Foldable containers with laterally insertable locking members systems and processes of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A foldable container with laterally assemblable modular locking members, is described; the foldable container includes: a bottom platform a pair of longitudinal sidewalls, forming a hinged connection with said bottom platform, a pair of flanking sidewalls, at least one anchoring post, at least one modular rotary locking member, at least one biasing mechanism and at least one handle; a system and method for manufacturing foldable container with laterally assemblable modular locking members are further described.

1 . A foldable container with laterally assemblable modular locking members, said container comprises:
 (a) a bottom platform comprising an essentially rectangular shape;   (b) a pair of longitudinal sidewalls, forming a hinged connection with said bottom platform;   (c) a pair of flanking sidewalls, forming a hinged connection with said bottom platform;   (d) at least one anchoring post, extending from at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or from at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls, essentially orthogonally to a plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to a plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls;   (e) at least one modular rotary locking member comprising:
 (I) an anchoring portion, comprising a plurality of clamping elements; wherein said clamping elements rendering said modular rotary locking member readily connectable to said at least one anchoring post, and wherein said clamping elements rendering said at least one modular rotary locking member rotatable about said at least one anchoring post; 
 (II) an elongated portion, forming a continuum with said anchoring portion; 
 (III) a terminal locking portion, configured to form a releasable connection between at least one of said flanking sidewalls and at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls; 
 wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member is configured to assume:
 (i) a locked configuration, wherein said terminal locking portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member forming a connection between at least one of said flanking sidewalls and at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls; 
 (ii) an unlocked configuration, wherein said terminal locking portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member not forming a connection between at least one of said flanking sidewalls and at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls; 
 
   (f) at least one biasing mechanism, configured for spontaneously drive said at least one modular rotary locking member into a configuration selected from the group consisting of: said locked configuration and said unlocked configuration;   (g) at least one handle, configured for altering said configuration of said at least one modular rotary locking member, between said locked configuration and said unlocked configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The foldable container as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member is translatable between said locked configuration and said unlocked configuration by a rotational movement about said at least one anchoring post. 
     
     
         3 . The foldable container as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member is rotatable about said at least one anchoring post, in a plane essentially paralleling said plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to said plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls. 
     
     
         4 . The foldable container as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member and said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or said at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls are configured to assume:
 (i) an assembled configuration, wherein said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member is clamped onto said at least one anchoring post;   (ii) a disassembled configuration, wherein said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member is released from said at least one anchoring post.   
     
     
         5 . The foldable container as in  claim 4 , wherein said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member is assemblable onto said at least one anchoring post by a lateral movement of said at least one modular rotary locking member in a plane essentially paralleling said plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to said plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls. 
     
     
         6 . The foldable container as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or said at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls comprises at least one side opening, configured for lateral insertion of said at least one modular rotary locking member in a plane essentially paralleling said plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to said plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls. 
     
     
         7 . The foldable container as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member is asymmetrical. 
     
     
         8 . The foldable container as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member is installable on either of two anchoring posts, extending from said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or from said at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls, essentially orthogonally to said plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to said plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls. 
     
     
         9 . The foldable container as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member comprises a confining ridge. 
     
     
         10 . The foldable container as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member comprises a first confining ridge and a second confining ridge, disposed on essentially opposing sides of said elongated portion. 
     
     
         11 . A process of manufacturing foldable container with laterally assemblable modular locking members, said container comprises:
 (a) pre-manufacturing a bottom platform comprising an essentially rectangular shape;   (b) pre-manufacturing a pair of longitudinal sidewalls;   (c) forming a hinged connection of said pair of said longitudinal sidewalls with said bottom platform;   (d) pre-manufacturing a pair of flanking sidewalls;   (e) forming a hinged connection of said pair of said flanking sidewalls with said bottom platform;   (f) forming at least one anchoring post, extending from at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or from at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls, essentially orthogonally to a plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to a plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls;   (g) pre-manufacturing at least one modular rotary locking member comprising:
 (I) an anchoring portion, comprising a plurality of clamping elements; wherein said clamping elements rendering said modular rotary locking member readily connectable to said at least one anchoring post, and wherein said clamping elements rendering said at least one modular rotary locking member rotatable about said at least one anchoring post; 
 (II) an elongated portion, forming a continuum with said anchoring portion; 
 (III) a terminal locking portion, configured to form a releasable connection between at least one of said flanking sidewalls and at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls; 
 wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member is configured to assume:
 (i) a locked configuration, wherein said terminal locking portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member forming a connection between at least one of said flanking sidewalls and at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls; 
 (ii) an unlocked configuration, wherein said terminal locking portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member not forming a connection between at least one of said flanking sidewalls and at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls; 
 
   (h) pre-manufacturing at least one biasing mechanism, configured for spontaneously drive said at least one modular rotary locking member into a configuration selected from the group consisting of: said locked configuration and said unlocked configuration;   (i) pre-manufacturing at least one handle, configured for altering said configuration of said at least one modular rotary locking member, between said locked configuration and said unlocked configuration;   (j) assembling said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member onto said at least one anchoring post by a lateral movement of said at least one modular rotary locking member.   
     
     
         12 . The process as in  claim 11 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member is rotatable about said at least one anchoring post, in a plane essentially paralleling said plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to said plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls. 
     
     
         13 . The process as in  claim 11 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member and said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or said at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls are configured to assume:
 (i) an assembled configuration, wherein said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member is clamped onto said at least one anchoring post;   (ii) a disassembled configuration, wherein said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member is released from said at least one anchoring post.   
     
     
         14 . The process as in  claim 11 , wherein said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or said at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls comprises at least one side opening, configured for lateral insertion of said at least one modular rotary locking member in a plane essentially paralleling said plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to said plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls. 
     
     
         15 . The process as in  claim 11 , wherein said assembling of said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member onto said at least one anchoring post by said lateral movement of said at least one modular rotary locking member is performed in a plane essentially paralleling said plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to said plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls. 
     
     
         16 . A system for manufacturing foldable container with laterally assemblable modular locking members, said container comprises:
 (a) a bottom platform manufacturing module, wherein said bottom platform comprising an essentially rectangular shape;   (b) a longitudinal sidewalls manufacturing module, wherein said longitudinal sidewalls forming a hinged connection with said bottom platform;   (c) a flanking sidewalls manufacturing module, wherein said flanking sidewalls forming a hinged connection with said bottom platform;   (d) an anchoring post manufacturing module, wherein said anchoring post extending from at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or from at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls, essentially orthogonally to a plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to a plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls;   (e) a modular rotary locking member manufacturing module, wherein said modular rotary locking member comprising:
 (I) an anchoring portion, comprising a plurality of clamping elements; wherein said clamping elements rendering said modular rotary locking member readily connectable to said at least one anchoring post, and wherein said clamping elements rendering said at least one modular rotary locking member rotatable about said at least one anchoring post; 
 (II) an elongated portion, forming a continuum with said anchoring portion; 
 (III) a terminal locking portion, configured to form a releasable connection between at least one of said flanking sidewalls and at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls; 
 wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member is configured to assume:
 (i) a locked configuration, wherein said terminal locking portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member forming a connection between at least one of said flanking sidewalls and at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls; 
 (ii) an unlocked configuration, wherein said terminal locking portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member not forming a connection between at least one of said flanking sidewalls and at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls; 
 
   (f) a biasing mechanism manufacturing module, wherein said biasing mechanism is configured for spontaneously drive said at least one modular rotary locking member into a configuration selected from the group consisting of: said locked configuration and said unlocked configuration;   (g) a handle manufacturing, module, wherein said handle is configured for altering said configuration of said at least one modular rotary locking member, between said locked configuration and said unlocked configuration;   (h) an automated assembling mechanism, wherein assembling mechanism is configured for assembling said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member onto said at least one anchoring post by performing a lateral insertion of said at least one modular rotary locking member.   
     
     
         17 . The system as in  claim 16 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member and said flanking sidewalls and/or said longitudinal sidewalls are configured to assume:
 (i) an assembled configuration, wherein said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member is clamped onto said at least one anchoring post;   (ii) a disassembled configuration, wherein said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member is released from said at least one anchoring post.   
     
     
         18 . The system as in  claim 16 , wherein said flanking sidewalls and/or said longitudinal sidewalls comprise at least one side opening, configured for lateral insertion of said at least one modular rotary locking member in a plane essentially paralleling said plane of said at least one of said flanking sidewalls and/or to said plane of at least one of said longitudinal sidewalls. 
     
     
         19 . The system as in  claim 16 , wherein assembling of said anchoring portion of said at least one modular rotary locking member onto said at least one anchoring post by said lateral movement of said at least one modular rotary locking member is performed in a plane essentially paralleling said plane of said flanking sidewalls and/or to said plane of said longitudinal sidewalls. 
     
     
         20 . The system as in  claim 16 , wherein said at least one modular rotary locking member comprises a first confining ridge and a second confining ridge, disposed on essentially opposing sides of said elongated portion.