Foldable container assembly

A foldable container assembly (10) comprising;

• a base (12) having a plurality of sides, at least one side wall (14, 16, 18, 20) extending vertically upwardly from each side of said base (12) with tops (22) of said side walls all being aligned in a horizontal plane, and including hinge means (24) interconnecting each of said side walls (14, 16, 18, 20) to said base (12) with the hinge means (24) for a first side wall (14) being in a vertically spaced horizontal plane from the hinge means (24) for a second side wall (16) for folding said first (14) and second (16) walls over said base (12) and into overlapping vertically spaced relationship to one another, interlocking means (26) for releasably interconnecting the side edge (28) of each side wall (14, 16, 18, 20) to the side edge (28) of the adjacent side wall when in the vertical position, said hinge means (24) including lost motion means (28) for allowing at least two of said side walls (14, 16) to move vertically relative to said base (12) for locking and unlocking said interlocking means (26), said interlocking means (26) includes a plurality of vertically spaced lugs (32) disposed along one edge of one side wall and a lug retainer means (34) disposed along the adjacent edge of the adjacent side wall, said lug retainer means (34) having lug-receiving openings (36) alternatively disposed among lug-retaining pockets (38) so that the one side wall may be vertically raised to align the lugs (32) thereof with the lug-receiving openings (36) of the adjacent side wall and moved thereinto and then moved vertically into the lug-retaining pockets (38) as the side wall is moved vertically downward, said lug retainer means (34) defined by an independent channel member having a longitudinal slotted portion (42) for slidable installation downwardly onto an edge of said side wall.

A foldable container assembly (10) comprising;

• a base (12) having a plurality of sides, at least one side wall (14, 16, 18, 20) extending vertically upwardly from each side of said base (12) with the tops (22) of said side walls all being aligned in a horizontal plane, and including hinge means (24) interconnecting each of said side walls (14, 16, 18, 20) to said base (12) with the hinge means (24) for a first side wall (14) being in a vertically spaced horizontal plane from the hinge means (24) for a second side wall (16) for folding said first (14) and second (16) walls over said base (12) and into overlapping vertically spaced relationship to one another, including interlocking means (26) for releasably interconnecting the side edge (28) of each side wall (14, 16, 18, 20) to the side edge (28) of the adjacent side wall when in the vertical position, said hinge means (24) including lost motion means (28) for allowing at least two of said side walls (14, 16) to move vertically relative to said base (12) for locking and unlocking said interlocking means (26), said base (12) including legs (60) extending downwardly from each intersection of two sides thereof, each of said side walls (14, 16, 18, 20) having a projection (62) extending upwardly from the top (22) thereof adjacent each side edge thereof, said projections (62) of adjacent side walls (14, 16, 18, 20) coacting together in the vertical position to receive and engage said legs (60) in stacking one assembly upon another, each of said legs (60) including square exterior side surfaces and parallel interior surfaces (64) extending diagonally inwardly from said exterior side surfaces, each of said projections (62) presenting a diagonally extending surface (66) for abutting one of said diagonal interior surfaces (64), each of said projections (62) including a step (68) in the exterior thereof, said base (12) including alignment pegs (70) extending downwardly for engaging said steps (68) for stacking said assemblies (10).