the thickness of the back plate 5 is controlled to not exceed 9 mm, and a folding gap is always prevented between adjacent side plates during folding to accommodate possible warping of the side plates and product manufacturing tolerances, so that the increased thickness of the back plate 5 does not affect the folding process or folding height of the box body.

[0040] 5 and 6, since the base 1 and the side plate 2 in this embodiment are both vacuum-formed bodies, the base 1 and the side plate 2 can be milled to form the first notch 13 and the second notch 23. At the same time, a first openwork portion 131 is formed on the bottom surface of the base 1 corresponding to the first notch 13, and a second openwork portion 231 is formed on the side wall of the side plate 2 corresponding to the second notch 23. The presence of these openwork portions prevents the base 1 and the side plate 2 from being crushed. To prevent foreign matter such as stones, dust, and liquids from getting into the base 1 and side plate 2 and making cleaning the base 1 and side plate 2 difficult, a first baffle 61 covers the bottom surface of the first notch 13, and a second baffle 62 covers the inner wall of the second notch 23, and the first baffle 61 and the second baffle 62 cover the corresponding first openwork portion 131 and second openwork portion 231, thereby preventing foreign matter from getting into the base 1 and side plate 2 through the first notch 13 and the second notch 23. The first baffle 61 and the second baffle 62 can be fixed to the corresponding base or side plate by riveting, adhesive fixing, or ultrasonic welding.

[0041] Example 2 This embodiment provides a method for manufacturing a foldable container for manufacturing the foldable container provided by Example 1. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 12, specifically, providing a box body comprising a base 1 and four side panels 2 arranged two by two opposite each other, wherein one rectangular storage chamber 10 is enclosed by the four side panels 2 and the base 1, and each of the side panels 2 and the base 1 is a vacuum-formed body manufactured by a vacuum forming process; a step of machining one first notch 13 in the base by a machining process such as CNC, and similarly machining a second notch 23 directly opposite the first notch 13 in the bottom of the side plate 2 corresponding to the first notch 13 by a machining process such as CNC, so that the first notch 13 and the second notch 23 together form one side outlet 3; and providing one gate plate (4) and one back plate (5); The back plate 5 has a third notch 51 that is aligned with the second notch 23, and the back plate 5 is fixed to the inner surface of the side plate 2 on which the second notch 23 is formed, with the third notch 51 and the second notch 23 aligned, and the back plate 5 and the side plate 2 form a slide groove 52 that accommodates the gate plate 4, and the gate plate 4 is installed so that it can slide within the slide groove 52.

[0042] The manufacturing method of the foldable container provided by the present invention directly processes side discharge ports into the base and side panels of a conventional foldable container, which simplifies the manufacturing process, eliminates the need to develop a new injection mold, and does not affect the folding of the original card box. The modified foldable card box with side discharge ports is easy to use and has reliable performance.

[0043] Preferably, after forming the first notch 13 and the second notch 23 in the base 1 and the side plate 2, the first notch 13 and the second notch 23 are covered with the first baffle 61 and the second baffle 62, respectively, thereby covering the openwork areas in the first notch 13 and the second notch 23 and preventing foreign matter from entering the base 1 and the side plate 2.

[0044] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it should be understood that after reading the above teachings of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present invention, and the equivalent forms thereof are also included in the scope defined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A foldable container comprising a base and a plurality of side panels, the side panels being foldably attached to the base, and a storage chamber being enclosed by the side panels and the base, further comprising: at least one side outlet; a gate plate slidably attached to the side plate, the gate plate having a first state in which the side discharge port is closed by movement on the side plate, and a second state in which the side discharge port is opened by movement on the side plate; A foldable container characterized in that a first notch is provided in the base, a second notch is provided in the side plate opposite the first notch, and the first notch and the second notch together form the side discharge outlet.

2. The foldable container according to claim 1, further comprising a back plate fixed to the inner surface of the side plate, the back plate having a third notch that aligns with the second notch, a slide groove on the side of the back plate facing the side plate, and the gate plate being slidably positioned within the slide groove.

3. 3. The foldable container of claim 2, wherein a first positioning bump and a second positioning bump are provided in the slide groove, the gate plate is provided with positioning holes that align with the first positioning bump and the second positioning bump, and the positions of the first positioning bump and the second positioning bump in the slide groove correspond to the first state and the second state of the gate plate, respectively.

4. 4. The foldable container of claim 3, wherein the gate plate further has guide grooves corresponding to the first positioning bump and the second positioning bump, and when the gate plate moves, the first positioning bump and the second positioning bump slide into the guide grooves.

5. 3. The collapsible container of claim 2, wherein the thickness of the backing plate does not exceed 9 mm.

6. 2. The foldable container according to claim 1, wherein the gate plate is provided with a handle portion.

7. 2. The foldable container according to claim 1, wherein the base and side panels are both vacuum-formed.

8. 8. The foldable container according to claim 7, wherein a bottom surface of the first notch is not higher than a receiving surface of the base.

9. 9. The collapsible container according to claim 8, wherein a bottom surface of the first notch is covered with a first baffle.

10. 8. The collapsible container according to claim 7, wherein the inner walls of the second notches are all covered with second baffles.

11. A method for manufacturing a collapsible container, comprising: providing a box body comprising a base and four side panels arranged two by two opposite each other, the four side panels being foldably attached to the base, and one storage chamber being enclosed by the side panels and the base; a step of forming a first notch and a second notch facing the first notch in the base and the side plate, respectively, the first notch and the second notch together constituting one side discharge port; and further providing one gate plate and one back plate; A method for manufacturing a foldable container, characterized in that the back plate has a third notch that is provided in conjunction with the second notch and is fixed to the inner surface of the side plate in which the second notch is provided, the back plate and the side plate form a slide groove that accommodates a gate plate, the gate plate is slidably positioned within the slide groove, and the gate plate has a first state in which it closes the side discharge port and a second state in which it opens the side discharge port as the gate plate moves within the slide groove.

12. 12. The manufacturing method according to claim 11, further comprising a manufacturing step of, after machining the first notch and the second notch in the base and the side plate, respectively, covering the bottom surface of the first notch and the inner wall of the second notch with the first baffle and the second baffle, respectively.

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