WO2004094250A1

WO2004094250A1 - Folding crate

Info

Publication number: WO2004094250A1
Application number: PCT/MX2004/000026
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alejandro Betancourt Ruelas; Francisco Javier Padilla Ramirez
Original assignee: Alejandro Betancourt Ruelas; Padilla Ramirez Francisco Javi
Priority date: 2003-04-22
Filing date: 2004-04-07
Publication date: 2004-11-04
Also published as: MXJL03000014A

Abstract

The invention relates to a rectangular folding crate comprising at least five elements which are interarticulated by means of a simple assembly system. The aforementioned system enables the constituent parts of the invention to be replaced if necessary and enables said parts to be completely dismantled and flattened such as to optimise use of space for storage purposes. In addition, the invention comprises securing devices such that the crate can be fixed in the final shape thereof for the storage of goods such as fruit and vegetables. The invention also comprises a removable protective element which can be positioned on the surface of same in order to offer operational advantages. Moreover, the upper and lower faces of the crate comprise a channel which enables an equal number of crates having the same characteristics to be connected above and below same.

Description

FOLDING BOX

Currently, a variety of containers and boxes are available on the market for the storage and transport of merchandise, among which fruits and vegetables by their very nature require special devices or packaging, which allow them to preserve their integrity until their acquisition. by the consumer

In the recent past, wooden boxes, the parts of which were joined by nails, were the only possibility for the purpose of storing and transporting fruits and vegetables to the market, representing a number of inconveniences, such as the mistreatment of said merchandise and the space that said Devices occupied because they are large-volume three-dimensional objects, with the advent of the era of plastic, boxes made with these materials appeared on the market, but they still have the same drawbacks as those previously exposed, although their useful life increased, given the nature of the raw material from which they were made, however, once said boxes were used, there was the inconvenience of the space they occupied, so that folding boxes in plastic material emerged on the market, as evidenced by US patents 6,015,056 , US 6,0998,827, that although they have the advantage over their predecessors of being abati bles, lack elements that allow them greater maneuverability in the assembly, structure and lack of accessories such that they allow them to install accessories to safeguard their contents. Another important antecedent is the Patent Application PCT / US98 / 27328, which has as a designated country to Mexico and the national patent application PA / a / 2000/005893 published in the gazette on March 31, 2001, both referring to US Patent 6,0998,827 all referring to a flexible container and requested by Rehπg Pacific Company and that in all cases these inventions suffer from elements that facilitate their assembly maneuverability and that guarantee the installation of accessories for the integrity of their contents, in consideration of these drawbacks, the development of a folding box that suppressed such inconveniences, which are intended to be protected through this application

The characteristic elements of this novel invention are described in full detail through the figures and descriptions that are detailed below, following the same identification reference signs that allow a full understanding of our invention.

Figure 1 represents the folding box in the assembled and installed mesh state

Figure 2 a view of the side walls attached to its base

Figure 3 a view of the upper face of the base Figure 4 a view of the lower face of the base

Figure 5 a perspective view of the protective mesh

Figure 6 a view of the internal face of the greater wall

Figure 7 cross section of the coupling between the side walls to each other

Figure 8 a view of the internal face of the lower wall Figure 9 cross-section of the release of the coupling of the side walls to each other

Figure 10 a view of the coupling and adjustment system of the larger wall with the lower wall

Figure 11 a view of the articulation system of the greater lateral wall with the base Figure 12 a view of the articulation system of the lower side wall with the base

Figure 13 a view of the box with the major side walls folded on the base Figure 14 a view of the box with the minor side walls folded on the base Figure 15 a view of the box with the major and minor side walls folded on the base Figure 16 is an angle view on the underside of the base showing the lower coupling system of the folding box

This novel invention is a three-dimensional figure that is formed by a base that constitutes the floor (fig 3), two major side walls (fig 7), two minor side walls (fig 8) and a roof or protective mesh (fig 5) themselves that are articulated to each other through various devices The base (fig 1) consists of a rectangular surface whose top view (fig 3) reveals a central strip (No 3) that is located in the center of the base and that joins the ends thereof (No. 1) these are formed by edges (No. 10) that make up the minor sides of the base with a height greater than that represented by the larger lateral edges of the base (No. 2) in order to allow the lowering of the smaller side walls (figs 8, 9) on the base, when the box is folded down in each of its elements (fig 13) The greater sides of the rectangular base have a conditioned area on their edges (No 8) for p allow the free rotation of the lower side wall of the box, when it is forced to be erected at a 90-degree angle when shaping the box (No. 12) From the underside of the base (fig 4) a frame stands out that forms a virtual channel (No. 31) throughout the periphery, acting as a male coupling that will find its counterpart in the upper periphery of another box with the same characteristics

The rest of the body of the base is made up of a network or mesh represented by uniform strips vertically (No. 6) and horizontally (No. 7) that are reinforced with thicker lines arranged diagonally (No. 5) and in number of 4 to give consistency to the base. The major lateral edges (No. 2) contain female type devices (No. 11) in their upper part, as well as the minor lateral edges (No. 9) in order to allow their subsequent coupling (Fig. 11) with the male parts of the larger lateral walls (No. 23) and the male parts of the respective smaller ones (No. 12). The greater lateral edge in its middle part, has a truncated pyramid (No. 4), which has the purpose to allow the larger side wall its corresponding coupling, when it is erected like the smaller side wall at a 90 degree angle (No. 13) when shaping the folding box

This novel rectangular cube-shaped box has larger side walls (No. 13), which in the upper edge have small elongations (No. 15) that serve as fasteners for the protective mesh (No. 14) through its holes (No. 25) placed at its periphery for such effects, at its distal and upper end, 45-degree diagonal arms (No. 16) can be seen in order to prevent the weakening of the structure of the box, these arms are directed from top to bottom , from the upper lateral end (No. 17) itself that contains on its outer edge and from top to bottom with two male-type formations (Nos. 18 and 20) which in turn have their counterpart in the female (Nos. 26 and No 27) of the lower side walls (Fig 12) In its upper third there is a device made up of two asymmetric wedge-shaped elongations (No. 19) that they serve as a clamping and safety device simultaneously in the joint between major and minor side walls (Fig 10). The body of the major side wall is made up of a network of diagonal strips (No. 21) and on its lower edge it is They are arranged equidistant male type coupling (No. 23) same as you have its female counterpart (No. 11) in the base coupling and in its middle third it has a female truncated pyramid elongation (No. 24) that is coupled with the male (No. 4) type medium elongation of the base The joint of the greater lateral wall and the base is given by the coupling between the female male joints already described (Fig 11). The protective mesh (Fig 5) contains holes in its periphery (No. 32) to be fixed to the arms (No. 15) contained in the upper edges of the major and minor side walls and a weave of rectangular multiforms (No. 33) The minor side wall (Fig 8) features in its middle and lower portion with rectangular formations (Nos 29) that serve as a fastening clip and allow the placement of identification labels and product advertising in a removable way when they are introduced and are attached and attached to the box On both sides and at its upper and lower ends the female parts (Nos. 26 and 27) are located, which have their counterpart in the male parts (Nos. 18 and 20) of the larger lateral walls and which are articulated with the base through said mechanism. (fig 12) In its upper middle part there is a rectangular space (No. 25) in such a way that it allows the entry of an average size hand to hold the box applying the principle of the lever to allow an adequate distribution of the force applied for lifting and maneuverability of the box when it contains load or is empty

At the lower edge, the lower side wall (Fig 8) has equidistant male type coupling devices (No. 29), which have their female counterpart (No. 30) coupling at the edges of the base that when coupled with the greater lateral wall (fig 10) and hinges give body to the box (fig 1) resulting in a lower lateral wall and base articulation (Fig 12)

The articulation between the major and minor side walls occurs thanks to three independent but complementary mechanisms, on the one hand, to the possibility of being lowered until obtaining a vertical position (Nos. 13 and 1), the male assembly (No. 18 and 20), female (No. 26 and 27) in the upper and lower thirds of the major (fig 6) and minor (Fig 8) lateral walls and the joint or coupling that will give consistency and security to the fixation between the lateral walls The asymmetric wedges (No. 19 ) arranged in the upper middle third of the larger lateral walls (Fig 10) that serve as a male assembly, are inserted into their female counterpart (fig 7), noting that both wedges (No. 19) pass through the female body of the lateral wall lower (fig 7 and No 12) by simple digital pressure and that when released are fixed inside the chamber (No 7) for the release of both side walls, the asymmetric wedges (No 19) they are bent until they meet (Fig 9), thus releasing in a simple way the assembly between the major side wall (No. 13) and the minor side wall (No. 12). In a dejected state (Fig 2) the major walls are appreciated (No. 13 and the minor ones (No. 12) at a 90-degree angle, while in the state of total bending (fig 13) the major walls (No. 13) bent in the foreground towards the upper face of the base (fig 3). followed by bending of the minor side walls (# 12) On the underside of the base (fig 16) there is a cylindrical elongation (No. 34), which represents a male-type joint, which will be articulated with the corresponding part of the box that could be located below this one that is written and an edge (No. 35) with a stop (No. 36) that serves as a counterpart to the upper edge of the box that could be located below the one described here giving the possibility of articulating any number of boxes for the formation of stable columns

Whenever the clamping mechanism between the major and minor side walls has been deactivated (fig 9) the major side walls fold towards the base of the folding box (fig 13) followed by the double of the lower side walls towards the base (fig 14) both walls are finally folded at the base of the folding box (fig 15)

Claims

Whenever we have sufficiently described our invention, we claim as our exclusive property what is expressed in the following claims 1 - A collapsible box characterized by being composed of a rectangular base with female male coupling devices for folding walls to the exterior and interior of the base, a coupling channel. support for identification tags, arms for placing a protective mesh, a fastening and safety device on the major side walls for the maneuverability and assembly of the box and support angles and consistency at the edges upper side upper walls

2 - A folding box characterized by being composed of a rectangular base with male female coupling devices at its lower edges, for the folding of side walls to the outside and inside of the base, as referred to in clause 1, and which It is characterized by allowing the folding of said walls allowing them to bend towards the center of the base that supports them, they are superimposed with the consequent saving of space in their shelter

3 - A folding box characterized by being composed of a base that contains a virtual channel on its underside, as referred to in clause 1 and that forms a male coupling and that finds its counterpart with the peripheral edge of another equal box features

4 - A folding box characterized by being composed of smaller folding side walls, as referred to in clause 1 and characterized by containing rectangular formations that serve as a clip and allow the placement of identification tags, a space rectangular for holding the box,

5 - A folding box characterized by being composed of side walls, as referred to in clause 1 and characterized by containing arms for placement of a protective mesh 6 - A folding box characterized by being composed of side walls, such as referred to in clause 1 and which are characterized by containing a fastening and safety device in the major side walls for the mammobrability and assembly of the box consisting of two asymmetric wedges that when pressed towards the center allow the release of the walls and their subsequent folding referred to in clause 2 7 - Folding box characterized by being composed of side walls, as referred to in clause 1 and characterized by containing support angles at 45 degrees in order to give consistency on the upper edges of the upper side walls preventing them from overcoming with the weight of the contents of the folding box 8 - - Caj Collapsible characterized in that on the underside of the base contains a cylindrical elongation, representing one male type joint which is articulated to the corresponding part of the box could to be located below an edge stop serving counterparty to the upper box of the box that could be located below generating the possibility of the formation of stable columns with any number of boxes