Connecting members for mesh containers for agricultural products

The collapsible container with rotatably connected panels and engaging legs addresses the issue of non-stackable agricultural containers by enabling efficient stacking and improved drying, while reducing weight through a mesh structure.

JP7849715B2Active Publication Date: 2026-04-22SEIKAN INC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
SEIKAN INC
Filing Date
2022-01-14
Publication Date
2026-04-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing agricultural containers for harvesting and distribution are not stackable when they have different shapes, leading to inefficiencies in storage and loading, and lack effective drying mechanisms.

Method used

A collapsible container design with rotatably connected panels and engaging legs that allow for stacking and folding, featuring a mesh structure for weight reduction and optional shielding plates for improved drying efficiency.

Benefits of technology

Enables efficient stacking and loading of differently shaped containers, enhances drying efficiency by preventing wind escape, and reduces overall weight through a mesh design.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide containers for harvesting, drying, and transporting agricultural products that can be easily folded and stacked without gaps when stacked in the folded state.SOLUTION: A foldable container for agricultural products includes a trestle made of assembled boards, a front panel 2a and a rear panel 3a, provided at front and read ends of the trestle, left and right side panels 4a, 5a and a bottom 6a. The bottom, the front panel, the rear panel and the left and right side panels each have a joint where they are joined rotatably so that each can be folded toward the bottom panel, and the left and right side panels each have a loading engagement leg on the front panel side and the rear panel side of the trestle located underneath, the loading engagement leg including a nearly inverted 5-shaped engagement piece that includes a downwardly opening portion and a support body that supports the engagement piece.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container used for storing and transporting agricultural products, and particularly to a container for harvesting, drying, and transporting agricultural products that is effective during harvesting and / or shipping and sorting operations.

Background Art

[0002] Containers are used for storing or transporting agricultural products. In order to maintain freshness and reduce the overall weight during transportation to increase the number of containers loaded onto vehicles, mesh containers have been used, which are formed into a mesh shape by assembling steel bars to ensure ventilation and weight reduction (Patent Document 1).

[0003] The distribution of fruits and vegetables is becoming larger. One-way rental is used to reduce costs in distribution. One-way rental means that producers rent containers accumulated at the logistics bases of container manufacturers or suppliers, use them for harvesting, then ship them as they are, and after being used at food processing companies, etc., empty the containers and return them to the nearest logistics base.

[0004] The containers currently commonly used in one-way rental are small containers with U legs. On the other hand, producers often own containers suitable for harvesting themselves to reduce rental costs. Containers for harvesting and collecting emphasize workability and efficiency, so it is preferable that they are large and crops can be loaded from both sides. Models in which the front and rear panels of the container are folded in the center to improve workability are mainstream. That is, because the specifications of the containers owned by producers themselves for use in harvesting and the rental containers for use in distribution are different, in the logistics of containers, stacking is not possible, and inconveniences occur during storage and mixed loading.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-028375 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a container for agricultural products that can be stacked even if it is a different type of container, and is also effective for drying. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The means of the present invention, configured to solve the above-mentioned problems, A frame made by assembling boards, Front panel and rear panel provided at the front and rear ends of the frame, The left and right side panels, bottom panel In a container consisting of, The front panel, the rear panel, and the left and right side panels each have a connecting portion that is rotatably connected so that they can be folded toward the bottom panel. The left and right side panels have loading engagement legs on the front and rear panel sides of the frame located below them, respectively. The aforementioned loading engagement leg portion An engaging piece that is roughly inverted to the shape of a V, including a portion that opens downwards, A support that supports the aforementioned engaging piece, and the law of nature, The aforementioned side panel is provided with an insertion opening, The folded container is loosely fitted at the joint with a concave curved surface opening on the lower side of the substantially inverted figure-five shaped engaging piece of the container stacked on top, and the lowest surface of the substantially inverted figure-five shaped engaging piece is inserted through the insertion opening of the side panel in the folded state. This is a collapsible container for agricultural products.

[0008] Other aspects of the present invention include: A frame made by assembling boards, Front panel and rear panel provided at the front and rear ends of the frame, In a container consisting of left and right side panels and a bottom panel, The front panel, the rear panel, and the left and right side panels each have a connecting portion that is rotatably connected so that they can be folded toward the bottom panel. The left and right side panels have loading engagement legs on the front and rear panel sides of the frame located below them, respectively. The aforementioned loading engagement leg portion includes an engagement piece which is roughly inverted to a V shape and includes a portion that opens downward, It consists of a support that supports the engagement piece, The engaging piece has a roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg in the shape of a vertically elongated rectangular frame fixed to its tip. The folded container is loosely fitted between the concave curved surface opening on the lower side of the substantially inverted five-shaped engaging piece of the container stacked on top, and the upper part of the substantially U-shaped reinforcing leg. Furthermore, the lowermost surface of the substantially inverted V-shaped engaging piece is in contact with the uppermost panel of any of the front panel, rear panel, and left and right side panels when they are folded. It is a folding container for agricultural crops.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is a folding container for agricultural crops, in which each panel is formed in a mesh shape by connecting steel bars vertically and horizontally in any of the above-mentioned folding containers for agricultural crops.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is a folding container for agricultural crops, in which in any of the above-mentioned folding containers for agricultural crops, the front panel is composed of a lower panel part and an upper panel part, and the upper panel part is connected to the lower panel part so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is a folding container for agricultural crops, in which in any of the above-mentioned folding containers for agricultural crops, a shielding plate is provided on the gantry.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned Agriculture In the folding container for crops, the shielding plate is mounted inside the gantry located at the lower part of the left and right side panels. It is a folding container for agricultural crops.

Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, even when the shapes of the legs provided at the lower four corners of the container are different, they can be stacked. Specifically, the harvesting and loading containers owned by oneself and the containers added by rental can be stacked. Since different-shaped containers can be mixed and loaded on trailers and trucks, the loading of agricultural crops can be carried out efficiently.

[0015] Furthermore, even when containers are empty after collection and shipment, they can be stacked in the same way as during harvest and shipment. This also makes it possible to distinguish shipped containers by their leg shape. This is advantageous for on-site work because the panel indicating the container owner is not visible when folded.

[0016] Furthermore, the folding container for agricultural products of the present invention can be provided with a shielding plate where the leg mechanism is fitted. This prevents wind from escaping through the gaps in the leg mechanism when loaded, thereby improving the drying efficiency of agricultural products.

[0017] Furthermore, the folding container for agricultural products of the present invention can be made lighter overall by using a mesh structure for the container panels. The leg mechanism may be fixed to the container or it may be provided in a detachable manner. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment illustrating the outline of a foldable container for agricultural products according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment showing an overview of a foldable container for agricultural products according to the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the loading engagement legs for the container shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of the loading engagement legs for the container shown in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the container shown in Figure 1 in a folded state, loaded using the loading engagement legs. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the container shown in Figure 2, with the container shown in Figure 1 loaded on top of it using the loading legs. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a configuration in which the container shown in Figure 12 is loaded onto the container shown in Figure 1 using the loading engagement legs. [Figure 8]Figure 8 is a front view showing the assembled container of Figure 2 loaded on top of the assembled container of Figure 1. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the state in which the load is attached to the loading engagement legs in the embodiment of Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a front view of the embodiment shown in Figure 9. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a side view of the embodiment shown in Figure 8. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in Figure 10. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows the assembled container shown in Figure 1 stacked on top of the assembled container shown in Figure 2. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows the loading state using the loading engagement legs in the embodiment of Figure 13. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a side view of Figure 14. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating the assembly misalignment prevention mechanism in the embodiment shown in Figure 14. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a perspective view of Figure 15. [Figure 18] Figures 18a and 18b show a container with a shielding plate incorporated into it according to the present invention. [Figure 19] Figures 19a and 19b show how air flows through the container according to the present invention when a shielding plate is installed. [Figure 20] Figure 20 illustrates the locking piece and support body of the loading engagement leg according to the present invention. [Figure 21] Figure 20 shows the loaded state of the container according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] In this invention, the collapsible container for agricultural products is involved in all processes from harvesting, transporting, drying, storing, processing, or shipping agricultural products. In this invention, the type of container is not particularly important, but steel containers and mesh containers are the mainstream for agricultural products, and mesh containers are preferred in the embodiments of this application.

[0020] In the present invention, the mesh container is a rectangular bottom panel formed by connecting multiple steel materials to a frame and arranging and fixing numerous steel bars vertically and horizontally to form a mesh-like panel section, and three side panels formed into a rectangle by arranging and fixing numerous steel bars vertically and horizontally, which are rotatably connected inward to the edges of three sides of the bottom panel and are connected to each other. It consists of a front panel that is rotatably connected inward and outward to one edge of the bottom panel and can be engaged with and detached from the adjacent side panel by a connector.

[0021] In the present invention, the front panel is composed of a lower panel and an upper panel, and the upper panel is preferably connected to the lower panel so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the container body is preferably configured to be foldable toward the bottom panel by rotatably connecting the front panel, rear panel and side panels to the bottom panel.

[0022] In the present invention, the mesh container is constructed on a frame. The frame is preferably a frame made of steel, and is constructed by connecting a front frame member, a rear frame member, and left and right side frame members in a rectangular shape. The frame is made up of a frame made of C-shaped channel members assembled into a roughly rectangular shape, a pair of reinforcing members connected in the front-rear direction inside the frame members 2a and 6b, and connecting members made of flat steel plates fixed to the frame members, reinforcing members, and the lower front and rear ends of the reinforcing members. An insertion opening for inserting forks when lifting with a forklift may be formed inside the frame.

[0023] Generally, collapsible containers for agricultural products are designed to be folded and loaded either with or without agricultural products inside. Naturally, stability is required during loading. Therefore, to ensure stability during loading, the bottom of the container or the support structure is often equipped with engaging legs for loading the container.

[0024] Such loading engagement legs may consist of an engagement piece that is roughly inverted to a V shape with a downward-facing concave curved surface, and a support that protrudes from the bottom or frame and supports the end of the engagement piece. The former also includes those called S-legs. Furthermore, there are container support members fixed to the side of the frame that consist of a roughly U-shaped base and a locking piece for engagement, and are provided so that the locking piece is on the upper side and protrudes above the panel support member.

[0025] The loading engagement leg in the present invention is The device comprises an engaging piece which is roughly inverted to a V shape including a portion that opens downward, and a support that supports the engaging piece, wherein the downward-facing, roughly concave curved surface of the engaging piece is shaped to loosely fit into either the coil-shaped coupling portion of the container or the locking piece that engages with the roughly U-shaped base.

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a foldable container 1a for agricultural products according to one embodiment of the present invention. A base 6a is located on a frame, and the front panel 2a, rear panel 3a, and side panels 4a and 5a are fixed upright on the frame. The front panel 2a and the rear panel 3a are connected to the left and right side panels 4a and 5a by connecting mechanisms (not shown) to stand upright on the frame. The connecting mechanisms are located at each corner formed by the perpendicular intersection of the front panel 2a or rear panel 3a and the side panels 4a and 5a.

[0028] Next, with reference to Figure 2, another embodiment of the present invention, a foldable container 1b for agricultural products, is shown. A base 6b is located on a frame, and the front panel 2b, rear panel 3b, and side panels 4b and 5b are fixed upright on the frame. The front panel 2b and the rear panel 3b are connected to the left and right side panels 4b and 5b by connecting mechanisms (not shown) to stand upright on the frame. The connecting mechanisms are located at each corner formed by the orthogonal intersection of the front panel 2b or the rear panel 3b and the side panels 4b and 5b.

[0029] Figures 1 and 2 show foldable agricultural product containers, but they differ in the loading engagement legs provided at the four corners of the frame.

[0030] Next, with reference to Figure 3, an embodiment of the loading engagement leg will be described. In this embodiment, the loading engagement leg consists of an engagement piece 7a which is substantially inverted V-shaped and includes a portion that opens downward, and a support 8a that supports the engagement piece. In this embodiment, loading engagement legs can be provided on the front and rear sides of the side of the mesh container shown in Figure 2. These loading engagement legs protrude downward from the frame. The engagement piece 7a which is substantially inverted V-shaped and includes a portion that opens downward has a concave curved surface that loosely fits into a coil-shaped connecting portion 10 that connects the side panel and the bottom panel when folded, and the surface that extends vertically downward from the frame and connects at a right angle to the end of the curved surface fits into a pocket 9 provided on the upper part of the loading engagement leg of the side panel of the container shown in Figure 5, thereby enabling stable loading. When the container is assembled, the concave curved surface loosely fits into the upper part of the side panel. Here, pocket 9 is an example of an insertion opening.

[0031] Next, with reference to Figure 4, another embodiment of the loading engagement leg will be described. In this embodiment, the loading engagement leg consists of an engagement piece 7b which is roughly inverted V-shaped and includes a portion that opens downward, a support 8b that supports the engagement piece, and a roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg with a locking piece at the top. In this embodiment, loading engagement legs can be provided on the front and rear sides of the side of the mesh container shown in Figure 2. These loading engagement legs protrude downward from the frame. The engagement piece 7b which is roughly inverted V-shaped and includes a portion that opens downward loosely fits into the roughly U-shaped upper locking piece when folded. The roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg is fixed to the bottom or frame so as to protrude from the side panel when folded, and the roughly inverted V-shaped engaging piece 7b is loosely fitted into the roughly U-shaped upper locking piece, and the surface that extends vertically downward from the frame and connects at a right angle to the end of the curved surface, and the upper part thereof, are positioned inside the container of the protruding roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg, thus enabling stable loading. When the container is assembled, the concave curved surface is loosely fitted to the upper part of the side panel.

[0032] Next, with reference to Figure 5, a manner in which the folding container for agricultural products according to the present invention is loaded in a folded state will be described. When the folding container shown in Figure 1 is loaded in a folded state, the coil joint portion 10 that connects the bottom and the side panel of the container of the present invention protrudes upward. For this reason, the engaging piece 7a according to the present invention needs to have a concave curved surface that opens downward and loosely fits into this coil. In the engaging piece 7a according to the present invention, its width is configured to fit into the width defined in the pocket shown as 9 in Figure 5. The area of ​​the pocket 9 is 、 In the engaging piece 7a, it is sufficient that at least one surface that connects perpendicularly to the surface extending vertically downward from the support frame is configured to be loosely fitted. Specifically, the length (length from the inside to the outside of the container) and width (length in the front-to-back direction of the container) of the engaging piece, which become the bottom surface when stacked, should be approximately the same as, or slightly smaller than, the length and width of the pocket. By adopting such a configuration, the engaging piece 7, together with the support 8a, fits into the pocket 9, making it possible to prevent the containers from shifting when stacked.

[0033] Next, with reference to Figure 6, a method for loading the folded agricultural product folding containers shown in Figures 1 and 2 will be described. When loading the folding container shown in Figure 2 in a folded state, the upper part of the roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg protrudes from the folding surface by a certain length. In this embodiment, the concave curved surface opening on the lower side of the engaging piece 7a loosely fits into the upper locking piece of the roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg. By loosely fitting the engaging pieces into the upper locking pieces of the roughly U-shaped reinforcing legs at the four corners of the container in this manner, stable loading is possible. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the length protruding from the folding surface of the roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg and the length of the surface extending vertically downwards on the engaging piece 7a reach the surface of the folded container. In this case, the lower surface of the roughly inverted V-shaped engaging piece will be in contact with the upper surface of the folded container approximately horizontally, further improving stability during loading.

[0034] Next, referring to Figure 7, we will describe an embodiment in which the folding container shown in Figure 2 is stacked on top of the folded container shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, the concave curved surface opening on the lower side of the engaging piece 7b shown in Figure 2 loosely fits into the coil-shaped connecting portion for connecting the bottom and side panels of the container shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, the surface of the engaging piece 7b, which is composed of a plate extending vertically downward from the frame and a plate intersecting it at a right angle, is configured to fit into the pocket 9 of the container shown in Figure 1. For this reason, in the present invention, containers with different shapes of loading engaging legs can be stacked.

[0035] Next, with reference to Figure 8, an embodiment of stacking the assembled folding container according to the present invention will be described. In Figure 8, the upper container is the container shown in Figure 2, and the lower container is the container shown in Figure 1. The upper container consists of an engaging piece 7b, a support 8b, and a substantially U-shaped reinforcing leg 12 as a stacking engaging leg. In Figure 8, the concave curved surface opening on the lower side of the engaging piece 7b is loosely fitted to the upper side of the lower container. At this time, it is supported by the convex surface of the curved surface of the substantially U-shaped reinforcing leg 12. The lower container can then be supported by the engaging piece 7a and the support 8b. Furthermore, by making the engaging pieces 7a and 8a removable, the stacked container can also be supported by a frame. In addition, as will be described later, a wind shield may be provided in the gap between the stacked containers to efficiently utilize the wind for the drying process.

[0036] Next, with reference to Figure 9, the loading state in Figure 8 will be described in more detail. In Figure 9, a roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg is provided from the container frame shown in Figure 2. The engaging piece 7b and the support 8b are provided downward from the lower surface of the frame. Here, the inverted V-shaped engaging piece with an opening on the lower side is configured such that when the containers are assembled and stacked, the surface extending vertically from the frame and the bottom surface intersecting it perpendicularly fit into the lower container. In other words, the vertical downward length of the inverted V-shaped engaging piece with an opening on the lower side is configured to be longer than the length between the upper and lower containers in the roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg 12. Then, from the lower surface which is joined perpendicularly at its lower end, it rises to the same height as the top of the lower side panel, forming a roughly flat surface which slopes slightly downward at its end. In this invention, the configuration of the inverted V-shaped engaging piece having an opening on the lower side maintains this basic shape even if the type of engaging leg is different, and as long as a support body with a shape that fits into this shape is provided, it can be loaded while maintaining a certain degree of stability whether folded or assembled. In this invention, the shape can be changed by the shape of the support body 8b and the configuration corresponding to its engaging piece 7b. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a recess corresponding to the engaging piece 7b may be provided to ensure more secure engagement between the substantially U-shaped reinforcing leg and the engaging piece 7b, or its surface may be processed with an elastomer resin to increase the coefficient of friction and stabilize the engagement.

[0037] Figure 10 is a front view of Figure 9. The engaging piece 7b engages (fits) with the upper end of the lower side panel. It can be seen that the lower end of the engaging piece 7b, which is on the inside of the lower container, is located lower than the lower end of the engaging piece 7b that supports the approximately U-shaped reinforcing leg. In other words, the engaging piece 7b, together with the support, prevents the left and right displacement of the side panel even on the inside of the lower container, and the end of the container can also be fixed by the concave curved surface on the upper part of the lower container that opens downwards.

[0038] Next, with reference to Figure 11, a side view of the configuration shown in Figure 8 will be described. The upper container is a container with loading engagement legs equipped with roughly U-shaped reinforcing legs, and the lower container is a container with loading engagement legs consisting of an engagement piece 7a and a support 8a. Both are mesh containers, but generally the upper container can be equipped with reinforcing pillars on the side panel side at the position of the roughly U-shaped reinforcing legs. On the other hand, the lower container has a pocket 9 into which the lower part of the engagement piece can be fitted when folded.

[0039] Next, referring to Figure 12, the engagement with a container equipped with a roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg 12 as the upper part will be described in detail. The roughly inverted V-shaped engaging piece 7b, which has an opening on the lower side, is fixed to the lower part of the container's frame and consists of a vertical surface that extends to the inside of the lower container, a surface perpendicular to that vertical surface that forms the lower surface, and a concave curved surface that opens downward from the lower surface. A support 8b is provided between this engaging piece 7b and the frame of the upper container. The shape of the support 8b is not particularly important, but it should be shaped to follow the vertically downward-extending surface and the lower surface of the engaging piece 7b, and should be able to support the container when it is loaded. If it is possible to integrally mold it with the locking piece 7b, such an embodiment is also within the scope of the present invention. In Figure 12, the support column 11 is a reinforcing support member of the upper container. Such support members can be provided not only on the side panels but also on the front panels and rear panels as appropriate.

[0040] Next, with reference to Figure 13, another embodiment of stacking the assembled folding container according to the present invention will be described. In Figure 13, the upper container is the container shown in Figure 1, and the lower container is the container shown in Figure 2. The upper container is composed of engaging pieces 7a and support bodies 8a as stacking engaging legs. In Figure 13, the concave curved surface opening on the lower side of the engaging piece 7a is loosely fitted to the upper side of the lower container. At this time, the upper container is supported by the engaging pieces 7a and support bodies 8a located at its four corners. The lower container can be supported by the engaging pieces 7b and support bodies 8b at this time. The engaging pieces 7b, support bodies 8b, and substantially U-shaped reinforcing legs can also be made removable, but they can also be attached when stacking. Furthermore, as will be described later, wind shields may be provided in the gaps between the stacked containers to efficiently utilize the wind for the drying process.

[0041] Next, with reference to Figure 14, the loading state in Figure 13 will be described in more detail. In Figure 14, the engaging piece 7ba and the support body 8ba are provided from the bottom surface of the container shown in Figure 1. Here, the inverted V-shaped engaging piece with an opening on the bottom is configured such that when the containers are assembled and stacked, the surface extending vertically downward from the frame and the bottom surface intersecting it perpendicularly fit into the lower container. Then, from the bottom surface which is joined perpendicularly at its lower end, it rises to the same height as the top of the lower side panel, forming a substantially flat surface that slopes slightly downward at its end. In the present invention, even if the type of engaging leg is different, the configuration of this inverted V-shaped engaging piece with an opening on the bottom basically maintains this shape, and as long as a support body with a shape that fits into this shape is provided, a certain degree of stability can be maintained when the container is folded or assembled, and it can be loaded. In the present invention, the support body 8a can be changed by the shape of the configuration corresponding to the engaging piece 7a.

[0042] Figure 15 is a front view of Figure 14. The engaging piece 7a engages (fits) with the upper end of the lower side panel. Upper edge of the side panel of the lower containerIt can be seen that the lower end of the engaging piece 7a, which is on the inside of the lower container, is located lower. In other words, the engaging piece 7a, together with the support, prevents the left and right displacement of the side panel even on the inside of the lower container, and the end of the container can also be fixed by the concave curved surface on the top of the lower container that opens downwards. In this figure, 10 is a coil joint and 9 is a pocket. In the present invention, the engaging piece 7 (7a and 7b) can be loosely fitted (engaged) to this coil joint. Also, Engaging pieces 7 (7a and 7b) The lower part can be fitted into the pocket indicated by 9.

[0043] Next, with reference to Figure 16, a side view of the configuration shown in Figure 13 will be described. The upper container is a container equipped with loading engagement legs consisting of engaging pieces 7a and support members 8a, while the lower container is a container equipped with loading engagement legs that have substantially U-shaped reinforcing legs. Both are mesh containers, but generally the upper container has a pocket 9 into which the lower part of the engaging piece can be fitted when folded. On the other hand, the lower container may be equipped with reinforcing columns on the side panel side at the location of the substantially U-shaped reinforcing legs.

[0044] Next, referring to Figure 17, the engaging piece 7a and the support 8 a The engagement of the loading engagement leg, which consists of the above, will be described in detail. The engagement piece 7a, which is roughly inverted V-shape with an opening on the lower side, is fixed to the lower part of the container frame and consists of a vertical surface that extends to the inside of the lower container, a surface perpendicular to that vertical surface that forms the lower surface, and a concave curved surface that opens downward from the lower surface. A support 8a is provided between this engagement piece 7a and the frame of the upper container. The shape of the support 8a is not particularly important, but it should be shaped to follow the surface that extends vertically downward and the lower surface of the engagement piece 7a, and should be able to support the container when it is loaded. If it is possible to integrally mold the support 8a with the engagement piece 7a, such an embodiment is also within the scope of the present invention. In Figure 17, pocket 9 multiply It is mounted on the engaging leg and configured so that when folded, the lower part of the engaging piece 7a or 7b fits into the pocket.

[0045] Next, another aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 18a. In Figure 18a, 2b is the front panel and 6b is the bottom. 7b is the aforementioned engaging piece, and 8b is the support. 12 indicates a roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg. In the container of the present invention, the frame is made of steel members assembled along each side of the bottom. When viewed from the bottom, additional steel members for reinforcement may be added to the center of the bottom. These steel members may also serve as guides for a forklift.

[0046] Next, with reference to Figure 18b, an embodiment in which an air-blowing shield plate is attached to the bottom of the frame will be described. In the present invention, the harvested crops in the container need to be dried to a certain extent by air-blowing for storage or quality preservation. At this time, if there are gaps between the stacked containers, the airflow will pass through these gaps and will be removed from the drying process without removing moisture from the crops. To prevent this, as shown in Figure 18b, a shield plate can be provided across both ends of the engaging piece 7b according to the present invention.

[0047] Next, with reference to Figure 19a, the movement of air with the shielding plate in place will be explained. In this embodiment, the two stacked containers are further connected in the horizontal and vertical directions, and during the crop drying process, the outside is covered with a sheet or the like to circulate dry air in a closed system. As shown in Figure 19a, when a shielding plate is installed under the frame to block the space between the containers, the air is reflected back to the outside of the containers. At this time, since the containers are covered with an airtight material, the air bounces randomly off the cover, increasing the likelihood that it will hit the crops inside the containers. In this way, crops can be dried efficiently by using the shielding plate according to the present invention.

[0048] As shown in Figure 19b, in conventional drying processes where there are no shielding plates under the frame, air flows through the containers in one direction. Therefore, creating a large airflow path makes the drying process inefficient. Consequently, as mentioned above, installing shielding plates under the frame to block the space between the containers can improve the energy efficiency of the crop drying process.

[0049] The above embodiments and examples are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] Front panel 2 (2a, 2b), rear panel 3 (3a, 3b), side panels 4 and 5 (4a, 4b, 5a, 5b), bottom 6, engaging piece 7 (7a, 7b), support 8 (8a, 8b), pocket 9, coiled joint 10, reinforcing material 11, roughly U-shaped reinforcing leg 12, engaging leg 13

Claims

1. A frame made by assembling boards, Front panel (2) and rear panel (3) are provided at the front and rear ends of the frame, The left and right side panels (4, 5) and In a container consisting of a bottom panel (6), The front panel (2), the rear panel (3), and the left and right side panels (4, 5) each have a connecting portion that is rotatably connected so that they can be folded toward the bottom panel (6). The left and right side panels (4, 5) each have loading engagement legs (13) on the front panel side and rear panel side of the frame located below them. The aforementioned loading engagement leg portion (13) includes an engagement piece (7) which is roughly inverted V-shape and includes a portion that opens downwards, It consists of a support (8) that supports the engaging piece (7), The side panels (4, 5) are provided with insertion openings, The folded container loosely fits at the joint with the concave curved surface that opens on the lower side of the substantially inverted five-shaped engaging piece of the container stacked on top, Furthermore, the lowermost surface of the substantially inverted V-shaped engaging piece is inserted through the insertion opening of the side panel when it is folded. Foldable container for agricultural products.

2. In the foldable container for agricultural products according to Claim 1, the engaging piece (7) has a vertically elongated rectangular frame-shaped substantially U-shaped reinforcing leg (12) fixed to its tip, The folded container is loosely fitted at the upper part of the approximately U-shaped reinforcing leg (12) to a concave curved surface that opens on the lower side of the approximately inverted five-shaped engaging piece of the container that is stacked on top. Characterized by Foldable container for agricultural products.

3. The folding container for agricultural products according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each panel is formed by joining steel bars vertically and horizontally to create a mesh.

4. The folding container for agricultural products according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the front panel is composed of a lower panel portion and an upper panel portion, and the upper panel portion is connected to the lower panel portion so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.

5. A folding container for agricultural products according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a shielding plate is provided on the frame.

6. The folding container for agricultural products according to claim 5, wherein the shielding plate is mounted on the inside of a frame located at the lower part of the left and right side panels.

Citation Information

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