Container

Abstract

A stackable and collapsible container comprising: a base; a first pillar removeably and vertically attached to a first corner of the base; a second pillar removeably and vertically attached to a second corner of the base; a third pillar removeably and vertically attached to a third corner of the base; a fourth pillar removeably and vertically attached to a fourth corner of the base; a first stabilizer removeably attached to one of the pillars or the base; a pair of forklift openings located on the front of the base; and where the container can be collapsed by a user to a generally flat configuration that is no more than about 50% of the height of the fully assembled container, and where the collapsed container can be stacked up to about 10 high with other collapsed containers, and where the fully assembled container can be stacked up to about 4 high with other fully assembled containers while housing pallets and cargo loaded on the pallets. A stackable and collapsible container comprising: a base; a first pillar base located at generally a first corner of the base; a second pillar base located at generally a second corner of the base; a third pillar base located at generally a third corner of the base; a fourth pillar base located at generally a fourth corner of the base; a first pillar configured to removeably and slideably attach into the first pillar base; a second pillar configured to removeably and slideably attach into the second pillar base; a third pillar configured to removeably and slideably attach into the third pillar base, the third pillar comprising a diagonal stiffener bar located near the top of the third pillar and the diagonal stiffener bar comprising an opening; a fourth pillar configured to removeably and slideably attach into the fourth pillar base, the fourth pillar comprising a diagonal stiffener bar located near the top of the fourth pillar and the diagonal stiffener bar comprising an opening; a horizontal stabilizer comprising a first vertical cap located on a first end of the horizontal stabilizer, and a second vertical cap located on a second end of the horizontal stabilizer, where the first vertical cap and second vertical cap are configured to slideably attach to the first and second pillars respectively; a first diagonal stabilizer removeably attached to near the top of the third pillar at the diagonal stiffener bar via a linch pin attachable to the stiffener bar opening and removeably attached to the base via a linch pin; a second diagonal stabilizer removeably attached to near the top of the fourth pillar at the diagonal stiffener bar via a linch pin attachable to the stiffener bar opening and removeably attached to the base via a linch pin; a pair of forklift openings located on the front of the base; a top cross member removeably attachable to the first and fourth pillars; a bottom cross member removeably attached to the first and fourth pillars; a top cross member removeably attachable to the second and third pillars; and a bottom cross member removeably attached to the second and third pillars; a first center post removeably attachable to the base and the horizontal stabilizer, and when fully assembled, located in generally the same plane as the first and second pillar; a second center post removeably attachable to the base, and located in generally the same plane as the third and fourth pillar; a first cross member removeably attachable to the first center post and the second center post; a second cross member removeably attachable to the first center post and the second center post; a plurality of forklift tine stops located in the rear of the base and configured to be located at generally the height where forklift tines would be when loading or unloading pallets into the container; and where the container can be collapsed by a user to a generally flat configuration about 50% of the height of the fully assembled container, and where the collapsed container can be stacked up to about 10 high with other collapsed containers, and where the fully assembled container can be stacked up to about 4 high with other fully assembled containers while housing pallets and cargo loaded on the pallets.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A stackable and collapsible container comprising:
 a base;   a first pillar removeably and vertically attached to a first corner of the base;   a second pillar removeably and vertically attached to a second corner of the base;   a third pillar removeably and vertically attached to a third corner of the base;   a fourth pillar removeably and vertically attached to a fourth corner of the base;   a first stabilizer removeably attached to one of the pillars or the base;   a pair of forklift openings located on the front of the base; and   wherein the container can be collapsed by a user to a generally flat configuration that is no more than about 50% of the height of the fully assembled container, and wherein the collapsed container can be stacked up to about 10 high with other collapsed containers, and wherein the fully assembled container can be stacked up to about 4 high with other fully assembled containers while housing pallets and cargo loaded on the pallets.   
     
     
         2 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a horizontal stabilizer removeably attached to the top of the first pillar and removeably attached to the top of the second pillar.   
     
     
         3 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the first stabilizer is a back plane stabilizer. 
     
     
         4 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 3 , wherein the back plane stabilizer is a first diagonal stabilizer removeably attached to near the top of the third pillar and removeably attached to the base. 
     
     
         5 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a second backplane stabilizer, wherein the second back plane stabilizer is a second diagonal stabilizer removeably attached to near the top of the fourth pillar and removeably attached to the base.   
     
     
         6 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first pillar base located at generally a first corner of the base;   a second pillar base located at generally a second corner of the base;   a third pillar base located at generally a third corner of the base;   a fourth pillar base located at generally a fourth corner of the base;   wherein the first pillar is configured to removeably and slideably attach into the first pillar base;   wherein the second pillar is configured to removeably and slideably attach into the second pillar base;   wherein the third pillar is configured to removeably and slideably attach into the third pillar base; and   wherein the fourth pillar is configured to removeably and slideably attach into the fourth pillar base.   
     
     
         7 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of forklift tine stops located in the rear of the base and configured to be located at generally the height where forklift tines would be when loading or unloading pallets into the container.   
     
     
         8 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of forklift tine stops are about 5 to about 10 inches from the bottom of the base. 
     
     
         9 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one forklift opening located on the front of the base.   
     
     
         10 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 at least one forklift opening located on the first side of the base; and   at least one forklift opening located on the second side of the base.   
     
     
         11 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a quick attach and release means for attaching the first diagonal stabilizer to the third pillar and the base;   a quick attach and release means for attaching the second diagonal stabilizer to the fourth pillar and the base.   
     
     
         12 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first center post removeably attachable to the base and the horizontal stabilizer, and when fully assembled, located in generally the same plane as the first and second pillar;   a second center post removeably attachable to the base, and located in generally the same plane as the third and fourth pillar.   
     
     
         13 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first cross member removeably attachable to the first center post and the second center post.   
     
     
         14 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a top cross member removeably attachable to the first and fourth pillars;   a bottom cross member removeably attached to the first and fourth pillars;   a top cross member removeably attachable to the second and third pillars; and   a bottom cross member removeably attached to the second and third pillars.   
     
     
         15 . The stackable and collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the container can be collapsed by a user to a generally flat configuration that is no more than about 22% of the height of the fully assembled container 
     
     
         16 . A stackable and collapsible container comprising:
 a base;   a first pillar base located at generally a first corner of the base;   a second pillar base located at generally a second corner of the base;   a third pillar base located at generally a third corner of the base;   a fourth pillar base located at generally a fourth corner of the base;   a first pillar configured to removeably and slideably attach into the first pillar base;   a second pillar configured to removeably and slideably attach into the second pillar base;   a third pillar configured to removeably and slideably attach into the third pillar base, the third pillar comprising a diagonal stiffener bar located near the top of the third pillar and the diagonal stiffener bar comprising an opening;   a fourth pillar configured to removeably and slideably attach into the fourth pillar base, the fourth pillar comprising a diagonal stiffener bar located near the top of the fourth pillar and the diagonal stiffener bar comprising an opening;   a horizontal stabilizer comprising a first vertical cap located on a first end of the horizontal stabilizer, and a second vertical cap located on a second end of the horizontal stabilizer, wherein the first vertical cap and second vertical cap are configured to slideably attach to the first and second pillars respectively;   a first diagonal stabilizer removeably attached to near the top of the third pillar at the diagonal stiffener bar via a linch pin attachable to the stiffener bar opening and removeably attached to the base via a linch pin;   a second diagonal stabilizer removeably attached to near the top of the fourth pillar at the diagonal stiffener bar via a linch pin attachable to the stiffener bar opening and removeably attached to the base via a linch pin;   a pair of forklift openings located on the front of the base;   a top cross member removeably attachable to the first and fourth pillars;   a bottom cross member removeably attached to the first and fourth pillars;   a top cross member removeably attachable to the second and third pillars; and   a bottom cross member removeably attached to the second and third pillars;   a first center post removeably attachable to the base and the horizontal stabilizer, and when fully assembled, located in generally the same plane as the first and second pillar;   a second center post removeably attachable to the base, and located in generally the same plane as the third and fourth pillar;   a first cross member removeably attachable to the first center post and the second center post;   a second cross member removeably attachable to the first center post and the second center post;   a plurality of forklift tine stops located in the rear of the base and configured to be located at generally the height where forklift tines would be when loading or unloading pallets into the container; and   
       wherein the container can be collapsed by a user to a generally flat configuration that is no more than about 50% of the height of the fully assembled container, and wherein the collapsed container can be stacked up to about 10 high with other collapsed containers, and wherein the fully assembled container can be stacked up to about 4 high with other fully assembled containers while housing pallets and cargo loaded on the pallets.