Collapsible portable containers having a foldable wall section with shape-retaining characteristics are disclosed. In particular, collapsible, wheeled suitcases and trolleys are provided. One or more casters of a collapsible suitcase may be retractable to permit a folding region of a wall section to
Collapsible portable containers having a foldable wall section with shape-retaining characteristics are disclosed. In particular, collapsible, wheeled suitcases and trolleys are provided. One or more casters of a collapsible suitcase may be retractable to permit a folding region of a wall section to overlap the depth dimension of the casters when in the collapsed position. The folding region may include foldable tiers of a flexible material, each tier having at least one stable, relatively expanded position and at least one stable, relatively collapsed position; and an intervening, non-folding tier. The non-folding tier may be of the same material as the flexible tiers but stiffer due to its geometry, or it may be composed of a different, relatively rigid material.
대표청구항▼
1. A collapsible suitcase comprising a front section defining a front of the suitcase and a direction to the front;a back section defining a rear of the suitcase and a direction to the rear opposite said direction to the front, the back section being spaced to the rear of the front section, and the
1. A collapsible suitcase comprising a front section defining a front of the suitcase and a direction to the front;a back section defining a rear of the suitcase and a direction to the rear opposite said direction to the front, the back section being spaced to the rear of the front section, and the front section being spaced to the front of the back section; anda collapsible wall section connected between the front section and the back section, the wall section including at least three stacked, generally annular tiers extending around a perimeter of the suitcase;the collapsible wall section, front section, and back section cooperating to enclose a storage volume;at least one of the collapsible wall section tiers being a rigid tier composed of a rigid material, the rigid tier including an exposed outer surface of the rigid material facing away from the storage volume; andat least two of said collapsible wall section tiers being relatively flexible tiers configured to fold and unfold between relatively expanded and relatively collapsed positions while the rigid tier remains substantially vertical, including at least one flexible tier disposed to the front of the rigid tier and at least one flexible tier disposed to the rear of the rigid tier, the flexible material of the flexible tier disposed to the rear of the rigid tier being spaced apart from the flexible material of the flexible tier disposed to the front of the rigid tier wherein the flexible tiers are biased towards a folded position in the relatively collapsed positions and are biased towards an unfolded position in the relatively expanded positions. 2. The suitcase of claim 1, the front section comprising a front panel, a generally annular front wall section, a zipper and a pivotal joint, the zipper and the pivotal joint forming a generally annular connection between the front panel and the generally annular front wall section, so that when the zipper is opened, the front panel can be pivoted open to access the storage volume. 3. The suitcase of claim 1, the rigid tier being composed of a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylenes, metals, and nylons, and the flexible tiers being composed of a material selected from the group consisting of silicones and thermoplastic elastomers. 4. The suitcase of claim 1, wherein when the back section rests on a support surface in a substantially horizontal orientation in which the front section is above the back section, the at least two flexible tiers are self-supporting in the relatively extended position and in the relatively collapsed position. 5. The suitcase of claim 1, the at least one flexible tier being stable in a fully extended position, a fully collapsed position, and at least one partially extended position. 6. The suitcase of claim 1, the front and back sections being rigid. 7. The suitcase of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of casters disposed for engaging a generally horizontal surface to support the suitcase for rolling transport over the generally horizontal surface. 8. The suitcase of claim 1 wherein the collapsible wall section is at least partially located within the front section when the suitcase is in a collapsed state. 9. The suitcase of claim 1 wherein the collapsible wall when expanded and in a generally vertical orientation and extent is collapsible into a shorter vertical extent comprising two generally vertically extending spaced apart generally parallel segments connected to each other by a curved, folded portion of one of the flexible tiers. 10. A collapsible suitcase comprising a front section defining a front of the suitcase and a direction to the front;a back section defining a rear of the suitcase and a direction to the rear opposite said direction to the front, the back section being spaced to the rear of the front section, and the front section being spaced to the front of the back section;a collapsible wall section connected between the front section and the back section, the wall section including at least three stacked, generally annular tiers extending around a perimeter of the suitcase, the collapsible wall section, front section, and back section cooperating to enclose a storage volume, at least one of the collapsible wall section tiers being stiff, and at least two of said tiers being relatively flexible and configured to fold and unfold between relatively expanded and relatively collapsed positions while the stiff tier remains substantially upright, including at least one flexible tier disposed to the front of the stiff tier and at least one flexible tier disposed to the rear of the stiff tier; anda plurality of casters disposed for engaging a generally horizontal surface to support the suitcase for rolling transport over the generally horizontal surface, the plurality of casters including at least one retractable caster movable relative to the suitcase between an extended position for supporting the suitcase on the generally horizontal surface and a retracted position for permitting at least a portion of the collapsible wall section to move to a position blocking the movement of the retractable caster to the extended position by at least partially collapsing at least one flexible tier disposed between the stiff tier and the retractable caster. 11. The suitcase of claim 10, further comprising a handle mounted to be extended and retracted approximately in a plane defined by the back section, the handle being disposed generally opposite the casters, so that when the casters engage the generally horizontal surface, the handle extends generally upwardly and retracts generally downwardly. 12. The suitcase of claim 10 at least two of said tiers are self-supporting in the relatively expanded position when the at least two of said tiers extend substantially vertically with one tier above the other. 13. A method of making a collapsible suitcase, comprising forming a rigid front section;forming a rigid back section; andforming a collapsible wall section connected to and cooperating with the front section and the back section to enclose a storage volume, the collapsible wall section comprising at least a first rigid middle tier composed of a rigid material, the rigid middle tier including an exposed outer surface of the rigid material facing away from the storage volume, a first flexible tier composed of a flexible material different from the rigid material and disposed between the middle tier and the front section, and a second flexible tier composed of a flexible material different from the rigid material and disposed between the middle tier and the back section, the flexible material of the first flexible tier being spaced apart from the flexible material of the second flexible tier, each flexible tier being adapted to fold between at least one relatively expanded position and at least one relatively collapsed position while the rigid tier remains substantially upright wherein the flexible tiers are biased towards a folded position in the relatively collapsed positions and are biased towards an unfolded position in the relatively expanded positions. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising overmolding the first flexible tier onto the middle tier to connect the first flexible tier to the middle tier; and overmolding the second flexible tier onto the middle tier to connect the second flexible tier to the middle tier. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising overmolding the first flexible tier onto the front section to connect the first flexible tier to the front section; and overmolding the first flexible tier onto the back section to connect the first flexible tier to the back section. 16. The method of claim 14, the middle tier being composed of a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylenes, metals, and nylons, and the flexible tiers being composed of a material selected from the group consisting of silicones and thermoplastic elastomers. 17. The method of claim 13, further comprising applying an adhesive material between the middle tier and at least one of the first flexible tier and the second flexible tier. 18. The method of making a collapsible suitcase of claim 13 wherein at least two of said tiers are self-supporting in the relatively expanded position when the at least two of said tiers extend substantially vertically with one tier above the other. 19. A collapsible suitcase comprising a front section defining a front of the suitcase and a direction to the front;a back section defining a rear of the suitcase and a direction to the rear opposite said direction to the front, the back section being spaced to the rear of the front section, and the front section being spaced to the front of the back section; anda collapsible wall section connected between the front section and the back section, the wall section including at least three stacked, generally annular tiers extending around a perimeter of the suitcase;the collapsible wall section, front section, and back section cooperating to enclose a storage volume, the front section comprising a front panel, a generally annular front wall section, a zipper and a pivotal joint, the zipper and the pivotal joint forming a generally annular connection between the front panel and the generally annular front wall section, so that when the zipper is opened, the front panel can be pivoted open to access the storage volume;at least one of the collapsible wall section tiers being a rigid tier composed of a rigid material, the rigid tier including an exposed outer surface of the rigid material facing away from the storage volume; andat least two of said collapsible wall section tiers being relatively flexible tiers configured to fold and unfold between relatively expanded and relatively collapsed positions while the rigid tier remains substantially vertical, including at least one flexible tier disposed to the front of the rigid tier and at least one flexible tier disposed to the rear of the rigid tier, the flexible material of the flexible tier disposed to the rear of the rigid tier being spaced apart from the flexible material of the flexible tier disposed to the front of the rigid tier. 20. The suitcase of claim 19 wherein the flexible tiers are biased towards a folded position in the relatively collapsed positions and are biased towards an unfolded position in the relatively expanded positions. 21. The suitcase of claim 19 at least two of said tiers are self-supporting in the relatively expanded position when the at least two of said tiers extend substantially vertically with one tier above the other.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.