US20120168436A1

US20120168436A1 - Collapsible storage container

Info

Publication number: US20120168436A1
Application number: US12/982,831
Authority: US
Inventors: Wen-Tsan Wang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-12-30
Filing date: 2010-12-30
Publication date: 2012-07-05

Abstract

A collapsible storage container includes a flexible container body, a rigid rim member fastened to the top edge of the container body around the top opening thereof, a plurality of strut bars each having one end respectively fixedly connected to the inside bottom wall of the container body in such a manner that the strut bars are biasable relative to the container body between a non-operative horizontal position where the free ends of the strut bars are rested on the inside bottom wall of the container body and the container body is collapsed in a flat condition and an operative vertical position where the free ends of the strut bars are stopped against the bottom edge of the rigid rim member to support the collapsible storage container in shape.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to storage containers and more particularly, to a collapsible storage container that can be conveniently set up in an operative status or collapsed in a flat condition.
b) Description of the Related Art
Due to limited indoor space, people may use storage cases to keep clothes, books, magazines, and other personal items. These storage cases may be made of plastics, woods or other hard or rigid materials. When not in use, these storage cases occupy much floor space. Conventional storage containers for this purpose have a fixed configuration and occupy much storage space when not in use.
Some commercial folding collapsible storage containers are known and can be collapsed to reduce the dimension when not in use. However, regular collapsible storage containers still cannot be kept in a flat condition when collapsed. Further, these storage containers do not cause a sense of beauty when collapsed. To keep collapsed storage cases is also bothersome.
There is known a collapsible storage container in which each upright panel of the container body thereof is made of soft sheet material and stuffed with hard boards to provide the desired stiffness. Further, the container body simply has two grips arranged at two opposite sides relative to the top opening.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a collapsible storage container, which can be conveniently and completely collapsed into a flat condition to reduce space occupation without detaching any component parts and can also be directly conveniently extended from the collapsed flat condition into the operative condition.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a collapsible storage container includes a container body made of a flexible sheet material and having a top edge and an opening surrounded by the top edge, a rigid rim member fastened to the top edge of the container body around the top opening, a plurality of strut bars each having one end respectively fixedly connected to the inside bottom wall of the container body in such a manner that the strut bars are biasable relative to the container body between a non-operative horizontal position where the free ends of the strut bars are rested on the inside bottom wall of the container body and the container body is collapsed in a flat condition and an operative vertical position where the free ends of the strut bars are stopped against the bottom edge of the rigid rim member to support the collapsible storage container in shape.
Further, fastening means may be used for detachably affix the free ends of the strut bars to the rigid rim member. For example, the fastening means comprises a plurality of hook material strips affixed to the connection area between the container body and the rigid rim member, and a plurality of loop material strips respectively installed in the free ends of the strut bars and detachably fastenable to the hook material strips to secure the strut bars in said operative vertical position.
Further, the rigid rim member has a mounting groove located on the bottom edge thereof, and the top edge of the container body is fastened to the mounting groove of the rigid rim member.
Further, the top edge of the container body can be folded up and then fastened to the mounting groove of the rigid rim member.
Further, the container body can be made having a circular or rectangular configuration. Further, the rigid rim member has a circular or rectangular configuration fitting the configuration of the container body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible storage container in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the collapsible storage container of the first embodiment of the present invention collapsed into a flat condition.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view of a collapsible storage in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 corresponds to FIG. 3, illustrating the free end of the strut bar disengaged from the bottom edge of the rigid rim member.

FIG. 5 is an oblique elevation of the second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the collapsible storage container set up in the operative condition.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plain view of the second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the collapsible storage container collapsed into a flat condition.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plain view of the second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the rigid rim member of the collapsible storage container lifted and the strut bars biased upwards from the non-operative horizontal position toward the operative vertical position.

FIG. 8 is a schematic plain view of the second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the collapsible storage container fully extended out.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a collapsible storage container in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown comprising a container body 1, a rigid rim member 2 and a plurality of a plurality of strut bars 3.
The container body 1 is made of a flexible sheet material having a circular configuration and an opening defined in the top side thereof and two opposing through holes 11 disposed near the top open side. The rigid rim member 2 is a ring member fastened to the top edge of the container body 1 around its top opening. The strut bars 3 each have one end respectively fixedly connected to the inside bottom wall of the container body 1, and are biasable relative to the container body 1 between a non-operative horizontal position and an operative vertical position. The length of the strut bars 3 are not less than the height between the bottom edge of the rigid rim member 2 and the inside bottom wall of the container body 1. When the strut bars 3 are biased from the non-operative horizontal position to the operative vertical position, the free ends of the strut bars 3 are stopped against the bottom edge of the rigid rim member 2, supporting the collapsible storage container in shape (see FIG. 1). When the strut bars 3 are biased from the operative vertical position to the non-operative horizontal position, the free ends of the strut bars 3 are disengaged from the bottom edge of the rigid rim member 2, enabling the collapsible storage container to be collapsed into a flat condition (see FIG. 2). Further, fastening means may be provided to detachably affix the free ends of the strut bars 3 to the rigid rim member 2. For example, hook material strips 12 are affixed to the connection area between the container body 1 and the rigid rim member 2, and loop material strips 31 (not shown) are respectively installed in the free ends of the strut bars 3 and detachably fastenable to the hook material strips 12 to secure the strut bars 3 in the operative vertical position. When the strut bars 3 are set in the operative vertical position to support the container body 1 in shape, the through holes 11 and the rigid rim member 2 are used as grips of the collapsible storage container.
FIGS. 3˜8 illustrate a collapsible storage container in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. According to this second embodiment, the collapsible storage container has a rectangular configuration. The rigid rim member 2 is a rectangular frame member fastened to the top edge of the container body 1 around its top opening, having a mounting groove 21 located on the bottom edge thereof. The mounting groove 21 is an endless groove having a keyway-like cross section, i.e., the cross section of the mounting groove 21 has a relatively wider upper part and a relatively narrower lower part that is an open part. The container body 1 has the top edge thereof folded up 13 and then engaged into the mounting groove 21 of the rigid rim member 2 (see FIG. 3). The strut bars 3 each have one end respectively fixedly connected to the inside bottom wall of the container body 1, and are biasable relative to the container body 1 between a non-operative horizontal position and an operative vertical position. When the strut bars 3 are biased from the non-operative horizontal position to the operative vertical position, the free ends of the strut bars 3 are stopped against the bottom edge of the rigid rim member 2, supporting the collapsible storage container in shape (see FIG. 5). When the strut bars 3 are biased from the operative vertical position to the non-operative horizontal position, the free ends of the strut bars 3 are disengaged from the bottom edge of the rigid rim member 2 (see FIG. 7), enabling the collapsible storage container to be collapsed into a flat condition (see FIG. 6). Further, fastening means may be provided to detachably affix the free ends of the strut bars 3 to the rigid rim member 2. For example, hook material strips 12 are affixed to the connection area between the container body 1 and the rigid rim member 2, and loop material strips 31 are respectively installed in the free ends of the strut bars 3 and detachably fastenable to the hook material strips 12 to secure the strut bars 3 in the operative vertical position (see FIG. 8).
Further, the strut bars 3 can also be respectively affixed with the respective fixed ends to the inside bottom wall of the container body 1 in the four corners thereof.
Although particular embodiment of the inventions have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A collapsible storage container comprising:

a container body made of a flexible sheet material and having a top edge and an opening surrounded by said top edge;

a rigid rim member fastened to the top edge of said container body around the top opening of said container body;

a plurality of strut bars each having opposing first end and second end, the first ends of said strut bars being respectively fixedly connected to an inside bottom wall of said container body in such a manner that said strut bars are biasable relative to said container body between a non-operative horizontal position where the free ends of said strut bars are rested on the inside bottom wall of said container body and said container body is collapsed in a flat condition and an operative vertical position where the free ends of said strut bars are stopped against a bottom edge of said rigid rim member to support said collapsible storage container in shape; and

fastening means adapted for detachably affix the free ends of said strut bars to said rigid rim member.

2. The collapsible storage container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fastening means comprises a plurality of hook material strips affixed to the connection area between said container body and said rigid rim member, and a plurality of loop material strips respectively installed in the free ends of said strut bars and detachably fastenable to said hook material strips to secure said strut bars in said operative vertical position.

3. The collapsible storage container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rigid rim member has a mounting groove located on the bottom edge thereof; the top edge of said container body is fastened to the mounting groove of said rigid rim member.

4. The collapsible storage container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the top edge of said container body is folded up before fastening to the mounting groove of said rigid rim member.

5. The collapsible storage container as claimed in claim 3, wherein container body has a circular configuration; said rigid rim member has a circular configuration fitting the configuration of said container body.

6. The collapsible storage container as claimed in claim 3, wherein container body has a rectangular configuration; said rigid rim member has a rectangular configuration fitting the configuration of said container body.