Collapsible container for air shipment cargo and method of use

Abstract

A collapsible container for air shipment cargo comprises a base, a top, front and rear wall panels hingedly secured to the base and side walls hingedly secured to the base and top. Each of the side walls has upper and lower wall panels hinged together so as to enable each side wall to collapse inwardly. A hinged door is formed in one of the side walls. Flaps having fasteners are hingedly secured to the side walls and used to assemble the container. Portions of the top have fasteners which are used to secure the front and rear wall panels to the top. The rear panel has upper and lower portions forming an obtuse angle with each other when the container is assembled.

1 . A collapsible container comprising: 
 a base;    a front wall panel hingedly secured to said base;    a rear wall panel hingedly secured to said base;    side walls hingedly secured to said base and a top, each of said side walls being collapsible inwardly;    a door hinged to one of said side walls;    said top having two opposed flanges adapted to be secured to said front and rear wall panels with fasteners for erecting the container;    flaps hingedly secured to said side walls, wherein said flaps are secured to said front and rear wall panels with fasteners.    
   
   
       2 . The collapsible container of  claim 1  wherein said front and rear wall panels each have a strap secured thereto to aid in assembly of said container.  
   
   
       3 . The collapsible container of  claim 1  wherein said wall panels are plastic.  
   
   
       4 . The collapsible container of  claim 1  wherein said fasteners are rotatable latches.  
   
   
       5 . The collapsible container of  claim 1  wherein each of said side walls has an upper wall panel hinged to a lower wall panel.  
   
   
       6 . The collapsible container of  claim 5  wherein said door has an upper portion hinged to a lower portion.  
   
   
       7 . The collapsible container of  claim 5  wherein said door is lockable in a closed position.  
   
   
       8 . A collapsible container comprising: 
 a base;    a top having two opposed flanges;    a front wall panel hingedly secured to said base;    a rear wall panel having a upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion being hingedly secured to said base and forming an obtuse angle with said upper portion of said rear wall panel when said container is assembled;    side walls hingedly secured to said base and said top, each of said side walls having upper and lower wall panels hinged together so as to enable said side wall to hinge and collapse inwardly;    flaps hingedly secured to said side walls;    wherein said flanges of said top are secured to said front and rear wall panels with fasteners and said flaps are secured to said front and rear wall panels with fasteners when said container is erected.    
   
   
       9 . The collapsible container of  claim 8  wherein each of said flaps have rotatable fasteners attached thereto which pass through openings in said front and rear wall panels before being rotated to assemble said container.  
   
   
       10 . The collapsible container of  claim 8  wherein said wall panels are made of plastic.  
   
   
       11 . The collapsible container of  claim 8  wherein said fasteners are rotatable latches.  
   
   
       12 . The collapsible container of  claim 8  further comprising a door having an upper portion hinged to a lower portion.  
   
   
       13 . A collapsible container comprising: 
 a base;    a top;    a front wall panel hingedly secured to said base and secured to said top with rotatable latches;    a rear wall panel hingedly secured to said base and secured to said top with rotatable latches;    side walls hingedly secured to said base and top, each of said side walls having upper and lower wall panels hinged together and being collapsible inwardly;    flaps hingedly secured to said side walls, wherein said flaps are secured to said front and rear wall panels with rotatable latches; and    a door hinged to one of said side walls.    
   
   
       14 . The collapsible container of  claim 13  wherein each of said flaps has rotatable latches thereon which pass through said front and rear wall panels and are rotated when said container is assembled.  
   
   
       15 . The collapsible container of  claim 13  wherein said top has opposed flanges, each of said flanges having rotatable latches thereon which pass through said front and rear wall panels and are rotated when said container is assembled.  
   
   
       16 . The collapsible container of  claim 13  further comprising hinges joining said side wall panels to said base.  
   
   
       17 . The collapsible container of  claim 13  wherein said door has an upper portion hinged to a lower portion.  
   
   
       18 . The collapsible container of  claim 13  wherein said door may be locked in a closed position.  
   
   
       19 . A method of assembling a collapsible container, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a collapsed container;    lifting a top of the collapsed container, thereby erecting side walls of the collapsed container including a collapsed door;    lifting front and rear wall panels hingedly secured to a base of the collapsed container;    passing rotatable latches located on the top of the container through openings in the front and rear wall panels of the container;    rotating the latches to prevent the latches from passing through the openings in the front and rear wall panels of the container;    passing rotatable latches located on flaps of the container through openings in the front and rear wall panels of the container, said flaps being hingedly secured to said side walls of the container.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising closing the door of the container.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein lifting said front and rear wall panels of the collapsed container comprises pulling on a strap secured to each of said front and rear wall panels.  
   
   
       22 . A method of assembling a collapsible container, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a collapsed container having a top with opposed flanges, each of said flanges having rotatable latches thereon;    raising the top of the collapsed container, thereby erecting collapsed side walls of the collapsed container, each of the side walls having flaps hingedly secured thereto and at least one of the side walls having a collapsible door formed therein;    lifting front and rear wall panels hingedly secured to a base of the collapsed container;    passing said rotatable latches located on the flanges of the top of the container through openings in the front and rear wall panels of the container;    rotating the latches to secure the top of the container to the front and rear wall panels of the container;    passing rotatable latches located on the flaps of the container through openings in the front and rear wall panels of the container;    rotating the latches on the flaps to secure the flaps of the container to the front and rear wall panels of the container.