container

Abstract

To provide a container allowing easier connection work of adjacent raised side walls than ever.SOLUTION: In a container 10A of the present disclosure, adjacent raised side walls 30, 35, 40 are connected to each other by being changed into standing attitude on each of side walls 13-15 from a suspended attitude overlapping each of the side walls 13-15, and a storing capacity can be increased. The raised side walls 30, 35, 40 and the side walls are provided with lower face protrusions 32 and standing support parts 33 (corresponding to a standing keeping mechanism of the present disclosure) keeping the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 in the standing attitude by mutual engagement when the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 are in the standing attitude, therefore, the adjacent raised side walls 30, 35, 40 are easily connected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to containers with variable capacity utilizing elevated side walls. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a container of this type has been known in which a raised side wall is rotatably connected to the upper ends of each of multiple side walls, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping each side wall to an upright position standing on each side wall, and adjacent raised side walls can be connected to each other, thereby increasing the storage capacity (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-221688 A (Figs. 1 and 3) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional containers described above, when connecting adjacent bulky side walls, the user is forced to perform the difficult task of holding the bulky side walls in an upright position with one hand and moving only the fingers of one hand to connect the bulky side walls with a connecting member. Therefore, there is a need for the development of a container that makes it easier to connect bulky side walls than before. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, Aspect 1 of the invention The whole is a rectangular parallelepiped with an open top, and at least three or more side walls have upper end portions to which raised side walls are rotatably connected, and MultipleIn a container in which the storage capacity can be increased by changing the raised side walls from a hanging position overlapping each side wall to an upright position standing on each side wall and connecting adjacent raised side walls, the container is provided with an upright holding mechanism that is provided on the raised side wall and the side wall and engages with each other when the raised side walls are in the upright position, thereby holding the raised side walls in the upright position.

[0006] Aspect 2 of the invention The raised side wall is connected to the side wall so as to be rotatable and movable up and down, and is held in the upright position by the upright holding mechanism at the lower end position of the movable range, while the holding is released at the upper end position. Aspects 1. A container according to claim 1.

[0007] Aspect 3 of the invention are provided on the adjacent raised side walls, and are provided with side engaging portions that engage with each other in an inseparable manner in any direction other than the up-down direction when slid up and down relative to each other. Aspects 2. A container according to claim 2.

[0008] Aspect 4 of the invention The plurality of raised side walls include composite raised side walls in which an extension part is movably connected to an end of a main body part that is rotatably connected to the side walls, and the extension part moves between a standby position where it overlaps the outer surface or the inner surface of the main body part and an extended position where it projects laterally from the main body part beyond the standby position. Aspects Any one of 1 to 3 Aspects It is a container described in

[0009] Aspect 5 of the invention The upright holding mechanism is provided on the extension of the raised side wall and on the side wall. Aspects 4. A container according to claim 4.

[0010] Aspects of the invention 6, the side wall is provided with a receiving recess for receiving the composite bulky side wall in the hanging position with the extension portion disposed in the waiting position. Aspects 4 or 5. A container according to claim 4.

[0011] Aspect 7 of the inventionThe extension portion is connected to the main body portion so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the rotation radius direction of the main body portion, and is superposed on the outer surface of the main body portion in the upright position at the standby position, and is sandwiched between the side wall and the main body portion in the hanging position of the composite bulky side wall. Aspects Any one of 4 to 6 Aspects It is a container described in [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] Aspects In the container of 1, the storage capacity can be increased by changing the position of the bulky side walls from a hanging position overlapping each side wall to an upright position standing on each side wall and connecting adjacent bulky side walls. Here, the bulky side walls and the side walls are provided with an upright holding mechanism that engages with each other when the bulky side walls are in the upright position and holds the bulky side walls in the upright position, making it easy to connect adjacent bulky side walls.

[0013] Here, the upright holding mechanism may include an elastic engagement portion that elastically deforms during the rotation of the bulky side wall and elastically returns to its upright position when the bulky side wall is in the upright position. Aspects As in the configuration 2, the raised side wall may be connected to the side wall so as to be rotatable and movable up and down, and may be held in an upright position at the lower end of the range of movement up and down, while being released from the hold at the upper end position.

[0014] The structure for connecting adjacent raised side walls may be a structure in which one raised side wall is provided with an engaging lever that rotates horizontally and engages with the other raised side wall, or an L-shaped cap that stands upright and fits onto the adjacent raised side wall from above. Aspects In the third configuration, side engaging portions may be provided on adjacent raised side walls, and when slid up and down relative to each other, engage with each other in a non-separable manner in any direction other than the up and down direction.

[0015] It is not necessary that the upright holding mechanism is provided on all of the raised side walls and side walls. Also, in the hanging position, the raised side walls may overlap the inner surface or the outer surface of the side walls.

[0016] Aspects In the container of 4, the multiple raised side walls include a composite raised side wall that has a main body portion and an extension portion connected to it, and when not in use (including when in a hanging position or while rotating), the extension portion of the composite raised side wall can be placed in a standby position overlapping the main body portion, allowing for compact storage.

[0017] Aspects In the container 5, an upright holding mechanism is provided between the extension of the composite bulky side wall and the side wall, so that when the composite bulky side wall is in an upright position, the extension is stabilized in the extended position, and the connection between the composite bulky side wall and the adjacent bulky side wall is strengthened.

[0018] Aspects When the extension portion of the composite bulky side wall of the container 6 is placed in the standby position and in a hanging position, it is received in the receiving recess of the side wall, so that it is protected from collision with other members and is prevented from being damaged.

[0019] Aspects The extension of the container 7 is rotatably connected to the main body, and when it is placed in the standby position and the composite bulky side wall is in a hanging position, it is sandwiched between the side wall and the main body, which prevents the extension from moving to the extended position by itself due to vibration, etc., and also hides the extension behind the main body, giving it a simple appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container in a raised state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] Exploded perspective view of the container [Figure 3] An exploded perspective view of a portion of the container [Figure 4] An exploded perspective view of a portion of the container [Figure 5] A perspective view of the top of the container side wall [Figure 6] A perspective view of the extension of the container [Figure 7] A perspective view of a container in an intermediate state between the raised state and the normal state. [Figure 8] A perspective view of a container in an intermediate state between the raised state and the normal state. [Figure 9]An enlarged perspective view of a corner portion of a container in an intermediate state between the raised state and the normal state. [Figure 10] An enlarged perspective view of a corner portion of the container in a raised state [Figure 11] A perspective view of the container in a normal state [Figure 12] A perspective view of the container in the middle of being folded [Figure 13] A perspective view of the containers stacked in layers [Figure 14] Perspective view of the container DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] A container 10A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 14. As shown in Figure 1, the container 10A has a structure in which a horizontally intermediate portion of one side wall of a rectangular parallelepiped with an open top is removed from the top end to a position near the bottom end, to provide a front opening 16. The container 10A has a rectangular planar shape, and the front opening 16 is formed in the side wall on one of the long sides.

[0022] Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the side walls, the side wall 14 having the front opening 16 will be referred to as the "front side wall 14," the side wall 13 opposite it will be referred to as the "rear side wall 13," and the remaining pair of side walls 15 will be referred to as the "lateral side walls 15." When there is no need to distinguish between these side walls, they will be referred to as the "side walls 13 to 15."

[0023] The side walls 13-15 are hingedly connected to the bottom wall 11, and as shown in Fig. 12, a pair of lateral side walls 15 can be folded onto the bottom wall 11, and then the rear wall 13 and front wall 14 can be folded onto them to create a folded state like the container 10A at the top of Fig. 13. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, a pair of first banks 11A protrude from a pair of long sides of the outer edge of the bottom surface 11S, which is also the upper surface of the bottom wall 11, and a pair of second banks 11B, which are lower than the first banks 11A, protrude from a pair of short sides. A plurality of hinge legs 19 at the lower ends of the front wall 14 and rear wall 13 are hingedly connected to the pair of first banks 11A, and a plurality of hinge legs 19 at the lower ends of the pair of lateral side walls 15 are hingedly connected to the pair of second banks 11B. Each side wall 13-15 rotates between an upright position and a horizontal position overlapping the bottom wall 11. In addition, in the assembled state of the container 10A, the pair of lateral side walls 15 are sandwiched between the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13. As described above, to collapse the container 10A into a folded state, as shown in FIG. 12, the pair of lateral side walls 15 are first folded onto the bottom wall 11, and then the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13 are folded so as to overlap the pair of lateral side walls 15. In addition, the pair of lateral side walls 15 do not overlap each other in the horizontal position, but the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13 overlap each other in the horizontal position. In addition, although not shown, a stacking protrusion is formed on the underside of the bottom wall 11 by protruding in a stepped shape from the outer edge portion to the inner portion. As shown in Figure 13, when another container 10A is stacked on top of the assembled container 10A, the stacking protrusions of the upper container 10A fit into the inside of the top opening of the lower container 10A, and when another container 10A is stacked on top of the folded container 10A, the stacking protrusions of the upper container 10A fit into the inside of the pair of first bank portions 11A of the lower container 10A.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the horizontal sidewall 15 has a pair of vertical ribs 20 and a pair of horizontal ribs 21, 22 on the outer surface of a flat main plate 15S that forms the entire inner surface of the horizontal sidewall 15. The pair of vertical ribs 20 extend in the vertical direction on both sides of the main plate 15S, and one horizontal rib 21 extends along the lower edge of the main plate 15S, connecting the lower ends of the pair of vertical ribs 20. The aforementioned multiple hinge legs 19 hang down from the underside of the horizontal rib 21. The other horizontal rib 22 connects the pair of vertical ribs 20 at a position slightly above the center of the horizontal sidewall 15 in the vertical direction. The tip surfaces of the vertical rib 20 and the horizontal ribs 21, 22 are flush with each other.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, the upper ends of the pair of vertical ribs 20 are arranged flush with the upper end of the main plate 15S, and a plurality of upright support portions 33 are provided between the upper ends of the pair of vertical ribs 20 at intervals in the horizontal direction of the horizontal side wall 15. Each upright support portion 33 has, for example, an open-topped rectangular parallelepiped shape. The upper surface of the upright support portion 33 is arranged flush with the upper surfaces of the pair of vertical ribs 20 and the main plate 15S, and the front surface of the upright support portion 33 is arranged flush with the tip surfaces of the vertical rib 20 and the horizontal ribs 21, 22. Furthermore, long holes 34 extending in the vertical direction are formed in the opposing walls of adjacent upright support portions 33.

[0026] Although not shown, the outer surface of the rear wall 13 has the same structure as the lateral wall 15. That is, the rear wall 13 has a pair of vertical ribs 20, horizontal ribs 21 and 22, a plurality of upright support portions 33, and elongated holes 34. Furthermore, the front wall 14 has, on each side of the front opening 16, a pair of vertical ribs 20, horizontal ribs 21 and 22, a plurality (two) of upright support portions 33, and elongated holes 34, similar to those of the rear wall 13, as shown in FIG. 2 .

[0027] A pair of side connectors 24 are provided on the outer surfaces of a pair of vertical ribs 20 of the horizontal side wall 15 facing opposite each other. The side connectors 24 are configured by providing strips on both sides of the main plate 15S of the horizontal side wall 15, extending from the upper end of the horizontal side wall 15 to a position near the lower end (a position reaching the upper surface of the first bank portion 11A), and by projecting ribs 23 lower than the vertical ribs 20 from the outer edges of the outer surfaces of the strips. In addition, the side connectors 24 are provided with a plurality of connecting protrusions 15A at multiple positions in the up-down direction, protruding to approximately the same height as the vertical ribs 20.

[0028] 2, both side edges of the inner surface of the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13 are provided with engagement holes 13A into which the multiple connecting projections 15A extend and with multiple engaging projections 13C that abut the outer surfaces of the side connecting portions 24. Furthermore, at the upper portions of the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13 near both side edges, portions of the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13 are cut off in a cantilever shape to provide elastic engaging pieces 13B with protrusions on the inner surfaces of their tips. With the connecting projections 15A engaged with the engagement holes 13A, the elastic engaging pieces 13B engage with the inner surfaces of the side wall 15, maintaining the container 10A in the assembled state. When the elastic engaging pieces 13B are pressed to release their engagement with the inner surfaces of the side wall 15, the container 10A assumes the folded state described above.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 1, the container 10A has bulky side walls 30, 35, and 40 hingedly connected to the upper ends of the side walls 13 to 15. As shown in the figure, the bulky side walls 30, 35, and 40 can be changed between a bulky state in which they are in an upright position on the side walls 13 to 15, and a normal state in which they are in a hanging position overlapping the outer surfaces of the side walls 13 to 15, as shown in Fig. 11. In the following description, the vertical direction of the bulky side walls 30, 35, and 40 refers to the vertical direction in the upright position unless otherwise specified, and the detailed structure of the bulky side walls 30, 35, and 40 will be described.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of elevated side walls 35 of the front wall 14 are hingedly connected to the upper end of the front wall 14 on both sides of the front opening 16. As shown in FIG. 3, each elevated side wall 35 has a structure in which a reinforcing rib 35L is provided on the outer surface of a flat main plate 35S located on the inner surface while standing on the front wall 14, and has, on its underside, one hinge leg 31 and a pair of lower surface protrusions 32 arranged side by side and sandwiching the hinge leg 31 in the horizontal direction. The pair of lower surface protrusions 32 form a box-like structure. The hinge leg 31 extends downward from the lower surface protrusion 32, and a pair of hinge projections 31P protrude from both side surfaces of the lower end of the hinge leg 31.

[0031] 9, the lower end of the hinge leg 31 is received between a pair of upright support portions 33 at each lateral end of the front side wall 14, and although not shown, a pair of hinge protrusions 31P are rotatably and vertically slidably engaged with the elongated holes 34. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, when the elevated side wall 35 is placed in an upright position at the upper end of the slidable range and then lowered directly downward from there, as shown in FIG. Bulky side wall 35 The plurality of lower surface protrusions 32 Front side wall 14 11, the raised side wall 35 is placed in a receiving recess 29 surrounded on all four sides by the pair of vertical ribs 20, the horizontal ribs 22, and the raised support portions 33 of the front wall 14.

[0032] The overall thickness of the bulky side wall 35 is slightly smaller than the overall thickness of the front wall 14, so that when the bulky side wall 35 is in the upright position, the entire bulky side wall 35 fits into the area directly above the front wall 14. That is, the inner surface of the bulky side wall 35 is flush with or slightly outward from the inner surface of the front wall 14, and the outer surface of the bulky side wall 35 is flush with or slightly inward from the outer surface of the front wall 14. When the bulky side wall 35 is in the hanging position, the entire bulky side wall 35 fits into the receiving recess 29 so as not to extend beyond the tip surfaces of the vertical ribs 20 and the horizontal ribs 22.

[0033] 2, the bulky side wall 30 of the rear wall 13 has a structure in which reinforcing ribs are provided on the outer surface of a band-shaped main plate 30S extending laterally of the rear wall 13, and on its underside, similar to the bulky side wall 35, lower surface protrusions 32 and hinge legs 31 are arranged alternately, and a pair of side engagement portions 39 is provided on both sides. Similarly to the bulky side wall 35, the bulky side wall 30 is also hingedly connected to the upper end of the rear wall 13 so as to be slidable and rotatable, and is held in an upright position by the engagement between the lower surface protrusions 32 and the upright support portions 33, and is accommodated in the area directly above the rear wall 13, and when in a hanging position, is accommodated entirely in a receiving recess 29 (not shown) of the rear wall 13.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 2, the bulky side wall 40 of the pair of lateral side walls 15 is a composite bulky side wall consisting of a main body portion 41 and a pair of extension portions 51. Hereinafter, when the bulky side wall 40 is to be distinguished from the bulky side walls 30, 35, it will be referred to as the "composite bulky side wall 40." As shown in Fig. 4, the main body portion 41 has a structure in which reinforcing ribs 41L are provided on the outer surface of a strip-shaped main plate 41S extending in the lateral direction of the lateral side wall 15, and on the lower surface, similar to the bulky side walls 30, 35, lower surface protrusions 32 and hinge legs 31 are arranged alternately. Like the raised side walls 30, 35, the main body 41 is hingedly connected to the upper end of the lateral side wall 15 in a manner that allows it to slide and rotate, and is held in an upright position by the engagement between the lower surface protrusion 32 and the upright support portion 33, fitting into the area directly above the lateral side wall 15, and when in a hanging position, the entire body fits into the receiving recess 29 of the lateral side wall 15.

[0035] The pair of extensions 51 are hingedly connected to both sides of the main body 41, have a rotation center axis extending in the vertical direction, and rotate between a standby position where they overlap the outer surface of the main body 41 as shown in FIG. 6(B) and an extended position (see FIG. 9(A)) approximately 180° away from the standby position. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(A), the extensions 51 have a reinforcing rib 51L on the side of a rectangular, flat main plate 51S that faces the inner surface of the extensions 51 in the extended position. In addition, a pair of hinge protrusions 51T are formed on both upper and lower ends of one side of the extensions 51 that faces the main body 41, and a round rod-shaped hinge bar 51M is inserted between the pair of hinge protrusions 51T.

[0036] 3, a hinge protrusion 41T is formed in the vertically middle portion of the side of the main body 41, and a hinge groove 41M extending in the vertical direction is formed in the hinge protrusion 41T. The cross section of the hinge groove 41M is a partially open circle. A hinge bar 51M is received in the hinge groove 41M, allowing the extension 51 to rotate relative to the main body 41.

[0037] 4, the height of the strong ribs 41L at both left and right ends of the main body 41 is approximately half that of the intermediate portion. In contrast, a portion of the reinforcing rib 51L of the extension 51 has a stepped surface 51D at a midpoint in the thickness direction of the extension 51, and as shown in FIG. 6(B), when the extension 51 is placed in the standby position, one side of the stepped surface 51D fits inside the reinforcing rib 41L of the main body 41. In addition, at this time, the lower surface protrusion 32 of the extension 51, which will be described below, fits inside the lower surface protrusion 32 of the main body 41. The combined thickness of the end of the main body 41 and the extension 51 overlapping therewith is approximately the same as the thickness of the intermediate portion in the lateral direction of the main body 41 where the extension 51 does not overlap.

[0038] A lower surface protrusion 32 hangs down from the end of the lower surface of the extension 51 that is far from the center of rotation. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9A, when the extension 51 is placed in the extended position and the composite bulky side wall 40 is lowered from the upper end position of the range in which it can slide while remaining in the upright position, the lower surface protrusion 32 of the extension 51 engages with the upright support portions 33 at both lateral ends of the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13, as shown in FIG. 10A. As shown in FIG. 5, a partition wall 33K is provided inside the upright support portion 33 at the end of the front wall 14 facing the lateral side wall 15, dividing the interior of the upright support portion 33 into an area into which the lower surface protrusion 32 of the extension 51 fits and an area into which the lower surface protrusion 32 of the bulky side wall 35 fits. Although not shown, the interior of the upright support portion 33 at the end of the rear wall 13 facing the lateral side wall 15 is similarly configured.

[0039] 6(A), the extension 51 is provided with a side engagement portion 69 in the vicinity of the bottom projection 32. The side engagement portion 69 extends in the vertical direction and has a groove-shaped structure that opens on the bottom and on the surface that faces inward when the extension 51 is in an upright position. The planar cross section of the internal space is T-shaped, and the maximum width of the internal space is greater than the opening width, forming a so-called dovetail shape. Furthermore, the bottom projection 32 of the extension 51 has an L-shaped planar cross section, and a pair of orthogonal inner surfaces inside the L are flush with a pair of orthogonal inner surfaces inside the side engagement portion 69.

[0040] 8, when the bulky side walls 30, 35 are held in an upright position on the rear side wall 13 and the front side wall 14, and the extension 51 is placed in the extended position as described above and the composite bulky side wall 40 is placed at the upper end position of the range in which it can slide while remaining in the upright position, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the pair of inner surfaces of the lower projection 32 of the extension 51 come into contact with the pair of outer surfaces of the side engagement portions 39 of the bulky side walls 30, 35. When the composite bulky side wall 40 is lowered, the side engagement portions 39 of the bulky side walls 30, 35 slide and engage with the side engagement portions 69 of the extension 51, and both ends of the composite bulky side wall 40 are connected to the bulky side walls 30, 35, as shown in FIG.

[0041] This completes the description of the configuration of the container 10A of this embodiment. Next, the effects of this container 10A will be described. The container 10A shown in FIG. 11 is in an assembled state, in a normal state with all of the bulkhead side walls 30 in a hanging position. When multiple containers 10A are stacked in this state, items can be loaded and unloaded into the containers 10A through the front openings 16 of the containers 10A on each tier, allowing the containers to be used as product display shelves, warehouse racks, etc. (See the first container 10A from the bottom in FIG. 13).

[0042] In some cases, products that are too tall to fit in container 10A in its normal state can be accommodated by raising container 10A. To change container 10A from its normal state to its raised state, first, as shown in FIG. 7, the raised side walls 30 of rear wall 13 and the pair of raised side walls 35 of front wall 14 are raised to their upright positions. To do this, as described above, the raised side walls 30, 35 are maintained in their upright positions and lowered from the upper end positions of their slidable ranges. Then, the lower surface projections 32 of the raised side walls 30, 35 engage with the upright support portions 33 of rear wall 13 and front wall 14, respectively, and the raised side walls 30, 35 are maintained in their upright positions. At this time, either the raised side wall 30 or the pair of raised side walls 35 may be held in an upright position, or any two of them may be held in an upright position at the same time with both hands.

[0043] Next, one of the composite bulky side walls 40 is rotated upward and out of the receiving recess 29, and the pair of extensions 51 are rotated from the standby position to the extended position (see FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B)). Then, similar to the bulky side walls 30 and 35, the composite bulky side wall 40 is maintained in an upright position and lowered from the upper end position of its sliding range, as shown in FIG. 8. Then, the lower surface protrusion 32 of the main body 41 of the composite bulky side wall 40 fits into the upright support portion 33 of the lateral side wall 15, the lower surface protrusion 32 of one extension portion 51 fits into the upright support portion 33 of the rear side wall 13, and further, the lower surface protrusion 32 of the other extension portion 51 fits into the upright support portion 33 of the front side wall 14, so that the composite bulky side wall 40 is maintained in an upright state. At this time, the side engaging portion 39 of the bulky side wall 30 of the rear side wall 13 slides into engagement with the side engaging portion 69 of one extension portion 51, and the side engaging portion 39 of the bulky side wall 35 of the front side wall 14 slides into engagement with the side engaging portion 69 of the other extension portion 51, connecting the composite bulky side wall 40 to the adjacent bulky side walls 35 and 30. If a similar process is performed on the other composite bulky side wall 40, all of the bulky side walls 30, 35, and 40 will be connected and rise up on the side walls 13-15, resulting in the entire container 10A being in a bulky state. Furthermore, even in this bulky state, multiple containers 10A can be stacked. This container can be used as a display shelf or rack for storing tall items (see the second container 10A from the bottom in Figure 13).

[0044] The container 10A can be returned to its normal state by reversing the above-described steps. Then, by pressing the elastic engagement pieces 13B of the container 10A in its normal state from the inside, the pair of lateral side walls 15 are folded onto the bottom wall 11, and then the rear side wall 13 and front side wall 14 are folded onto them, as shown in Fig. 12 (see the first container 10A from the top in Fig. 13). Furthermore, because the bulky side walls 30, 35, and 40 are accommodated in the receiving recesses 29 of the side walls 13-15, the bulky side walls 30, 35, and 40 do not add bulk to the container 10A even when it is folded.

[0045] As described above, in the container 10A of this embodiment, the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 can be changed from a hanging position overlapping the side walls 13 to 15 to an upright position standing on the side walls 13 to 15, and adjacent bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 can be connected to each other, thereby increasing the storage capacity. The bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 and the side walls are provided with lower surface protrusions 32 and upright support portions 33 (corresponding to the upright holding mechanism of the present disclosure) that engage with each other when the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 are in the upright position to hold the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 in the upright position, making it easy to connect adjacent bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 to each other. Furthermore, in the container 10A of this embodiment, the composite bulky side wall 40 and the bulky side walls 30, 35 on both sides thereof have side engagement portions 39, 69 that slide and engage in the vertical direction and are unable to be separated in any direction other than the vertical direction, so that the operation of holding the composite bulky side wall 40 upright and the operation of connecting the composite bulky side wall 40 and the bulky side walls 30, 35 can be performed at the same time.

[0046] The plurality of bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 also include a pair of composite bulky side walls 40 each having a main body 41 and an extension 51 connected thereto. This allows the composite bulky side wall 40 to be longer in the horizontal direction, while the other bulky side walls 30, 35 can be shortened in the horizontal direction accordingly. The composite bulky side wall 40 that has been lengthened in the horizontal direction can also be shortened in the horizontal direction by folding the pair of extensions 51 so that they overlap the main body 41. This allows the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 to be stored in the receiving recesses 29 of the side walls 13-15 when not in use, making the container 10A compact in its normal state and protecting the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 from collision with other components, preventing damage. Moreover, when the composite bulky side wall 40 is accommodated in the receiving recess 29, the extension 51 is disposed between the main body 41 and the lateral side wall 15, which prevents the extension 51 from moving to the extended position due to vibration or the like, and the extension 51 is hidden behind the main body 41, resulting in a simple appearance. In addition, in the container 10A of this embodiment, an upright retention mechanism is provided between the extension 51 of the composite bulky side wall 40 and the rear side wall 13 and the front side wall 14 using the lower surface protrusion 32 and the upright support portion 33, so that when the composite bulky side wall 40 is in an upright position, the extension 51 is stabilized in the extended position, and the connection between the composite bulky side wall 40 and the adjacent bulky side walls 30, 35 is strengthened. Furthermore, in the container 10A of this embodiment, when the extension portion 51 is placed in the standby position, the lower surface protrusion 32 of the extension portion 51 fits within the lower surface protrusion 32 of the main body portion 41, as shown in Figure 6 (B), so that the composite bulky side wall 40 can be maintained in an upright position while the main body portion 41 remains placed in the standby position.

[0047] In this embodiment, as described above, the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 (41, 51) are maintained in an upright position and are lowered from the upper end position of the sliding range, but the "upright position" at this time is called the "upright preparation position," and the "upright position" in which the lower surface protrusions 32 of the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 (41, 51) are respectively engaged with the upright support portions 33 of the side walls 13 to 15 and the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 (41, 51) are maintained in an upright state is called the "upright holding position," and each position may be distinguished.

[0048] [Other embodiments] (1) The upright holding mechanism is not limited to the configuration in which the lower surface protrusions 32 of the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 engage with the upright support portions 33 of the side walls 13 to 15 as in the above embodiment, but may be configured, for example, to have elastic engagement portions on the raised side walls or side walls that elastically deform during the rotation of the raised side walls and elastically return to their original position when the raised side walls assume an upright position.

[0049] (2) In the above embodiment, the lower surface protrusions 32 of the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 are configured to fit inside the upright support portions 33 of the side walls 13 to 15. However, it is also possible to provide fitting holes that penetrate vertically at the bottom of the raised side walls 30, 35, 40, and to have fitting protrusions that protrude upward from the side walls 13 to 15 engage with these fitting holes.

[0050] (3) In addition, in a case where the raised side wall overlaps the outer surface of the side wall in a hanging position, for example, a restricting protrusion protruding from the outer edge of the upper surface of the side wall is provided, and the raised side wall is held in an upright position supported by the restricting protrusion unless the raised side wall is moved to the upper end position of the sliding range. In a case where the raised side wall overlaps the inner surface of the side wall in a hanging position, for example, a restricting protrusion protruding from the inner edge of the upper surface of the side wall is provided, and a similar configuration is also included as an upright retention mechanism. Furthermore, regardless of whether the raised side wall overlaps the inner surface or the outer surface of the side wall, a restricting protrusion may protrude from both the inner edge and the outer edge of the upper surface of the side wall. Furthermore, multiple types of upright retention mechanisms may be used in combination.

[0051] (4) In the above embodiment, a long hole 34 is provided on the side wall 13 to 15, and the hinge protrusion 31P of the raised side wall 30, 35, 40 is slidably engaged therewith. However, conversely, a long hole may be provided on the raised side wall 30, 35, 40, and the hinge protrusion 31P may be provided on the side wall 13 to 15.

[0052] (5) In the above embodiment, the upright holding mechanism is provided between all of the side walls 13 to 15 of the raised side walls 30, 35, and 40. However, the upright holding mechanism does not have to be provided between all of the raised side walls and the side walls.

[0053] (6) In addition, in the above embodiment, the composite bulky side wall 40 has an upright holding mechanism provided in both the main body portion 41 and the extension portion 51, but it may also be provided only in the main body portion 41 or only in the extension portion 51.

[0054] (7) The structure for connecting adjacent raised side walls 30, 35, 40 is not limited to the configuration having the above-mentioned side engagement portions 39, 69, but may be, for example, a configuration in which a horizontally rotating engagement lever is provided on one of the adjacent raised side walls and engaged with the other raised side wall, or a configuration in which an L-shaped cap is used that is in an upright position and fitted from above onto the adjacent raised side wall.

[0055] (8) The container 10A in the above embodiment is foldable and has a front opening 16, but the above-mentioned upright holding mechanism may also be provided on containers that cannot be foldable or that do not have a front opening and have bulky side walls.

[0056] (9) In addition, in the hanging position, the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 may overlap the inner surface or the outer surface of the side wall.

[0057] (10) In the above embodiment, the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 are entirely contained within the receiving recess 29 when in the hanging position. However, they may be configured so that a portion of each wall protrudes from the receiving recess 29.

[0058] (11) In the above embodiment, in the one equipped with the standing-up holding mechanism, some of the multiple raised side walls 30, 35, 40 were made into composite raised side walls 40, but in the one not equipped with the standing-up holding mechanism, some or all of the multiple raised side walls may be made into composite raised side walls.

[0059] (12) In the above embodiment, an upright holding mechanism is provided between the extension 51 of the composite bulky side wall 40 and the rear side wall 13 and the front side wall 14 using the lower surface protrusion 32 and the upright support portion 33. However, instead of or in addition to this, an upright holding mechanism may also be provided between the extension 51 of the composite bulky side wall 40 and the lateral side wall 15 using the lower surface protrusion 32 and the upright support portion 33.

[0060] (13) In the above embodiment, when the elevated side walls 30, 35, 40 are taken out of the receiving recess 29 from the hanging position and put into the upright position, they are rotated a certain amount (outward and upward), then slid upward while rotating further, and then slid downward. However, they may be slid upward first, rotated (outward and upward), and then slid downward. In other words, the rotatable and vertically movable structure is not limited to the embodiment.

[0061] 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]

[0062] 10A container 13~15 side wall 29 Receptor recess 30,35 Bulky side wall 32 Bottom protrusion (erecting holding mechanism) 33 Standing support part (standing holding mechanism) 39,69 Side engagement part 40 Composite raised side wall 41 Main body 51 Extension

Claims

1. A container having an open-topped rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, with at least three or more side walls each having a raised side wall rotatably connected to the upper end thereof, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping the outer surface of each side wall to an upright position standing on each side wall by connecting adjacent raised side walls together, thereby increasing the storage capacity. an upright holding mechanism provided on the raised side wall and the side wall, which engages with each other when the raised side wall is in the upright position, thereby holding the raised side wall in the upright position; A horizontal rib is provided on the outer surface of the side wall and faces the raised side wall in the hanging position from below; an end rib protruding downward from the tip edge of the horizontal rib; A container comprising:

2. A container that is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped with an open top, and has at least three or more side walls to which raised side walls are rotatably connected at their upper ends, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping the outer surfaces of the side walls to an upright position standing on the side walls, and adjacent raised side walls can be connected together, thereby increasing the storage capacity, an upright holding mechanism provided on the raised side wall and the side wall, which engages with each other when the raised side wall is in the upright position, thereby holding the raised side wall in the upright position; a receiving recess provided on an outer surface of the side wall, into which the entire raised side wall in the hanging position is accommodated; A container comprising:

3. A container that is rectangular and open at the top, and in which a pair of opposing first side walls can be folded inward, and then the remaining pair of second side walls can be folded, wherein a raised side wall is rotatably connected to each of the upper ends of four side walls consisting of the pair of first side walls and the pair of second side walls, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping the outer surface of each side wall to an upright position standing on each side wall, and adjacent raised side walls can be connected to each other, thereby increasing the storage capacity of the container, Each of the raised side walls is connected to each of the side walls so as to be rotatable and movable up and down, Each of the side walls and each of the raised side walls is provided with a concave-convex engaging portion that engages with the raised side wall while the raised side wall moves from an upper end position to a lower end position of the vertical movable range of the raised side wall to maintain the raised side wall in the upright position, A container in which the concave-convex engaging portion of the bulky side wall connected to the first side wall can be engaged with both the concave-convex engaging portion of the first side wall and the concave-convex engaging portion of the pair of second side walls.

4. A container that is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped with an open top, and has at least three or more side walls to which raised side walls are rotatably connected at their upper ends, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping each of the side walls to an upright position standing on each of the side walls, and adjacent raised side walls can be connected together, thereby increasing the storage capacity, an upright holding mechanism provided on the raised side wall and the side wall, which engages with each other when the raised side wall is in the upright position to hold the raised side wall in the upright position; the plurality of raised side walls include composite raised side walls having extensions movably connected to ends of a main body pivotally connected to the side walls; The extension portion moves between a standby position where it overlaps the outer or inner surface of the main body portion and an extended position where it extends laterally from the main body portion beyond the standby position.

5. 5. The container according to claim 4, wherein the upright holding mechanism is provided on the extension of the raised side wall and on the side wall.

6. 6. The container according to claim 4, wherein the side wall is provided with a receiving recess for receiving the composite bulky side wall in the hanging position with the extension disposed in the standby position.

7. A container as described in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the extension portion is rotatably connected around a rotation axis parallel to the rotation radius direction of the main body portion, and in the standby position, is overlapped on the outer surface of the main body portion in the upright position, and is sandwiched between the side wall and the main body portion in the hanging position of the composite bulky side wall.

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