Collapsible container

A collapsible container assembly (10) comprising;

• a base (12) having a plurality of sides (14);
• a pair of side walls (16, 18) and a pair of end walls (20, 22), each of said walls adapted to be extended vertically upward from a side (14) of said base (12) to define an interior portion (24) of said container (10) and including wall hinge means (26) interconnecting each of said side and end walls (16, 18, 20 22) to said base (12);
• at least one of said side walls (16, 18) including an opening (114) therein, and including a door (116) disposed in said opening (114) of said side wall (16, 18) for opening and closing said opening (114) to allow access to the inside 24) of the container assembly (10) through said side wall when said side wall (16, 18) is in the vertical position, said door (116) including at least one locking tab (118) disposed along the periphery thereof and extending outwardly from said door (116);
• means (120) disposed on said opening (114) in said side wall (16, 18) for receiving said locking tabs (118) in a snug fashion and thereby locking said door (116) from relative movement with respect to said opening (114) in said side wall (16, 18);
• said assembly characterized by said at least one locking tab substantially defining at least one delta-shaped tab (118);
• said means (120) disposed in said opening (114) in said side wall (16, 18) for receiving said delta-shaped tab (118) being at least one substantially delta-shaped interruption (122) disposed at a predetermined position along said opening (114) of said side wall (16, 18).

A collapsible container assembly (10) comprising;

• a base (12) having a plurality of sides (14);
• a pair of side walls (16, 18) and a pair of end walls (20, 22), each wall adapted to be extended vertically upward from a side (14) of said base (12) to define an interior portion (24) of said container (10) and including wall hinge means (26) interconnecting each of said side and end walls (16, 18, 20, 22) to said base (12) and movably supporting said walls (16, 18, 20, 22) as said walls are moved between a collapsed position to an upright position;
• wall latching means (90) for releasably latching adjacent side and end walls (16, 18, 20,22) together when said side and end walls (16, 18, 20, 22) are in the upright position;
• said wall latching means (90) including a latch member (92) moveable between latched and unlatched positions;
• said assembly characterized by said wall latching means (90) including an exterior latch actuator (102) disposed on the exterior of said container (10) and means (96) disposed on the interior (24) of said container (10), said means (96) including an interior latch actuator (100) disposed on the interior (24) of said container (10), said interior latch actuator (100) and said exterior latch actuator (102) operatively connected to said latch member (92) for moving said latch member (92) to said unlatched position.

A collapsible container assembly (10) comprising;

• a base (12) having a plurality of sides (14);
• a pair of side walls (16,18) and a pair of end walls (20,22), each wall adapted to be extended vertically upward from a side (14) of said base (12) to define an interior portion (24) of said container (10) and including wall hinge means (26) interconnecting each of said side and end walls (16,18,20,22) to said base (12) and movably supporting said walls (16,18,20,22) as said walls are moved between a collapsed position and an upright position;
• said hinge means (26) for a first side wall (16) being in a vertically spaced horizontal plane from the hinge means (26) of a second side wall (18) for folding said first and second side walls (16,18) over said base (12) and onto overlapping vertically spaced relationship with respect to one another, said base sides (14) for said first and second side walls (16,18) including a first portion (142) and a stepped portion (144) defining a surface disposed in a vertically spaced horizontal plane from said first portion (142) on said base side (14) for said first and second side walls (16,18);
• said end walls (20,22) including flanges (78) disposed at the sides of said end walls (20,22) and along a substantial portion of the length thereof and extending perpendicular to said end walls (20,22);
• said end wall flanges (78) including a stacking surface (146) disposed on the terminal end of said perpendicular extending end wall flange (78) and along a substantial portion of the length thereof and a back surface (148) disposed in parallel spaced relation from said stacking surfaces (146);
• said hinge means (26) for a first end Wall (20) being in a vertically spaced horizontal plane from the hinge means (26) for a second end wall (22) for folding said first and second end walls (20,22), over said first and second side walls (16,18) and onto overlapping vertical spaced relationship with respect to one another;
• said stacking surface (146) on said first end wall flange (20) disposed on said first portion (142) of said base sides (14) for said first and second side walls (16,18) and supported thereby;
• said stacking surface (146) of said second end wall flange (22) disposed on said stepped portion (144) of said base sides (14) for said first and second side walls (16,18) for a first predetermined distance along the length of said stepped portion (144) and disposed on said back surface (148) of said end wall flange (78) on said first end wall (20) for a second predetermined distance and supported thereby.

A collapsible container assembly (10) comprising;

• a base (12) having a plurality of sides (14);
• a pair of side walls (16,18) and a pair of end walls (20,22), each of said walls adapted to be extended vertically upward from a side (14) of said base (12) to define an interior portion (24) of said container (10) and including wall hinge means (26) interconnecting each of said side and end walls (16,18,20,22) to said base (12) and moveably supporting said walls as said walls are moved between a collapsed position to an upright position;
• said base (12) including a rigid portion (28) forming the bottom of said container (10), said rigid portion (28) being made of one material and reinforced with another material for strengthening said base (12) of said container (10);
• a plurality of container support means (36) depending from said rigid portion (28) about the periphery thereof and straps (42) extending between said container support means (36), said straps (42) defining channels (44) between predetermined container support means (36) and including irregular shaped surfaces (46) bordering the periphery of said channels (44);
• said hinge means (26) for a first side wall (16) being in a vertically spaced horizontal plane from the hinge means (26) of a second side wall (18) for folding said first and second side walls (16,18) over said base (12) and into overlapping vertically spaced relation with respect to one another;
• said base side (14) for said first and second side walls (16,18) including a first portion (142) and a stepped portion (144) defining a surface disposed in a vertically spaced horizontal plane from said first portion (142) on said base side (14) for said first and second side walls (16,18);
• said end walls (20,22) including flanges (78) disposed at the sides of said end walls (20,22) and along a substantial portion of the length thereof and extending perpendicular to said end walls (20,22);
• said end wall flanges (78) including a stacking surfaces (146) disposed on terminal end of said perpendicular extending end wall flange (78) and along a substantial portion of the length thereof and a back surface (148) disposed in parallel spaced relation from said stacking surfaces (146);
• said hinge means (26) for a first end wall (20) being in a vertically spaced horizontal plain from said hinge means (26) for a second end wall (22) for folding said first and second end walls (20,22) over said first and second side walls (16,18) and into overlapping vertical spaced relation with respect to one another;
• said stacking surface (146) on said first end wall flange (78) is disposed on said first portion (142) of said base (114) sides for said first and second side walls (16,18) and supported thereby;
• said stacking surface (146) of said second end wall flange (78) is disposed on said stepped portion (144) of said base sides (914) for said first and second side walls (16,18) for a first predetermined distance along the length of said stepped portion (114) and is disposed on said back surface (148) of said end wall flange (78) on said first end wall (20) for a second predetermined distance and supported thereby;
• wall latching means (90) for releasably latching adjacent side and end walls (16,18,20,22) together when said side and end walls (16,18,20,22) are in the upright position;
• said wall latching means (90) including a latch member (92) moveable between latched and unlatched positions;
• said wall latching means (90) including means (96) disposed on the interior (24) of said container (10) for moving said latch member (92) to said unlatched position:
• locking means (64) on said adjacent side and end walls (16,18,20,22) for providing interlocking engagement therebetween when said walls are in said upright position;
• said locking means (64) including a flange (66) disposed on said side wall (16,18) along a substantial portion of the length thereof, said flange (66) including at least one locking tab (68) extending away from said interior (24) of said container (10);
• said locking tab (68) including an outermost surface (70) disposed furthest from said interior (24) of said container and first and second locking surfaces (72,74) extending between said outermost surface (70) and said side wall flange (66) and further including a contact surface (76) extending between said outermost surface (70) and said side wall flange (66) and between said first and second locking surfaces (72,74) and forming an obtuse angle with respect to said outermost surface (70);
• and means (80) disposed on said end wall flange (78) for receiving said at least one locking tab (68) in a snug fashion and thereby locking said walls (16,18,20,22) from said relative movement with respect to each other;
• said end wall (20,22) including a guide surface (82) disposed on said end wall (20,22) directly adjacent said end wall flange (78), said contact surface (76) on said at least one locking tab (68) adapted for sliding frictional engagement with said guide surface (82) on said end wall (20,22) as said side wall (16,18) is moved from said collapsed position to said upright position to guide said tab (68) into locking engagement with said means (80) for receiving said locking tab (68) and for preventing relative movement of said walls (16,18,20,22) with respect to each other when in said upright position.