Container System with Detachable Lid, and Related Parts and Methods

The present invention relates to attachments for parts of containers, to such parts of containers, to such containers and to related methods. In particular, such containers may be containers for the transportation of dry goods, such as foldable large containers or “FLCs”, that is large containers which may be assembled and disassembled. More particularly, the present invention relates to attachments for lids of such containers, to such lids, to containers and/or container assemblies comprising such lids and related methods.

Containers for transporting dry goods across distribution networks are well known. These goods may include dry ingredients, components, packaging materials, packaged products and/or bulk goods. These containers are often described as freight containers or transportation containers. In one example, a container may have a total volume, i.e. a volumetric capacity, of around 700 litres, but a variety of sizes and geometries are otherwise available. For example, these containers may each have a volume of anywhere up to between around 1000 litres and around 1500 litres. The container body is usually sized to correspond to the footprint of the base, which usually corresponds to that of a standard pallet.

A type of such containers can be referred to as “Foldable Large Containers”, or “FLCs”. Typically, FLCs comprise relatively rigid, individually collapsible and erectable side panels (these are alternatively called “walls”).

Another type of such containers is commonly referred to as “Sleeve Pack Containers”, or “SPCs”. Typically, SPCs comprise a relatively flexible side sleeve, which is also collapsible and erectable, but as a whole.

FLCs and SPCs are particularly beneficial when pooled (i.e., when used as reusable containers), because they improve the efficiency and thus the cost effectiveness of reverse logistics in the supply chain. In addition to the side panels and/or sleeve, FLCs and SPCs generally also comprise a base and a removable lid. It is when the lid is removed that the body (i.e. the side panels and/or sleeves) may be conveniently collapsed, or folded, on the base of these containers. The lid is then usually recovered and placed over the collapsed container. In this way, an empty, folded container assembly is prepared for transportation back to a service centre, after use. It will be understood that in the context of the present application, the wording “container assembly” refers to a collapsed or folded container, for example of the FLC or SPC type, with the folded or collapsed body of the container arranged within the corresponding base, with the lid covering said base and folded body, and any shelves that may be provided with the container (for a short description of which, read further below).

In the assembled state, the base, body and lid of the containers define an enclosed space in which contents may be stored. One or more removable shelves may be provided to divide up the enclosed space in, for example, two or more compartments. This may allow for a more efficient use of the enclosed space, during transportation of the goods. Once the goods have been offloaded, however, the shelves are removed, just like the lid, and placed in the folded container assembly for return to the service centre, so that a new pooling cycle for the container may begin.

The lids and any shelves may be particularly problematic, since they may become misplaced. This may cause at least some waste of time, and therefore inefficiencies in the logistics chain, due to the time necessary to retrieve these parts to complete the container loading or unloading operations. It is therefore desirable to implement attachments for such parts of containers that may solve this problem, or at least mitigate the problem with respect to the prior art.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a container system comprising a detachable lid for a container and a container side wall, wherein the detachable lid comprises at least one lid attachment projecting inwardly from a lid underside, and wherein the container side wall comprises at least one corresponding lid receiver for receiving said lid attachment, the at least one lid attachment and corresponding lid receiver being configured such that the lid can be rested on the container side wall by accommodating said at least one lid attachment within said at least one corresponding lid receiver, with at least a majority and, preferably, all of the lid underside facing a portion of an outer face of said container side wall. The lid can thus be conveniently rested on the container side wall, in a position that does not obstruct any container loading or unloading operations.

Said at least one lid attachment may generally be T-shaped, with a stem extending generally perpendicularly from said lid underside, and a head extending generally transversally with respect to said stem. With such as T-shaped lid attachment, resting the lid on the side wall will be particularly convenient and intuitive.

The lid may comprise a skirt that surrounds at least partially said lid underside, and said stem may extends adjacent to said skirt, thus resulting in an arrangement whereby nearly all or effectively all of the lid underside is arranged face-to-face with said outer portion of the container side wall.

Said stem may extends in a first direction which is parallel to a depth-wise extension of said skirt, that is inwardly towards the container when the lid covers the container. This makes the attachment particularly discreet in that it will only minimally invade an enclosed space of the container. To further advantageously shape the stem with this advantage in mind, said stem may extends in a second direction which is perpendicular to a peripheral extension of said skirt, that is being effectively configured as a projecting, in addition, from said skirt. This makes the attachment particularly easy to mould, for example, by injection moulding, and/or to repair, for example if the attachment needs to be replaced, and a new attachment put in place, for example by welding it into position against said skirt. Further advantageously, therefore, the stem may extend from, and be formed integrally with, said skirt.

Unobtrusively, the head of the lid attachment may also extend adjacent to said skirt, but alongside said skirt, rather than inwardly towards the enclosed space of the container. In particular, said head may extend in a first direction which is parallel to a peripheral extension of said skirt. However, the head may also extend in a second direction which is perpendicular to said skirt, and, in a preferred configuration, said head extends from, and is integrally formed with, said skirt.

So that the lid attachment can withstand adequate forces, and to prevent having to repair or replace the lid attachment too often, the lid attachment may be shaped so as to define a first T-shaped portion and a second T-shaped portion, wherein the first and second T-shaped portions together may form said generally T-shaped lid attachment, with the first T-shaped portion being disposed outwardly of the second T-shaped portion, with respect to the enclosed space of the container when the lid is positioned so as to cover the container, and having a footprint that is larger than a corresponding footprint of the second T-shaped portion.

The lid attachment may comprise at least one hooked end for retaining the lid attachment within the lid receiver, so that the lid may not be inadvertently removed from the resting position on the container side wall. Optionally, said at least one hooked end may be provided at an end of said head. Optionally, said head comprises two hooked ends disposed at opposite ends of said head.

It is advantageous that the lid attachment and therefore the lid, together with the lid attachment, may relatively freely rock in the lid receiver, so that the rest position of the lid can naturally fall at a slight angle with respect to said outer face, and not be precisely parallel. This will be the case if, for example, a second lid attachment (as described further below) will determine the position of the lid, at rest, by abutting against said outer face. To favour this rocking, the lid attachment may comprise at least one of: a distal recess; a distal rounded corner; a distal bevelled corner; and, a distal chamfered corner, each of which may be configured to enable or encourage rocking of the lid attachment within the corresponding lid receiver, when the lid attachment is received in the lid receiver to rest the lid on the container side wall.

Turning now to the lid receiver, the lid receiver may be simply formed as a recess. For ease of access, said recess may be formed on an upper edge of said container side wall.

The recess may comprise first and second recessed portions disposed contiguously with respect to each other, wherein the first recessed portion has a width that is less than a corresponding width of the second recessed portion, said widths being measured in a direction alongside and parallel to said edge of the container side wall. This configuration adequately retains the lid attachment in place within the lid receiver, yet minimising unintended disengagement.

The first and second recessed portions may have the same depths measured in a direction perpendicular to said edge of the container and extending on a same notional plane as said container side wall.

The receiver may be provided as a retractable receptacle configured to be deployed and stowed away within said container side wall. In some versions, said retractable receptacle may be pivotally deployable and stowable and in other versions said retractable receptacle may be slidably deployable and stowable.

In the case of the FLCs introduced above, the container lid is generally rectangular, and comprises at least two, opposed lid attachments, which may be symmetrically disposed on the lid underside with respect to a central long symmetry axis of the lid laying on the plane of the lid. Since the lid may be rested on the container side wall via either lid attachment, then it is of course convenient to position each lid attachment midway along a corresponding, adjacent side of the lid.

In a particularly preferred arrangement, the at least one lid attachment is positioned on the lid underside such that, when the lid is positioned on the container to cover the enclosed space defined by the container, said at least one lid attachment is received within said corresponding lid receiver so as to reduce or prevent contamination of said enclosed space of the container from any external agents. In other words, on this configuration, the lid attachments work effectively as plugs and the corresponding lid receivers, at least partially, as sockets. In a more particularly preferred arrangement, the recessed portions of the lid receiver are swapped compared the configuration described above, that is the narrow recessed portion is positioned inwardly, that is towards the enclosed space of the container, and the wide recessed portion is positioned outwardly, that is towards the outer space around the container, to further reduce and/or eliminate any contamination, with the head completely obstructing any passageway from said outer space to said enclosed space of the container.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a container comprising the container system as described above.

The container may be generally in the shape of a cuboid comprising two opposite short side walls and two opposite long side walls, and a base, wherein said side walls may each comprise a container side panel each of which may be foldable over said base, and can be erected back from said folded configuration. Further, said base may comprises a pallet base.

The container may be made of a substantially rigid plastic material.

The container lid may be adapted to conform with interference to an erected container body, or to a container base adapted to receive a collapsed container body, such that the lid is retained firmly, yet removably, on said container body or base.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a container assembly comprising a container base and a collapsed container body disposed on said container base, said container assembly comprising the container system as described above. The footprint of said container assembly, or of the corresponding container, may be sized according to a standard pallet size.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of resting a detachable lid for a container on a container side wall, wherein the detachable lid comprises at least one lid attachment projecting inwardly from a lid underside, and wherein the container side wall comprises at least one corresponding lid receiver for receiving said lid attachment, the method comprising accommodating said at least one lid attachment within said at least one corresponding lid receiver, with at least a majority and, preferably, all of the lid underside facing a portion of an outer face of said container side wall.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

shows a rigid containerfor the transportation of dry goods. This container falls in the category of FLCs described above. The general shape and configuration of this rigid containerwill now be described. The rigid containerdefines an enclosed spacein which goods to be transported can be stored. The enclosed spaceis delimited laterally by a body which includes one or more container walls, each of which includes a panel(there are a total of four panels, including front and back short panelsand two long side panels), at the bottom by a container base, and at the top by a removable or detachable container cap or lid, which may be foldable in halves longitudinally, as shown in, to facilitate access to the goods. The detachable lid, however, is usually provided as a single part.

The front wallwhich includes the front short panelincorporates an openable front door, which may be opened to facilitate access to the goods (or any shelves that may be provided inside the container, which may support these goods). One of the side wallsincludes a long side panelwhich incorporates an openable side door, which can be used similarly to the front door. One or more removable shelves (not shown in, but described further below) can be disposed within the containerso as to divide up a container's enclosed spacein two or more compartments respectively. The focus of the present specification is, however, on the detachable lid, and how this detachable lidmay be supported on the containerduring a container unloading operation. Detachable lidsof this type are generally rectangular, and usually made by injection moulding as a single piece from a polymeric material such as a plastic.

Before progressing further with the description, it is noted that the term “side wall”of the containeras used above relates to the whole side of the container, whether in the erected or folded configuration, whereas “side panel”generally denotes the portion of the side wallwhich may be folded and erected back in position, if the containeris foldable, otherwise the portion of the side wallthat actually delimits the container's enclosed space.

shows an SPC-type containerwith another detachable lid. The container bodyis in this instance provided in the form of a flexible sleeve, as known. The lidcomprises a set of radially extending ribs. While these radially extending ribsstill provide the lidwith the required reinforcement (in the sense that they increase the bending stiffness of the lid), they are also effective in acting as water guidesfor displacing water centrifugally, when the lidis rotated around for example around an axis perpendicular to the lid, which passes through its centre C, which is shown in. These aspects of the lid, however, are not within the focus of the present application.

On the contrary, the present application focusses on those features, also shown in, that the detachable lidis supported by T-shaped hookson one of the short side panels of the SPC container. Supporting the detachable lidin this manner is convenient, because otherwise the lidmight become displaced and difficult to retrieve, after the completion of a container loading or unloading operation. However, the outwardly projecting half of the detachable lidmight still constitute an obstacle to said loading/unloading operations. The present application provides a solution to this problem. Whilst the solution put forward herein is suitable to both SPCs and FLCs, it will be understood that it may be preferably applied to FLCs, which have side panelsthat can be more easily or effectively adapted as described herein.

, and particularly, illustrate schematically a method of preparing for reverse logistics the foldable rigid container (or “FLC”)of, equipped with a single-part, detachable lidas shown in. The containeris folded, in this example, by folding in turn the short side panels() first, one on the other, and both over the baseof the container, then by folding the long side panelsover said front and back panels, as shown inan-. All the panelsare hinged, but the details of these hinges are not within the scope of the present specification. Alternatively, the panelsmay be collapsible in different fashion, for example by removing each of the panelsor all of the panelscollectively from the baseof the containerand lying them flat over the container base. Inthe detachable lidis accommodated over the baseand the folded body panelsof the container.

shows the resulting container assembly, that is a folded FLC-type container, with the detachable lidaccommodated thereon, ready to be transported back to a service centre for reconditioning (if required) and re-deployment.

shows in greater detail the features of an undersideof the lid. In particular, of interest is the presence of two lid attachments, protruding from a peripheral areaof the lid underside, and disposed each half-way along opposite long sides of the lid underside. Each lid attachmentis equally distant from nearby cornersof the lid underside. The lidalso includes a skirtthat surrounds the lid underside. The lid attachmentsare disposed in proximity of said skirtand are symmetrically disposed along a central symmetry axis of the lid, extending parallel to said long sides passing through the centre C of the lid, as shown in.

shows parts the containerofwith the lidcoupled to one of the long side panelsof the container., therefore, shows a system as described herein. The system comprises a detachable lidwith one or more lid attachments, and a container side panel, which is more generally part of a container side wall, as discussed above, which includes a corresponding lid receiver, as shown in. One of the lid's attachmentsis received in the lid receiverof one of the long side panelsof the container, and the lidis accordingly rested on said side panel, and thus on the corresponding container's side wall. The lid receiveris provided on an upper edgeof the side panel, half-way along the length of said side panel.shows the solution put forward by the present application. The lidis neatly accommodated on the side panel, in this case via a single attachmentand a single, dedicated lid receiverformed on one of the container's side panels.

Compared to the lidof, only one lid attachmentis used for attaching the lidto a wallof the container. More lid attachments could be alternatively used. However, it is important to note that the rectangular lidis rested in ‘landscape’ orientation on the containerrather than in ‘portrait’ orientation, with essentially all of the lid underside‘hidden’ behind one of the long side panelsof the container. All of the lid undersiderests in face-to-face configuration against a portion of the outer surfaceof said wall. Therefore, the lid is stored in a convenient position, which however in addition minimizes obstruction during any loading/unloading operations, compared to the configuration of the lidshown in. This was made possible by the provision of the lid receiver, as described above.

is a perspective view showing in more detail the shape of one of the lid attachments of. The lid attachmentis generally T-shaped, and projects from the lid underside, and more precisely from a peripherythereof, near the skirt. The lid attachment comprises a stemthat terminates with a head. The stemextends generally perpendicularly from the lid undersideand the headextends generally parallel to the skirt. The T-shaped lid attachmentcomprises two T-shaped portions: an outer T-shaped portion(which faces the lid's skirt) and an inner T-shaped portion(that faces the container's enclosed space).

The outer T-shaped portionhas a plant or footprint that is wider and encompasses all of the footprint of the inner T-shaped portion. The headterminates with two hooked endsthat make it more difficult for the lid attachment to disengage from the lid receiver, when the lidis rested on the container's panel. A recessis formed at the distal end of the lid attachment, on the attachments' head, and all along the attachments' head. The purpose of this recessis to allow for the lid attachmentto rock relatively freely inside the lid receiver, so that the lidcan be rested at a slight angle and not perfectly parallel with respect to the wall's outer surface. This configuration, as it will be further described below, is determined by the abutment of the second lid attachmentand/or of the lid's skirtwith said outer face, when the lidrests on the container.

is a perspective view showing in more detail the shape of the second lid attachmentof. This view also better shows the inner side of the lid attachmentof(the two lid attachmentsbeing essentially the same as regards shape, but being symmetrically arranged on the lid underside).

is a perspective view of the lid receiverintroduced with the description of. As mentioned earlier, the lid receiveris formed on the upper edgeof one of the long side wallsof the container. The lid receiver defines a recess. The recessin turn is defined by two recessed portions: a first, narrow recessed potiondisposed outwardly, towards the exterior of the container, and the second, wider recessed portionwhich instead faces the container's enclosed space. This configuration facilitates attachment of the lidfrom above, whilst the protruding flanges that define the narrow recessed portionfunction as retainers which cooperate with the hooked endsof the headof the lid attachmentto retain the lidin place within the lid receiver, as desired.

shows the lid attachmentofaccommodated within the recessof the lid receiverof. The lidcan only be disengaged by first moving the lidupwardly, then pulling the lidaway outwardly, to overcome the retaining action of the flanges described above. As it will be appreciated from, the lid attachmentand the lid receiverare complementarily, that is, correspondingly shaped, such that the lid attachmentmay sit snugly within the recessof the lid receiver.

are cross-sectional views that have been included to show in greater detail the angle at which the lidrests with respect to the container's side wall, when one of the lid attachmentsis received in the lid receiver. It will be observed that said angle is very small, probably in the region between 5 and 15 degrees, and is determined by the skirtof the lidand/or the second, in this case unused lid attachmentabutting against a lower part (not shown) of said side wall.

shows in greater detail the angular relation between the lid attachmentand the recessinside the lid receiver. The same angle described above is formed between the lower surface of the recess, which is where the lid attachmentrests, in use, and the stemof the lid attachment. Thanks to the recessformed at the distal end of the lid attachment, on its head, the lid attachmentis relatively free to rock in its seat, so that the lidcan take its naturally hanging configuration, a seen in.

show in greater detail how the lower part of the lidand the side panelon which the lidis accommodated are arranged relative to each other when the lidis rested on said side panel. The second lid attachmentand/or a portion of the lid's skirtabut against a portion of the baseof the container, which together with the side paneldefines the side wallof the containeron which the lidis accommodated. So that the lid attachment is visible, the baseis not shown in.

is a different perspective view of the undersideof the lid.has been included since it allows the viewer to appreciate how the lid attachmentsare disposed when the lidis in use to cover the enclosed spaceof the container.

is simply an enlarged view of a portion of the lidof, showing the lid attachmentin greater detail in said orientation. The lid attachmentis positioned close enough to the lid's skirtsuch that, when the lidcovers the container, the lid attachmentis at least partially received within the lid receiverin order to limit or prevent contamination of the enclosed spaceof the containerduring transportation.

are self-explanatory: they show a variation of the lid receiverpreviously described. In this variation, the lid receiveris not provided merely as a recess formed on the upper edgeof one of the side panelsof the container. Rather, the lid receiveris provided as a retractable receptaclewhich can be deployed and stowed away inside the side panel, in the upper region thereof, close to the upper edgethereof.shows the location of the retractable receptacle.shows a detail of the pivotally operated receptacle, in a stowed configuration.shows a detail of the receptaclein a deployed configuration. The receptacle, in the deployed configuration of, defines a recesssimilar to the previously described recess of the previous lid receiver.shows the lid's attachmentbeing accommodated in said recess.shows a particular of the lid attachmentreceived in the recessof the retractable receptacle.illustrates the purpose of this variation, which is to bring the lid slightly further away from the edgeof the side panel, to improve access to the enclosed spaceof the container even further.

Finally,show a variation of the lid attachmentpreviously described. Here, the lid attachmentis provided as a single T-shape, without first and second T-shaped portions. This lid attachmentcan be described as a single stemand a single head, without hooked ends. Further, the lid attachment, in this variation, not only projects from the lid underside, but also from the lid's skirt.