Meal box assembly

• US 4,403,441 A
• Filed: 07/20/1981
• Issued: 09/13/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Beverly A. White, David L. White
• Original Assignee: Beverly A. White, David L. White
• Inventors: White, David L., White, Beverly A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay, F. Barry
• Application Number:
  US06/284,942
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 46/11, 46/221, 46/222, 46/223
• US Class Current: 446/78
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/3621 collapsed along two fold lines of the tubular body
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/368 Foldable carton-boxes simulating, or transformable into, a special configuration, e.g. a car, a house, an animal cartons with spaced apart images to give a 3-D effect B65D5/4258; toy models made by folding paper A63H33/16

Abstract

A collapsible meal box having an axle inserted through a pair of openings in the sidewalls of the meal box to prevent the base of the meal box from being moved between the sidewalls into the meal box interior, and thereby prevent the meal box from being collapsed. A pair of wheels are mounted on the axle ends to form an amusement device for children.

Claims

1. A combination comprising:

a collapsible meal box formed of a paperboard and having a base and a pair of spaced parallel sidewalls foldably secured along opposite sides of the base;

means rendering the base movable along a predetermined path of motion upward to a position between said sidewalls as they are moved toward one another to collapse the box;

an elongated axle member, and means supporting the ends of the axle member on the sidewalls of the box such that the axle member is disposed in the path of motion of the base to prevent the sidewalls from being moved one toward the other;

the sidewalls having a pair of aligned openings adjacent the base, the axle member extending through the openings in the sidewalls, and said axle member including means having a diameter larger than said sidewall openings mounted on the ends of the axle member within said box for abutment with the inner surfaces of said sidewalls when said box is in an erected position.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the ends of the axle members extend beyond the box sidewalls, and including wheel means mounted on said axle member ends.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1, including hitch means carried by the axle member for connecting the box to another similarly formed box.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the axle member and the hitch form a one piece element.