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US4776481A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Container construction

Assignee: Chrysler Motors Corp
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Filing: 1987-05-27
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Granted: 1988-10-11
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Expires: 2007-05-27
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Abstract

Abstract A container construction is provided having an erected configuration and a storage configuration. The container construction comprises a pallet, a sidewall structure, a divider and a lid. These elements may be erected into a container construction or disassembled from an erected container construction and formed into storage packs. The divider extends between oppositely disposed sidewall members. A reinforcing clip is provided at each upper juncture of the divider and sidewall structure.

Inventors

  • 👤 Garry B. Kidd

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 19:20
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D25/00; B65D25/02; B65D25/04; B65D11/00; B65D11/18

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 364 words
In a container construction comprising a pallet, a sidewall structure, a divider and a lid, the pallet including support structure receiving the lower edges of the sidewall structure and the lower edge of the divider, the sidewall structure comprising four vertical wall members, first hinge means connecting the four wall members together along vertical edges thereof to form a generally rectangular box-like structure, each of two oppositely disposed members of the sidewall structure comprising a pair of panels, the first hinge means connecting one vertical edge of each panel to a vertical edge of an adjacent sidewall member to result in the aforesaid connection, second hinge means connecting the remaining adjacent vertical edges of each pair of adjacent panels together, a vertical channel defined by the sccond hinge means and adjacent edges of each pair of adjacent panels, a divider comprising a wall member extending between the sidewall members which comprise a pair of panels, the divider including vertical edge portions received in said vertical channels, the lid being received on the upper edges of the sidewall structure and including support structure receiving the upper edge portions of the the sidewall structure and the divider, the improvement comprising: the sidewall structure and the divider each being fabricated of sheet material composed of a plurality of side-by-side vertically extending cells which at their vertical termination are open ended, a reinforcing clip provided at each upper juncture of the divider and sidewall structure, each clip being fabricated of spring wire, each clip including a first downwardly depending leg received in a cell of the divider adjacent to an upper juncture of the divider and sidewall structure, each clip further including second and third downwardly depending legs each of which is received in a cell of one panel of the sidewall structure adjacent to said upper juncture of the divider and sidewall structure, said spring wire separately interconnecting the second and third legs with the first leg whereby the second and third legs are movable independently of each other, the first leg urging the divider towards the sidewall structure and the second and third legs urging their respective sidewall panels towards each other and towards the divider.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 364 words
In a container construction comprising a pallet, a sidewall structure, a divider and a lid, the pallet including support structure receiving the lower edges of the sidewall structure and the lower edge of the divider, the sidewall structure comprising four vertical wall members, first hinge means connecting the four wall members together along vertical edges thereof to form a generally rectangular box-like structure, each of two oppositely disposed members of the sidewall structure comprising a pair of panels, the first hinge means connecting one vertical edge of each panel to a vertical edge of an adjacent sidewall member to result in the aforesaid connection, second hinge means connecting the remaining adjacent vertical edges of each pair of adjacent panels together, a vertical channel defined by the sccond hinge means and adjacent edges of each pair of adjacent panels, a divider comprising a wall member extending between the sidewall members which comprise a pair of panels, the divider including vertical edge portions received in said vertical channels, the lid being received on the upper edges of the sidewall structure and including support structure receiving the upper edge portions of the the sidewall structure and the divider, the improvement comprising: the sidewall structure and the divider each being fabricated of sheet material composed of a plurality of side-by-side vertically extending cells which at their vertical termination are open ended, a reinforcing clip provided at each upper juncture of the divider and sidewall structure, each clip being fabricated of spring wire, each clip including a first downwardly depending leg received in a cell of the divider adjacent to an upper juncture of the divider and sidewall structure, each clip further including second and third downwardly depending legs each of which is received in a cell of one panel of the sidewall structure adjacent to said upper juncture of the divider and sidewall structure, said spring wire separately interconnecting the second and third legs with the first leg whereby the second and third legs are movable independently of each other, the first leg urging the divider towards the sidewall structure and the second and third legs urging their respective sidewall panels towards each other and towards the divider.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 55 words
A container construction as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that each of said second and third downwardly depending legs terminates in a loop oriented at an angle to press against an interior corner surface of the cell in which the leg is received to urge the respective sidewall panels in the aforesaid direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
A container construction as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that the first downwardly depending leg terminates in a U-shaped portion snugly received in said cell.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1630140A Cited
US1906191A Cited
US2161624A Cited
US2534010A Cited
US3146505A Cited
US3929248A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-10-11 1992-04-11 1992-10-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-10-11 1996-04-11 1996-10-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-10-11 2000-04-11 2000-10-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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