Pallet container

Abstract

A pallet container for holding vehicle windshields for storage, transportation or otherwise, the pallet container comprising a frame structure defining a base, and a periphery, wherein one or more aide restraints are provided to be mounted on-board the pallet to inhibit movement of windshields internally of the pallet container, wherein a said side restraint comprises a flexible fluid containing device. In an alternative realisation the pallet container is expandable in height and length and/or collapsible by means of opposed pivoted side frames and a connecting frame.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A pallet container for holding vehicle windshields for storage, transportation or otherwise, the pallet container comprising a frame structure defining a base, and a periphery, wherein one or more side restraints are provided to be mounted on-board the pallet container to inhibit movement of windshields internally of the pallet container, wherein at least one said side restraint comprises a flexible fluid containing device. 
     
     
         2 . A pallet container according to  claim 1 , wherein respective flexible fluid containing side restraint devices are positioned at opposed ends of the pallet container. 
     
     
         3 . A pallet container according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one said flexible fluid containing device comprises an inflatable flexible walled device. 
     
     
         4 . A pallet container according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one said side restraint comprises an air bag. 
     
     
         5 . A pallet container according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one said side restraint is secured to the frame structure of the pallet container. 
     
     
         6 . A pallet container for holding vehicle windshields for storage, transportation or otherwise, the pallet container comprising a frame structure defining a base, and a periphery, wherein the frame structure is expandable from a minimum dimension windshield containing configuration to a maximum dimension windshield containing configuration; wherein m the maximum dimension windshield containing configuration the pallet container is extended in both height and in length when compared to the minimum dimension windshield containing configuration. 
     
     
         7 . A pallet container according to  claim 6 , wherein the pallet container is collapsible from a windshield containing configuration to a stowed configuration. 
     
     
         8 . A pallet container according to  claim 7 , wherein the pallet container comprises opposed aide frames arranged to be hinged or pivoted to fold down from an erect condition to a collapsed condition. 
     
     
         9 . A pallet container according to  claim 8 , wherein when the pallet container is m the collapsed condition the opposed side frames are positioned laying adjacent the base of the pallet container. 
     
     
         10 . A pallet container according to  claim 8 , wherein the pallet container comprises a connecting frame extending between the opposed side frames, the connecting frame arranged to be hinged or pivoted to fold down from an erect condition to a collapsed condition. 
     
     
         11 . A pallet container according to  claim 6 , comprising opposed side frames which are extendible in effective length to vary a height of the side frames. 
     
     
         12 . A pallet container according to  claim 11 , wherein the side frames comprise telescoping side frame elements. 
     
     
         13 . A pallet container according to  claim 11 , wherein connecting frame elements extend in a longitudinal direction of the pallet container to connect the opposed side frames, wherein the connecting frame elements are extendible in effective length to vary a length of the pallet container. 
     
     
         14 . A pallet container according to  claim 6 , wherein the pallet container comprises stacking formations enabling like pallet containers to be stacked one on top of another. 
     
     
         15 . A pallet container according to  claim 6 , further comprising one or more side restraints that are mounted on-board the pallet container to inhibit movement of windshields internally of the pallet container, wherein at least one said side restraint comprises a flexible fluid containing device. 
     
     
         16 . A pallet container for holding vehicle windshields for storage, transportation or otherwise, the pallet container comprising a frame structure defining a base, and a periphery, wherein the pallet container is collapsible from a windshield containing configuration to a stowed configuration, and comprises:
 opposed side frames arranged to be hinged or pivoted to fold down from an erect condition to a collapsed condition; and   a connecting frame extending between the opposed side frames, the connecting frame arranged to be hinged or pivoted to fold down from an erect condition to a collapsed condition.   
     
     
         17 . A pallet container according to  claim 16 , wherein in the collapsed condition the opposed side frames and the connecting frame are positioned laying adjacent the base of the pallet container. 
     
     
         18 . A pallet container according to  claim 16 , wherein the connecting frame and the opposed side frames have formations arranged to complementary engage one another in the pallet container erected condition and be releasable to disengage permitting re-orientation to the collapsed condition. 
     
     
         19 . A pallet container according to  claim 16 , wherein the pallet container is loadable from an elongate front side of the pallet container and an end side of the pallet container. 
     
     
         20 . A pallet container according to  claim 19 , further comprising a side frame member, wherein the side frame member is demountable or displaceable from a position extending across the end side of the pallet container such that when de-mounted or displaced access to load or unload the pallet container is facilitated via the end side of the pallet container. 
     
     
         21 . A pallet container according to  claim 20 , wherein the side frame member is hinge mounted. 
     
     
         22 . A pallet container according to  claim 16 , wherein the pallet container includes a removable dividing structure for dividing up the interior of the pallet container into loading zones. 
     
     
         23 . A pallet container according to  claim 22 , wherein the removable dividing structure comprises one or more upright dividers located in one or more receiving formations provided proximate the base of the pallet container. 
     
     
         24 . A pallet container according to  claim 23 , wherein at least one of the one or more upright dividers comprises a pole.