Collapsible cheese container
AssigneeA. R. Arena Products, Inc.
InventorWilliam E. Wheeler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A collapsible container for making and transporting cheese is made with four interlocking wall panels. Each of the panels is molded from a resin material with ribbed construction and with locking elements for engaging adjacent panels. The locking elements provide mechanical interlocks against relative movements of the panels along two axes that extend normal to the panels and frictional interlocks against relative movements of the panels along a third axis that extends normal to the other two axes. The mechanical interlocks also transmit a preload torque that resists angular diverging movements between the panels about the third axis. The preload torque bows the panels toward an interior space of the container before the container is filled with cheese.
Claims12
A collapsible container formed from a resin material for making and transporting cheese comprising:
- a base;
- four wall panels mounted on said base;
- each of said wall panels having inner and outer faces and two end faces joining said inner and outer faces;
- four columns of tenons projecting from said end faces of the panels;
- four columns of mortises formed through said inner faces of the panels in ladder-like configurations of continuous inner and outer side ribs interconnected by spaced intermediate cross ribs;
- said continuous outer side ribs forming four of said end faces of the wall panels;
- and
- inner side lugs formed within said mortises adjacent to said continuous inner side ribs for mechanically engaging said tenons to prevent relative diverging movement between adjacent panels along a first of three orthogonal axes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.