AU750423B2 - A container and a lid - Google Patents

Description

Our Ref: 706262 P/00/011 Regulation 3:2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT e4 a Applicant(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Van Leer Australia Pty Limited 41 Rawson Street Epping New South Wales 2121

AUSTRALIA

DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 10, 10 Barrack Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 A container and a lid The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 5020 P:\WPDOCS\MAP\SPECICONTAINE 29/10/98 -1- A CONTAINER AND A LID The present invention relates to a container and a lid for the container particularly, but not exclusively, a container for storing flowable material.

A known form of container for storing flowable material includes a collapsible frame to allow the container itself to be compactly stored when not in use. The container comprises a base, a lid and four side wall panels. Each side wall panel is hinged to the base at a different height so that the side wall panels can fold on top of each other, onto the base.

To erect the container, each side wall panel is successively pivoted up into an upright position and locked to the adjacent side wall panels to form a substantially rigid frame. A bag may *•ooo then be positioned inside the frame and filled with the flowable material. The filling S-operation is generally performed by holding an inlet nozzle of the bag with a gantry assembly suspended over the frame or temporarily attached thereto. Once the filling operation is complete, the gantry assembly is removed and the lid fixed in place.

It is an object of the invention to provide a container which is simpler to manufacture and/or which is adapted to simplify the filling operation.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a container including a base and four side panels, wherein two of the panels are arranged at opposite sides of the container and are articulated to form sections so that the sections of each of the panels are adapted to fold over P:\WPDOCS\MAP\SPECI\CONTAINE 29/10/98 -2each other to allow the panels to be collapsed into a substantially common plane, at least one of the sections being selectively and separately pivotal when the container is in a fully erected condition to provide access to the interior thereof, and wherein the container further includes a lid and is adapted to carry a bag for storing flowable material therein, wherein the bag has an inlet nozzle and the lid includes an opening with an aperture, through which the nozzle is adapted to pass, and a slot communicating with the aperture, the slot being dimensioned to receive the nozzle, following lateral movement of the nozzle into the slot from the aperture, to engage and support the nozzle for a filling operation in which the flowable material is transferred into the bag.

Preferably, each of the two panels is formed of two half sections joined at a common hinge.

Preferably, all of the sections are selectively and separately pivotal when the container is in a fully erected condition to provide access to the interior thereof.

o• In another aspect, there is provided a lid for a container adapted to carry a bag for storing flowable material therein, wherein the bag has an inlet nozzle and the lid includes an opening with an aperture, through which the nozzle is adapted to pass, and a slot communicating with the aperture, the slot being dimensioned to receive the nozzle, following lateral movement of the nozzle into the slot from the aperture, to engage and support the nozzle for a filling operation in which the flowable material is transferred into the bag.

Preferably the slot and aperture form a key shaped opening.

P:\WPDOCSXMAP\SPECIXCONTAINE 29/10/98 -3- Preferably the lid includes a displaceable closure portion covering the opening when not in use.

The invention is more fully described by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: S.Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container; Figure 2 is a view of the container of Figure 1 with a lid removed; Figure 3 is a view of the container of Figure 2 with two side wall panels shown 10 partially folded onto a base of the container; S"Figure 4 is a view showing the partially folded side wall panels of Figure 3 in a fully folded condition; .:oo.i Figures 5 to 7 show the remaining side wall panels being folded into a collapsed condition; and Figure 8 shows the container in a fully collapsed condition.

The container 1 consists of a foldable storage container 2, or box, having a base 3 designed for handling with a forklift truck, four hinged side panels 4,5,6 and 7 which fold horizontally onto the base 3, one on top of the other and a removable lid 8. The folding side panels are permanently attached to the base 3 with hinges (not shown in Figure 1).

The base 3 consists of a platform 9, with clearance 10 for forklift tines, with a flat deck 11 supported underneath by horizontal beams 12. At each corner of this base are vertical rolled P:\WPDOCS\MAP\SPECI\CONTAINE 29/10/98 -4hollow section steel posts 13 extending from the ground level to at least the height of the deck 11. Vertical angle section corner posts 13 are attached to the posts 13', with the inside of the angle section nesting against the outer edge of the corner posts 13, and their bottom edges 14' slightly above the bottom 14 of the posts 13, to provide location for stacking of folded containers 1, one on top of the other. The angle section posts 13' extend above the folded container (as shown in Figure 8) so that, when stacked, the weight of the container above is o• fully supported on the corner posts 13', clear of the folded container panels.

*e The front and back panels 4,5 are hinged at the bottom, directly to the base 3. These front and end panels are of rectangular section tube frame 15 with a plastic sheet 16 attached inside S"of the frame 15. Each front and back panel 4,5 is made up of top and bottom sections 17,18 which are hinged together along a respective horizontal hinge 19. The hinges are arranged .ooeoi so that the bottom sections 18 of the panels fold inwards, about the hinges 19, toward the centre of the base, as shown in Figure 3. When folded flat onto the base 3 as represented in Figure 4, each panel occupies a maximum of half the base area in plan view, in a substantially common plane.

Horizontal hinges 20,21 joining the two side panels 6,7 to the base 3 are at different heights above the base 3 so that each panel 6,7 can be successively folded flat onto the base as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The height of hinge 20 or 21 above the base is no less than the accumulated thickness of panels folded beneath the respective panel 6 or 7. The difference in height between the base 3 and the hinge 20,21 of each of these side panels 6,7 is filled with a framed panel 22,23 (shown most clearly in Figure fixed between the two corner posts P:\WPDOCS\MAP\SPECI\CONTAINE 29/10/98 13'.

When the container 1 is assembled, the four side panels 4,5,6,7 are secured to each other at the corners, with sliding latches (not shown). These latches restrain the panels to provide rigidity to the container and consist of cranked, folded rods which may be spring loaded, to provide location into slotted holes in the vertical frame members 15 of the adjacent side panel. The latches are mounted horizontally, at each of the upper corners of the front and ••go back panel 4,5 sections 17,18, with the end opposite the handle end, able to protrude through a hole in the vertical frame member o o 910 Attached to the top corner of each of the side panels 6,7 is a location spigot 24. The spigots 24 allow secure stacking of similarly formed containers, one on top of the other when erected, by locating into associated open ends 14 of the posts 13 of an upper container. All loading forces from such stacking are transferred through the panels 6,7 directly to the base and the front and back panels 4,5 do not serve a load bearing function.

The container is designed to be used either with or without a plastic liner bag, for storage of solid or liquid products. When liquid products are stored, a plastic, or other material, liner bag is provided within the container 1. Such a bag will generally have an inlet nozzle and a discharge nozzle. A location hole 25 is therefore provided in the front panel, centrally located near the bottom thereof for the discharge nozzle of the liner bag to fit through. The hole 25 may be closed by a hinged, padlock lockable cover offering both security and protection from weather.

P:\WPDOCS\MAP\SPECI\CONTAINE 29/10/98 -6- The lid 8 includes a frame 27 with a cover 28 notched out at the corners 29 to fit with the location spigots 24. In the centre of the lid is a keyhole shaped opening 30 for retention of the inlet nozzle of the liner bag during the filling operation, with a slide operated cover 33.

The nozzle is located in the opening by firstly lifting a collar portion of the nozzle up through the aperture 31 and sliding the nozzle laterally so that the collar is engaged and supported in .o the slot 32. The opening 30 is shaped such that once filled, the nozzle can be released from the lid 8, by sliding the nozzle out of the slot and lowering it into the container. The opening can then be closed with the slide cover 33.

As can be appreciated from the above, the construction of the container 1 of the invention presents a number of advantages. Firstly the front and back panels 4,5 can be folded into a :o oI common plane which means only three different sized panels need be manufactured, as :compared to the four different sized panels required for the prior art container. Having both the front and back panels 4,5 divided into hinged sections also allows, for example, the top half of the front and/or rear panels to be opened for inspection (in a manner indicated in Figure 2) of the contents of the container or to assist in installation of the liner bag. Access to the interior of the container can therefore be obtained whether the container is facing forwards or backwards which is convenient in situations where the particularly orientation of the container may change during transportation between various locations. Lastly, the opening 30 allows a filling operation to be readily initiated without the requirement for other gantry-like equipment to separately support the inlet nozzle, which simplifies the filling procedure. More particularly, opening the top half of one of the panels 4,5, for access to the P:\WPDOCS\MAP\SPECI\CONTAINE 29/10/98 -7interior of the container, allows the nozzle to be simply lifted up into the opening for a filling operation, without the need to remove the lid.

Finally, it is to be understood that the inventive concept in any of its aspects can be incorporated in many different constructions so that the generality of the preceding description is not to be superseded by the particularity of the attached drawings. Various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

*o

Claims (4)

1. A container including a base and four side panels, wherein two of the panels are arranged at opposite sides of the container and are articulated to form sections so that the sections of each of the panels are adapted to fold over each other to allow the panels to be collapsed into a substantially common plane, at least one of the sections being selectively and .i separately pivotal when the container is in a fully erected condition to provide access to the interior thereof, and wherein the container further includes a lid and is adapted to carry a bag for storing flowable material therein, wherein the bag has an inlet nozzle and the lid includes an opening with an aperture, through which the nozzle is adapted to pass, and a slot communicating with the aperture, the slot being dimensioned to receive the nozzle, following S" lateral movement of the nozzle into the slot from the aperture, to engage and support the nozzle for a filling operation in which the flowable material is transferred into the bag. o*

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two panels is formed of two half sections joined at a common hinge.

3. A lid for a container as claimed in claim 1, the container being adapted to carry a bag for storing flowable material therein, wherein the bag has an inlet nozzle and the lid includes an opening with an aperture, through which the nozzle is adapted to pass, and a slot communicating with the aperture, the slot being dimensioned to receive the nozzle, following lateral movement of the nozzle into the slot from the aperture, to engage and support the nozzle for a filling operation in which the flowable material is transferred into the bag. P:\WPDOCS\MAP\SPECI\CONTAINE 29/10/98 -9-

4. A lid as claimed in claim 3, wherein the slot and aperture form a key shaped opening. A lid as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the lid includes a displaceable closure portion covering the opening when not in use. Dated this 29th day of October, 1998 VAN LEER AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED S. By Its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE *o eoo*o