Collapsible container
AssigneeRehrig Pacific Company
InventorsJustin Smyers, William Apps
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A collapsible container includes a plurality of collapsible walls, each pair of adjacent walls connected by a latch. Each latch can be selectively actuated from contact with the latch both from inside and the outside of the container, and further by inwardly directed forced to the outside of the wall first to collapse. Preferably, the latch includes a recess into which the adjacent wall is disposed when the latch is in the latched position. Preferably, the latch is unlatched by flexing the latch away from the adjacent wall by application of force on an inner release surface, inward of the recess or by actuation of an outer release surface, outward of the recess, or by the application of an inwardly directed forced to the walls that are first to collapse.
Claims19
1) A container comprising:
- a base having a floor;
- a first wall generally perpendicular to the floor when in an assembled orientation;
- a second wall generally perpendicular to the floor and the first wall when in the assembled orientation;
- and
- a latch integrally molded with the first wall for selectively connecting the first wall to the second wall, the latch including an outer release surface disposed outwardly of the second wall, an inner release surface disposed inwardly of the second wall, and a second inner release surface disposed inwardly and adjacent the second wall, where the latch is configured to selectively disconnect the first wall from the second wall upon actuation outer release surface, and where the latch is configured to selectively disconnect the first wall from the second wall upon an application of force to the inner release surface, and where the latch is configured to selectively disconnect the first wall from the second wall upon force inwardly-directed upon the second wall sufficient to overcome an intermediate release surface.
14) A collapsible container comprising:
- a floor;
- a first wall movable about a first hinge between a collapsed position generally parallel to the floor and a use position generally perpendicular to the floor;
- a second wall movable about a second hinge between a collapsed position generally parallel to the floor and a use position generally perpendicular to the floor;
- and
- a latch integrally molded with the first wall for selectively connecting the first wall to the second wall while the first and second walls are in the use position, the latch configured to be selectively disconnected upon the application of force from outside container by manual actuation of a latch member and by the application of inwardly directed force on the second wall.
18) A collapsible container comprising:
- a floor;
- a first wall movable about a first hinge between a collapsed position generally parallel to the floor and a use position generally perpendicular to the floor;
- a second wall movable about a second hinge between a collapsed position generally parallel to the floor and a use position generally perpendicular to the floor;
- and
- a latch integrally molded with the first wall for selectively connecting the first wall to the second wall while the first and second walls are in the use position, the latch configured to be selectively disconnected upon the application of force from inside the container by manual actuation of a latch member and by the application of inwardly directed force on the second wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.