Collapsible storage device

• US 8,146,773 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson Home Storage Inc.
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Turvey, Robert R., Dais, Brian C., Dhall, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUSH, KAREEN KAY
• Application Number:
  US11/818,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20080035717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 220/4.26, 220/521, 220/212, 220/23.6, 220/781, 217/12.R, 217/43.R, 217/45, 206/508
• US Class Current: 220/666
• 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 2543/00194 square or rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00296 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00361 placed on a tray like container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00555 on both the inside and the outside
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/0218 on both the inside and the outside of the mouth of the container B65D43/0216 takes precedence

Abstract

A storage device includes a collapsible container and a lid for the collapsible container. The collapsible container includes a plurality of wall panels hingedly connected to articulate between a collapsed position and an expanded position that defines an upper lip, and the upper lip further defines a square opening. The lid includes (i) a body that is adapted to cover the square opening in the collapsible container, (ii) a peripheral groove disposed in a side of the body, the groove extending along a square path configured to receive the upper lip of the collapsible container in the expanded position, and (iii) a plurality of wall sections projecting from the same side of the body. The wall sections are disposed radially inwardly from the peripheral groove and define a recess having four sides formed to receive therein an outer periphery of the collapsible container in a substantially parallel orientation with the body when the collapsible container is in the collapsed position.

Claims

1. A storage device comprising:

(A) a collapsible container, wherein the collapsible container includes a plurality of wall panels hingedly connected to articulate between a collapsed position and an expanded position that defines an upper lip, and wherein the upper lip further defines a square opening; and

(B) a lid for the collapsible container, the lid comprising;

(i) a body that is adapted to cover the square opening in the collapsible container;

(ii) a peripheral groove disposed in a side of the body, wherein the groove extends along a square path configured to receive the upper lip of the collapsible container in the expanded position; and

(iii) a plurality of wall sections projecting from the same side of the body, the wall sections disposed radially inwardly from the peripheral groove and defining a recess having four sides formed to receive therein an outer periphery of the collapsible container in a substantially parallel orientation with the body when the collapsible container is in the collapsed position, wherein at least one of the wall sections forms a tapered corner adapted to retain a tapered corner of the collapsible container in the collapsed position within the recess, and a second one of the wall sections comprises a post between the peripheral groove and the recess, wherein the post being arranged to press outwardly against a wall panel of the collapsible container in the expanded position when the upper lip is disposed in the groove.

2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the at least one wall section of the lid comprises a snap-fit detent that is positioned to secure a wall panel of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

3. The storage device of claim 2, wherein the at least one wall section of the lid comprises a second snap-fit detent that is positioned to secure a second wall panel of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

4. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the post of the lid is further arranged to press outwardly against a second wall panel of the collapsible container in the expanded position.

5. The storage device of claim 1, wherein a third one of the wall sections of the lid comprises a second post between the peripheral groove and the recess, wherein the second post is arranged to press outwardly against a second wall panel of the collapsible container in the expanded position.

6. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the post of the lid at least partly defines the recess and is adapted to retain the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

7. The storage device of claim 6, wherein the post of the lid includes a snap-fit detent that is adapted to secure a side wall of the collapsible container in the recess in the collapsed position.

8. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the lid further comprises at least one projection disposed in the peripheral groove adapted to form an interference fit with the upper lip of the collapsible container in the expanded position.

9. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the lid further comprises a second recess on an opposite side of the body that is adapted to accept a bottom footprint of a collapsible container in the expanded position.

10. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the lid further comprises a tab extending from a corner of the body.

11. A storage device comprising:

(A) a collapsible container, wherein the collapsible container includes a plurality of wall panels hingedly connected to articulate between a substantially flat collapsed position and an expanded position that defines a rectangular upper lip, wherein the upper lip further defines the opening;

(B) a lid for the collapsible container, the lid comprising;

(i) a body that is adapted to cover the opening in the collapsible container;

(ii) a peripheral groove disposed on a first side of the body that is configured to receive the rectangular upper lip of the collapsible container in an expanded position; and

(iii) a plurality of walls on the first side of the body disposed radially inwardly from the peripheral groove, wherein the walls are positioned to retain therein an outer periphery of a plurality of sides of the collapsible container in the collapsed position in a substantially parallel orientation with the body, wherein at least one of the walls is adapted to receive a non-tapered corner of the collapsible container in the collapsed position, the at least one wall including a hood adapted to lockingly engage a wall panel of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

12. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the walls of the lid are positioned to lockingly engage opposite corners of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

13. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the walls of the lid is adapted to receive a tapered corner of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

14. The storage device of claim 13, wherein a wall of the lid that is adapted to receive a tapered corner includes a first detent that is adapted to secure a first wall panel and a second detent that is adapted to secure a second wall panel of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

15. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the lid further comprises a plurality of ribs disposed in the peripheral groove adapted to form an interference fit with the upper lip of the collapsible container in the expanded position.

16. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the lid further comprises a tab extending from a corner of the body.

17. A storage device comprising:

a collapsible container including a plurality of wall panels, each wall panel connected to each adjacent wall panel at a hinged connection, wherein the wall panels are arranged so as to articulate at the hinged connections between a collapsed position and an expanded position that defines an upper lip, and wherein the upper lip further defines a substantially square opening; and

a lid including a body that is adapted to cover the opening in the collapsible container, a peripheral groove disposed on a side of the body, wherein the peripheral groove extends along a substantially square path that is configured to receive the upper lip of the collapsible container in the expanded position, and a recess disposed on the said side of the body generally inwardly from the peripheral groove, wherein the recess is defined by a plurality of walls projecting from the said side of the body formed to receive therein an outer periphery of the collapsible container when the collapsible container is in the collapsed position, at least two of the walls intersecting at a tapered corner adapted to retain a tapered corner of the collapsible container in the collapsed position within the recess.

18. A storage device comprising:

(A) a collapsible container, wherein the collapsible container includes a plurality of wall panels hingedly connected to articulate between a collapsed position and an expanded position that defines an upper lip, and wherein the upper lip further defines a square opening; and

(B) a lid for the collapsible container, the lid comprising;

(i) a body that is adapted to cover the square opening in the collapsible container;

(ii) a peripheral groove disposed in a side of the body, wherein the groove extends along a square path configured to receive the upper lip of the collapsible container in the expanded position;

(iii) at least one projection disposed in the peripheral groove adapted to form an interference fit with the upper lip of the collapsible container in the expanded position; and

(iv) a plurality of wall sections projecting from the same side of the body, the wall sections disposed radially inwardly from the peripheral groove and defining a recess having four sides formed to receive therein an outer periphery of the collapsible container in a substantially parallel orientation with the body when the collapsible container is in the collapsed position, wherein at least one of the wall sections forms a tapered corner adapted to retain a tapered corner of the collapsible container in the collapsed position within the recess, and a second one of the wall sections comprises a post between the peripheral groove and the recess.

19. The storage device of claim 18, wherein the at least one wall section of the lid comprises a snap-fit detent that is positioned to secure a wall panel of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

20. The storage device of claim 19, wherein the at least one wall section of the lid comprises a second snap-fit detent that is positioned to secure a second wall panel of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

21. The storage device of claim 18, wherein a second one of the wall sections of the lid comprises a post between the peripheral groove and the recess, the post being arranged to press outwardly against a wall panel of the collapsible container in the expanded position when the upper lip is disposed in the groove.

22. The storage device of claim 21, wherein the post of the lid is further arranged to press outwardly against a second wall panel of the collapsible container in the expanded position.

23. The storage device of claim 21, wherein a third one of the wall sections of the lid comprises a second post between the peripheral groove and the recess, the second post being arranged to press outwardly against a second wall panel of the collapsible container in the expanded position.

24. The storage device of claim 21, wherein the post of the lid at least partly defines the recess and is adapted to retain the collapsible container therein in the collapsed position.

25. The storage device of claim 24, wherein the post of the lid includes a snap-fit detent that is adapted to secure a side wall of the collapsible container in the recess in the collapsed position.

26. The storage device of claim 18, wherein the lid further comprises a second recess on an opposite side of the body that is adapted to accept a bottom footprint of a collapsible container in the expanded position.

27. The storage device of claim 18, wherein the lid further comprises a tab extending from a corner of the body.

28. A storage device comprising:

(A) a collapsible container, wherein the collapsible container includes a plurality of wall panels hingedly connected to articulate between a collapsed position and an expanded position that defines an upper lip, and wherein the upper lip further defines a square opening; and

(B) a lid for the collapsible container, the lid comprising;

(i) a body that is adapted to cover the square opening in the collapsible container;

(ii) a peripheral groove disposed in a side of the body, wherein the groove extends along a square path configured to receive the upper lip of the collapsible container in the expanded position;

(iii) a plurality of wall sections on the first side of the body disposed radially inwardly from the peripheral groove, wherein the walls are positioned to retain therein an outer periphery of a plurality of sides of the collapsible container in the collapsed position in a substantially parallel orientation with the body, at least one of the walls being adapted to receive a tapered corner of the collapsible container in the collapsed position, and a wall that is adapted to receive a tapered corner including a first detent that is adapted to secure a first wall panel and a second detent that is adapted to secure a second wall panel of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

29. The storage device of claim 28, wherein the walls of the lid are positioned to lockingly engage opposite corners of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

30. The storage device of claim 28, wherein at least one of the walls of the lid is adapted to receive a non-tapered corner of the collapsible container in the collapsed position, the at least one wall including a hook adapted to lockingly engage a wall panel of the collapsible container in the collapsed position.

31. The storage device of claim 28, wherein the lid further comprises a plurality of ribs disposed in the peripheral groove that are adapted to form an interference fit with the upper lip of the collapsible container in the expanded position.

32. The storage device of claim 31, wherein the lid further comprises a tab extending from a corner of the body.