An Assemble/Disassemble type Container

Technical Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a container, in particular to a plastic container that could be quickly and easily assembled/disassembled by means of an engaging device having a simple structure and high reliability.

Background of the invention

It is known that various types of the container are being used in industry. The containers of these types are usually integrally formed into rectangular parallelepipeds which can be stacked together without hindering the goods contained therein. These containers are very convenient for transportation with high ability for preserving goods therein, especially when they are stocked in the store. A main disadvantage of these containers is that they are provided with a constant volume, therefore they occupy a large space, which results in relatively high costs for transporting them to the reloading place after discharging the goods arranged therein.

Moreover, a unit of several molds of large dimensions and a high output molding apparatus are required to produce the large plastic containers. This in turn requires relatively high capital investments and decreases the flexibility during the process of manufacturing-.

Summary of the invention

Therefore, there is a need to provide a container that could be easily assembled/disassembled and capable of securely holding goods therein with high reliability.

In order to attain the foregoing objects, in accordance with the first aspect, the invention provides an assembled/disassembled container comprising: a plurality of plate-like members in the form of a quadrangular with right angles, including a plurality of side plates and at least one end plate,

having one flat surface and the other opposite surface provided with a plurality of ribs extending along at least three peripheral edges of the plate, a plurality of engaging means which are spaced from each other on the ribs of the plate-like members, a plurality of plate-connecting members including two flat panels fixedly attached together in a predetermined angle and being able to simultaneously contact two of the ribs at the edges of two of the plate-like members, on the flat panels a plurality of mating engaging means is formed, which can be aligned and interlocked with the engaging means of the plate-like members.

With the above structure of the container, the adjacent side plates can be interlocked with each other and with at least one end plate so as to form an assembled/disassembled cubic container.

In an embodiment, there is provided an assembled/disassembled container with a top cover, wherein the plate-like members comprise the side plates and two end plates, which are provided with the ribs extending along all peripheral edges thereof, and the plate-like members are interlocked with each other and with two end plates through the plate-connecting members. This container is advantageous in preservation of the goods contained therein as well as in transportation for a long distance.

The engaging means of the plate-like members are advantageously in the form of engaging holes and the mating engaging means of the plate-connecting members are constructed of a plurality of pins and a plurality of locking members, wherein the pins are integrally protruded from the flat panels of the plate-connecting members and can- be detachably fitted into the engaging holes and can be inserted therethrough and the locking members are detachably secured on the protruding ends of the pins. With this configuration, in a inserted and locked state, the plate-like members and plate-connecting members are prevented from separating from each other and are fixedly held together and thus to form an assembled/disassembled container.

The mating engaging means of the plate-connecting members are suitably in the form of engaging holes and the engaging means of the plate-like members are constructed of a plurality of pins and a plurality of locking members, wherein the pins are integrally protruded from ribs of the plate-like members and this leg can be detachably fitted into the engaging holes and can be inserted therethrough and the locking members are detachably secured on the protruding ends of the pins. In such a inserted and locked state, the plate- like members and plate-connecting members are prevented from separating from each other and are fixedly held together and thus to form an assembled/disassembled container.

The engaging means of the plate-like members are preferably in the form of engaging holes and the mating engaging means of the plate-connecting members are comprised of a plurality of engaging holes and a plurality of locking means, wherein the locking means are constructed of a plurality of pins, which can be detachably fitted into the engaging holes of the plate-like members in one direction and can be inserted therethrough and a plurality of locking members, which are detachably secured on the protruding ends of the pins in a state inserted into the engaging holes, so that the plate-like members and the plate-connecting members are prevented from separating from each other and are fixedly held together to form an assembled/disassembled container.

In a preferred embodiment, the pins have locking holes, which are formed perpendicular to the axis thereof at such a position that when the pins are inserted through the engaging holes, the locking holes are located on one side relative to the ribs and flat panel of the plate-like members and the plate- connecting members, respectively. The locking members are substantially L shaped, in which the length of one- leg is greater than the maximum dimension of any of the engaging holes and this leg can be detachably mounted into the locking holes of the pins, while the length of the other leg is greater than the maximum dimension of the locking holes. Thus, the plate-like members and

the plate-connecting members are prevented from separating from each other and are fixedly held together when the legs of the locking members are inserted into the locking holes.

For easy of manufacturing and assembling, the cross section of pins is rectangular or circular in form. In addition, the plate-connecting members are suitably provided with the reinforcing ribs located perpendicular to two flat panels thereof in order to enhance the rigidity of the plate-connecting members in the assembled container.

In an assembled container, the cross-section perpendicular to the side plates of the container is typically polygonal in form. The polygon of the cross- section perpendicular to the side plates of the container is preferably equilateral. With, this configuration, a predetermined angle between two flat panels of the plate-connecting member is generally equal to an inner angle of the polygon.

Typically, in use is a container, in which dimensions of two adjacent edges of the quadrangular plates are substantially different from each other. The dimensions of two adjacent edges of the quadrangular plates are preferably to be substantially the same. With this configuration, the container of the invention can be manufactured in a modular form and thus can easily be stacked with high density in the stores.

In a more preferred embodiment, there is provided a container in which the plate-like members, the plate-connecting members, the engaging means and the mating engaging means are made of a plastic material. The plastic parts of the container are more preferably manufactured by injection molding.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Next, an assembled/disassembled plastic container according to a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig.l is a perspective view showing a container with a top cover according to the invention in an assembled state,

Fig.2 is a perspective view showing a container with a removed top cover;

Fig.3a and Fig.3b are perspective views showing a plate-like member with hole-like engaging means of the container according to the invention;

Fig.4a is a perspective view showing a plate-connecting member with hole-like mating engaging means according to the invention;

Fig.4b is a perspective view showing the plate-connecting members with pin-like mating engaging means according to the invention;

Fig.5 is a perspective view showing pins of locking means according to the invention;

Fig.6 is a perspective view showing a locking member according to the invention;

Fig.7 is a perspective view, showing how to assemble a container, in which both plate-like member and the plate-connecting member are provided with hole-like engaging means;

Fig.δa and Fig.δb are perspective views showing a plate-like member with pin-like engaging means according to the invention;

Fig.9 is a perspective view ^" showing how to assemble a container, in which the plate-like member is provided with hole-like engaging means and the plate-connecting member is provided with pin-like mating engaging means; and

Fig.10 is a perspective view showing how to assemble a container, in which the plate-like member is provided with pin-like mating engaging means and the plate-connecting member is provided with hole-like engaging means.

Detailed Description of the preferred embodiments

An assembled/disassembled, plastic container according to a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail below with reference

to Figs.1-10.

As shown in Figs.l and 2, a container C is constructed of a plurality of plate-like members in the form of a quadrangle P with right angles, which include a plurality of side plates W and at least one end plate CV. As shown in Figs.3 and 8, the plate-like member P has a flat surface 1 and a opposite surface 2 with a plurality of ribs 21, 22, which are extended along at least three peripheral edges of plate P. A plurality of engaging means GP are formed and spaced from each other at a predetermined distance on ribs 21, 22 of the plate- like member P.

As shown in Figs.4a and 4b, a plate-connecting member LP is provide with two flat panels LPl and LP2, which are fixedly attached to each other in a predetermined angle A. Two these flat panels LPl and LP2 can simultaneously contact two of the ribs 21 or 22 at the edges of the plate-like member P. On the flat panels LPl and LP2 of the plate-connecting member LP, a plurality of mating engaging means GL are formed and spaced from each other at a predetermined distance and these mating engaging means can be aligned with the engaging means GP of the plate-like member P and can be interlocked with the plate-like member P.

As shown in Fig.2, with the above structure of the plate-connecting member LP and the plate-like member P, the adjacent side plates W can be interlocked with each other and with at least one end plate CV to form an assembled/disassembled cubic container C.

In an embodiment of the invention, a container C has a structure, in which both the plate-like members P, including the side plates W and two end plates CV, are provided with the ribs 21, 22 extending along all peripheral edges thereof. The plate-like members W are interlocked with each other and with two end plates CV via the plate-connecting members LP so as to form an assembled/disassembled cubic container C with the top cover.

In an embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figs.3, 4b and 6, the

engaging means GP of the plate-like members P are in the form of engaging holes 22H and 2 IH. The mating engaging means GL of the plate-connecting members LP are constructed of a plurality of pins LBl and LB2 and a plurality of locking members K, the pins LBl and LB2 are integrally protruded from the flat panels LPl and LP2 of plate-connecting members LP, respectively. In Fig.9, the pins LBl and LB2 can be detachably fitted into and inserted through the engaging holes 2 IH and 2 IH of the plate-like members P. The locking members K are detachably secured on the protruding ends LBa (LBIa and LB2a) of the pins LB so that in a inserted and locked state, the plate-like members P and plate-connecting members LP are prevented from separating from each other and are fixedly held together.

In an embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figs.4a, 8a and 6, the mating engaging means GL of the plate-connecting members LP are in the form of engaging holes LHl and LH2. In Figs.l and 8, the engaging means GP of the plate-like members P are constructed of a plurality of pins PBl and PB2 and a plurality of locking members K. Pins PBl and PB2 are integrally protruded from ribs 21 and 22 of the plate-like members P. In Fig.10, pins PBl can be detachably fitted into and inserted through the engaging holes LHl and LH2. The locking members K are detachably secured on the protruding ends PBIa of pins PBl so that in such an inserted and locked state, the plate-like members P and plate-connecting members LP are prevented from separating from each other and fixedly held together.

In an embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figs.3 and 4a, the engaging means GP of the plate-like members P are in the form of engaging holes 2 IH and 22H and the mating engaging means GL of the plate-connecting members LP are constructed of the engaging holes LHl and LH2 and the locking means KM. In Fig.5, the locking means KM are constructed of a plurality of pins KMB and a plurality of locking members K, at one end of which pins KMB are provided with the stop portions KMBa, which are greater than the dimensions of any of the engaging holes so that the pins can be

detachably fitted into the engaging holes of the plate-like members P in one direction. In Fig.7, pins KMB can be fitted into the engaging holes 2 IH of the plate-like members P and the engaging holes LHl and LH2 of the plate- connecting members LP and can be inserted through these holes. The locking members K are detachably secured on the protruding ends of pins KMB being inserted into the engaging holes, so that the plate-like members P and the plate- connecting members LP are prevented from separating from each other and fixedly held together.

In Figs.4a, 5 and 8a, the pins PB, LP and KMB are advantageously created with the locking holes Hl perpendicular to the axis thereof at such a position that when the pins are inserted through the engaging holes, for example 2 IH and LHl of the plate-like members P and the plate-connecting members LP, the locking holes Hl are located on one side relative to the ribs 21 and flat panel LPl of the plate ₇ like members P and the plate-connecting members LP, respectively. In this case, as shown in Fig.6, the locking members K are substantially L-shaped, in which the length of one leg Ka is greater than the maximum dimension of any of the engaging holes and this leg can be detachably mounted into the locking holes Hl of the pins, while the other leg of the members K is greater than the maximum dimension of the locking holes Hl. Thus, when the one leg of the locking members K are inserted into the locking holes Hl, the plate-like members P and the plate- connecting members LP are prevented from separating from each other and fixedly held together.

The cross section of pins PB, LP and KMB is preferably rectangular or circular in form. With this form, the mating engaging means can be manufactured easily and quickly.

In order to enhance the load capacity of the container C, especially at the corners where the plate-like members are connected, the plate-connecting members LP can be provided with the reinforcing ribs LP3 located perpendicular to two flat panels LPl and LP2.

In an embodiment of the invention, as shown in Fig.l, the side plates W of the container are attached to each other so as to form a containing portion of the container and the cross-section perpendicular to the side plates W of the container is typically polygonal in form. The polygon of the cross-section perpendicular to the side plates W of the container is preferably equilateral. In this case, the predetermined angle A between two flat panels LPl and LP2 of the plate-connecting member LP is generally equal to an inner angle of the polygon.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the dimensions of two adjacent edges of the quadrangular plates are substantially different from each other, that is the height H of the container C is substantially different from the length S of the edges of the polygonal cross-section of the container. The height H of the container C and the length S of the edges of the polygonal cross-section are preferably to be substantially the same. With this configuration, the container of the invention can be manufactured in a modular form and thus can be easily and flexibly stacked in the stores and therefore the arrangement of the containers in the stores can significantly be improved.

In a more preferred embodiment, there is provided a container of the invention, in which the plate-like members P (W), the plate-connecting members LP, the engaging means GP and the mating engaging means GL are made of a plastic material. In this case, the plastic parts of the container C can be manufactured by injection molding.

Next, the process of assembling container C according to an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to Fig.7. First, two plate-like members P, in particular two side plates W and the plate- connecting members LP are arrange,d so that the plate-connecting members LP are placed between the outermost ribs of the plate-like members P. After that, the plate-like members P are moved close to each other so that their ribs contact the flat panels LPl and LP2 of the plate-connecting members LP in a state in which the engaging holes, for example 2 IH of the plate-like members

P, are aligned with the engaging holes LHl of the plate-connecting members LP and engaging holes 21H of the adjacent plate-like members P are aligned with the engaging holes LH2 of the plate-connecting members LP. Then, pins KMB are inserted through the engaging holes, for example 21H of the plate- like members P and the engaging holes LHl of the plate-connecting members LP v. v. The locking members K are mounted in the locking holes Hl of pins KMB. Thus, the plate-like members P and the plate-connecting members LP are prevented from separating from each other and fixedly held together. In the same manner, the other plate-like members P are fixedly attached to each other and to the top cover CV and the base CV via the plate-connecting members LP so as to form a easily assembled/disassembled container C.

The above improved assembled/disassembled container is described to exemplify the invention. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but various modifications and variations of the container may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.