JP7743018B2 - container - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a container whose capacity can be changed by utilizing a raised sidewall.

Conventionally, a container of this type has been known in which a raised side wall is rotatably connected to the upper ends of each of the side walls, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping each side wall to an upright position standing on each side wall, and adjacent raised side walls can be connected to each other, thereby increasing the storage capacity (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2015-221688 A (FIGS. 1 and 3)

However, with the conventional containers mentioned above, when connecting adjacent raised side walls, the user is forced to perform the difficult task of holding the raised side walls in an upright position with one hand and moving only the fingers of one hand to connect the raised side walls with a connecting member. For this reason, there is a need for the development of a container that makes it easier to connect raised side walls than before.

A first aspect of the invention made to solve the above problems is a container that is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped with an open top, and has raised side walls rotatably connected to the upper ends of at least three or more side walls, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position in which they overlap each other to an upright position in which they stand on each side wall, and adjacent raised side walls can be connected to each other to increase the storage capacity, and the container is equipped with an upright holding mechanism provided on the raised side walls and the side walls that engage with each other when the raised side walls reach the upright position, thereby holding the raised side walls in the upright position.

Aspect 2 of the invention is a container as described in Aspect 1, in which the raised side wall is connected to the side wall so as to be rotatable and movable up and down, and is held in the upright position by the upright holding mechanism at the lower end position of the movable range, while the holding is released at the upper end position .

Aspect 3 of the invention is a container according to aspect 2, which is provided with side engagement portions provided on adjacent raised side walls, which engage with each other in an inseparable manner in any direction other than the vertical direction when slid up and down relative to each other.

Aspect 4 of the invention is a container described in any one of aspects 1 to 3, in which the plurality of raised side walls include composite raised side walls in which an extension portion is movably connected to an end of a main body portion that is rotatably connected to the side walls, and the extension portion moves between a standby position in which it overlaps the outer or inner surface of the main body portion and an extended position in which it extends laterally beyond the standby position of the main body portion.

A fifth aspect of the invention is the container according to the fourth aspect , wherein the upright holding mechanism is provided on the extension of the bulky side wall and on the side wall.

Aspect 6 of the invention is a container according to aspect 4 or 5, wherein the side wall is provided with a receiving recess for receiving the composite bulky side wall in the hanging position with the extension positioned in the standby position.

Aspect 7 of the invention is a container described in any one of aspects 4 to 6, in which the extension portion is rotatably connected around a rotation axis parallel to the rotation radius direction of the main body portion, and in the standby position, is superimposed on the outer surface of the main body portion in the upright position, and is sandwiched between the side wall and the main body portion in the hanging position of the composite bulky side wall.

In the container of aspect 1, the bulky side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping each side wall to an upright position standing on each side wall, and adjacent bulky side walls can be connected to each other, thereby increasing the storage capacity. Here, the bulky side walls and the side walls are provided with an upright holding mechanism that engages with each other when the bulky side walls are in the upright position and holds the bulky side walls in the upright position, making it easy to connect adjacent bulky side walls to each other.

Here, the upright holding mechanism may be provided with an elastic engagement portion that elastically deforms during the rotation of the raised side wall and elastically returns to its upright position when the raised side wall is in the upright position, or as in the configuration of aspect 2, the raised side wall may be connected to the side wall in a rotatable and vertically movable manner, and may be configured so that the raised side wall is held in the upright position at the lower end position of the upright movable range, while the holding position is released at the upper end position.

The structure for connecting adjacent raised side walls may be such that one raised side wall is provided with a horizontally pivoting engagement lever that engages with the other raised side wall, or an L-shaped cap that stands upright and fits onto the adjacent raised side wall from above. In addition, in the configuration of aspect 3, the structure may be such that adjacent raised side walls are provided with side engagement parts that engage with each other in an inseparable manner in any direction other than the vertical direction when slid vertically relative to each other.

Note that the upright retention mechanism does not have to be provided on all raised side walls and side walls. Furthermore, in the hanging position, the raised side walls may overlap either the inner or outer surface of the side walls.

In the container of aspect 4, the multiple raised side walls include a composite raised side wall that has a main body portion and an extension portion connected to it, and when not in use (including when in a hanging position or while rotating), the extension portion of the composite raised side wall can be placed in a standby position overlapping the main body portion, allowing for compact storage.

In the container of aspect 5, an upright retention mechanism is provided between the extension of the composite bulky side wall and the side wall, so that when the composite bulky side wall is in an upright position, the extension is stabilized in the extended position, and the connection between the composite bulky side wall and the adjacent bulky side wall is strengthened.

The composite bulky side wall of the container of aspect 6 is received in the receiving recess of the side wall when the extension is placed in the standby position and in a hanging position, so that it is protected from collision with other components and is prevented from being damaged.

The extension portion of the container of aspect 7 is rotatably connected to the main body portion, and when it is placed in a standby position and the composite bulky side wall is in a hanging position, it is sandwiched between the side wall and the main body portion, thereby preventing the extension portion from moving to the extended position by itself due to vibration, etc., and also hiding the extension portion behind the main body portion, giving it a simple appearance.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container in a raised state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Exploded perspective view of the container An exploded perspective view of a portion of the container An exploded perspective view of a portion of the container A perspective view of the top of the container side wall A perspective view of the extension of the container A perspective view of a container in an intermediate state between the raised state and the normal state. A perspective view of a container in an intermediate state between the raised state and the normal state. An enlarged perspective view of a corner portion of a container in an intermediate state between the raised state and the normal state. An enlarged perspective view of a corner portion of the container in a raised state A perspective view of the container in a normal state A perspective view of the container in the middle of being folded A perspective view of the containers stacked in layers Perspective view of the container

A container 10A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 14. As shown in Figure 1, the container 10A has a structure in which the horizontal middle portion of one side wall of an open-topped rectangular parallelepiped has been removed from the top end to a position near the bottom end, creating a front opening 16. The container 10A also has a rectangular planar shape, with the front opening 16 formed in the side wall on one of the long sides.

Hereinafter, when distinguishing between side walls, the side wall 14 having the front opening 16 will be referred to as the "front wall 14," the side wall 13 opposite it will be referred to as the "rear wall 13," and the remaining pair of side walls 15 will be referred to as the "lateral side walls 15." Furthermore, when there is no need to distinguish between these side walls, they will be referred to as "side walls 13-15."

The side walls 13-15 are hingedly connected to the bottom wall 11, and as shown in Figure 12, a pair of lateral side walls 15 can be folded onto the bottom wall 11, and then the rear and front walls 13 and 14 can be folded onto them to create a folded container like the container 10A at the top of Figure 13. More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, a pair of first banks 11A protrude from a pair of long sides of the outer edge of the bottom surface 11S, which is also the upper surface of the bottom wall 11, and a pair of second banks 11B, lower than the first banks 11A, protrude from a pair of short sides. A plurality of hinge legs 19 at the lower ends of the front and rear walls 14 and 13 are hingedly connected to the pair of first banks 11A, and a plurality of hinge legs 19 at the lower ends of the pair of lateral side walls 15 are hingedly connected to the pair of second banks 11B. Each side wall 13-15 rotates between an upright position and a horizontal position overlapping the bottom wall 11. When the container 10A is assembled, the pair of lateral side walls 15 are sandwiched between the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13. To collapse the container 10A, as described above, the pair of lateral side walls 15 are first folded onto the bottom wall 11, and then the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13 are folded down to overlap the pair of lateral side walls 15, as shown in FIG. 12 . The pair of lateral side walls 15 do not overlap each other in the horizontal position, while the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13 overlap each other in the horizontal position. Although not shown, a stacking protrusion is formed on the underside of the bottom wall 11, projecting inward from the outer edge in a stepped manner. As shown in Figure 13, when another container 10A is stacked on top of an assembled container 10A, the stacking protrusions of the upper container 10A fit inside the top opening of the lower container 10A, and when another container 10A is stacked on top of a folded container 10A, the stacking protrusions of the upper container 10A fit inside the pair of first bank portions 11A of the lower container 10A.

As shown in Figure 2, the lateral sidewall 15 has a pair of vertical ribs 20 and a pair of horizontal ribs 21, 22 on the outer surface of a flat main plate 15S that forms the entire inner surface of the lateral sidewall 15. The pair of vertical ribs 20 extend vertically on both sides of the main plate 15S, and one horizontal rib 21 extends along the lower edge of the main plate 15S, connecting the lower ends of the pair of vertical ribs 20. The aforementioned multiple hinge legs 19 hang down from the underside of the horizontal rib 21. The other horizontal rib 22 connects the pair of vertical ribs 20 at a position slightly above the center of the lateral sidewall 15 in the vertical direction. The tip surfaces of these vertical ribs 20 and horizontal ribs 21, 22 are flush.

As shown in FIG. 4, the upper ends of the pair of vertical ribs 20 are flush with the upper end of the main plate 15S, and a plurality of upright support portions 33 are provided between the upper ends of the pair of vertical ribs 20 at intervals in the horizontal direction of the horizontal side wall 15. Each upright support portion 33 has, for example, an open-topped rectangular parallelepiped shape. The upper surface of the upright support portion 33 is flush with the upper surfaces of the pair of vertical ribs 20 and the main plate 15S, and the front surface of the upright support portion 33 is flush with the tip surfaces of the vertical ribs 20 and horizontal ribs 21 and 22. Furthermore, long holes 34 extending in the vertical direction are formed in the opposing walls of adjacent upright support portions 33.

Although not shown, the outer surface of the rear wall 13 has a structure similar to that of the lateral wall 15. That is, the rear wall 13 has a pair of vertical ribs 20, horizontal ribs 21 and 22, multiple upright support portions 33, and elongated holes 34. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the front wall 14 has a pair of vertical ribs 20, horizontal ribs 21 and 22, multiple (two) upright support portions 33, and elongated holes 34, similar to those of the rear wall 13, on each side of the front opening 16.

A pair of side connectors 24 are provided on the outer surfaces of a pair of vertical ribs 20 of the horizontal side wall 15 facing opposite each other. The side connectors 24 are constructed by providing strips on both sides of the main plate 15S of the horizontal side wall 15, extending from the upper end of the horizontal side wall 15 to a position near the lower end (reaching the upper surface of the first bank portion 11A), with ribs 23 lower than the vertical ribs 20 protruding from the outer edge of the outer surface of the strips. Furthermore, the side connectors 24 are provided with multiple connecting protrusions 15A at multiple positions in the vertical direction, protruding to approximately the same height as the vertical ribs 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, both side edges of the inner surface of the front wall 14 and rear wall 13 are provided with engagement holes 13A into which multiple connecting protrusions 15A extend, and with multiple engaging protrusions 13C that abut the outer surface of the side connecting portion 24. Additionally, at the upper portions of both side edges of the front wall 14 and rear wall 13, portions of the front wall 14 and rear wall 13 are cut away in a cantilever shape to provide elastic engaging pieces 13B with protrusions on the inner surface of their tips. With the connecting protrusions 15A engaged in the engagement holes 13A, the elastic engaging pieces 13B engage with the inner surfaces of the side walls 15, maintaining the container 10A in the assembled state. When the elastic engaging pieces 13B are pressed to release their engagement with the inner surfaces of the side walls 15, the container 10A assumes the folded state described above.

As shown in Figure 1, the container 10A has raised side walls 30, 35, and 40 hingedly connected to the upper ends of the side walls 13-15. As shown in the figure, the raised side walls 30, 35, and 40 can be switched between a raised state in which they are in an upright position on the side walls 13-15, and a normal state in which they are in a hanging position overlapping the outer surfaces of the side walls 13-15, as shown in Figure 11. In the following explanation, the vertical direction of the raised side walls 30, 35, and 40 refers to the vertical direction in the upright position unless otherwise specified, and the detailed structure of the raised side walls 30, 35, and 40 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of raised side walls 35 of the front wall 14 are hingedly connected to the upper end of the front wall 14 on both sides of the front opening 16. As shown in FIG. 3, each raised side wall 35 has a structure with a reinforcing rib 35L on the outer surface of a flat main plate 35S located on the inner surface while standing on the front wall 14, and on its underside has one hinge leg 31 and a pair of underside protrusions 32 arranged side by side across the hinge leg 31. The pair of underside protrusions 32 form a box-like structure. The hinge leg 31 extends downward from the underside protrusion 32, and a pair of hinge projections 31P protrude from both side surfaces of the lower end of the hinge leg 31.

As shown in Fig. 9 , the lower ends of the hinge legs 31 are received between a pair of upright support portions 33 at each lateral end of the front wall 14, and a pair of hinge protrusions 31P (not shown) are engaged with the elongated holes 34 so as to be rotatable and vertically slidable. When the bulky side wall 35 is placed in an upright position at the upper end of its slidable range and then lowered directly downward as shown in Fig. 7 , the lower surface protrusions 32 of the bulky side wall 35 fit into the upright support portions 33 of the front wall 14 , thereby maintaining the bulky side wall 35 in an upright position, as shown in Fig. 9 . When the bulky side wall 35 is then lifted directly upward and tilted outward, it assumes a hanging position overlapping the outer surface of the front wall 14 as shown in Fig. 11 , and fits into the receiving recess 29 surrounded on all four sides by the pair of vertical ribs 20, the horizontal ribs 22, and the upright support portions 33 of the front wall 14.

The overall thickness of the bulky side wall 35 is slightly smaller than the overall thickness of the front wall 14, so that when the bulky side wall 35 is in an upright position, the entire bulky side wall 35 fits within the area directly above the front wall 14. That is, the inner surface of the bulky side wall 35 is flush with or slightly outboard of the inner surface of the front wall 14, and the outer surface of the bulky side wall 35 is flush with or slightly inboard of the outer surface of the front wall 14. When the bulky side wall 35 is in a suspended position, the entire bulky side wall 35 fits within the receiving recess 29 so as not to extend beyond the tip surfaces of the vertical ribs 20 and horizontal ribs 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, the raised side wall 30 of the rear wall 13 has a structure with reinforcing ribs on the outer surface of a strip-shaped main plate 30S extending laterally of the rear wall 13. Similar to the raised side wall 35, the lower surface has alternating lower surface protrusions 32 and hinge legs 31 on its underside, and a pair of side engagement portions 39 on both sides. Similarly to the raised side wall 35, the raised side wall 30 is hingedly connected to the upper end of the rear wall 13 so as to be slidable and rotatable. The lower surface protrusions 32 engage with the upright support portions 33, keeping the raised side wall 30 in an upright position and fitting into the area directly above the rear wall 13. When in a hanging position, the entire wall fits into the receiving recess 29 (not shown) of the rear wall 13.

As shown in Figure 2, the raised side walls 40 of a pair of lateral side walls 15 are composite raised side walls consisting of a main body 41 and a pair of extensions 51. Hereinafter, when the raised side walls 40 are to be distinguished from the raised side walls 30, 35, they will be referred to as "composite raised side walls 40." As shown in Figure 4, the main body 41 has a structure in which reinforcing ribs 41L are provided on the outer surface of a strip-shaped main plate 41S extending laterally of the lateral side wall 15, and on the underside, similar to the raised side walls 30, 35, lower surface protrusions 32 and hinge legs 31 are arranged alternately. Like the bulkhead side walls 30, 35, the main body 41 is hinged to the upper end of the lateral side wall 15 so that it can slide and rotate. The lower surface protrusion 32 fits into the upright support portion 33, keeping it in an upright position and fitting into the area directly above the lateral side wall 15. When in a hanging position, the entire body fits into the receiving recess 29 of the lateral side wall 15.

The pair of extensions 51 are hingedly connected to both sides of the main body 41 and have a rotation center axis extending in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 6(B), they rotate between a standby position where they overlap the outer surface of the main body 41 and an extended position (see FIG. 9(A)) approximately 180° away from there. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(A), the extensions 51 have a reinforcing rib 51L on the side of the rectangular, flat main plate 51S that faces the inner surface of the extensions 51 in the extended position. In addition, a pair of hinge protrusions 51T are formed on both the upper and lower ends of one side of the extensions 51 facing the main body 41, and a round, rod-shaped hinge bar 51M is inserted between the pair of hinge protrusions 51T.

In contrast, as shown in Figure 3, a hinge protrusion 41T is formed in the vertically middle portion of the side of the main body 41, and a hinge groove 41M extending in the vertical direction is formed in this hinge protrusion 41T. The cross section of the hinge groove 41M is a partially open circle. A hinge bar 51M is received in the hinge groove 41M, allowing the extension 51 to rotate relative to the main body 41.

Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the height of the strong ribs 41L at both left and right ends of the main body 41 is approximately half that of the middle portion. In contrast, a portion of the reinforcing rib 51L of the extension 51 has a stepped surface 51D midway through the thickness of the extension 51, and as shown in FIG. 6(B), when the extension 51 is placed in the standby position, one side of the stepped surface 51D fits inside the reinforcing rib 41L of the main body 41. At this time, the underside protrusion 32 of the extension 51 (described below) fits within the underside protrusion 32 of the main body 41. The combined thickness of the end of the main body 41 and the overlapping extension 51 is approximately the same as the thickness of the lateral middle portion of the main body 41 where the extension 51 does not overlap.

A lower protrusion 32 hangs down from the end of the underside of the extension 51 farthest from the center of rotation. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9A, when the extension 51 is positioned in the extended position and the composite bulky side wall 40 is lowered from the upper end of its range of sliding while remaining in an upright position, the lower protrusion 32 of the extension 51 engages with the upright support portions 33 at both lateral ends of the front wall 14 and the rear wall 13, as shown in FIG. 10A. As shown in FIG. 5, a partition wall 33K is provided inside the upright support portion 33 at the end of the front wall 14 closest to the lateral side wall 15, dividing the interior of the upright support portion 33 into an area where the lower protrusion 32 of the extension 51 fits and an area where the lower protrusion 32 of the bulky side wall 35 fits. Although not shown, the interior of the upright support portion 33 at the end of the rear wall 13 closest to the lateral side wall 15 is similarly configured.

As shown in Figure 6 (A), the extension 51 is provided with a side engagement portion 69 near the bottom projection 32. The side engagement portion 69 extends vertically and has a groove-shaped structure that opens to the bottom and the surface facing inward when the extension 51 is upright. The planar cross section of the internal space is T-shaped, and the maximum width of the internal space is greater than the opening width, forming a so-called dovetail shape. Furthermore, the aforementioned bottom projection 32 of the extension 51 has an L-shaped planar cross section, and a pair of orthogonal inner surfaces inside the L are flush with a pair of orthogonal inner surfaces within the side engagement portion 69.

As shown in Figure 8, when the bulky side walls 30, 35 are held in an upright position on the rear wall 13 and front wall 14, and the extension 51 is positioned in the extended position as described above and the composite bulky side wall 40 is positioned at the upper end of the range in which it can slide while in the upright position, as shown in Figure 9(B), the pair of inner surfaces of the lower projection 32 of the extension 51 abut against the pair of outer surfaces of the side engagement portions 39 of the bulky side walls 30, 35. When the composite bulky side wall 40 is lowered, as shown in Figure 10(B), the side engagement portions 39 of the bulky side walls 30, 35 slide into engagement with the side engagement portions 69 of the extension 51, connecting both ends of the composite bulky side wall 40 to the bulky side walls 30, 35.

This concludes the explanation of the configuration of the container 10A of this embodiment. Next, the effects of this container 10A will be described. The container 10A shown in Figure 11 is in an assembled state, in its normal state with all of the raised side walls 30 in a hanging position. When multiple containers 10A are stacked in this state, items can be loaded and unloaded into the containers 10A through the front openings 16 of the containers 10A on each level, allowing them to be used as product display shelves, warehouse racks, etc. (See the first container 10A from the bottom in Figure 13).

In some cases, products that are too tall to fit in the container 10A in its normal state can be accommodated by raising the container 10A. To change the container 10A from its normal state to its raised state, first, as shown in Figure 7, the raised side walls 30 of the rear wall 13 and the pair of raised side walls 35 of the front wall 14 are raised to their upright positions. To do this, as described above, the raised side walls 30, 35 are maintained in their upright position and lowered from the upper end position of their slidable range. Then, the lower surface protrusions 32 of the raised side walls 30, 35 engage with the upright support portions 33 of the rear wall 13 and front wall 14, respectively, maintaining the raised side walls 30, 35 in their upright position. In this case, either the raised side wall 30 or the pair of raised side walls 35 may be held in an upright position, or two of them may be held in an upright position at the same time with both hands.

Next, one of the composite bulky side walls 40 is rotated upward and out of the receiving recess 29, and the pair of extensions 51 are rotated from the standby position to the extended position (see Figures 14(A) and 14(B)). Then, similar to the bulky side walls 30 and 35, the composite bulky side wall 40 is maintained in an upright position and lowered from the upper end of its sliding range, as shown in Figure 8. Then, the lower protrusions 32 of the main body 41 of the composite bulky side wall 40 engage with the upright support portions 33 of the lateral side walls 15, while the lower protrusions 32 of one extension portion 51 engage with the upright support portions 33 of the rear side wall 13. Furthermore, the lower protrusions 32 of the other extension portion 51 engage with the upright support portions 33 of the front side wall 14, maintaining the composite bulky side wall 40 in an upright position. At this time, the side engagement portion 39 of the bulky side wall 30 of the rear wall 13 slides into engagement with the side engagement portion 69 of one extension 51, and the side engagement portion 39 of the bulky side wall 35 of the front wall 14 slides into engagement with the side engagement portion 69 of the other extension 51, connecting the composite bulky side wall 40 to the adjacent bulky side walls 35 and 30. If a similar process is performed on the other composite bulky side wall 40, all of the bulky side walls 30, 35, and 40 will be connected and rise above the side walls 13-15, resulting in the entire container 10A being in a bulky state. Furthermore, even in this bulky state, multiple containers 10A can be stacked. This allows the container to be used as a display shelf or rack for storing tall items (see the second container 10A from the bottom in Figure 13).

The container 10A can be returned to its normal state by reversing the above steps. Then, by pressing the elastic engagement pieces 13B of the container 10A from the inside in its normal state, the pair of lateral side walls 15 are folded down onto the bottom wall 11 as shown in Figure 12, followed by the rear side wall 13 and front side wall 14, thereby folding the container 10A into its folded state (see the first container 10A from the top in Figure 13). Furthermore, because the bulky side walls 30, 35, and 40 fit into the receiving recesses 29 of the side walls 13-15, the bulky side walls 30, 35, and 40 do not add bulk to the container 10A even when it is folded.

As described above, in the container 10A of this embodiment, the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 can be changed from a hanging position overlapping each of the side walls 13-15 to an upright position standing on each of the side walls 13-15, thereby connecting adjacent bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 together, thereby increasing storage capacity. Furthermore, the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 and the side walls are provided with lower surface protrusions 32 and upright support portions 33 (corresponding to the upright retention mechanism of the present disclosure) that engage with each other when the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 are in the upright position, thereby maintaining the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 in the upright position, making it easy to connect adjacent bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 together. Furthermore, in the container 10A of this embodiment, the composite bulky side wall 40 and the bulky side walls 30, 35 on either side of it have side engagement portions 39, 69 that slide and engage in the vertical direction and are inseparable in any direction other than the vertical direction, so the operation of holding the composite bulky side wall 40 upright and the operation of connecting the composite bulky side wall 40 to the bulky side walls 30, 35 can be performed in one operation.

The multiple bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 also include a pair of composite bulky side walls 40 each comprising a main body 41 and an extension 51 connected together. This allows the composite bulky side wall 40 to be longer in the horizontal direction, while the other bulky side walls 30, 35 can be correspondingly shorter in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the composite bulky side wall 40 that has been lengthened in the horizontal direction can also be shortened in the horizontal direction by folding the pair of extensions 51 so that they overlap the main body 41. This allows the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 to be stored in the receiving recesses 29 of the side walls 13-15 when not in use, making the container 10A compact in its normal state and protecting the bulky side walls 30, 35, 40 from collisions with other components, preventing damage. Furthermore, when the composite bulky side wall 40 is accommodated in the receiving recess 29, the extension 51 is disposed between the main body 41 and the lateral side wall 15, preventing the extension 51 from moving to the extended position due to vibration or the like, and the extension 51 is hidden behind the main body 41, resulting in a simple appearance. In addition, in the container 10A of this embodiment, an upright holding mechanism is provided between the extension 51 of the composite bulky side wall 40 and the rear side wall 13 and the front side wall 14 using the lower surface protrusion 32 and the upright support portion 33, so that when the composite bulky side wall 40 is in an upright position, the extension 51 is stabilized in the extended position, and the connection between the composite bulky side wall 40 and the adjacent bulky side walls 30, 35 is strengthened. Furthermore, in the container 10A of this embodiment, when the extension 51 is placed in the standby position, the lower surface protrusion 32 of the extension 51 fits within the lower surface protrusion 32 of the main body 41, as shown in Figure 6 (B), so the composite bulky side wall 40 can be maintained in an upright position while the main body 41 remains in the standby position.

In this embodiment, as described above, the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 (41, 51) are maintained in an upright position and lowered from the upper end position of their slidable range. This "upright position" is referred to as the "upright preparation position," and the "upright position" in which the lower surface protrusions 32 of the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 (41, 51) engage with the upright support portions 33 of the side walls 13-15, respectively, and the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 (41, 51) are maintained in an upright state is referred to as the "upright maintenance position," and these positions may be distinguished from one another.

Other Embodiments
(1) The upright holding mechanism is not limited to the configuration in which the lower surface protrusions 32 of the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 engage with the upright support portions 33 of the side walls 13 to 15 as in the above embodiment, but may be configured, for example, to have elastic engagement portions on the raised side walls or side walls that elastically deform during the rotation of the raised side walls and elastically return to their original position when the raised side walls assume an upright position.

(2) In the above embodiment, the lower surface protrusions 32 of the raised side walls 30, 35, and 40 were configured to fit inside the upright support portions 33 of the side walls 13 to 15. However, it is also possible to provide fitting holes that penetrate vertically at the bottom of the raised side walls 30, 35, and 40, and to have fitting protrusions that protrude upward from the side walls 13 to 15 engage with these fitting holes.

(3) Furthermore, in a structure in which the raised side wall overlaps the outer surface of the side wall in a hanging position, for example, a restricting protrusion is provided that protrudes from the outer edge of the upper surface of the side wall, and the raised side wall is held in an upright position supported by the restricting protrusion unless the raised side wall is moved to the upper end position of the sliding range. Also, in a structure in which the raised side wall overlaps the inner surface of the side wall in a hanging position, for example, a restricting protrusion is provided that protrudes from the inner edge of the upper surface of the side wall, for example, a similar structure can be used. Furthermore, regardless of whether the raised side wall overlaps the inner surface or the outer surface of the side wall, a restricting protrusion may protrude from both the inner edge and the outer edge of the upper surface of the side wall. Furthermore, multiple types of upright retention mechanisms may be used in combination.

(4) In the above embodiment, elongated holes 34 were provided on the side walls 13 to 15, and the hinge protrusions 31P on the raised side walls 30, 35, and 40 were slidably engaged therein. However, conversely, elongated holes may be provided on the raised side walls 30, 35, and 40, and hinge protrusions 31P may be provided on the side walls 13 to 15.

(5) In the above embodiment, the upright holding mechanism was provided between all of the side walls 13 to 15 of the raised side walls 30, 35, and 40, but the upright holding mechanism does not have to be provided between all of the raised side walls and the side walls.

(6) In the above embodiment, the composite bulky side wall 40 has an upright retention mechanism provided in both the main body portion 41 and the extension portion 51, but it may also be provided in only the main body portion 41 or only the extension portion 51.

(7) The structure for connecting adjacent raised side walls 30, 35, 40 is not limited to the structure including the side engagement portions 39, 69 described above. For example, it may be a structure in which a horizontally rotating engagement lever is provided on one of the adjacent raised side walls and engages with the other raised side wall, or a structure in which an L-shaped cap is used that is in an upright position and is fitted from above onto the adjacent raised side wall.

(8) The container 10A in the above embodiment was foldable and had a front opening 16, but the above-described upright holding mechanism may also be provided on containers that cannot be folded or that do not have a front opening and have bulky side walls.

(9) Furthermore, in the hanging position, the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 may overlap either the inner surface or the outer surface of the side wall.

(10) In the above embodiment, the raised side walls 30, 35, and 40 were entirely contained within the receiving recess 29 when in the hanging position, but they may also be configured so that a portion of them protrudes from the receiving recess 29.

(11) In the above embodiment, in a device equipped with an upright retention mechanism, some of the multiple raised side walls 30, 35, 40 were composite raised side walls 40. However, in a device not equipped with an upright retention mechanism, some or all of the multiple raised side walls may be composite raised side walls.

(12) In the above embodiment, an upright holding mechanism is provided between the extension 51 of the composite bulky side wall 40 and the rear side wall 13 and the front side wall 14 using the lower surface protrusion 32 and the upright support portion 33. However, instead of or in addition to this, an upright holding mechanism may also be provided between the extension 51 of the composite bulky side wall 40 and the lateral side wall 15 using the lower surface protrusion 32 and the upright support portion 33.

(13) In the above embodiment, when the raised side walls 30, 35, 40 are removed from the receiving recess 29 in a hanging position and placed in an upright position, they are rotated a certain amount (outward and upward), then slid upward while rotating further, and then slid downward. However, a structure in which they are first slid upward, then rotated (outward and upward), and then slid downward is also acceptable. In other words, the rotatable and vertically movable structure is not limited to the embodiment.

Note that while the present specification and drawings disclose specific examples of technology included within the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples and includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, as well as parts of the specific examples taken independently.

10A Container 13-15 Side walls 29 Receiving recess 30, 35 Raised side walls 32 Lower surface protrusion (standing holding mechanism)
33 Standing support part (standing holding mechanism)
39, 69 Side engagement portion 40 Composite bulky side wall 41 Main body portion 51 Extension portion

Claims (7)

A container having an open-topped rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, with at least three or more side walls each having a raised side wall rotatably connected to the upper end thereof, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping the outer surface of each side wall to an upright position standing on each side wall by connecting adjacent raised side walls together, thereby increasing the storage capacity.
an upright holding mechanism provided on the raised side wall and the side wall, which engages with each other when the raised side wall is in the upright position, thereby holding the raised side wall in the upright position;
a horizontal rib provided on an outer surface of the side wall and facing the elevated side wall in the hanging position from below;
an end rib protruding downward from the tip edge of the horizontal rib;
A container comprising: A container having an open-topped rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, with at least three or more side walls each having a raised side wall rotatably connected to the upper end thereof, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping the outer surface of each side wall to an upright position standing on each side wall by connecting adjacent raised side walls together, thereby increasing the storage capacity.
an upright holding mechanism provided on the raised side wall and the side wall, which engages with each other when the raised side wall is in the upright position, thereby holding the raised side wall in the upright position;
a receiving recess provided on an outer surface of the side wall, into which the entire raised side wall in the hanging position is accommodated;
A container comprising: A container having an open-topped rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, in which a pair of opposing first side walls can be folded inward, and then a remaining pair of second side walls can be folded, wherein a raised side wall is rotatably connected to each of the upper ends of four side walls consisting of the pair of first side walls and the pair of second side walls, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping the outer surfaces of each side wall to an upright position standing on each side wall, and adjacent raised side walls can be connected to each other, thereby increasing the storage capacity of the container.
Each of the raised side walls is connected to each of the side walls so as to be rotatable and movable up and down,
Each of the side walls and each of the raised side walls is provided with a concave-convex engaging portion that engages with the raised side wall while the raised side wall moves from an upper end position to a lower end position of the vertical movable range of the raised side wall to maintain the raised side wall in the upright position,
A container in which the concave-convex engaging portion of the bulky side wall connected to the first side wall can be engaged with both the concave-convex engaging portion of the first side wall and the concave-convex engaging portion of the pair of second side walls. A container having an open-topped rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, with at least three or more side walls each having a raised side wall rotatably connected to the upper end thereof, and the raised side walls can be changed from a hanging position overlapping each of the side walls to an upright position standing on each of the side walls, and adjacent raised side walls can be connected to each other, thereby increasing the storage capacity.
an upright holding mechanism provided on the raised side wall and the side wall, which engages with each other when the raised side wall is in the upright position to hold the raised side wall in the upright position;
The plurality of raised side walls include composite raised side walls having extensions movably connected to ends of a main body pivotally connected to the side walls,
The extension portion moves between a standby position where it overlaps the outer or inner surface of the main body portion and an extended position where it extends laterally from the main body portion beyond the standby position. The container according to claim 4, wherein the upright retention mechanism is provided on the extension of the raised side wall and the side wall. A container as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein the side wall is provided with a receiving recess that receives the composite bulky side wall in the hanging position when the extension is positioned in the standby position. A container as described in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the extension portion is rotatably connected to the main body portion about a rotation axis parallel to the rotation radius direction, and in the standby position, is superimposed on the outer surface of the main body portion in the upright position, and is sandwiched between the side wall and the main body portion in the hanging position of the composite bulky side wall.