Containers with inflatable dunnage

1 . A container comprising:

a container body which is reversibly and repeatedly reconfigurable between a use state in which the container body forms an internal cavity for receiving content and has an opening through which the content is able to be inserted to and removed from the internal cavity, and a collapsed state in which an internal volume of the internal cavity is reduced compared with the use state;

a closure which is movable with respect to the container body between a closed position in which it closes the opening and an open position in which the opening is uncovered;

a locking member which is (a) movable from an unlock position to a lock position to lock the closure in the closed position and (b) movable from the lock position to the unlock position to unlock the closure and enable the closure to be moved to the open position;

an inflatable dunnage disposed in the internal cavity and configured to be inflated by injection of gas or liquid;

an exhaust port communicating with the inflatable dunnage; and

an exhaust port shutoff arrangement having a closed state in which the exhaust port shutoff arrangement closes the exhaust port and an open state in which the exhaust port shutoff arrangement opens the exhaust port, and

wherein the locking member is configured to cooperate mechanically with the exhaust port shutoff arrangement such that moving the locking member from the lock position to the unlock position causes the exhaust port shutoff arrangement to change from the closed state to the open state, whereby pressure in the inflatable dunnage is automatically released through the exhaust port prior to opening the container, and such that moving the locking member from the unlock position to the lock position causes the exhaust port shutoff arrangement to change from the open state to the closed state.

2 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locking member is rotatably coupled to one of the container body and the closure.

3 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the exhaust port shutoff arrangement comprises a bung carried on the locking member and arranged to be inserted into the exhaust port by an action of moving the locking member to the lock position, and to be withdrawn from the exhaust port by the action of moving the locking member to the unlock position.

4 . The container as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the bung incorporates an inflation port through which the inflatable dunnage is able to be inflated whilst the bung is in the exhaust port.

5 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an inflation port separate from the exhaust port communicates with the inflatable dunnage for injection of gas thereto.

6 . The container as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the exhaust port shutoff arrangement comprises a rotary-action valve coupled to the locking member such that rotary movement of the locking member opens and closes the rotary rotary-action valve.

7 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the closure comprises a lid hingedly coupled to the container body for movement between the closed position and the open position.

8 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the container body comprises:

an upper panel,

a bottom panel, and

a plurality of collapsible side walls connecting the upper panel to the bottom panel, the side walls being upright in the use state so that the internal volume is defined between the upper panel, the bottom panel and the side walls, and the side walls being collapsed in the collapsed state to move the upper panel toward the bottom panel.

9 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a rewritable electronic display visible at its exterior.

10 . The container as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the electronic display is part of a display module configured to communicate with a computing device through a secure communication channel through which information to be displayed is transmissible to the display module.

11 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising upper registration features and complementary lower registration features configured such that when two identically formed containers are stacked one upon the other, the upper registration features of one container register with the lower registration features of the other container to maintain the two containers in orderly alignment.

12 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the closure and the container body are separable and, when assembled to one another, define the internal volume, and at least one of the closure and the container body being configured to be stacked with other identically formed closures or container bodies one within another.

13 . The container as claimed in claim 12 , wherein at least one closure and/or at least one container body comprises a base panel with upstanding peripheral walls which diverge from one another in a direction away from the base panel.

14 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the container body further comprises:

an upper panel;

a bottom panel; and

a plurality of collapsible side walls connecting the upper panel to the bottom panel, and

wherein the side walls are upright in the use state so that the internal cavity is defined between the upper panel, the bottom panel and the side walls into which content is insertable through the opening, and the side walls being collapsed in the collapsed state to move the upper panel toward the bottom panel thereby reducing the volume of the container.

15 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inflatable dunnage is secured or tethered to the container body such as to collapse along with it, when deflated, and to fold in an orderly fashion.

16 . A container as claimed in claim 14 , wherein at least one of the side walls comprises an upper side-wall panel and a lower side-wall panel, the upper side-wall panel having an upper edge which is hingedly connected to the upper panel and a lower edge which is hingedly connected to an upper edge of the lower side-wall panel, the lower side-wall panel having a lower edge which is hingedly connected to the bottom panel.

17 . The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the container has a depth in the use state which is substantially an integral multiple greater than its depth in the collapsed state.

18 . A container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the container is provided with a user-operable and releasable mechanism for locking the container in the collapsed state.

19 . A container comprising:

a container body which is reversibly and repeatedly reconfigurable between a use state in which the container body forms an internal cavity for receiving content and has an opening through which the content is able to be inserted to and removed from the internal cavity, and a collapsed state in which an internal volume of the internal cavity is reduced compared with the use state;

a closure which is movable with respect to the container body between a closed position in which it closes the opening and an open position in which the opening is uncovered;

a locking member which is movable between a lock position and an unlock position and which is configured, when in the lock position to mechanically lock the closure in a closed position, the locking member being configured to release the closure when moved to the unlock position to enable the closure to be moved to an open position;

an inflatable dunnage disposed in the internal cavity and configured to be inflated by injection of gas or liquid;

an exhaust port communicating with the inflatable dunnage; and

an exhaust port shutoff arrangement having a closed state in which the exhaust port shutoff arrangement closes the exhaust port and an open state in which the exhaust port shutoff arrangement opens the exhaust port, and

wherein the locking member is configured to cooperate mechanically with the exhaust port shutoff arrangement such that moving the locking member from the lock position to the unlock position causes the exhaust port shutoff arrangement to change from the closed state to the open state, whereby pressure in the inflatable dunnage is automatically released through the exhaust port prior to opening the container:

the closure is configured when in the closed position to prevent access to the internal cavity; and,

with the container in its collapsed state, the locking member is configured to lock the container in the collapsed state when in the lock position and to release the container and enable to the container be reconfigured to the use state when in the unlock position.

20 . A container comprising:

a container body which is reversibly and repeatedly reconfigurable between a use state in which the container body forms an internal cavity for receiving content and has an opening through which the content is able to be inserted to and removed from the internal cavity, and a collapsed state in which an internal volume of the internal cavity is reduced compared with the use state;

a closure which is movable with respect to the container body between a closed position in which it closes the opening and an open position in which the opening is uncovered;

a locking member which is movable between a lock position and an unlock position and which is configured, when in the lock position to mechanically lock the closure in a closed position, the locking member being configured to release the closure when moved to the unlock position to enable the closure to be moved to an open position;

an inflatable dunnage disposed in the internal cavity and configured to be inflated by injection of gas or liquid;

an exhaust port communicating with the inflatable dunnage; and

an exhaust port shutoff arrangement having a closed state in which the exhaust port shutoff arrangement closes the exhaust port and an open state in which the exhaust port shutoff arrangement opens the exhaust port, and

wherein the locking member is configured to cooperate mechanically with the exhaust port shutoff arrangement such that moving the locking member from the lock position to the unlock position causes the exhaust port shutoff arrangement to change from the closed state to the open state, whereby pressure in the inflatable dunnage is automatically released through the exhaust port prior to opening the container,

the exhaust port shutoff arrangement comprising a bung carried on the locking member and arranged to be inserted into the exhaust port by an action of moving the locking member to the lock position, and to be withdrawn from the exhaust port by the action of moving the locking member to the unlock position, the bung incorporating an inflation port through which the inflatable dunnage is able to be inflated whilst the bung is in the exhaust port.