Collapsible shipping container with removable four-piece rail unit

Abstract

A collapsible container comprises a plastic base having four side edges, and four corners. Four plastic walls are pivotably mounted to respective side edges of the base to be swingable between erected and folded positions. A rail assembly is removably mounted to an underside of the base, the rail assembly comprising four separate plastic rail elements extending along respective side edges of the base. The four rail elements consist of a pair of first parallel rail elements and a pair of second parallel rail elements oriented perpendicular to the first rail elements. Each of the first and second rail elements extends from one of the corners to another of the corners, and is mounted by a connecting structure enabling each rail element to be separately replaced relative to the base.

1 . A collapsible container comprising:
 a plastic base having four side edges, and four corners;   four plastic walls pivotably mounted to respective side edges of the base to be swingable between erected and folded positions; and   a rail assembly removably mounted to an underside of the base, the rail assembly comprising four separate plastic rail elements extending along respective side edges of the base, the four rail elements consisting of a pair of first parallel rail elements and a pair of second parallel rail elements oriented perpendicular to the first rail elements, each of the first and second rail elements extending from one of the corners to another of the corners, and being mounted by a connecting structure enabling each rail element to be separately replaced relative to the base.   
   
   
       2 . The collapsible container according to  claim 1  wherein the first rail elements are of identical configuration and of different configuration from the second rail elements, the second rail elements being of identical configuration. 
   
   
       3 . The collapsible container according to  claim 2  wherein the first rail elements are removably connected directly to the base at said corners, and each of the second rail elements being removably connected directed to both of the first rail elements at said corners. 
   
   
       4 . The collapsible container according to  claim 3  wherein each of the first and second rail elements is also connected directly to the base at a location between two said corners. 
   
   
       5 . The collapsible container according to  claim 1  wherein the base and the first rail elements include a first cooperating snap-in connecting structure wherein the first rail elements are attached by snap-in fit to the base; and the first rail elements and the second rail elements include a second cooperating snap-in connecting structure wherein the second rail elements are attached by a second snap-in fit to the first rail elements. 
   
   
       6 . The collapsible container according to  claim 5  wherein the first and second snap-in structures are disconnectable to permit removal of the respective rail elements. 
   
   
       7 . The collapsible container according to  claim 1  wherein each of the first rail elements includes two first corner portions disposed at respective ones of said corners, and each of the second rail elements includes two second corner portions disposed at respective ones of said corners, wherein each of the first corner portions is sandwiched between the base and a second corner portion. 
   
   
       8 . The collapsible container according to  claim 7  wherein at each corner a threaded fastener extends through the first and second corner portions and is attached to the base to define at least part of the connecting structure. 
   
   
       9 . The collapsible container according to  claim 7  wherein the base includes posts forming an open socket at each said corner; each first corner portion including two first projections each extending upwardly into a respective socket of the base; each first corner portion forming an open socket; each second corner portion including two second projections extending upwardly into respective sockets of the first projections.