JP7616655B2 - Structure for storing items and storage unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an item storage structure and storage unit that includes multiple containers and a lid member.

Conventionally, for example, it is known to store items in a roughly square box-shaped container that opens upward, place multiple such containers horizontally on a pallet, and then cover the multiple containers placed on the pallet with a lid member to form an item storage unit and transport it. In addition, to prevent the containers and the lid member from displacing relative to each other in the horizontal direction when the storage unit is transported, there is a technique in which anti-rattle protrusions are provided that protrude downward from the lid member and abut or are close to the four corners of the inner wall surface of each container placed on the pallet (see, for example, Patent Document 1, etc.).

JP 2019-177904 A

However, when a container of the storage unit is a container of a variable shape having a bottom wall component that is generally rectangular in plan view and side wall components that are configured to be able to change their position between an upright position erected above each side edge of the bottom wall component and a folded position tilted down toward the center of the bottom wall component, there is a concern that when the storage unit is transported, etc., the specified anti-rattle protrusions of the lid member may come into contact (crash or be pressed against) the corners of the inner wall surface of the container, causing problems such as the side wall components becoming disconnected.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and its purpose is to provide an article storage structure and storage unit that can suitably cover multiple containers with a lid member equipped with anti-rattle projections.

Below, we will explain each of the means suitable for achieving the above objectives. In addition, we will add the specific effects of the corresponding means as necessary.

Means 1. A plurality of containers each having a bottom wall component having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view and a side wall component that is erected upward along each side edge of the bottom wall component and can be in an upright position;
a lid member that is placed so as to cover a container assembly constituted by arranging a plurality of the containers in a horizontal direction,
the lid member includes anti-rattle projections that can be arranged in contact with or adjacent to the inner surfaces of the side walls of the containers constituting the container assembly when the lid member is placed over the container assembly;
the side wall portion of the container includes a pair of first side wall portions each in the upright position along a pair of opposing first side edges of the bottom wall component, and a pair of second side wall portions each in the upright position along a pair of opposing second side edges different from the first side edges of the bottom wall component, and includes a restricting means for restricting relative displacement between the first side wall portions in the upright position and the second side wall portions in the upright position,
A sidewall recess is provided on an upper edge of the sidewall, the sidewall recess being open upward and penetrating in an inward/outward direction of the container,
An article storage structure characterized in that, when the lid member is placed over the container assembly, a specific anti-rattle protrusion, which is a rattle-proof protrusion that is longer than the thickness of the side wall portion in which the side wall recess is provided in the thickness direction, is configured to be insertable into the side wall recess.

According to the first aspect, the cover member is provided with a rattle prevention protrusion, which can suppress relative displacement in the horizontal direction between the multiple containers and the cover member. Furthermore, with respect to the configuration in which the sidewall recess is inserted into the specific rattle prevention protrusion, relative displacement between the sidewall portion and the specific rattle prevention protrusion (cover member) is permitted in the thickness direction of the sidewall portion in which the sidewall recess is provided. In other words, interference between the specific rattle prevention protrusion and the sidewall portion is avoided in the thickness direction of the sidewall portion in which the sidewall recess is provided, and as a result, collision or pressure contact between the specific rattle prevention protrusion and the sidewall portion is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the specific rattle prevention protrusion and the sidewall portion collide or press against each other (a relatively large force acts instantaneously on the rattle prevention protrusion and the sidewall portion), causing the state of restriction by the restricting means to be released, and to suppress damage to the specific rattle prevention protrusion and the sidewall portion (restricting means). In addition, with this configuration, the provision of the anti-rattle protrusions is highly effective in preventing relative displacement between the container assembly and the lid member, but the specific anti-rattle protrusions can also be placed in places (such as the corners of the container) where problems due to the anti-rattle protrusions contacting the side wall portion are likely to occur. Furthermore, compared to when the specific anti-rattle protrusions are omitted, the specific anti-rattle protrusions can prevent relative displacement in the width direction of the side wall portion on which the side wall recess is provided. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the specific anti-rattle protrusions can contact the inner bottom surface or inner side surface of the side wall recess, when the lid member and the container are displaced relative to each other in the thickness direction of the side wall portion on which the side wall recess is provided, the frictional force generated when the specific anti-rattle protrusions slide against the side wall recess suppresses the momentum of the relative displacement, and the impact when the other anti-rattle protrusions then come into contact with the side wall portion can be mitigated.

In particular, when a plurality of containers (container assemblies) containing items are placed on a pallet or other mounting means, and a lid member is placed over the container assemblies to form a storage unit for the items, and the storage units are stacked and transported, it is conceivable that a relatively large force acts on the container assemblies from the lid member in the substantially horizontal direction in the lower storage unit. In such a usage situation, interference between the side wall portion of the container (the side wall portion provided with the side wall recess) and the rattle prevention protrusion (specific rattle prevention protrusion) of the lid member is suppressed, and the effect of preventing the release of the regulated state by the regulating means while preventing damage to the specific rattle prevention protrusion and the side wall portion is more prominently achieved. Furthermore, when the mounting surface of the mounting means on which the container assemblies are placed is partially deformed and tilted, etc., there is a concern that the impact of the rattle prevention protrusion and the side wall portion colliding and pressing against each other will be relatively large for the portion of the specified container placed at the deformation location. In this regard, such concerns can be alleviated by arranging the sidewall recess and specific anti-rattle protrusions in the portion of the container that is placed where deformation of the placement surface is likely to occur. Note that, in addition to the anti-rattle protrusions, the storage unit may also be provided with relative displacement prevention means for preventing relative displacement of the pallet, container, and lid member. For example, by attaching a cable tie to the storage unit, it is possible to relatively flexibly prevent relative displacement between the lid member and the container assembly in the thickness direction of the sidewall portion where the sidewall recess is provided.

In addition, when the containers constituting the container assembly to be covered with the lid member are other containers of different sizes or shapes, it is possible that the anti-rattle protrusions formed to fit the specified container may come into contact with the upper edge of the side wall of the other container, making it impossible to cover the lid member (the lid member must also be prepared separately). In this regard, by providing a side wall recess on the other container, it is possible to allow the anti-rattle protrusions (specific anti-rattle protrusions) arranged crosswise above the specified side wall to be inserted into the inner space of the container, making it possible to cover the lid member. This makes it possible to standardize the lid members that are covered for multiple types of containers, improving convenience and saving resources.

Means 2. The side wall recess is provided across the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion, and an inner bottom surface of the side wall recess is formed by the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion ,
The article storage structure described in Means 1, characterized in that the inner surface of the side wall recess extends at an incline so that the width of the side wall recess gradually increases toward the upper side .

According to the second aspect, when the specific anti-rattle protrusion of the lid member is pressed against the inner bottom surface of the side wall recess, the force received from the specific anti-rattle protrusion can be suitably distributed to the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion. Therefore, damage to the container can be prevented.

Means 3. The side wall portion is configured to be capable of being displaced between the upright position and a folded position in which the side wall portion is folded toward the center of the bottom wall component, and the container is configured to be capable of being placed in an assembled state in which all of the side wall portions are in the upright position and in a folded state in which all of the side wall portions are in the folded position,
one of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion protrudes from a side edge portion of its inner surface toward the inside of the container and includes an overlapping portion that overlaps with an outer surface side of the other of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion in an inward/outward direction of the container;
The overlapping portion is provided with a locking portion,
the other of the two is provided with a locked portion that is engaged with the locking portion in a thickness direction of the other of the two,
the restricting means is composed of the overlapping portion, a portion of the other of the two that faces the overlapping portion, the engaging portion, and the engaged portion,
the sidewall recess is provided such that at least a part of an inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess is constituted by a portion of the other side that overlaps with the overlapping portion and the overlapping portion, in a range including the overlapping portion and the other portion, and the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess constituted by the other portion and the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess constituted by the overlapping portion are provided on approximately the same plane,
the locking portion and the locked portion are provided such that at least a portion of the locking portion is disposed in a vertically lower region of the side wall recess ,
One of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion includes a side wall upper edge protrusion,
The side wall upper edge protrusion extends to a side end portion to which the restricting means is connected,
The article storage structure described in Means 2 is characterized in that a portion of the side wall upper edge protrusion of one of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion that defines the inner surface of the side wall recess is made thicker than other portions .

For example, if a specific anti-rattle protrusion is pressed against the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess and a force acts only on one of the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion, there is a concern that if that one side is deformed, one of the locking portion and the locked portion will be displaced relative to the other, causing the locking state to be released or the locking portion and the locked portion to be damaged or deformed. In contrast, according to Means 3, when a specific anti-rattle protrusion is pressed against the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess, a force acts on both the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion, and even if both the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion are slightly deformed, the locking portion and the locked portion will be displaced in the same way, suppressing the relative displacement between the locking portion and the locked portion. Therefore, the locking state of the locking portion and the locked portion can be stabilized, and damage to the locking portion and the locked portion can be prevented.

Means 4. The container assembly according to any one of means 1 to 3, and the lid member;
a pallet having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view on which the container assembly can be placed,
The pallet has fork insertion portions into which forks of a lift means having forks can be inserted, the forks corresponding to at least a pair of opposing side surfaces,
A storage unit characterized in that the side wall recess of at least one of the containers that constitute the container assembly is positioned in a central region, which is the central region when the width of the side of the pallet on which the fork insertion portion is provided is divided into thirds, and the specific anti-rattle protrusion is inserted into the side wall recess.

The part of the fork insertion part that corresponds to the central region is relatively flexible and may be deformed. If the container regulating means is arranged in the central region and an anti-rattle protrusion is arranged in the vicinity of the regulating means, there is a concern that if the anti-rattle protrusion comes into contact with the vicinity of the regulating means during transportation of the storage unit, a relatively large force that deforms or rotates the regulating means may be applied. This may cause the regulating state by the regulating means to be released or the side wall portion (regulating means) to be damaged.

In this regard, according to Measure 4, by arranging the sidewall recess in the central region of the pallet, interference between the anti-rattle protrusion and the sidewall can be more effectively avoided, and the effect of suppressing damage to the restricting means while avoiding the release of the restricting state by the restricting means is more pronounced. Note that in a configuration in which fork insertion portions are provided on the four side surfaces of the pallet, the central region may be the central region when the longitudinal width of the pallet is divided into thirds.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the storage units are stacked. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a container (assembled container assembly), a pallet, and a cover member that constitute a storage unit. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container in an assembled state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which containers in a folded state are stacked. 1 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a corner of the container (a connecting portion between a long side wall portion and a short side wall portion). FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged exploded perspective view showing a connecting portion between the long side wall portion and the short side wall portion. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged exploded perspective view showing a connecting portion between the long side wall portion and the short side wall portion. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the underside of the lid member. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a state in which a lid member is placed on the assembled container assembly. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the accommodation unit, showing the positional relationship between the anti-rattle protrusion and the container (side wall portion). FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view including a partial cross section of the storage unit. 13 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the accommodation unit, showing the positional relationship between a side wall recess (functional side wall recess) and an anti-rattle protrusion (specific anti-rattle protrusion), etc. FIG. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the storage unit.

One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the storage unit 1 includes a container 2 that is a substantially square box-shaped container that opens upward, a pallet 3 that is substantially rectangular in plan view on which multiple containers 2 are placed, and a lid member 4 that is placed so as to collectively cover the multiple containers 2 placed on the pallet 3.

3 and 4, the container 2 has a bottom wall component 11 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, the bottom wall component 11 including a bottom wall 12 having a substantially rectangular plate shape, long side bases 13 protruding upward from the bottom wall 12 along the long sides of the bottom wall 12, and short side bases 14 protruding upward from the bottom wall 12 along the short sides of the bottom wall 12. The container 2 further has long side wall parts 15 connected to the long side bases 13 so as to be rotatable and short side wall parts 16 connected to the short side bases 14 so as to be rotatable. The container 2 of this embodiment is made of polypropylene. One of the long side wall parts 15 and the short side wall parts 16 corresponds to the first side wall part, and the other corresponds to the second side wall part.

The long side wall portions 15 and the short side wall portions 16 are configured to be rotatable between an upright position in which they stand above the long side base portions 13 and the short side base portions 14, respectively, and a folded position in which they are tilted toward the center of the bottom wall portion 12 and extend substantially parallel to the bottom wall portion 12. Therefore, when storing items in the container 2, all of the long side wall portions 15 and the short side wall portions 16 are in an assembled state in the upright position, and when the container 2 is to be stored, etc., all of the long side wall portions 15 and the short side wall portions 16 are in a folded position in the folded position, thereby enabling space saving, etc. to be achieved.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protruding length of the long side base portion 13 from the bottom wall portion 12 is longer than the protruding length of the short side base portion 14 from the bottom wall portion 12, and the forming position of the long side bearing portion 17 for rotatably supporting the long side sidewall portion 15 is also located above the forming position of the short side bearing portion 18 for rotatably supporting the short side sidewall portion 16. Furthermore, each short side base portion 14 is provided so as to connect the inner surfaces of a pair of opposing long side base portions 13, and the width of the long side sidewall portion 15 is configured to be approximately the same as the longitudinal width of the bottom wall component portion 11, while the width of the short side sidewall portion 16 is configured to be approximately the same as the distance between the pair of long side base portions 13.

For this reason, in this embodiment, when the assembled container 2 is folded, the pair of short side wall portions 16 are first folded, and then the long side wall portion 15 is displaced to the folded position. In the folded state of the container 2, the short side wall portion 16 in the folded position overlaps the top of the bottom wall portion 12, and the long side wall portion 15 in the folded position overlaps the top of the short side wall portion 16. In addition, in this embodiment, the pair of short side side wall portions 16 in the folded position are both supported by abutting against the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 12, and the pair of long side side wall portions 15 in the folded position are supported at the same height position by abutting against the pair of short side side wall portions 16 in the folded position. In addition, the upper side portion (upper surface) of the long side base portion 13 is located above the long side side wall portion 15 in the folded position.

As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 to Fig. 7, the long side wall portion 15 is provided with a restricting wall portion 21 as an overlapping portion that protrudes from both sides of the inner surface toward the inside of the container 2. The restricting wall portion 21 is configured to overlap the outer surface of the short side wall portion 16 in the inside-outside direction of the container 2 when the container 2 is in an assembled state. Furthermore, the restricting wall portion 21 is provided with an insertion hole portion 22 as an engagement portion that penetrates the long side side wall portion 15 in the width direction. In addition, the long side side wall portion 15 is provided with a substantially square tubular lock engagement portion 23 (see Fig. 7) that is connected to the surface of the restricting wall portion 21 on the side of the center of the width direction of the long side side wall portion 15 and opens toward the center of the width direction of the short side side wall portion 16.

In contrast, both sides of the outer surface of the short side wall portion 16 are configured to omit the thickness of the outer surface side of the short side wall portion 16, and are provided with a regulated wall portion 24 that approximately abuts against the regulating wall portion 21 of the long side wall portion 15 when the container 2 is assembled, and an insertion protrusion 25 as an engaged portion that protrudes outward from the outer surface of the regulated wall portion 24 to the outside of the container 2 and is inserted into the insertion hole portion 22 of the regulating wall portion 21 when the container 2 is assembled (approximately engages with the insertion hole portion 22 to be engaged). This configuration prevents the long side side wall portion 15 and the short side side wall portion 16 from tilting outwardly of the container 2, and regulates the relative displacement in the vertical direction between the long side side wall portion 15 and the short side side wall portion 16.

Furthermore, a locking mechanism 26 (see FIG. 3) is provided on the outer surface of the short side wall 16 to prevent the short side wall 16 from tilting inward, and thus to maintain the assembled state of the container 2. The locking mechanism 26 includes a pair of left and right slide pieces 27 that can be displaced between a protruding position where the locking mechanism 23 of the long side wall 15 is inserted into the locking mechanism 23 of the long side wall 15 and locked, and a retracted position where the locking mechanism 23 is released, and an operating part 28 that allows the pair of left and right slide pieces 27 to be displaced to the retracted position at the same time. In this embodiment, the regulating wall 21, the regulated wall 24, the insertion hole 22, the insertion protrusion 25, the locking mechanism 26, and the locking engagement portion 23 constitute a regulating means that regulates the relative displacement between the long side wall 15 and the short side wall 16 (connects the long side wall 15 and the short side wall 16 to maintain the assembled state of the container 2).

As shown in FIG. 1, the containers 2 are configured so that when assembled (containing items), the containers 2 can be stacked one on top of the other while preventing misalignment in the horizontal direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, even when folded, the containers 2 can be stacked one on top of the other while preventing misalignment in the horizontal direction.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3 etc., the upper edge portions of the long side wall portion 15 and the short side wall portion 16 are configured so that the portions located on the outer side of the container 2 are one level lower. As a result, each long side wall portion 15 and each short side wall portion 16 protrudes upward from the portion of the upper edge portion of the long side wall portion 15 and the short side wall portion 16 that is on the inner side of the container 2, and has a side wall upper edge protrusion 29 that extends along the width direction of the long side wall portion 15 and the short side wall portion 16, respectively.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 9, the bottom wall 12 includes a substantially rectangular bottom plate 31 that constitutes the inner bottom surface of the container 2, an outer peripheral corresponding portion 32 that is provided adjacent to the outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate 31 and that is supported by contacting the upper edge portions (side wall upper edge protrusions 29) of the long side wall portion 15 and the short side wall portion 16 of the lower container 2 when the assembled containers 2 are stacked (the portion where the long side base portion 13 and the short side base portion 14 are formed on the upper surface side), and a support portion 33 that protrudes downward from the underside of the bottom plate 31. The support portion 33 is configured by ribs that protrude downward from the bottom plate 31 and are arranged in a lattice pattern when viewed from below.

The bottom wall portion 12 further includes a bottom wall side edge protrusion 34 that protrudes downward from the outer periphery corresponding portion 32 so as to form a gap between the bottom wall side edge protrusion 34 and the support portion 33. The lower edge of the bottom wall side edge protrusion 34 is located above the lower surface of the support portion 33. When the assembled containers 2 are stacked, the side wall upper edge protrusion 29 of the lower container 2 is inserted into the gap between the bottom wall side edge protrusion 34 of the upper container 2 and the support portion 33, and the lower surface of the outer periphery corresponding portion 32 of the upper container 2 is supported by abutting against the side wall upper edge protrusion 29 of the lower container 2.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the long side base portion 13 has a base upper edge protrusion 35 that protrudes upward from a portion of the upper edge of the long side base portion 13 on the inner side of the container 2 (the inner periphery side of the base portions 13, 14) and extends along the longitudinal direction of the long side base portion 13. When the containers 2 in the folded state are stacked, the base upper edge protrusion 35 of the lower container 2 is inserted into the gap between the bottom wall side edge protrusion 34 of the upper container 2 and the support portion 33, and the lower surface of the outer periphery corresponding portion 32 of the upper container 2 abuts against and is supported by the base upper edge protrusion 35 of the lower container 2.

2, the pallet 3 includes four corner posts 41 provided at the four corners of the pallet 3, an intermediate post 42 provided at the middle of a pair of corner posts 41 aligned along the side of the pallet 3, a central post (not shown) provided at the center of the pallet 3, an upper deck 44 connecting the upper ends of the corner posts 41, the intermediate post 42, and the central post, and a lower deck 45 connecting the lower ends of the corner posts 41, the intermediate post 42, and the central post. In addition, between each corner post 41 and the intermediate post 42, a fork insertion portion 46 is formed into which the forks of a forklift as a lifting means can be inserted. In this embodiment, the pallet 3 is a four-way insertion type pallet in which the forks can be inserted from the four side surfaces that constitute the outer periphery of the pallet 3. The pallet 3 in this embodiment is made of polypropylene.

In this embodiment, the upper surfaces of the corner columns 41, the intermediate columns 42, the central columns, and the upper deck section 44 form a "mounting surface 47" on which an item can be placed. Furthermore, the lower surfaces of the corner columns 41, the intermediate columns 42, the central columns, and the lower deck section 45 form a "grounding surface 48" that is grounded to an installation surface such as a floor. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, three containers 2 can be placed side by side on the mounting surface 47 of the pallet 3 while abutting or being close to each other in the horizontal direction. That is, the short side width of the pallet 3 is twice the short side width of the container 2, and the long side width of the pallet 3 is the sum of the long side width of the container 2 and the short side width of the container 2. Two containers 2 are placed on the pallet 3 in the short width direction of the pallet 3 with the short side of the bottom wall component 11 extending along one short side of the pallet 3, and one container 2 is placed on the pallet 3 beside the two containers 2 placed side by side with the long side of the bottom wall component 11 extending along the other short side of the pallet 3. In this embodiment, the assembled containers 2 placed three by three horizontally on the pallet 3 are stacked one by one and covered with the lid member 4 to form the storage unit 1. The placement surface 47 may be provided with a recess for placement of a rubber anti-slip member as a relative displacement prevention means.

1 and 2, the lid member 4 has an outer peripheral shape (outer dimensions) in a plan view that is substantially rectangular and is substantially the same as the outer peripheral shape (outer dimensions) of the pallet 3 in a plan view. The lid member 4 of this embodiment is integrally formed from polypropylene. The lid member 4 of this embodiment is adapted to cover the three upper containers 2 arranged horizontally on the pallet 3 as described above, whether the three containers 2 are in an assembled state or a folded state. Hereinafter, the multiple containers 2 arranged horizontally (adjacent to each other) and placed on the pallet 3 in an assembled state are collectively referred to as an "assembled container assembly 51 (container assembly)," and the multiple containers 2 arranged horizontally (adjacent to each other) and placed on the pallet 3 in a folded state are referred to as a "folded container assembly."

8, 10, etc., the cover member 4 is inserted into the inside of each container 2 constituting the assembled container assembly 51 when it is placed over the assembled container assembly 51, and has anti-rattle projections 53 that can be placed in contact with or adjacent to the inner surfaces of the side walls 15, 16. As shown in FIG. 9, the anti-rattle projections 53 are formed so that the target portion of the cover member 4 bulges out below the portion of the cover member 4 that is supported by contacting the upper edge portions (side wall upper edge projections 29) of the side walls 15, 16 of the container 2. In addition, each anti-rattle projection 53 is configured so that its width gradually narrows downward, and its lower surface extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the anti-rattle protrusions 53 provided at multiple locations on the lid member 4 are arranged symmetrically (point symmetrically) in the longitudinal and lateral width directions of the lid member 4. In contrast, the assembled container assembly 51 (three containers 2) on which the lid member 4 is placed is not arranged symmetrically in the longitudinal width direction of the lid member 4. For this reason, there are anti-rattle protrusions 53 that do not abut or are close to any of the side wall portions 15, 16. However, when the orientation of the lid member 4 that covers the assembled container assembly 51 is changed by rotating it 180 degrees, or when the containers (size, shape, etc.) placed on the pallet 3 are changed, the anti-rattle protrusions 53 will abut or be close to the corresponding side wall portions 15, 16.

When the lid member 4 is placed over the folding container assembly, the underside of the lid member 4 abuts against and is supported by the upper edge (upper edge base protrusion 35) of the long side base portion 13 of each container 2, and the predetermined anti-rattle protrusions 53 are inserted between the pair of long side base portions 13 of each container 2, and are configured to abut against or be positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the long side base portion 13 of each container 2.

3 and 5, the upper edge of the short side wall 16 is provided with a sidewall recess 61 that opens upward and penetrates in the inward and outward direction of the container 2 (thickness direction of the short side wall 16). The sidewall recess 61 is provided in a range including the restricting wall 21 of the long side wall 15 and the restricted wall 24 of the short side wall 16 (a portion including the lateral end of the short side wall 16) such that at least a portion of the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess 61 is formed by the restricting wall 21 and the restricted wall 24. That is, each sidewall recess 61 is provided across the long side wall 15 (restricting wall 21) and the short side wall 16 (restricted wall 24).

Further, the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess 61 formed by the regulating wall 21 and the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess 61 formed by the regulated wall 24 are provided on approximately the same plane extending in an approximately horizontal direction. As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, the sidewall recess 61 extends to a portion of the upper edge portion of the short side sidewall 16 that is connected to the regulated wall 24. Further, each sidewall recess 61 in this embodiment is formed in such a manner that the corresponding portion of the sidewall upper edge protrusion 29 is omitted, and in the sidewall recess 61 of the short side sidewall 16, a lower portion of the upper edge portion of the short side sidewall 16 that is located on the outer side of the container 2 is extended to the inner surface of the short side sidewall 16, and the upper edge portion extends continuously with the upper edge portion of the regulated wall 24.

6 and 7, the sidewall upper edge protrusion 29 of the long side sidewall portion 15 extends to the side end of the long side sidewall portion 15 to which the regulating wall portion 21 is connected. In particular, in this embodiment, the portion of the sidewall upper edge protrusion 29 of the long side sidewall portion 15 that defines the inner surface of the sidewall recess 61 is made thicker than the other portions. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the inner surface of the sidewall recess 61 formed by the sidewall upper edge protrusion 29 of the long side sidewall portion 15 and the sidewall upper edge protrusion 29 of the short side sidewall portion 16 extends at an angle so that the sidewall recess 61 gradually becomes wider toward the top (the upper end is rounded).

As shown in FIG. 5, the insertion holes 22 provided in the regulating wall 21 and the insertion protrusions 25 inserted into the insertion holes 22 are disposed in the vertically lower region of the sidewall recess 61. In this embodiment, three insertion holes 22 are provided in each regulating wall 21 (three insertion protrusions 25 in each regulated wall 24), all of which are disposed in the vertically lower region of the sidewall recess 61 (the three insertion holes 22 provided in each regulating wall 21 all have the same width, and the three insertion holes 22 are disposed at the same position in the width direction of the short side wall 16).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, two containers 2 (the two containers 2 on the left side in FIG. 10) are installed side by side in the short width direction of the pallet 3 with the short side edge of the bottom wall component 11 extending along one of the short sides of the pallet 3. The side wall recess 61 (hereinafter also referred to as the "functional side wall recess 62") provided in the short side side wall portion 16 near the center of the longitudinal width direction of the pallet 3 is located in the central region 63, which is the central region when the longitudinal width of the pallet 3 is divided into thirds.

As shown in Figures 9, 11 to 13, when the lid member 4 is placed over the assembled container assembly 51, the specific rattle prevention protrusion 64, which is a rattle prevention protrusion 53 that is longer than the thickness of the short side sidewall portion 16 in the thickness direction of the short side sidewall portion 16 in which the functional sidewall recess 62 is provided, is inserted into the sidewall recess 61 (functional sidewall recess 62) located in the central region 63 so as to penetrate the short side sidewall portion 16 in the inside-outside direction of the container 2.

Although not shown, the storage unit 1 is bound by a cable tie as a means for preventing relative displacement. That is, a pallet side band hooking portion 65 is provided on the side of the upper deck portion 44 of the pallet 3, corresponding to the center of the width direction of the opening of each fork insertion portion 46. Furthermore, a lid side band hooking portion 66 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lid member 4 at a position corresponding to the pallet side band hooking portion 65 in the circumferential direction of the lid member 4. The storage unit 1, which is formed by placing the assembled container assembly 51 on the pallet 3 and covering it with the lid member 4, is bound by wrapping a cable tie around the fork insertion portion 46 of the pallet 3 and the upper surface side of the lid member 4.

As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, the anti-rattle protrusion 53 is provided on the lid member 4, so that the relative displacement in the horizontal direction between the multiple containers 2 and the lid member 4 can be suppressed. Furthermore, with respect to the configuration in which the sidewall recess 61 is inserted into the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64, relative displacement between the short side sidewall portion 16 and the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 (lid member 4) is permitted in the thickness direction of the short side sidewall portion 16 in which the sidewall recess 61 is provided. In other words, interference between the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 and the short side sidewall portion 16 is avoided in the thickness direction of the short side sidewall portion 16 in which the sidewall recess 61 is provided, and as a result, collision or pressure contact between the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 and the short side sidewall portion 16 is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 and the short side side wall portion 16 collide or press against each other (a relatively large force acts instantaneously on the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 and the short side side wall portion 16), thereby releasing the connection state (regulated state by the regulating means) between the long side side wall portion 15 and the short side side wall portion 16 due to the uneven fitting of the insertion hole portion 22 and the insertion protrusion 25, and it is also possible to prevent damage to the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64, the long side side wall portion 15 and the short side side wall portion 16 (the regulating wall portion 21, the insertion hole portion 22, the regulated wall portion 24, the insertion protrusion 25, the locking mechanism 26, etc.). Furthermore, with this configuration, although the provision of the anti-rattle protrusions 53 is highly effective in preventing relative displacement between the assembled-container assembly 51 and the lid member 4, the specific anti-rattle protrusions 64 can also be disposed in locations (such as corners of the container 2 close to the restricting wall portion 21) where problems are likely to occur due to the anti-rattle protrusions 53 contacting the short-side sidewall portions 16 (long-side sidewall portions 15). Furthermore, compared to the case where the specific anti-rattle protrusions 64 are omitted, the specific anti-rattle protrusions 64 can prevent relative displacement in the lateral width direction of the short-side sidewall portions 16 on which the sidewall recesses 61 are provided. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 can come into contact with the inner bottom surface or inner side surface of the sidewall recess 61, when the lid member 4 and the container 2 are displaced relative to each other in the thickness direction of the short side sidewall portion 16 on which the sidewall recess 61 is provided, the momentum of the relative displacement is suppressed by the frictional force generated when the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 slides against the sidewall recess 61, and the impact when the other anti-rattle protrusions 53 then come into contact with the sidewall portions 15 and 16 can be mitigated.

In particular, when the storage units 1 are stacked on top of each other for transport, etc., it is conceivable that a relatively large force acts on the assembled container assembly 51 from the lid member 4 in the substantially horizontal direction in the lower storage unit 1. In such a usage situation, interference between the side wall portion (short side wall portion 16) of the container 2 and the anti-rattle protrusion 53 (specific anti-rattle protrusion 64) of the lid member 4 is suppressed, and the effect of preventing the release of the connection between the long side side wall portion 15 and the short side side wall portion 16 while preventing damage to the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 and the side walls 15, 16 is more prominently achieved.

Furthermore, if the mounting surface 47 of the pallet 3 on which the assembled container assembly 51 is placed is partially deformed and tilted, etc., there is a concern that the impact of the anti-rattle protrusion 53 colliding with or pressing against the side wall portions 15, 16 will be relatively large for the portion of the container 2 that is placed at the portion where the deformation has occurred. More specifically, the portion of the fork insertion portion 46 that corresponds to the central region 63 is relatively prone to bending, and there is a risk of deformation occurring on the mounting surface 47. If a corner of the container 2 (such as the restricting wall portion 21) is located in the central region 63 and the anti-rattle protrusion 53 is located in a portion near the corner, there is a concern that if the anti-rattle protrusion 53 comes into contact with the corner of the container 2 during transportation of the storage unit 1, a relatively large force that deforms and rotates the corner of the container 2 (and thus the restricting wall portion 21, etc.) will be applied. This may cause the side walls 15, 16 to become disconnected from each other via the insertion hole 22 and the insertion protrusion 25, etc., or may damage the side walls 15, 16 (the restricting wall 21 and the restricted wall 24, etc.).

In this regard, by arranging the sidewall recess 61 and the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 in the portion of the container 2 that is placed in the area where deformation of the placement surface 47 is likely to occur (the central region 63 of the pallet 3), interference between the anti-rattle protrusion 53 (specific anti-rattle protrusion 64) and the short side sidewall portion 16 can be more effectively avoided, and the effect of suppressing damage to the regulating wall portion 21 and the regulated wall portion 24, etc. while avoiding the release of the connection state of the sidewall portions 15, 16 is more prominently achieved. In addition, the storage unit 1 is bound with a cable tie, and the relative displacement between the lid member 4 in the thickness direction of the short side sidewall portion 16 where the sidewall recess 61 is provided and the assembled container assembly 51 can be relatively flexibly prevented.

In addition, when the container 2 constituting the assembled container assembly 51 to be covered with the lid member 4 is a different container of a different size or shape, it is possible that the rattle-preventing protrusions 53 formed to match a specific container may come into contact with the upper edge of a specific side wall portion (e.g., short side wall portion 16) of the other container 2, making it impossible to cover the lid member 4 (the lid member must also be prepared separately). In this regard, by providing a side wall recess 61 on the other container 2, it is possible to allow the rattle-preventing protrusions 53 (specific rattle-preventing protrusions 64) arranged crosswise above the short side wall portion 16 to be inserted into the inner space of the container 2, making it possible to cover the lid member 4. This allows the lid member 4 to be used for multiple types of containers 2 in common, improving convenience and saving resources.

In addition, the sidewall recess 61 is provided across the long side sidewall portion 15 (the restricting wall portion 21) and the short side sidewall portion 16 (the restricted wall portion 24 and the portion connected thereto), and the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess 61 is formed by the long side sidewall portion 15 and the short side sidewall portion 16, and the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess 61 formed by the restricting wall portion 21 and the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess 61 formed by the short side sidewall portion 16 are provided on approximately the same plane. Therefore, for example, when the specific rattle prevention protrusion 64 of the lid member 4 is pressed against the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess 61, the force received from the specific rattle prevention protrusion 64 can be suitably distributed to the long side sidewall portion 15 and the short side sidewall portion 16. Therefore, damage to the container 2 can be prevented. Furthermore, for example, if the specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 is pressed against the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess 61 and a force acts only on one of the long side sidewall portion 15 (regulating wall portion 21) and the short side sidewall portion 16, if deformation occurs on that one side, one of the insertion hole portion 22 (its surrounding portion) and the insertion protrusion 25 provided in the vertically lower region of the sidewall recess 61 will be displaced relative to the other, and there is a concern that the locked state will be released or the insertion hole portion 22 (its surrounding portion) and the insertion protrusion 25 will be damaged or deformed. In contrast, according to this embodiment, when the specific anti-rattle projection 64 is pressed against the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess 61, a force acts on both the long side sidewall portion 15 (regulating wall portion 21) and the short side sidewall portion 16, and even if some deformation occurs in both the long side sidewall portion 15 (regulating wall portion 21) and the short side sidewall portion 16, the insertion hole portion 22 and the insertion protrusion 25 are each displaced in the same manner, thereby suppressing relative displacement between the insertion hole portion 22 and the insertion protrusion 25. Therefore, the locked state of the insertion hole portion 22 and the insertion protrusion 25 can be stabilized, and damage to the insertion hole portion 22 and the insertion protrusion 25 can be prevented.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be implemented as follows. Of course, other applications and modifications not exemplified below are also possible.

(a) In the above embodiment, three containers 2 are placed horizontally on the pallet 3, but this is not limited to a particular configuration and can be modified as appropriate depending on the shape and size of the pallet and containers. Furthermore, the multiple containers placed on the pallet 3 do not all need to be the same shape and size; as long as they are all the same height and have suitable sidewall recesses 61, containers of different sizes and shapes can be placed on the pallet 3 to form a unit.

In the above embodiment, the shape and arrangement of the rattle prevention protrusions 53 (specific rattle prevention protrusions 64) of the lid member 4 are not particularly limited, and can be changed as appropriate according to the arrangement and shape of the containers 2 constituting the assembled container assembly 51 to which the lid member 4 is covered. However, it is preferable that the specific rattle prevention protrusions 64 are provided in the upper deck section 44 near the middle column section 42 of the pallet 3, which is relatively prone to deformation, or in the vicinity thereof, and it is also preferable that the specific rattle prevention protrusions 64 are configured to be relatively long (e.g., more than twice the thickness of the short side side wall section 16) in the thickness direction of the short side side wall section 16 in which the corresponding side wall recesses 61 are provided. Furthermore, for example, a specific rattle prevention protrusion 64 may be configured to be inserted into the side wall recesses 61 of two containers 2 arranged side by side in the horizontal direction (adjacent to each other).

(b) In the above embodiment, when the assembled container 2 is folded, the short side wall 16 is configured to assume the folded position before the long side wall 15. However, the long side wall 15 may be configured to assume the folded position before the short side wall 16. When this configuration is adopted, the regulating wall 21 is provided on the short side wall 16. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the regulating wall 21 is provided with the insertion hole 22, and the regulated wall 24 of the short side wall 16 is provided with the insertion protrusion 25. However, the regulating wall 21 may be provided with an insertion protrusion, and the regulated wall 24 may be provided with an insertion hole that opens to the outside of the container 2 (it is preferable not to open to the inside of the container 2).

In the above embodiment, the sidewall recess 61 is provided at a position including the regulating wall 21 and the regulated wall 24. Alternatively or additionally, the sidewall recess 61 may be provided at a position different from the regulating wall 21 and the regulated wall 24. Furthermore, for example, the regulated wall 24 (and thus the insertion protrusion 25 and the insertion hole 22) may be omitted, the regulating wall 21 may be made to have the same thickness as the short side wall 16, and the long side wall 15 and the short side wall 16 may be connected by the locking mechanism 26 when the container 2 is assembled. At the connection portion between the short side wall 16 and the long side wall 15, a sidewall recess may be provided across the short side wall 16 and the long side wall 15. The locking mechanism 26 may also be omitted.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the side wall upper edge protrusion 29 and the base upper edge protrusion 35 may be omitted. When the side wall upper edge protrusion 29 is omitted, the side wall recess 61 is also adapted to the upper edge portion of the short side side wall portion 16 when such a configuration is adopted, and is formed in a concave shape that opens upward and penetrates in and out of the container 2.

(c) In the above embodiment, the side wall portions 15, 16 are embodied in a foldable container 2 in which they are connected to the bottom wall portion 11 so as to be rotatably displaceable, but it is also possible to embody, for example, an assembled container in which one or both of the side wall portions 15, 16 are detachably attached to the bottom wall portion 11. In addition, the removed side wall portions 15, 16 may be configured so that they can be stacked in a lying position on the bottom wall portion 11 (folded state), or one or both of the removed side wall portions 15, 16 may be configured so that they can be stored stacked separately from the bottom wall portion 11. Furthermore, it is also possible to embody a container in which the bottom wall component, the long side wall component, and the short side wall component are formed separately, and the long side wall component and the short side wall component are configured to be attached to the bottom wall component in an upright position, so that basically, when the long side wall component and the short side wall component are attached to the bottom wall component, they are not subsequently removed (cannot be removed). In addition, as long as at least one of the containers 2 placed on the pallet 3 is a foldable or collapsible container, and the container is configured to have a sidewall recess 61 in which a specific anti-rattle protrusion 64 is inserted, the other containers placed on the pallet 3 may be containers in which the bottom wall component and the sidewall component are integrally formed.

(d) In the above embodiment, the storage unit 1 is configured to include a pallet 3, multiple containers 2, and a lid member 4. However, instead of the pallet 3, it is also possible to use a relatively large tray-shaped container (dunage) capable of storing the lower parts of multiple containers 2. Furthermore, even in the case of omitting the pallet 3 and directly installing multiple containers 2 on an installation surface such as a floor or a loading platform, and covering the containers 2 with lid members 4, the side wall recess 61 and the specific rattle-stop protrusion 64 are provided to prevent the specific rattle-stop protrusion 64 from colliding with or pressing against the short side wall 16, thereby preventing adverse effects on the connecting mechanism between the side wall portions 15 and 16, and to standardize the lid member 4 to be covered by multiple types of containers 2, thereby achieving the effects of improving convenience and saving resources. Although not specifically mentioned in the above embodiment, when stacking the storage units 1, a unit stacking means for restricting the relative horizontal displacement between the storage units 1 (for example, a protrusion (or recess) on the top surface of the lid member 4 and a recess (or protrusion) on the ground surface 48 side of the pallet 3 fit together) may be provided.

In addition, although the pallet 3 in the above embodiment is embodied as a four-way insertion type pallet, it can also be embodied as a two-way insertion type pallet in which fork insertion parts 46 are provided corresponding to a pair of opposing sides. Also, in the lower deck part 45 of the above embodiment, caster openings (not shown) for allowing casters provided on the underside of the forks of the hand lift to touch the ground may be provided between the central column part and each corner column part 41.

(e) In the above embodiment, the pallet 3, container 2, and lid member 4 are made of polypropylene, but they may be made of other resin materials such as polyethylene, PET, polyamide, etc.

1... storage unit, 2... container, 3... pallet, 4... lid member, 11... bottom wall component, 15... long side wall portion, 16... short side wall portion, 21... regulating wall portion, 22... insertion hole portion, 23... locking engagement portion, 24... regulated wall portion, 25... insertion protrusion, 26... locking mechanism, 46... fork insertion portion, 51... assembled container assembly, 53... rattle prevention protrusion, 61... side wall recess, 62... functional side wall recess, 63... central region, 64... specific rattle prevention protrusion.

Claims (4)

A plurality of containers each including a bottom wall component having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view and a side wall component that is arranged upward along each side edge of the bottom wall component and can be in an upright position;
a lid member that is placed so as to cover a container assembly constituted by arranging a plurality of the containers in a horizontal direction,
the lid member includes anti-rattle projections that can be arranged in contact with or adjacent to the inner surfaces of the side walls of the containers constituting the container assembly when the lid member is placed over the container assembly;
the side wall portion of the container includes a pair of first side wall portions each in the upright position along a pair of opposing first side edges of the bottom wall component, and a pair of second side wall portions each in the upright position along a pair of opposing second side edges different from the first side edges of the bottom wall component, and includes a restricting means for restricting relative displacement between the first side wall portions in the upright position and the second side wall portions in the upright position,
A sidewall recess is provided on an upper edge of the sidewall, the sidewall recess being open upward and penetrating in an inward/outward direction of the container,
An article storage structure characterized in that, when the lid member is placed over the container assembly, a specific anti-rattle protrusion, which is a rattle-proof protrusion that is longer than the thickness of the side wall portion in which the side wall recess is provided in the thickness direction, is configured to be insertable into the side wall recess. the sidewall recess is provided across the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion, and an inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess is formed by the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion ,
2. The article storage structure according to claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the side wall recess extends at an incline so that the width of the side wall recess gradually increases upward. the side wall portions are configured to be capable of being displaced between the upright position and a folded position in which the side wall portions are folded toward a central portion of the bottom wall portion, and the container is configured to be capable of being placed in an assembled state in which all of the side wall portions are in the upright position and in a folded state in which all of the side wall portions are in the folded position;
one of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion protrudes from a side edge portion of its inner surface toward the inside of the container and includes an overlapping portion that overlaps with an outer surface side of the other of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion in an inward/outward direction of the container;
The overlapping portion is provided with a locking portion,
the other of the two is provided with a locked portion that is engaged with the locking portion in a thickness direction of the other of the two,
the restricting means is composed of the overlapping portion, a portion of the other of the two that faces the overlapping portion, the engaging portion, and the engaged portion;
the sidewall recess is provided such that at least a part of an inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess is constituted by a portion of the other side that overlaps with the overlapping portion and the overlapping portion, in a range including the overlapping portion and the other portion, and the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess constituted by the other portion and the inner bottom surface of the sidewall recess constituted by the overlapping portion are provided on approximately the same plane,
the locking portion and the locked portion are provided such that at least a portion of the locking portion is disposed in a vertically lower region of the side wall recess ,
One of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion includes a side wall upper edge protrusion,
The side wall upper edge protrusion extends to a side end portion to which the restricting means is connected,
The article storage structure described in claim 2, characterized in that a portion of the side wall upper edge protrusion of one of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion that defines the inner surface of the side wall recess is made thicker than other portions . The container assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and the lid member;
a pallet having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view on which the container assembly can be placed,
The pallet has fork insertion portions into which forks of a lift means having forks can be inserted, the forks corresponding to at least a pair of opposing side surfaces,
A storage unit characterized in that the side wall recess of at least one of the containers that constitute the container assembly is positioned in a central region, which is the central region when the width of the side of the pallet on which the fork insertion portion is provided is divided into thirds, and the specific anti-rattle protrusion is inserted into the side wall recess.

Images