Folding container

Abstract

This folding container (100) has a lower frame (1), an upper frame (2), side plates (3, 4), and a pair of lid plates (7). A plurality of positioning protrusions (71) that protrude upward are provided to the upper frame (2) or the pair of lid plates (7) along a circumferential edge section of the upper frame (2). An installation surface (1d) of a bottom plate (1a) has formed therein: a first groove section (13) formed along the outer circumferential edge section of the bottom plate (1a), the positioning protrusions (71) of the folding container (100) that are positioned on the lower side when folding containers (100) are stacked flat being fitted into the first groove section (13); a second groove section (14a, 14b) formed parallel to short sides of the bottom plate (1a), some of the positioning protrusions (71) of the folding container (100) that are positioned on the lower side when folding containers (100) are pinwheel-stacked being fitted into the second groove section (14a, 14b); and a plurality of third groove sections (15a, 15b) formed parallel to long sides of the bottom plate (1a), support rails (90) provided to a support surface (91) where folding containers (100) are loaded being fitted into the third groove sections (15a, 15b). The depth of the third groove sections (15a, 15b) from the installation surface (1d) is less than that for the first groove section (13) and the second groove section (14a, 14b).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a foldable container that can be used for storing, transporting, etc., various items. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a folding container is known which is used for storing, transporting, etc., goods, and which can be stored by folding the side panels so that they overlap the bottom panel, and which is assembled by standing the side panels upright against the bottom panel when in use.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a foldable container having an upper frame, a bottom, a flip-up side wall, a divided side wall, and a pair of cover plates. The flip-up side wall has an upper end hinged to the upper frame. The divided side wall is composed of an upper divided side wall located above the hinge and a lower divided side wall located below the hinge. The upper and lower divided side walls are divided so as to be rotatable inward of the foldable container, and the upper end of the upper divided side wall is hinged to the upper frame, and the lower end of the lower divided side wall is hinged to the bottom. The pair of cover plates are hinged to opposing long sides of the upper frame.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a folding container including a bottom wall protrusion protruding downward from the underside of the bottom wall and a storage recess formed at the upper edge of the side wall so as to open upward and which, when stacked vertically, accommodates the bottom wall protrusion of an upper folding container. This folding container includes a positioning protrusion provided in the storage recess and facing the inner peripheral surface of the bottom wall protrusion of the upper folding container when stacked vertically, and abutting or coming close to the bottom wall protrusion. The folding container also includes a climbing guide means for displacing the bottom wall protrusion of the upper folding container obliquely upward relative to the positioning protrusion of the lower folding container when the upper and lower folding containers are moved relative to each other in the horizontal direction, such that the inner surface of the lower container protrusion, which is the inner peripheral surface of the bottom wall of the positioning protrusion, faces the outer surface of the upper container protrusion, which is the outer peripheral surface of the bottom wall protrusion of the upper folding container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-161303 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-124607 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When installing equipment for automatic packing and unpacking of the above-mentioned folding containers, it is conceivable that the folding containers would be placed on support rails and transported along the support rails. In this case, grooves into which the support rails fit must be formed on the installation surface of the folding container. However, as described in Patent Document 2, grooves (recesses) are also formed on the installation surface of the folding container to prevent misalignment when the folding containers are stacked. Therefore, forming grooves into which the support rails fit reduces the installation surface and makes the bottom plate thinner, which reduces the strength of the bottom plate of the folding container, potentially causing warping or deformation.

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a foldable container that can maintain fit with support rails while ensuring the strength of the bottom plate and suppressing warping and deformation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is a foldable container having a lower frame, an upper frame, side panels, and a pair of cover panels. The lower frame includes a rectangular bottom panel having long and short sides. The upper frame has a peripheral edge having the same shape as the outer edge of the lower frame, and is a frame-like body having a pair of opposing first side surfaces and a pair of second side surfaces connecting the ends of the first side surfaces. The side panels are foldably supported between the lower frame and the upper frame. The pair of cover panels are rotatably supported on the second side surfaces of the upper frame to open and close the opening of the upper frame. The foldable container can be folded flat by folding the side panels inward. The upper frame or the pair of cover panels have multiple positioning protrusions that protrude upward along the peripheral edge of the upper frame. A first groove, a second groove, and a third groove are formed in an installation surface provided on the underside of the bottom panel. The first groove is formed along the outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate, and when the folding containers are stacked flat, the positioning protrusion of the folding container arranged below fits into the first groove. The second groove is formed parallel to the short side of the bottom plate, and when the folding containers are stacked using pinhole stacking, part of the positioning protrusion of the folding container arranged below fits into the second groove. A plurality of third grooves are formed parallel to the long side of the bottom plate, and support rails provided on the support surface on which the folding containers are placed fit into the third groove. The depth of the third groove from the installation surface is smaller than the depths of the first and second grooves. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the first configuration of the present invention, by forming the first groove and the second groove on the installation surface of the bottom plate, it is possible to prevent the folding containers stacked above from sliding sideways when stacked flat or with pinholes, thereby preventing misalignment and collapse of the stack. Furthermore, by forming the third groove on the installation surface of the bottom plate into which the support rail fits, it is possible to smoothly and efficiently pack and unpack the folding containers in the factory. Furthermore, by making the depth of the third groove from the installation surface smaller than the depths of the first groove and the second groove, it is possible to ensure the strength of the bottom plate and effectively suppress warping and deformation while maintaining the fit between the bottom plate and the support rail. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a foldable container 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is assembled. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the folding container 100 of the present embodiment in a folded state. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of the foldable container 100 with the cover plate 7 held at a predetermined open angle, as viewed from above. [Figure 4] 1 is a side view of the folding container 100, seen from the side of the flip-up side panel 3, with the cover plate 7 held at a predetermined open angle. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view including the pivot shaft 70a of the left cover plate 7 in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the connecting portion between the cover plate support portion 20 and the pivot shaft portion 70a, showing a state in which a first engagement protrusion 77a formed on the pivot shaft portion 70a is engaged with the outer side of the angle restriction portion 20a formed on the cover plate support portion 20. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the connecting portion between the cover plate support portion 20 and the pivot shaft portion 70b, showing a state in which the second engagement protrusion 77b formed on the pivot shaft portion 70b is engaged with the inner side of the angle restriction portion 20a formed on the cover plate support portion 20. [Figure 8] A perspective view of the vicinity of the upper end of the flip-up side panel 3 [Figure 9]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the vicinity of the connection portion between the upper frame 2 and the flip-up side panel 3, showing the flip-up side panel 3 in an upright position. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the vicinity of the connection portion between the upper frame 2 and the lift-up side panel 3, showing the lift-up side panel 3 in a collapsed state. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the periphery of a corner of the folding container 100 in a folded state. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the foldable container 100 in a folded state, taken along the short side of the periphery of a corner of the foldable container 100. [Figure 13] A perspective view of the lower frame 1 seen from above [Figure 14] An enlarged perspective view of the corner portion of the lower frame 1 [Figure 15] A perspective view of the lower frame 1 seen from below. [Figure 16] A side view of the lower frame 1 as seen from the first standing wall portion 1b side. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which foldable containers 100 are stacked flat. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the foldable container 100 is stacked with pinholes. [Figure 19] 1 is a side view of the lower end of the foldable container 100 placed on the support rail 90, viewed from the side of the flip-up side panel 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a folding container 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention in an assembled state. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the folding container 100 of this embodiment in a folded state. The folding container 100 is made of synthetic resin and has a lower frame 1, an upper frame 2, lift-up side panels 3, divided side panels 4, and a lid panel 7. The lower frame 1, lift-up side panels 3, divided side panels 4, and lid panel 7 are black, and the upper frame 2 is white.

[0012] The lower frame 1 has a rectangular bottom plate 1a (see FIG. 3), a first upright wall 1b that rises vertically along the short sides of the bottom plate 1a, and a second upright wall 1c that rises vertically along the long sides of the bottom plate 1a. The upper frame 2 is a frame body that is rectangular in plan view and has approximately the same shape as the outer edge of the lower frame 1. It has a pair of opposing first side surfaces 2b and a pair of second side surfaces 2c that connect the ends of the pair of first side surfaces 2b. The first side surfaces 2b form the short sides of the upper frame 2, and the second side surfaces 2c form the long sides of the upper frame 2.

[0013] A pair of flip-up side panels 3 are disposed facing each other between the first standing wall portion 1b of the lower frame 1 and the first side surface 2b of the upper frame 2. The upper ends of the flip-up side panels 3 are rotatably connected to the inside of the first side surface 2b of the upper frame 2. The flip-up side panels 3 are rotatable between an upright state in which they stand perpendicular to the lower frame 1 and a laid-down state in which they are laid down inward so as to overlap the lower frame 1.

[0014] A pair of divided side plates 4 are disposed facing each other between the second standing wall portion 1c of the lower frame 1 and the second side surface 2c of the upper frame 2. The divided side plate 4 has an upper side plate 5, a lower side plate 6, and a hinge portion 8. The upper end of the upper side plate 5 is rotatably connected to the inside of the second side surface 2c of the upper frame 2. The lower end of the lower side plate 6 is rotatably connected to a bearing portion 10 (see Figure 13) formed on the bottom plate 1a of the lower frame 1. The hinge portion 8 rotatably connects the lower end of the upper side plate 5 to the upper end of the lower side plate 6 at multiple locations. With this configuration, the divided side plate 4 is movable between an extended state in which the upper side plate 5 and the lower side plate 6 are extended substantially flush with each other, and a bent state in which the divided side plate 4 is bent inward to overlap the lower frame 1.

[0015] A plurality of first reinforcing ribs 43a, 43b (three rows in this example) extending in the vertical direction are formed on the outer surface of the divided side plate 4. The first reinforcing rib 43a is formed between the upper end of the upper side plate 5 and the hinge portion 8. The first reinforcing rib 43b is formed between the lower end of the lower side plate 6 and the hinge portion 8. The first reinforcing ribs 43a, 43b are formed linearly so as to straddle the hinge portion 8 and continue from the upper end to the lower end of the divided side plate 4.

[0016] A pair of cover plates 7 are attached to the second side surface 2c of the upper frame 2 so as to be rotatable up and down. More specifically, connecting arm portions 70 are formed at three locations on the base end (connection portion with the upper frame 2) of each cover plate 7. Each connecting arm portion 70 has bearing portions 70a to 70c. Cover plate support portions 20 that rotatably support the bearing portions 70a to 70c are formed at six locations on one of the second side surfaces 2c at the top of the second side surface 2c of the upper frame 2, three locations on each side surface 2c. Each cover plate 7 has rectangular parallelepiped positioning protrusions 71 formed at four locations, two on each side surface 2c, at positions that overlap with the first side surface 2b of the upper frame 2. A first grip portion 21 with a rectangular cutout is formed on the first side surface 2b of the upper frame 2.

[0017] A flap 72 extending toward the opposing cover plate 7 and a receiving portion 73 (see FIG. 3) on which the flap 72 overlaps are formed at the tip end (rotating end) of each cover plate 7. By rotating the pair of cover plates 7 upward relative to the upper frame 2, the opening 2a of the upper frame 2 arranged on the top surface of the folding container 100 can be opened. Furthermore, by combining the tip ends (rotating ends) of the cover plates 7 alternately so that the flap 72 of one cover plate 7 overlaps the receiving portion 73 of the other cover plate 7, the opening 2a can be closed.

[0018] In the foldable container 100 configured as described above, the upper side plate 5 and the lower side plate 6 of the pair of divided side plates 4 are extended, and the flip-up side plate 3 is raised substantially vertically. This allows the foldable container 100 to be assembled into a box shape, as shown in Fig. 1. At this time, the lower ends of the flip-up side plates 3 are engaged with the engaging protrusions 12 (see Fig. 13) formed on the bottom plate 1a of the lower frame 1, and the upper engaging pieces 51 of the upper side plate 5 and the lower engaging pieces 61 of the lower side plate 6 are engaged with the engaging holes 31 of the flip-up side plates 3. This maintains the flip-up side plates 3 in an upright state and the divided side plates 4 in an extended state.

[0019] Furthermore, the engagement between the lower end of the flip-up side panel 3 and the engaging protrusion 12, and the engagement between the upper engagement piece 51 and the lower engagement piece 61 and the engagement hole 31 are released, and the divided side panel 4 (upper side panel 5 and lower side panel 6) is bent so as to fold inward (to a bent state). Then, the flip-up side panel 3 is rotated upward until it is horizontal (to a collapsed state). As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the divided side panel 4 and the flip-up side panel 3 can be stored by overlapping them between the upper frame 2 and the lower frame 1, and the folding container 100 can be folded flat. Furthermore, by gripping and lifting the first gripping portion 21 of the upper frame 2 from the state shown in FIG. 2, the folding container 100 can be reassembled into a box shape.

[0020] Fig. 3 is a perspective view from above showing the lid plate 7 of the folding container 100 held at a predetermined open angle. Fig. 4 is a side view from the side of the flip-up side panel 3 showing the lid plate 7 of the folding container 100 held at a predetermined open angle. As shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of first ribs 74 parallel to the first side surface 2b of the upper frame 2 and a plurality of second ribs 75 parallel to the second side surface 2c are formed in a lattice pattern on the back side of the lid plate 7. The first ribs 74 and the second ribs 75 increase the bending strength of the lid plate 7 and suppress warping during molding.

[0021] An inclined surface 76 is formed on the edge (near the connecting arm portion 70) facing the second side surface 2c on the back side of the cover plate 7. The inclined surface 76 slopes downward toward the opening 2a when the cover plate 7 is held at the open angle. The inclined surface 76 is formed over substantially the entire length of the cover plate 7 along the second side surface 2c in the longitudinal direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 3).

[0022] 5 is a cross-sectional view including bearing portion 70a of left cover plate 7 in FIG. 4. Bearing portions 70a to 70c are hollow cylindrical, and a resin connecting pin (connecting shaft) 9 is slidably inserted inside. Both ends of connecting pin 9 are supported by cover plate support portions 20. With the above configuration, cover plate 7 is rotatably supported on the upper part of second side surface 2c of upper frame 2.

[0023] 6 and 7 are enlarged views of the connection portion between the cover plate support portion 20 and the bearing portions 70a and 70b, respectively. Note that the configuration of bearing portion 70c is similar to that of bearing portion 70a shown in Fig. 6, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The cover plate 7 on the right side in Fig. 4 also has the same configuration as that shown in Figs. 6 and 7, except that it is bilaterally symmetrical.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 6, first engagement protrusions 77a are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the bearing portions 70a and 70c. As shown in Fig. 7, second engagement protrusions 77b are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bearing portion 70b. The first engagement protrusions 77a of the bearing portions 70a and 70c are in a different circumferential position (phase) from the second engagement protrusions 77b of the bearing portion 70b. More specifically, the first engagement protrusions 77a are formed upstream of the second engagement protrusions 77b in the rotation direction (counterclockwise direction in Figs. 6 and 7) of the bearing portions 70a to 70c when the cover plate 7 is opened.

[0025] Additionally, an angle restricting portion 20a is formed on the cover plate support portion 20 at a position facing the bearing portions 70a to 70c. The distance between the outer peripheral surfaces of the bearing portions 70a to 70c and the angle restricting portion 20a is smaller than the protrusion amounts of the first engaging protrusions 77a and the second engaging protrusions 77b. Therefore, when the bearing portions 70a to 70c rotate, the first engaging protrusions 77a and the second engaging protrusions 77b come into contact with the angle restricting portion 20a.

[0026] 1 in which the opening 2a of the upper frame 2 is closed by the pair of cover plates 7, when the cover plate 7 is rotated upward, first, the second engagement protrusion 77b of the bearing portion 70b comes into contact with the outer surface (left side surface in FIG. 7) of the angle limiting portion 20a. When the cover plate 7 is rotated further, as shown in FIG. 7, the second engagement protrusion 77b passes over the angle limiting portion 20a and moves to the inside of the angle limiting portion 20a (right side in FIG. 7).

[0027] At this time, as shown in Figure 6, the first engagement protrusions 77a of the bearings 70a and 70c come into contact with the outer surface (left side surface in Figure 6) of the angle restriction portion 20a. That is, when viewed from the axial direction of the connecting pin 9, the angle restriction portion 20a is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the first engagement protrusions 77a and the second engagement protrusions 77b. As a result, the first engagement protrusions 77a restrict the rotation of the cover plate 7 in the opening direction. In addition, the second engagement protrusions 77b restrict the rotation of the cover plate 7 in the closing direction.

[0028] As a result, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cover plate 7 is held in an open state at an opening angle θ from the horizontal state in which it closes the opening of the upper frame 2. If the opening angle θ of the cover plate 7 is 90° or less, packing and unpacking operations become difficult. On the other hand, if the opening angle θ of the cover plate 7 is 135° or more, the weight of the cover plate 7 makes it easy for the first engaging protrusion 77a and the angle restricting portion 20a to disengage, making it difficult to hold the cover plate 7 in an open state. In addition, more space is required for packing and unpacking operations.

[0029] In order to facilitate the storage and removal of packaged items, to stably hold the cover plate 7 in the open state, and to minimize the space required for packing and unpacking operations, the opening angle θ is preferably 90° to 135° from the horizontal, and more preferably 100° to 110°.

[0030] Furthermore, when an external force of a certain magnitude or greater is applied to the cover plate 7 while it is held at the open angle θ, the angle restricting portion 20a disengages from the first engaging protrusion 77a or the second engaging protrusion 77b, allowing the cover plate 7 to rotate freely. This prevents deformation or damage to the bearing portions 70a to 70c of the cover plate 7 and the cover plate support portion 20 of the upper frame 2.

[0031] In this embodiment, the first engagement protrusion 77a and the second engagement protrusion 77b are each provided at one location in the circumferential direction of the bearings 70a to 70c, and the angle restriction portion 20a is provided at one location in the rotation direction of the bearings 70a to 70c. Instead of this configuration, the first engagement protrusion 77a and the second engagement protrusion 77b may be provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction of the bearings 70a to 70c, or the angle restriction portion 20a may be provided at multiple locations along the rotation direction of the bearings 70a to 70c, thereby making it possible to hold the cover plate 7 in an open state at multiple opening angles θ.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first engagement protrusion 77a and the second engagement protrusion 77b are provided one each on different bearing portions 70a to 70c, but the first engagement protrusion 77a and the second engagement protrusion 77b may be provided on the same bearing portion 70a to 70c. That is, it is sufficient that the first engagement protrusion 77a is formed on at least one bearing portion 70a to 70c, and the second engagement protrusion 77b is formed on at least one bearing portion 70a to 70c that is the same as or different from the bearing portion 70a to 70c on which the first engagement protrusion 77a is formed.

[0033] Furthermore, because the cover plate 7 is held in an upwardly open state, the packaged item (a blister pack in this case) can be guided into the folding container 100 along the back surface of the cover plate 7. At this time, by making the height (the amount of protrusion from the cover plate 7) of the first rib 74 formed on the back surface of the cover plate 7 greater than the second rib 75, the packaged item is less likely to get caught on the second rib 75, which is perpendicular to the direction of storage and removal. Furthermore, an inclined surface 76 that slopes downward toward the opening 2a is formed near the bearing portions 70a to 70c of the cover plate 7, so the packaged item is less likely to get caught on the lower end of the cover portion 7. Therefore, the packaged item can be stored in and removed from the folding container 100 smoothly.

[0034] Furthermore, by making the upper frame 2 white, it is possible to improve the visibility around the opening 2a of the upper frame 2. This makes it easier to store and remove packaged items even in dimly lit factories. It also makes it possible to print logos and QR codes clearly on the upper frame 2.

[0035] On the other hand, by coloring the lower frame 1, the lift-up side panel 3, the dividing side panel 4, and the lid panel 7 black, the contrast with the white upper frame 2 is increased, making it easier to see the up-down direction (top-bottom direction) of the foldable container 100 in the folded state as shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, even when many foldable containers 100 are stacked, the number of containers can be easily confirmed.

[0036] In this embodiment, the upper frame 2 is white, and the lower frame 1, the flip-up side panel 3, the divided side panel 4, and the cover panel 7 are black, but the upper frame 2 may be any color brighter than the lower frame 1, the flip-up side panel 3, the divided side panel 4, and the cover panel 7, and other colors may be used, not limited to white or black.

[0037] 8 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the upper end of the flip-up side plate 3. Rotation fulcrum portions 33 having through holes 33a are formed at both widthwise ends of the upper end of the flip-up side plate 3, separated by gap portions 34. In addition, a side plate support portion (not shown) is formed on the inside of the first side surface 2b of the upper frame 2. A resin pin (not shown) is inserted into the through hole 33a and the bearing hole of the side plate support portion, so that the flip-up side plate 3 is supported on the upper frame 2 so as to be rotatable up and down.

[0038] Second gripping portions 32 are formed in the widthwise center of the upper end portions of the flip-up side plates 3. The second gripping portions 32 are formed in the shape of an elongated rectangular tube that is open at the lower end. When carrying the assembled folding container 100 (see FIG. 1 ), the user inserts fingers into the pair of second gripping portions 32 formed on the flip-up side plates 3 from the lower end to hold the container. A restricting rib 35 is formed adjacent to the upper portion of the second gripping portions 32. The restricting rib 35 is formed in a gap 34 at the upper end portion of the flip-up side plate 3, coaxially with the pivot fulcrum portion 33 across the entire widthwise area of ​​the second gripping portions 32.

[0039] 9 and 10 are cross-sectional perspective views of the vicinity of the connection between the upper frame 2 and the flip-up side panel 3, showing the flip-up side panel 3 in an upright state and a collapsed state, respectively. When the folding container 100 is assembled into a box shape, the flip-up side panel 3 stands vertically. As shown in FIG. 9, the second gripping portion 32 of the flip-up side panel 3 is disposed adjacent to and below the notched first gripping portion 21. In addition, the restricting rib 35 is disposed on the back side of the first gripping portion 21.

[0040] When the folding container 100 is folded flat, the flip-up side panel 3 is rotated 90° from the state shown in Fig. 9 and laid horizontally. As shown in Fig. 10, the second gripping portion 32 of the flip-up side panel 3 is stored between the lower frame 1 and the upper frame 2. In addition, the restricting rib 35 is arranged to fill the gap between the first gripping portion 21 and the second gripping portion 32.

[0041] With the above-described configuration, when the first gripping portion 21 of the folding container 100 in the folded state is gripped, the restricting rib 35 prevents fingers from getting caught in the gap between the first gripping portion 21 and the second gripping portion 32. Therefore, when the flip-up side panel 3 is raised to assemble the folding container 100, there is no risk of fingers getting pinched between the first gripping portion 21 and the second gripping portion 32, and injury to the worker can be prevented in advance.

[0042] Fig. 11 is a partial perspective view of the periphery of a corner of the folding container 100 in a folded state. Fig. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the short side of the periphery of the corner of the folding container 100 in a folded state. As shown in Fig. 11, a positioning protrusion 71 formed on the cover plate 7 is disposed along the upper end of the first side surface 2b of the upper frame 2. In addition, a cover plate support portion 20 is disposed along the upper end of the second side surface 2c of the upper frame 2. The cover plate support portion 20 and the positioning protrusion 71 engage with a first groove portion 13 formed along the outer periphery of the installation surface 1d of the lower frame 1 when the folding containers 100 are assembled or stacked in a folded state.

[0043] An IC tag 80 is attached to the inside of the first side surface 2b of the upper frame 2. The IC tag 80 stores information about the items (components, etc.) to be packed in the foldable container 100 or information about the foldable container 100 itself in a rewritable manner. In this embodiment, radio frequency identification (RFI), which uses a reader / writer module (not shown) to read and rewrite the information stored in the IC tag 80, is used to identify the foldable container 100 and the items to be packed in the foldable container 100.

[0044] By attaching the IC tag 80 to the inside of the first side surface 2b of the upper frame 2, it becomes difficult for rain and dust to adhere to the IC tag 80 during transportation and storage of the foldable container 100. In addition, the IC tag 80 can be protected from impacts during transportation.

[0045] Furthermore, if the items to be packed in the foldable container 100 are metal parts, the information magnetically stored in the IC tag 80 may be affected by the metal parts, resulting in read errors. By attaching the IC tag 80 to the upper frame 2, it is possible to maintain a certain distance from the metal parts stored in the foldable container 100. This makes the IC tag 80 less susceptible to the influence of the metal parts, and it is possible to prevent read errors of the IC tag 80.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 12 , when the foldable container 100 is in a folded state, the lower side panel 6 and the upper side panel 5 that make up the divided side panel 4 are folded, and the flip-up side panel 3 that is laid horizontally on top of the upper side panel 5 is stored between the lower frame 1, the upper frame 2, and the lid panel 7.

[0047] Furthermore, when the lower side plate 6 and the upper side plate 5 are folded, the first reinforcing ribs 43a, 43b formed on each of them face each other. Here, the first reinforcing rib 43a formed on the upper side plate 5 has a convex portion 44 formed thereon that comes into contact with the first reinforcing rib 43b formed on the lower side plate 6. The convex portion 44 protrudes from the upper surface of the first reinforcing rib 43a (the surface that forms the outer side of the assembled foldable container 100). The convex portion 44 is formed at the end of the first reinforcing rib 43a on the side farther from the hinge portion 8 (the upper side of the upper side plate 5), and comes into contact with the end of the first reinforcing rib 43b on the side farther from the hinge portion 8 (the lower side of the lower side plate 6).

[0048] The convex portion 44 formed on the first reinforcing rib 43a comes into contact with the first reinforcing rib 43b, thereby balancing the pressing force acting on the lower side plate 6 and the upper side plate 5 in the folded state. This reduces the load on the hinge portion 8, effectively preventing deformation and damage to the upper side plate 5, the lower side plate 6, and the hinge portion 8. Furthermore, by forming the convex portion 44 on the end of the first reinforcing rib 43a farther from the hinge portion 8, the distance between the convex portion 44 that receives the pressing force and the hinge portion 8 increases. This makes it possible to more effectively reduce the load on the hinge portion 8.

[0049] In this embodiment, the convex portion 44 is formed at the end of the first reinforcing rib 43a on the side farther from the hinge portion 8 (above the upper side plate 5), but the convex portion 44 may also be formed at the end of the first reinforcing rib 43b on the side farther from the hinge portion 8 (below the lower side plate 6).

[0050] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the lower frame 1 as seen from above (the inner surface). Figure 14 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of a corner (the upper left corner in Figure 13) of the lower frame 1. A plurality of second reinforcing ribs 11 extending vertically are formed on the inner surfaces of the first standing wall portion 1b and the second standing wall portion 1c of the lower frame 1. In addition, third reinforcing ribs 23 (see Figure 12) extending vertically are also formed on the inner surfaces of the first side surface 2b and the second side surface 2c of the upper frame 2.

[0051] When the foldable container 100 is in a folded state, the upper end 1b1 of the first standing wall 1b of the lower frame 1 faces the lower end 2b1 of the first side surface 2b, as shown in Fig. 11. Furthermore, the upper end 1c1 of the second standing wall 1c of the lower frame 1 faces the lower end 2c1 of the second side surface 2c, as shown in Fig. 12.

[0052] Therefore, when a load (pressure) is applied in the vertical direction, for example, when a large number of foldable containers 100 are stacked in a folded state, the first standing wall portion 1b and the first side surface 2b, and the second standing wall portion 1c and the second side surface 2c are pressed together, which may cause deformation or damage. By forming the second reinforcing rib 11 on the first standing wall portion 1b and the second standing wall portion 1c, and by forming the third reinforcing rib 23 on the first side surface 2b and the second side surface 2c, it is possible to effectively suppress deformation and damage to the lower frame 1 and the upper frame 2 when a load is applied in the vertical direction.

[0053] Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the lower frame 1 as viewed from below (the installation surface 1d side). Fig. 16 is a side view of the lower frame 1 as viewed from the first standing wall portion 1b side. The installation surface 1d of the lower frame 1 is formed with a first groove portion 13, second groove portions 14a, 14b, and third groove portions 15a, 15b. The installation surface 1d has a lattice-like rib shape inside.

[0054] The first groove 13 is formed in a ring shape along the outer periphery of the lower frame 1. When foldable containers 100 are stacked flat as shown in Figure 17, the lid plate support part 20 and positioning protrusion 71 of the lower foldable container 100 engage with the first groove 13 of the foldable container 100 overlapping above. The lid plate support part 20 protrudes to the same height as the positioning protrusion 71, and also has the same positioning function as the positioning protrusion 71. This makes it possible to prevent misalignment and collapse of the load caused by the foldable container 100 overlapping above sliding sideways when the foldable containers 100 are stacked flat.

[0055] The second grooves 14a, 14b are formed parallel to the first standing wall 1b. The distance between the second groove 14a and the first standing wall 1b facing each other across the second groove 14b, and the distance between the second groove 14b and the first standing wall 1b facing each other across the second groove 14a, are equal to the distance between the second side surfaces 2c of the upper frame 2. The first groove 13 and the second grooves 14a, 14b have the same step (depth from the installation surface 1d) with respect to the installation surface 1d.

[0056] As a result, when four foldable containers 100 are stacked alternately in a square (pinhole stacking) as shown in Figure 18, the lid plate support portion 20 of the lower foldable container 100 engages with the portion of the first groove portion 13 along the first standing wall portion 1b and either one of the second groove portions 14a, 14b. In addition, the positioning protrusion 71 engages with the portion of the first groove portion 13 along the second standing wall portion 1c. As a result, when the foldable containers 100 are stacked in a pinhole stacking manner, it is possible to prevent misalignment of the foldable containers 100 and collapse of the cargo caused by the foldable container 100 stacked above sliding sideways.

[0057] The third grooves 15a, 15b are formed parallel to the second standing wall 1c. As shown in Fig. 19, support rails 90 for moving the folding container 100 fit into the third grooves 15a, 15b. The support rails 90 are provided on a support surface 91, which is the upper surface of an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) that carries the folding container 100. When the folding container 100 is automatically moved from the AGV and transferred onto a work line, the folding container 100 is guided along the support rails 90.

[0058] By moving the folding container 100 along the support rails 90 with the third grooves 15a, 15b fitted into the support rails 90, it is possible to prevent the folding container 100 from tilting or falling off the support surface 91 when transferring the folding container 100 from the AGV to a work line. This makes it possible to smoothly and efficiently pack and unpack the folding containers 100 in the factory.

[0059] The third grooves 15a and 15b have a smaller step (depth from the installation surface 1d) from the installation surface 1d than the first grooves 13 and the second grooves 14a and 14b. If the step of the third grooves 15a and 15b were the same as that of the first grooves 13 and the second grooves 14a and 14b, the area of ​​the installation surface 1d would be reduced by the third grooves 15a and 15b, and the rib shapes constituting the installation surface 1d would also be reduced. As a result, the strength of the bottom plate 1a would be reduced, potentially resulting in warping or deformation. Therefore, by making the step of the third grooves 15a and 15b smaller than that of the first grooves 13 and the second grooves 14a and 14b, a portion of the rib shapes remains on the bottom surfaces of the third grooves 15a and 15b. This ensures the fit between the bottom plate 1a and the support rail 90 while ensuring the strength of the bottom plate 1 and effectively suppressing warping and deformation.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the shapes, positions, dimensions, etc. of the lower frame 1, upper frame 2, flip-up side panel 3, divided side panel 4, cover panel 7, hinge section 8, etc. can be modified as desired. [Industrial Applicability]

[0061] The present invention can be used in a foldable container. It is possible to provide a foldable container that can maintain fit with the support rails while ensuring the strength of the bottom plate and suppressing warping and deformation.

Claims

1. a lower frame including a rectangular bottom plate having long and short sides; a frame-shaped upper frame having a peripheral edge portion having the same shape as the outer edge of the lower frame, a pair of opposing first side surfaces, and a pair of second side surfaces connecting end portions of the first side surfaces; a side plate foldably supported between the lower frame and the upper frame; a pair of cover plates that are rotatably supported on the second side surface of the upper frame to open and close the opening of the upper frame; A foldable container that can be folded flat by folding the side panels inward, the upper frame or the pair of cover plates are provided with a plurality of positioning protrusions that protrude upward along the periphery of the upper frame, The installation surface provided on the lower surface of the bottom plate includes: a first groove formed along an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate, into which the positioning protrusion of the folding container disposed below is fitted when the folding containers are stacked flat; a second groove formed parallel to the short side of the bottom plate, into which a part of the positioning protrusion of the folding container disposed below is fitted when the folding container is stacked in a pinhole stacking manner; a plurality of third grooves formed parallel to the long sides of the bottom plate and into which support rails provided on a support surface on which the foldable container is placed are fitted; and is formed, The installation surface has a lattice-like rib shape inside, A foldable container, wherein the depth of the third groove portion from the installation surface is smaller than the depths of the first groove portion and the second groove portion.

2. a plurality of cover plate support portions that rotatably support bearing portions formed on the cover plate are formed on upper portions of the pair of second side surfaces, The foldable container according to claim 1, wherein the cover plate support portion also serves as the positioning protrusion.

3. 3. The folding container according to claim 2, wherein the cover plate support portion protrudes to the same height as the positioning protrusion formed on the cover plate, and a step of the first groove portion from the installation surface is the same as a step of the second groove portion from the installation surface.

4. The side plate is a pair of flip-up side plates whose upper ends are swingably supported by the upper frame and which swing between an upright state in which they stand perpendicular to the bottom plate along the pair of first side surfaces and a laid-down state in which they lay down so as to overlap the bottom plate; a pair of divided side plates each having an upper side plate whose upper end is swingably supported by the upper frame and extending along the pair of second side surfaces, a lower side plate whose lower end is swingably supported by the lower frame and extending along the pair of second side surfaces, and a hinge portion that rotatably connects the lower end of the upper side plate to the upper end of the lower side plate, the pair of divided side plates being movable between an extended state in which the upper side plate and the lower side plate are extended substantially flush with each other and a bent state in which the upper side plate and the lower side plate are bent inward; It consists of 2. The foldable container according to claim 1, wherein the container can be folded flat by placing the pair of lift-up side plates in the laid-down state and the pair of divided side plates in the bent state.

5. A folding container as described in Claim 4, wherein the pair of first side surfaces constitute a pair of short sides of the upper frame, and the pair of second side surfaces constitute a pair of long sides of the upper frame.

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