Collapsible cargo container assembly
AssigneeSafran Cabin Cargo B.V.
InventorsJohannes Laan, Cornelis Portegies
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A collapsible container assembly includes a first lateral side wall having a door frame and a first shear wall, a second lateral side wall that opposes the first lateral side wall and includes a wall panel and a second shear wall, an outboard wall that includes upper and lower panels that are pivotably connected to one another, an inboard wall that opposes the outboard wall and includes upper and lower panels that are pivotably connected to one another, a base and a top. The first and second shear walls are pivotable between a use position and a stowed position. The door frame, wall panel, inboard wall and outboard wall are pivotably connected to the base, and the inboard wall and outboard wall are pivotably connected to the top.
Claims6
A method of collapsing a container assembly from a use position to a collapsed position, the method comprising:
- obtaining the container assembly, wherein the container assembly includes opposing first and second lateral walls, opposing inboard and outboard walls, a top and a bottom, wherein the outboard wall includes an upper panel pivotably connected to a lower panel, wherein the inboard wall includes an upper panel pivotably connected to a lower panel, wherein the outboard wall is pivotably connected to the top and to the base, and wherein the inboard wall is pivotably connected to the top and to the base;
- pivoting a first shear wall of the first lateral side wall from a use position to a stowed position, wherein in the stowed position the first shear wall is received in a door frame interior of a door frame of the first lateral side wall;
- pivoting a second shear wall of the second lateral side wall from a use position to a stowed position, wherein in the stowed position the second shear wall is received in a wall panel interior of a wall panel of the second lateral side wall;
- pivoting the door frame together with the first shear wall downwardly from a use position to a stowed position;
- pivoting the wall panel together with the second shear wall downwardly from a use position to a stowed position;
- pivoting the outboard wall downwardly from a use position to a stowed position where the upper panel is positioned above the lower panel;
- and
- pivoting the inboard wall downwardly from a use position to a stowed position where the upper panel is positioned above the lower panel.
A collapsible container assembly comprising:
- first and second opposing lateral side walls;
- inboard and outboard opposing lateral side walls;
- a top and a bottom, wherein the first and second opposing lateral side walls, inboard and outboard opposing lateral side walls, top and bottom cooperate to define a container interior;
- and
- a bottom hinge assembly that pivotably connects the inboard wall and the bottom, wherein the bottom hinge assembly includes a hinge rod that defines a hinge rod axis, wherein the outboard wall is pivotable between a use position, a stowed position and an assembly position, wherein in the assembly position the outboard wall is slidable in a direction that is parallel with the hinge rod axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.