Cargo container

Abstract

A container includes a container assembly being shiftable between a unitized collapsed, transport disposition and a unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition, the container assembly having a plurality of independent assembly members, including a bottom member, four side members and a top member, a plurality of manually operable latches operably coupled to selected container assembly members, the plurality of latches being effective for maintaining the container assembly in the erect, cargo bearing disposition and at least a portion of the plurality of latches being effective for maintaining the container assembly in the unitized collapsed, transport disposition, assembly of the container assembly in the unitized collapsed, transport disposition and in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition being effected without the use of tools or loose components. A method of forming a container is further included.

1 . A container, comprising:
 a container assembly being shiftable between a unitized collapsed, transport disposition and a unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition;   the container assembly having a plurality of independent assembly members, including a bottom member, four side members and a top member;   a plurality of manually operable latches operably coupled to selected container assembly members, the plurality of latches being effective for maintaining the container assembly in the erect, cargo bearing disposition and at least a portion of the plurality of latches being effective for maintaining the container assembly in the unitized collapsed, transport disposition, assembly of the container assembly in the unitized collapsed, transport disposition and in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition being effected without the use of tools or loose components.   
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1  further including load bearing members extending from the top member to the bottom member when the container assembly is disposed in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition, each of the load bearing members being operably couplable to an upward directed eye. 
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 2 , a first pair of load bearing members being operably coupled to a first side member and a second pair of load bearing members being operably coupled to a second side member. 
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 2 , each of the respective load bearing members having a first latch and a second spaced apart latch. 
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 4 , each of the respective load bearing members first latches being adapted for coupling to the top member. 
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 4 , each of the respective load bearing members second latches being adapted for coupling to the bottom member. 
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 1 , the top member being readily removable for providing access to an interior space defined within the container assembly when the container assembly is disposed in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition. 
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 1 , at least two of the side members being readily removable for providing access to an interior space defined within the container assembly when the container assembly is disposed in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition. 
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 1 , the container assembly in the unitized collapsed, transport disposition being less than one third the volume of the container assembly in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition. 
   
   
       10 . A container, comprising:
 container assembly means for being shiftable between a unitized collapsed, transport disposition and a unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition; the container assembly means having a plurality of independent assembly member means for forming the container assembly means, including a bottom member, four side members and a top member;   a plurality of manually operable latch means operably coupled to selected container assembly member means, the plurality of latch means being effective for maintaining the container assembly means in the erect, cargo bearing disposition and at least a portion of the plurality of latch means being effective for maintaining the container assembly means in the unitized collapsed, transport disposition, assembly of the container assembly means in the unitized collapsed, transport disposition and in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition being effected without the use of tools or loose components.   
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 10  further including load bearing member means for providing structural rigidity, the load bearing means extending from the top member to the bottom member when the container assembly is disposed in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition, each of the load bearing member means being operably couplable to an upward directed eye. 
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 11 , a first pair of load bearing member means being operably coupled to a first side member and a second pair of load bearing member means being operably coupled to a second side member. 
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 11 , each of the respective load bearing member means having a first latch and a second spaced apart latch. 
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 13 , each of the respective load bearing member means first latches being adapted for coupling to the top member. 
   
   
       15 . The container of  claim 13 , each of the respective load bearing member means second latches being adapted for coupling to the bottom member. 
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 10 , the top member being readily removable for providing access to an interior space defined within the container assembly means when the container assembly means is disposed in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition. 
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 10 , at least two of the side members being readily removable for providing access to an interior space defined within the container assembly means when the container assembly means is disposed in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition. 
   
   
       18 . The container of  claim 10 , the container assembly means disposed in the unitized collapsed, transport disposition being less than one third the volume of the container assembly means disposed in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition. 
   
   
       19 . A method of forming a container, comprising:
 shifting a container assembly between a unitized collapsed, transport disposition and a unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition;   including in the container assembly a plurality of independent assembly members, including a bottom member, four side members and a top member;   operably coupling a plurality of manually operable latches to selected container assembly members;   maintaining the container assembly in the erect, cargo bearing disposition and at least a portion of the plurality of latches being effective for maintaining the container assembly in the unitized collapsed, transport disposition by means of the latches; and   assembling of the container assembly in the unitized collapsed, transport disposition and in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition without the use of tools or loose components.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further including extending load bearing members from the top member to the bottom member when the container assembly is disposed in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition, and operably coupling each of the load bearing members to a respective upward directed eye. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , including operably coupling a first pair of load bearing members to a first side member and operably coupling a second pair of load bearing members to a second side member. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , including operably coupling a first latch and a second spaced apart latch to each of the respective load bearing members. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , including adapting each of the respective load bearing members first latches for coupling to the top member. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , including adapting each of the respective load bearing members second latches for coupling to the bottom member. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 19 , adapting the top member for being readily removable for providing access to an interior space defined within the container assembly when the container assembly is disposed in the unitized erect, cargo bearing disposition and adapting at least two of the side members for being readily removable for providing access to the interior space defined within the container assembly.