Abstract
A foldable frame for containers has a polygonal base mount made of studs and an upper mount parallel to the base mount made of studs. The polygonal base mount and the upper mount are connected together by means of columns of equal length. The columns are formed of at least two sections of the same length, and the adjacent sections are joined together by a hinged member, the hinged member containing a first bushing connected to a slider movably disposed in the cavity of the first section, a second bushing having common axle with the first bushing and secured to the locking member arranged in the inner cavity of the adjacent second section, with a hinge pin provided in the bushings.
Claims
1. A foldable frame (1) for containers, comprising: a polygonal base mount (2) made of studs (45,56,67,74); and a polygonal upper mount (3) parallel to the base mount (2) made of studs (4a5,5a6,6a7,7a4) and having a number of angles equal to those of the base mount (2), said polygonal base mount and said polygonal upper mount connected together by columns (A, B, C, D) of equal length attached with hinges (8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15) to corner blocks (4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 4t, 4a, 6a, 7a, 4a, 6a, 7a, 5t, 6t, 7t) provided at connections of the studs (45,56,67,74, 4a5,5a6,6a7,7a4), and the columns (A, B, C, D) are formed of at least two sections of the same length (S1, S2) and adjacent sections (S1, S2) of said at least two sections are joined together by a hinged member (20,200), at least one of said adjacent sections (S1, S2) is provided with an inner cavity, and the hinged member (20, 200) contains a first bushing (23,223) connected to a sliding block (22,222) movably disposed in the inner cavity of a first section (S1) of said adjacent sections, a second bushing (21,221) having common axle (t) with the first bushing (23,223) and secured to a locking member (25,225) arranged at least in part in the inner cavity of a second section (S2) of said adjacent sections, and a hinge pin (24,224) provided in the bushings (21,23,221,223), and wherein at least one of the sliding block (22, 222) and the locking member (25,225) are movable along a longitudinal direction (T) of the columns (A, B, C, D), and a guide (27,227a, 227b) for restricting displacement of the sliding block (22,222) or the locking member (25,225), respectively, is fixed in the inner cavity of at least one section (S1, S2) of said adjacent sections, and a stopper (26,226a, 226b) is formed on the sliding block (22,222) and/or the locking member (25,225).
2. The foldable frame for containers (1) according to claim 1, wherein the hinged member (200) is rotatable around the direction (T) of the columns (A, B, C, D).
3. The foldable frame for containers (1) according to claim 2, wherein the guide (27,227b) is provided on at least one of the sliding block (22,222) and the locking member (25,225).
4. The foldable frame for containers (1) according to claim 3, further comprising a relative angular position of the hinged member (200) and a respective column (A, B, C, D) of the columns around the axis (T), at which a smallest distance (L1) of outer walls (S1a, S2a) of the sections (S1, S2) is smaller than a distance (L2) of the shaft (T) and the axis (t) of the hinge pin (224).
5. The foldable frame for containers (1) according to claim 4, wherein the sliding block (22, 222,) is provided with a latch head (F).
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The invention will be disclosed in details with reference to drawing as attached. In the drawing:
(2) FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a foldable container frame according to the present invention in perspective view,
(3) FIG. 2 shows one of columns in erected position of the foldable container frame according to the present invention in perspective view,
(4) FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the hinged member according to the present invention inserted in the sections S1, S2 in open state,
(5) FIG. 4 shows a hinged member according to the invention as shown in FIG. 3 in open state built in the sections of a column of the container frame,
(6) FIG. 5 shows a hinged member according to the invention as shown in FIG. 3 in closed state of the column,
(7) FIG. 6a, b, c show a hinged member as a further embodiment of the hinged member of the present invention in closed (6a), built in and closed (6b) state, as well as open (6c) state,
(8) FIG. 6d shows a further embodiment of hinged member shown in FIG. 6c, which is provided with a locking head,
(9) FIG. 7 shows column of the frame in folded position, before installation or after folding, with only one column depicted and without the upper mount.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(10) In FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of a foldable container frame 1 according to the present invention can be seen in perspective view. The container frame 1 generally has a polygonal base mount 2 being rectangular in the illustrated embodiment, as well as a rectangular upper mount 3 arranged in a plane parallel to the base mount 2. Of course, it is possible that mounts 2,3 are square or multiangular shaped polygons or even an infinite polygon, i.e. a circle, but the shape of the base mount 2 and the upper mount 3 is always the same, e.g. for regular hexagonal base mount 2 the shape of the upper mount 3 is a regular hexagon as well. The corners of the frames 2,3 are formed by corner blocks 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 4t, 5t, 6t, 7t, whereby the container frame 1 can be lifted or fixed to the loading platform of a vehicle. The corner blocks 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 4t, 5t, 6t, 7t are therefore advantageously standardized. Corner blocks are connected with upper studs 45,56,67,74 in the upper mount 3 and with lower studs 4a5, 5a6, 6a7, and 7a4 in the base mount 2 along the edges of the respective mounts 2, 3. In the embodiment shown in Figure, the mounts 2,3 are connected to each other by columns A, B, C, D at the corner blocks 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 4t, 5t, 6t, 7t, as shown. Each of the columns A, B, C, and D is connected to the base mount 2 with a hinge 8, 9, 10, 11 at its bottom end, and with a hinge 12,13,14,15 to the upper mount 3 at its top end. The axles of the hinges 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 are mutually parallel with each other in this embodiment, and with the plane of the mounts 2, 3 in all embodiments.
(11) In FIG. 2, for the sake of simplicity, only one of columns A, B, C, D having the same design column A is shown in the erected position of the foldable container frame 1 according to the present invention. Column A and thus columns B, C and D as well are formed by two sections S1, S2 of the same length, where length of section S1 is measured between a hinge 12 and parting O, length of section S2 is measured between hinge 8 and parting O for column A, while for example, between hinge 13 and parting O, and hinge 9 and parting O for the column B, and so on. The two sections S1, S2 are preferably at least partially hollow tubes, e.g. hollow closed sections in the illustrated embodiment.
(12) FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the hinged member 20 according to the present invention inserted in the sections S1, S2 in open state, in a perspective view. In this position, the container frame 1 is in a collapsed state for transport. The hinged member 20 is provided with a first bushing 21, or with a first pair of bushings 21 in the embodiment shown, which is secured to a locking member 25. The locking member 25 is secured in section S2 of column A. In the bores of the pair of bushings 21 a pivot pin 24 is provided, which is surrounded by a second bushing 23 between the bushings 21 and secured to a sliding block 22. At the bottom of the sliding block 22, there is preferably a stopper 26. Between the stopper 26 and the pivot pin 24, a guide 27 may be slid along the sliding block 22, which is secured in the section S1 of column A.
(13) In FIG. 4 a hinged member 20 according to the invention as shown in FIG. 3 can be seen in open state built in the sections S1, S2 of column A. A hinged member 20 is mounted in the columns B, C, D in the same way. The guide 27 of the hinged member 20 is positioned and fixed in the interior of the section S1 in such a way that, in the closed position of column A as shown in FIG. 5, at least a portion or preferably the whole of the part K of the locking member 25 projecting from the end surface V2 of the section S2 can fit between the end surface of V1 of section S1 and the guide 27 such that the end surfaces V1, V2 of the sections S1, S2 of column A lean against each other. Therefore, in the position shown in FIG. 5 the sections S1, S2 of column A cannot be turned around, i.e., the column A cannot be folded about the hinge pin 24 so the column A is in a closed and locked position.
(14) FIGS. 6a and 6b show a hinged member 200 in open state, as a further embodiment of the hinged member 20 of the present invention. The hinged member 200 has a cylindrical sliding block 222, which can move in the direction T of the bore 227fb and it can rotate about the axis T in the bore 227fb of a limiting member 227b fixed, e.g. welded, inside the section S1, not shown here. Similarly, a cylindrical locking member 225 can move in the direction T and it can rotate about the axis T in the bore 227fa having the same axis as the bore 227fb of a guide 227 fixed, e.g. welded to the section S2, inside the section S2. In a preferred embodiment, one of the sliding block 222 and locking member 225 may be secured to the respective guide 227a, 227b, while the other can be movable. The movable one of sliding block 222 and locking member 225 is provided with a stop element 226a, 226b having an outside diameter larger than the diameters of the holes 227a, 227fb. The hinged member 200 formed by sliding block 222 and locking member 225 connected together by means of a first bushing 221, a second bushing 223 and a pivot pin 224 having an axis t is located as a whole inside the sections S1, S2 in a closed state of sections S1, S shown in FIG. 6b, such that the minimum distance L1 between the and the axis T is smaller than a distance L2 between the outer wall S1a and S2a of the sections S1, S2 and the axis t of the pivot pin 224. In a state shown in FIG. 6b sections S1, S2 of column A cannot be rotated around the pivot pin 224 because all the points of the sliding block 222 and locking member 225 of the hinged member 200 would rotate around the axis t, while every points of sections S1, S2 of column A would turn around a line passing through a point P resulted in a stuck of the sliding block 222 and locking member 225 and guides 227a, 227b, that is the column A is in locked position.
(15) In FIG. 6c the hinged member 200 arranged in the section S1, S2 of column A is shown in its open position that is the container frame 1 is in folded position. It can be observed that, unlikely to the closed position shown in FIG. 6b, the axis t is located outside the plane of outer wall S1a of the section S1 of column A, which is a shift of positions that can be achieved during folding or installing the frame 1.
(16) Hinged member 200 as shown in FIG. 6d is a further embodiment of hinged member 200 shown in FIG. 6c, which is provided with a locking head F, and column A is in open position. The width Ff of the locking head F is smaller than the inner size Fs of the sections S1, S2, so that if the column A is closed, i.e. in closed position, the head F is fitted into the cavity of sections S1, S2, e.g. into the cavity of hollow profiles used as sections S1,S2. After the sections S1, S2 got turned into the axis T by 180° around the axis t of the hinge pin, the hinged member 200 can be rotated by 180° around the axis T and the ends of the sections S1, S2 can be aligned, while the locking head F is fitted in inside of column A.
(17) In order to install the container frame 1 according to the invention, the collapsed container frame 1 is delivered to the site of installation intended, while at least two preferably multiple collapsed container frames 1 can be transported in a place of a single open container frame 1 or of the volume of a single conventional container. In that transport position, the column A and thus the columns B, C, D are in folded position, as shown in FIG. 7, and the hinged member of the column is, therefore, in open state. The container frame 1 is to be slung to a hoisting machine, e.g. a crane, by means of a rope fastened to the corner blocks 4t, 5t, 6t, 7t shown in FIG. 1, or other suitable means, e.g. by lifting the upper mount 3 with a lifting machine, e.g. a lift truck. When the upper mount 3 is raised, the sections S1, S2 of the columns A, B, C, D rotate around the hinges 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 and the columns A, B, C, D getting aligned along the axis T, while the sections S1, S2 rotate around the axis t of the pivot pins 24, 224 relative to each other. The lifting is continued until the stoppers 26,226a, 226b abut with guides 27,227a, 227b. Then, if a hinged member 20 according to embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is applied, the upper mount 3 is lowered and the sections S1, S2 in contact with each other form closed columns A, B, C, D, which cannot be folded again without lifting the upper mount 3. In a case when a hinged member 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6a is used, after stoppers impacted against the guides 27,227a, 227b, hinged member 200 is rotated about the axis T into the position shown in FIG. 6b, that is by 180°, so that the entire length of the hinged member 200 is placed inside the sections S1 and S2 and within their extension as a whole, and then the upper mount 3 is lowered and sections S1, S2 getting in contact with each other to form a closed and locked column A, B, C, D.
(18) Thereafter, the container frame 1 may be provided with side walls and/or the frame/roof elements covering/filling the mounts 2, 3, if necessary. On the sidewalls window and door openings can be formed of course, and the container frames 1 set up can be placed side by side or can be stacked depending on the type of use.
(19) The advantage of the foldable container frame 1 according to the present invention in relation to prior art solutions is that its fastening and hinging elements are unavailable to the user of the container frame 1 once installed, which can be disengaged by means of mechanical force only, and it can be optionally provided for different shipment purposes, for example with solid sidewalls and doors, windows and other walls, including but not limited to roofs and floor panels e.g for transporting, storing, or the container frame can be used for applications with no coverings are partially or totally in demand, and either transporting, installing and locking, or disengaging its latches and folding the container frame 1 is equally fast, easy, economical and safe as well.
