Collapsible storage device and method of making the same

• US 7,699,212 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson Home Storage Inc.
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson Home Storage Inc.
• Inventors: Dais, Brian C., Turvey, Robert R., Dhall, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins; Gary E
• Assistant Examiner(s): BYRD, LATRICE CHENELL
• Application Number:
  US11/102,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20050224563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 229/117.02, 229/117.05, 229/117.07, 229/5.5, 229/915, 229/120.21, 229/117.01, 229/119, 229/125.26, 229/917, 206/508, 206/6, 206/9.3, 206/9.2, 220/780, 220/789, 220/907, 220/801, 220/6, 220/9.3, 220/9.2
• US Class Current: 229/117.02
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/225 Collapsible boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/186 whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to the base panel and to each other to allow automatic collapsing and reerecting, e.g. by means of folds provided in the side walls and or in the base panel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0219 the closure presenting projecting peripheral elements receiving or surrounding the bottom or peripheral elements projecting from the bottom of a superimposed container B65D21/0222 and B65D21/0223 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0222 the closure and the bottom presenting co-operating peripheral ribs and grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/3607 formed by folding or erecting a single blank
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/3614 to form a tubular body, at least one of the ends of the body remaining connected
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/917 Stacking of collapsed container or blank

Abstract

A collapsible storage device includes a collapsible container and a lid for the container. The container includes a plurality of resilient wall panels and a flexible hinge connecting each adjacent pair of wall panels. The container may be foldably converted between a substantially flat collapsed position and a substantially rectangular prismatic expanded position by articulating the wall panels about the flexible hinges. One side of the lid is adapted to cover an opening into the container when the container is in an expanded position. The opposite side of the lid is adapted to receive the substantially flat collapsed container within a recess in the lid.

Claims

1. A storage device comprising:

a container including a plurality of resilient wall panels defining four side walls and a bottom wall, wherein each of two opposing side walls and the bottom wall are defined by a diagonal flexible hinge extending between opposing substantially triangular wall panels and each of the two remaining side walls are defined by a substantially rectangular wall panel, and wherein each adjacent pair of wall panels is joined by a flexible hinge such that the container is articulably convertible about the hinges between a substantially flat collapsed position and an expanded position defining an opening into an interior of the container, and wherein at least one of rectangular wall panels includes a step between non-coplanar sections and extending diagonally between opposite corners of the rectangular wall panel; and

a lid that receives the container in the collapsed position and sealingly covers the opening of the container in the expanded position.

2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the lid includes a cover plate that covers the opening and a groove recessed into a first side of the cover plate, wherein the groove sealingly receives a top edge of the four side walls that extends around the opening.

3. The storage device of claim 2, wherein the lid further includes a recess on a second side of the cover plate opposite the first side that is adapted to receive the container in the collapsed position.

4. The storage device of claim 3, wherein the container snap fits into the recess when the container is in the collapsed position.

5. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the step is located along a transition point between a two-layered thickness of wall panels and a four-layered thickness of panels when the container is in the collapsed position.

6. The storage device of claim 5, wherein each hinge forms a liquid impervious connection extending between the adjacent pair of side walls disposed on opposite sides thereof.

7. A container comprising a plurality of resilient wall panels defining four side walls and a bottom wall, wherein each of two opposing side walls and the bottom wall are defined by a diagonal flexible hinge extending between opposing substantially triangular wall panels and each of the two remaining side walls are defined by a substantially rectangular wall panel, and wherein each adjacent pair of wall panels is joined by a flexible hinge such that the container is articulably convertible about the hinges between a substantially flat collapsed position and an expanded position defining an opening into an interior of the container, and wherein at least one of rectangular wall panels includes a step between non-coplanar sections and extending diagonally between opposite corners of the rectangular wall panel.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein the flexible hinges are living hinges forming a liquid impervious connection between each adjacent pair of wall panels.

9. The container of claim 7, wherein at least one of the living hinges is an arched living hinge.

10. The container of claim 9, wherein the arched living hinge is an out-of-plane arched living hinge.

11. The container of claim 7, wherein at least one of the hinges disposed between two of the substantially triangular wall panels has a terminal end laterally displaced from a corner of the side wall.

12. The container of claim 7, further comprising a lid articulably attached to one of the side walls with a hinge, wherein the lid includes a closed position covering the opening.

13. The container of claim 7, wherein at least one of the flexible hinges is a living hinge.

14. The container of claim 7, wherein at least one of the flexible hinges is an arched hinge.

15. The container of claim 7, wherein one of the flexible hinges is an inside living hinge, wherein the inside living hinge comprises a web having a width that is sufficient to accommodate the combined thickness of two wall panels stacked between the adjacent panels connected by the inside living hinge when the collapsible container is in the collapsed position.

16. The container of claim 7, wherein the flexible hinges and the wall panels are integrally formed of a polymeric material.

17. The container of claim 7, wherein in at least one of the flexible hinges is a first flexible material and at least one of the wall panels is a second resilient material.

18. The container of claim 7, further including a first interlocking member disposed on a first wall panel and a second interlocking member disposed on a second wall panel adjacent to the first wall panel, wherein the first interlocking member releasably interlocks with the second interlocking member when the collapsible container is in the expanded position.

19. The container of claim 7, and an interlocking mechanism disposed on wall panels that are opposing when the collapsible container is in the collapsed position, wherein the interlocking mechanism releasably maintains the collapsible container in the collapsed position.