Ribbed free-standing enclosure
First Claim
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1. A self-supporting enclosure comprising:
- a generally tubular side wall having a predetermined elongated linear extend and defining an enclosure axis;
said side wall being formed of a one piece plastic material and including (i) a plurality of unitary, one-piece extruded ribs continuously extending along said elongated linear extent of said side wall substantially parallel to said axis and at laterally spaced positions thereabout, and (ii) a plurality of flexible non-self-supporting webs;
adjacent pairs of said ribs being unitary with, and interconnected by, a respective one of said flexible non-self-supporting webs;
said side wall being movable away from and toward said axis respectively between (a) an expanded position forming said enclosure wherein said ribs are spaced laterally one from the other generally parallel to said axis so that said enclosure is in a generally tubular open condition and (b) a collapsed closely spaced relation one to the other and to said axis with the webs folded between said ribs; and
whereinat least said ribs are formed of an extrudable high density polyethylene and are of a thickness t2 which is sufficiently greater than a thickness t1 of said interconnecting webs so that said ribs are substantially nondeformable along said elongated linear extent of said side wall, said substantially nondeformable ribs providing means by which said side wall is self-supporting in the direction of said elongated linear extent when said side wall is in said expanded position to maintain the same in said tubular open condition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An enclosure having a self-supporting side wall formed of a plurality of laterally spaced ribs with non-self-supporting thin webs therebetween whereby the ribs and webs cooperate one with the other to provide an enclosure having shape-retaining characteristics. A bottom wall is provided constituting an integral extension of the side wall with the ribs being scored at the juncture of the side and bottom walls to permit the material to be folded such that the side wall and bottom wall lie generally normal one to the other. Blow molding and blown film techniques are used to form the enclosure.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A self-supporting enclosure comprising:
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a generally tubular side wall having a predetermined elongated linear extend and defining an enclosure axis; said side wall being formed of a one piece plastic material and including (i) a plurality of unitary, one-piece extruded ribs continuously extending along said elongated linear extent of said side wall substantially parallel to said axis and at laterally spaced positions thereabout, and (ii) a plurality of flexible non-self-supporting webs; adjacent pairs of said ribs being unitary with, and interconnected by, a respective one of said flexible non-self-supporting webs; said side wall being movable away from and toward said axis respectively between (a) an expanded position forming said enclosure wherein said ribs are spaced laterally one from the other generally parallel to said axis so that said enclosure is in a generally tubular open condition and (b) a collapsed closely spaced relation one to the other and to said axis with the webs folded between said ribs; and
whereinat least said ribs are formed of an extrudable high density polyethylene and are of a thickness t2 which is sufficiently greater than a thickness t1 of said interconnecting webs so that said ribs are substantially nondeformable along said elongated linear extent of said side wall, said substantially nondeformable ribs providing means by which said side wall is self-supporting in the direction of said elongated linear extent when said side wall is in said expanded position to maintain the same in said tubular open condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A self-supporting enclosure comprising:
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a generally tubular side wall having a predetermined elongated linear extend and defining an enclosure axis; said side wall being formed of a one piece plastic material and unitarily including (i) a plurality of extruded ribs continuously extending along said elongated linear extent of said side wall substantially parallel to said axis and at laterally spaced positions thereabout, and (ii) a plurality of flexible non-supporting webs; adjacent pairs of said ribs being interconnected by a respective one of said flexible non-self-supporting webs; said side wall being movable away from and toward said axis respectively between (a) an expanded position forming said enclosure wherein said ribs are spaced laterally one from the other generally parallel to said axis so that said enclosure is in a generally tubular open condition and (b) a collapsed storage position wherein said ribs lie in generally parallel closely spaced relation one to the other and to said axis with the webs folded between said ribs; and
whereinat least said ribs are formed of an extrudable high density polyethylene and are of a thickness t2 which is sufficiently greater than a thickness t1 of said interconnecting webs so that said ribs are substantially nondeformable along said elongated linear extent of said side wall, said substantially nondeformable ribs providing means by which said side wall is self-supporting in the direction of said elongated linear extent when said side wall is in said expanded position to maintain the same in said tubular open condition; and
whereinsaid ribs and said webs are formed of different plastic materials.
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35. A self-supporting enclosure comprising:
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a generally tubular side wall having a predetermined elongated linear extent and defining an enclosure axis; said side wall being formed of a one piece plastic material and unitarily including (i) a plurality of extruded ribs continuously extending along said elongated linear extent of said side wall substantially parallel to said axis and at laterally spaced positions thereabout, and (ii) a plurality of flexible non-self-supporting webs; adjacent pairs of said ribs being interconnected by a respective one of said flexible non-self-supporting webs; said side wall being movable away from and toward said axis respectively between (a) an expanded position forming said enclosure wherein said ribs are spaced laterally one from the other generally parallel to said axis so that said enclosure is in a generally tubular open condition and (b) a collapsed storage position wherein said ribs lie in generally parallel closely spaced relation one to the other and to said axis with the webs folded between said ribs; and
whereinat least said ribs are formed of an extrudable high density polyethylene and are of a thickness t2 which is sufficiently greater than a thickness t1 of said interconnecting webs so that said ribs are substantially nondeformable along said elongated linear extent of said side wall, said substantially nondeformable ribs providing means by which said side wall is self-supporting in the direction of said elongated linear extent when said side wall is in said expanded position to maintain the same in said tubular open condition; and
whereinsaid ribs are formed entirely of high density polyethylene and said webs are formed entirely of one of high density polyethylene and low density polyethylene.
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36. An enclosure comprising:
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a side wall having a predetermined elongated linear extend defined between upper and lower edges thereof, and unitarily including a plurality of extruded unitary, one-piece sidewall ribs extending substantially between said edges at laterally spaced positions thereabout, and a plurality of flexible non-self-supporting side wall webs, each said side wall web unitarily interconnecting and disposed between a respective adjacent pair of said side wall ribs; a bottom wall joined to said side wall along said side wall lower edge, said bottom wall including a plurality of bottom ribs extending from said side wall lower edge inwardly toward a central portion of the enclosure at laterally spaced positions about said bottom wall, a plurality of flexible bottom wall webs, each said bottom wall web interconnecting and disposed between a respective adjacent pair of said bottom wall ribs, wherein said side wall ribs and webs and said bottom wall ribs and webs are respectively continuations of one another, said side wall ribs and said bottom wall ribs lying along the outside of the enclosure and are scored at said side wall lower edge to thereby provide means which enable said side wall ribs and said bottom wall ribs to lie in angular relation with one another; and
whereinat least said side wall ribs are formed of an extrudable high density polyethylene and are of a thickness t2 which is sufficiently greater than a thickness t1 of said interconnecting webs so that said ribs are substantially nondeformable along said elongated linear extent of said side wall, said substantially nondeformable ribs providing means by which said side wall is self-supporting in the direction of said elongated linear extent. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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Specification