Folding container

1. A folding container comprising a base, side support means upstanding from the corners of said base, side panels located between said side support means and arranged to bound a storage space, and tot means arranged to pivotally mount the side panels onto said side support means,

wherein the pivot means for each side panel is disposed in a different horizontal plane to that of any other panel, such that when the container is in a folded state the side panels lie stacked substantially parallel to the base, and when in an unfolded state the side panels are substantially orthogonal to the base;

wherein said pivot means of each side panel comprises a male means cooperating with a slot in an edge of the side panel which is adjacent to the side support means when the container is unfolded;

wherein said slot is terminated; and

wherein said male means is arranged to be a free sliding fit along the length of a mating skit in each of the panel edges.

2. The folding container according to claim 1 wherein the side support means include a two part columnar member comprising a first member adjacent said base and a second member remote from said base, said second member being pivotally secured to said first member at a position such that when the container is in the folded state the second member can be folded onto a surface of an upper one of the stacked side panels.

3. A folding container according to claim 1 wherein each side panel is pivotally mounted onto each of two adjacent side support means.

4. A folding container according to claim 3 wherein each side panel substantially occupies a space between adjacent support means onto which each said side panel is mounted.

5. A folding container according to claim 1 wherein said male means comprises a pair of circularly cross sectioned pins located on adjacent side support means, wherein each pair of pins is arranged to mount side panels each at a different distance from the base.

6. A folding container according to claim 5 wherein a first pair of pins associated with a first sidepanel is located at a distance T-S/2 from the base panel, where T is S+R, S is the thickness of a side panel, and R is the distance between adjacent panels,

a second pair of pins associated with a second side panel is located at a second distance, which is 2T-S/2 from the base panel,

a third pair of pins associated with a third side panel is located at a third distance, which is 3T-S/2 from the base panel, and

a fourth pair of pins associated with a fourth side panel is located at a fourth distance, which is 4T-S/2 from the base panel.

7. A folding container according to claim 1 wherein securing means are provided on the side panels to secure each individual side panel in the unfolded state in at least one of during and on completion of assembly.

8. A folding container according to claim 1 further comprising a cover panel pivotally mounted onto one of the side panels.

9. A folding container according to claim 1 wherein the side panels are formed from one of metal or plastic sheet material.

10. A folding container according to claim 1 wherein the base, side panels and support means form an integral unit.