Collapsible container

Claim 2

A collapsible container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two opposed vertical side walls, two opposed vertical end walls, a top rectangular border frame defining the top of the container, said side walls each having upper and lower wall sections, the adjacent edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged together and the remote edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged to said border frame and said bottom wall respectively to permit inward folding of said side walls when said container is collapsed, said end walls being hinged to said border frame to permit inward swinging to a substantially horizontal position when said container is collapsed, said container being made of separate plastic molded parts, one such part including said top border frame, other parts being composed of said respective side walls, the upper and lower wall sections of each side wall being integrally joined together by a web of plastic providing a hinge, said side walls having snap connections with said top border frame and said bottom wall.

Claim 3

A collapsible container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two opposed vertical side walls, two opposed vertical end walls, a top rectangular border frame defining the top of the container, said side walls each having upper and lower wall sections, the adjacent edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged together and the remote edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged to said border frame and said bottom wall respectively to permit inward folding of said side walls when said container is collapsed, said end walls being hinged to said border frame to permit inward swinging to a substantially horizontal position when said container is collapsed, said container being made of separate plastic molded parts, on such part being composed of said top border frame having said end walls integrally joined thereto by webs of plastic providing hinges, a second part being composed of said bottom wall and third and fourth parts being composed respectively of said side walls, the upper and lower wall sections of each side wall being integrally joined together by a web of plastic providing a hinge, said side walls having snap connections with said top border frame and said bottom wall.

Claim 4

A collapsible container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two opposed vertical side walls, two opposed vertical end walls, a top rectangular border frame defining the top of the container, said side walls each having upper and lower wall sections, the adjacent edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged together and the remote edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged to said border frame and said bottom wall respectively to permit inward folding of said side walls when said container is collapsed, said end walls being hinged to said border frame to permit inward swinging to a substantially horizontal position when said container is collapsed, said container being made of separate plastic molded parts, on such part being composed of said top border frame having said end walls integrally joined thereto by webs of plastic providing hinges, a second part being composed of said bottom wall and third and fourth parts being composed respectively of said side walls, the upper and lower wall sections of each side wall being integrally joined together by a web of plastic providing a hinge, said side walls having snap connections with said top border frame and said bottom wall.

Claim 5

The container defined in claim 2, wherein said upper wall section of each side wall has a locking bar integrally hinged thereto by a web of plastic, said locking bar including a channel having opposed slots in the side walls thereof, said top border frame having side rails of channel shape received in said channels of said locking bars and having hooks engaging said slots to provide the aforesaid snap connection.

Claim 6

The container defined in claim 3, wherein said hooks are provided on the side flanges of said channel-shaped rails, and said channels have pins between said side flanges holding them apart and said hooks in engagement with said slots.

Claim 7

The container defined in claim 2, wherein said lower wall section of each side wall has a locking bar integrally hinged thereto by a web of plastic, said locking bar having keys provided with heads having hooks, said bottom wall having parallel channels along its side edges, said channels opening upwardly and having slots in the sides thereof, said keys being received in said channels and said hooks engaging said slots to provide the aforesaid snap connection.

Claim 8

The container defined in claim 4, wherein said top border frame includes end raiLs also of channel shape, a reinforcing wire in the channel-shaped side and end rails of said border frame, said pins retaining said reinforcing wire within said channel-shaped side and end rails.

Claim 9

The container defined in claim 6, wherein the channel-shaped end rails of said top border frame have integral webs to retain said reinforcing wire within the channel-shaped end rails.

Claim 10

The container defined in claim 7, wherein said lower wall section of each side wall has a locking bar integrally hinged thereto by a web of plastic, said locking bar having keys provided with heads having hooks, said bottom wall having parallel channels along each side edge, said channels opening upwardly and having slots in the sides thereof, said keys being received in said channels and said hooks engaging said slots to provide the aforesaid snap connection, said upwardly opening channels having their tops flush with the top surface of said bottom wall and the bottoms flush with the bottom surface of said bottom wall.

Claim 11

A plastic collapsible container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two opposed vertical side walls, two opposed vertical end walls, a top rectangular border frame defining the top of the container, said side walls each having upper and lower wall sections, the adjacent edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged together and the remote edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged to said border frame and said bottom wall respectively to permit inward folding of said side walls when said container is collapsed, said end walls being hinged to said border frame to permit inward swinging to a substantially horizontal position when said container is collapsed, said top border frame being separately formed from said side walls and having snap connections therewith.

Claim 12

A plastic collapsible container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two opposed vertical side walls, two opposed vertical end walls, a top rectangular border frame defining the top of the container, said side walls each having upper and lower wall sections, the adjacent edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged together and the remote edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged to said border frame and said bottom wall respectively to permit inward folding of said side walls when said container is collapsed, said end walls being hinged to said border frame to permit inward swinging to a substantially horizontal position when said container is collapsed, said top border frame being separately formed from said side walls and having snap connections therewith.

Claim 13

The container defined in claim 9, wherein said upper wall section of each side wall has a locking bar member hinged thereto, said top border frame having a rail member along each side thereof, one of said locking bar and rail members along each side of said container including spaced walls having opposed slots, the other of said locking bar and rail members along each side of said container being received between the spaced walls of said one member and provided with hooks engaging said slots to provide the aforesaid snap connections.

Claim 14

The container defined in claim 10, wherein said other of said locking bar and rail members is channel shaped and said hooks are provided on the side flanges of said channel-shaped member, and said one of said locking bar and rail members has pins between said side flanges holding them apart and said hooks engaged in said slots.

Claim 15

A plastic collapsible container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two opposed vertical side walls, two opposed vertical end walls, a top rectangular border frame defining the top of the container, said side walls each having upper and lower wall sections, the adjacent edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged together and the remote edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged to said border frame and said bottom wall respectively to permit inward folding of said side walls when said container is collapsed, said end walls being hinged to said border frame to permit inward swinging to a substantially horizontal position when said container is collapsed, said bottom wall being separately formed from said side walls and having snap connections therewith.

Claim 16

A plastic collapsible container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two opposed vertical side walls, two opposed vertical end walls, a top rectangular border frame defining the top of the container, said side walls each having upper and lower wall sections, the adjacent edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged together and the remote edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged to said border frame and said bottom wall respectively to permit inward folding of said side walls when said container is collapsed, said end walls being hinged to said border frame to permit inward swinging to a substantially horizontal position when said container is collapsed, said bottom wall being separately formed from said side walls and having snap connections therewith.

Claim 17

The container defined in claim 12, wherein said lower wall section of each side wall has a locking bar hinged thereto, said locking bar having keys provided with hooks, said bottom wall having parallel walls along each side edge, said parallel walls having slots therein, said keys being received between said parallel walls and said hooks engaging said slots to provide the aforesaid snap connections.

Claim 18

A plastic collapsible container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two opposed vertical side walls, two opPosed vertical end walls, a top rectangular border frame defining the top of the container, said side walls each having upper and lower wall sections, the adjacent edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged together and the remote edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged to said border frame and said bottom wall respectively to permit inward folding of said side walls when said container is collapsed, said end walls being hinged to said border frame to permit inward swinging to a substantially horizontal position when said container is collapsed, said top border frame and said bottom wall being separately formed from said side walls and having snap connections therewith, and detent means on said bottom wall for releasably holding said end walls in vertical position.

Claim 19

A plastic collapsible container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two opposed vertical side walls, two opPosed vertical end walls, a top rectangular border frame defining the top of the container, said side walls each having upper and lower wall sections, the adjacent edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged together and the remote edges of said upper and lower wall sections being hinged to said border frame and said bottom wall respectively to permit inward folding of said side walls when said container is collapsed, said end walls being hinged to said border frame to permit inward swinging to a substantially horizontal position when said container is collapsed, said top border frame and said bottom wall being separately formed from said side walls and having snap connections therewith, and detent means on said bottom wall for releasably holding said end walls in vertical position.

Claim 20

The container defined in claim 14, wherein said end walls having means engageable with said side walls in the vertical positions of said end and side walls to lock said side walls against inward folding.