Multi-use configurable container

• US 6,059,179 A
• Filed: 04/17/1998
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Debbie L. Giampapa
• Original Assignee: Debbie L. Giampapa
• Inventors: Giampapa, Debbie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US09/062,311
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 229/103, 229/116.1, 229/117.15, 229/902, 229/157, 206/459.5, 206/541, 206/542, 206/549, 206/457
• US Class Current: 229/103
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 15/00 Purses, bags, luggage or other receptacles covered by groups A45C1/00 - A45C11/00, combined with other objects or articles A45C1/08, A45C3/14, A45C11/321, A45C13/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 7/0095 comprising a plurality of hinged panels to be unfolded in one plane for access purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 9/00 Purses, Luggage or bags convertible into objects for other use sacks or packs carried on the body and convertible into other articles A45F4/02; trunk-wardrobes A47B61/06; trunk-beds A47C17/82
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/0303 Table mats A47G23/0306 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 9/062 for covering the ground, e.g. picnic or beach blankets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/46144 either the handle elements being formed with lugs which engage with the other side walls or closure flaps, or the other closure flaps folding over a part of the handle to maintain the handle in position
• 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 container may be folded into a configuration for a shipping container, a configuration for a picnic basket, and a configuration for a eating upon as a mat. The container may have a table cloth indicia depicted on its interior surface or a game board indicia or other printed matter. A top portion of the container may be configured as a handle for carrying the container or as a flat top for shipping. Certain portions of the container may be scored or perforated for easy removal in order to better adapt the mat as an eating surface.

Claims

1. A combination use container comprising:

a rectangular bottom wall having foldably joined thereto, a pair of side walls, a front wall, and a back wall, the walls being foldably positionable, in a closed state of the container, for enclosing a storage space therewithin and defining a height of the container;

a first pair of corner flaps foldably joining the front wall to the pair of side walls over the full height of the container;

a second pair of corner flaps foldably joining the rear wall to the pair of side walls over the full height of the container;

a pair of opposing locking flaps, one of the locking flaps being foldably joined to each one of the side walls, each of the locking flaps providing a first part of a locking means;

a pair of opposing handle flaps, one of the handle flaps being foldably joined to each one of the front and back walls respectively and positioned for jointly forming a cover over the storage space, the handle flaps each providing a hand-sized aperture for carrying the container, and a second part of the locking means;

the first part and the second part of the locking means being mutually engagable for locking the cover in place on the container;

the pair of side walls, the front wall, the back wall and the corner flaps being foldably positionable, in an open state of the container, in a common plane as an activity mat;

the container further including a means for tearing away at least a portion of each of the locking flaps and the handle flaps from the activity mat so that the activity mat provides a consistent and uniform peripheral edge.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein a surface of the activity mat is moisture impermeable so as to be useful for eating upon.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein one of the handle flaps provides a foldably positionable locking tab of the locking means extending outwardly therefrom and the other of the handle flaps provides a correspondingly positioned opposing locking slot of the locking means, the locking tab being insertable into the locking slot for configuring the container for shipping.

4. The container of claim 1 in combination with a prepared edible held within a prepared edible container, and further in combination with a dining facilitation means, the container, when positioned in the closed state, providing storage for the prepared edible, prepared edible container means and the dining facilitation means, the container, when positioned in the open state, providing a surface for the prepared edible container means and the dining facilitation means in a layout for dining.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein the dining facilitation means includes a plurality of plates, cups and eating utensils.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein an exterior surface of the container provides a first indicia functional with the container positioned in the closed state and wherein the interior of the container provides a second indicia, corresponding to the first indicia and functional with the container positioned in the open state.

7. The container of claim 6 further including a contained item therewithin, the first and second indicia corresponding, in theme to the contained item.

8. The container of claim 6 wherein the second indicia resembles a table cloth.

9. The container of claim 6 wherein the second indicia provides activities.

10. The container of claim 9 wherein the activities include a maze type puzzle.

11. The container of claim 9 wherein the activities include a connect-the-dots type puzzle.

12. The container of claim 9 wherein the activities include a picture of the type for coloring.

13. The container of claim 9 wherein the activities include at least one figure adapted for separation from the container.