Stackable knock down box

Abstract

A stackable knock down box is provided for the bulk transportation and storage of fresh produce such as fruit. The box comprises a base pallet, and six side wall panels which are hinged together to define a composite side wall enclosure which can be folded into a stack. A number of drop-away base clip arrangements are provided for releasably holding the composite side wall enclosure to the base pallet in both its erected and folded conditions. The box can be stacked in both the erected and folded conditions, and includes a number of panel aligning inserts located at the upper edge corners of the side walls. Each panel aligning insert is formed with an angled contact face which slopes downwardly and outwardly. A number of complemental panel aligning formations are formed within pedestals on the pallet, and have an angled contact face which slopes upwardly and inwardly. As a result, inter-engagement of the contact faces results in the upper edges of the side walls being urged inwardly into inter-engagement with the complemental panel aligning formations.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A stackable knock down box comprising a base including a base panel supported on a plurality of pedestals, a plurality of side wall panels, hinge means connecting the side wall panels together to define a composite side wall enclosure, the hinge means being adapted to enable the side wall panels to be folded into a stack, and a plurality of base clip arrangements for releasably holding the composite side wall enclosure to the base in both its erected and folded conditions, the knock down box being stackable in both the erected and folded conditions, and including upper panel alignment and box support means provided along the operatively top edges of the side wall panels, and complemental lower panel alignment means provided on the base, with the upper panel alignment and box support means of a subjacent box being arranged to interengage with and to nest within the lower panel alignment means of a superjacent box when the erected boxes are stacked on top of one another.  
     
     
         2 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 1    in which the upper panel alignment and box support means are located towards the outer corners of the composite side wall, and the lower panel alignment means include complemental corner recesses on the pedestals.  
     
     
         3 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 1    in which the upper panel alignment means comprises a plurality of panel aligning formations each formed with an angled contact face which slopes downwardly and outwardly, and the lower panel alignment means comprises a plurality of complemental panel aligning formations each formed with an corresponding angled contact face which slopes upwardly and inwardly, such that interengagement of the contact faces results in the upper edges of the side walls being urged inwardly into firm nesting interengagement with the complemental panel aligning formations.  
     
     
         4 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 1    in which mounting means are provided for holding the base clips captive on the base.  
     
     
         5 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 4    in which the base clips comprise drop-away substantially L-shaped sprung clips which each have a lower pivoting end held captive within a clip-retaining assembly in the base panel and an upper end terminating in an inwardly facing tang which is releasably engageable with horizontal locating slots formed towards the lower edges of the side wall panels.  
     
     
         6 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 1    in which outer corner faces of the pedestals carry corner reinforcing brackets which are formed with upper inwardly directed tangs constituting base clip arrangements which are engageable with horizontal locating slots formed towards the lower corner edges of the side wall panels.  
     
     
         7 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 6    in which the brackets are formed with lower inwardly directed flanges which extend into the corner recesses and form part of the lower panel alignment means.  
     
     
         8 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 1    in which the knock down box is a two part box, with all the box components being carried either on the base or the composite side wall.  
     
     
         9 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 1    in which locating means are provided on the base for locating the stacked composite side wall.  
     
     
         10 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 1    in which overhanging strike plates are fitted to at least one of the side wall panels for allowing the base clip arrangements to ride up and over the strike plates to clamp the composite side wall to the base.  
     
     
         11 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 1    which includes within a subjacent an intermediate foldable shelf assembly providing horizontal partitioning for the box.  
     
     
         12 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 1    in which the pedestals are fitted with skid planks which are arranged to nest completely within a subjacent box.  
     
     
         13 . A stackable knock down box comprising a base including a base panel supported on a plurality of pedestals, a plurality of side wall panels, hinge means connecting the side wall panels together to define a composite side wall enclosure, the hinge means being adapted to enable the side wall panels to be folded into a stack, and a plurality of base clip arrangements for releasably holding the composite side wall enclosure to the base in both its erected and folded conditions, the hinge means comprising first and second hinge plates joined together by means of a pivot assembly and arranged to be mounted to the operatively outer surfaces of the adjacent side wall panels by means of fixing elements, each of the hinge plates terminating in inwardly projecting tangs for locating in corresponding slots in the adjacent side wall panels so as to relieve shear stress on the fixing elements arising from an outwardly directed force being exerted on the wall panels when in an open condition.  
     
     
         14 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 13    in which the pivot assembly is recessed relative to the outer corner faces of the composite side wall enclosure and defines a pivot axis which is locatable in the region of an intersection of the operatively inner surfaces of the adjacent side wall panels, with the hinge plates being formed with inwardly angled connecting webs or fingers extending inwardly between the outer faces of the hinge plates and the pivot axis.  
     
     
         15 . A stackable knock down box according to    claim 13    in which each of the first and second hinge plates are formed with at least one aperture for receiving the fixing elements, with the aperture being surrounded by an annular protective boss, and the pivot assembly comprising a hinge pin and a plurality of interdigitating plate fingers extending from each of the webs and scrolled around the hinge pin.