JP7723967B2 - Folding container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a folding container in which the long and short side panels can be folded relative to the bottom frame or top frame of the base member, and casters are provided on the base member.

The long and short side panels of a folding container can be folded relative to the bottom or top frame. When storing items, the long and short side panels are assembled, and when not storing items, they are folded up. Another folding container can then be stacked on top of it to save space.

Patent Document 1 describes a folding storage cart 1 (folding container) in which upwardly extending handrails 34 are attached to the four corner members 33 of the upper frame section 30, and spacer members 16 with receiving portions 17 are attached to the corner members 13 of the lower fixed frame section 19. When stacking a storage cart 1 on a lower one, the handrails 34 of the lower storage cart 1 fit into the receiving portions 17 of the spacer members 16 of the upper storage cart 1, thereby preventing the upper stacked storage cart 1 from moving. Note that the names and symbols of the various parts of the folding storage cart 1 described in Patent Document 1 shall be used as is.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-23318

However, with the folding storage cart 1 described in Patent Document 1, the handle members 34 provided on the four corner members 33, 13 need to be fitted into the receiving parts 17, so alignment must be performed at all four points, making it difficult to accurately align the upper storage cart 1 with the lower storage cart 1 when stacking.

In particular, the storage cart 1 in Patent Document 1 is designed so that when folding, the worker reaches inside the storage cart 1 and pulls up the handle 55 on the short side panel 51, and the size of the storage cart 1 is estimated to be a maximum total length (length of the long side panel) of approximately 120 cm, a width (length of the short side panel) of approximately 80 cm, and a total height (height including casters) of approximately 60 cm.

Even if a storage cart 1 of this size can be folded by one worker, there is a problem in that stacking the storage carts 1 requires at least two workers due to the difficulty of aligning them as described above.

The object of this invention is to provide a folding container that allows for easy alignment of upper and lower folding containers when stacked, and that can utilize existing parts for alignment, thereby simplifying the structure.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 comprises a base member having a rectangular bottom frame, an upper frame located above the base member and having the same shape as the bottom frame, long side panels provided on the long side surfaces between the bottom frame and the upper frame so as to be rotatable relative to at least the bottom frame or the upper frame, short side panels provided on the short side surfaces between the bottom frame and the upper frame so as to be rotatable relative to at least the bottom frame or the upper frame, and casters provided on the base member, and a rotatable or collapsible handle is provided at a predetermined position on the upper frame, and the handle can be rotated or folded down relative to the upper frame to be positioned above the caster, so that when another folding container is stacked on top of it, the rotated or folded down handle acts as a wheel stop for the caster wheels of the other stacked folding container.

The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the folding container described in claim 1, the long side panels are divided into upper and lower panels, each with an upper side panel and a lower side panel, and the upper and lower side panels are foldable via hinges, and the short side panels are rotatably supported on the bottom frame and are also foldable.

The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in the folding container described in claim 1 or 2, a top plate is provided that covers the upper opening of the upper frame, and the top plate is rotatably supported on the upper frame via a hinge.

The invention described in claim 4 is the folding container described in claim 2, characterized in that the frame bodies that make up the frame of the side plate body are connected to each other via connecting elbows.

According to the invention described in claim 1, a rotatable or collapsible handle is provided at a predetermined position on the upper frame, and the handle can be rotated or folded relative to the upper frame to position it above the casters. When another folding container is stacked on top of another folding container, the rotatable or collapsible handle acts as a wheel stopper for the casters of the stacked folding container. This means that the handle can be used to stop the wheels of the casters of the folding container stacked on top, and using the handle makes it easy to position the wheels within the handle, making it possible for a single worker to stack folding containers.

According to the invention described in claim 2, the long side panels are divided into upper and lower halves, forming an upper side panel and a lower side panel, which are foldable via hinges, and the short side panels are rotatably supported on the bottom frame, allowing for a compact folded state and simplifying the folding process.

According to the invention described in claim 3, a top plate is provided that covers the upper opening of the upper frame, and the top plate is rotatably supported on the upper frame via hinges. This protects stored items from rainwater and allows the top plate to be opened when storing items, making storage easier.

According to the invention described in claim 4, the frame bodies are connected to each other via connecting elbows, which allows the frame bodies to be firmly connected to each other and improves the efficiency of the side plate assembly work.

1 is a front view showing a foldable container according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 1A and 1B are enlarged views of a rectangular handle, with FIG. 1A being a front view and FIG. 1B being a side view. FIG. This figure, together with Figures 7 to 9, is intended to explain the folding procedure of the foldable container, and shows the container in an assembled state. This shows one of the long side panels folded down. This shows the completed folding state. Shows a collapsed container stacked on top of another container. 11 and 12 show the specific structure of the side plate body, and this figure is a front view. FIG. 4 is an exploded enlarged view showing a corner of the side plate body. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 10.

The present invention will be described below based on the illustrated embodiment. Note that the side on which the long side panels 4 of the folding container 1 can be seen is referred to as the front.

Figures 1 to 12 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. The folding container 1 comprises a base member 2 having a rectangular bottom frame 20, an upper frame 30 located above the base member 2 and having the same shape as the bottom frame 20, long side panels 4 provided between opposing long side frame members 21 of the bottom frame 20 and long side frame members 31 of the upper frame 30, and short side panels 5 provided between opposing short side frame members 22 of the bottom frame 20 and short side frame members 32 of the upper frame 30.

The bottom frame 20 is provided with connecting members 23 that connect the centers of the opposing long-side frame members 21 on the left and right, and connecting members 23 that connect the centers of the opposing short-side frame members 22 on the front and rear. These frame members 21, 22 and connecting members 23 are made, for example, of rectangular hollow pipes made of aluminum alloy. Furthermore, reinforcing brackets 20a bent into an L shape are provided at each of the four corners of the bottom frame 20, and the upper edges of the reinforcing brackets 20a protrude above the top surface of the bottom frame 20.

Attached to the top surfaces of the two left and right long side frames 21 are auxiliary members 24 with approximately the same cross-sectional shape and length, ensuring space when the short side panels 5 are folded against the bottom frame 20.

Each frame 21, 22 of the bottom frame 20 has a deep channel groove that opens inward into the bottom frame 20, formed integrally on one side of the hollow pipe that makes up the frame, and a bottom plate 25 is attached to fit into this groove. This bottom plate 25 is made of, for example, plastic board (sometimes called "danpla") or Texel (registered trademark), and is lightweight. Depending on the cargo to be placed, the bottom plate can also be made of a mesh, which can further reduce weight.

Three caster mounting plates 26 are provided at both ends and approximately the center of the bottom frame 20 in the longitudinal (front-to-back) direction, spanning the longitudinal side frame 21 from below, forming the base member 2.

Fixed casters 27 are attached to both the left and right ends of the caster mounting plate 26 in the center of the base member 2, and swivel casters 28 are attached to the center of the caster mounting plate 26 in the short (left-right) direction at both the front and rear ends.

With one swivel caster 28 on each side at the front and rear, and one fixed caster 27 on each side of the center front and rear, the folding container 1 can be moved in both the front and rear directions and in left and right curved directions depending on the direction in which the worker pushes or pulls the folding container 1.

The upper frame 30 has approximately the same shape as the bottom frame 20, but the long and short frame members 31 and 32 do not have deep channels, and therefore no plastic boards or other boards are used. However, the two short frame members 32 have top panels 34 attached to them at laterally spaced positions via hinges 33, which open like doors in a plan view. Note that only one top panel 34 is shown in Figure 3; the others are omitted. The top panels 34 prevent rainwater from entering during transport. These top panels 34 are made of plastic board or other materials, reducing their weight. Furthermore, reinforcing brackets 30a bent into an L shape are attached to each of the four corners of the upper frame 30, with the lower edges of the reinforcing brackets 30a protruding below the underside of the upper frame 30.

A handle 35 is attached to the center of the top plate 34 near the opening edge, making it easy to open and close. The handle 35 is attached to the top plate 34 with screws, but it is preferable to provide a screw cover for waterproofing.

A handle 36 made of a roughly rectangular round bar is attached via a hinge 37 to the longitudinal center of the long side frame 31 of the upper frame 30. Specifically, one side of the rectangular handle 36 serves as a pivot axis 36a, and a receiving portion 38 that rotatably supports this pivot axis is attached to the long side frame 31 of the upper frame 30, thereby forming the hinge 37.

The rectangular handle 36 is rotatable between a horizontal position overlapping the top plate 34 and a nearly vertical position rotated 270 degrees to the opposite side.

The position where the rectangular handle 36 rotates upward and overlaps the top plate 34 coincides with the position of the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27 of the upper folding container 1 when another folding container 1 is stacked on top of this folding container 1.

The longitudinal side panels 4 cover two opposing longitudinal sides of the folding container 1. Two approximately equal-sized upper and lower side panels 41 are connected via hinges 42. Each of the two side panels 41 consists of a rectangular frame 43 and a panel 44 embedded in the frame 43. The frame 43 of each of these side panels 41 is a rectangular hollow pipe integrally formed with a deep channel groove, similar to the frames 21, 22, 31, and 32, and the panel 44 is made of plastic board or similar material.

The upper and lower side plates 41u, 41d are connected by the hinge 42 so that the outer sides of the connecting portions of the side plates 41u, 41d are folded in a valley shape.

By dividing the long side panel 4 into upper and lower side panels 41u, 41d, it is possible to fold several smaller panels rather than folding one large long side panel 4 onto the bottom frame 20 or upper frame 30. This reduces the folding operation, makes the folded state more compact, and simplifies the folding process.

The upper frame 43u of the upper longitudinal side panel 4 is rotatably attached to the longitudinal frame 31 of the upper frame 30 via a rubber hinge 45, and the lower frame 43d of the lower longitudinal side panel 4 is similarly rotatably attached to the longitudinal frame 21 of the bottom frame 20 via a rubber hinge 45. When the upper and lower side panels 41u, 41d are folded using the hinges 42, the two upper and lower rubber hinges 45 maintain the bottom frame 20 and upper frame 30 in a horizontal position. In this embodiment, the upper frame 43u and the longitudinal frame 31 are connected using a rubber hinge 45, but this is not limiting; several regular plate-shaped hinges or a long hinge of the same length as the frame 43u may also be used.

The upper and lower side plates 41u, 41d each have a rectangular hollow pipe reinforcing member 46 in the center in the front-to-rear direction, and these upper and lower reinforcing members 46, 46 have round recesses 47.

Specifically, the slide pin 47a of the drop-in section 47 is provided on the auxiliary member 46 of the upper side plate 41u, and the receiving member 47b is provided on the auxiliary member 46 of the lower side plate 41d (i.e., the drop-in section 47 is provided at the bending point when the upper side plate 41u and the lower side plate 41d are folded together). When the long side plate 4 is not folded, the slide pin 47a is dropped and inserted into the receiving member 47b, thereby locking the section.

By providing such round undercuts 47 on the upper and lower side plates 41u, 41d and locking them, the upper and lower side plates 41u, 41d can be prevented from folding.

In addition, by inserting a spacer member into the hinge 42, interference with the round drop 47 can be avoided when the upper and lower side plates 41u and 41d are folded.

The short side panels 5 cover two opposing short sides of the folding container 1 and consist of a rectangular frame 51 and a panel 52 embedded in the frame 51. Like the frames 21, 22, 31, and 32, the frame 51 is a rectangular hollow pipe integrally formed with a deep channel groove, and the panel 52 is made of plastic board or similar material.

The lower frame 51d of such a short side panel 5 is rotatably attached to the short side frame 22 of the bottom frame 20 via a rubber hinge 53. This rubber hinge 53 acts to tilt the short side panel 5 inward, preventing it from tilting outward.

When such a short side panel 5 is set upright (assembled), its upper frame 51u is adjacent to the short side frame 32 of the upper frame 30 from below, and the short side panel 5 is maintained in a vertical position by a short side panel locking means 54 provided in the center of the short side frame 32 of the upper frame 30.

Specifically, the short side plate locking means 54 has a handle 56 attached to the outer end of a support shaft 55 that passes through the short side frame 32 of the upper frame 30, and a lock plate 57 attached to the inner end, and an index plunger 58 attached to a position near the lower end of the lock plate 57.

The handle 56 is attached to the short-side frame 32 so as to extend downward, and the locking plate 57 is attached to the inner end of the support shaft 55. Both the handle 56 and the locking plate 57 are fixed to the support shaft 55, which is pivotally supported by the short-side frame 32, i.e., is rotatably supported. This allows the handle 56 and locking plate 57 to swing like a pendulum around the support shaft 55 relative to the short-side frame 32.

The locking plate 57 is longer than the width dimension of the upper frame body 51u of the short side panel 5, and the handle 56 is even longer than the locking plate 57.

The distance between the handle 56 and the locking plate 57 is slightly larger than the width of the upper frame body 51u of the short side panel 5.

Then, with the handle 56 and locking plate 57 horizontal and aligned with the short-side frame 32, the short-side plate 5 is set upright, and in this state, the handle 56 and locking plate 57 are vertically aligned to clamp the rotating end of the short-side plate 5.

When the handle 56 and lock plate 57 are positioned vertically, a lock hole 51h is formed in the position of the short side frame 32 that corresponds to the tip of the index plunger 58. By fitting the tip of the index plunger 58 into this lock hole 51h, the lock plate 57 is maintained in a horizontal position.

Although not shown in the figure, when the lock plate 57 is in a horizontal position, a hole is formed in the short side frame 32 at the position where the tip of the index plunger 58 corresponds, and by fitting the tip of the index plunger 58 into this hole, the lock plate 57 is maintained in a horizontal position.

In addition, a vertically extending auxiliary member 59 is provided in the center of the left and right sides of the short side panel 5, and a handle 60 is attached to this auxiliary member 59, making it easy to open and close the short side panel 5.

Next, the folding and assembly procedures for the foldable container 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 6 to 9.

To fold the folding container 1, first rotate the top plate 34 upward to open the top of the folding container 1.

Next, the short side panel locking means 54 is released and the short side panel 5 is folded inward. The short side panel locking means 54 is released by pulling the tip of the index plunger 58 out of the lock hole 51h and rotating the lock plate 57. This operation is extremely simple, as it only requires opening the top panel 34 and then operating the short side panel locking means 54 located at the top of the short side panel 5.

The short side panels 5 can be folded simply by releasing the short side panel locking means 54 and then tilting them inward. Before folding the short side panels 5, the open top panel 34 is rotated to cover the top surface of the foldable container 1. Until one short side panel 5 has been completely folded, the other short side panel 5 cannot be folded by the short side panel locking means 54.

In addition, even when the short side panel locking means 54 is released and the two short side panels 5 are folded, the round notches 47 on the two long side panels 4 remain locked, so the two long side panels 4 remain freestanding and will not fold.

After one short side panel 5 has been folded, the other short side panel 5 is folded. The short side panel locking mechanism 54 prevents the other short side panel 5 from folding until the first short side panel 5 has been folded.

After folding the short side panels 5, the top panel 34 is rotated to cover the top surface of the folding container 1.

In addition, even when the short side panel locking means 54 is released and the two short side panels 5 are folded, the round notches 47 on the two long side panels 4 remain locked, so the two long side panels 4 remain freestanding and will not fold.

Next, the round stop 47 on one of the long side panels 4 is removed and the long side panel 4 is folded down. At this time, the worker holds the rectangular handle 36 at the top of the upper frame 30 with one hand and unlocks the round stop 47 with the other. However, because the long side panel 4 is supported with one hand, the folding action of the long side panel 4 can be suppressed.

Even if the lock on the round notch 47 on one side panel 4 is released, the round notch 47 on the other side panel 4 remains locked, so the other side panel 4 remains freestanding and the folding of the other side panel 4 is not yet complete, preventing it from folding unintentionally and pinching hands, feet, etc.

Next, the round stopper 47 on the other long side panel 4 is removed and that long side panel 4 is folded down. In this case, just as when folding down one of the long side panels 4, the worker holds the rectangular handle 36 at the top of the upper frame 30 with one hand and unlocks the round stopper 47 with the other. Again, because one hand is supporting the rectangular handle 36, the panel does not fold suddenly, eliminating the risk of hands or feet getting caught.

In addition, the two left and right longitudinal side panels 4 can be folded one side at a time, allowing the folding work to be performed by a single worker. Furthermore, even for containers larger than the container shown in Patent Document 1, folding and assembly work can be performed by a single worker.

Rotate the rectangular handle 36 at the top of the long side panel 4 upward to a horizontal position. At this time, the upper frame 30 is covered by the top panel 34, so the rectangular handle 36 is positioned above the top panel 34.

After completing the folding of a folding container 1 in this way, when stacking another folding container 1, the upper folding container 1 can be easily positioned by positioning the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27 of the upper folding container 1 within the rectangular handle 36. Furthermore, to position the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27 on the rectangular handle 36, the folding container 1 to be stacked on top of the folding container 1 below it is placed on top of the folding container 1 below, and then the folding container 1 to be stacked is pushed forward so that the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27 climb over one edge of the rectangular handle 36, and can be easily positioned within the rectangular handle 36. This operation can also be easily performed by a single worker.

The procedure for assembling the folding container 1 is roughly the reverse of the folding procedure described above.

First, the stacked folding containers 1 are lowered. This is done by grasping the folding container 1 from the short side panel 5 and pulling it. When the folding container 1 is pulled forward or backward, the wheel 27a of the fixed caster 27 located on the rectangular handle 36 of the lower folding container 1 climbs over one piece of the handle 26, allowing it to be pulled down.

Next, grab the rectangular handle 36 of one of the long side panels 4 with one hand and pull it upward, stretching the two folded side panels 41u and 41d until they are flush. Keeping the hand holding the rectangular handle 36, lock the round drop 47. This prevents the long side panel 4 from folding even if you let go of the hand holding the rectangular handle 36.

Moving to the other long side panel 4, the other long side panel 4 is also stretched and made flush in the same way as the first long side panel 4. In this state, the two round drops 47 each act to prevent the long side panel 4 from folding, so the worker can let go of them.

Because the two long side panels 4 are self-supporting, the two short side panels 5 can be assembled separately without needing to support other components.

Then, rotate the short side panel 5 to stand it upright. At this time, the upper edge (rotating end) of the short side panel 5 abuts against the reinforcing bracket 30a attached to the upper frame 30, preventing further rotation.

Next, the top plate 34 is rotated to open the top surface of the folding container 1, making it possible to operate the index plunger 58 of the short side plate locking means 54 provided inside the short side frame 32.

Since the locking plate 57 of the short side plate locking means 54 is in a horizontal position, pull the knob on the index plunger 58 to rotate the locking plate 57 and bring it to a vertical position.

As a result, the upper frame 51u of the short side panel 5 is sandwiched between the handle 56 and the lock plate 57, and the tip of the index plunger 58 fits into the lock hole 51h formed in the upper frame 51u, thereby locking the panel into place.

In this way, the index plunger 58 that locks the lock plate 57 is located inside the short side frame 32. Therefore, the short side plate locking means 54 cannot be operated unless the top plate 34 is opened to expose the top surface of the folding container 1. As long as the top plate 34 is closed and locked, the short side plates 5 cannot be folded, and therefore, any cargo loaded inside the folding container 1 cannot be removed.

Figures 10 to 12 show an example of the specific structure of the side plate body 41. The upper frame 30 and the short side plate 5 may also be formed with a similar structure.

The frame 43 of the side plate 41 consists of connecting elbows 70 made of synthetic resin at the four corners, a hollow frame body 71 that connects the upper and lower or left and right connecting elbows 70, and triangular corner members 72 attached to the inner corners of the frame body 71 where they intersect at right angles.

The connecting elbow 70 consists of a cubic corner member 70a and fitting members 70b that protrude integrally from two perpendicular faces of the corner member 70a and fit onto the ends of the frame body 71.

The frame body 71 consists of a hollow square pipe 71a and a groove portion 71b that protrudes from one side of the square pipe 71a and forms a deep channel groove.

The frame body 43 is formed by fitting the ends of the square pipes 71a of the frame body 71 into the two fitting members 70b of each connecting elbow 70.

When fitting the connecting elbow 70 to the frame body 71, a recess 71d is formed in one of the grooves 71b (the perpendicular frame body 71) to prevent interference between the grooves 71b of the two perpendicular frame bodies 71, and the grooves 71b of the frame bodies 71 are connected to each other. The grooves 71b may also be cut at an angle to prevent interference between the ends of the grooves 71b of the frame body 71.

The triangular corner member 72 is formed from a plate with a thickness approximately equal to the spacing between the grooves 71b of the frame body 71, and is inserted into the corner formed by the grooves 71b of the two frame bodies 71 when the two frame bodies 71 are fitted into the connecting elbow 70.

The panel 44 is roughly rectangular overall, but the corners 44a are cut diagonally so as not to interfere with the triangular corner members 72 when assembled into the frame body 43, and its thickness is formed to be approximately the same as the spacing between the grooves 71b of the frame body 71.

Two small holes 72a are formed in the triangular corner member 72, and small holes 71c are formed near both ends of the groove portion 71b. When the triangular corner member 72 is inserted into the groove portions 71b at the four corners of the frame body 43, the small holes 72a in the triangular corner member 72 and the small holes 71c in the groove portions 71b are connected.

The triangular corner member 72 is attached to the frame body 43 by inserting the triangular corner member 72 into the groove 71b of the two orthogonal frame bodies 71 and then inserting and fastening screws 73 into the small holes 71c and 72a. This firmly joins the two orthogonal frame bodies 71 with the connecting elbow 70 and the triangular corner member 72. Note that the triangular corner member 72 does not have to be triangular; it can also be trapezoidal. Also, while the triangular corner member 72 is attached with screws, it is not limited to this and can also be attached with rivets.

To assemble the side panels 41, first connect the three frame bodies 71 to the three connecting elbows 70, then attach triangular corner members 72 to each corner to create a U-shaped frame body 43. Then, insert and slide the panels 44 into each groove 71b from the open side of the U-shape.

At this time, because each corner of the U-shaped frame body 43 is firmly joined by the connecting elbows 70 and triangular corner members 72, the U-shaped opening end of the frame body 43 does not open, allowing the panel 44 to be smoothly inserted and slid into the groove portion 71b.

Next, the side plate 41 is formed by connecting a frame body 71 equipped with a connecting elbow 70 and a triangular corner member 72 to the opening side of the U-shaped frame body 43. Furthermore, the side plate 41 can be further strengthened by screwing the periphery of the panel 44, particularly the longitudinal edge, into the groove 71b at appropriate positions.

In this way, by connecting the two frame bodies 71 together using the connecting elbow 70 and further attaching the triangular corner member 72, the two frame bodies 71 can be firmly connected at an accurate right angle, and the efficiency of the side plate body 41 assembly work can be improved.

Note that the mounting structure of the triangular corner member 72 to the corners and the mounting structure of the panel 44 to the frame body 71 are not limited to those described above, and various structures (1) and (2) are possible.

For example, (1) grooves may be formed on the panel 44 side of the triangular corner member 72, and the corners of the panel 44 may be inserted into these grooves. In this case, the four corners of the panel 44 are inserted into the triangular corner member 72, so the periphery of the panel 44 does not need to be inserted into the grooves 71b of the frame body 71. Of course, the periphery of the panel 44 may also be inserted into the grooves 71b as described above.

When the panel 44 is inserted into the groove provided in the triangular corner member 72, the panel 44 may be screwed into the groove 71b of the triangular corner member 72 as described above.

Alternatively, (2) the triangular corner member 72 may be made thinner and inserted into the groove 71b together with the panel 44 and screwed in place. In this case, the periphery of the panel 44 will fit loosely into the groove 71b of the frame body 71 with a slight gap, so it is preferable to fill it with material or screw it in place. In this case, it is optional whether the triangular corner member 72 is positioned on the outside or inside of the side plate body 41.

As described above, in the folding container 1 according to the present invention, the rectangular handle 36 is positioned above the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27. This means that the rectangular handle 36 can be used to block the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27 of the folding container 1 stacked on top. Furthermore, using the rectangular handle 36 makes it easy to position the wheels 27a within the rectangular handle 36, making it possible for a single worker to stack the folding containers 1.

In the above embodiment, the wheels of the casters are the wheels 27a of the fixed casters 27, which limits the direction of rotation to one direction, allowing for more stable positioning. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and wheels such as swivel casters 28 or direction-restricted casters with restricted direction may also be positioned.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a rectangular handle 36 was described as a wheel stopper for the caster wheels, but the present invention is not limited to this. A handle that is bent into a U-shape and has support shafts at both open ends may also be used as a wheel stopper.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the rectangular handle 36 was described as being rotatably attached to the upper frame 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. The handle may be a foldable handle that is movable in the vertical direction relative to the upper frame 30 and has a base end that bends when extended upward.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the top plate 34 can be opened and closed relative to the upper frame 30 via the hinge 33, but it may also be possible to separate the top plate 34 from the upper frame 30 by using a removable flag hinge that can separate the shaft and blades. The top plate may also be fixed, and in such a case, it may be similar to a bathtub cover, with its edges resting on the upper frame 30.

In the above embodiment, the folding containers 1 are stacked in a folded state, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the folding containers 1 can also be stacked in an assembled state.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the specific configuration is not limited to the above embodiment, and design changes that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. For example, the top panel may be fixed to the upper frame 30 (ceiling-fixed system). In this case, if at least one of the long side panels 4 or the short side panels 5 can be opened and closed freely, for example in a double-door configuration, it will be possible to store luggage inside the folding container 1.

Furthermore, the long side panel 4 is divided into upper and lower parts, with the upper side panel 41u rotatably attached to the upper frame 30, and the lower side panel 41d and the short side panel 5 rotatably attached to the bottom frame 20. However, this is not limited to this. The long side panel may not be divided, but may be a single piece rotatably attached to the bottom frame or upper frame, or the short side panel may be rotatably attached to the upper frame.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Foldable container 2 Base member 20 Bottom frame 26 Caster mounting plate 27 Fixed caster 27a Wheel 30 Upper frame 34 Top plate 36 Rectangular handle 4 Long side plate 41 Side plate body 41u Upper side plate body 41d Lower side plate body 43 Frame body 5 Short side plate 70 Connecting elbow 71 Frame body

Claims (4)

a base member having a rectangular bottom frame;
an upper frame located above the base member and having the same shape as the bottom frame;
a longitudinal side plate provided on a longitudinal side surface between the bottom frame and the upper frame so as to be rotatable with respect to at least the bottom frame or the upper frame;
a short side plate provided on a short side surface between the bottom frame and the upper frame so as to be rotatable with respect to at least the bottom frame or the upper frame;
casters provided on the base member;
A handle is provided at a predetermined position of the upper frame so as to be rotatable or foldable,
The handle is rotated or tilted relative to the upper frame to be positioned above the caster;
When another foldable container is stacked on top of the other foldable container, the rotatable or retractable handle serves as a wheel stopper for the casters of the other foldable container being stacked.
A foldable container characterized by: The longitudinal side plate is divided into an upper side plate body and a lower side plate body,
The upper side plate and the lower side plate are foldable via hinges,
The short side panels are supported rotatably relative to the bottom frame and are foldable.
2. The foldable container according to claim 1, wherein the foldable container is a folding container. a top plate covering an upper opening of the upper frame is provided;
The top plate is rotatably supported on the upper frame via a hinge.
3. The foldable container according to claim 1 or 2. The frame bodies constituting the frame body of the side plate body are connected to each other via connecting elbows.
3. The foldable container according to claim 2.