Collapsible crate with wood appearance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10703531-B2
Application number	US-201715455786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2017
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A collapsible crate includes a base and a plurality of walls pivotably connected to the base. Each of the walls is a single piece of molded plastic defining a plurality of planks having the appearance of wooden planks, such as with molded-in grain texture, knots and irregular edges. The irregular edges may provide gaps between adjacent planks to provide ventilation to the crate. The knots may include knot holes to provide additional ventilation. The planks may include horizontal planks extending between vertical planks. The vertical planks and horizontal planks may include an interior wall from the edges of which extend ribs toward the exterior of the crate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible crate comprising:
a base; and
a plurality of walls hingeably connected to the base and movably between an upright position generally perpendicular to the base and a collapsed position generally parallel to the base, the plurality of walls including a first wall, the first wall including a plurality of planks and a handle opening through the first wall, each of the planks including an interior wall portion and a plurality of ribs projecting outward from opposite edges of the interior wall portion toward an exterior of the crate, wherein the plurality of planks are generally parallel to one another and define gaps therebetween.

2. The collapsible crate of claim 1 wherein the plurality of planks in the first wall are integrally molded as a single piece of plastic.

3. A collapsible crate comprising:
a base; and
a plurality of walls hingeably connected to the base and movably between an upright position generally perpendicular to the base and a collapsed position generally parallel to the base, the plurality of walls including a first wall, the first wall including a plurality of planks, each of the planks including an interior wall portion and a plurality of ribs projecting outward from the interior wall portion toward an exterior of the crate, wherein the plurality of planks have rounded corners transitioning from the interior wall portion to the plurality of ribs.

4. The collapsible crate of claim 1 wherein the plurality of planks have irregular outer edges.

5. The collapsible crate of claim 4 wherein the outer edges of the plurality of planks are shaped differently from one another.

6. The collapsible crate of claim 5 wherein the irregular outer edges form the gaps between the plurality of planks and wherein the gaps are irregularly shaped and have a varying width.

7. The collapsible crate of claim 6 wherein the plurality of planks are a plurality of generally horizontal planks, the first wall further including a plurality of vertical planks integrally molded with the plurality of generally horizontal planks as a single piece of plastic.

8. The collapsible crate of claim 7 wherein the plurality of vertical planks each have an interior wall portion spaced inwardly of the interior wall portions of the plurality of generally horizontal planks, the plurality of vertical planks each further including ribs projecting outward from opposite edges of the interior wall portion thereof.

9. The collapsible crate of claim 8 wherein the plurality of generally horizontal planks extend between the plurality of vertical planks.

10. The collapsible crate of claim 9 wherein the plurality of generally horizontal planks includes a first generally horizontal plank, the first generally horizontal plank including a simulated knot molded in an outer surface thereof, the simulated knot including knot openings through the first generally horizontal plank.

11. The collapsible crate of claim 10 wherein the plurality of generally horizontal planks include molded-in lines to create the appearance of wood grain.

12. The collapsible crate of claim 11 wherein the plurality of generally horizontal planks include grain openings through the planks.

13. The collapsible crate of claim 11 wherein the first wall includes an upper rail above the plurality of horizontal planks.

14. A collapsible crate comprising:
a base; and
a plurality of walls hingeably connected to the base and movably between an upright position generally perpendicular to the base and a collapsed position generally parallel to the base, the plurality of walls including a first wall having a handle opening formed therethrough, the first wall including a plurality of horizontal planks extending between a pair of vertical planks, wherein the plurality of vertical planks each have an interior wall portion and ribs projecting outward from opposite edges of the interior wall portion thereof.

15. The collapsible crate of claim 14 wherein the plurality of horizontal planks include a molded-in grain texture.

16. The collapsible crate of claim 14 wherein the plurality of horizontal planks have irregular outer edges.

17. The collapsible crate of claim 16 wherein the outer edges of the plurality of horizontal planks are shaped differently from one another.

18. The collapsible crate of claim 17 wherein the plurality of horizontal planks are generally parallel to one another and define gaps therebetween, wherein the irregular outer edges form the gaps between the plurality of planks, wherein the gaps are irregularly shaped and have varying widths.

19. The collapsible crate of claim 18 wherein the plurality of horizontal planks integrally molded with the plurality of vertical planks as a single piece of plastic.

20. A collapsible crate comprising:
a base; and
a plurality of walls hingeably connected to the base and movably between an upright position generally perpendicular to the base and a collapsed position generally parallel to the base, the plurality of walls including a first wall, the first wall including a plurality of planks and a handle opening through the first wall, the plurality of planks having irregular outer edges defining irregularly-shaped gaps between the irregular outer edges.

21. The collapsible crate of claim 20 wherein the plurality of planks are generally parallel to one another.

22. The collapsible crate of claim 21 wherein the plurality of planks are a plurality of generally horizontal planks, the first wall further including a plurality of vertical planks integrally molded with the plurality of generally horizontal planks as a single piece of plastic, wherein the plurality of generally horizontal planks extend between the plurality of vertical planks.

23. The collapsible crate of claim 22 wherein the plurality of vertical planks each have an interior wall portion spaced inwardly of the interior wall portions of the plurality of generally horizontal planks, the plurality of vertical planks each further including ribs projecting outward from opposite edges of the interior wall portion thereof.

24. A collapsible crate comprising:
a base; and
a plurality of walls hingeably connected to the base and movably between an upright position generally perpendicular to the base and a collapsed position generally parallel to the base, the plurality of walls including a first wall, the first wall including a plurality of generally horizontal planks extending between generally vertical planks, wherein the plurality of generally vertical planks are integrally molded with the plurality of generally horizontal planks as a single piece of plastic, wherein the plurality of vertical planks each have an interior wall portion spaced inwardly of the interior wall portions of the plurality of generally horizontal planks, the plurality of vertical planks each further including ribs projecting outward from opposite edges of the interior wall portion thereof.

25. The collapsible crate of claim 6 wherein the plurality of planks in the first wall are integrally molded as a single piece of plastic.

26. The collapsible crate of claim 4 wherein the first wall includes an upper rail above the plurality of horizontal planks and wherein there are no ribs protruding inward on the first wall below the upper rail.

Assignees

• Rehrig Pacific Co

Inventors

• Apps William P
• Hassell Jon P
• Apps Shelby Frances

Classifications

• B65D2205/02

  Venting holes · CPC title

• B65D11/20

  Details of walls made of plastics material · CPC title

• B65D11/1833 Primary

  whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to the base panel (B65D11/186 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2205/00

  Venting means · CPC title