Collapsible Receptacle

The present invention relates to an improvement in collapsible receptacles of the type disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 184,502, filed Sept. 29, 1971, now U.S. Pat No. 3,782,579, dated Jan. 1, 1974. The disclosure of this U.S. application is hereby incorporated by reference herein to the extent necessary for a complete understanding of the present invention.

The above-mentioned application describes a collapsible receptacle with or without a lid in which the lower end of the walls is hingedly connected with the base frame via bolts introduced into holes in such a way that each hole associated with a hinge bolt is in the form of a slot-like oblong hole open at its upper end which has a greater length than the cross-sectional size of the hinge bolt and with which is associated a blocking means which prevents the removal of a hinge bolt from its oblong hole.

To ensure that the walls of such receptacles can be easily assembled and that during assembly no specific sequence need be adhered to and whereby in addition the walls can without difficulty be replaced by others without however such collapsible receptacles having loose members, the instruction is given in the above-mentioned application that the oblong holes for at least two facing walls have identical length and their ends have the same distance from the receptacle base and that the blocking means associated with each oblong hole has such a distance from the lower end of the oblong hole that displacement of the hinge bolt permits superimposition of the walls. The upper end of each oblong hole relative to the cross-sectional size of the associated hinge bolt is narrowed to a smaller opening with and this construction is removable or elastically enlargeable. The opening of each oblong hole can also be arranged in the longitudinal wall on the inside of the receptacle. It is also recommended that all oblong holes be given the same length corresponding to the sum of the wall thickness of the four walls of the receptacle. These oblong holes are in each case formed in a corner member fixed to the receptacle base frame.

It is also recommended that the frame surrounding the base of the receptacle and the walls thereof be provided with point shaped or linearly interacting stop members which engage in one another when the walls are assembled.

An object of the present invention is to so further develop the collapsible receptacles of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned application that each wall maintains itself in its position in the erected state. This problem is solved according to the invention in that on each wall an outwardly directed projection is provided which overlaps an inwardly directed projection of the base frame. These projections ensure that each wall can be moved inwardly from its erected position in the sense of a collapse of the receptacle only if the wall is raised by that amount by which the projection of the wall overlaps the projection of the base frame. Such a receptacle wall can in practice also not be forced inwards because the outwardly directed projection stiffens the wall over its complete width. Furthermore the forces acting in the plane of the erected wall via the projection are uniformly transmitted into the base frame which is important in that collapsible receptacles of this type are stacked one upon the other for example when transported in vehicles.

It is also contemplated by the present invention that each wall be provided with a further outwardly directed projection which overlaps the inwardly directed projection of the base frame. This prevents the wall being unintentionally raised relative to the base frame because through the further outwardly directed projection the wall can only be raised relative to the base frame when it is intentionally placed in an inclined position.

According to a further feature of the present invention, the outwardly directed wall projection of each wall overlapping the base frame projection should preferably be in the form of a rim which deflects water outwardly which ensures that water falling on the outside of the receptacle cannot reach the inside of the receptacle.

The invention is subsequently explained relative to two exemplified embodiments wherein are shown only the features essential for the present invention, thus for example the openings associated with each oblong hole necessary to remove the hinge bolts of the walls from the oblong holes in the base frame are not shown.

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view through the base of a collapsible receptacle with part of a wall having one outwardly directed projection; and

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1 with a wall having two outwardly directed projections.

A base frame 1 secures in place a base 2 of a collapsible receptacle. Each wall 3 associated with base frame 1 is provided at its lower end with two laterally arranged hinge bolts 4, each of which is inserted in a slot-like oblong hole 5 provided in the corners of the receptacle. Base frame 1 is provided with a peripheral inwardly directed projection 24 having a bead-like cross-section. At a distance from the hinge bolts 4 the wall 3 has an outwardly directed projection 25 which, with wall 3 erected, overlaps the inwardly directed projection 24 of base frame 1 in such a way that wall 3 can only be tilted into the receptacle inner area by raising wall 3. Therefore, if the collapsible receptacle is closed by a lid, wall 3 cannot normally be removed from the position shown by continuous lines in FIG. 1 into another position. Projection 25 merges via a curved surface 26 into the plane of wall 3. If the receptacle is initially collapsed and one of the walls 3 is raised without thereby raising hinge bolts 4 the wall strikes against projection 24 of base frame 1. On further raising of wall 3 surface 26 slides along projection 24 whereby wall 3 can automatically be easily tilted inwards as shown by broken lines in FIG. 1. On further raising the wall can again be tilted outwards and then rests on projection 24 of base frame 1. Although wall 3 may comprise a one-piece section having hinge bolts 4 it is recommended that only the lower part of the wall be in the form of a sectional member rigidly connecting therewith an upper planar wall portion 27.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 corresponds fundamentally to the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the sole difference that each wall section has a second outwardly directed projection 28 which is connected in each case via a bracket 29 with a hinge bolt 4. Here again wall section 3' is rigidly connected with a planar wall portion 27. If wall 3' is erected, i.e., it extends in a substantially perpendicular plane then the outwardly directed projection 25 of wall 3' overlaps the inwardly directed projection 24 of base frame 1. As the individual walls of the erected receptacle mutually prevent one another from tilting inwards, each wall can only be raised in a perpendicular direction and namely by an amount a, because then projections 28 and 24 abut against one another and prevent a further raising of the wall. If wall 3' on erecting the wall is raised too high then the corresponding projection 24 slides along the surfaces 30 of cantilevers 29 until surface 31 of projection 25 rests on the top of projection 24. The described transition state is shown by broken lines in FIG. 2.

As can be seen from both figures each outwardly directed projection 25 of walls 3 and 3' is in the form of a rim which directs water outwards so as to prevent entry of water into the receptacle. This is achieved in that the surfaces forming projection 25 converge on the outside at the bottom.

Element 10 schematically indicates an opening and blocking means, the details of which are disclosed in the above-noted U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,579 which has been incorporated by reference.

While we have shown and described only several preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is understood that the same is not limited thereto but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to those skilled in the art, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are within the scope of those skilled in the art.