container

Abstract

To make a standing state of a foldable side wall easy to maintain.SOLUTION: In a container 10, each of long side walls 40 is divided into two which are an upper long side wall 45 and a lower long side wall 55 at an intermediate part in the vertical direction. The lower long side wall 55 is connected to a long side bank part 16 of a pallet 11 so as to rotate and move vertically. At the lower long side wall 55, a first side protrusion part 60 is provided to be engageable with a lower side engagement recess part 35 of a short side wall 20 in an assembly state in a protrusion and recess manner. When the first side protrusion part 60 and the lower side engagement recess part 35 are engaged in the protrusion and recess manner, the rotation of the lower long side wall 55 is restricted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a box-shaped container in which at least one side wall is a folding side wall that pivots relative to the bottom. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of container, there is known a container in which a part of the folding side wall serves as a pivoting wall that pivots about the lower end relative to the folding side wall main body to open and close the side opening (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-171315 A (Fig. 22, etc.) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional containers, it is desired to make it easier to maintain the folded side walls in an upright state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve the above objectives First aspect of the invention is a box-shaped container in which at least one side wall is a folding side wall that rotates relative to the bottom, and a part of the folding side wall is a rotating wall that rotates around the lower end relative to the folding side wall main body to open and close a side opening, the folding side wall main body is supported in an upright position so as to be movable up and down, and is equipped with a main body regulating part that regulates the rotation of the folding side wall main body unless the folding side wall main body is moved upward.

[0006] Second Aspect of the Invention The folding side wall is divided into an upper wall as the pivot wall and a lower wall as the folding side wall main body at a vertically intermediate portion. First aspect It is a container described in

[0007] Third aspect of the invention is provided on the upper wall or a pair of side walls on both sides thereof, and is operable to switch between a locked state in which the upper wall is locked so as to be unable to move up and down and to be unable to rotate relative to the pair of side walls, and an unlocked state in which the lock is released. Second aspect It is a container described in

[0008] Fourth aspect of the invention The upper wall is supported in an upright position so as to be vertically movable relative to the lower wall, and includes an upper restricting portion that restricts rotation of the upper wall when both the upper wall and the lower wall are positioned at the lower end positions of their vertical movable ranges. Second aspect or Third aspect It is a container described in

[0009] Fifth aspect of the invention The main body regulating portion includes an engaging protrusion disposed on one of the folding sidewall main body and the adjacent sidewall or the bottom, and an engaging recess disposed on the other and capable of receiving the engaging protrusion, the engaging recess including an opening through which the engaging protrusion can pass when the folding sidewall main body is tilted inward at the upper end position of its vertical movable range, and an outer rotation regulating portion that interferes with the engaging protrusion when the folding sidewall main body is tilted outward at the lower end position of its vertical movable range, and the outer rotation regulating portion interferes with the engaging protrusion throughout the entire vertical movable range of the folding sidewall main body. First aspect from Fourth aspect Either one of Aspects It is a container described in

[0010] Sixth aspect of the invention The main body regulating portion includes an engaging protrusion disposed on one of the folding sidewall main body and the adjacent sidewall or the bottom, and an engaging recess disposed on the other and capable of receiving the engaging protrusion, and the engaging recess includes an opening through which the engaging protrusion can pass when the folding sidewall main body is tilted inward at the upper end position of its vertical movable range, an outer rotation regulating portion that interferes with the engaging protrusion when the folding sidewall main body is tilted outward at the lower end position of its vertical movable range, and an inner rotation regulating portion that interferes with the engaging protrusion when the folding sidewall main body is tilted inward at the lower end position of its vertical movable range. First aspect from Fifth aspect Either one of Aspects It is a container described in

[0011] Seventh aspect of the invention The folding side wall body and the adjacent side wall or the bottom portion are provided with upward movement restricting portions that are in contact with each other in the vertical direction and determine the upper end position of the vertical movable range of the folding side wall body, separately from the hinge portion that connects the folding side wall body and the bottom portion. First aspect from Sixth Aspect Either one of Aspects It is a container described in [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] First aspect In this container, unless the folding side wall main body is moved upward, the main body regulating portion restricts the rotation of the folding side wall main body, thereby preventing the folding side wall from collapsing unintentionally and making it easier for the folding side wall to remain upright.

[0013] The folding side wall may have a pivot wall at the center in the left-right direction, for example. Second aspect As shown in the figure, the structure may be divided into an upper wall as a pivot wall and a lower wall as a folding side wall main body at the vertical intermediate portion.

[0014] Third aspect In this container, when the locking member locks the upper wall so that it cannot move up and down and rotate relative to the pair of side walls, the lower wall also cannot move up and down. Furthermore, since the rotation of the lower wall is restricted unless it is moved upward, simply locking the upper wall also locks the lower wall.

[0015] Fourth aspect In the container, when both the upper and lower walls are positioned at the lower end of their vertical movable ranges, the rotation of the upper wall is restricted, so that the folded side walls are more likely to be maintained in an upright position.

[0016] Fifth aspect In the container, the folding side wall main body is restricted from rotating outward.

[0017] Sixth Aspect In the container, the engagement recess has the functions of restricting the outward rotation of the folding side wall main body and restricting the inward rotation of the folding side wall main body, which increases the freedom of design of other parts.

[0018] Seventh aspect In the container, the upward movement regulating portion that abuts against the hinge portion and determines the upper end position of the vertical movement range of the folding side wall main body is provided separately from the hinge portion, so that excessive load is prevented from being applied to the hinge portion, and damage to the hinge portion is prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] A perspective view of the container in a folded state [Figure 3] Enlarged view of the pallet [Figure 4] Enlarged view of the container [Figure 5] Enlarged view of the container [Figure 6] Enlarged view of the area around the side protrusion on the short side wall [Figure 7] Perspective view of the container [Figure 8] Enlarged view of the area around the side protrusion on the short side wall [Figure 9] Close-up of the side of the long side wall [Figure 10] Close-up of the side of the long side wall [Figure 11] A cross-sectional side view of the vicinity of the hinge member of the container [Figure 12] A cross-sectional side view of the vicinity of the hinge member of the container [Figure 13] A cross-sectional side view of the vicinity of the hinge protrusion and the engagement recess [Figure 14] A cross-sectional side view of the vicinity of the hinge protrusion and the engagement recess [Figure 15] A perspective view of the container with the side opening open. [Figure 16] 1 is a perspective view of a container near a locking member; [Figure 17] Cross-sectional side view of the short side wall near the side protrusion [Figure 18] Cross-sectional side view of the short side wall near the side protrusion [Figure 19] Cross-sectional side view of the short side wall near the side protrusion [Figure 20] A cross-sectional view of the container near the locking member [Figure 21] A cross-sectional view of the container near the locking member [Figure 22] Cross-sectional side view of the short side wall near the side protrusion [Figure 23] A cross-sectional perspective view of the vicinity of the side protrusion of the short side wall [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a front view of a long side wall according to a modified example. [Figure 25] 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the vicinity of a side protrusion of a short side wall according to a modified example; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] A container 10 of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 23. The container 10 shown in Figure 1 is a so-called "foldable box pallet" that has a pair of short side walls 20 and a pair of long side walls 40 (corresponding to "foldable side walls" in the claims) rotatably assembled to the upper edge of a pallet 11 (corresponding to the "bottom" in the claims), and can be changed between an assembled state (see Figure 1) in which the short side walls 20 and the long side walls 40 stand upright, and a folded state (see Figure 2) in which the short side walls 20 and the long side walls 40 are stacked on the pallet 11. The pallet 11, short side walls 20, long side walls 40, etc. that make up the container 10 are all injection-molded resin products.

[0021] Hereinafter, the direction in which a pair of short side walls 20 face each other will be referred to as the "first horizontal direction H1," and the direction in which a pair of long side walls 40 face each other will be referred to as the "second horizontal direction H2." In addition, in the description of each part, unless otherwise specified, the up-down direction in the assembled state will be the up-down direction in each part.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, pallet 11 has a rectangular bottom plate 12 with beams 13 protruding from the four corners of the underside thereof, and these beams 13 form a space below bottom plate 12 into which the forks of a forklift are inserted. Bottom plate 12 has a lattice structure formed by intersecting multiple groove-shaped horizontal beams 12A and vertical beams 12B that extend lengthwise and widthwise.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, a pair of long-side banks 16 protrude from the outer edges of a pair of long sides on the top surface of the bottom plate portion 12, and a pair of short-side banks 17 protrude from the outer edges of a pair of short sides. The short-side banks 17 have a uniform height throughout. The long-side banks 16 have side edge protrusions 16A on both side edges that extend flush with the short-side banks 17, and the height between them is about 1 / 4 to 1 / 5 of the height of the short-side banks 17. The detailed structures of the short-side banks 17 and long-side banks 16 will be described in detail later, along with the short side walls 20 and long side walls 40.

[0024] 4 and 5, the short side wall 20 has a plurality of longitudinal ribs 21 and transverse ribs 22 connected in a lattice pattern, and reinforcing walls 23 connecting the rectangular cells formed by the longitudinal ribs 21 and transverse ribs 22. The reinforcing walls 23 have through holes 23A formed therein.

[0025] A pair of hinge arms 24 hangs down from the underside of the short side wall 20 (the lowermost horizontal rib 22). The pair of hinge arms 24 are arranged near both lateral ends of the short side wall 20 and have hinge protrusions 24B extending laterally at their lower ends (see FIG. 6; only one hinge protrusion 24B is shown in FIG. 6). Corresponding to these hinge arms 24, arm receiving portions 17A are formed in the short-side bank portions 17 of the pallet 11, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The arm receiving portions 17A are groove-shaped and open to the inner and upper surfaces of the short-side bank portions 17, and receive the hinge arms 24. The short side walls 20 rotate about the hinge protrusions 24B to change their position between an upright position in which they stand on the short-side bank portions 17 (see FIG. 7) and a folded position in which they are rotated inward by approximately 90 degrees (see FIG. 2).

[0026] As shown in Fig. 7, the short side wall 20 has, on both sides thereof, side protrusions 30 in the shape of vertically long blocks that protrude toward the long side wall 40. As shown in Fig. 8, the side protrusions 30 have, at their upper ends, upper engagement recesses 31 (corresponding to "upper restricting portions" in the claims), at their lower ends, lower engagement recesses 35 (corresponding to "main body restricting portions" and "engagement recesses" in the claims), and a lock engagement recess 38 formed in their intermediate portions.

[0027] 6 and 8, the upper engagement recess 31 is formed by cutting out an upper corner of the side protrusion 30 and has a bottom surface 31A extending horizontally, an upper inward tilting restriction portion 32 protruding upward from the inner end of the bottom surface 31A in the second horizontal direction H2, and an upper outward tilting restriction portion 33 protruding upward from the inner end of the bottom surface 31A in the first horizontal direction H1. The upper inward tilting restriction portion 32 extends to the inner end in the first horizontal direction H1, and the upper outward tilting restriction portion 33 is disposed further outward in the first horizontal direction H1 than the upper inward tilting restriction portion 32. The upper outward tilting restriction portion 33 protrudes more from the bottom surface 31A than the upper inward tilting restriction portion 32, and a step 31D is formed between the upper inward tilting restriction portion 32 and the upper outward tilting restriction portion 33.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 8, the lower engagement recess 35 is a rectangular prism-shaped recess that is open to the inner side surface of the side protrusion 30 in the first horizontal direction H1 and the inner side surface of the side protrusion 30 in the second horizontal direction H2. The lower engagement recess 35 has a bottom surface 35A extending horizontally, an outer wall 35B (corresponding to the "outer rotation restricting portion" in the claims) that forms one surface of the recess outside the second horizontal direction H2, and a lower inward tilt restricting portion 36 (corresponding to the "inner rotation restricting portion" in the claims) that protrudes upward from the inner end of the bottom surface 35A in the second horizontal direction H2. The lock engagement recess 38 is open to the inner side surface of the side protrusion 30 in the first horizontal direction H1 and extends vertically.

[0029] 1 and 7, each long side wall 40 is divided into two parts at the vertical center: an upper long side wall 45 (corresponding to the "pivoting wall" and "upper wall" in the claims) and a lower long side wall 55 (corresponding to the "folding side wall main body" and "lower wall" in the claims). Similar to the short side walls 20, these upper long side walls 45 and lower long side walls 55 have a plurality of longitudinal ribs 45A, 55A and horizontal ribs 45B, 55B connected in a lattice pattern, and reinforcing walls 45C, 55C connecting the rectangular cells formed by the longitudinal ribs 45A, 55A and horizontal ribs 45B, 55B. The reinforcing walls 45C, 55C have through-holes.

[0030] The upper long side wall 45 and the lower long side wall 55 are connected by a plurality of hinge members 41. In detail, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, a hinge recess 46 that is open to the inner surface, outer surface, and bottom surface is formed at the lower end of the upper long side wall 45. A pair of hinge pins 46P are formed to protrude from the hinge recess 46 of the upper long side wall 45 on opposing surfaces that face each other in the first horizontal direction H1.

[0031] Furthermore, a hinge recess 56 that is open to the inner surface, outer surface, and top surface is formed at the upper end of the lower long side wall 55 at a position corresponding to the hinge recess 46 of the upper long side wall 45. The hinge recess 56 of the lower long side wall 55 has an engagement groove 56M that extends in the vertical direction on the opposing surfaces that face each other in the first horizontal direction H1. A pair of protrusions 56T is provided at the upper end of the engagement groove 56M (see FIG. 11).

[0032] The hinge member 41 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped main body 41H extending in the vertical direction, with a pair of hinge sleeves 42 protruding from the upper ends of both side surfaces of the main body 41H and a pair of hinge pins 43 protruding from the lower ends. The hinge sleeve 42 has a side opening 42A formed by removing a portion of the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body and opening inward in the second horizontal direction H2.

[0033] 10 and 11, the hinge pin 46P of the hinge recess 46 of the upper long side wall 45 is received in the hinge sleeve 42, and the upper end of the hinge member 41 is rotatably connected to the lower end of the upper long side wall 45. The hinge pin 43 of the hinge member 41 is received in the engagement groove 56M of the hinge recess 56 of the lower long side wall 55, and the lower end of the hinge member 41 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the lower long side wall 55. The vertical length of the engagement groove 56M is greater than the width of the hinge pin 43, allowing the hinge pin 43 to move up and down within the engagement groove 56M. The hinge pin 43 of the hinge member 41 is prevented from coming out by a pair of protrusions 56T of the engagement groove 56M.

[0034] This allows the upper long side wall 45 to rotate and move up and down relative to the lower long side wall 55. As shown in FIG. 11 , when the upper long side wall 45 abuts on the lower long side wall 55, the hinge pin 43 is located near the lower end of the engagement groove 56M. The position of the upper long side wall 45 at this time is the lower end position of the movable range. Then, as shown in FIG. 12 , the upper long side wall 45 can be moved upward relative to the lower long side wall 55 to a position where the hinge pin 43 abuts on the protrusion 56T of the engagement groove 56M. The position of the upper long side wall 45 at this time is the upper end position of the movable range.

[0035] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the upper edge of the inner surface of the lower long side wall 55 is provided with a plurality of interference portions 55K that protrude upward and face the upper long side wall 45 from the inside of the second horizontal direction H2, thereby restricting the upper long side wall 45 from rotating inward relative to the lower long side wall 55 in the upright position.

[0036] As shown in Figure 7, the lower long side wall 55 is hingedly connected to the long-side bank portion 16 of the pallet 11. More specifically, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, a plurality of hinge arms 57 hang down from the underside of the lower long side wall 55, similar to the short side wall 20, and a hinge protrusion 57B (corresponding to the "hinge portion" in the claims) protruding laterally from the lower end of each lower hinge arm 57 engages with an engagement recess 16M (see Figure 5) of an arm receiving portion 16U formed in the long-side bank portion 16 of the pallet 11. A pair of protrusions 16T are provided in the engagement recess 16M to prevent the hinge protrusions 57B from coming off (see Figure 13). Then, the lower long side wall 55 rotates about the hinge protrusion 57B, and the long side wall 40 is changed between an upright position (see FIG. 1) in which it stands on the long-side bank portion 16 and a folded position (see FIG. 2) in which it is rotated inward by approximately 90 degrees from that position. Note that, as shown in FIG. 7, in the process of tilting the entire long side wall 40 inward, the upper long side wall 45 can be bent outward, and the long side wall 40 can be folded in half and laid on the pallet 11.

[0037] In this embodiment, similar to the hinge pin 43 of the hinge member 41 and the engagement groove 56M of the lower long side wall 55, the vertical length from the lower end of the engagement recess 16M of the long-side bank portion 16 to the protrusion 16T is greater than the width of the hinge protrusion 57B of the lower long side wall 55, allowing the hinge protrusion 57B to move up and down within the engagement recess 16M. This allows the lower long side wall 55 to be pivotally and vertically connected to the long-side bank portion 16 of the pallet 11. As shown in FIG. 13 , when the lower long side wall 55 abuts on the long-side bank portion 16, the hinge protrusion 57B is positioned near the lower end of the engagement recess 16M. The position of the lower long side wall 55 at this time is the lower end of its movable range. As shown in FIG. 14 , the lower long side wall 55 can be moved upward relative to the long-side bank portion 16 until the hinge protrusion 57B is close to the protrusion 16T of the engagement recess 16M. The position of the lower long side wall 55 at this time is the upper end position of the movable range.

[0038] Due to the configuration of the long side wall 40 described above, as shown in FIG. 15, the container 10 can open the upper part of the long side wall 40 as a side opening 40K by rotating only the upper long side wall 45 of the long side wall 40 outward.

[0039] Next, a mechanism for connecting the long side wall 40 and the short side wall 20 will be described. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the upper long side wall 45 of the long side wall 40 is provided with side protrusions 48 (corresponding to "upper restricting portions" in the claims) that protrude from the upper ends of both lateral sides. The side protrusions 48 have a block-shaped main body 48A, a first engagement portion 48B that hangs down from the outer edge of the underside of the main body 48A in the first horizontal direction H1, and a second engagement portion 48C that hangs down from the inner edge of the underside of the main body 48A in the second horizontal direction H2. The second engagement portion 48C protrudes less from the underside of the main body 48A than the first engagement portion 48B. In addition, the lower surface of the corner of the main body portion 48A is arranged at approximately the same height as the lower surface of the second engagement portion 48C (the corner of the main body portion 48A is also the second engagement portion 48C), and a step portion 48D is formed between the corner and the first engagement portion 48B.

[0040] 16, the side protrusion 48 is received in the upper engagement recess 31 of the side protrusion 30 in the short side wall 20 and engages with it. At this time, the upper inward tilt restricting portion 32 (see FIG. 6) of the upper engagement recess 31 abuts against or faces the first engagement portion 48B (more specifically, the stepped portion 48D) of the side protrusion 48 from the inside in the second horizontal direction H2, restricting the upper long side wall 45 from rotating inward, and, as shown in FIG. 17, the upper outward tilt restricting portion 33 (more specifically, the stepped portion 31D) of the upper engagement recess 31 abuts against or faces the second engagement portion 48C of the side protrusion 48 from the outside in the second horizontal direction H2, restricting the upper long side wall 45 from rotating outward.

[0041] 18 and 19, when the upper long side wall 45 is positioned at the upper end of its vertical movable range relative to the lower long side wall 55, the second engagement portions 48C of the side protrusions 48 are disengaged from the upper outward tilt restricting portions 33 of the upper engagement recesses 31, allowing the upper long side wall 45 to rotate outward. In this embodiment, when the upper long side wall 45 is positioned at the upper end of its vertical movable range relative to the lower long side wall 55, the second engagement portions 48C of the upper long side wall 45 are disengaged from the upper outward tilt restricting portions 33 of the short side walls 20, regardless of the position of the lower long side wall 55 (FIG. 18 shows a state in which the lower long side wall 55 is positioned at the bottom end, and FIG. 19 shows a state in which the lower long side wall 55 is positioned at the top end). In addition, when the upper long side wall 45 is positioned at the lower end of its vertical movable range relative to the lower long side wall 55 and the lower long side wall 55 is positioned at the upper end of its vertical movable range, the engagement between the second engagement portion 48C of the upper long side wall 45 and the upper outward tilt restriction portion 33 of the short side wall 20 does not have to be released, or it may be released.

[0042] In this embodiment, the engagement between the first engagement portion 48B of the side protrusion 48 and the upper inward tilt restricting portion 32 of the upper engagement recess 31 is not released when the lower long side wall 55 remains at the lower end position of the vertical movable range (see FIGS. 17 and 18), but is released when the lower long side wall 55 is moving upward. Note that the engagement may be released when the upper long side wall 45 is at the upper end position of the vertical movable range, regardless of the position of the lower long side wall 55.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16, when the side protrusion 48 of the upper long side wall 45 is engaged with the upper engagement recess 31 of the short side wall 20 in a concave-convex manner, the main body 48A of the side protrusion 48 abuts or faces the inner surface of the upper engagement recess 31 from the inside, restricting the short side wall 20 from rotating inward, and the first engagement portion 48B of the side protrusion 48 abuts or faces the upper outward tilt restriction portion 33 of the upper engagement recess 31 from the outside in the first horizontal direction H1, restricting the short side wall 20 from rotating outward.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 1, both lateral ends of the upper long side wall 45 are provided with locking members 70 that fix the upper long side wall 45 to the short side wall 20. As shown in Figs. 16 and 20, the locking members 70 have engaging protrusions 72 that protrude from horizontally long rectangular portions 71 toward the side protrusions 30 of the short side walls 20, and are supported in a storage chamber 50 provided at the top of the lateral ends of the upper long side wall 45 so as to be slidable in the lateral direction. When the locking member 70 is operated in a direction intersecting the up-down direction (first horizontal direction H1) and placed at a locked position outside the first horizontal direction H1 of the storage room 50, the engaging protrusion 72 of the locking member 70 is received in the lock engaging recess 38 of the short side wall 20, and the upper long side wall 45 becomes immovable relative to the short side wall 20 (at this time, upward movement of the upper long side wall 45 is restricted, and therefore upward movement of the lower long side wall 55 is also restricted. Furthermore, rotation of the upper long side wall 45 and the lower long side wall 55 is also restricted). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 21 , when the locking member 70 is placed at an unlocked position inside the first horizontal direction H1 of the storage room 50, the engaging protrusion 72 of the locking member 70 retracts from the lock engaging recess 38 of the short side wall 20, and the upper long side wall 45 becomes movable relative to the short side wall 20.

[0045] 9 and 10, the lower long side wall 55 of the long side wall 40 has a first side protrusion 60 (corresponding to the "main body restriction portion" and "engagement protrusion" in the claims) protruding laterally from the upper end on both lateral sides thereof, and a second side protrusion 65 (corresponding to the "upward movement restriction portion" in the claims) protruding laterally from a middle position in the up-down direction. The first side protrusion 60 has a main body portion 61 that is rectangular when viewed from the first horizontal direction H1, and a lower protrusion 62 that protrudes downward from the outer edge of the main body portion 61 in the second horizontal direction H2. The second side protrusion 65 has a rectangular column shape.

[0046] As shown in Figures 4 and 17, when the container 10 is assembled, the second side protrusion 65 is received in a receiving recess 16B (corresponding to the "upward movement restricting portion" in the claims) formed in the side edge protrusion 16A of the long side bank portion 16. The receiving recess 16B is formed by cutting out the side edge protrusion 16A from the inner surface in the first horizontal direction H1, and is open to the inner surface of the side edge protrusion 16A in the first horizontal direction H1 and both side surfaces in the second horizontal direction H2. The vertical length of the receiving recess 16B is greater than the vertical length of the second side protrusion 65, allowing the second side protrusion 65 to move up and down within the receiving recess 16B.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 17, when the lower long side wall 55 is at the lower end position of its movable range, the second side protrusion 65 is located at the vertical middle position of the receiving recess 16B. Then, as shown in Fig. 19, when the lower long side wall 55 moves upward relative to the long-side bank portion 16, the second side protrusion 65 abuts against the upper inner surface of the receiving recess 16B. This positions the upper end position of the movable range of the lower long side wall 55. Note that the second side protrusion 65 abuts against the upper inner surface of the receiving recess 16B before or at the same time that the hinge protrusion 57B (see Fig. 14) of the hinge arm 57 abuts against the protrusion 16T of the engagement recess 16M, preventing excessive load from being applied to the hinge protrusion 57B.

[0048] 4 and 17, when the container 10 is in an assembled state, the first side protrusion 60 is received in and engages with the lower engagement recess 35 of the side protrusion 30 in the short side wall 20. The vertical length of the lower engagement recess 35 is greater than the vertical length of the first side protrusion 60, allowing the first side protrusion 60 to move up and down within the lower engagement recess 35.

[0049] 17, when the lower long side wall 55 is at the lower end position of its movable range, the lower protruding portion 62 of the first side protrusion 60 is received between the outer wall 35B of the lower engagement recess 35 and the lower inward tilt restricting portion 36. In this state, the lower inward tilt restricting portion 36 faces or abuts against the lower protruding portion 62 of the first side protrusion 60 from the inside in the second horizontal direction H2, restricting the lower long side wall 55 from rotating inward.

[0050] 19, when the lower long sidewall 55 is positioned at the upper end of its movable range, the lower protrusion 62 of the first side protrusion 60 is disengaged from the lower inward tilt restriction portion 36 of the lower engagement recess 35, allowing the lower long sidewall 55 to rotate inward. When the lower long sidewall 55 rotates inward, the first side protrusion 60 passes through the inner opening 35K of the lower engagement recess 35 in the second horizontal direction H2 (see FIGS. 22 and 23). Also, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, when the upper long sidewall 45 is positioned at the upper end of its movable range relative to the lower long sidewall 55, the upper long sidewall 45 rotates inward together with the lower long sidewall 55. Note that when the lower long sidewall 55 is positioned at the upper end of its movable range, the first side protrusion 60 does not abut against the upper inner surface of the lower engagement recess 35 (see FIG. 19).

[0051] Also, as shown in Figures 17 and 19, in this embodiment, throughout the entire vertical movable range of the lower long side wall 55, the outer wall 35B of the lower engagement recess 35 faces or abuts against the first side protrusion 60 from the outside in the second horizontal direction H2, thereby restricting the lower long side wall 55 from rotating outward.

[0052] This completes the description of the configuration of the container 10 of this embodiment. Next, we will explain the effects of this container 10. When the container 10 of this embodiment is in the assembled state shown in Figure 1 and all of the locking members 70 of the upper long side wall 45 are placed in the locked position, the short side wall 20 and the long side wall 40 are fixed in a connected state with each other.

[0053] At this time, the outward rotation of the upper long side wall 45 relative to the lower long side wall 55 is restricted by the concave-convex engagement between the side protrusion 48 of the upper long side wall 45 and the upper engaging recess 31 of the short side wall 20, and the inward rotation of the lower long side wall 55 is restricted by the concave-convex engagement between the first side protrusion 60 of the lower long side wall 55 and the lower engaging recess 35 of the short side wall 20. This firmly holds the long side wall 40 in an upright position.

[0054] Furthermore, even if the locking member 70 is positioned in the unlocked position or is not present, the rotation of the upper long side wall 45 and the lower long side wall 55 is restricted unless the long side wall 40 is moved upward, making it easier to maintain the upright state of the long side wall 40.

[0055] 18, when the locking member 70 of one upper long side wall 45 is placed in the unlocked position and the upper long side wall 45 is pulled up relative to the lower long side wall 55 to the upper end position of its movable range, the concave-convex engagement between the side protrusion 48 of the upper long side wall 45 and the upper engaging recess 31 of the short side wall 20 is released, allowing the upper long side wall 45 to rotate outward relative to the lower long side wall 55, and the upper part of the long side wall 40 to be opened as a side opening 40K (see FIG. 15). This makes it easy to load and unload luggage.

[0056] 19, even if the pulled-up upper long side wall 45 moves the lower long side wall 55 upward, the outward rotation of the lower long side wall 55 is restricted by the outer wall 35B of the lower engagement recess 35, so only the upper long side wall 45 can be rotated outward. Note that when pulling up the upper long side wall 45, if a slight force is applied outward, the long side wall 40 can be prevented from falling inward.

[0057] To close the side opening 40K again, the upper long side wall 45 is rotated upward, and the side projections 48 of the upper long side wall 45 are aligned with the upper engaging recesses 31 of the short side wall 20, and the upper long side wall 45 is lowered.

[0058] To change the container 10 from the assembled state to the folded state, all of the locking members 70 are placed in the unlocked position, and the upper long side wall 45 is raised together with the lower long side wall 55 to release the engagement between the side protrusion 48 of the upper long side wall 45 and the upper engagement recess 31 of the short side wall 20 and the engagement between the first side protrusion 60 of the lower long side wall 55 and the lower engagement recess 35 of the short side wall 20. The long side walls 40 are then tilted inward to change the long side walls 40 to the folded position. The short side walls 20 are then rotated inward, so that the short side walls 20 are positioned above the long side walls 40, and the container 10 is in the folded state. Alternatively, the container 10 can be folded by rotating the short side walls 20 inward while the long side walls 40 are folded in half and placed on the pallet 11.

[0059] When changing the container 10 from the folded state to the assembled state, first, the short side walls 20 are raised. Next, the long side walls 40 are rotated outward while being pulled against the long-side bank portion 16 of the pallet 11, aligning the side projections 48, 60 of the long side wall 40 with the recesses 31, 35 of the short side wall 20, and then the long side walls 40 are lowered. This engages the side projections 48, 60 of the long side wall 40 with the recesses 31, 35 of the short side wall 20, restricting the rotation of the upper long side wall 45 and the lower long side wall 55. Then, the locking member 70 is placed in the locked position.

[0060] In conventional containers, both the upper and lower long side walls are provided with locking members to prevent movement relative to the adjacent side walls. In contrast, the container 10 of this embodiment is configured so that the lower long side wall 55 cannot rotate unless it moves upward. Therefore, when the locking member 70 of the upper long side wall 45 is placed in the locked position, the upward movement of the lower long side wall 55 is also restricted, thereby restricting its rotation. In other words, the locking member 70 of the upper long side wall 45 can lock both the upper long side wall 45 and the lower long side wall 55, eliminating the need for a locking member on the lower long side wall 55. This reduces the manufacturing process for the container 10 and the need to operate the locking member during use.

[0061] In addition, in this embodiment, the lower engagement recess 35 combines the function of restricting the outward rotation of the lower long side wall 55 (outer wall 35B) and the function of restricting the inward rotation of the lower long side wall 55 (lower inward tilt restriction portion 36), thereby increasing the freedom of design for other parts.

[0062] [Other embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, the container 10 is a foldable box pallet, but it may be a foldable container whose bottom does not have a pallet structure. Also, all four side walls do not have to be rotatable.

[0063] (2) As shown in FIG. 24, the long side wall 40 may be configured such that a portion of the long side wall 40 serves as a pivotable wall 40W, rather than being divided into two parts, upper and lower.

[0064] (3) Both the long side wall 40 and the short side wall 20 may be configured to be divided into two parts, one above the other, or only the short side wall 20 may be configured to be divided into two parts, one above the other.

[0065] (4) The second side protrusion 65 may not be provided, and the upper end position of the movable range of the lower long side wall 55 may be determined by the first side protrusion 60 abutting against the upper inner surface of the lower engagement recess 35.

[0066] (5) The locking members 70 may be provided on both the upper long side wall 45 and the lower long side wall 55 .

[0067] (6) As shown in FIG. 25, the lower long side wall 55 may have an engaging recess 55W, and the shorter side wall 20 may have an engaging protrusion 20W.

[0068] (7) The pallet 11 may be provided with a restricting portion (corresponding to the lower engaging recess 35 or the engaging protrusion 20W) that restricts the rotation of the lower long side wall 55.

[0069] Although the present specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but also includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, and also includes parts of the specific examples taken out alone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10 containers 11 Pallet (bottom) 20 Short Side Wall 31 Upper engagement recess (upper restriction portion) 35 Lower engagement recess (main body restriction portion, engagement recess) 40 Long side wall (folding side wall) 45 Upper long side wall (rotating wall, upper side wall) 48 Side protrusion (upper restrictor) 55 Lower long side wall (folding side wall body, lower side wall) 60 First side protrusion (main body restriction portion, engagement protrusion) 70 Locking member

Claims

1. At least one side wall of the box-shaped container is a folding side wall that rotates relative to the bottom, and the folding side wall is divided at a middle part in the vertical direction, and an upper part of the folding side wall is a rotating wall that rotates around a lower end part relative to a lower folding side wall main body to open and close a side opening, The folding sidewall main body has a hinge shaft disposed on one of the folding sidewall main body and the bottom, and a hinge receiving portion disposed on the other of the folding sidewall main body and the bottom for receiving the hinge shaft so as to be movable up and down, so that the folding sidewall main body is supported in an upright position so as to be movable up and down relative to the bottom, and is disposed on the folding sidewall main body and the adjacent sidewall or the bottom, and when the folding sidewall main body moves upward, the upper end position of the vertical movable range of the folding sidewall main body is determined by an upward movement regulating portion that abuts against each other in the vertical direction before or at the same time as the hinge shaft abuts against one end of the hinge receiving portion, a body restricting portion that restricts the rotation of the folding side wall body unless the folding side wall body is moved upward; The pivotable wall is supported in an upright position so as to be vertically movable relative to the folding side wall body, an upper regulating portion that regulates the rotation of the pivotal wall when the pivotal wall and the folding side wall main body are both positioned at the lower end positions of their vertically movable ranges, and allows the pivotal wall to rotate inward together with the folding side wall main body when the pivotal wall and the folding side wall main body are both positioned at the upper end positions of their vertically movable ranges; A container equipped with a locking member that is provided on the pivotal wall or a pair of side walls on both sides thereof and that can be operated to switch between a locked state in which the pivotal wall cannot move up and down and cannot rotate relative to the pair of side walls, and an unlocked state in which the lock is released.

2. A box-shaped container, at least one side wall of which is a folding side wall that rotates relative to the bottom, and a part of said folding side wall is a rotating wall that rotates around the lower end relative to the folding side wall body to open and close a side opening, and said rotating wall can be switched between a locked state in which it cannot move up and down or rotate relative to said pair of side walls and an unlocked state in which it is unlocked by a locking member provided on said rotating wall or a pair of side walls on both sides thereof, a hinge shaft portion is disposed on one of the folding side wall main body and the bottom portion, and a hinge receiving portion is disposed on the other of the folding side wall main body and the bottom portion, the hinge receiving portion receiving the hinge shaft portion so as to be movable up and down; The folding side wall main body is supported in an upright position so as to be movable up and down, a body restricting portion that restricts the rotation of the folding sidewall body unless the folding sidewall body is moved upward; and an upward movement regulating portion that is disposed on the folding side wall main body and the adjacent side wall or the bottom portion, and that abuts against each other in the vertical direction before or at the same time that the hinge shaft abuts against one end of the hinge receiving portion when the folding side wall main body moves upward, thereby determining the upper end position of the vertical movable range of the folding side wall main body, The folding side wall is divided into an upper side wall as the pivot wall and a lower side wall as the folding side wall main body at a vertical intermediate portion, the upper wall is supported in an upright position so as to be movable up and down relative to the lower wall, A container comprising an upper restricting portion that restricts rotation of the upper wall when the upper wall and the lower wall are both positioned at the lower end positions of their vertical movable ranges.

3. The main body regulating portion comprises an engaging protrusion arranged on one of the folding side wall main body and the adjacent side wall or the bottom, and an engaging recess arranged on the other and capable of receiving the engaging protrusion, The engagement recess is an opening through which the engaging protrusion can pass when the folding side wall main body is folded inward at the upper end position of the vertical movable range; an outer rotation restricting portion that interferes with the engaging protrusion when the folding side wall main body is tilted outward at the lower end position of the vertical movable range; an inner rotation restricting portion that interferes with the engaging protrusion when the folding side wall main body is tilted inward at the lower end position of the vertical movable range, 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the outer rotation restricting portion interferes with the engaging protrusion over the entire vertical movable range of the folding side wall main body.

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