Container

Abstract

Provided is a container suitable for storing a stored object that contains liquid.　A container comprises: a floor part, a canopy part, a front surface part, a back surface part, and a pair of side parts that are disposed so as to surround an accommodation chamber; four corner support columns that are provided at four corner parts; leg part members that are connected to each of the four corner support columns so as to cover the outer periphery of vertically lower end sections thereof, the leg part members each having, at least at the position of the vertically lower end section, a wall surface that, in a state in which an open space is present on the inner side, covers the open space from the outer side; a support base connected to the vertically lower end sections of the leg part members; a groove part formed along the outer edge of at least a portion of the floor part, the groove part having a height position lower than that at the inner side from the outer edge; and through-holes formed in the leg part members such that end sections of the groove part and the open space communicate. The support base is disposed so as to cover the outer periphery of the lower-side end sections of the leg part members.

Description

container

[0001] The present invention relates to a container, and more particularly to a container suitable for storing an item containing a liquid.

[0002] The widespread use of electric vehicles has led to an increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries (hereinafter abbreviated as "LIBs" where appropriate). Patent Document 1 listed below proposes a container suitable for transporting LIBs.

[0003] JP 2011-40324 A

[0004] As of 2024, in Japan, if the total amount of electrolyte contained in the stored LIB exceeds a certain amount, the LIB must be stored in a hazardous materials warehouse or in a general materials warehouse with a 6m open space. However, considering the increasing demand for LIB, the above storage methods may result in increased storage costs and a shortage of storage space.

[0005] On the other hand, following the trend toward deregulation under the Fire Service Act, it may become unnecessary to apply for hazardous materials status if LIBs are stored in "a box covered with steel plates 1.6 mm or thicker with no openings other than the entrance and exit." In this case, LIBs can be stored in a general warehouse without requiring a 6m open space, which will reduce storage costs and allow for more effective use of existing land.

[0006] However, because LIBs contain electrolyte, there is a possibility that the electrolyte may leak from the LIB during storage or due to handling during storage. When creating a box (container) for storing LIBs, it is essential to implement measures to prevent the electrolyte from leaking outside the container even if it does leak from the LIB during storage. However, conventional containers do not have such measures in place.

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a container suitable for storing liquid-containing items, such as LIBs.

[0008] The container according to the present invention is a rectangular parallelepiped container including a storage chamber, and a floor, a canopy, a front portion, a rear portion, and a pair of side portions that are arranged to surround the storage chamber, and is equipped with: four corner struts provided at four corners that correspond to boundaries between each of the pair of side portions and the front portion and the rear portion; leg members that are connected to each of the four corner struts so as to cover the outer periphery of a vertically lower end portion, and that have a wall surface that covers the open space from the outside while leaving an open space on the inside at least at the vertically lower end position; a support base that is connected to the vertically lower end portion of the leg member and that comes into contact with the loading surface of the container; a groove that is formed along the outer edge of at least a part of the floor and is lower in height than an area of ​​the floor that is inside the outer edge; and a through hole that is formed in a part of the wall surface of the leg member so as to connect the end portion of the groove with the open space formed on the inside of the leg member. The support base is characterized in that it is arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the lower end of the leg member when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0009] According to the above configuration, even if a liquid-containing item leaks from the storage chamber while it is being stored, the liquid is guided through the grooves to the through-hole. The outer periphery of each of the four corner supports on the vertically lower side is covered by a leg member, and an open space is formed inside the leg member. This open space is connected to the through-hole. Therefore, the liquid guided along the grooves to the through-hole is temporarily stored in the open space formed inside the leg member.

[0010] The container has an inner wall extending along the outer edge of the floor portion that is connected to the back portion and the pair of side portions and extending vertically from the floor surface that constitutes the floor portion, and the groove portion may be formed along the outer edge of the floor portion that is connected to the front portion.

[0011] The container's front section can be opened and closed to open the storage chamber, allowing stored items to be carried into the storage chamber through the open front section, and conversely, stored items stored in the storage chamber can be removed through the open front section. Conversely, when the container is in use, the front section, back section, and pair of side sections surrounding the storage chamber remain closed except for the front section. Therefore, even if an inner wall extending vertically from the floor is formed along the outer edge connected to the back section and pair of side sections, the presence of this inner wall does not hinder the carrying in or out of the stored items. Furthermore, the presence of this inner wall prevents liquid from leaking out of the container from any location other than the front section, even if the liquid leaks from the stored items.

[0012] On the other hand, since the front portion forms a path for carrying in and out stored items, providing a wall protruding from the floor portion could hinder the carrying in and out of stored items. Therefore, from the perspective of avoiding such transportation obstacles, it is preferable not to provide an inner wall extending vertically from the floor surface that forms the floor portion in the front portion.

[0013] However, if this inner wall were not provided, if liquid leaked from the stored items in the storage chamber, the liquid would easily flow toward the front side. However, with the above configuration, a groove is provided on the front side. Therefore, liquid that leaks toward the front side flows along the groove into an opening formed inside the leg member and is temporarily stored in the opening. This prevents liquid from leaking outside the container.

[0014] The groove and the floor may be formed continuously from the same member. More specifically, the groove may be formed by bending a portion of the metal plate member constituting the floor, the portion being located on the front side.

[0015] In this case, the inner wall may be formed by bending a portion of the metal plate member constituting the floor, excluding the front portion, in the area located on the pair of side portions and the back portion.

[0016] The container may be placed at a portion of the support base and may be provided with a discharge port for discharging liquid stored in the opening space surrounded by the upper surface of the support base and the outer periphery of the lower end of the leg member to the outside.

[0017] According to this configuration, the liquid temporarily stored in the open space can be discharged to the outside through the discharge port.

[0018] In this case, the discharge port may be formed so as to penetrate a partial area of ​​the support base in the vertical direction, and the container may further include a drain bolt for fastening the discharge port.

[0019] According to the above configuration, the liquid temporarily stored in the open space can be discharged to the outside through the outlet by loosening the drain bolt. After the discharge is complete, the drain bolt can be tightened again to restore the state in which the liquid can be stored in the open space.

[0020] The support base has a bottomed cylindrical shape at its vertically lower end, which has an outer bottom and a base side wall surrounding the outer bottom, and the tip of the drain bolt may be located closer to the outer bottom than the outer edge of the base side wall.

[0021] According to the above configuration, since the protruding length of the drain bolt is short, the bottom surface of the side wall of the support stand can be brought into stable contact with the placement surface of the container, thereby realizing stable installation of the container.

[0022] The container is provided with corner members that are arranged at four corners of the canopy portion and are formed to be able to fit from the outside of the corner supports at each of the vertically upper ends of the corner supports, the corner members have inner hole portions on the vertically upper surface that are lower in height than the outer edges, the area enclosed by the base side walls of the support base is larger than the outer edges of the corner members, the depth of the inner hole is longer than the protruding height of the drain bolt that protrudes from the outer bottom, and the support base of the upper container and the corner members of the lower container may be configured to be able to fit together so that the base side walls of the support base of the upper container, which is the container to be stacked above, cover the outside of the outer walls of the corner members of the lower container, which is the container to be stacked on top.

[0023] According to the above configuration, even when multiple containers are stacked vertically, the tip of the drain bolt does not come into contact with the wall surface of the corner member. Furthermore, since multiple containers can be stacked, the capacity of stored items, including liquids, can be increased within a limited site area. Given the increasing demand for LIBs, this configuration is extremely useful, especially when the stored items are LIBs, because the containers can be stacked vertically to store the LIBs.

[0024] The container may be provided with an intermediate support leg that is positioned between a pair of adjacent corner supports and extends vertically from a portion of the outer surface of the floor to the height of the vertically lower end of the support platform.

[0025] In this case, the container may be provided with a connecting support member that connects the intermediate support leg and the support base in a direction parallel to the surface of the floor. In this case, when the container is placed on a support surface, the bottom surfaces of the support base and the connecting support member can be brought into contact with the support surface. This allows the force acting on the support base to be dispersed.

[0026] In this case, the container may include a pair of connecting support members arranged to face each other in one direction, while no connecting support members may be arranged in a direction intersecting the direction in which the pair of connecting support members face each other. For example, by arranging the pair of connecting support members in a direction in which the front and rear portions face each other, one of the pair of connecting support members is positioned to support the end of the floor portion located on the front side. The end of the floor portion located on the front side, where stored items are frequently handled, is more likely to be subjected to bending forces (gravity direction) from the stored items. However, by arranging the connecting support members as described above, the strength of the floor portion against forces acting in the bending direction on the end of the floor portion can be improved.

[0027] The container is provided with corner members that are arranged at the four corners of the canopy portion and are formed so as to be able to fit onto the vertically upper ends of the corner supports from the outside, and the canopy portion may be configured to be removable by releasing the fitted state between the corner members and the corner supports.

[0028] In this case, the vertical length of the rear portion is shorter than the length of the floor portion in the direction in which the front portion and the rear portion face each other, and the rear portion may be foldable above the floor portion when the canopy portion is detached.

[0029] With this configuration, the rear portion of the container can be folded up after the canopy portion is removed.

[0030] In addition, the vertical length of each of the pair of side portions may be shorter than the length of the floor portion in the direction in which the pair of side portions face each other, and each of the pair of side portions may be capable of being folded over the floor portion while the corner supports are still connected when the front canopy portion is detached.

[0031] With this configuration, after the canopy is removed, the pair of side sections of the container can be folded up.

[0032] Furthermore, when the back portion and the pair of side portions are folded over the floor portion, the vertically lower end of the corner member of the detached canopy portion may be capable of engaging with the vertically upper end of the leg member.

[0033] With this configuration, when the containers are not in use, multiple folded containers can be stacked, thereby reducing the area occupied by the containers when not in use.

[0034] When facing the front portion, the front portion has a first front portion located on the right side and a second front portion located on the left side, the first front portion being rotatable around the corner support pillar located at the boundary between the first front portion and the adjacent first side portion of the pair of side portions, and can be fixed in a state where it is overlapped on the outer surface of the first side portion, and the second front portion being rotatable around the corner support pillar located at the boundary between the second front portion and the adjacent second side portion of the pair of side portions, and can be fixed in a state where it is overlapped on the outer surface of the second side portion.

[0035] According to the container of the present invention, even if a liquid leaks from a stored item containing a liquid during storage, the liquid can be prevented from flowing out of the container.

[0036] 5 is a schematic perspective view of the exterior of a container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the exterior of a container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a different direction than FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the container 1 shown in FIG. 1 with the front portion 3 open; FIG. 8 is a view showing the canopy portion 5 extracted from the container 1 shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 9 is a schematic enlarged view of a corner member 15A; FIG. 10 is a schematic enlarged view of the corner member 15A, viewed from a different direction than FIG. 5; FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view of a state in which a corner support 11A is fitted into the corner member 15A; FIG. 12 is a view of the container 1 shown in FIG. 1, with the floor portion 6, canopy portion 5, front portion 3, rear portion 7, and pair of side portions 4α and 4β omitted; FIG. 13 is a view of the container 1 shown in FIG. 2, with the floor portion 6, canopy portion 5, front portion 3, rear portion 7, and pair of side portions 4α and 4β omitted; and FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view of the leg member 12A and support base 13A extracted from FIG. 13A is a partially enlarged view of the leg member 12A and the support base 13A extracted from FIG. 8, viewed from a different direction than FIG. 10. This is another partially enlarged view of the leg member 12A and the support base 13A extracted from FIG. 8, depicted in the same manner as FIG. 11A. This is a partially enlarged view of the leg member 12A and the support base 13A extracted from FIG. 8, viewed from a different direction than FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. This is a drawing from FIG. 11, in which the leg member 12A is omitted. This is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the support base 13A shown in FIG. 13, taken along the X-Z plane at a predetermined Y coordinate position. This is a perspective view of the container 1 with the front part 3 open, viewed from a different direction than FIG. 3. This is an enlarged view of region Q1 in FIG. 15. This is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the container 1 with the front part 3 closed, taken along the Y-Z plane at a predetermined X coordinate position. This is an enlarged view of region Q2 in FIG. 17. 21 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the container 1 with its front part 3 open, cut along the Y-Z plane at a predetermined X coordinate position. FIG. 22 is an enlarged view of region Q3 in FIG. 19. FIG. 23 is a schematic perspective view of the container 1 with its front part 3 open, viewed from a direction different from that of FIG. 3. FIG. 24 is an enlarged view of region Q4 in FIG. 21. FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the container 1 with its front part 3 open, viewed from a direction different from that of FIG. 3. FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of region Q6 in FIG. 26. FIG. 27 is a schematic perspective view of the container 1 with its front part 3 open, viewed from a direction different from that of FIG. 3.23 is a perspective view showing a state in which the locking member 62 has been unlocked from the container 1 in the state shown in FIG. 23 . FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing a state in which the front portion 3 has been opened from the container 1 in the state shown in FIG. 24 . FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a state in which the rear portion 7 has been folded from the container 1 in the state shown in FIG. 25 . FIG. 26 is a plan view of the container 1 in the state shown in FIG. 26 as seen from the +Z side. FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing a state in which a pair of side portions 4α, 4β have been folded from the container 1 in the state shown in FIG. 26 . FIG. 28 is a plan view of the container 1 in the state shown in FIG. 28 as seen from the +Z side. FIG. 28 is a perspective view showing a state in which the canopy portion 5 has been fitted into the container 1 in the state shown in FIG. 28 ..., which corresponds to the perspective view of the container 1a in a folded state. FIG. 29 is a perspective view showing two sets of folded containers 1a stacked on top of each other. 36A is a perspective view showing a state in which a support base of an upper container and a corner member of a lower container are fitted together. FIG. 36B is a perspective view showing a state in which a number of folded containers 1a are stacked. FIG. 36C is a perspective view showing a state in which a number of unfolded containers 1 are stacked. FIG. 36D is a perspective view showing a state in which a canopy portion 5 and a front portion 3 are removed from the container 1 shown in FIG. 36A. FIG. 36E is a perspective view showing a state in which a canopy portion 5 and a front portion 3 are removed from the container 1 shown in FIG. 36A.

[0037] Embodiments of a container according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the drawings are all schematic representations, and the dimensional ratios and number of elements in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual dimensional ratios and number of elements.

[0038] 1 and 2 are schematic perspective views of the exterior of a container, with Fig. 2 being viewed from a different direction than Fig. 1.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the container 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The container 1 includes a front portion 3, a canopy portion 5, and a pair of side portions 4α and 4β. Figure 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the container 1 shown in Figure 1 with the front portion 3 open. As shown in Figure 3, the container 1 has a storage chamber 2 inside. When the front portion 3 is closed, the storage chamber 2 is surrounded by the floor portion 6, the canopy portion 5, the front portion 3, the back portion 7, and the pair of side portions 4α and 4β, thereby forming an enclosed space.

[0040] In the following description, the X-Y-Z coordinate system will be referred to as appropriate, with the direction from side portion 4β to side portion 4α being the X direction, the direction from front portion 3 to back portion 7 being the Y direction, and the direction from floor portion 6 to canopy portion 5 being the Z direction.

[0041] In this specification, when a positive or negative direction is to be distinguished when expressing a direction, the direction is described with a positive or negative sign, such as "+X direction" and "-X direction." When a direction is to be expressed without distinguishing between positive and negative directions, the direction is simply described as "X direction." In other words, in this specification, when simply described as "X direction," both the "+X direction" and the "-X direction" are included. The same applies to the Y direction and the Z direction.

[0042] The Z direction is typically the vertical direction, and the Y direction corresponds to the direction in which stored items are transported from the outside of the container 1 when storing the stored items in the storage room 2, or conversely, when storing the stored items in the storage room 2 and transporting them out of the container 1.

[0043] The dimensions of the storage chamber 2 are, for example, 1,000 mm to 1,500 mm in the X direction, 1,000 mm to 1,500 mm in the Y direction, and 500 mm to 1,500 mm in the Z direction. In a typical example, the dimensions of the storage chamber 2 are 1,219 mm in the X direction, 1,275 mm in the Y direction, and 997 mm in the Z direction.

[0044] The external dimensions of the container 1 are, for example, 1,160 mm to 1,660 mm in the X direction, 1,100 mm to 1,600 mm in the Y direction, and 680 mm to 1,680 mm in the Z direction. As a typical example, the external dimensions of the container 1 are 1,380 mm in the X direction, 1,380 mm in the Y direction, and 1,180 mm in the Z direction.

[0045] The floor 6, canopy 5, front portion 3, back portion 7, and pair of side portions 4α and 4β, which surround the storage chamber 2, are all made of metal members, typically made primarily of iron. Preferably, the floor 6, canopy 5, front portion 3, back portion 7, and pair of side portions 4α and 4β are subjected to an anti-rust treatment such as electrogalvanization. In the following description, the side portion 4α may be referred to as the "first side portion 4α," and the side portion 4β may be referred to as the "second side portion 4β."

[0046] 1 and 2, four corner supports 11A to 11D are provided at the four corners that correspond to the boundaries between each of the pair of side portions 4α, 4β and the front portion 3 and the back portion 7. Each of the corner supports 11A to 11D is made of a metal member, typically made primarily of iron. Preferably, the corner supports 11A to 11D are subjected to an anti-rust treatment such as electrogalvanization.

[0047] In the following description, the symbols of elements may be suffixed with A, B, C, or D. These symbols are suffixed according to the following rules. When viewed in the Z direction, the suffix "A" is added to the location corresponding to a corner on the +X side and the -Y side. When viewed in the Z direction, the suffix "B" is added to the location corresponding to a corner on the +X side and the +Y side. When viewed in the Z direction, the suffix "C" is added to the location corresponding to a corner on the -X side and the +Y side. When viewed in the Z direction, the suffix "D" is added to the location corresponding to a corner on the -X side and the -Y side.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 1, a locking member 62 is provided on the front portion 3, and the front portion 3 can be opened by releasing the closed state of this locking member 62. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the front portion 3 has a first front portion 3α and a second front portion 3β. The first front portion 3α is configured to be rotatable about the corner support 11A as its axis, and the second front portion 3β is configured to be rotatable about the corner support 11D as its axis.

[0049] By releasing the closed state of the locking member 62, rotating the first front portion 3α toward the first side portion 4α around the corner support 11A as an axis, and rotating the second front portion 3β toward the second side portion 4β around the corner support 11D as an axis, the front portion 3 is opened as shown in Figure 3, and the storage chamber 2 can be viewed from outside the container 1.

[0050] In the container 1 of this embodiment, locking members 63 are provided on the outer surfaces of the first side portion 4α and the second side portion 4β. These locking members 63 are provided for the purpose of fixing the first front portion 3α, which has been rotated and placed on the outside of the first side portion 4α, to the first side portion 4α, and similarly fixing the second front portion 3β, which has been placed on the outside of the second side portion 4β, to the second side portion 4β. However, as will be described later, these locking members 63 are primarily used when folding the container 1, and do not necessarily have to be used when simply opening the front portion 3.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the canopy portion 5 extracted from the container 1 shown in FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 4 , corner members 15A to 15D are provided at the four corners of the canopy portion 5. As shown in FIG. 1 , each of the corner members 15A to 15D is fitted to the +Z side end of the corresponding corner support 11A to 11D. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the container 1 of this embodiment is provided with multiple locking members 61 for securing the connection between the canopy portion 5 and the first side portion 4α and between the canopy portion 5 and the second side portion 4β. A locking member may also be provided for securing the connection between the canopy portion 5 and the back surface portion 7.

[0052] In the container of this embodiment 1, as described below, the canopy portion 5 can be removed from the container 1 by releasing the closed state by the locking member 61 and removing the corner members 15A to 15D from the corner supports 11A to 11D corresponding to their respective positions.

[0053] 5 and 6 are schematic enlarged views of the corner member 15A, with FIG. 6 being viewed from a different angle than FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view of the corner member 15A fitted with the corner support 11A. The corner members 15A to 15D are all made of metal, typically primarily iron. Preferably, the corner members 15A to 15D are treated with an anti-rust treatment such as electrogalvanization.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 5, corner member 15A has an inner hole 39 on the +Z side surface that is lower in height than outer edge 38. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, corner member 15A has a space 37 on the inside, into which the +Z side end of corner support 11A can be fitted. In other words, corner member 15A is configured to be able to fit from the outside of corner support 11A. Note that while corner member 15A has been described as an example here, the same applies to the other corner members 15B to 15D.

[0055] Fig. 8 is a drawing of the container 1 shown in Fig. 1, from which the elements of the floor 6, canopy 5, front 3, rear 7, and pair of side sections 4α and 4β are omitted. Fig. 9 is a drawing of the container 1, from which the elements of the floor 6, canopy 5, front 3, rear 7, and pair of side sections 4α and 4β are omitted, when viewed from the same direction as Fig. 2.

[0056] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the -Z side ends of the four corner supports 11A to 11D are connected to corresponding leg members 12A to 12D. The -Z side ends of the four leg members 12A to 12D are connected to corresponding support bases 13A to 13D. The leg members 12A to 12D are all made of metal, typically primarily iron. Preferably, the leg members 12A to 12D are treated with anti-rust treatment such as electrogalvanization.

[0057] 10 to 12 are enlarged partial views of the leg member 12A and the support base 13A extracted from FIG. 8. The viewing directions of FIGS. 10 to 12 are different from each other. FIG. 13 is a view from FIG. 11A in which the leg member 12A is omitted. FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the support base 13A shown in FIG. 13 cut along the X-Z plane at a predetermined Y coordinate position.

[0058] 12, when viewed from the -Z side, the support base 13A is configured to have an outer bottom 31 and a base side wall 32 surrounding the outer bottom 31, and presents a bottomed cylindrical body. The -Z side surface of the base side wall 32 of the support base 13A is in contact with the placement surface of the container 1.

[0059] 10 to 11A, the leg member 12A is connected to a surface 34 on the +Z side of the support base 13A. The leg member 12A is a cylindrical body having a wall surface 26 that is provided so as to cover the open space 20. The open space 20 is open on the +Z side and is surrounded by the wall surface 26 and the surface 34 of the support base 13A.

[0060] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the leg member 12A is connected to the corner support 11A so as to cover at least a portion of the outer periphery on the -Z side. As shown in Figures 10 to 11A, the -Z side end of the leg member 12A contacts the surface 34 of the support base 13A. Meanwhile, as will be described later, if a liquid-containing stored item is stored in the storage chamber 2 and the liquid leaks from the stored item, at least a portion of the leaked liquid will be temporarily stored in the open space 20. In this state, at least a portion of the -Z side end of the leg member 12A is immersed in the liquid.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 11B , a partition plate 23 may be provided on the +Z side of the opening space 20. The partition plate 23 is connected to the four wall surfaces 26 surrounding the opening space 20 and divides the opening space 20 into two spaces. That is, the opening space 20 is divided into a closed space closed by the −Z face of the partition plate 23 and an open space that opens toward the +Z direction with the +Z face of the partition plate 23 as its bottom. The corner support 11A is located in the space on the +Z side of the partition plate 23, and the +Z face of the partition plate 23 contacts the −Z end of the corner support 11A. Meanwhile, the liquid is temporarily stored in the closed space located on the −Z side of the partition plate 23. By providing the partition plate 23 in this manner, it is possible to separate the space where the liquid is temporarily stored from the space connected to the corner support 11A in the leg component 12A, thereby preventing the −Z end of the corner support 11A from being immersed in the liquid.

[0062] 11B, an opening (through-hole) 24 may be provided in a portion of the partition plate 23. When liquid temporarily accumulates in the space (the closed space) facing the -Z side surface of the partition plate 23, the amount of liquid accumulated in the closed space can be determined by inserting a rod-shaped member through the through-hole 24, then pulling it up and observing the wetted portion of the rod-shaped member. Furthermore, when the diameter of the through-hole 24 is relatively large, it is also possible to visually check the amount of liquid accumulated in the closed space through the through-hole 24.

[0063] Although the leg member 12A and the support base 13A have been described as an example here, the same applies to the leg members 12B to 12D and the support bases 13B to 13D.

[0064] Fig. 15 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 3, of the container 1 with the front part 3 open, viewed from a different direction than Fig. 3. Fig. 16 is an enlarged view of an area Q1 in Fig. 15.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 16 , a groove 21, which is lower in height than the floor 6, is formed on the outer edge of the floor 6 on the -Y side. The groove 21 extends along the outer edge of the floor 6 on the front portion 3 side, i.e., in the X direction, and reaches the leg component 12A. More specifically, a through-hole 22 penetrating the wall 26 is provided in a portion of the wall 26 of the leg component 12A, and this through-hole 22 is connected to the groove 21. The through-hole 22 is connected to the open space 20 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 . Note that the description here has been given with reference to FIG. 16 , which illustrates the vicinity of the end of the floor 6 located on the +X side and the -Y side, i.e., the vicinity of the leg component 12A. However, the vicinity of the end of the floor 6 located on the -X side and the -Y side, i.e., the vicinity of the leg component 12D, may also have a structure similar to that of the vicinity of the leg component 12A.

[0066] Fig. 17 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the container 1 with the front portion 3 closed, taken along the Y-Z plane at a predetermined X coordinate position. Fig. 18 is an enlarged view of an area Q2 in Fig. 17. Figs. 17 and 18 show a first front portion 3α of the front portion 3.

[0067] Fig. 19 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the container 1 with the front part 3 open, taken along the Y-Z plane at a predetermined X coordinate position. Fig. 20 is an enlarged view of an area Q3 in Fig. 19.

[0068] Figure 21 is a schematic perspective view of the container 1 with the front part 3 open, viewed from a direction different from that shown in Figure 3. Figure 22 is an enlarged view of an area Q4 in Figure 21.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 18 , the container 1 of this embodiment includes a shielding portion 41 extending along the X direction at the −Z side end of the first front portion 3α. When the front portion 3 (first front portion 3α) is closed, the aforementioned groove portion 21 is located directly below the −Z side of the shielding portion 41. Even when the front portion 3 is closed, a small gap inevitably forms between the shielding portion 41 and the floor portion 6. If liquid leaks from a stored item containing liquid while the storage chamber 2 is storing the stored item, the leaked liquid is sent into the groove portion 21 through the gap between the shielding portion 41 and the floor portion 6. If the amount of leaked liquid is large, the liquid travels along the groove portion 21 in the X direction and is then guided into the open space 20 through the through-hole 22. As described above with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 , the open space 20 is closed on all sides except the +Z side, and therefore, the liquid is temporarily stored in the open space 20.

[0070] As shown in Figure 18, a pipe member 42 is typically disposed below the floor portion 6. The end of the floor portion 6 on the -Y side is pressed and deformed together with the pipe member 42, thereby forming a groove portion 21 extending in the X direction. That is, in the example shown in Figure 18, the groove portion 21 and the floor portion 6 are formed continuously from the same member. However, the method of forming the groove portion 21 is not limited to this example.

[0071] As shown in Figures 20 and 22, in the container 1 of this embodiment, an inner wall 45 protruding in the Z direction from the surface of the floor 6 is provided on the outer edge of the floor 6 other than the outer edge on the front surface 3 side, i.e., the outer edge other than the end on the -Y side. More specifically, the inner wall 45 extends along the outer edge of the floor 6 that is connected to the back surface 7, the first side 4α, and the second side 4β. If liquid leaks from an item contained in the storage chamber 2, this inner wall 45 forms a barrier against the liquid when the liquid flows toward the back surface 7, the first side 4α, and the second side 4β. On the other hand, the inner wall 45 is not formed on the outer edge of the floor 6 on the front surface 3 side (-Y side). This makes it easier to guide liquid leaking from an item contained in the storage chamber 2 into the groove 21 (see Figures 16, 18, and 20) formed on the front surface 3 side.

[0072] As described above, the liquid that has flowed down the groove portion 21 is temporarily stored in the open space 20 via the through-hole 22 (see FIGS. 10 and 11 ). The surface 34 of the support base 13A forms the bottom surface of the open space 20. As shown in FIG. 13 , the support base 13A is provided with a discharge port 33. This discharge port 33 is typically a hole that penetrates the support base 13A in the Z direction, and is closed on the -Z side surface by a drain bolt 35 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 14 . By loosening the drain bolt 35, the liquid that has been temporarily stored in the open space 20 can be discharged to the outside of the container 1 via the discharge port 33.

[0073] 14, when the discharge port 33 is closed by the drain bolt 35, the tip of the drain bolt 35 on the -Z side is preferably located on the +Z side of the outer edge of the base side wall 32 of the support base 13A, that is, on the side closer to the outer bottom 31. In particular, as shown in FIG. 14, the length z1 by which the drain bolt 35 protrudes in the -Z direction from the outer bottom 31 of the support base 13A is shorter than the height z2 of the base side wall 32 of the support base 13A. However, as long as the discharge port 33 can be switched between a closed state and an open state, the means for closing the discharge port 33 is not limited to the drain bolt 35.

[0074] The above description has been given with reference to drawings of the structure of the leg member 12A and the support base 13A located at a corner on the +X side and the -Y side of the container 1, i.e., at a corner corresponding to the boundary between the first front portion 3α and the first side portion 4α. However, the same structure may also be shown for the leg member 12D and the support base 13D located at a corner on the -X side and the -Y side of the container 1, i.e., at a corner corresponding to the boundary between the second front portion 3β and the second side portion 4β.

[0075] As described above, the groove 21 is not provided on the rear surface 7 side of the floor 6. Therefore, the leg member 12B and the support base 13B, and the leg member 12C and the support base 13C, which are arranged closer to the rear surface 7, do not have the function of temporarily storing liquid when assembled into the container 1. However, from the viewpoint of efficiency in manufacturing and reducing the manufacturing cost, it is preferable that the leg members 12A to 12D have the same structure, and similarly, it is preferable that the support bases 13A to 13D have the same structure.

[0076] 1, 2, 3, and 8, the container 1 of this embodiment is provided with intermediate support legs 53 extending in the −Z direction from the outer surface of the floor 6 at positions between the support bases 13A and 13D and between the support bases 13B and 13C. The container 1 is also provided with connecting support members 54 that connect the intermediate support legs 53 to the support bases 13A and 13D that are positioned on either side of the intermediate support legs 53. Similarly, the container 1 is provided with connecting support members 54 that connect the intermediate support legs 53 to the support bases 13B and 13C that are positioned on either side of the intermediate support legs 53.

[0077] With this configuration, when the container 1 is placed on the support surface, the bottom surfaces of the platform side walls 32 (see FIG. 12) of the support bases 13A to 13D come into contact with the support surface. Furthermore, by setting the installation position of the connecting support member 54 in the Z direction to the same position as the bottom surfaces of the platform side walls 32 of the support bases 13A to 13D, the bottom surface of the connecting support member 54 also comes into contact with the support surface. Furthermore, the intermediate support leg 53 is sandwiched between the −Z side surface of the pipe member 42 and the +Z side surface of the connecting support member 54 shown in FIG. 18. This reduces the force acting on the support bases 13A to 13D compared to when only the bottom surfaces of the platform side walls 32 of the support bases 13A to 13D come into contact with the support surface, thereby increasing the load-bearing capacity of the container 1.

[0078] 1, 2, 3, and 8, the intermediate support legs 53 and the connecting support members 54 are provided on the front 3 side and the rear 7 side of the container 1, but are not provided on the first side 4α side and the second side 4β side. The end of the floor 6 located on the front 3 side, where stored items are frequently handled, is more likely to be subjected to bending forces (gravity direction) from the stored items. However, by providing the intermediate support legs 53 and the connecting support members 54 on the front 3 side as described above, the strength of the floor 6 against forces acting in the bending direction on the end of the floor 6 can be improved.

[0079] However, in the present invention, it is optional whether or not the container 1 is provided with the intermediate support leg portion 53 and the connecting support member 54.

[0080] The container 1 of the first embodiment has a foldable and stackable structure. When not in use, the container 1 can be stored in a folded state by stacking the containers 1. A method for folding the container 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 1, the canopy 5 is connected to the pair of side sections (4α, 4β) in a stabilized state by the locking member 61. After unlocking the locking member 61, the corner members 15A to 15D are removed from the corner supports 11A to 11D, respectively, to remove the canopy 5 from the container 1, as shown in Fig. 23.

[0082] Next, as shown in Figure 24, the locking member 62 that restrains the first front portion 3α and the second front portion 3β is released, and then, as shown in Figure 25, the first front portion 3α and the second front portion 3β are each rotated to open the front portion 3.

[0083] 25 , the first front portion 3α is fixed to the outside of the first side portion 4α by the locking member 63. Similarly, although not shown, the second front portion 3β is fixed to the outside of the second side portion 4β by the locking member 63. In particular, by designing the lengths (widths) of the first front portion 3α and the second front portion 3β in the X direction to be shorter than the lengths (depths) of the first side portion 4α and the second side portion 4β in the Y direction, even when the first front portion 3α is fixed to the first side portion 4α and the second front portion 3β is fixed to the second side portion 4β, the front portions 3α and 3β do not protrude in the Y direction from the corresponding side portions 4α and 4β.

[0084] Next, as shown in FIG. 26 , the back portion 7 is folded over the floor portion 6. At this time, if a locking member 64 is provided to stably maintain the connection between the back portion 7 and the corner support 11B and the connection between the back portion 7 and the corner support 11C as shown in FIG. 2 , the back portion 7 is folded toward the floor portion 6 after the blocking state caused by the locking member 64 is released. Here, the -Z side end of the back portion 7 is connected to the +Y side end of the floor portion 6 directly or via a connecting member (not shown), and the back portion 7 is configured to be rotatable around the X direction of this connected portion as an axis. Therefore, the back portion 7 can be folded toward the floor portion 6. The structure of the rotatable connected portion is arbitrary, and for example, a hinge structure can be used.

[0085] Figure 27 is a plan view of the state of Figure 26 when viewed from the Z direction. As shown in Figure 27, the length z7 of the back portion 7 in the Z direction is designed to be shorter than the length y4 of the pair of side portions (4α, 4β) in the Y direction. As a result, even when the back portion 7 is folded over the floor portion 6, the tip of the back portion 7 does not protrude from the floor portion 6 in the -Y direction.

[0086] Next, as shown in FIG. 28 , each of the pair of side portions (4α, 4β) is folded over the floor portion 6 while the corner supports remain connected. Here, the -Z side end of the first side portion 4α is connected to the +X side end of the floor portion 6 directly or via a connecting member (not shown), and the first side portion 4α is configured to be rotatable around the Y direction of this connected portion as an axis. Similarly, the -Z side end of the second side portion 4β is connected to the -X side end of the floor portion 6 directly or via a connecting member (not shown), and the second side portion 4β is configured to be rotatable around the Y direction of this connected portion as an axis. Thus, the pair of side portions (4α, 4β) can be folded over the floor portion 6. The structure of the rotatable connected portions is arbitrary, and for example, a hinge structure can be adopted.

[0087] Figure 29 is a plan view of the state of Figure 28 when viewed from the Z direction. As shown in Figure 29, the length z4 in the Z direction of the pair of side portions (4α, 4β) is designed to be shorter than the length x6 in the X direction of the floor portion 6. As a result, even when the first side portion 4α is folded over the floor portion 6, the tip of the first side portion 4α does not protrude from the floor portion 6 in the -X direction. Similarly, even when the second side portion 4β is folded over the floor portion 6, the tip of the second side portion 4β does not protrude from the floor portion 6 in the +X direction.

[0088] Next, as shown in FIGS. 30 and 31 , corner members 15A to 15D of canopy 5 are fitted into the +Z-side ends of leg members 12A to 12D corresponding to their respective positions. As described above with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 , the +Z-side end of leg member 12A can be fitted into space 37 of corner member 15A in a similar manner to fitting the +Z-side end of corner support 11A into space 37 of corner member 15A. Similarly, the +Z-side ends of leg members 12B to 12D can be fitted into the spaces 37 of corner members 15B to 15D, respectively. This results in a folded container 1a, as shown in FIG. 31 . Hereinafter, the folded container 1a will be referred to as the "folded container 1a" to distinguish it from the container 1 shown in FIG. 1 in which the storage compartment 2 is secured.

[0089] A plurality of foldable containers 1a obtained in this manner can be stacked as shown in Figure 32. More specifically, the support bases 13A to 13D of the upper folding container 1a located on the +Z side are fitted from the outside into the corner members 15A to 15D of the lower folding container 1a located on the -Z side, allowing the upper folding container 1a to be stacked on the +Z side of the lower folding container 1a. Figure 33 is a perspective view schematically showing how the support base 13A of the upper folding container 1a is fitted from the outside into the corner member 15A of the lower folding container 1a.

[0090] As described above with reference to Fig. 7, the +Z side surface of the corner member 15A has an inner hole 39 that is lower in height than the outer edge 38. Therefore, even when the outer bottom 31 of the support base 13A of the upper-foldable container 1a abuts against the outer edge 38 of the corner member 15A, the tip of the drain bolt 35 can be positioned inside the inner hole 39. Therefore, with the outer bottom 31 of the support base 13A of the upper-foldable container 1a abutting against the outer edge 38 of the corner member 15A, the support base 13A of the upper-foldable container 1a can be fitted into the corner member 15A of the lower-foldable container 1a from the outside. The same applies to the corner members 15B to 15D and the support bases 13B to 13D.

[0091] As shown in Figure 34, a plurality of foldable containers 1a can be stacked on top of each other, thereby reducing the area occupied by the containers 1a when not in use.

[0092] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 35, multiple containers 1 can also be stacked when they are not folded. When stacking, similarly to the case described with reference to Figure 33, the outer bottom 31 of the support bases 13A to 13D of the upper container 1 located on the +Z side is brought into contact with the outer edges 38 of the corner members 15A to 15D of the lower container 1 located on the -Z side, and the support base 13A of the upper container 1 is fitted from the outside into the corner member 15A of the lower container 1a.

[0093] This allows the total capacity of the storage chamber 2 to be increased within a limited installation area.

[0094] Another embodiment will now be described.

[0095] <1> In the above embodiment, the front portion 3 has a first front portion 3α and a second front portion 3β, and the first front portion 3α rotates toward the first side portion 4α, and the second front portion 3β rotates toward the second side portion 4β, thereby forming a so-called "double door" structure. However, in the present invention, the manner in which the front portion 3 of the container 1 opens and closes is not limited to the "double door" structure.

[0096] For example, the front portion 3 may be configured to be removable when opened. This type of configuration is preferably adopted for a container having a storage chamber 2 with a larger volume than the container 1 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 (see Figs. 36A and 36B). Fig. 36A is a schematic external perspective view showing the configuration of a container 1 larger than that of Fig. 1, following the example of Fig. 1. Fig. 36B is a schematic perspective view showing the container 1 shown in Fig. 36A with the canopy 5 and front portion 3 removed.

[0097] 36A, the dimensions of the storage chamber 2 are, for example, 1,500 mm to 2,500 mm in the X direction, 1,500 mm to 2,500 mm in the Y direction, and 500 mm to 2,500 mm in the Z direction. In a typical example, the dimensions of the storage chamber 2 are 2,450 mm in the X direction, 1,624 mm in the Y direction, and 600 mm in the Z direction.

[0098] 36A has external dimensions of, for example, 1,660 mm to 2,660 mm in the X direction, 1,600 mm to 2,600 mm in the Y direction, and 710 mm to 2,710 mm in the Z direction. As a typical example, the external dimensions of the large container 1 are 2,610 mm in the X direction, 1,724 mm in the Y direction, and 810 mm in the Z direction.

[0099] In the case of the large container 1 shown in Fig. 36A, the front portion 3 (3α, 3β) can be removed when opening the front portion 3, as shown in Fig. 36B. In this case, when folding the container 1, the front portion 3 may be made to be able to be placed on the upper surface of the floor portion 6, similar to the rear portion 7.

[0100] <2> In the above embodiment, the container 1 is described as having a foldable configuration, but even a container 1 that cannot be folded (for example, a container 1 in which the rear portion 7 and the pair of side portions (4α, 4β) are not connected to the floor portion 6 and are each removable) is within the scope of the present invention.

[0101] <3> In the above embodiment, the container 1 is configured to be stackable in the Z direction, but the present invention also applies to containers 1 that cannot be stacked.

[0102] <4> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to provide a better understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0103] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Container 1a: Foldable container 2: Storage compartment 3: Front portion 3α: First front portion 3β: Second front portion 4α: First side portion 4β: Second side portion 5: Canopy portion 6: Floor portion 7: Back portion 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D: Corner support 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D: Leg member 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D: Support base 15A, 15B, 15C, 15D: Corner member 20: Open space 21: Groove portion 22: Through hole 26: Wall surface 31: Outer bottom portion 32: Base side wall 33: Discharge port 34: Surface of support base 35: Drain bolt 37: Space inside corner member 38 : Outer edge of corner member 39 : Inner hole portion provided in corner member 41 : Shielding portion 42 : Pipe member 45 : Inner wall 53 : Intermediate support leg portion 54 : Connecting support member 61 : Locking member 62 : Locking member 63 : Locking member 64 : Locking member

Claims

1. A rectangular parallelepiped container comprising a storage chamber and a floor, canopy, front, rear and pair of side sections arranged to surround the storage chamber, the container comprising: four corner supports provided at four corners that correspond to the boundaries between each of the pair of side sections and the front and rear sections; leg members connected to each of the four corner supports so as to cover the outer periphery of the vertically lower end, and having a wall surface that covers the open space from the outside with an open space on the inside at least at the vertically lower end position; a support base connected to the vertically lower end of the leg member and in contact with the loading surface of the container; a groove formed along the outer edge of at least a part of the floor and located lower in height than an area of ​​the floor that is inside the outer edge; and a through hole formed in a part of the wall surface of the leg member so as to connect the end of the groove with the open space formed on the inside of the leg member. The container is characterized in that the support base is arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the lower end of the leg member when viewed in the vertical direction.

2. A container as described in claim 1, characterized in that it has an inner wall extending along the outer edge of the floor portion that is connected to the back portion and the pair of side portions and extending vertically from the floor surface that constitutes the floor portion, and the groove portion is formed along the outer edge of the floor portion that is connected to the front portion.

3. A container as described in claim 1, characterized in that a discharge port is provided at a portion of the support base for discharging liquid stored in the open space surrounded by the upper surface of the support base and the outer periphery of the lower end of the leg member to the outside.

4. The container according to claim 3, wherein the discharge port is formed so as to penetrate a portion of the support base in the vertical direction, and further comprises a drain bolt for fastening the discharge port.

5. A container as described in claim 4, characterized in that the support base is a bottomed cylindrical body having an outer bottom and a base side wall surrounding the outer bottom at its vertically lower end, and the tip of the drain bolt is located at a point closer to the outer bottom than the outer edge of the base side wall.

6. A container according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises corner members arranged at the four corners of the canopy portion and formed to be able to fit from the outside of the corner supports relative to each of the vertically upper ends of the corner supports, the corner members having inner holes at a height position lower than the outer edges on the vertically upper surface, the area enclosed by the side walls of the support base is larger than the outer edges of the corner members, the depth of the inner holes is longer than the protruding height of the drain bolt protruding from the outer bottom, and the support base of the upper container and the corner members of the lower container are configured to be able to fit together so that the side walls of the support base of the upper container, which is the container to be stacked above, cover the outside of the outer walls of the corner members of the lower container, which is the container to be stacked on top.

7. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that said groove and said floor are formed continuously from the same member.

8. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises intermediate support legs arranged between adjacent pairs of said corner supports and extending vertically from a portion of the outer surface of said floor to the height of the vertically lower end of said support platform.

9. A container as described in claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with corner members arranged at the four corners of the canopy portion and formed so as to be able to fit onto the vertically upper ends of the corner supports from the outside of the corner supports, and the canopy portion is configured to be removable by releasing the fitted state of the corner members and the corner supports.

10. A container as described in claim 9, characterized in that the vertical length of the rear section is shorter than the length of the floor section in the direction in which the front section and the rear section face each other, and the rear section can be folded above the floor section when the canopy section is detached.

11. A container as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the vertical length of each of the pair of side sections is shorter than the length of the floor section in the direction in which the pair of side sections face each other, and each of the pair of side sections can be folded over above the floor section with the corner supports still connected when the canopy section is detached.

12. The container according to claim 11, characterized in that, when the back portion and the pair of side portions are folded over the floor portion, the vertically lower end of the corner member of the detached canopy portion can be fitted into the vertically upper end of the leg member.

13. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, when facing the front portion, the front portion has a first front portion located on the right side and a second front portion located on the left side, the first front portion is rotatable about the corner support pillar located on the boundary between the first front portion and the adjacent first side portion of the pair of side portions as its axis, and can be fixed in a state where it is superimposed on the outer surface of the first side portion, and the second front portion is rotatable about the corner support pillar located on the boundary between the second side portion and the adjacent second front portion of the pair of side portions as its axis, and can be fixed in a state where it is superimposed on the outer surface of the second side portion.

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