Portable and collapsible shipping container

Claim 2

A collapsible container comprising first, second and third pairs of opposed walls, the walls of said second pair having hinge connections with the walls of said first pair and being formed of a plurality of hinge-connected sections substantially equal as to dimensions adapted to be folded together in superposed relation when said container is in a collapsed condition whereby the walls of said first pair may be disposed in substantially parallel and relatively closely space relation to each other with said folded-together sections of the walls of said second pair being disposed between said closely spaced walls of said first pair, the walls of said third pair having hinge connections with one of the walls of said first pair, whereby the walls of said third pair may be pivoted into substantially parallel relation to the walls of said first pair and superposed with respect thereto when said container is in a collapsed condition, and means to releasably lock some of said walls to maintain said container in an upright or noncollapsed condition, said releasable locking means including tongue and groove members adapted to be interconnected relation between the walls of said third pair and the walls of said second pair between the walls of said third pair and the other of the walls of said first pair, said releasable locking means further including means to retain said tongue and groove members in interconnected relation.

Claim 3

The container of claim 1, said last-mentioned means comprising adjustable hinge connections between the walls of said third pair and said one of the walls of said first pair enabling said third pair walls and their pivotal axes of their hinge connections with said one wall to be moved away from said one wall and thereby enabling said third pair walls to be moved toward parallel and superposed relation with the walls of said first pair, said last-mentioned means further comprising fastening means releasably interconnecting said third pair walls with said other of the walls of said first pair.

Claim 4

A collapsible container comprising first, second and third pairs of opposed walls, the walls of said first pair comprising an upper wall and a lower wall and the walls of said second pair having hinged connections with the walls of said first pair and being formed of a plurality of hinge-connected sections adapted to be folded together in superposed relation whereby said walls of said first pair may be disposed in substantially parallel and relatively closely spaced relation to each other with said folded hinge-connected wall sections of said second pair being positioned therebetween, each of said walls of said third pair being hingedly connected to said lower wall by hinge means so that said third pair walls may be selectively pivoted into substantially parallel superposed relation or substantially perpendicular relation to all the walls of said first and second pairs when said first pair Walls are in substantially parallel relatively closely spaced relation, the axes of said hinge means connecting each of said walls of said third pair to said lower wall being disposed inwardly of but adjacent to the outer ends of said lower wall whereby said container will be of lesser length when said third pair walls are in said substantially parallel superposed relation and said container is fully collapsed than when said third pair walls are in said substantially perpendicular relation and said container is partially collapsed, said container being of the same width whether said third pair walls are in superposed relation or in said perpendicular relation whereby a plurality of fully collapsed containers may be accommodated within a single partially collapsed container between the third pair of walls thereof, and adjustment means for selectively shifting the axes of said hinge means toward and away from each other whereby said third pair walls may be moved relative to one another.

Claim 5

A collapsible container comprising first, second and third pairs of opposed walls, the walls of said first pair comprising an upper wall and a lower wall and the walls of said second pair having hinged connections with the walls of said first pair and being formed of a plurality of hinge-connected sections adapted to be folded together in superposed relation whereby said walls of said first pair may be disposed in substantially parallel and relatively closely spaced relation to each other with said folded hinge-connected wall sections of said second pair being positioned therebetween, each of said walls of said third pair being hingedly connected to said lower wall by hinge means so that said third pair walls may be selectively pivoted into substantially parallel superposed relation or substantially perpendicular relation to all the walls of said first and second pairs when said first pair Walls are in substantially parallel relatively closely spaced relation, the axes of said hinge means connecting each of said walls of said third pair to said lower wall being disposed inwardly of but adjacent to the outer ends of said lower wall whereby said container will be of lesser length when said third pair walls are in said substantially parallel superposed relation and said container is fully collapsed than when said third pair walls are in said substantially perpendicular relation and said container is partially collapsed, said container being of the same width whether said third pair walls are in superposed relation or in said perpendicular relation whereby a plurality of fully collapsed containers may be accommodated within a single partially collapsed container between the third pair of walls thereof, and adjustment means for selectively shifting the axes of said hinge means toward and away from each other whereby said third pair walls may be moved relative to one another.