Origami Container

Abstract

The origami container is a flat square of fabric that can be folded into various configurations while maintaining its folded structure. The structural integrity is maintained through the use of cords and battens, which construct a mechanical seam along the edge or hem of the fabric square. In virtue of binding various seams to one another, it is possible to maintain the location of folds, prevent the container from dispensing its contents, allow temporary access to the contents of the container, and connect fabric squares to one another to create containers of varying shapes and sizes.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] There are a large variety of fabric containers such as pouches, wallets, bags, and backpacks for outdoor applications such as camping and cycling. These applications require protecting the contents of those containers from damage by harsh conditions. To do so, several techniques are commonly employed:

[0002] Their construction employs durable materials and heavyweight synthetic fabrics.

[0003] The openings used to access the contents are sealed with waterproof closures, as with waterproof zippers or roll-top dry bags.

[0004] They are fastened to various other equipment with nylon buckles, metal carabiners, or strong cords.

[0005] The origami container described here keeps these design goals and introduces a high degree of user configurability in virtue of borrowing techniques from the art of paper folding (or origami).BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1: A Fabric Square

[0007] Shows a fabric square, which is a foldable square of fabric with hollow hems that have holes to allow stitching.

[0008] FIG. 2: An Origami Rectangle, Triangle, Square, and Blintz Shows four common methods of folding a square such that the edges are brought into contact with one another.

[0009] FIG. 3: Small Square Stitched with Cord Shows two squares stitched together with a cord, which binds the hems together and creates a seam.

[0010] FIG. 4: A Batten

[0011] Shows a stiff batten that reinforces a fabric square when inserted into its hem.

[0012] FIG. 5: SmallSquare in Cross-section

[0013] Shows a cross-sectional view of a fabric square with battens inserted into the hems.

[0014] FIG. 6: A Square with Two Battens per Side

[0015] Shows a fabric square with multiple battens per side, which permits a greater variety of folded configurations than squares with fewer battens (i.e. due to the increased potential articulation).

[0016] FIG. 7: A Stitched Seam

[0017] Shows two squares fastened together with an overlock stitch.

[0018] FIG. 8: Creating a Stitched Seam in Cross-Section

[0019] Shows a cord that passes through two hems and battens with an overlock stitch.

[0020] FIG. 9: Creating a Seam by Bending

[0021] Shows an unstitched seam that is opened by bending the battens in opposite directions and closed by bending the battens in the same direction.

[0022] FIG. 10: Creating a Seam by Rolling

[0023] Shows an unstitched seam that is closed by rolling or folding the hem (and that is opened by unrolling the hem).

[0024] FIG. 11: Creating a Seam with a Clip

[0025] Shows two squares held together with a removable clip.

[0026] FIG. 12: A Pouch

[0027] Shows a pouch that uses a drawstring within the hem to close the container.

[0028] FIG. 13: Instructions for Folding a Pinwheel

[0029] Shows an example of a complex origami shape (the pinwheel) that requires at least four battens per side.

[0030] FIG. 14: Circular Batten

[0031] Shows a circular batten which creates non-square containers such as tubes when inserted into the hem of a fabric square.

[0032] FIG. 15: A Wallet

[0033] Shows the origami container folded as a wallet, which is comprised of a twice-folded square with one stitched side and a clip that closes the unstitched opening.DESCRIPTIONThe Fabric Square

[0034] The origami container (FIG. 1) consists of a square of fabric (1) with a number of holes along its perimeter (5). Those holes pass through a hem (3) which can accommodate plastic battens (4).

[0035] FIG. 2 shows the square as folded into a number of traditional origami shapes such as the rectangle (6), the triangle (7), the square (8), and the blintz (9). That folding can happen either when the article is created or during subsequent reconfiguration by the user.The Hem

[0036] FIG. 16 shows a fabric square with a handle (11) and holes that allow a cord (10) to pass through. These holes allow multiple hems to be stitched together (12), creating a “mechanical seam” between separate articles. The end of the cord used to stitch the seam (11) may be tied in a knot, left dangling in order to fasten the article to something else, or attached dynamically with various fasteners.

[0037] FIG. 8 shows a cord (13) used to stitch the seam, which binds the edges and corners of the hems of one or more articles (12). This process can create relatively static or dynamic seams. For example, fastening the hem with an overlock stitch creates a seam which is relatively static, or at least time-consuming to undo. Seams can be created dynamically by leaving them unstitched and binding them with various temporary closures, which allows quick access to the contents of the container.Battens

[0038] The origami container incorporates battens to stiffen the hem and to help maintain its folded shape. The use of battens (FIG. 5) ensures that hems are bound to one another between the points bound by the cord (10). Thus, the battens (4) that are shown in FIG. 4 can be fastened together by a cord passing through their holes (5) which creates a closed seam along their entire length, and therefore along the entire hem.

[0039] A batten-reinforced seam can be dynamically “locked” in a number of ways. FIG. 9 displays a closed seam (10) and a seam (14) in which the battens are bent open. By tightly fastening a cord across the hem, a bend is introduced in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the battens which secures the contents of the container by sandwiching the battens together. FIG. 10 shows an alternate implementation where the battens may be folded over one another to create a “rolled seam” (3b), as used on various dry bags. FIG. 11 shows one hem being secured to another by using a hardware clip (15), which either conjoins the battens directly (12) or secures a rolled seam to prevent that seam from unrolling.Folding the Square

[0040] The joints between the battens along the perimeter of the square determine where the article can fold: in general, more complex origami shapes require more folds, and thus a larger number of joints. FIG. 1 shows a small square (1) with rigid sides, which can only be folded into simple triangles from corner to corner. A square with at least two battens on each side (FIG. 62) enables the creation of several origami bases as in FIG. 2.

[0041] It is possible to omit battens entirely and to use cord within the fabric hem. While this allows folds at any location, it does not provide a skeleton to hold a given shape, and therefore it relies on the cord to create structural integrity. FIG. 12 shows the most simple example of this construction: a pouch (16) that is closed using a drawstring (10) within the hem (3). Other configurations are possible, but if the hems are not pulled together, the space between the stitches may allow smaller contents to fall out (i.e. because that space is not reinforced by battens).

[0042] Because the battens determine the shape of the edges, non-linear battens may be used to create containers with non-linear sides. For example, battens with some degree of in-plane curvature may be used to create articles with non-square seams, as with the round batten (18) in FIG. 14, which has holes (5) that line up with the holes of regular battens to create an open tube.

[0043] Additional structure may be added to a folded article by using internal hems and battens, as opposed to relying exclusively on the hems and battens along the perimeter. This additional structure is necessary to distinguish between origami shapes such as the “origami square” and the “origami blintz”, which are otherwise structurally equivalent (FIG. 2). This increased structure allows the creation of arbitrarily complex shapes such as the pinwheel (FIG. 13, steps 17a-17m).Wallet

[0044] As an example of a more practical configuration, the square (2) depicted in FIG. 6 can be folded in quarters to create an article four layers thick (19 in FIG. 15). Binding the left edge with a running stitch and leaving the other hems unstitched creates a pocket-sized container with two accessible compartments. To secure the contents of those compartments, the unstitched hem can be temporarily sealed by tightening a length of cord (11) across a flap (15) on the unstitched batten. This operation binds the fabric hem between the bent plastic battens in a manner similar to the closure of a roll-top dry sack. Contrariwise, loosening that cord allows the battens to separate, which enables access to the compartments.

Claims

1. An origami container, comprising:a piece of fabric capable of being folded and tied together by a user, the piece of fabric having a perimeter;a hollow hem that extends along the perimeter and that has openings that allow access to the interior; andrigid battens within the hollow hem.

2. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the fabric is a square.

3. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the fabric is a rectangle.

4. The origami container of claim 1, wherein multiple containers are combined by binding multiple pieces of fabric together at their seams.

5. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the hems are formed by heat-pressing one piece of fabric with a folded perimeter against a second piece of fabric.

6. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the battens are rigid, flat, and have holes to permit stitches.

7. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the battens are circular.

8. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the battens are round rods.

9. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the battens are semi-rigid wires.

10. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the ends of battens are connected to each other to ensure that there is no gap in the seam when pressing them together.

11. The origami container of claim 1, wherein a seam is created from multiple hems by stitching together holes in the fabric and battens.

12. The origami container of claim 1, wherein a seam is created from multiple hems by folding the hems over one another.

13. The origami container of claim 1, wherein a seam is created from multiple hems by binding them together with a clip.

14. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the hems are created on the interior of the fabric in addition to the perimeter.

15. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the hems are created with narrow strips of fabric or cord.

16. The origami container of claim 1, wherein the hems are merely folded and not sealed.

Images