Collapsible shipping container

Claim 2

In a collapsible shipping container of a type including a rigid base, a flexible side wall assembly including a plurality of foldably associated side walls, one of which is hingedly connected to said base, the improvement comprising: means for rigidifying the side wall assembly against vertical compression encountered during the stacking of a plurality of said containers, said means including an elongated strip of material having an axially oriented fold line defining first and second planar members on either side thereof, said strip being positioned in an area of hinged interconnection between adjacent side walls with said axially aligned fold overlying a fold line of said side wall assembly; means permanently interconnecting one of said planar members to an inner surface of a side wall, and pressure-sensitive adhesive means selectively adhering the other of said planar members to the inner surface of an adjacent foldably interconnected wall of said side wall assembly.

Claim 3

In a collapsible shipping container of a type including a rigid base and a foldable side wall assembly hingedly connected to said base along at least one wall of said side wall assembly, said side wall assembly defining in erected condition a rectangular door opening in one wall thereof partially bounded by vertical edges, and a door element arranged for sliding movement within said opening, the improvement comprising: said door element including first and second laminae, said first lamina corresponding in size to the size of said opening, a pair of guides interconnecting said first lamina and said vertical edges for sliding movement of said first lamina within said opening, said second lamina being of overall configuration corresponding to the total area of said wall including said opening, and interconnected in parallel relation to said first lamina for movement therewith, said second lamina thereby overlying inner surfaces of said last mentioned wall.

Claim 4

In a collapsible shipping container of a type including a rigid base and a foldable side wall assembly hingedly connected to said base along at least one wall of said side wall assembly, said side wall assembly defining in erected condition a rectangular door opening in one wall thereof partially bounded by vertical edges, and a door element arranged for sliding movement within said opening, the improvement comprising: said door element including first and second laminae, said first lamina corresponding in size to the size of said opening, a pair of guides interconnecting said first lamina and said vertical edges for sliding movement of said first lamina within said opening, said second lamina being of overall configuration corresponding to the total area of said wall including said opening, and interconnected in parallel relation to said first lamina for movement therewith, said second lamina thereby overlying inner surfaces of said last mentioned wall.

Claim 5

In a collapsible shipping container of a type including a rigid base and a flexible side wall assembly hingedly interconnected to said base along one side wall thereof and selectively interconnectable to said base along the remaining side walls thereof, improved means for maintaining such selected interconnection comprising: a cleat secured to an upper surface of said base, a clip element including an outer clip member having a plurality of inwardly facing tines penetrating an outer surface of a wall of said side wall assembly, said outer clip member defining a bolt-penetrating opening; an inner clip member having a first side wall defining a corresponding bolt-penetratng opening, an inner wall defining a resilient opening and a wall interconnecting said inner and outer walls, said inner wall having downwardly facing teeth thereon engageable with an upper surface of said rigid base and an offset portion adapted to engage a recess in said cleat; and a bolt having a head free of tool-engaging surfaces, and a threaded shank having tool-engaging means on an inner end thereof.

Claim 6

In a collapsible shipping container of a type including a rigid base and a flexible side wall assembly hingedly interconnected to said base along one side wall thereof and selectively interconnectable to said base along the remaining side walls thereof, improved means for maintaining such selected interconnection comprising: a cleat secured to an upper surface of said base, a clip element including an outer clip member having a plurality of inwardly facing tines penetrating an outer surface of a wall of said side wall assembly, said outer clip member defining a bolt-penetrating opening; an inner clip member having a first side wall defining a corresponding bolt-penetratng opening, an inner wall defining a resilient opening and a wall interconnecting said inner and outer walls, said inner wall having downwardly facing teeth thereon engageable with an upper surface of said rigid base and an offset portion adapted to engage a recess in said cleat; and a bolt having a head free of tool-engaging surfaces, and a threaded shank having tool-engaging means on an inner end thereof.

Claim 7

In a shipping container of a type including a plurality of side walls and a cover engageable upon the upper edges of said side walls, lid retaining means fixed to at least one of said side walls and having a looped portion penetrating an opening in a peripheral side wall of said cover, improved sealing means comprising: said looped portion including a pair of aligned orifices, an elongated bar insertable iNto said looped portion, said bar having a length greater than the efective length of said opening, said bar having a through bore alignable with said pair of aligned bores, thereby the wire portion of a conventional lead seal may be inserted therethrough.

Claim 8

In a shipping container of a type including a plurality of side walls and a cover engageable upon the upper edges of said side walls, lid retaining means fixed to at least one of said side walls and having a looped portion penetrating an opening in a peripheral side wall of said cover, improved sealing means comprising: said looped portion including a pair of aligned orifices, an elongated bar insertable iNto said looped portion, said bar having a length greater than the efective length of said opening, said bar having a through bore alignable with said pair of aligned bores, thereby the wire portion of a conventional lead seal may be inserted therethrough.