JP7773249B2 - container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container used for transporting goods, etc.

Conventionally, containers used for transporting items have been known that include a generally rectangular bottom wall, a bottom wall component with bases that protrude upward along each side of the bottom wall, and side walls that are rotatably connected to the bases, and that can be assembled into a box-like shape that opens upward and can be folded by tilting the side walls above the bottom wall. There is also technology that makes the side walls and bottom wall component hollow and provides insulating material in the internal space to improve cold and heat retention (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-332037

However, when the container is assembled, items are placed inside, and the container is lifted by placing hands on the side walls, there is a concern that the connection mechanism that rotatably connects the side walls to the bottom wall component may become unstable or be damaged.

The present invention was made to solve the problems exemplified above, and its purpose is to provide a container that can protect the connection mechanism and stabilize the connection state.

Below, we will explain each means suitable for achieving the above objectives, etc., by item. Where necessary, we will also note the specific effects, etc., of the corresponding means.

Means 1. A bottom wall component including a bottom wall portion having a rectangular shape in a plan view and a base portion protruding upward along a side edge portion of the bottom wall portion;
The bottom wall portion has a side wall portion connected to the base portion of the bottom wall portion so as to be rotatable between an upright position in which the side wall portion is erected above each side edge portion of the bottom wall portion and a folded position in which the side wall portion is folded toward the center portion of the bottom wall portion,
A container that can be changed between an assembled state in which all of the side wall portions are in the upright position and a folded state in which all of the side wall portions are in the folded position,
a connecting mechanism that rotatably connects the side wall portion to the bottom wall constituent portion includes a side wall-side shaft portion provided on a side portion of the side wall portion, and a base-side shaft portion that is provided on the base portion and is fitted with the side wall-side shaft portion;
In the assembled state, an overlapping region is formed in which the outer surface side of the side wall portion and the inner surface side of the base portion face each other in a horizontal direction,
At least one pair of opposing side wall portions among the side wall portions and the base portion corresponding to the side wall portions include a side wall side engaging portion and a base side engaging portion that can be engaged with each other in a concave-convex manner in the horizontal direction when in the assembled state,
The container is characterized in that the side wall side engaging portion and the base side engaging portion are provided separately from the connecting mechanism and are provided in the overlapping region.

According to Measure 1, when the container is assembled, the side wall engaging portion and the base engaging portion engage horizontally in a concave-convex manner. This reduces the strain on the connecting mechanism that rotatably connects the side wall portion to the bottom wall component when an item is placed in the assembled container and the container is carried by holding onto the side wall portion where the side wall engaging portion is provided. This protects the connecting mechanism and stabilizes the connection between the side wall portion and the bottom wall component, preventing situations such as the side wall portion coming loose from the bottom wall component.

In addition, the side wall engaging portion and base engaging portion stabilize the connection between the side wall portion and the bottom wall component when the container is assembled, thereby simplifying the connection mechanism. Furthermore, because the connection mechanism is provided on the side of the side wall portion, it is possible to prevent a gap from forming between the bottom wall component and the lower edge of the side wall portion in an upright position.

Means 2. The side wall engaging portion is provided at least on the leading upright side wall portion of the side wall portions that is first set to the upright position when the container is changed from the folded state to the assembled state,
the base-side engaging portion provided on the base portion corresponding to the leading side wall portion includes a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion toward the inside of the container and has an upper surface that is flush with an upper surface of the base portion;
the leading sidewall portion has a stepped recess in the overlapping region that can accommodate a portion of the base portion that corresponds to the overlapping region,
the sidewall-side engaging portion is provided in the stepped recess and includes a recess that can receive the protrusion when the leading upright sidewall portion is in the upright position,
an upper edge of the stepped recess and an upper edge of the recess are located on the same plane;
A container as described in means 1, characterized in that when the leading side wall portion is in the upright position, the upper edge of the stepped recess and the upper edge of the recess are supported by abutting against the upper surface of the base portion and the upper surface of the protrusion.

According to Measure 2, when the folded container is reassembled, the leading side wall can be kept standing with only the leading side wall in an upright position. In particular, because the upper surface of the protrusion is flush with the upper surface of the base, even if the leading side wall in the upright position is slightly displaced inward of the container, the upper edge of the stepped recess in the leading side wall in the upright position also abuts against the upper surface of the protrusion and is supported. This prevents the leading side wall from shifting to the folded position due to only a slight displacement inward of the container, and improves the stability of the leading side wall in its self-standing state.

Means 3. The container comprises a container body having the bottom wall forming portion and each of the side wall portions and capable of changing between the assembled state and the folded state, and a lid body capable of closing an upper opening of the container body in the assembled state,
the lid body is configured to be able to be placed on an upper surface of the base portion of the container body in the folded state,
A container described in means 1 or 2, characterized in that the base side engagement portion has a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion toward the inside of the container and whose upper surface is flush with the upper surface of the base portion.

According to Method 3, by placing the lid on the assembled container body, the container's cold and warm insulation properties can be improved. The lid can also be placed on the folded container body, allowing the container to be compactly assembled with the container body and lid assembled as a set. Furthermore, by placing the lid on the folded container body, the underside of the lid is supported by abutting not only the upper surface of the base, but also the upper surface of the protrusion. Therefore, the lid can be stabilized when placed on the folded container body.

Means 4. Each of the side wall portions has an internal space, and a heat insulating member is provided in the internal space,
A container described in any one of means 1 to 3, characterized in that in the assembled state, the insulating member is arranged on at least one of the inner side of the container and the outer side of the container relative to the side wall side shaft portion and the base side shaft portion.

According to Measure 4, the connecting mechanism is provided on the side of the side wall, preventing a gap from forming between the bottom wall component and the bottom edge of the side wall in an upright position. Furthermore, since an insulating member is provided on at least one of the inside and outside sides of the container relative to the side wall-side shaft and base-side shaft, a decrease in the insulating properties of the area surrounding the connecting mechanism can be prevented. Therefore, the connecting mechanism can be reliably provided while improving the container's heat and cold insulation properties.

Means 5. A container as described in any one of means 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one of the side wall engaging portion and the base engaging portion is provided with an inclined portion that can guide relative displacement of the side wall engaging portion in the width direction of the corresponding side wall portion toward the appropriate relative position where the side wall engaging portion is engaged with the base engaging portion.

Measure 5 allows for easy engagement (insertion) of one sidewall engaging portion and one base engaging portion with the other when the sidewall is brought from the folded position to the upright position. This ensures clearance between the sidewall engaging portion and the base engaging portion in the width direction of the sidewall corresponding to the sidewall engaging portion, while ensuring that the sidewall engaging portion and the base engaging portion are in an appropriate relative positional relationship when the container is fully assembled. This improves the ease of container assembly while stabilizing the engagement between the sidewall engaging portion and the base engaging portion. Furthermore, the sidewall and the bottom wall component can be in an appropriate relative positional relationship in the width direction of the sidewall (the direction of the rotation axis of the sidewall), stabilizing the connection of the sidewall to the bottom wall component (preventing one of the sidewall shafts and the base shafts of measures 1 and 4 from slipping off and falling off the other).

Means 6. Each of the side wall portions has an internal space, and a heat insulating member is provided in the internal space.
A container described in any one of means 1 to 5, characterized in that in the assembled state, the side wall side engaging portion and the base side engaging portion are sandwiched between the insulating member in the width direction and vertical direction of the side wall portion.

Measure 6 not only reduces the extent to which insulation is reduced due to the provision of the connecting mechanism, but also minimizes the reduction in insulation around the connecting mechanism. Furthermore, the sidewall-side engaging portion and the base-side engaging portion are sandwiched between the insulating material in the width and vertical directions of the sidewall when the container is assembled, preventing a reduction in insulation around the sidewall-side engaging portion and the base-side engaging portion. Therefore, the provision of the sidewall-side engaging portion and the base-side engaging portion improves the durability of the connecting mechanism, while avoiding a reduction in insulation due to the provision of the sidewall-side engaging portion and the base-side engaging portion, thereby improving the container's ability to keep things cold and warm.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the container in an assembled state with the lid placed on the container body. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container body in an assembled state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the top side of the container body in a folded state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the underside of the container body in a folded state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the underside of the lid body. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the container with the lid body placed over the folded container body. 10 is a perspective view showing a container body with the short-side side wall portions in an upright position and the long-side side wall portions in a folded position. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the outer surface side of the short-side base component (the outer surface side of the short-side side wall portion); FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged perspective view including a partial cross section showing the rear surface side (short side internal space side) of the short side base component; FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the rear surface side (short side internal space side) of the short side inner surface component portion. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the rear surface side (short side internal space side) of the short side inner surface constituent portion. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the outer surface side of the long-side base component (the outer surface side of the long-side side wall portion). 10 is a partially enlarged perspective view including a partial cross section showing the back side (long side internal space side) of the long side base component; FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged perspective view including a partial cross section showing the back side (long side internal space side) of the long side base component; FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the back side (long side internal space side) of the long side inner surface component portion. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view including a partial cross section showing the upper surface side of the bottom wall base component. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view including a partial cross section showing the underside of the bottom wall base component. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view including a partial cross section of a bottom wall lower surface component. 10 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the engagement portion between the side wall engaging portion of the short side wall portion and the base engaging portion of the short side base portion in the upright position. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view showing the engagement portion between the side wall engaging portion of the short side wall portion and the base engaging portion of the short side base portion in an upright position. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the relative positional relationship between the long-side side wall portion and the long-side base portion in an upright position. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the connecting portion between the short-side shaft protrusion and the short-side bearing portion. FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the container with the lid body placed over the folded container body. FIG. 2 is a perspective view including a partial cross section showing the underside of the lid body. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a short-side side wall portion and a lid body. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a short-side side wall portion and a lid body. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a long-side side wall portion and a lid body.

One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the container 1 includes a rectangular box-shaped container body 2 that opens upward, and a lid 3 that is removably fitted over the container body 2. As shown in Figures 3, 7, and 16, the container body 2 includes a bottom wall component 4 that includes a generally rectangular bottom wall 5 in a plan view, short-side base portions 6 that protrude upward from the bottom wall 5 along each of the short sides of the bottom wall 5, and long-side base portions 7 that protrude upward from the bottom wall 5 along each of the long sides of the bottom wall 5. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the container body 2 includes short-side side wall portions 8 and long-side side wall portions 9 that are rotatable between an upright position in which the short-side base portions 6 and the long-side base portions 7 are erected above the short-side base portions 6 and the long-side base portions 7, and a folded position in which the container body 2 is folded toward the center of the bottom wall 5. Therefore, when storing items in the container 1, all of the short side wall portions 8 and long side wall portions 9 are in an upright position (see Figure 2), in an assembled state; when storing the container 1, all of the short side wall portions 8 and long side wall portions 9 are in a folded position (see Figures 3 and 4), in order to save space, etc.

7 and 16, the protrusion length of the short-side base portion 6 from the bottom wall portion 5 is longer than the protrusion length of the long-side base portion 7 from the bottom wall portion 5, and as shown in FIG. 16, the position of the short-side bearing portion 74 for rotatably supporting the short-side sidewall portion 8 is also located higher than the position of the long-side bearing portion 83 for rotatably supporting the long-side sidewall portion 9. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2, 7, etc., the width of the short-side sidewall portion 8 is configured to be approximately the same as the width of the bottom wall portion 4, and the width of the long-side sidewall portion 9 is configured to be approximately the same as the distance between a pair of short-side base portions 6. For this reason, in this embodiment, when the container body 2 is assembled with all of the short side walls 8 and long side walls 9 in an upright position and folded with all of the short side walls 8 and long side walls 9 in a folded position, a pair of long side walls 9 are first moved to the folded position by overlapping them above the bottom wall 5, and then the short side walls 8 are moved to the folded position by overlapping them above the long side walls 9. On the other hand, when the container body 2 is assembled in a folded position, the short side walls 8, which serve as the leading upright side walls, are first moved to the upright position, and then the long side walls 9 are moved to the upright position.

As shown in Figures 7, 8, 10, etc., each short side side wall portion 8 includes a short side base component 11 that constitutes most of the short side side wall portion 8, including its outer portion, and a short side inner surface component 13 that forms a short side internal space 12 (see Figures 19 and 20) between the short side base component 11 and the inner surface of the short side base component 11. In this embodiment, the short side base component 11 and the short side inner surface component 13 are made of polyolefin resin (in this embodiment, polypropylene).

8, 9, etc., the short-side base component 11 includes a short-side outer base wall 15 having an upper wall 16 that is generally rectangular in front view, an extending wall 17 that extends from the lower edge of the upper wall 16 toward the inside of the container body 2, and a lower wall 18 that extends downward from the leading edge (inner edge) of the extending wall 17, a short-side frame wall 19 that extends from the outer peripheral edge of the short-side outer base wall 15 toward the inside of the container body 2, and a short-side frame wall 19 that extends from the left side of the lower wall 18. It is equipped with short side shaft protrusions 20 as a pair of side wall shafts that protrude laterally from the short side base component 11 from the lower part of the outer surface of the part corresponding to the right side edge, inner surface adjustment parts 21 that extend laterally from the inner edge of the container body 2 at parts of the short side frame wall 19 that correspond to the left and right side edges of the upper wall 16, and locking components 22 that protrude inward from the side edge of each inner surface adjustment part 21.

9, 19, and 20, in this embodiment, the short-side frame wall 19 has a double-wall structure in the inner and outer circumferential directions of the short-side frame wall 19 at the inner portion of the container body 2, and a short-side insertion space 23 that opens toward the inside of the container body 2 is formed at this portion. Furthermore, for the inner peripheral portion of the short-side frame wall 19 in the double-wall structure, the inner edge of the container body 2 extends continuously at the same position along the entire periphery in the thickness direction of the short-side sidewall 8. Also, as shown in Figures 8, 9, etc., the locking component 22 includes a substantially rectangular plate-shaped locking wall 24 that protrudes toward the inside of the container body 2 from the side edge of each inner surface adjustment portion 21 and extends in the height direction of the short-side sidewall 8, and a locking hole 25 that opens toward the center of the width direction of the short-side sidewall 8 in the locking wall 24.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the short-side inner surface constituent portion 13 includes a short-side inner surface base wall portion 27 that is generally rectangular in front view, and a short-side orthogonal wall portion 28 that extends from the outer peripheral edge of the short-side inner surface base wall portion 27 outward from the container body 2. As shown in FIG. 11 , the tip end (outward from the container body 2) of the short-side orthogonal wall portion 28 is provided with a short-side tip wall portion 29 that is formed to reduce the thickness of the short-side orthogonal wall portion 28 on the outer peripheral side. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 , the short-side tip wall portion 29 of the short-side inner surface constituent portion 13 is inserted (press-fitted) into the short-side insertion space 23 of the short-side base constituent portion 11, thereby assembling the short-side inner surface constituent portion 13 to the short-side base constituent portion 11 and forming a short-side internal space 12 between the short-side base constituent portion 11 and the short-side inner surface constituent portion 13. In this embodiment, an insulating member 10 is provided in the short-side internal space 12, and the insulating member 10 is made of foamed polyurethane.

In this embodiment, the entire surfaces of the short-side base component 11 and the short-side inner surface component 13 that define the short-side internal space 12 are surface-treated to impart reactive activity for bonding with the insulating member 10. Examples of surface treatments include flame treatment, corona discharge treatment, plasma treatment, and primer treatment. By performing these treatments, the surface of the polyolefin resin, which originally has low activity, can be converted into a highly active surface with exposed active groups and dangling bonds (unbonded atomic hands). The surface-treated short-side base component 11 and short-side inner surface component 13 are assembled, and the raw material liquid of the insulating member 10 (in this example, uncured polyurethane resin) is injected into the short-side internal space 12 and solidified to form the insulating member 10. At this time, the surfaces defining the short-side internal space 12 are subjected to the above-mentioned surface treatment, which results in a strong bond between the short-side base component 11 and the short-side inner surface component 13 and the insulating member 10. The insulating member 10 is similarly provided on the long-side side wall 9 and bottom wall component 4, which will be described later. Although the lid 3 is not surface-treated, the raw material liquid for the insulating member 10 is poured into it and solidified. Additionally, the injection ports for pouring the raw material liquid for the insulating member 10 into the short-side side wall 8, long-side side wall 9, bottom wall component 4, and lid 3 are provided in recesses formed in the mounting surface so that the plugs attached to the injection ports do not protrude from the mounting surface.

As shown in Figures 12 and 15, each long side side wall portion 9 includes a long side base component 31 that constitutes most of the long side side wall portion 9, including its outer portion, and a long side inner surface component 33 that forms a long side internal space 32 (see Figures 20 and 21) between the long side base component 31 and the inner surface of the long side base component 31. The long side base component 31 and the long side inner surface component 33 are made of polyolefin resin (polypropylene in this embodiment).

As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the long side base component 31 comprises a long side outer base wall 35 that is generally rectangular in front view, a long side frame wall 36 that extends from the outer peripheral edge of the long side outer base wall 35 toward the inside of the container body 2, curved protrusions 37 that protrude downward from multiple locations on the lower edge of the long side frame wall 36 and have a generally semicircular shape with a curved bottom when the long side base component 31 is viewed from the side (side edge side), and a pair of long side shaft protrusions 38 that protrude laterally from the long side base component 31 from the curved protrusions 37 provided on both sides of the lower edge of the long side frame wall 36.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the upper edge of the long-side frame wall 36 extends less from the long-side outer base wall 35 than the side edges of the long-side frame wall 36. Furthermore, a folded wall 39 extends downward from the inner edge of the upper edge of the long-side frame wall 36, and a replacement wall 40 extends from the lower edge of the folded wall 39 toward the inside of the container body 2. The inner edge of the replacement wall 40 extends continuously with the inner edge of the side edge of the long-side frame wall 36. As shown in FIGS. 13 , 14 , 20 , and 21 , in this embodiment, the both side edges and the lower edge of the long-side frame wall 36, as well as the replacement wall 40, form a double-wall structure in the inner and outer periphery of the long-side frame wall 36, forming a long-side insertion space 41 that opens toward the inside of the container body 2.

Furthermore, the lower edge of the long side frame wall 36 includes a long side frame lower first wall 42 extending from the long side outer base wall 35 toward the inside of the container body 2, a long side frame lower vertical wall 43 extending downward from the leading edge of the long side frame lower first wall 42, and a long side frame lower second wall 44 extending from the lower part of the long side frame lower vertical wall 43 toward the inside of the container body 2, with the long side frame lower second wall 44 having a double-wall structure. Furthermore, with regard to the inner peripheral component of this double-wall structure, the inner edge of the container body 2 extends continuously around the entire circumference at the same position in the thickness direction of the long side side wall 9. In contrast, with regard to the outer peripheral component of the double-wall structure, the portion corresponding to the long-side frame lower second wall portion 44 protrudes further inward into the container body 2 than the other portions of the outer peripheral component of the double-wall structure, and also protrudes further inward into the container body 2 than the inner peripheral component of the double-wall structure (with regard to the other portions of the outer peripheral component of the double-wall structure, the inner peripheral component of the double-wall structure protrudes further inward into the container body 2). The curved protrusion 37 protrudes downward from the outer peripheral component of the double-wall structure corresponding to the long-side frame lower second wall portion 44.

As shown in Figures 7 and 12, both sides of the outer surface of the long side outer base wall portion 35 are provided with locking components 45 that substantially abut and lock with the locking components 22 of the short side side wall portion 8 when the container body 2 is assembled. The locking components 45 include a locking wall portion 46 configured by recessing the corresponding portion of the long side outer base wall portion 35 toward the inside of the container body 2 (so that the thickness on the outer surface of the short side side wall portion 8 is eliminated), and a locking protrusion 47 that protrudes from the locking wall portion 46 toward the outside of the container body 2.

When the container body 2 is assembled, the outer surfaces of the interlocking components 45 on the long side wall 9 generally abut against the interlocking components 22 on the short side wall 8, thereby restricting outward displacement of the long side wall 9 from the container body 2. Furthermore, both sides of the long side wall 9 (sides of the interlocking components 45) generally abut against the inner surfaces of the short side wall 8, thereby restricting inward displacement of the short side wall 8 from the container body 2. Furthermore, the interlocking projections 47 on the interlocking components 45 on the long side wall 9 are inserted into the interlocking holes 25 of the interlocking components 22 on the short side wall 8 to lock them in place, thereby restricting outward displacement of the short side wall 8 from the container body 2 and relative displacement between the short side wall 8 and the long side wall 9 in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the long-side inner surface component 33 includes a long-side inner surface base wall 49 that is generally rectangular in front view, and a long-side orthogonal wall 50 that extends from the outer periphery of the long-side inner surface base wall 49 outward from the container body 2. A long-side tip wall 51 is provided on the portion of the long-side orthogonal wall 50 that faces outward from the container body 2, reducing the thickness of the long-side orthogonal wall 50 on the outer periphery. As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 , the long-side tip wall 51 of the long-side inner surface component 33 is inserted (press-fitted) into the long-side insertion space 41 of the long-side base component 31, thereby assembling the long-side inner surface component 33 to the long-side base component 31, and forming a long-side internal space 32 between the long-side base component 31 and the long-side inner surface component 33. In this embodiment, the long-side internal space 32 is provided with an insulating member 10 made of foamed polyurethane.

As shown in Figures 16 to 18, the bottom wall component 4 includes a bottom wall base component 61 that constitutes most of the bottom wall component 4, including its upper portion, and a bottom wall lower surface component 63 that constitutes the underside of the bottom wall 5 and forms a bottom wall internal space 62 (see Figures 19 and 21) between the bottom wall base component 61 and the lower surface of the bottom wall base component 61. The bottom wall base component 61 and the bottom wall lower surface component 63 are made of polyolefin resin (polypropylene in this embodiment). As shown in Figure 16, the bottom wall base component 61 includes a bottom wall upper surface base wall 64 that constitutes the upper surface of the bottom wall 5, which is generally rectangular in plan view, the short side side base portion 6 that protrudes upward from the short side edge of the bottom wall upper surface base wall 64, and the long side side base portion 7 that protrudes upward from the long side edge of the bottom wall upper surface base wall 64.

The short-side base 6 includes a short-side base lower vertical wall 66 extending upward from the short-side edge of the bottom wall upper surface base wall 64, a short-side base middle wall 67 extending from the upper edge of the short-side base lower vertical wall 66 toward the outside of the container body 2, a short-side base upper vertical wall 68 extending upward from the edge of the short-side base middle wall 67 on the outside of the container body 2, and a short-side base axis wall 69 extending upward from each of the both side edges of the short-side base middle wall 67, and the short-side base axis wall 69. It comprises a short side base upper wall portion 70 extending outward from the upper edge of the wall portion 69 to the outside of the container body 2, a short side base outer vertical wall portion 71 extending downward from the outer edge of the container body 2 of the short side base upper wall portion 70, an axial wall adjustment portion 72 extending outward from the inner edge of the container body 2 of the short side base axial wall portion 69 to the outside of the container body 2 (to the lateral side in the width direction of the short side side wall portion 8), and a locking wall support wall portion 73 protruding from the axial wall adjustment portion 72 toward the longitudinal center of the long side base portion 7.

In this embodiment, the short-side bearing portions 74, serving as base-side shaft portions, are provided at the bottom of each short-side base shaft wall portion 69. As shown in FIG. 22 , the short-side shaft protrusions 20 are inserted into the short-side bearing portions 74 and are approximately fitted to the extent that rotation of the short-side shaft protrusions 20 is permitted. This allows the short-side side wall portion 8 to be rotatably connected (pivotally supported) to the short-side base portion 6. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 22 , a short-side shaft guide groove portion 75 is provided on the short-side base shaft wall portion 69, extending approximately vertically from a position slightly above the short-side bearing portions 74 to the upper edge of the short-side base shaft wall portion 69. In addition, as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 22, the short side base outer vertical wall portion 71 has been designed so that the portions corresponding to the short side bearing portion 74 and the short side shaft guide groove portion 75 are omitted, and the short side bearing portion 74 also opens outward from the container body 2. However, the short side base upper wall portion 70 only has a recess formed in the portion located above the short side shaft guide groove 75 to allow the short side shaft guide groove 75 to open upward, and the portion on the outer side of the container body 2 is not omitted.

As shown in Figure 16, etc., the long side base portion 7 comprises a long side base inner lower vertical wall portion 77 extending upward from the long side edge of the bottom wall upper surface base wall portion 64, a long side base middle wall portion 78 extending from the upper edge of the long side base inner lower vertical wall portion 77 toward the outside of the container body 2, a long side base inner upper vertical wall portion 79 extending upward from the outer edge of the container body 2 of the long side base middle wall portion 78, a long side base upper wall portion 80 extending toward the outside of the container body 2 from the upper edge of the long side base inner upper vertical wall portion 79, and a long side base outer vertical wall portion 81 extending downward from the outer edge of the container body 2 of the long side base upper wall portion 80. Both sides of the long-side base upper wall portion 80 slope upward toward the side and are connected to the short-side base portion 6, and the upper surfaces of both sides of the long-side base upper wall portion 80 are connected to the locking wall support wall portions 73 of the short-side base portion 6.

16, the long-side base portion 7 has a rotation-permitting recess 82 extending from the long-side base middle wall portion 78 to the long-side base inner lower vertical wall portion 77, allowing the curved protrusion 37 of the long-side side wall portion 9 to be inserted (see FIG. 21). The rotation-permitting recess 82 is provided at both ends of the long-side base portion 7, and is also provided at multiple locations at the longitudinal midpoint of the long-side base portion 7 corresponding to the curved protrusion 37. In this embodiment, the long-side bearing portions 83 serving as base-side shaft portions are provided on the short-side base inner lower vertical wall portion 66 of the short-side base portion 6 at positions facing the rotation-permitting recesses 82 provided at both ends of the long-side base portion 7. The long-side shaft protrusion 38 is inserted into the long-side bearing portion 83, and is approximately fitted to the extent that rotation of the long-side shaft protrusion 38 is permitted. This allows the long-side sidewalls 9 to be rotatably connected (axially supported) to the short-side base 6. In particular, in this embodiment, the long-side bearings 83 extend from the lower edge to the upper edge of the lower vertical wall 66 within the short-side base. In other words, when the long-side sidewalls 9 are folded (while the short-side sidewalls 8 remain upright), the long-side sidewalls 9 are configured to be vertically displaceable relative to the bottom wall component 4 so that, when the long-side sidewalls 9 are folded (while the short-side sidewalls 8 remain upright), the long-side sidewalls 9 can be stacked vertically within the range in which the long-side shaft protrusions 38 are inserted into the long-side bearings 83 (see FIG. 7 ).

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 17 and other figures, in this embodiment, the lower portions of the short-side base outer vertical wall portion 71 and the long-side base outer vertical wall portion 81 have a double-wall structure in the inner and outer periphery directions of the short-side base portion 6 and the long-side base portion 7 (inner and outer directions of the container body 2), and a bottom wall insertion space 84 that opens downward is formed in this portion.

As shown in Figure 18, the bottom wall underside component 63 includes a bottom wall underside base wall portion 86 that is generally rectangular when viewed from below, and a bottom wall orthogonal wall portion 87 that protrudes upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall underside base wall portion 86. As shown in Figures 4 and 18, the outer periphery of the bottom wall underside base wall portion 86 has a downwardly protruding convex shape, and downwardly protruding ribs are provided in a grid pattern on the inner periphery of the outer periphery of the bottom wall underside base wall portion 86 on the underside of the bottom wall underside base wall portion 86. The bottom wall orthogonal wall portion 87 extends upward in a generally vertical direction from the bottom wall underside base wall portion 86, and further extends from its tip edge toward the outside of the container body 2, forming a stepped shape that extends upward generally vertically across a curved portion.

As shown in Figure 18 and other figures, the upper portion of the bottom wall orthogonal wall portion 87 is provided with a bottom wall tip wall portion 88 that is formed so as to reduce the thickness of the bottom wall orthogonal wall portion 87 on the outer periphery. As shown in Figures 19 and 21 and other figures, the bottom wall tip wall portion 88 of the bottom wall lower surface component 63 is inserted (press-fitted) into the bottom wall insertion space 84 of the bottom wall base component 61, thereby assembling the bottom wall lower surface component 63 to the bottom wall base component 61 and forming a bottom wall internal space 62 between the bottom wall base component 61 and the bottom wall lower surface component 63. In this embodiment, a heat insulating member 10 made of foamed polyurethane is provided in the bottom wall internal space 62.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the lid 3 is configured to be able to close the top opening 91 (see Figure 2) of the container body 2 in an assembled state. In this embodiment, the lid main body 92, which forms the outer shape of the lid 3, is integrally formed from a polyolefin resin (in this embodiment, polypropylene) by blow (hollow) molding, so that the lid internal space 93 (see Figures 23 and 25) is formed. In this embodiment, the lid internal space 93 is provided with an insulating member 10 made of foamed polyurethane.

19 and 20, in this embodiment, when the container body 2 is assembled, an overlapping region is formed between the outer surface of the short side side wall portion 8 and the inner surface of the short side base portion 6 in the horizontal direction. That is, when the container body 2 is assembled, the outer surface of the portion of the short side side wall portion 8 where the thickness of the short side side wall portion 8 is defined by the lower wall portion 18 of the short side base portion 11 and the short side inner surface portion 13 (hereinafter referred to as the "short side side side wall overlapping region 101") faces the inner surface of the portion of the short side base portion 6 where the thickness of the short side base portion 6 is defined by the short side base inner upper vertical wall portion 68 and the short side base outer vertical wall portion 71 (hereinafter referred to as the "short side base overlapping region 102") in the horizontal direction (inward and outward from the container body 2). In the short-side side wall overlapping region 101 and the short-side base overlapping region 102, similar to the other regions of the short-side side wall portion 8 and the short-side base portion 6, a short-side internal space 12 and a bottom wall internal space 62 are provided, and insulating members 10 are provided in the short-side internal space 12 and the bottom wall internal space 62, respectively.

As shown in Figures 16 and 22, the short-side bearing portion 74 of this embodiment is disposed so as to penetrate the short-side base shaft wall portion 69, and the short-side base outer vertical wall portion 71 is also omitted in the area where the short-side shaft guide groove portion 75 extending above the short-side bearing portion 74 is disposed. Therefore, there are portions of the short-side shaft protrusion 20 and the short-side bearing portion 74 where no insulating member 10 is interposed between them and the external space of the container body 2. In this regard, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 20, the insulating member 10 of the short-side side wall portion 8 and the insulating member 10 of the long-side side wall portion 9 are disposed on the inward side of the container body 2 of the short-side shaft protrusion 20 and the short-side bearing portion 74, with the insulating member 10 of the lid body 3 disposed above and the insulating member 10 of the bottom wall component 4 disposed below (see Figure 22). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 20, in the width direction of the long-side sidewall 9, the portion of the long-side sidewall 9 where the insulating member 10 is located (side surface) and the portion of the short-side sidewall 8 where the insulating member 10 is located (inner surface) are configured to be close to (or abut) each other (with almost no gap). In other words, the insulating member 10 also insulates the internal space of the container body 2 from the external space at the peripheral edges of the short-side shaft protrusions 20 and the short-side bearings 74.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 21, with regard to the long side side wall portion 9, when the container body 2 is assembled, the outer surface side of the long side side frame lower vertical wall portion 43 faces the inner surface side of the long side base inner upper vertical wall portion 79 of the long side base portion 7 (the outer surface side of the long side side wall portion 9 and the inner surface side of the long side base portion 7 form an overlapping area where they face each other horizontally). In this embodiment, the portion of the long side side wall 9 where the long side internal space 32 (insulating member 10) is provided is not horizontally opposed (inside and outside the container body 2) to the portion of the long side base 7 where the bottom wall internal space 62 (insulating member 10) is provided. However, the distance between the portion of the long side side wall 9 where the insulating member 10 is located and the portion of the long side base 7 where the insulating member 10 is located is relatively short, and the portion of the long side side wall 9 where the insulating member 10 of the long side base 7 is located is located on the outer side of the container body 2 with respect to the curved protrusion 37.

2, in this embodiment, the curved protrusions 37 of the long-side sidewall portions 9 face the internal space (the space for storing items) of the container body 2, and no insulating member is provided on the curved protrusions 37. Therefore, there are portions of the long-side shaft protrusions 38 and the long-side bearing portions 83 where no insulating member 10 is interposed between them and the internal space of the container body 2. In this regard, as shown in FIG. 16, the bottom wall component 4 (short-side base portion 6) incorporating the insulating member 10 is disposed on the outer side of the container body 2 of the long-side shaft protrusions 38 and the long-side bearing portions 83. Furthermore, the insulating member 10 of the short-side sidewall portions 8 and the bottom wall component 4 is also disposed above and below (the insulating member 10 of the long-side base portion 7 is disposed on the outer side of the container body 2 of the curved protrusions 37). In other words, the insulating member 10 also provides thermal insulation between the internal space and the external space of the container body 2 around the long side shaft protrusion 38 and the periphery of the long side bearing portion 83.

3, 16, 19, etc., in this embodiment, the inner surface of each short-side base portion 6 is provided with a base-side engagement portion 103 (protrusion) that protrudes from the short-side base inner upper vertical wall portion 68 toward the inside of the container body 2. The base-side engagement portions 103 provided on each short-side base portion 6 are provided in two pairs of left and right base portions in the width direction of the short-side base portion 6. In other words, in this embodiment, the base-side engagement portions 103 are provided in the short-side base overlap region 102. Furthermore, the base-side engagement portion 103 is protruding in shape with its longitudinal direction extending up and down, and its upper edge (top surface) is flush with the upper surface of the short-side base upper wall portion 70, while its lower edge is spaced above the short-side base middle wall portion 67.

In contrast, as shown in Figures 3, 8, 19, etc., the lower wall portion 18 on the outer surface of the short side side wall portion 8 is provided with concave side wall side engagement portions 104 (recesses) into which a pair of left and right base side engagement portions 103 can be inserted, at two locations corresponding to the two pairs of base side engagement portions 103 provided at two locations. In other words, in this embodiment, the side wall side engagement portions 104 are provided in the short side side wall overlapping region 101. Furthermore, even in the portion of the lower wall portion 18 where the side wall side engagement portions 104 are provided, a short side side internal space 12 is formed between the short side side inner surface constituent portion 13 and the heat insulating member 10 is provided.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower wall portion 18 of the short side side wall portion 8 is located further inward of the container body 2 than the upper wall portion 16, and the lower portion of the outer surface of the short side side wall portion 8 is cut out outward of the lower wall portion 18 and below the extending wall portion 17. In this embodiment, the area outward of the lower wall portion 18 and below the extending wall portion 17 corresponds to the stepped recess 105. Furthermore, the upper edge of the side wall engaging portion 104 is flush with the lower surface of the extending wall portion 17 (the upper edge of the stepped recess 105).

As shown in Figure 19, by placing the short-side side wall portion 8 in an upright position (when the container body 2 is assembled), the short-side base overlap region 102 of the short-side base portion 6 is accommodated in the stepped recess 105. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 19 and 20, a set of two base engaging portions 103 are inserted into each sidewall engaging portion 104, and the sidewall engaging portions 104 and the base engaging portions 103 engage with each other in a concave-convex manner in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, when the container body 2 is assembled, the sidewall engaging portions 104 and the base engaging portions 103 are configured to be sandwiched between the insulating member 10 in the horizontal and vertical directions. That is, when the container body 2 is assembled, the sidewall engaging portions 104 and the base engaging portions 103 are sandwiched between the insulating members 10 of the short side sidewall portions 8 and the insulating members 10 of the short side base portion 6 in the inward/outward direction of the container body 2 (thickness direction of the short side sidewall portions 8), between the insulating members 10 of the short side sidewall portions 8 in the width direction of the short side sidewall portions 8, and between the insulating members 10 of the short side sidewall portions 8 (and the insulating members 10 of the short side base portion 6) in the vertical direction.

The base-side engaging portion 103 protrudes perpendicular to the generally flat inner upper vertical wall portion 68 of the short-side base. In contrast, as shown in Figures 8 and 20, both side edges (inner surfaces) of the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 extend at an angle so that the distance between them gradually increases outward from the container body 2 when the short-side sidewall portion 8 is in the upright position. Therefore, when the short-side sidewall portion 8 is in the folded position and is in the upright position, if the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 is displaced from the appropriate relative position for engaging with the base-side engaging portion 103 in the width direction of the short-side sidewall portion 8, i.e., if the short-side sidewall portion 8 is displaced from the appropriate relative position with respect to the short-side base portion 6, the base-side engaging portion 103 will abut against the inner surface (hereinafter referred to as the "inclined portion 106") of the sidewall-side engaging portion 104. Furthermore, by displacing the short side side wall portion 8 from this abutting state to the upright position, the base side engagement portion 103 comes into sliding contact with the inclined portion 106, guiding the short side side base portion 6 to the appropriate relative position. When the container body 2 is assembled, (almost) the entire base side engagement portion 103 is housed inside the side wall side engagement portion 104, and the lower wall portion 18 of the short side side wall portion 8 and the upper vertical wall portion 68 inside the short side base of the short side base portion 6 are in abutting or close proximity to each other.

In addition, when only the short side wall portions 8 are in an upright position (as shown in Figure 7) during the process of assembling the folded container body 2, the lower surface of the extending wall portion 17 (upper edge of the stepped recess 105) and the upper edge of the side wall engaging portion 104 are supported by abutting against the upper surface of the short side base upper wall portion 70 of the short side base portion 6 and the upper edge (upper surface) of the base engaging portion 103 (see Figures 16 and 19). This allows the short side side wall portions 8 to maintain their upright position (stand on their own) even if the worker is not holding the upright short side wall portions 8.

As shown in Figure 6, the lid 3 is configured to be placed over the folded container body 2 by resting it on the upper surface of the short-side base 6 (short-side base upper wall 70). At this time, as shown in Figure 23, the underside of the lid 3 is supported not only by the upper surface of the short-side base upper wall 70, but also by the upper edge (upper surface) of the base-side engagement portion 103, which is located on the same plane as the upper surface of the short-side base upper wall 70.

In addition, as shown in Figures 1, 26, etc., the upper wall portion 16 of each short side side wall portion 8 is provided with a handle portion 107 located below the upper edge of the upper wall portion 16 to allow an operator to easily grasp the assembled container body 2 (container 1). Furthermore, even in the area of the upper wall portion 16 where the handle portion 107 is provided, a short side internal space 12 is formed between the short side inner surface constituent portion 13 and the short side, and a heat insulating member 10 is provided. In this embodiment, no handle portion is provided on the long side side wall portion 9 where no side wall engaging portion is provided.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 26, the upper wall portion 16 of each short side wall portion 8 is provided with a handle portion 108 that is recessed from a position slightly below the lower edge of the outer periphery of the lid 3 to the upper edge of the short side wall portion 8 when the lid 3 is placed on the assembled container body 2. This makes it possible to hook a fingertip on the underside of the lid 3 via the handle portion 108 and lift the lid 3 when removing it from the container body 2.

2, 25, and 27, the upper edges of the short-side sidewalls 8 and long-side sidewalls 9 are provided with lid stopper projections 111, each of which includes a base 111a that projects upward from the upper surfaces of the short-side frame walls 19 and the upper edges of the long-side frame walls 36 and extends in the width direction of the short-side sidewalls 8 and long-side sidewalls 9, an upper flange 111b that projects inward from the upper edge of the base 111a toward the container body 2, and an intermediate flange 111c that projects outward from the container body 2 from a heightwise intermediate position of the base 111a. Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 24, 25, and 27, the underside of the lid 3 is provided with a lid stopper recess 112 into which the upper flange 111b of the lid stopper projection 111 approximately fits. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 24 and 25, an engaging protrusion 113 is provided that protrudes from the inner peripheral side edge of the lid stop recess 112 into the lid stop recess 112 and engages with the underside of the upper flange portion 111b of the lid stop protrusion 111. In addition, as shown in Figure 26, the handle 108 is provided in a manner that omits the corresponding portion of the intermediate flange portion 111c. Also, as shown in Figure 24, a connecting wall portion 114 is provided in the center of the lid body 3 (lid main body 92) by connecting the wall portion that forms the underside of the lid main body 92 to the wall portion that forms the upper surface of the lid main body 92 in a manner that deforms the wall portion that forms the underside of the lid main body 92 upward.

As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, when the container body 2 is assembled, the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 and the base-side engaging portion 103 engage with each other horizontally. This reduces the burden on the connecting mechanism (short-side shaft protrusions 20 and short-side bearings 74) that rotatably connects the short-side sidewall portions 8 to the bottom wall component 4 when an item is placed in the assembled container body 2 and the container 1 is carried by placing a hand on the short-side sidewall portion 8 (handle portion 107) on which the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 is provided. This also reduces the burden on the connecting mechanism (long-side shaft protrusions 38 and long-side bearings 83) that rotatably connects the long-side sidewall portion 9 to the bottom wall component 4. This protects the connecting mechanism and stabilizes the connection between the short-side side wall portions 8 and long-side side wall portions 9 and the bottom wall portion 4, preventing the short-side side wall portions 8 and long-side side wall portions 9 from coming loose from the bottom wall portion 4.

Furthermore, the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 and the base-side engaging portion 103 stabilize the connection between the short-side sidewall portion 8 and the long-side sidewall portion 9 and the bottom wall component 4 when the container body 2 is assembled, thereby simplifying the connection mechanism, reducing the extent to which insulation is reduced due to the connection mechanism, and minimizing the reduction in insulation around the connection mechanism. In this embodiment, the short-side shaft protrusions 20 and the long-side shaft protrusions 38 are configured to protrude laterally from the sides of the short-side sidewall portion 8 and the long-side sidewall portion 9, thereby improving insulation and airtightness at the lower edge portions compared to, for example, a configuration in which multiple shafts protrude downward from the lower edge portions of the short-side sidewall portion 8 and the long-side sidewall portion 9. Furthermore, when the container body 2 is assembled, the sidewall engaging portion 104 and the base engaging portion 103 are sandwiched between the insulating member 10 in both the horizontal and vertical directions, preventing a decrease in insulating properties around the sidewall engaging portion 104 and the base engaging portion 103. Therefore, by providing the sidewall engaging portion 104 and the base engaging portion 103, the durability of the connecting mechanism is improved, while a decrease in insulating properties due to the provision of the sidewall engaging portion 104 and the base engaging portion 103 is avoided, improving the cold and warm insulation properties of the container 1.

In addition, when the container body 2 is assembled, the insulating members 10 of the short side wall portions 8 and long side wall portions 9 are arranged on the inside of the container body 2 relative to the short side shaft protrusions 20 and short side bearing portions 74. Furthermore, when the container body 2 is assembled, the insulating members 10 of the bottom wall component 4 (short side base portion 6) are arranged on the outside of the container body 2 relative to the long side shaft protrusions 38 and long side bearing portions 83. This prevents a decrease in the insulating properties of the areas surrounding the connecting mechanism. Therefore, the connecting mechanism can be reliably installed while improving the cooling and heating effects of the container 1.

In addition, the inner surface of the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 is configured as an inclined portion 106 that can guide relative displacement of the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 to the appropriate relative position in the width direction of the short-side sidewall portion 8, where the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 is engaged with the base-side engaging portion 103. Therefore, to facilitate engagement (insertion) of the base-side engaging portion 103 with the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 when the short-side sidewall portion 8 is brought into an upright position from the folded position, clearance between the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 and the base-side engaging portion 103 in the width direction of the short-side sidewall portion 8 is ensured, and the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 and the base-side engaging portion 103 can be configured to be in the appropriate relative positional relationship when the container body 2 is fully assembled. This improves assembly workability of the container body 2 while stabilizing the engagement state of the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 and the base-side engaging portion 103. Furthermore, the short side side wall portions 8 and the bottom wall component 4 can be positioned appropriately relative to each other in the width direction of the short side side wall portion 8 (the direction of the rotation axis of the short side side wall portion 8), stabilizing the connection state of the short side side wall portion 8 with respect to the bottom wall component 4 (preventing the short side shaft protrusions 20 from slipping out of the short side bearing portions 74). In addition, by positioning the short side side wall portions 8 appropriately relative to the bottom wall component 4, the engagement operation between the short side side wall portions 8 and the long side side side wall portions 9 (engagement between the locking components 22 and the locked components 45) can be carried out relatively smoothly.

Furthermore, when the container body 2 is assembled from its folded state, the short side wall portions 8 can be left standing with only the short side wall portions 8 in an upright position. In particular, the upper edge (top surface) of the base engagement portion 103, which protrudes inward from the short side base inner upper vertical wall portion 68 of the short side base portion 6 toward the inside of the container body 2, is flush with the upper surface of the short side base portion 6 (short side base upper wall portion 70). Therefore, even if the upright short side side wall portions 8 are slightly displaced inward of the container body 2, the upper edge (bottom surface of the extending wall portion 17) of the stepped recess 105 of the upright short side side wall portion 8 will also abut and be supported by the upper surface of the base engagement portion 103. This prevents the short side wall 8 from shifting slightly inward from the upright position toward the container body 2, thereby improving the stability of the short side wall 8.

In addition, by placing the lid 3 over the assembled container body 2, the container 1's heat and cold insulation properties can be further improved. The lid 3 can also be placed over the folded container body 2, allowing the container 1 to be compactly assembled with the container body 2 and lid 3 assembled as a set. Furthermore, by placing the lid 3 over the folded container body 2, the underside of the lid 3 is supported by abutting not only against the upper surface of the short side base portion 6 (short side base upper wall portion 70), but also against the upper surface of the base side engagement portion 103. This allows for stability when the lid 3 is placed over the folded container body 2.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented, for example, as follows. Of course, other applications and modifications not exemplified below are also possible.

(a) In the above embodiment, the short side wall 8 is configured as the leading side wall, but it is also possible to configure the long side wall 9 to be the leading side wall. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the short side wall 8 in the folded position do not overlap each other vertically, and both short side wall 8 correspond to the leading side wall. However, the short side wall 8 in the folded position may overlap each other vertically, with the upper overlapping side corresponding to the leading side wall. If this configuration is adopted, the base engagement portion 103 may be configured to be flush with the upper surface of the base (short side base upper wall portion 70) only for the base portion (e.g., one short side base portion 6) that corresponds (or can correspond to) the leading side wall.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the long-side base portion 7 is provided in correspondence with the long-side sidewall portion 9, which assumes an upright position after the short-side sidewall portion 8 when the container body 2 is converted from the folded state to the assembled state. However, because the long-side bearing portion 83 is provided on the short-side base portion 6 and the short-side bearing portion 74 is provided on the short-side base portion 6, it is also possible to omit the long-side base portion 7 (supporting the lower portion of the upright long-side sidewall portion 9 on the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 5). In other words, the base portion of the bottom wall component 4 may be configured to include a base portion (in the above embodiment, the short-side base portion 6) corresponding to the sidewall portion (in the above embodiment, the short-side sidewall portion 8) that assumes an upright position first when the container body 2 is converted from the folded state to the assembled state, as well as the short-side bearing portion 74 and the long-side bearing portion 83 (forming a pair of generally U-shaped openings facing each other in plan view).

(b) In the above embodiment, the sidewall engaging portion 104 is provided on the short-side sidewall portion 8 and the base engaging portion 103 is provided on the short-side base portion 6. However, instead of or in addition to this configuration, the sidewall engaging portion may be provided on the long-side sidewall portion 9 and the base engaging portion may be provided on the long-side base portion 7. Also, in the above embodiment, the handle portion 107 is provided on the short-side sidewall portion 8. However, in addition to or instead of this configuration, the handle portion 107 may be provided on the long-side sidewall portion 9. Furthermore, by providing the base engaging portion 103 on the short-side base portion 6 corresponding to the leading upright sidewall portion (the short-side sidewall portion 8 in the above embodiment) and making its upper surface flush with the upper surface of the short-side base upper wall portion 70, it is possible to stabilize the short-side sidewall portion 8 when it is independently in an upright position, or to stabilize the state in which the lid 3 is placed on the folded container body 2. It is also possible to position the upper edge of the base-side engagement portion 103 lower than the short-side base upper wall portion 70.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 is convex and the base-side engaging portion 103 is concave. However, the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 may be concave and the base-side engaging portion 103 may be convex. Also, in the above embodiment, the inner surface of the sidewall-side engaging portion 104 is configured as an inclined portion 106, which ensures that the short-side sidewall portion 8 is positioned appropriately relative to the short-side base portion 6 in the width direction of the short-side sidewall portion 8 when the short-side sidewall portion 8 is in the upright position. However, instead of or in addition to this configuration, an inclined portion may be provided in the base-side engaging portion 103 (the horizontal cross section of the base-side engaging portion 103 is approximately U-shaped, and the left and right side surfaces are inclined so that they gradually approach each other toward the inside of the container body 2). It is also possible to omit the inclined portion 106.

(c) In the above embodiment, the short side bearing portion 74 is configured by forming a through hole in the short side base shaft wall portion 69. However, the short side bearing portion 74 may be configured as a recessed portion rather than a through hole, and the short side base outer vertical wall portion 71 may be provided in the area where the short side bearing portion 74 and short side shaft guide groove portion 75 are provided, and the bottom wall internal space 62, and therefore the heat insulating member 10, may be provided. In this case, it is possible to improve the heat insulation around the short side shaft protrusion portion 20 and the short side bearing portion 74.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the long side internal space 32, and therefore the insulating member 10, may also be provided inside the curved protrusion 37 where the long side shaft protrusion 38 is provided. In this case, it is possible to improve the insulating properties around the long side shaft protrusion 38 and the long side bearing portion 83.

(d) In the above embodiment, when the container body 2 is assembled, the insulating members 10 on the long side side wall portions 9 and the insulating members 10 on the long side base portion 7 do not overlap in the horizontal direction. However, for example, by increasing the height of the upper vertical wall portion 79 inside the long side base, the container body 2 may be configured such that when assembled, the portion of the long side side wall portion 9 where the long side internal space 32 (insulating member 10) is provided faces the portion of the long side base portion 7 where the bottom wall internal space 62 (insulating member 10) is provided, facing each other horizontally (inside and outside the container body 2).

(e) In the above embodiment, the short side base component 11 and the short side inner surface component 13 are assembled and connected via the insulating member 10 provided in the short side internal space 12. However, for example, the entire short side side wall 8 may be formed integrally, or the short side base component 11 and the short side inner surface component 13 may be welded together (the same applies to the long side side wall 9 and the bottom wall component 4).

In addition, in the above embodiment, the entire surface of the short side base component 11 and the short side inner surface component 13 that defines the short side internal space 12 is surface treated to impart reactive activity for bonding with the insulating member 10. However, the surface treatment may be limited to only a portion of the surface that defines the short side internal space 12, or no surface treatment may be performed (the same applies to the long side side wall component 9 and the bottom wall component 4).

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lid body 3 is constructed as a single unit by blow molding, but the lid body 3 may also be constructed by connecting multiple components (for example, by assembling an upper component that constitutes the upper surface of the lid body 3 with a lower component that constitutes the lower surface of the lid body 3, and providing an insulating member 10 in the lid body internal space 93).

(f) In the above embodiment, the long side base component 31, long side inner surface component 33, short side base component 11, short side inner surface component 13, bottom wall base component 61, bottom wall undersurface component 63, and lid body 92 are made of polypropylene. However, they may be made of other polyolefin resins (such as polyethylene) or synthetic resins other than polyolefins (such as ABS resin, AES resin, acrylic resin, polycarbonate, etc.). Furthermore, the long side base component 31 (short side base component 11, bottom wall base component 61) and the long side inner surface component 33 (short side inner surface component 13, bottom wall undersurface component 63) may be made of different materials.

1...Container, 2...Container body, 3...Lid, 4...Bottom wall component, 5...Bottom wall, 6...Short side base, 7...Long side base, 8...Short side side wall, 9...Long side side wall, 10...Insulating member, 11...Short side base component, 12...Short side internal space, 13...Short side internal surface component, 15...Short side external surface base wall, 18...Lower wall, 20...Short side shaft protrusion, 31...Long side base component, 32...Long side internal space, 33...Long side internal surface portion, 38...long side shaft protrusion portion, 61...bottom wall base component, 62...bottom wall internal space, 63...bottom wall lower surface component, 68...short side base inner upper vertical wall portion, 70...short side base upper wall portion, 74...short side bearing portion, 83...long side bearing portion, 91...top opening, 92...lid main body, 93...lid main body internal space, 101...short side side wall overlapping region, 102...short side base overlapping region, 103...base side engaging portion, 104...side wall side engaging portion, 106...inclined portion.

Claims (6)

a bottom wall component including a bottom wall portion having a rectangular shape in a plan view and a base portion protruding upward along a side edge portion of the bottom wall portion;
The bottom wall portion has a side wall portion connected to the base portion of the bottom wall portion so as to be rotatable between an upright position in which the side wall portion is erected above each side edge portion of the bottom wall portion and a folded position in which the side wall portion is folded toward the center portion of the bottom wall portion,
A container that can be changed between an assembled state in which all of the side wall portions are in the upright position and a folded state in which all of the side wall portions are in the folded position,
a connecting mechanism that rotatably connects the side wall portion to the bottom wall constituent portion includes a side wall-side shaft portion provided on a side portion of the side wall portion, and a base-side shaft portion that is provided on the base portion and is fitted with the side wall-side shaft portion;
In the assembled state, an overlapping region is formed in which the outer surface side of the side wall portion and the inner surface side of the base portion face each other in a horizontal direction,
At least one pair of opposing side wall portions among the side wall portions and the base portion corresponding to the side wall portions include a side wall side engaging portion and a base side engaging portion that can be engaged with each other in a concave-convex manner in the horizontal direction when in the assembled state,
The container is characterized in that the side wall side engaging portion and the base side engaging portion are provided separately from the connecting mechanism and are provided in the overlapping region. the side wall engaging portion is provided at least on a leading side wall portion of the side wall portions that is first set to the standing posture when the container is changed from the folded state to the assembled state,
the base-side engaging portion provided on the base portion corresponding to the leading side wall portion includes a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion toward the inside of the container and has an upper surface that is flush with an upper surface of the base portion;
the leading sidewall portion has a stepped recess in the overlapping region that can accommodate a portion of the base portion that corresponds to the overlapping region,
the sidewall-side engaging portion is provided in the stepped recess and includes a recess that can receive the protrusion when the leading upright sidewall portion is in the upright position,
an upper edge of the stepped recess and an upper edge of the recess are located on the same plane;
A container as described in claim 1, characterized in that when the leading side wall portion is in the upright position, the upper edge portion of the stepped recess and the upper edge portion of the recess abut and are supported by the upper surface of the base portion and the upper surface of the protrusion. the container comprises a container body having the bottom wall component and each of the side wall components and capable of changing between the assembled state and the folded state, and a lid body capable of closing an upper opening of the container body in the assembled state,
the lid body is configured to be able to be placed on an upper surface of the base portion of the container body in the folded state,
3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the base-side engaging portion has a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion toward the inside of the container and whose upper surface is flush with the upper surface of the base portion. Each of the side walls has an internal space, and a heat insulating member is provided in the internal space.
A container as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the assembled state, the insulating member is arranged on at least one of the inner side of the container and the outer side of the container relative to the side wall side shaft portion and the base side shaft portion. A container as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one of the side wall-side engaging portion and the base-side engaging portion is provided with an inclined portion that can guide relative displacement of the side wall-side engaging portion in the width direction of the corresponding side wall portion toward the appropriate relative position where the side wall-side engaging portion is engaged with the base-side engaging portion. Each of the side walls has an internal space, and a heat insulating member is provided in the internal space.
A container as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in the assembled state, the side wall side engaging portion and the base side engaging portion are sandwiched between the insulating member in the width direction and vertical direction of the side wall portion.