Collapsible container

Abstract

To provide a foldable container that can be made compact. [Solution] A foldable container (10) includes a container body (12) having a bottom (20) and a flexible wall (22), and a flexible holding member (14) attached to the wall (22). The holding member (14) is switchable between a first position in which it extends vertically to keep the wall (22) upright, and a second position in which it overlaps the upper surface of the bottom (20) to keep the wall (22) folded over on top of the bottom (20). The foldable container (10) is kept in an unfolded state with the wall (22) upright by the holding member (14) in the first position, and kept in a folded state with the wall (22) folded by the holding member (14) in the second position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a collapsible container. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a laundry basket in which thin folds are formed in the walls of the basket body, and the walls are bent at these folds, thereby making the basket body foldable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-25824 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The laundry basket of Patent Document 1 has difficulty maintaining its folded state because a force acts on the folds where the walls are thinned to return it to its original shape.

[0005] The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems associated with the conventional technology in order to solve these problems in an appropriate manner, and aims to provide a foldable container that can be kept in a compact folded state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first embodiment of the collapsible container according to the present invention is as follows: a container body having a bottom and a flexible wall; a flexible holding member provided on the wall portion, The gist of the present invention is that the holding member is switchable between a first position in which it extends in the vertical direction and keeps the wall portion upright, and a second position in which it overlaps the upper surface of the bottom portion and keeps the wall portion folded over the upper surface of the bottom portion.

[0007] A second aspect of the foldable container according to the present invention is the first aspect, the holding member is housed in a housing provided in the wall portion, The holding member may not be connected to the bottom and the wall.

[0008] A third aspect of the foldable container according to the present invention is the first or second aspect, The holding member may be disposed between a frame portion provided on an upper edge of the wall portion and the bottom portion.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the foldable container according to the present invention is the third aspect, The holding member may be shorter than the distance between the frame and the bottom when the wall is in an upright position.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the foldable container according to the present invention is any one of the first to fourth aspects, The holding member is rod-shaped, The holding member may have a protruding portion that protrudes in the radial direction at a tip end thereof. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The foldable container according to the present invention can be kept in a folded state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a foldable container according to an embodiment in an unfolded state. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a foldable container according to an embodiment in a folded state. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a holding member according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing how the foldable container is switched from an unfolded state to a folded state. Note that the handle is omitted in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing preferred embodiments of the foldable container. Note that the following embodiments and drawings are intended to illustrate some of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Modifications may be made as appropriate within the scope of the present invention.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, a foldable container 10 according to this embodiment includes a container body 12 that has an open top and a bottom, and a holding member 14 that maintains the shape of the container body 12. The foldable container 10 is switchable between an unfolded state (see Fig. 1) in which the container body 12 is unfolded to store items, and a folded state (see Fig. 2) in which the container body 12 is folded. The foldable container 10 can be used, for example, as a laundry basket.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the container body 12 includes a bottom 20 that forms the bottom of the container body 12, wall portions 22 that form the side walls of the container body 12, and a frame portion 24 provided on the upper edge of the wall portions 22. The bottom 20 is a base for the foldable container 10 to be placed on the floor or the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom 20 according to the embodiment includes an exterior material 20a and a core material 20b that is harder than the exterior material 20a and is disposed inside the bag-shaped exterior material 20a, making it relatively hard to bend. The exterior material 20a may be, for example, a flexible material such as a cloth made of natural fibers, chemical fibers, or a mixture of these fibers, or a sheet of synthetic resin.

[0016] The wall portion 22 is a flexible portion that is folded and unfolded when switching between the unfolded state and the folded state. As shown in Fig. 3, the wall portion 22 is connected to the outer periphery of the bottom portion 20. For example, the wall portion 22 may be made of a cloth made of natural fiber, chemical fiber, or a mixture of these fibers, or a sheet of synthetic resin. In this embodiment, the wall portion 22 and the exterior material 20a are made of the same material.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 3, the frame 24 is fixed to the upper edge of the wall 22 and forms an opening for inserting and removing items in the foldable container 10. The frame 24 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin such as polypropylene. The foldable container 10 has two openings 22a formed in the upper edge of the wall 22 (see Fig. 1), and the frame 24 can be used as a handle by inserting fingers into these openings 22a and gripping the frame 24.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 4, the holding member 14 is provided on the wall portion 22 of the container body 12. The holding member 14 is switchable between a first position (see Fig. 1) in which it extends in the vertical direction and holds the wall portion 22 in an upright state, and a second position (see Fig. 2) in which it overlaps the upper surface of the bottom portion 20 and holds the wall portion 22 in a folded state overlapping the upper surface of the bottom portion 20. In the first position, the holding member 14 is linear and stands upright in the vertical direction, and in the second position, it is linear and lies horizontally.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 5 , the holding member 14 is rod-shaped and made of, for example, a fiber such as glass fiber or a synthetic resin such as polypropylene. The holding member 14 is flexible enough to change shape without breaking when an external force is applied. The holding member 14 also has elasticity, returning to its original shape when bent. Furthermore, the holding member 14 has higher rigidity than the wall 22 and can maintain the posture of the wall 22, which is softer than the holding member 14. The holding member 14 has a radially extending protrusion 14a at each end. The upper protrusion 14a of the holding member 14 can abut against the frame 24 via a storage section 26 (described later), and the lower protrusion 14a can abut against the bottom 20 via the storage section 26 (described later). Because the holding member 14 has the wide protrusion 14a at its end, axial force is easily transmitted from the frame 24 or the bottom 20.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4, the container body 12 has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) holding members 14 arranged at regular intervals around the wall 22. The holding members 14 are arranged between a frame 24 provided on the upper edge of the wall 22 and the bottom 20 (see FIG. 3). The holding members 14 are arranged so that their longitudinal axes extend along the vertical direction of the wall 22 in the unfolded state. More specifically, the holding members 14 are housed in a storage compartment 26 provided in the wall 22 and attached to the wall 22. The storage compartment 26 in this embodiment is formed in a bag shape using a cloth, sheet, or the like joined to the inner surface of the wall 22 by sewing or the like. The storage compartment 26 is formed slightly larger in length and width than the holding members 14, and its upper and lower edges are closed. That is, the length of the holding members 14 is set shorter than the distance between the frame 24 and the bottom 20 when the wall 22 is in the upright unfolded state. The holding member 14 is not connected to any of the bottom 20, the wall 22, the frame 24, and the storage section 26, and is movable or deformable within the interior space of the storage section 26.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the foldable container 10 has a handle 28. The handle 28 is a belt-like member such as a cloth belt. The handle 28 is formed into a ring shape with both ends fixed to the frame 24 with the opening 22a sandwiched between them. The length L of the handle 28 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it be shorter than the opening width W of the container body 12.

[0022] In the unfolded state, the wall 22 of the foldable container 10 is supported by the holding member 14, which is in a first position extending in the vertical direction, so that the wall 22 is kept upright (see FIG. 6(a)). This allows the shape of the container body 12 to be maintained when putting items in or taking items out of the foldable container 10, making it easy to use. Furthermore, the wall 22 of the foldable container 10 can be made of a relatively flexible material such as cloth, allowing for a high degree of freedom in the selection of materials for the wall 22.

[0023] Next, a case where the foldable container 10 is switched from the unfolded state to the folded state will be described. By rotating the frame 24 in one circumferential direction of the container body 12, the gap between the frame 24 and the bottom 20 narrows, and the holding member 14 is pressed from above and below between the frame 24 and the bottom 20, causing the holding member 14 to bend (see FIG. 6(b)). The frame 24 is further rotated in one circumferential direction of the container body 12 against the elastic force that tries to return the holding member 14 to a straight state. This again widens the gap between the frame 24 and the bottom 20, and the elastic force that tries to return the holding member 14 to a straight state from the first upright position to the second reclined position assists the rotation of the frame 24 in one circumferential direction. The holding member 14 then returns to a straight state and shifts to the second position in which it overlaps the upper surface of the bottom 20. Accordingly, the foldable container 10 is guided by the change in posture of the holding member 14 and assumes a folded state in which the wall portion 22 is folded onto the top surface of the bottom portion 20 (see FIG. 6(c)).

[0024] During the transition between the unfolded state and the folded state, the holding member 14 of the foldable container 10 is pressed by the closed ends of the storage section 26 on the frame 24 side and the bottom 20 side, causing the foldable container 10 to bend. In other words, the foldable container 10 cannot transition from the unfolded state to the folded state or from the folded state to the unfolded state without deforming the holding member 14. Therefore, when the foldable container 10 stores items in the unfolded state, the holding member 14 in the first position supports the wall 22, allowing the foldable container 10 to maintain its shape. Furthermore, in the folded state, the foldable container 10 is held by the holding member 14 in the second position, which overlaps the top surface of the bottom 20, making it difficult for the frame 24 and the bottom 20 to open. In this way, the foldable container 10 can be folded to reduce its vertical dimensions and become compact, and can maintain this folded state.

[0025] Next, we will explain how to switch the foldable container 10 from the folded state to the unfolded state. The frame 24 is rotated in the other circumferential direction of the container body 12 against the resistance of the holding member 14. At this time, the holding member 14 curves from the reclined second position to the upright first position, and the rotation of the frame 24 in the other circumferential direction is assisted by the elastic force of the holding member 14 as it attempts to return to a straight shape from the curved shape. The holding member 14 then returns to the first position extending in the vertical direction, and the wall 22 is guided by the positional change of the holding member 14 to the unfolded state, extending in the vertical direction. In this way, the holding member 14 assists the user in switching the foldable container 10 both when switching from the folded state to the unfolded state and when switching from the unfolded state to the folded state, making the container 10 easy to use.

[0026] The foldable container 10 is stored in a storage section 26 provided in the wall 22 and is not connected to the bottom 20, the wall 22, or the frame 24, so a certain degree of movement or deformation is permitted within the storage section 26. This prevents adverse effects such as the wall 22 getting caught when the holding member 14 changes position between the first position and the second position, allowing for smooth switching between the unfolded state and the folded state. Furthermore, by setting the holding member 14 to be shorter than the distance between the frame 24 and the bottom 20 when the wall 22 is in the upright position, it is possible to prevent the holding member 14 from getting caught on the frame 24 or the bottom 20 in the initial stage of switching from the unfolded state to the folded state.

[0027] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned matters, but may be, for example, as follows: Note that the present invention is not limited to the specific descriptions of the embodiment and the following modified examples. (1) In the embodiment, the container body is formed into a cylindrical shape, but this is not limited to this and the container body may be formed into a rectangular tube shape. Furthermore, the height and width of the container body are not limited to the ratios shown in the embodiment and may be changed as appropriate. (2) In the embodiment, the holding member is rod-shaped, but this is not limiting, and the holding member may be in another elongated shape such as a plate-like shape. (3) In the embodiment, four holding members are arranged on the wall portion, but the number is not limited to this, and may be one to three, or may be five or more. (4) The opening and / or handle formed on the upper edge of the wall may be omitted. (5) The length and width of the handle can be changed, for example, by making it longer than the opening width of the container body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 10 foldable container, 12 container body, 14 holding member, 14a protruding portion, 20 bottom, 22 wall, 24 frame, 26 storage section

Claims

1. a container body having a bottom and a flexible wall; a flexible holding member provided on the wall portion, The holding member is switchable between a first position in which the holding member extends in the vertical direction to maintain the wall portion in an upright state, and a second position in which the holding member overlaps the upper surface of the bottom portion to maintain the wall portion in a folded state overlapping the upper surface of the bottom portion. A foldable container characterized by:

2. the holding member is housed in a housing provided in the wall portion, The collapsible container of claim 1 , wherein the retaining member is not connected to the bottom and the wall.

3. The foldable container according to claim 1 , wherein the holding member is disposed between a frame portion provided on an upper edge of the wall portion and the bottom portion.

4. The foldable container according to claim 3 , wherein the holding member has a distance shorter than the distance between the frame and the bottom when the wall is in an upright position.

5. The holding member is rod-shaped, The foldable container according to claim 1 , wherein the holding member has a protruding portion that protrudes radially from a tip end thereof.

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