Onsite adjustable packing crate system

Abstract

A crate system that includes a crate body that can be easily adjusted in size without hand tools. The crate body includes four width adjustable side walls, sandwiches between a lower planar support base and an upper top panel. Each side wall includes at least one lower side wall component affixed to the perimeter edge of the support base and at least one upper side wall component. The lower and upper side wall components and interconnected with pegs and holes to adjust the width of the side wall. Straps are extended around the side walls, support base and top panel to hold them together. The support base includes at least two rows of elongated slots that extend transversely and longitudinally over the support base and foam pads. A plurality of internal straps are inserted into one of the slots and automatically engage the slots when the straps are pulled upward.

Claims

1. A size adjustable crate system, comprising; a. a support base with four straight perimeter edges, an inside surface and an outside surface; b. a top panel with four straight perimeter edges, an inside surface and an outside surface, said top panel being substantially the same size and shape as said support base and located above and aligned parallel to said support base; c. four rigid side walls disposed between said support base and said top panel, each said side wall includes an exterior surface and a straight lower edge and a straight upper edge parallel to the support surface, said side walls being perpendicularly aligned with said inside surface on said support base and perpendicularly aligned with said inside surface of said top panel, each said side walls being the same width and configured to be aligned on one edge on said support base, each said side wall includes two or more side wall components, each side wall component used in each said side wall being the same lengths and configured to be stacked together along one edge thereby enabling the overall height of each said side wall to be adjusted, said number of side wall components used in each said side wall being the same so that all of said side walls are the same width; d. a plurality of pegs and peg holes formed on the adjoining edges of said edges of said side wall components enabling stacked side walls components to be locked together; e. a plurality of first exterior straps extending between said support base and said side walls, each said external straps include a proximal end affixed to said support base and a distal end selectively affixed to said exterior surface on said side walls; f. a plurality of second exterior straps extending between said top panel and said side walls, said external straps include a proximal end affixed to said top panel and a distal end selectively affixed to said exterior surface on said side wall; g. a plurality of elongated slots formed on said support base and inside said perimeter edges; h. a first set of hook or loop connector pads attached to said inside surface of said support base; and i. a plurality of elongated interior straps, each said interior strap includes an end connector configured to be inserted when aligned in one way into one of said elongated slots formed on said support base, said end connector configured to resist removal from said slot when extended through said slot when rotated into a blocking position, each said interior strap also includes second set of hook or loop connector pads configured to attach to a first set of hook or loop connectors attached to said support base, whereby when said end connector on said interior strap is inserted into said slot and rotated to a blocking position and said interior strap is extended around an object, the hook or loop connectors on said interior strap attaches to a first set of hook or loop connectors on said support base to securely hold said object in a fixed position on said support base.

2. The crate system, as recited in claim 1, further a plurality of foam blocks disposed over said support base and between said object and said side walls.

3. The crate system, as recited in claim 1, further includes at least one hand grip attached two opposite said side walls.

4. The crate system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said end connector is a flat plate configured to be rotated on edge and inserted into said slot and then rotated 90 degrees into a blocking position.

5. The crate system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said end connector is a hook configured to engage said slot when an opposing force is exerted on said interior strap.

6. The crate system, as recited in claim 1 wherein each said side wall component has opposite ends that are offset thereby enabling ends on adjoining side wall components to be dovetailed together.

7. The crate system, as recited in claim 1, further including said support base is configured with said bottom surface elevated when said bottom surface is placed on a horizontal surface enabling said end connector to engage said slot.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the size adjustable crate disclosed herein.

(2) FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the crate.

(3) FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the crate.

(4) FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the support base showing one longitudinally aligned internal strap and two transversely aligned internal straps and four foam blocks mounted in the corners.

(5) FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the support base.

(6) FIG. 6 is an exploded side elevation view of the crate with two stacked side wall components.

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the adjustable crate.

(8) FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the crate shown in FIG. 7.

(9) FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the crate shown in FIGS. 7 and 8

(10) FIG. 10 is an exploded end elevational view of the crate shown in FIGS. 7-9

(11) FIG. 11 is an exploded side elevational view of the crate shown in FIGS. 7-10.

(12) FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the crate showing a flat mirror located inside the crate and securely held by three straps.

(13) FIG. 13 is a sectional side elevation view of the support base showing the end connector attached to an internal strap being perpendicularly aligned and inserted through the slot.

(14) FIG. 14 is a sectional side elevation view of the support base showing an upward force being applied to the internal strap which causes the end connector to rotate into a blocking position.

(15) FIG. 15 is a sectional elevational view of an object disposed over a foam block and held on in a fixed position of the support base by an internal strap with a hook attached to the end of the internal strap that engages a slot formed on the support base.

(16) FIG. 16 is a sectional elevational view of an object disposed over two foam blocks and held on in a fixed position of the support base by an two overlapping internal straps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

(17) Disclosed herein is a size adjustable protective crate system 10 that allows a packer to selectively assemble and form different size crate bodies 12 to receive and protect different sizes of regular and irregular objects. Each crate body 12 includes a rigid support base 50, a top panel 60 and at least two sets of four removable side walls indicated by the reference numbers 20, 20 and includes lower side wall components 22, 26, 30, 34 and upper side wall components 22, 26, 30 and 34 respectively. FIG. 1 shows one set of four side walls 20 (lower side wall components 22, 26, 30, 34) installed on the crate body 12 and the second set of side walls 20 (upper side wall components 22, 26 30, and 34) and stacked to one side.

(18) In the embodiments shown in the Figs, the long side wall components 22, 22, 30 and 30 are identical in length (43 inches) and width (5 inches). The short side wall components 26, 26 34, and 34 are also identical in length 43 inches and width (5 inches). It should be understood, however, that three or four sets of four side walls components may be provided and the lengths and widths of the long and short side wall components may also vary.

(19) The lower side wall components 22, 26, 30, 34 and the upper side wall components 22, 26, 30 34 are registered with the inside surfaces and the perimeter edges of the support base 50 and the top panel 60. To keep the lower edges of the lower side wall components 22, 26, 30, 34 and upper side wall components 22, 26, 30, 34 aligned with the adjacent perimeter edges, at least one pair of pegs 38 and at least one pair of holes 39 are formed on the adjoining longitudinal edges of the lower side wall components 22, 26, 30, and 34 and the upper side wall components 22, 26, 30 and 34 on the top surface of the support base 50 and the bottom surface of the top panel 60. During assembly, the pegs 38 and holes 39 are aligned at registered. Similar pegs 38 and holes 39 may attached and formed on the adjoining edges of the lower and upper side wall components (22, 26, 30, 34 and 22, 26, 30 and 34) to keep them vertically aligned.

(20) Extending over the outside surfaces of the four lower side wall components 22, 26, 30, and 34 is a plurality of length adjustable external straps 70, 70 with hook or loop connectors 72 attached on one side to their distal ends. The opposite, proximal ends of the lower external straps 70 are affixed to the perimeter edges of the support base 50 and the proximal end of the upper external strap 70 is attached to the perimeter edges of the top panel 60. The external straps 70, 70 are perpendicularly aligned with the perimeter edges and are sufficient in size to extend over the adjoining side wall components. The actual lengths of each external strap 70, 70 is depended by the number of side wall components distributed with the crate system 10. If both sets of side walls 20, 20 are distributed, then the external straps 70, 70 must have a length to extend upward and downward over both the lower and upper side wall components when stacked in an edge to edge manner. When the upper side wall components are used the excess external strap 70, 70 may be folded into the crate.

(21) Mounted on the outside surface of the lower and upper side wall components 22, 22 and 26, 26 and 30, 30, and 34, 34 are hook and loop connector pads 37 compatible with the hook and loop connectors 72 attached to the distal ends of the external straps 70. The hook and loop connector pads 37 are positioned on the exterior surface of the side wall components so they are engaged by the hook and loop connectors 72 when the external straps 70, 70 are pulled over the side wall components 22, 26, 30, 34.

(22) FIGS. 7-11 show a second embodiment of the crate system 10 with both sets of side wall 20, 20 to create a crate with a tall crate with a wide internal cavity. In this embodiment, the adjoining ends of the side wall components 22, 22, 26, 26, 30, 30, 36, and 36 are offset and dovetailed together enabling the ends of the side wall components 22, 22, 26, 26, 30, 30, 36, and 36 to be aligned.

(23) As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the support base 50 includes six groups of elongated slots, (indicated as 53a-f). Each group 53a-f includes a plurality of parallel elongated slots 54 aligned transversely and longitudinally over the support base 50. In one embodiment, the group of slots includes a plurality of elongated slots 54 may be manufactured directly into the support base 50 as show in FIG. 5 or they may be manufactured into a slot plate 56 separately attached to the support base 50 as shown in FIG. 9. The groups 53a-f or the slot plates 56 are located near the outer perimeter edges of the support base 50 and extend inward and perpendicularly from the perimeter edge. The slots 54 are approximate 3 inches in length, and 1 inch in width.

(24) Connected to the slots 54 are a plurality of internal straps 80 that extend across an object 95 disposed over the support base 50. In the embodiment, each internal strap 80 includes a flat plate end connector 86 that can be rotated on edge and easily inserted into a slot 54 as shown in FIG. 7. After the end contactor 86 is extended through the slot 54, then rotated 90 degrees and positioned against the bottom surface of the support base 50. When the end of the internal strap 80 is pulled upward, the end connector 86 prevents the lower end of the internal strap 80 from disengaging from the support base 50. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 15, the end connector 86 is slightly concave.

(25) Also shown in FIG. 7 are two pairs, of low profile hand grips 110 attached to opposite said side wall components.

(26) When an object 99 is placed on the support base 50, a second internal strap 80 may be connected to a slot 54 on the support member 50 on the opposite side of the object 95. Each internal strap 80, 80 includes a compatible hook or loop connector 82, 82 attached to the inside surfaces that allows the loose ends of the secondary straps 80, 80 when overlapped to be selectively connected together to hold the object 95 tightly in a fixed position on the support base 50. As shown in FIGS. 4, 15, and 16, attached to the inside surfaces of the support base 50, and the side walls 22, 26, 30, and 34 are option protective foam blocks 90, 92, respectively, that elevates the object 955 above the support base 50

(27) FIG. 15 is a sectional elevational view of an object 95 disposed over two foam blocks 90, 92 and held on in a fixed position of the support base 50 by an internal strap 80 with a hook style end connector 88 attached to the end of the internal strap 80 that engages a slot 54 formed on the support base 50.

(28) FIG. 16 is a sectional elevational view of an object 95 disposed over two foam blocks 90, 92 and held on in a fixed position of the support base 50 by two overlapping internal straps 80, 80.

(29) The crate 10, 10 is designed to be shipped in an unassembled configuration and assembled just prior to use. The crate system 10, 10 may also include additional third and fourth sets of four side stacked and longitudinally aligned with the first and second set of side walls 20, 20 that enable the user to adjust the overall height of the crate body 12. After unpacking, the crate body 12 can be easily dissembled and returned to a collapsed configuration and reused.

(30) In compliance with the statute, the invention described has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown, comprises the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted under the doctrine of equivalents.