Collapsible shipping container

A collapsible shipping container interchangeable between a collapsed configuration and an unfolded configuration for shipping cargo, comprising:

• a rectangular base portion having a flat supporting surface and a plurality of walls, each of said walls comprising a stub wall and a folding wall, said stub walls being affixed to the periphery of the surface of said base portion, and each of said stub walls having a corresponding one of said folding walls hingedly attached thereto for inward folding;
• said folding walls each being characterized by a uniform thickness and each of said stub walls having a height equal to a sequential summation of said uniform thicknesses, whereby said folding walls are foldable in superimposed layers;
• a removable wall and a wall channel affixed to said periphery of said surface of said base portion for receiving a bottom edge of said removable wall whereby said removable wall forms together with said folding walls said unfolded configuration of the shipping container;
• and further whereby said stub walls and said wall channel define a space for receiving said removable wall for stowage in said collapsed configuration;
• corner posts for connecting adjacent vertical edges of said walls, each of said corner posts comprising a pair of vertical channels, one of said vertical channels being oriented to receive the vertical edge of a wall and the other of said vertical channels being oriented to receive the corresponding edge of an adjacent wall;
• a vertically oriented hole at each upper, outer edge of each of said walls, and each of said corner posts further having a pair of downward pointing pins oriented to engage respective pairs of adjacent holes whereby adjacent walls are locked together in the unfolded configuration;
• a top lid having a top and downward extending side walls for encompassing in telescopic fashion an upper portion of said walls in the unfolded configuration and substantially all of said walls in the collapsed configuration;
• wherein said top lid comprises a plurality of box beams disposed on the underside of said top lid and defining a space for receiving said corner posts in the collapsed configuration, a retaining arm pivotally attached to one of said box beams, and a retaining bracket mounted to an adjacent box beam for retaining said corner posts in said space;
• wherein said base portion further comprises a plurality of skids.