Tray / lid and storage unit

Abstract

To increase the versatility of a concurrent lid body and tray while enhancing the loading efficiency of the concurrent lid body and tray.SOLUTION: A rectangular frame-shaped support part (46) that supports lower side peripheral edge parts (18f) of multiple containers (12) is provided on the peripheral edge part of a rectangular-shaped concurrent base (44). Inside the support part (46), a storage part (14p) that stores lower side engaging parts (18p) of the multiple containers (12) is formed. On the underside of the concurrent base (44), multiple positioning convex parts (52) in a rectangular frame shape that protrude downward are formed in the lateral direction at intervals. The multiple positioning convex parts (52) include multiple first positioning convex parts (52A) in the same lateral size and the second positioning convex parts (52B) in a different lateral size from the first positioning convex parts (52A).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tray that also serves as a lid, and a storage unit that stores a plurality of articles. [Background technology]

[0002] A dual-purpose lid tray is known that is used as a lid for multiple containers and as a tray for multiple containers (see Patent Document 1). The dual-purpose lid tray (a dunnage for rectangular cans in Patent Document 1) has a dual-purpose base, and a plurality of concave placement sections are formed on the upper surface of the dual-purpose base for placing containers (rectangular cans in Patent Document 1), respectively. Partition walls are formed on the upper surface of the dual-purpose base to separate the plurality of concave placement sections, and each partition wall is located between adjacent containers. In addition, a plurality of positioning protrusions are formed on the lower surface of the dual-purpose base to position the plurality of containers with respect to the dual-purpose lid tray. When the dual-purpose lid tray covers the upper portions of the plurality of containers, each positioning protrusion is located between the adjacent containers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-52534 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the size of the containers covered by the lid tray is determined by the arrangement of the positioning protrusions, and the size of the containers accommodated in the lid tray is determined by the arrangement of the partition walls, so the lid tray cannot be used as a lid or tray for multiple containers of various sizes, making it difficult to increase the versatility of the lid tray.

[0005] In addition, it is necessary to secure a gap between adjacent containers by the width of the partition wall, so when the lid tray is used as a tray for multiple containers, it is difficult to sufficiently increase the mounting efficiency (loading efficiency) of the lid tray.

[0006] Therefore, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to increase the mounting efficiency of the lid tray while increasing the versatility of the lid tray. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A tray that doubles as a lid according to one aspect of the present invention is used as a lid for covering upper openings of multiple containers arranged in a horizontal direction and as a tray for placing the multiple containers, and includes a rectangular base, a rectangular frame-shaped support portion formed on the peripheral portion of the base and supporting lower peripheral portions of the multiple containers, a storage portion formed inside the support portion and accommodating lower fitting portions formed on the inner side of the lower peripheral portions of the multiple containers, and a plurality of rectangular frame-shaped positioning protrusions formed at intervals along the horizontal direction on the lower surface of the base, capable of fitting into the upper openings of the multiple containers and protruding downward. The positioning protrusions include a plurality of first positioning protrusions having the same horizontal dimension and a second positioning protrusion having a horizontal dimension different from that of the first positioning protrusions.

[0008] According to the above configuration, as described above, the rectangular frame-shaped support portion that supports the lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers is formed on the peripheral portion of the dual-purpose base. The accommodation portion that accommodates the lower fitting portion of the plurality of containers is formed inside the support portion. Therefore, the lid tray can be used as a tray for placing the plurality of containers having a small lateral dimension, or as a tray for placing the plurality of containers having a large lateral dimension. The lid tray can also be used as a tray for placing the plurality of containers having different lateral dimensions. In addition, the spacing between the containers can be reduced to increase the loading efficiency (loading efficiency) of the containers on the lid tray.

[0009] As described above, the lower surface of the combination base is formed with the plurality of rectangular frame-shaped positioning protrusions that can be fitted into the upper openings of the plurality of containers. Therefore, when the lid tray is used as a lid for the upper openings of the plurality of containers, the plurality of containers can be positioned with respect to the lid tray while reducing the intervals between the containers.

[0010] As described above, the positioning protrusions include the first positioning protrusions having the same horizontal dimension and the second positioning protrusions having a horizontal dimension different from that of the first positioning protrusions. Therefore, the lid tray can be used as a lid that covers the upper openings of the containers having a large horizontal dimension, or as a lid that covers the upper openings of the containers having a small horizontal dimension. The lid tray can also be used as a lid that covers the upper openings of the containers having different horizontal dimensions.

[0011] In other words, the mounting efficiency (loading efficiency) of the containers on the lid tray can be increased, while the versatility of the lid tray can be increased.

[0012] A storage unit according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of containers for storing items, each container having an upper opening that opens upward and a lower fitting portion formed to protrude downwardly inside the lower peripheral portion, and a lid / tray as described in claim 1 that is used as a lid to cover the upper openings of the plurality of containers arranged horizontally and also as a tray for placing the plurality of containers.

[0013] According to the above-mentioned configuration, since the storage unit includes the lid-tray, the same effects as those of the lid-tray are achieved.

[0014] In a storage unit according to one aspect of the present invention, the container has a container body having a side opening that is open on at least one vertical side, and a door member that opens and closes the side opening of the container body, and guide grooves that guide the side ends of the door member in an up-down direction are formed from each side edge of the side opening in the container body to the upper end of the container body, and the lid-tray is configured such that, when it covers the upper openings of the multiple containers, each positioning protrusion fits into the upper part of the corresponding guide groove of the multiple containers.

[0015] According to the above configuration, when the lid tray covers the upper openings of the containers, each positioning protrusion fits into the upper part of the corresponding guide groove of the containers, and therefore, when the lid tray is used as a lid for the containers, it is possible to prevent the door member from floating up and to prevent the articles from falling out of the side openings of the containers during transport.

[0016] In one embodiment of the storage unit of the present invention, a pallet is provided having a pair of end beam portions spaced laterally apart and an intermediate beam portion located midway between the pair of end beam portions, and the lid / tray is configured so that when the multiple containers are placed on the pallet via the lid / tray, one of the positioning protrusions is located above the intermediate beam portion.

[0017] With the above configuration, when the multiple containers are placed on the pallet via the lid tray, any one of the positioning protrusions is located above the intermediate beam. Therefore, the multiple containers with a large lateral dimension are supported across the end beam and the intermediate beam. This makes it possible to stably transport the multiple containers using the pallet while preventing deformation of the pallet. When a portion of one side of the positioning protrusion and a portion of the side intersecting with the one side are located above the intermediate beam, the multiple containers can be transported more stably.

[0018] A storage unit according to one aspect of the present invention may have a downwardly recessed sidewall recess formed on the upper ends of a pair of laterally opposing sidewall portions of each container, and the lid / tray is formed between each pair of laterally adjacent positioning protrusions on the underside of the dual-purpose base and has a downwardly protruding regulating protrusion, and when the upper openings of the multiple containers are covered, one of the regulating protrusions may be configured to fit into the sidewall recesses of each pair of laterally adjacent containers.

[0019] According to the above configuration, when the lid tray covers the upper openings of the containers, any of the restricting protrusions fits into the sidewall recesses of each pair of the containers adjacent in the horizontal direction, thereby preventing deformation of the upper openings of the containers.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, a storage unit has a downwardly protruding sidewall convex portion formed on the lower end of a pair of laterally opposing side wall portions of each container, and the multiple containers are configured such that when stacked, the sidewall convex portion of the upper multiple containers fits into the sidewall concave portion of the lower multiple containers; the lid / tray has downwardly recessed support concave portions formed on a pair of laterally opposing sides of the support portion, and a downwardly protruding support convex portion is formed directly below each support concave portion of the support portion, and is configured such that when the upper openings of the multiple containers are covered, each support convex portion fits into the sidewall concave portion of any of the multiple containers, and when the multiple containers are stored in the storage portion, each support concave portion fits into the sidewall convex portion of any of the multiple containers.

[0021] According to the above configuration, when the containers are stacked, the sidewall protrusions of the upper containers fit into the sidewall recesses of the lower containers, thereby preventing misalignment between the upper containers and the lower containers.

[0022] When the lid tray covers the upper openings of the containers, each of the support protrusions fits into the sidewall recess of one of the containers, thereby preventing the containers from being misaligned with respect to the lid tray when the lid tray is used as a lid for the containers.

[0023] When the containers are accommodated in the accommodating portion of the lid tray, each of the support recesses fits into the side wall protrusion of one of the containers, so that when the lid tray is used as a tray for the containers, it is possible to prevent the containers from being misaligned with respect to the lid tray. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to one aspect of the present invention, the mounting efficiency of the lid tray can be increased while the versatility of the lid tray can be increased. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the storage unit according to the embodiment, showing a plurality of normal-sized containers arranged horizontally. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the storage unit according to the present embodiment, showing a state in which a plurality of large-sized containers are arranged horizontally. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the storage unit according to the embodiment, showing standard-sized containers stacked horizontally. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the storage unit according to the present embodiment, showing large-sized containers stacked side by side. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] 6 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 5 on the door member side. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lid / pallet according to the embodiment, seen from above. [Figure 11] 11 is a perspective view of the lid / pallet shown in FIG. 10 as seen from below. [Figure 12] 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view of the storage unit shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a part of the lid-tray is broken away. [Figure 14] 3 is a plan sectional view of the storage unit shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which a part of the lid-tray is broken away. [Figure 15] FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of part XV in FIG. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. 15. [Figure 17] FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion XVII in FIG. [Figure 18] 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVIII-XVIII in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pallet according to the embodiment, showing the state in which the lid tray is placed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The horizontal direction refers to the horizontal direction of the lid tray, the dual-purpose base, the container, the container body, or the pallet, and is one of the horizontal directions. The vertical direction refers to the vertical direction of the lid tray, the dual-purpose base, the container, the container body, or the pallet, and is one of the horizontal directions perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The height direction refers to the height direction of the container or the container body, and is the vertical direction (up and down direction). The outward direction refers to the direction toward the outside of the container or the container body, and the inward direction refers to the direction toward the inside of the container or the container body. The rectangular shape is not limited to a strict rectangular shape, and includes a shape that can be visually recognized as a rectangular shape overall, even if the corners are curved, for example. The rectangular frame shape is not limited to a strict rectangular frame shape, and includes a shape that can be visually recognized as a rectangular frame overall, even if the corners are curved or bent, or a part is cut off. In the drawings, "CD" indicates the horizontal direction, "LD" indicates the vertical direction, and "HD" indicates the height direction.

[0027] [Overview of Containment Unit 10] An overview of a containing unit 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0028] As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the storage unit 10 according to the first embodiment is a unit for storing articles, and is used, for example, in a logistics system for transporting (carrying) or storing articles. The storage unit 10 shown in Fig. 1 includes a plurality of normal-sized containers 12 (12A) for storing articles, a tray 14 serving as a lid for the plurality of containers 12 (12A), and a tray 14 serving as a lid for the plurality of containers 12 (12A). The storage unit 10 shown in Fig. 2 includes a plurality of large-sized containers 12 (12B) for storing articles, a tray 14 serving as a lid for the plurality of containers 12 (12B), and a tray 14 serving as a lid for the plurality of containers 12 (12B).

[0029] The storage unit 10 shown in Fig. 3 includes a plurality of normal-sized containers 12 (12A), a plurality of lid trays 14 as lids for the plurality of containers 12 (12A), a plurality of lid trays 14 as trays for the plurality of containers 12 (12A), and a pallet 16 for transporting the plurality of containers 12 (12A). The storage unit 10 shown in Fig. 4 includes a plurality of large-sized containers 12 (12B), a plurality of lid trays 14 as lids for the plurality of containers 12 (12B), a plurality of lid trays 14 as trays for the plurality of containers 12 (12B), and a pallet 16 for transporting the plurality of containers 12 (12B).

[0030] [Specific configuration of container 12] Next, a specific configuration of the container 12 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0031] (Container 12, container body 18) 5 and 6, the container 12 includes a box-shaped container body 18, which is made of a resin such as polypropylene and is formed by injection molding. The material of the container body 18 is not limited to resin, and may be a metal such as aluminum. The method of manufacturing the container body 18 is not limited to injection molding, and may be a manufacturing method other than injection molding.

[0032] (Bottom wall portion 20, side wall portion 22) 5 to 7, the container body 18 has a bottom wall 20 that is rectangular in plan view and that supports an article, and the bottom wall 20 extends in the vertical direction. The container body 18 has side walls 22 that rise from a pair of laterally opposing sides of the bottom wall 20. The pair of side walls 22 face each other in the horizontal direction, and each side wall 22 extends in the vertical direction.

[0033] (Upper opening UA, side opening SA, LA) 5 and 6, the container body 18 has an upper opening UA that is open at the top, a side opening SA that is open at one vertical side, and a side opening LA that is open at the other vertical side. The side opening LA of the container body 18 is connected to the upper opening UA. Note that the container body 18 does not need to have the other side opening LA as long as it has one side opening SA.

[0034] (Connection wall section 24, low wall section 26) 5, 6, and 8, the container body 18 has a connecting wall 24 formed above the side opening SA. The connecting wall 24 extends in the horizontal direction and connects one side ends of the pair of side walls 22. The container body 18 also has a bottom wall 26 rising from the side opening LA side of the bottom wall 20, and the bottom wall 26 is located below the side opening LA of the container body 18. The bottom wall 26 extends in the horizontal direction and connects the other side ends of the pair of side walls 22.

[0035] (Lower peripheral portion 18f, lower fitting portion 18p) 6 and 7, the lower end surfaces of the pair of side wall portions 22, the lower end surface of the portion of the container body 18 that is outwardly facing the lower edge portion of the side opening SA, and the lower end surface of the bottom wall portion 26 constitute a lower peripheral edge portion 18f of the container body 18 (containers 12). A lower fitting portion 18p that protrudes downward is formed on the inside of the lower peripheral edge portion 18f of the container body 18. The lower fitting portion 18p of the container body 18 (containers 12) corresponds to the lower portion of the bottom wall portion 20. When the containers 12 are stacked, the lower fitting portion 18p of the upper container 12 is configured to fit into the upper opening UA of the lower container 12.

[0036] (Side wall recess 28, side wall protrusion 30) As shown in Figures 5 and 9, a sidewall recess 28 recessed downward is formed near the side opening LA at the upper end of each sidewall portion 22, with the portion of each sidewall recess 28 on the upper opening UA side being closed and the portion of each sidewall recess 28 opposite the upper opening UA side being open. Also, as shown in Figure 7, a sidewall protrusion 30 protruding downward is formed near the bottom wall portion 26 at the lower end of each sidewall portion 22. As shown in Figure 9, the containers 12 are configured such that, when stacked, the sidewall protrusion 30 of the upper container 12 fits into the sidewall recess 28 of the lower container 12.

[0037] With the above-described configuration, when the multiple containers 12 are stacked, the sidewall protrusions 30 of the multiple containers 12 on the upper tier fit into the sidewall recesses 28 of the multiple containers 12 on the lower tier. This makes it possible to prevent misalignment between the multiple containers 12 on the upper tier and the multiple containers 12 on the lower tier.

[0038] (Door member 32) 6 to 8, the container 12 is provided with a rectangular door member 32 that opens and closes a side opening SA of the container body 18. The door member 32 extends in the lateral direction and is configured to be detachable from the container body 18. The door member 32 is made of a resin such as polypropylene, and is formed by injection molding. The material of the door member 32 is not limited to resin, and may be a metal such as aluminum. The manufacturing method of the door member 32 is not limited to injection molding, and may be a manufacturing method other than injection molding.

[0039] (Door support portion 33, guide groove 34, engagement groove 36) As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, a door support portion 33 that supports the inner side of each side end of the door element 32 is formed on the inside of each side wall portion 22, and the door support portion 33 extends in the vertical direction from the bottom wall portion 20 to the upper end of the container body 18. A guide groove 34 that guides each side end of the door element 32 in the vertical direction (height direction) is formed from each side edge of the side opening SA of the container body 18 to the upper end of the container body 18. Each guide groove 34 extends in the vertical direction, and the height dimension of each guide groove 34 is set to be larger than the height dimension of the door element 32. In addition, an engagement groove 36 that can engage with the lower end of the door element 32 is formed on the lower edge of the side opening SA of the container body 18. The engagement groove 36 extends in the horizontal direction, and both ends of the engagement groove 36 are connected to the lower ends of the guide grooves 34.

[0040] (Bulging portion 38, gripping portion 40, locking protrusion 42) 6 and 8, a bulging portion 38 that bulges outward is formed in the horizontal center of the upper end side of the door member 32, and the upper part of the bulging portion 38 serves as a handle portion for hanging on. A gripping portion 40 for holding with the hand is formed in the upper part of the bulging portion 38. In addition, a locking projection 42 that can be locked to the lower end of the connecting wall portion 24 is formed on the outer surface of the bulging portion 38. The door member 32 is configured so that the locking projection 42 locks to the lower end of the connecting wall portion 24 when the side opening SA of the container body 18 is closed.

[0041] [Specific configuration of the lid tray 14] Next, a specific configuration of the lid-tray 14 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0042] (Overview of the lid / tray 14) 1 and 2, the lid tray 14 is used as a lid for covering the upper openings UA of the multiple containers 12 arranged horizontally, as described above, and is also used as a tray for placing the multiple containers 12. The lid tray 14 is made of a resin such as polypropylene, and is formed by injection molding. The material of the lid tray 14 is not limited to resin, and may be a metal such as aluminum. The method of manufacturing the lid tray 14 is not limited to injection molding, and may be a manufacturing method other than injection molding.

[0043] (Common base 44, support portion 46, storage portion 14p) As shown in Figs. 10 to 12, the lid tray 14 includes a rectangular multi-purpose base 44. The multi-purpose base 44 extends in the horizontal direction and is formed in a plate shape. The front surface of the multi-purpose base 44 is the upper surface of the multi-purpose base 44, and the back surface of the multi-purpose base 44 is the lower surface of the multi-purpose base 44. A rectangular frame-shaped support portion 46 that supports the lower peripheral portion 18f of the multiple containers 12 is formed on the peripheral portion of the multi-purpose base 44. The support portion 46 extends in the horizontal direction and protrudes upward from the upper surface (front surface) of the multi-purpose base 44. The support portion 46 has a flat upper surface portion 46a, an inner peripheral portion 46b located inside the upper surface portion 46a, and an outer peripheral portion 46c located outside the upper surface portion 46a. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, inside the support portion 46, a storage portion 14p for storing the lower fitting portions 18p of the multiple containers 12 is formed, and the storage portion 14p extends in the lateral direction.

[0044] (Support recess 48, support protrusion 50) As shown in Figs. 10 and 12, a pair of laterally opposing sides of the support portion 46 are formed with support recesses 48 recessed downward. The portion of each support recess 48 on the side of the storage portion 14p is closed, and the portion of each support recess 48 on the opposite side of the storage portion 14p is open. Also, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, a support protrusion 50 protruding downward is formed at a position directly below each support recess 48 on the upper surface portion 46a of the support portion 46. Then, as shown in Figs. 9 and 13, the lid-tray 14 is configured so that when it covers the upper openings UA of the multiple containers 12, each support protrusion 50 fits into one of the side wall recesses 28 of the multiple containers 12. The lid-tray 14 is configured so that when the multiple containers 12 are stored in the storage portion 14p, each support recess 48 fits into one of the side wall protrusions 30 of the multiple containers 12.

[0045] (positioning protrusion 52) As shown in Figs. 12 to 14, a plurality of positioning protrusions 52 in the shape of a rectangular frame protruding downward are formed at intervals along the horizontal direction on the lower surface (back surface) of the combined base 44. Each positioning protrusion 52 can be fitted into the upper opening UA of the plurality of containers 12, and has the function of positioning the container 12 in the horizontal direction with respect to the combined base 44. Each positioning protrusion 52 has curved and bent parts at its corners, but is formed into a shape that can be visually recognized as a rectangular frame as a whole. Also, as shown in Figs. 13, 15, and 16, when the lid-tray 14 covers the upper openings UA of the plurality of containers 12, each positioning protrusion 52 is configured to enter the upper part of the corresponding guide grooves 34 of the plurality of containers 12 and be positioned above the door member 32. Note that the portion 52e of each positioning protrusion 52 that enters the guide groove 34 of the container 12 is formed into a shape that follows the guide groove 34 of the container 12.

[0046] 12, the lower end surface of each positioning protrusion 52 is located on the same plane as the lower end surface of the outer periphery 46c of the support part 46. This allows the lower end surface of the outer periphery 46c of the support part and the lower end surfaces of the positioning protrusions 52 to come into contact with the ground, allowing the multiple containers 12 to be stably placed on the support part.

[0047] 11, the multiple positioning protrusions 52 include two first positioning protrusions 52A having the same horizontal dimension, and two second positioning protrusions 52B having a horizontal dimension smaller than that of the first positioning protrusions 52A. The two first positioning protrusions 52A are disposed apart from each other in the horizontal direction, and the two second positioning protrusions 52B are disposed between the two first positioning protrusions 52A.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 13, when three normal-sized containers 12 are lined up horizontally, each first positioning protrusion 52A fits into the upper opening UA of the normal-sized container 12, and two second positioning protrusions 52B fit into the upper opening UA of the normal-sized container 12. Also, as shown in Fig. 14, when two large-sized containers 12 are lined up horizontally, one first positioning protrusion 52A and one second positioning protrusion 52B fit into the upper opening UA of the large-sized container 12.

[0049] In addition, if the horizontal dimension of the second positioning protrusion 52B is different from the horizontal dimension of the first positioning protrusion 52A, it may be larger than the horizontal dimension of the first positioning protrusion 52A. The number of the first positioning protrusions 52A may be three or more, and the number of the second positioning protrusions 52B may be one or three or more. If the horizontal dimension of the multiple second positioning protrusions 52B is different from the horizontal dimension of the first positioning protrusion 52A, the horizontal dimensions of the multiple second positioning protrusions 52B may not be the same. The arrangement of the first positioning protrusion 52A and the second positioning protrusion 52B may also be changed appropriately. The multiple positioning protrusions 52 are arranged in one row (one column) in the vertical direction, but may be arranged in multiple rows (multiple columns) in the vertical direction.

[0050] (Regulation protrusion 54) 13, 17, and 18, a downwardly protruding regulating protrusion 54 is formed between each pair of laterally adjacent positioning protrusions 52 on the underside of the combined base 44. The lid / tray 14 is configured such that, when it covers the upper openings UA of the multiple containers 12, one of the regulating protrusions 54 fits into the sidewall recesses 28 of each pair of laterally adjacent containers 12.

[0051] With the above-described configuration, when the lid-tray 14 covers the upper openings UA of the multiple containers 12, any one of the restricting protrusions 54 fits into the sidewall recesses 28 of each pair of laterally adjacent containers 12. This makes it possible to prevent the upper openings UA and side openings LA of the multiple containers 12 from being deformed.

[0052] (Base protrusion 56) 11, two base protrusions 56 protruding downward are formed on the underside of the combined base 44, and the two base protrusions 56 are arranged spaced apart in the lateral direction. The two base protrusions 56 are components for positioning the lid / tray 14 with respect to the pallet 16.

[0053] [Palette 16 composition, etc.] Next, the configuration of the pallet 16 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0054] (Palette 16 Overview) As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 19, the pallet 16 is used when multiple containers 12 are transported (carried) by a forklift (not shown). The pallet 16 is made of resin such as polypropylene, and is formed by injection molding. The material of the pallet 16 is not limited to resin, and may be metal such as aluminum. The manufacturing method of the pallet 16 is not limited to injection molding, and may be a manufacturing method other than injection molding. The material of the pallet 16 is not limited to resin or metal, and may be wood.

[0055] (Placement area SF, pallet recess 58) As shown in Fig. 19, two mounting areas SF are formed on the upper surface of the pallet 16 for mounting a plurality of containers 12. In other words, two mounting areas SF are formed on the upper surface of the pallet 16 for mounting the lid / trays 14. Two pallet recesses 58 recessed downward are formed in each mounting area SF of the pallet 16, and the two pallet recesses 58 are spaced apart in the lateral direction. Each pallet recess 58 of the pallet 16 can be fitted into each base protrusion 56 of the combined base 44.

[0056] (End girder 60, intermediate girder 62, fork insertion path 64) As shown in Figs. 4 and 19, the pallet 16 has a pair of end beams 60 spaced apart in the horizontal direction, and each end beam 60 extends in the vertical direction. The pallet 16 has an intermediate beam 62 located midway between the pair of end beams 60, and the intermediate beam 62 extends in the vertical direction. A fork insertion path 64 for inserting the forks of a forklift is formed between the end beams 60 and the intermediate beams 62 adjacent in the horizontal direction. The storage unit 10 is configured such that when the multiple containers 12 are placed in each placement area SF of the pallet 16 via the lid-tray 14, a part of each second positioning protrusion 52B is located above the intermediate beam 62. Note that each end beam 60 may be divided in the vertical direction, and the intermediate beam 62 may be divided in the vertical direction.

[0057] With the above-mentioned configuration, when the containers 12 are placed on the respective placement areas SF of the pallet 16 via the lid tray 14, a portion of each of the second positioning protrusions 52B is located above the intermediate beam 62. When the containers 12 are placed on the respective placement areas SF of the pallet 16 via the lid tray 14, a portion of one side of each of the second positioning protrusions 52B and a portion of the side intersecting with the one side are located above the intermediate beam 62. Therefore, the containers 12 (12B) having a large size and a large horizontal dimension are supported between the end beam 60 and the intermediate beam 62. This makes it possible to stably transport the containers 12 (12B) using the pallet 16 while preventing the deformation of the pallet 16. In particular, since a portion of one side of each of the second positioning protrusions 52B and a portion of the side intersecting with the one side are located above the intermediate beam 62, the containers 12 (12B) can be transported more stably.

[0058] (Effects of this embodiment) Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0059] As described above, a rectangular frame-shaped support portion 46 is formed on the periphery of the combined base 44 to support the lower peripheral portion 18f of the multiple containers 12. A storage portion 14p is formed inside the support portion 46 to store the lower fitting portion 18p of the multiple containers 12. Therefore, the lid tray 14 can be used as a tray for placing multiple normal-sized containers 12 (12A) with a small horizontal dimension, or as a tray for placing multiple large-sized containers 12 (12B) with a large horizontal dimension. The lid tray 14 can also be used as a tray for placing multiple containers 12 with different horizontal dimensions. In addition, the spacing between the containers 12 can be reduced to increase the efficiency of mounting (loading) the containers 12 on the lid tray 14.

[0060] As described above, a plurality of rectangular frame-shaped positioning protrusions 52 capable of fitting into the upper openings UA of a plurality of containers 12 are formed on the underside of the combined base 44. Therefore, when the lid tray 14 is used as a lid for the upper openings UA of a plurality of containers 12, the plurality of containers 12 can be positioned with respect to the lid tray 14 while reducing the spacing between the containers 12.

[0061] As described above, the positioning protrusions 52 include two first positioning protrusions 52A having the same horizontal dimension and two second positioning protrusions 52B having a smaller horizontal dimension than the first positioning protrusions 52A. Therefore, the lid-tray 14 can be used as a lid that covers the upper openings UA of multiple normal-sized containers 12 (12A) having a small horizontal dimension, or as a lid that covers the upper openings UA of multiple large-sized containers 12 (12B) having a large horizontal dimension. The lid-tray 14 can also be used as a lid that covers the upper openings UA of multiple containers 12 having different horizontal dimensions.

[0062] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the mounting efficiency (loading efficiency) of the containers 12 on the lid tray 14 can be increased, while the versatility of the lid tray 14 can be increased.

[0063] According to the configuration of the storage unit 10 of this embodiment, when the lid tray 14 covers the upper openings UA of the multiple containers 12, the positioning protrusions 52 fit into the upper parts of the corresponding guide grooves 34 of the multiple containers 12 and are positioned above the door element 32. Therefore, when the lid tray 14 is used as a lid for the multiple containers 12, it is possible to prevent the door element 32 from floating up and to prevent the articles from going out through the side openings SA of the containers 12 during transport.

[0064] Furthermore, when the lid tray 14 covers the upper openings UA of the multiple containers 12, each of the support protrusions 50 fits into one of the side wall recesses 28 of the multiple containers 12. Therefore, when the lid tray 14 is used as a lid for the multiple containers 12, it is possible to prevent the multiple containers 12 from being displaced relative to the lid tray 14. Furthermore, when the multiple containers 12 are accommodated in the accommodation portion 14p, each of the support recesses 48 of the lid tray 14 fits into one of the side wall protrusions 30 of the multiple containers 12. Therefore, when the lid tray 14 is used as a tray for the multiple containers 12, it is possible to prevent the multiple containers 12 from being displaced relative to the lid tray 14.

[0065] Therefore, according to this embodiment, whether the lid tray 14 is used as a lid for multiple containers 12 or the lid tray 14 is used as a tray for multiple containers 12, the transport (carry) of items can be performed stably.

[0066] [Additional Notes] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10 Containment Unit 12 containers 12A Normal size container 12B Large size container 14 Lid and tray 16 palettes 18 Container body 18f Lower rim 18p Lower fitting part 20 Bottom wall 22 Side wall UA upper opening SA side opening LA lateral opening 24 Connecting wall section 26 Low wall 28 Side wall recess 30 Side wall protrusion 32 Door parts 33 Door support part 34 Guide groove 36 Engagement groove 38 Bulge 42 Locking protrusion 44 Multi-purpose base 46 Support part 46a Top part 46b Inner circumference 46c outer periphery 14p storage section 48 Support recess 50 Support protrusion 52 Positioning protrusion 52A First positioning protrusion 52B Second positioning protrusion 54 Regulating protrusion 56 Base protrusion SF loading area 58 Pallet recess 60 End girder 62 Intermediate girder 64 Fork insertion path

Claims

1. A tray that can be used as a lid to cover upper openings of multiple containers arranged in a horizontal direction and as a tray on which the multiple containers are placed, A rectangular multipurpose base, a rectangular frame-shaped support portion formed on a peripheral portion of the multi-purpose base and supporting a lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers; a receiving portion formed inside the support portion and configured to receive a lower fitting portion formed inside a lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers; a plurality of rectangular frame-shaped positioning protrusions formed at intervals along the lateral direction on the lower surface of the combination base, capable of fitting into the upper openings of the plurality of containers, and protruding downward; The plurality of positioning protrusions include A plurality of first positioning protrusions having the same lateral dimension; The first positioning protrusion and a second positioning protrusion having a different lateral dimension, A tray that doubles as a lid, characterized in that when covering the upper openings of the multiple containers, each positioning protrusion is formed from each side edge of the side openings of the multiple containers to the upper end of the container, and is configured to fit into the upper part of a guide groove that guides each side edge of a door member that opens and closes the side openings in the vertical direction.

2. A tray that can be used as a lid to cover upper openings of multiple containers arranged in a horizontal direction and as a tray for placing the multiple containers, A rectangular multipurpose base, a rectangular frame-shaped support portion formed on a peripheral portion of the multi-purpose base and supporting a lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers; a receiving portion formed inside the support portion and configured to receive a lower fitting portion formed inside a lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers; a plurality of rectangular frame-shaped positioning protrusions formed at intervals along a lower surface of the combination base along a lateral direction, the positioning protrusions being capable of fitting into the upper openings of the plurality of containers and protruding downward; a restricting protrusion formed between each pair of the positioning protrusions adjacent in the lateral direction on the lower surface of the combined base and protruding downward; The plurality of positioning protrusions include A plurality of first positioning protrusions having the same lateral dimension; The first positioning protrusion and a second positioning protrusion having a different lateral dimension, A tray that doubles as a lid, characterized in that when covering the upper openings of the multiple containers, any one of the regulating protrusions fits into a downwardly recessed side wall recess formed on the upper ends of a pair of laterally opposing side wall portions of each pair of laterally adjacent containers.

3. A plurality of containers each having an upper opening that opens upward and a lower fitting portion formed on the inside of a lower peripheral portion so as to protrude downward, for storing articles; a lid-tray that is used as a lid for covering the upper openings of the plurality of containers arranged in the horizontal direction and is also used as a tray for placing the plurality of containers; The container comprises: A container body having a side opening that is open on at least one side in a vertical direction; a door member for opening and closing the side opening of the container body; a guide groove formed from each side edge of the side opening in the container body to an upper end of the container body, for guiding each side end of the door member in a vertical direction; The lid tray is A rectangular multipurpose base, a rectangular frame-shaped support portion formed on a peripheral portion of the multi-purpose base and supporting a lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers; a receiving portion formed inside the support portion and configured to receive a lower fitting portion formed inside a lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers; a plurality of rectangular frame-shaped positioning protrusions formed at intervals along the lower surface of the combined base along the lateral direction, capable of being fitted into the upper openings of the plurality of containers, and protruding downward; The plurality of positioning protrusions include A plurality of first positioning protrusions having the same lateral dimension; a second positioning protrusion having a lateral dimension different from that of the first positioning protrusion, The lid tray is A storage unit characterized in that, when covering the upper openings of the multiple containers, each of the multiple positioning protrusions is configured to fit into the upper part of the corresponding guide groove of the multiple containers.

4. A plurality of containers each having an upper opening that opens upward and a lower fitting portion formed on the inside of a lower peripheral portion so as to protrude downward, for storing articles; A tray that is used as a lid for covering upper openings of the plurality of containers arranged in the horizontal direction and also as a tray for placing the plurality of containers; A pallet having a pair of laterally spaced end beams and an intermediate beam located intermediate the pair of end beams, The lid tray is A rectangular multipurpose base, a rectangular frame-shaped support portion formed on a peripheral portion of the multi-purpose base and supporting a lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers; a receiving portion formed inside the support portion and configured to receive a lower fitting portion formed inside a lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers; a plurality of rectangular frame-shaped positioning protrusions formed at intervals along the lower surface of the combined base along the lateral direction, capable of being fitted into the upper openings of the plurality of containers, and protruding downward; The plurality of positioning protrusions include A plurality of first positioning protrusions having the same lateral dimension; a second positioning protrusion having a lateral dimension different from that of the first positioning protrusion, A storage unit characterized in that when the multiple containers are placed on the pallet via the lid tray, any of the positioning protrusions is positioned above the intermediate beam.

5. A plurality of containers each having an upper opening that opens upward and a lower fitting portion formed on the inside of a lower peripheral portion so as to protrude downward, for storing articles; a lid-tray that is used as a lid for covering upper openings of the plurality of containers arranged in a horizontal direction and also as a tray for placing the plurality of containers; The lid tray is A rectangular multipurpose base, a rectangular frame-shaped support portion formed on a peripheral portion of the multi-purpose base and supporting a lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers; a receiving portion formed inside the support portion and configured to receive a lower fitting portion formed inside a lower peripheral portion of the plurality of containers; a plurality of rectangular frame-shaped positioning protrusions formed at intervals along a lower surface of the combination base along a lateral direction, the positioning protrusions being capable of fitting into the upper openings of the plurality of containers and protruding downward; a restricting protrusion formed between each pair of the positioning protrusions adjacent to each other in the lateral direction on the rear surface of the combined base and protruding downward; The plurality of positioning protrusions include A plurality of first positioning protrusions having the same lateral dimension; a second positioning protrusion having a lateral dimension different from that of the first positioning protrusion, A pair of side wall portions opposed to each other in the lateral direction of the container are each formed at an upper end with a side wall recess recessed downward, The lid tray is A storage unit characterized in that, when covering the upper openings of the multiple containers, any of the regulating protrusions is configured to fit into the side wall recesses of each pair of laterally adjacent containers.

6. A pair of side wall portions opposed to each other in the lateral direction of the container are each formed at a lower end with a side wall protrusion protruding downward, The plurality of containers include: When stacked, the side wall protrusions of the plurality of containers on the upper tier are configured to fit into the side wall recesses of the plurality of containers on the lower tier, The lid tray is A pair of support recesses recessed downward are formed on each of a pair of laterally opposing sides of the support portion, and a support protrusion protruding downward is formed directly below each support recess of the support portion, The storage unit described in claim 5, characterized in that when covering the upper openings of the multiple containers, each support convex portion is configured to fit into the side wall concave portion of one of the multiple containers, and when the multiple containers are stored in the storage section, each support concave portion is configured to fit into the side wall convex portion of one of the multiple containers.

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