초록 ▼

A collapsible container includes a bottom wall and a plurality of sidewalls. At least two of the side walls include a rigid first segment and a rigid second segment coupled to the first segment by a pivot to permit the side wall to fold so that the first segment and second segment form an acute angl

A collapsible container includes a bottom wall and a plurality of sidewalls. At least two of the side walls include a rigid first segment and a rigid second segment coupled to the first segment by a pivot to permit the side wall to fold so that the first segment and second segment form an acute angle or are parallel when the container is collapsed. The collapsible container can be configured in a storage configuration for containing objects or a collapsed configuration occupying less volume than the storage configuration for stowing the container.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A collapsible storage container comprising: a bottom wall; anda plurality of side walls each including a rigid lower segment that is pivotally connected to the bottom wall and is pivotally connected to a rigid upper segment to permit the side wall to fold so that the rigid lower segment and the r

1. A collapsible storage container comprising: a bottom wall; anda plurality of side walls each including a rigid lower segment that is pivotally connected to the bottom wall and is pivotally connected to a rigid upper segment to permit the side wall to fold so that the rigid lower segment and the rigid upper segment form an acute angle or are parallel when the container is collapsed; anda plurality of attachment members, each attachment member including an L-shaped bar that is pivotally coupled and restrained from linear sliding with respect to the rigid upper segment of a respective side wall of the plurality of side walls and is pivotally and slidably coupled to the rigid upper segment of an adjacent respective side wall of the plurality of side walls. 2. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein the at least two of the plurality of side walls include an outwardly folding pair of side walls and an inwardly folding pair of side walls. 3. The collapsible storage container of claim 2, wherein the rigid upper segment of each outwardly folding side wall is coupled to the rigid upper segments of both inwardly folding side walls such that ends of the side walls opposite the bottom wall form a rectangular shape when the container is in a collapsed configuration, a storage configuration, and in between the collapsed and storage configurations. 4. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein the side walls include a shell and a thermally insulating material that is disposed within the shell. 5. A collapsible storage container comprising: a bottom wall;a plurality of side walls pivotally coupled to the bottom wall and pivotally coupled to one another, each side wall comprised of:a rigid lower wall segment having a first end pivotally coupled to the bottom wall and a second end spaced apart from the first end, anda rigid upper wall segment having a hinged end pivotally coupled to the second end of the lower wall segment and a distal end spaced apart from the hinged end, wherein the distal end is a free end; anda joint structure that connects a first side wall of the plurality of side walls to a second side wall of the plurality of side walls, the joint structure including a channel formed in the rigid upper wall segment of the first side wall, a channel formed in the rigid upper wall segment of the second side wall, and an L-shaped bar having a first segment that is positioned within the channel of the rigid upper wall segment of the first side wall and rotatably coupled thereto, and a second segment that is positioned within the channel of the rigid upper wall segment of the second side wall and rotatably and slidably coupled thereto,wherein the storage container is configurable in a storage configuration wherein the distal ends of the upper wall segments are positioned a first distance from the bottom wall and a collapsed configuration wherein the distal ends of the upper wall segments are positioned a second distance from the bottom wall, with the second distance being less than the first distance. 6. The collapsible storage container of claim 5, wherein when the storage container is in the storage configuration, an outboard surface of the lower wall segment and an outboard surface of the upper wall segment are substantially parallel; and wherein when the storage container is in the collapsed configuration, the outboard surface of the lower wall segment and the outboard surface of the upper wall segment form an acute angle therebetween. 7. The collapsible storage container of claim 5, wherein an inboard surface of the lower wall segment and an inboard surface of the upper wall segment are substantially parallel to one another and perpendicular to the bottom wall when the storage container is in the storage configuration, and wherein the inboard surface of the lower wall segment and the inboard surface of the upper wall segment form an acute angle therebetween when the storage container is in the collapsed configuration. 8. The collapsible storage container of claim 5, wherein the side walls are thermally insulating. 9. The collapsible storage container of claim 5, wherein when the storage container is in the collapsed configuration, the first end of the lower wall segment and the distal end of the upper wall segment are substantially adjacent to one another. 10. The collapsible storage container of claim 5, wherein at least one of the side walls is an outwardly folding side wall in which the second end of the lower wall segment is located outboard of the first end of the lower wall segment when the storage container is in the collapsed configuration. 11. The collapsible storage container of claim 5, wherein at least one of the side walls is a latching side wall having a latch assembly operable to retain its lower wall segment and upper wall segment in a substantially parallel configuration. 12. The collapsible storage container of claim 11, wherein the latch assembly is disposed on an outboard side of the latching side wall. 13. The collapsible storage container of claim 12, further comprising: a hinge connecting the upper wall segment and the lower wall segment of the latching side wall, the hinge having an axis of rotation aligned with an interior surface of the latching side wall when the storage container is in the storage configuration. 14. The collapsible storage container of claim 12, further comprising: a hinge connecting the upper wall segment and the lower wall segment of the latching side wall, the hinge having an axis of rotation inboard of an interior surface of the latching side wall when the storage container is in the storage configuration. 15. A collapsible storage container comprising: a bottom wall;a plurality of side walls pivotally coupled to the bottom wall and pivotally coupled to one another, each side wall comprised of a rigid lower wall segment pivotally coupled to the bottom wall and a rigid upper wall segment pivotally coupled to the rigid lower wall segment; anda joint structure that connects a first side wall of the plurality of side walls to a second side wall of the plurality of side walls, the joint structure including a channel formed in the rigid upper wall segment of the first side wall, a channel formed in the rigid upper wall segment of the second side wall, and an L-shaped bar having a first segment that is positioned within the channel of the rigid upper wall segment of the first side wall and rotatably coupled thereto, and a second segment that is positioned within the channel of the rigid upper wall segment of the second side wall and rotatably and slidably coupled thereto,wherein the storage container is movable between a storage configuration and a collapsed configuration. 16. The collapsible storage container of claim 15, wherein the storage container moves between the storage configuration and the collapsed configuration by pivotal movement of the rigid lower wall segments with respect to the bottom wall and pivotal movement of the rigid upper wall segments with respect to the rigid lower wall segments. 17. The collapsible storage container of claim 15, wherein the side walls are thermally insulating. 18. The collapsible storage container of claim 15, wherein at least one of the side walls is a latching side wall having a latch assembly operable to retain its rigid lower wall segment and rigid upper wall segment in a substantially parallel configuration when the storage container is in the storage configuration. 19. The collapsible storage container of claim 18, further comprising: a hinge connecting the upper wall segment and the lower wall segment of the latching side wall, the hinge having an axis of rotation aligned with an interior surface of the latching side wall when the storage container is in the storage configuration. 20. The collapsible storage container of claim 18, further comprising: a hinge connecting the upper wall segment and the lower wall segment of the latching side wall, the hinge having an axis of rotation inboard of an interior surface of the latching side wall when the storage container is in the storage configuration. 21. The collapsible storage container of claim 15, further comprising: a biasing member positioned in the channel of the rigid upper wall segment of the second side wall in engagement with the second segment of the L-shaped bar to bias the sliding movement of the second segment of the L-shaped bar such that the rigid upper wall segment of the second side wall and the rigid upper wall segment of the first side wall are biased toward engagement with one another during rotational movement of the L-shaped bar with respect to the rigid upper wall segment of the second side wall and the rigid upper wall segment of the first side wall as the container moves between the collapsed configuration and the storage configuration.