×

Transformable carton

  • US 5,181,650 A
  • Filed: 03/15/1991
  • Issued: 01/26/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A convertible container comprising:

  • a plurality of sidewalls formed of substantially planar carton stock;

    said sidewalls being coupled together in a first position to configure said container in the form of a three-dimensional body having an outer shape generally corresponding to a rectangular solid;

    said container having an accessible hollow interior space enclosed by said sidewalls and substantially corresponding to the outer shape defined by said sidewalls, for storing articles therein, when said sidewalls are in said first position;

    portions of certain of said sidewalls being displaceable from said first position to a second position relative to other of said sidewalls and being engageable with said other of said sidewalls in said second position for altering both the inner shape and the outer shape of said container to accommodate different uses of said container;

    wherein,said sidewalls of said container are arranged so that said container comprises a first, a second and a third open sided receptacle formed by said sidewalls, each receptacle being in the form of a three-dimensional rectangular solid having one open side and a central axis extending into the receptacle through the open side thereof, the open sides of said first and said second receptacles being disposed in abutting relationship in said first position such that said first and second receptacles together form said three-dimensional rectangular solid having said accessible hollow interior space;

    said first and said second receptacles are received in nesting relationship within said third receptacle in said first position, with the central axes thereof each being disposed in substantially parallel relationship with each other and each lying in a plane which is substantially normal to the central axis of said third receptacle, to prevent separation of the abutting sides of said first and said second receptacles in the direction of the central axis thereof, and to maintain said accessible hollow interior space when said sidewalls are in said first position; and

    said first and said second receptacles are received in nesting relationship within said third receptacle in said second position with the open sides thereof rotated substantially ninety degrees from the said first position such that the central axes of said first and second receptacles are substantially parallel to the central axis of said third receptacle, and the open sides of said first and second receptacles are accessible from outside said third receptacle to define an open-sided container having two parallel side-by-side compartments.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×