Heavy-duty foldable storage bin

Abstract

A heavy-duty, thermoplastic storage bin comprises a rectilinear base, spaced columns integrally formed with the base, and rectangular end and side panels that are foldable and erectable with respect to the base. At least one of the panels is detachable from the base. At least one central column having an integral portion protrudes upwardly from an upper base surface and is interlockable with a corresponding side panel at a bottom center region, for generating a sufficiently high sagging resisting moment. In a method for emptying the bin, the base is supported by a forklift, after the bin has been loaded with desired products. Following a material handling operation by the forklift, a tilting device carried by the forklift is operated to sufficiently change a disposition of the bin such that the loaded products are caused to be emptied while a side panel remains engaged with the central and corner columns.

1 . A heavy-duty foldable storage bin, comprising:
 a) a rectilinear base made of thermoplastic material;   b) a plurality of spaced columns integrally formed with said base; and   c) a plurality of rectangular end panels and side panels made of thermoplastic material that are foldable and erectable with respect to said base,
 wherein at least one of said plurality of panels is detachable from said base, 
 wherein said plurality of columns includes one or more central columns each of which having an integral portion that protrudes upwardly from an upper surface of said base and is interlockable with a corresponding side panel of said plurality of side panels at a bottom center region of said corresponding side panel, for generating a sufficiently high sagging resisting moment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heavy-duty storage bin according to  claim 1 , wherein the interlockable portion comprises a first surface that is engageable with a post of the corresponding side panel, and second and third coincident surfaces extending in two different directions, respectively, which are engageable and complementary with two edges, respectively, of the corresponding side panel, to prevent disengagement of the corresponding side panel from the base during either relative longitudinal movement or relative vertical movement. 
     
     
         3 . The heavy-duty storage bin according to  claim 1 , wherein the interlockable portion is coplanar with a rectangular outer face of a corresponding central column which vertically extends thereto from the upper base surface and which is considerably thinner than a central column thickness. 
     
     
         4 . The heavy-duty storage bin according to  claim 3 , wherein the third surface is a longitudinal edge of the rectangular outer face and the second surface longitudinally protrudes from the third surface. 
     
     
         5 . The heavy-duty storage bin according to  claim 4 , wherein the interlockable portion is configured as a mushroom shaped head having an upper surface that longitudinally curves from the first surface in two opposite directions until coinciding with a corresponding second surface to define a pointed edge. 
     
     
         6 . The heavy-duty storage bin according to  claim 5 , wherein the mushroom shaped head is interlockable with a complementary thickened edge of a void area formed in the corresponding side panel. 
     
     
         7 . The heavy-duty storage bin according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of columns includes a plurality of corner columns between two of which one or more of the central columns are interposed, each of said corner columns configured with a recess with which a longitudinally extending protrusion of the corresponding side panel is interlockable. 
     
     
         8 . The heavy-duty storage bin according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the corner columns is configured with a horizontal surface coplanar with the base upper surface, an upper protrusion facing an adjacent central column and having an undercut surface which is parallel to, and shorter than said horizontal surface, and a vertical surface extending between said horizontal and undercut surfaces. 
     
     
         9 . The heavy-duty storage bin according to  claim 1 , wherein a ridge protruding from the upper base surface is engageably receivable in a complementary cavity formed at a bottomly orientable end of the corresponding side panel, to restrict unwanted movement of the corresponding side panel when set to an upright condition. 
     
     
         10 . A method for emptying a heavy-duty foldable storage bin, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a heavy-duty foldable storage bin comprising;
 i. a rectilinear base made of thermoplastic material; 
 ii. a plurality of spaced central columns and corner columns integrally formed with said base; and 
 iii. a plurality of rectangular end panels and side panels made of thermoplastic material that are foldable and erectable with respect to said base,
 wherein at least one of said plurality of panels is detachable from said base, 
 wherein each of said central columns has an integral portion that protrudes upwardly from an upper surface of said base and is interlockable with a corresponding side panel of said plurality of side panels at a bottom center region of said corresponding side panel, for generating a sufficiently high sagging resisting moment, 
 wherein each of said corner columns is interlockable with a longitudinally extending portion of said corresponding side panel; 
 
   b) setting said storage bin to an upright condition;   c) loading said bin with desired products;   d) supporting said base with tines of a forklift;   e) performing a material handling operation by means of said forklift; and   f) operating a tilting device carried by said forklift to sufficiently change a disposition of said storage bin such that said loaded products are caused to be emptied while said corresponding side panel remains engaged with the central and corner columns.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the tilting device causes the storage device to be inverted.