GB2037709A

GB2037709A - Stackable containers

Info

Publication number: GB2037709A
Application number: GB7931214A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-09-14
Filing date: 1979-09-07
Publication date: 1980-07-16

Abstract

A container includes a tray having a base and upwardly extending side walls (2), and a lid (3) which fits over the outside of the tray and has a top surface and downwardly extending side walls. A corner pillar (30) is arranged at each corner of the container, each pillar fitting over the top of a corner of the tray with a clamping action and extending downwards inside the tray to the base thereof. Each pillar also has a portion fitting inside a corner of the lid and having two upwardly projecting tabs (39) disposed at right angles to each other and projecting through slots (4) in the top of the lid (3). The container may have an insulating lining spaced from the inside of the tray by internal elongate members (37) of the corner pillar (30). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container This invention relates to a container comprising a tray and a lid. The object of the invention is to provide such a container. The invention is particular lav though not exclusively, concerned with a container made of corrugated cardboard which is easy to assemble and knock-down as required, and which can support a similar container or containers in a stack in a non-slip manner and without the walls of the container bearing any load.

According to the present invention, there is provided a container having two parts, namely a tray and a lid, the tray having a base and upwardly extending side wall, and the lid fitting over the outside of the tray and having a top surface and downwardly extending side walls, wherein a corner pillar is arranged at each corner of the container, each pillar fitting over the top of a corner of the tray with a clamping action and extending downwards inside the tray to the base thereof, each pillar also having a portion fitting inside a corner of the lid and having two upwardly projecting tabs disposed at right angles to each other and projecting through slots in the top of the lid.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a container according to the invention with part of the lid cut away; Figure 2 is an underplan view of a corner pillar and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of a corner of a tray with the pillar.

Turning now to Figure 1,the tray shown is generally rectangular in shape with four side walls 2.

The lid 3 shown is of the same shape as the tray. The lid has a right-angled slot 4 in each corner for a purpose described below.

In order to enable a plurality of containers to be stacked to a considerable height one on top of the other, the container is provided with corner pillars 30 at each corner. When the assembled container forms part of a stack of similar containers, these corner pillars carry the load so that the actual walls of the tray and lid do not bear a load. The corner pillars 30 have an upper member 31 which fits over the top of each corner of the tray, portions of the walls of the tray being engaged in and clamped in a slot 32 in the upper member 31. The slot 32 is defined between an inner right-angled portion 33 and an outer rightangled portion 34. The inner wall of member 34 and the outer wall of portion 33 are provided with vertical ribs 35 which assist in clamping the walls of the tray in the slot 32.Additional stiffening of the pillar is provided by a horizontal web 36 which is approximately in the form of a right angled triangle extending across the pillar 30 just above the top of the tray. Each pillar 30 further comprises an elongate lower member 37 removably received in retaining flanges 38 on the inside wall of the portion 33. The member 37 is of right-angled cross-section and runs downwards from the upper clamping member of the corner pillar inside the tray to the bottom of the tray.

Each pillar also has a portion arranged to fit inside the corner of the lid and provided with a pair of upwardly extending tabs 39 which are disposed at right angles to each other and engaged in slot 4 in the lid when the lid is placed on the tray. When the container forms part of a stack, the corners of the tray of the container next above fit within and are located by these tabs. Slippage of the upper contain er on the lower one is therefore avoided.

If desired the lower member 37 of each pillar may be fixed to it integral with the upper clamping member 31 of the corner pillar instead of being detachable. Also, if desired the pillars may be of skeletal form, i.e. interior portions may be cut away to leave apertures, thereby reducing the amount of material needed for the pillars and making them easier to manufacture.

The pillars are conveniently made of a plastics material, through other materials may be used.

The tray and lid are preferably, but not essentially made of corrugated cardboard. Two particularly preferred materials are wax-impregnated corrugated cardboard and solid cardboard coated with polyethylene.

If desired, the container may have an insulating lining. In such a case, the elongate members 37 of the corner pillars act as spacers separating the lining from the inside of the tray so that an insulation cavity is formed. The container may have a lining as described in the specification of co-pending Patent Application Number 42255/77. In one preferred embodiment, shown in Figure 3 the container has a reflective film 40 thereby for example of aluminium, facing the inside of the container, and insulating lining members 41,for example made according to Application Number 42255/77, with a reflective film 42, for example of aluminium, facing the film 40.

This embodiment has particularly good insulating properties. The lining members may alternatively simply be of a material such as expanded polystyrene.

Copy of Application 42255/77 This invention relates to an insulated container.

According to the present invention there is provided a container lined with an insulating material which is formed of a base material and a metallised plastics film attached to the base material.

A preferred base material is expanded polystyrene. This is light, has a low thermal conductivity (for standard density virgin polystyrene this is typically 0.038W/m K), and a water vapour transfer rate of 55g/m2. The use of polystyrene also has the advantage that is provides the container with additional rigidity, thereby affording additional protection to the contents of the container. Other materials could be used instead of polystyrene. Preferably the material used should have a thermal conductivity which does not exceed 1W/mKand a water vapour transfer rate not greater than 70g/m2.

A preferred metallised plastics film is formed of a thin gauge plastics film, for example of polyester of polyvinylchloride metallised on one side or both sides with a fine deposit of pure aluminium. This gives a highly reflective surface. Other metallised films could be used instead, but whatever film is used it should have a low thermal emissivity rate, preferably not greater than 0.75, a low water transfer rate, preferably not greater than 80g/m2 in 24 hours, and a low oxygen transfer rate, preferably not greater than 9,600 cc/m2 in 24 hours.

To protect the metallised surface a lacquer can be applied to the metal film. The lacquer must be such that it does not absorb too great an amount of radiation, at least in the infra-red region of the spectrum. It should be noted, however, that the figures given above for the properties which should be possessed by the metallised film refer to an unlacquered film, and that the presence of a lacquer will alter those figures.

The metallised plastics film is preferably secured to the base material by means of an adhesive.

The container which the insulating material lines can be one of various types of container, for example a container formed of corrugated cardboard. If the container is one which possesses flaps covering an opening, these flaps are preferably such as to fully overlap one another, so as to prevent unnecessary heat loss. At least one piece of the insulating material is inserted within the container, though advantageously each of the internal sides of the container is covered by a respective piece of insulating material, the pieces of insulating material fitting tightly together in the container with insulating adhesive tape being used to seal the sides and corners to prevent heat loss between the pieces of insulating material.

Advantageously, the container is in collapsible form so that it can be delivered flat and subsequently assembled for use by the ultimate user. The user is supplied with containers in flat form and the necessary pieces of insulating material, and he then puts these together to form the containers which he desires to use.

It may be noted that as the container described above does not use any form of vacuum insulation it is suitable for use in unpressurized aircraft holds, in contrast to many prior known containers which cannot be so used.

Claims

1. A container lined with an insulating material which is formed of a base material and a metallised plastics film attached to the base material.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the base material has a thermal conductivity not greater than 1W/mK.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the base material has a water vapour transfer rate not greater than 70g/m2.

4. A container according to any preceding claim wherein the base material is expanded polystyrene.

5. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the metallised plastics film has a water transfer rate not greater than 80g/m2 in 24 hours.

6. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the metallised film has an oxygen transfer rate not exceeding 9,600 cc/m2 in 24 hours.

7. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the metallised film is formed of a polyester film with a metal coating thereon.

8. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the metallised film is formed of a polyvinylchoride film with a metal coating thereon.

9. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the metal of the metallised plastics film is aluminium.

10. A container substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2, with or without the modification of Figure 3.

10. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the metallised plastics film is coated with a lacquer.

11. A container according to any preceding claim, wherin the metallised plastics film is secured to the base material by an adhesive.

12. A container according to any preceding claim, which is formed from a flat collapsed blank.

13. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the container is lined with a plurality of pieces of insulating material, each piece of insulating material fitting tightly against the next.

14. A container according to claim 1, substantially as herein described.

1. A container having two parts, namely a tray and a lid, the tray having a base and upwardly extending side walls, and the lid fitting over the outside of the tray and having a top surface and downwardly extending side walls, wherein a corner pillar is arranged at each corner of the container, each pillar fitting over the top of a corner of the tray with a clamping action and extending downwards inside the tray to the base thereof, each pillar also having a portion fitting inside a corner of the lid and having two upwardly projecting tabs disposed at right angles to each other and projecting through slots in the top of the lid.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein each pillar is formed of two parts removably secured to one another, namely a first part which provides the said clamping action and a second part which extends downwards inside the tray to the base thereof.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein each pillar is formed as a single integral component.

4. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein each pillar is skeletal in form.

5. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein each pillar has a generally right-angled slot therein whose walls provide the said clamping action.

6. A container according to claim 5, wherein each wall is provided with ribs to assist the said clamping action.

7. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the tray and lid are of cardboard.

8. A container according to any preceding claim, provided with a heat insulating lining.

9. A container according to claim 8, wherein the tray has a reflective material on the interior thereof and the insulating lining is provided by insulating members provided on the sides thereof which face the tray with a reflective material, the insulating members being spaced from the tray by the pillars.