THIS INVENTION relates to a container. It also relates to a blank for a container.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a container formed of a synthetic plastics material which includes a base having a plurality of sides; a side wall connected to each side of the base via a hinge arrangement for displacement between a collapsed condition, and an erect condition in which the side walls extend upwardly from the base such that at least part of each side wall abuts against the base at a position spaced inwardly from an edge of the base so that loads are transmitted between the side walls and the base at positions spaced inwardly from the edges of the base; and locking means for locking the side walls in their erect condition.

The locking means may be releasable to permit the container to be collapsible.

The base may have four sides with adjacent sides being perpendicular to one another, the container including four side walls. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base is rectangular having two long sides and two short sides.

The container may include a stiffening element connected to an operatively upper edge of each of at least some of the sidewalls. Preferably, a stiffening element is connected to each side wall connected to a long side of the base.

Each stiffening element may include an elongate intermediate member having spaced apart longitudinally extending inner and outer edges, the intermediate member being hingedly connected along the outer edge to the operatively upper edge of the associated side wall and extending inwardly therefrom, an inner member which is connected to the outer edge of the intermediate member and extends downwardly therefrom adjacent an operatively inner surface of the associated side wall, and complementary retaining formations on the inner member and on the side wall which engage to retain the stiffening element in position. Hence, the intermediate member, the inner member and an upper portion of the associated side wall essentially form a box section.

The container may include, hingedly connected to an operatively upper edge of each side wall connected to a short side of the base, a transverse panel which is provided with engagement formations which engage with complementary engagement formations on the intermediate members thereby to connect the stiffening elements together and thereby further improve the structural integrity of the container.

Each side wall connected to a short side of the base may have opposed side edges which extend between corresponding ends of the operatively upper and lower edges and to each of which is hingedly connected a support member which extends adjacent to and provides support to an end portion of the adjacent side wall connected to a long side of the base.

At least one of the base and the side walls may be provided with spaced apart locating protrusions which are receivable in complementary recesses in the other of the base and the side walls. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the locating protrusions protrude operatively upwardly from a peripheral ridge on the base, the ridge being spaced inwardly from the edges of the base, the side walls having complementary downwardly open socket formations within which the locating protrusions are snap-lockingly receivable, the socket formations having lower edges which abut against the peripheral ridge and through which vertical loads are transmitted between the side walls and the base. The invention extends to a container blank for forming a container of the type described above.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a container blank which includes: a base panel having a plurality of sides; a side wall panel connected to each side of the base panel via a hinge arrangement for displacement between a collapsed condition, and an erect condition, the hinge arrangements being configured so that when in an erect condition, the side wall panels extend upwardly from the base panel and lower edges of the side wall panels abut against the base panel at positions spaced inwardly from edges of the base panel; and locking means for locking the side wall panels in their erect conditions.

The container blank may be formed as a unitary moulding of a synthetic plastics material.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a container formed of a synthetic plastics material which includes a base having a plurality of sides; a side wall connected, via a hinge arrangement, to each side of the base for displacement between a collapsed condition and an erect condition in which it extends upwardly from the base, each side wall having an operatively upper edge and an operatively lower edge; locking means for locking the side walls in their erect condition; and a stiffening element connected to the operatively upper edge of each of at least some of the side walls.

The locking means may be releasable to permit the container to be collapsible.

The base may have four sides with adjacent sides being perpendicular to one another, the container including four side walls. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the base is rectangular having two long sides and two short sides.

Each side wall connected to a long side of the base may have a stiffening element connected to the upper edge thereof.

Each stiffening element may include an elongate intermediate member which is hingedly connected along an edge thereof to the operatively upper edge of the associated side wall and extends inwardly therefrom, an inner member which is connected to an opposed longitudinal edge of the intermediate member and extends downwardly therefrom adjacent an operatively inner surface of the associated side wall, and complementary retaining formations on the inner member and on the side wall which engage to retain the stiffening element in position.

The container may include, hingedly connected to an operatively upper edge of each side wall connected to a short side of the base, a transverse panel which is provided with engagement formations which engage with complementary engagement formations on the intermediate members thereby to connect the stiffening elements together and further improve the structural integrity of the container.

Each side wall connected to a short side of the base may have opposed side edges which extend between corresponding ends of the operatively upper and lower edges and to each of which is hingedly connected a support member which extends adjacent to and provides support to an end portion of the adjacent side wall.

The invention extends to a container blank for forming a container of the type described above.

According to still another aspect of the invention there is provided a container blank which includes a base panel having a plurality of sides; a side wall panel connected to each side of the base panel, each side wall having an operatively upper edge and an operatively lower edge whereby it is connected to the associated side of the base panel for displacement between a collapsed condition and an erect condition in which it extends upwardly from the base panel; locking means for locking the side wall panels in their erect conditions; and a stiffening element connected to the operatively upper edge of each of at least some of the side wall panels.

The container blank may be formed as a unitary moulding of a synthetic plastics material.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a container in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a plan view of a container blank in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 shows a sectional elevation taken at III - III in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a sectional elevation taken at IV - IV in Figure 2; Figure 5 shows a sectional elevation taken at V - V in Figure 2; Figure 6 shows a sectional elevation taken at Vl - Vl in Figure 2; Figure 7 shows a plan view of another container blank in accordance with the invention; Figure 8 shows, on an enlarged scale, part of a side wall and a stiffening element forming part of the container blank of Figure 7; and Figure 9 shows, on an enlarged scale, the connection of a side wall to the base of the container blank of Figure 7.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 refers generally to a container in accordance with the invention. The container 10 is made of a synthetic plastics material, typically polypropylene. More specifically, the container may be formed of a polypropylene mixture comprising 50% high flow copolymer and 50% homopolymer.

The container 10 includes a rectangular base 12 having four sides, longitudinal side walls 14 and lateral side walls 16 which extend upwardly from the base 12.

The container 10 is formed from a blank 18 (Figures 2 to 6) which is formed as a unitary moulding of the synthetic plastics material.

As can best be seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, the blank 18 includes a rectangular base panel 20 having longitudinal sides 22 and lateral or transverse sides 24.

The base panel 20 includes an outer planar portion 26 and an inner planar portion 28 which is generally H-shaped. The inner planar portion 28 lies in a plane which is parallel with and which is spaced operatively upwardly from the plane in which the outer planar portion 26 lies. The inner and outer planar portions 28, 26 are connected together by inclined planar portions 30 some of which are provided with holes 32 therethrough. Naturally, the shape and arrangement of the holes 32 may vary. An upstanding peripheral ridge 34 is provided adjacent to and inwardly from the operatively outer edge of the outer planar portion 26. The ridge 34 is interrupted by a centrally disposed recess 36 in each of the longitudinal sides 22 and a pair of recesses 38 in each of the transverse sides 24.

A plurality of protrusions 40 protrudes upwardly from the peripheral ridge 34 parallel with and spaced inwardly from the sides 22, 24.

The blank 18 further includes longitudinal side wall panels 42 and lateral wall panels 44, 46. Each panel 42, 44, 46 is connected to the associated side 22, 24 of the base panel 20 by means of a hinge 48 which is formed by a zone of reduced rigidity, which permits displacement of the panels 42, 44, 46 from a collapsed condition (shown in Figures 2 to 6 of the drawings) in which they extend generally coplanar with the base panel 20 and an erect condition (shown in Figure 1 of the drawings) in which they extend generally perpendicular to the base panel 20 and from the side walls 14, 16.

Each side wall panel 42 has an operatively lower edge 50 whereby it is connected via the hinge 48 to the base panel 20, an operatively upper edge 52 which is parallel with the lower edge 50 and side edges 54 which extend between corresponding ends of the upper and lower edges 50, 52. An elongate intermediate member 56 has spaced apart longitudinally extending inner and outer edges 57, 59. The inner edge 57 is connected via a hinge 58 to an operatively upper edge 52 of each side wall panel 42 (Figure 6). An inner member 60 is connected via a hinge 62 to the outer edge 59 of the intermediate member 56, the hinges 58, 62 being parallel. Four pairs of clip formations 64 are provided on the inner member 60 at longitudinally spaced apart positions and are snap lockingly engageable in complementary holes 66 provided in the panels 42, as described in more detail herebelow.

Parallel grooves or flutes 68 extend between the operatively lower and upper edges 50, 52 of the side wall panels 42. A plurality of downwardly open longitudinally spaced apart socket formations 70 is provided adjacent the operatively lower edges 50 of the side wall panels 42 the protrusions 40 being receivable in the socket formations 70 as described in more detail herebelow.

Similarly, each of the lateral side wall panels 44, 46 has an operatively lower edge 72 and parallel upper edge 74, the lower edge 72 being connected to a transverse side 24 of the base panel 20 via a hinge 76. A transverse panel 78 is connected via a hinge 80 to the operatively upper edge 74 of each side wall panel 44, 46. Each lateral side wall panel 44, 46 has side edges 81 extending between adjacent ends of the operatively lower and upper edges 72, 74 and a generally rectangular support member 82 is connected to each side edge 81 by a hinge 84. Each of the side wall panels 42, 44, 46 and transverse panels 78 is provided with a plurality of holes 86 therethrough. The difference between the side wall panels 44 and 46 being that the side wall panel 46 includes a central region 88 in which no holes are provided to enable a label or the like to be affixed thereto, in use

As with the side wall panels 42, the panels 44, 46 are provided with downwardly open socket formations 70 in which the protrusions 40 are receivable. Similarly, the support members 82 are provided with downwardly open socket formations 70 which engage with protrusions 40 as described in more detail herebelow.

A pair of stiffening ribs 90 of channel-section is provided in each of the panels 44, 46, the ribs being parallel with the side edges of the panels in register with the recesses 38. An operatively upper end of each of the ribs 90 is in the form of a head 92 which protrudes beyond the operatively upper edges 74 of the panels 44, 46.

In use, in order to form the blank 18 into the container 10, the support members 82 are displaced about the hinges 84 relative to the panels 44, 46 in the direction of arrow 85 (Figure 3) such that they extend perpendicularly thereto. The panels 44, 46 are then displaced relative to the base panel 20 about the hinges 76 in the direction of arrow 87 (Figure 4) until they extend generally perpendicular to the base panel 20. In this position, the protrusions 40 parallel with the sides 24 are received snap-lockingly in the socket formations 70 of the panels 44, 46. Further, the four outermost protrusions 40 parallel with the sides 22 are received in the socket formations 70 of the support members 82. Lower edges of the socket formations abut against the ridge 34.

The side wall panels 42 are then displaced into their erect condition by displacing them about the hinges 48 in the direction of arrow 89 (Figure 6) until they are perpendicular to the base panel 20. In this position, the protrusions positioned inwardly of the four outer protrusions are received in the socket formations 70 of the panels 42 thereby serving to retain the panels 42 in their erect condition.

The intermediate member 56 is then displaced about the hinge 58 in the direction of arrow 91 until it is perpendicular to the associated panel 42. The inner member 60 is then displaced in the direction of arrow 94 until it is perpendicular to the intermediate member 56. The clip formations 64 are inserted into the holes 66 with which they engage snap lockingly. In this regard, a hole 96 is provided in each of the support members 82 which, in the erect condition of the panels, are in register with the outermost holes 66 in the panels 42 and through which the outermost pairs of clip formations 64 extend.

Subsequently, the transverse panels 78 are folded inwardly in the direction of arrows 98 about the hinges 80. Each transverse panel 78 is provided with two pairs of clip formations 100 which engage snap lockingly with complementary holes 102 in the intermediate members 56.

It will be appreciated, that when the container 10 is formed, the side walls 14, 16 extend upwardly from the base 12 at positions spaced inwardly from the edges of the base. Further, as mentioned above, lower edges of the socket formations 70 abut against the ridge 34. This results in any vertical loads which result, e.g. from stacking of a plurality of the containers 10 one on top of the other, being transmitted through the side walls and the base at a position spaced inwardly from the edge of the base and hence not through the hinges 48 thereby improving structural integrity and reducing the risk of failure of the hinges 48.

Further, the intermediate members 56, inner members 60 and upper portion of the side walls 44 together form generally box-shaped stiffening elements 104 which extend for substantially the entire length of the upper edge of each side wall 14 thereby improving the rigidity thereof. The rigidity of the container 10 is further improved by the provision of the support members 82 and the transverse panels 78. The heads 92 of the ribs 90 which protrude above the upper edges of the side walls 16 serve as locating formations which are receivable in the recesses 38 to locate one container on top of another.

If desired, the clip formations may be releasable to permit the container 10 to be collapsible.

Reference is now made to Figures 7 to 9 of the drawings, in which reference numeral 110 refers generally to another container blank in accordance with the invention and, unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals used above are used to designate similar parts.

A container similar to the container 10 can be formed from the blank 110 in the same manner described above.

The main structural difference between the container blank 110 and the container blank 18 is in the form of the clip formation 64 and the complementary holes 66.

As can best be seen in Figures 8 of the drawings, each of the holes 66 has a wide portion 112 and a narrow portion 114. The clip formations 64 are configured such that they are receivable in the hole 66 through the wide portion 112 and are then displaced into the narrow portion 114 where they are held captive.

As can best be seen in Figure 7 of the drawings, of the four holes 66 provided in each of the panels 42, two are arranged with the narrow portion 114 positioned outwardly of the wide portion112 and the other two are positioned with the narrow portion 114 positioned inwardly of the outer portion 112. This arrangement reduces the risk that the clip formations 64 will become disengaged from the holes due to loads to which a container formed from the blank 110 will be subjected in use.

The Inventor believes that the container will be particularly suitable for use in the transportation of agricultural produce such as fruit and vegetables. Currently, such produce is transported in corrugated cardboard containers which have the disadvantage that when exposed to moisture the strength thereof is considerably reduced which results in crushing of the containers and damage to the contents thereof. Further, when the containers reach a required destination, e.g. a shop, the contents must be unpacked therefrom and transferred to a display rack.

In contrast, the Inventor believes that the container in accordance with the invention will not be adversely affected by exposure to moisture. Further, the entire container can be positioned on a display rack thereby avoiding the need to transfer the produce from the container. By enabling the container to be collapsible, it can be reused several times with transport costs being reduced to a minimum by collapsing the container into its blank form as shown in the drawings. Further, the container blank is designed to be nestable to maximize the number of blanks that can be transported in a given volume thereby reducing the cost associated therewith.