EP1136376B1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: EP1136376B1
Application number: EP20000302047
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wen-Tsan Wang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-03-14
Filing date: 2000-03-14
Publication date: 2004-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 2020-03-14
Also published as: EP1136376A1; DE60015921D1

Description

The present invention relates to a folding collapsible storage box,particularly to such a folding collapsible storage box which has a simplestructure, and can easily be collapsed into a flat condition and more particularlyto such a folding collapsible storage box that is strong when stretched up and,that can be conveniently collapsed by twisting one corner.
Regular storage boxes, either made of plastics, wood, or metal, arecommonly not collapsible. These storage boxes occupy the same storage spacein use and when not in use. Further, because these storage boxes are notcollapsible, the transportation of these storage boxes is inconvenient. There arealso known certain storage boxes that can be collapsed into a flat manner whennot in use. However, it is complicated to set up these collapsible storage boxesinto the operative condition, or to arrange these collapsible storage boxes into acollapsed condition.
DE 299 12 268 U discloses a folding collapsible storage box comprising:
a fabric box body, said fabric box body comprising a rectangular horizontaltop side, a rectangular horizontal bottom side, and four rectangular verticalperipheral sides connected to one another between said rectangular horizontaltop side and said rectangular horizontal bottom side along the border of saidrectangular horizontal bottom side and said rectangular horizontal top side;
four horizontal rods respectively fastened to said rectangular verticalperipheral sides of said fabric box body and arranged along said rectangularopen top side of said fabric box body;
four vertical rods respectively fastened to said rectangular verticalperipheral sides of said fabric box body, and arranged between each twoadjacent rectangular vertical peripheral sides of said fabric box body; and
a hard bottom board mounted inside said box body and supported on saidrectangular horizontal bottom side of said box body; wherein said vertical rodsand said horizontal rods support said box body and enable said box body to be collapsed into a flat condition by twisting the rectangular horizontal top side ofsaid box body.
The folding collapsible storage box of the invention is characterised in thatthe rectangular horizontal top side of said box body is formed of a rectangular toppanel and a zip fastener, said rectangular top panel having one side formedintegral with said box body, and three other sides separably connected to saidbox body by said zip fastener;
and in that said box body comprises two pairs of turn-locks symmetricallydisposed at two opposite vertical peripheral sides near said rectangularhorizontal top side, and two hanging straps respectively and detachably fastenedto the turn-locks, said hanging straps each having two elongated mounting slotsat two distal ends for coupling to said turn-locks.
Preferably said box body comprises two second hanging strapsrespectively provided at two opposite vertical peripheral sides near saidrectangular horizontal bottom side, said second hanging straps each having afirst end fixedly fastened to said vertical peripheral sides by stitches and asecond end made with an elongated mounting slot detachably fastened to arespective turn-lock at said rectangular vertical peripheral sides of said box body.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below by way ofexample only with reference to Figures 1 to 5A of the accompanying drawingswherein:
Figure 1 is an exploded view of a folding collapsiblestorage box, showing a zip fastener unfastened, and arectangular top panel collapsed;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the folding collapsible storage box ofFigure 1;
Figure 3 shows the folding collapsible storage box of Figure 1 twisted, thevertical peripheral sides of the box body folded up and lowered.
Figure 4 shows the folding collapsible storage box of Figure 1 fullycollapsed;
Figure 5 shows a folding collapsible storage boxof the present invention;
Figure 5A is an enlarged view of a part of Figure 5.
Referring to Figures from 1 to 4, a folding collapsible storage boxcomprises aboxbody 101, fourhorizontal rods 102, fourvertical rods 103 and ahard bottom plate104. Thebox body 101 is made of fabric, for example, canvas, having ahorizontal top side, a horizontal bottom side, four vertical peripheral sidesconnected between the horizontal top side and the horizontal bottom side. Thetop side of thebox body 101 is formed of arectangular top panel 111 and azipfastener 112. Therectangular top panel 111 has one side formed integral withthebox body 101, and the other three sides separably connected to thebox body101 by thezip fastener 112. When thezip fastener 112 is unfastened, thetoppanel 111 is collapsed, and a opening is shown at the top side of thebox body101. The fourhorizontal rods 102 are respectively fastened to thebox body 101and wrapped in the fabric of thebox body 101, and horizontally arranged alongthe topmost edge of each of the four vertical peripheral sides of thebox body101. Thehorizontal rods 102 are slightly shorter than the width of each of thevertical peripheral sides of thebox body 101. The fourvertical rods 103 arerespectively fastened to thebox body 101, and wrapped in the fabric of theboxbody 101 along the connecting area between each two adjacent verticalperipheral sides of thebox body 101. The length of thevertical rods 103 isslightly shorter than the height of the vertical peripheral sides of thebox body101. After installation of thehorizontal rods 102 and thevertical rods 103, therods 102 and 103 are prohibited from touching one another.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 again, after installation of therods 102 and103 in thebox body 101, thebox body 101 is stretched out and supported inshape by thevertical rods 103, then thehard bottom board 104 is put inside thebox body 101 and stopped below thevertical rods 103. When storage items areput in thebox body 101, thezip fastener 112 is fastened up to close thetoppanel 111.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4, when not in use, the top side of thebox body101 is twisted by hand through 90°, causing the four vertical peripheral sides ofthebox body 101 to be lowered and folded up (see Figure 3), and therefore thestorage box is collapsed into a flat condition (see Figure 4).
Referring to Figures 5 and 5A,two first hangingstraps 113 and two second hangingstraps 114 are respectivelyprovided on two opposite vertical peripheral sides of thebox body 201 at differentelevations. The first hangingstraps 113 each have twoelongated mounting slots116 respectively provided at two distal ends, and detachably coupled to arespective turn-lock 115 at thebox body 201. The second hangingstraps 114each have one end (the fixed end) fixedly fastened to thebox body 201 bystitches, and an opposite end (the free end) provided with anelongated mountingslot 116 and detachably connected to a respective turn-lock 115 at thebox body201. By means of the first hangingstraps 113 and the second hangingstraps114, a plurality of folding collapsible storage boxes can be arranged in a stringand hung on a rod.
It is to be understood that the drawings are designed for purposes ofillustration only, and are not intended for use as a definition of the limits andscope of the invention disclosed. For example, handle means may be providedat the peripheral side walls of the box body 4 for holding by hand.

Claims

A folding collapsible storage box comprising:
a fabric box body (101), said fabric box body comprising a rectangularhorizontal top side, a rectangular horizontal bottom side, and four rectangularvertical peripheral sides connected to one another between said rectangularhorizontal top side and said rectangular horizontal bottom side along the borderof said rectangular horizontal bottom side and said rectangular horizontal topside;
four horizontal rods (102) respectively fastened to said rectangular verticalperipheral sides of said fabric box body (101) and arranged along saidrectangular open top side of said fabric box body;
four vertical rods (103) respectively fastened to said rectangular verticalperipheral sides of said fabric box body, and arranged between each twoadjacent rectangular vertical peripheral sides of said fabric box body; and
a hard bottom board (104) mounted inside said box body and supportedon said rectangular horizontal bottom side of said box body;
wherein said vertical rods (103) and said horizontal rods (102) supportsaid box body (101) and enable said box body (101) to be collapsed into a flatcondition by twisting the rectangular horizontal top side of said box body;
characterised in that the rectangular horizontal top side of said box body isformed of a rectangular top panel (111) and a zip fastener (112), said rectangulartop panel having one side formed integral with said box body, and three othersides separably connected to said box body by said zip fastener;
andin that said box body (201) comprises two pairs of turn-locks (115)symmetrically disposed at two opposite vertical peripheral sides near saidrectangular horizontal top side, and two hanging straps (113) respectively anddetachably fastened to the turn-locks, said hanging straps each having twoelongated mounting slots (116) at two distal ends for coupling to said turn-locks.
The folding collapsible storage box of claim 1 wherein said box body (201)comprises two second hanging straps (114) respectively provided at twoopposite vertical peripheral sides near said rectangular horizontal bottom side,said second hanging straps each having a first end fixedly fastened to saidvertical peripheral sides by stitches and a second end made with an elongatedmounting slot detachably fastened to a respective turn-lock at said rectangularvertical peripheral sides of said box body.