Collapsible crate
A collapsible crate including a generally rectangular bottom panel having two pairs ed edges, a first side, and a second side; at least two side panels, one each hingedly along a first pair of the opposed bottom panel edges; and at least two end panels, one each hingedly attached along a second pair of opposed bottom edges. The at least two side re foldable between a collapsed position substantially parallel to the first side of the panel and a set up position extending upward from the bottom panel. The at least two panels are foldable between a position substantially parallel to the second side of the bottom panel and a set up position extending upward from the bottom panel. The side panels, end panels and bottom panel, can be connected together to define a generally box shaped the set up position.
1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is generally directed to storage devices, and more particularly to collapsible storage crates.
2. Description of Related Art
Storage and transportation devices have traditionally included crate type devices which may be used to store and/or transport a myriad of products. These crates may be constructed of wood, plastic, metal or any other suitable material. Mostly, these storage crates are small enough to be carried by a single person using one or both hands and may include handles or holes on the sides for grasping.
A significant drawback to these crates from a retail sales point of view occurs in bulk transportation of such crates and in display of such crates for sale. Because crates are typically made to hold a plurality of objects, they may consist mostly of empty space, surrounded by four or more walls and include a bottom. During bulk transportation from the manufacturer to the retailer, the volume of empty space within the crate may be lost to the shipper and may result in a higher per unit cost to the retailer.
In an attempt to solve the problems mentioned above, collapsible crates have been designed wherein the walls may collapse thereby reducing the potentially empty volume during shipping. These designs, while at least partially successful in reducing lost transportation volume, have generally been manufactured out of plastic and are not strong enough to support the transportation and/or storage of heavier objects including files for file storage.
Further, previous attempts to design collapsible storage crates have not been successful in optimizing transportation “cube,” or in other words, the volume that the crate's master carton occupies. Previous attempts have also failed to significantly reduce stocking time and/or to optimize retail shelf space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSObjects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which:
A collapsible crate is disclosed herein which includes a bottom panel having two pairs of opposing edges and a first side and a second side. The crate also has two side panels spaced apart and opposing one another. The side panels are disposed adjacent a first pair of the opposing bottom edges. The crate also has two end panels spaced apart and opposing one another. The end panels are disposed adjacent a second pair of opposing bottom edges. The two side panels are hingedly attached to the first side of the bottom panel at an edge adjacent to the bottom panel and the two end panels are hingedly attached to the second side of the bottom panel at an edge adjacent to the bottom panel. The two side panels are foldable to a position substantially parallel and adjacent to the first bottom panel side. The two end panels are foldable to a position substantially parallel and adjacent to the second bottom panel side.
Referring now to the drawings,
The size and shape of the panels can vary. Additionally, hinge construction can also vary without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the hinges may be sized to allow the side panels to lie substantially parallel to one another in the folded condition. Further, the bottom panel 22 as described above is substantially rectangular in shape, but the size and shape of the bottom panel 22 may also vary.
Referring once again to
The collapsible crate 10 disclosed herein may be constructed out of any suitable material, such as, for example, metal mesh, plastic, wood, corrugated paper, etc. The side panels may be made in similar or different colors according to user preferences. Further, the hinges 24 and 34 may be any known or unknown type of hinge and may be formed from virtually any type of material, such as metal or plastic. Additionally, the hinges may be non-traditional type hinges, such as, for example Velcro strips with plastic loops, or quick release type nylon straps and buckles. The connectors 54 and 56 may also be constructed from virtually any type material, such as metal, plastic or ceramic and may be attached to the side panels 12 and the end panels 14 by any suitable means, such as glue, welding or sewing.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the collapsible crate 10 may be stored with a plurality of other collapsible crates in a master container for shipping. In one embodiment, the master container may include five collapsible crates 10 in the folded condition. The master carton may be sized to optimize pallet cube during transportation and retail shelf space during display for sale. Additionally, the collapsible crates 10 need not be removed from the master carton when displayed for sale, thereby reducing restocking time for the retailer.
Although certain embodiments of a mesh crate have been described herein in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all embodiments of the teachings of the disclosure that fairly fall within the scope of permissible equivalents.
Claims
1. A collapsible crate comprising:
- a generally rectangular bottom panel having two pairs of opposed edges, a first side, and a second side;
- at least two side panels, one each hingedly attached along a first pair of the opposed bottom panel edges;
- at least two end panels, one each hingedly attached along a second pair of opposed bottom edges;
- wherein the at least two side panels are foldable between a collapsed position substantially parallel to the first side of the bottom panel and a set up position extending upward from the bottom panel;
- wherein the at least two end panels are foldable between a position substantially parallel to the second side of the bottom panel and a set up position extending upward from the bottom panel, and
- wherein the side panels, end panels and bottom panel, can be connected together to define a generally box shaped crate in the set up position.
2. The collapsible crate as in claim 1, wherein the side panels and the end panels include connectors generally hollow and disposed at an upper portion of a side edge of the side panel and a side edge of the end panel, and oriented with a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the side edge of the side panel and the side edge of the end panel.
3. The collapsible crate as in claim 2, further including a pair of support rods, each having a support section, a connection section and a convoluted turn section, wherein the connection section of the support rod is at least partially inserted into each pair of adjacent connectors to secure the side panels and end panels in position relative one another.
4. A collapsible crate as in claim 3, wherein the end panels are dimensioned such that when the collapsible crate is in the set up condition, a letter-sized hanging file folder can be suspended between the at least two side panels and between and from the support rods.
5. A collapsible crate as in claim 3, wherein the side panels are dimensioned such that when the collapsible crate is in the set up condition, a legal-sized hanging file folder can be suspended between and from the at least two end panels.
6. A collapsible crate as in claim 1, wherein the at least two side panels, the at least two end panels, and the bottom panel are made from a metal mesh material.
7. A collapsible crate as in claim 1, wherein the at least two side panels, the at least two end panels, and the bottom panel are made from a plastic material.
8. A collapsible crate as in claim 1, wherein a plurality of tabs is attached to each of the least one end panels along a bottom edge and generally near a side edge of the end panels.
9. A collapsible crate as in claim 8, wherein the tabs stabilize and substantially prevent relative movement of the collapsible crate when the collapsible crate is stacked on top of a second collapsible crate of similar construction, both in the set up condition.
10. A collapsible crate as in claim 1, wherein a plurality of feet is attached to each of the least one side panels along a bottom edge and generally near a side edge of the side panels.
11. A collapsible crate as in claim 10, wherein the tabs stabilize and substantially prevent relative movement of the collapsible crate when the collapsible crate is stacked on top of a second collapsible crate of similar construction, both in the set up condition.
12. A collapsible crate as in claim 1, including a plurality of wheels.
13. A collapsible crate as in claim 1, wherein the at least two side panels are attached to the first pair of opposed bottom edges with a hinge.
14. A collapsible crate as in claim 13, wherein the hinge is sized to allow the two side panels to lie substantially parallel to one another when the two side panels are in the folded condition.
15. A collapsible crate as in claim 1, wherein the at least two end panels are attached to the second pair of opposed bottom edges with a hinge.
16. A collapsible crate as in claim 15, wherein the hinge is sized to allow the two end panels to lie substantially parallel to one another when the two end panels are in the folded condition.
17. A collapsible crate comprising:
- a generally rectangular bottom panel having two pairs of opposed edges, a first side, and a second side;
- at least two side panels, one each hingedly attached along a first pair of the opposed bottom panel edges;
- at least two end panels, one each hingedly attached along a second pair of opposed bottom edges;
- wherein the at least two side panels are foldable between a collapsed position substantially parallel to the first side of the bottom panel and a set up position extending upward from the bottom panel;
- wherein the at least two end panels are foldable between a position substantially parallel to the second side of the bottom panel and a set up position extending upward from the bottom panel,
- wherein the side panels, end panels and bottom panel, can be connected together to define a generally box shaped crate in the set up position;
- wherein the side panels and the end panels include connectors that are generally hollow and disposed at an upper portion of a side edge of the side panel and an upper portion of a side edge of the end panel, and oriented with a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the side edge of the side panel and the side edge of the end panel; and
- a pair of support rods, each having a support section, a connection section and a convoluted turn section, wherein the connection section of the support rod is at least partially inserted into a pair of adjacent connectors to secure the side panels and end panels in position relative one another
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 14, 2004
Publication Date: Jun 15, 2006
Inventor: Patrick Flanagan (Chicago, IL)
Application Number: 11/011,381
International Classification: B65D 21/00 (20060101);