IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0615486
(2006-12-22)
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등록번호 |
US-8100280
(2012-01-24)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Home Products International, Inc.
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
7 인용 특허 :
22 |
초록
▼
A collapsible laundry hamper comprising a collapsible frame and a panel member removably attached to the frame to enclose and define the hamper. The frame includes a top frame member, a bottom frame member, and a set of elongate upright frame members disposed therebetween. Each of the upright frame
A collapsible laundry hamper comprising a collapsible frame and a panel member removably attached to the frame to enclose and define the hamper. The frame includes a top frame member, a bottom frame member, and a set of elongate upright frame members disposed therebetween. Each of the upright frame members comprises at least two sub-members. The members are biased into engagement with each other via a biasing member. The biasing member maintains the frame members in a rigid frame position. The members are capable of being pulled apart against the biased engagement provided by the biasing member and articulated to allow the frame to be placed into a collapsed position. When either one of the top frame member and the bottom frame member is pulled away from the other in the collapsed position, the frame is urged to return to the rigid frame position under the influence of the biasing members.
대표청구항
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1. A collapsible laundry hamper comprising: a collapsible frame comprising a top frame member, a bottom frame member, and a set of elongate upright frame members disposed therebetween, each of the upright frame members comprising at least two sub-members biased into engagement with each other via a
1. A collapsible laundry hamper comprising: a collapsible frame comprising a top frame member, a bottom frame member, and a set of elongate upright frame members disposed therebetween, each of the upright frame members comprising at least two sub-members biased into engagement with each other via a biasing member, each of the upright frame members biased into engagement at a top end with the top frame member and at a bottom end with the bottom frame member via the biasing member into a rigid frame position, the sub-members and the top and bottom frame members capable of being pulled apart against the biased engagement and articulated to allow the frame to be placed into a collapsed position; anda panel member removably attached to the frame to enclose and define an interior space of the hamper, the panel member further defining an opening to access the interior space of the hamper,wherein,the biasing member associated with each upright frame member is affixed at one end to the top frame member and at another end to the bottom frame member, thereby causing biasing engagements at the top end of the upright frame member with the top frame member and at the bottom end of the upright frame member with the bottom frame member. 2. The hamper of claim 1, wherein the set of upright frame members comprise four frame members extending between the top and bottom frame members. 3. The hamper of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom frame members each define a rectangular periphery. 4. The hamper of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of frame connecting members attached to the top and bottom frame members to facilitate engagement with the upright frame members. 5. The hamper of claim 4, wherein each of the frame connecting members includes a slip fitting that engages its respective upright frame member. 6. The hamper of claim 5, wherein each end of each of the upright frame members include a receptacle configured to accept the slip fitting of its respective frame connecting member. 7. The hamper of claim 1, wherein each of the upright frame members has a passage therein along its length and wherein the biasing member is disposed within the passage, the biasing member of each upright frame member being connected to the top and bottom frame members in tension and contiguous therebetween, thereby causing biased engagement between the frame members and sub-members. 8. The hamper of claim 1, wherein the top frame member, the bottom frame member and the upright frame members are tubular. 9. The hamper of claim 8, wherein the upright frame members comprise PVC tubing. 10. The hamper of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom frame members further comprise sub-members connected to each other to form its respective frame member, the respective sub-members of the top and bottom frame members are arranged in a rectangular periphery and connected at each corner of the periphery to a corner frame connecting member. 11. The hamper of claim 10, wherein the rectangular periphery of the top frame member is larger than the rectangular periphery of the bottom frame member. 12. The hamper of claim 11, wherein the top, bottom, and upright frame members have a tubular construction having open ends. 13. The hamper of claim 10, wherein the corner frame connecting member includes three connection portions each generally transverse to the other connection portions, two of the connector portions each connected to one of two of the sub-members, and one of the connector portions removably connected to one of the upright frame members, each of the connecting member comprises a male slip-fit connector that engages the open end of the respective frame member. 14. The hamper of claim 13, wherein the male slip-fit connector corresponding to the open end of each of the upright frame members can be disengaged therefrom by pulling them apart against the bias of the biasing member, thereby allowing the upright frame members to be articulated with respect to the top and the bottom frame members. 15. The hamper of claim 1, wherein the sub-members of each upright frame member are removably engaged to each other via a slip fit joint that, when disengaged by pulling them apart against the bias of the biasing member, allows the sub members to be articulated with respect to each other. 16. The hamper of claim 1, wherein the panel member comprises an outer bag having an open top end having a generally rectangular-shaped periphery, the top end of the outer bag being removably attached to the top frame member and enclosing the frame. 17. The hamper of claim 16, further comprising a laundry bag disposed within the outer bag. 18. The hamper of claim 1, wherein the frame returns to the rigid frame position under the influence of the bias of the biasing members when either one of the top frame member and the bottom frame member is pulled away from the other in the collapsed position. 19. A collapsible laundry hamper comprising: a collapsible frame comprising a top frame member, a bottom frame member, and a set of upright frame members disposed therebetween, each of the upright frame members comprising at least two sub-members biased into engagement with each other via a biasing sub-member joint, each of the upright frame members biased into engagement with the top frame member via a top biasing frame member joint and with a bottom frame member via a bottom biasing frame member joint to form a rigid frame position, the sub-members and the top and bottom frame members capable of being pulled apart from biased engagement with each other and articulated to allow the frame to be placed into a collapsed frame position, a biasing member associated with each upright frame member passing through the biasing sub-member joint and corresponding sub-members and connected at one end to the top frame member and at another end to the bottom frame member thereby causing a biasing engagement, associated with the top biasing frame member joint, at the top end of the upright frame member with the top frame member and a biasing engagement, associated with the bottom biasing frame member joint, at the bottom end of the upright frame member with the bottom frame member; anda panel member removably attached to the frame to enclose and define an interior space of the hamper, the panel member further defining an opening to access the interior space of the hamper. 20. The hamper of claim 19, wherein the set of upright frame members comprise four frame members extending between the top and bottom frame members. 21. The hamper of claim 19, wherein the top and bottom frame members each define a rectangular periphery. 22. The hamper of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of frame connecting members attached to the top and bottom frame members to facilitate engagement with the upright frame members. 23. The hamper of claim 22, wherein each of the frame connecting members includes a slip fitting that engages its respective upright frame member. 24. The hamper of claim 23, wherein each end of each of the upright frame members include a receptacle configured to accept the slip fitting of its respective frame connecting member. 25. The hamper of claim 19, wherein the biasing sub-member joint includes a biasing member and a slip fit connection between the sub-members that, when disengaged by pulling the sub-members apart against the bias of the biasing member, allows the sub-members to be articulated with respect to each other to facilitate placing the frame in the collapsed position. 26. The hamper of claim 19, wherein the panel member comprises an outer bag having an open top end having a periphery, the periphery of the top end of the outer bag being removably attached to the top frame member and enclosing the frame. 27. The hamper of claim 26, further comprising a laundry bag disposed within the outer bag. 28. The hamper of claim 19, wherein the frame returns to the rigid frame position under the influence of the bias applied at the biasing sub-member joint and the biasing frame member joint when either one of the top frame member and the bottom frame member is pulled away from the other in the collapsed position. 29. A collapsible laundry hamper comprising: a top frame member having a plurality of top frame connectors;a bottom frame member having a plurality of bottom frame connectors;a plurality of upright frame members each having an upper end and a lower end, each upper end in removable engagement with one of the plurality of top connectors of the top frame member and each lower end in removable engagement with one of the bottom connectors of the bottom frame member, each of the upright frame members comprising at least two sub-members in removable engagement with each other at a joint, each of the ends of the upright frame members biased toward its respective connector via a biasing member and each of the sub-members biased toward each other at their respective joint via the biasing member; anda panel member removably attached to at least one frame member to define an interior space of the hamper, the panel member further defining an opening to access the interior space of the hamper,wherein,the frame members are capable of being articulated when disengaged to allow the hamper to be placed into a collapsed position, andthe biasing member associated with each upright frame member is connected at one end to one of the top frame connectors of the top frame member and at another end to one of the bottom frame connectors of the bottom frame member thereby causing a biasing engagement at the top end of the upright frame member with the top frame member and a biasing engagement at the bottom end of the upright frame member with the bottom frame member. 30. The hamper of claim 29, wherein the plurality of upright frame members comprise four frame members extending between the top and bottom frame members. 31. The hamper of claim 29, wherein the top and bottom frame members each have a rectangular periphery defining a set of four corners each having a frame connector. 32. The hamper of claim 29, wherein each of the upright frame members comprises a tube. 33. The hamper of claim 32, wherein the biasing member of each tubular upright frame member is disposed therein and connected to its respective top and bottom frame members in tension and contiguous therebetween, thereby causing biased engagement between the frame members and sub-members and allowing disengagement by applying a force against the bias of the biasing member. 34. The hamper of claim 29, wherein the panel member comprises an outer bag having an open top end having a periphery, the periphery of the top end of the outer bag being removably attached to the top frame member and enclosing the frame. 35. The hamper of claim 34, further comprising a laundry bag disposed within the outer bag. 36. The hamper of claim 29, wherein the frame returns to the rigid frame position under the influence of the biasing members when either one of the top frame member and the bottom frame member is pulled away from the other in the collapsed position. 37. The hamper of claim 29, wherein each of the bottom frame connectors include a foot to facilitate support of the hamper in an upright position. 38. A collapsible laundry hamper comprising: a top frame member defining a rectangular periphery and having a corner connector disposed at each corner of the frame member;a bottom frame member defining a rectangular periphery and having a corner connector disposed at each corner of the frame member;four upright frame members each having an upper end, a lower end, and an inner passage along its length, each upper end in removable engagement with one of the corner connectors of the top frame member and each lower end in removable engagement with one of the corner connectors of the bottom frame member, each of the upright frame members comprising at least two sub-members in removable engagement with each other at a joint, each of the ends of the upright frame members biased toward its respective corner connector via an elastic member and each of the sub-members biased toward each other at their respective joint via the elastic member, the elastic member connected at one end to one the corner connectors of the top frame member and at another end to one of the corner connectors of the bottom frame member, thereby causing a biasing engagement at the top end of the upright frame member with the top frame member and a biasing engagement at the bottom end of the upright frame member with the bottom frame member, and the elastic member is disposed within the inner passage of the upright frame member so that the elastic member is concealed when the frame members are engaged; anda panel member removably attached to at least one frame member to define an interior space of the hamper, the panel member further defining an opening to access the interior space of the hamper,wherein,the frame members are capable of being articulated when disengaged to allow the hamper to be placed into a collapsed position.
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