U.S. patent application number 11/975094 was filed with the patent office on 2009-04-23 for collapsible laundry hamper.
Invention is credited to Kuang-Huan FU.
Application Number | 20090101641 11/975094 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40562425 |
Filed Date | 2009-04-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090101641 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FU; Kuang-Huan |
April 23, 2009 |
Collapsible laundry hamper
Abstract
The present invention relates to a collapsible laundry hamper,
including a plurality of ring frames and a plurality of elongated
links. The ring frames are pivotally connected with the links in a
manner that the ring frames are parallel to and spaced from each
other. The links are pivotable with respect to the ring frames
between an upright position, at which the links are substantially
perpendicular to the ring frames so that the collapsible laundry
hamper is unfolded into an upright state, and a collapsed position,
at which the links are substantially parallel to the ring frames so
that the collapsible laundry is folded or collapsed into a
collapsed state. The laundry hamper further includes at least one
fastener for keeping the laundry hamper in the upright state.
Inventors: |
FU; Kuang-Huan; (Wu Jie
Village, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BUCKNAM AND ARCHER
1077 NORTHERN BOULEVARD
ROSLYN
NY
11576
US
|
Family ID: |
40562425 |
Appl. No.: |
11/975094 |
Filed: |
October 17, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 21/086 20130101;
B65D 7/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/7 |
International
Class: |
B65D 8/14 20060101
B65D008/14; B65D 6/18 20060101 B65D006/18 |
Claims
1. A collapsible laundry hamper, comprising: a plurality of ring
frames; a plurality of elongated links, the ring frames being
pivotally connected with the links in a manner that the ring frames
are parallel to and spaced from each other, and the links being
pivotable with respect to the ring frames between an upright
position, at which the links are substantially perpendicular to the
ring frames so that the collapsible laundry hamper is unfolded into
an upright state, and a collapsed position, at which the links are
substantially parallel to the ring frames so that the collapsible
laundry is folded or collapsed into a collapsed state; and at least
one fastener, pivotally mounted to one of the ring frames for
securing the links, preventing the links from pivotally rotating
with respect to the ring frames and keeping the laundry hamper in
the upright state by pivotally rotating the fastener to a locking
position when the laundry hamper is unfolded into the upright
state.
2. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the fastener is mounted to a top one of the ring frames, and one of
the ring frames next to the top ring frame serves as a stopper to
prevent the fastener from escaping out of the locking position when
the fastener is positioned at the locking position.
3. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 2, wherein
each of the ring frames is provided with two parallel angle bars,
the ring frames are pivotally connected with the links through the
angle bars.
4. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 3, wherein
at least one of the angle bars provided on the top ring frame is
formed with two tabs with a hole for pivotally mounting the
fastener.
5. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 3, further
comprising a plurality of casters mounted to a bottom one of the
ring frames.
6. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 3, further
comprising a mating bag detachably mating with the laundry
hamper.
7. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 3, wherein
the ring frames increase in size in an bottom-to-top order so that
the laundry hamper kept in the upright state has a cylindrical
shape gradually enlarged in a bottom-to-top direction.
8. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 3, wherein
the ring frames have identical sizes so that the laundry hamper
kept in the upright state has a cylindrical shape.
9. A collapsible laundry hamper, comprising: a plurality of ring
frames, each having two sections parallel to each other; four
elongated links, one of the two parallel sections being pivotally
connected with two of the four links and the other parallel section
being pivotally connected with another two of the four links,
whereby the ring frames are pivotally connected with the links in a
manner that the ring frames are parallel to and spaced from each
other, and the links are pivotable with respect to the ring frames
between an upright position, at which the links are substantially
perpendicular to the ring frames so that the collapsible laundry
hamper is unfolded into an upright state, and a collapsed position,
at which the links are substantially parallel to the ring frames so
that the collapsible laundry is folded or collapsed into a
collapsed state; and two fasteners, pivotally mounted to the two
parallel sections of one of the ring frames respectively for
securing the links and capable of pivotally rotating about the
respective section, the fasteners preventing the links from
pivotally rotating with respect to the ring frames and keeping the
laundry hamper in the upright state by pivotally rotating the
fasteners to a locking position when the laundry hamper is unfolded
into the upright state.
10. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 9, wherein
the fasteners are mounted to a top one of the ring frames, and one
of the ring frames next to the top ring frame serves as a stopper
to prevent the fasteners from escaping out of the locking position
when the fasteners is positioned at the locking position.
11. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 10,
wherein portions located on the ring frames and pivotally connected
with the links are flattened, and portions on the links and
pivotally connected with the ring frames are flattened.
12. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 11,
wherein the top ring frame is provided with two tubes on the
parallel sections respectively for pivotally mounting the
fasteners.
13. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 10,
further comprising a plurality of casters mounted to a bottom one
of the ring frames.
14. The collapsible laundry hamper as set forth in claim 10,
further comprising a mating bag detachably mating with laundry
hamper.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a container or basket, and
more particularly to a collapsible container, basket or laundry
hamper.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0002] The folding basket for laundry and other uses disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,300, includes two side walls which fold under
the bottom portion and two end walls which fold on the top of the
bottom portion.
[0003] The collapsible hamper for storage of laundry and other
items disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,113 includes a rigid upper
frame, a rigid lower frame, a lid movably hinged to, a flexible
woven sidewall and a plurality of supporting rods.
[0004] The collapsible laundry basket assembly disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,667,066 includes a tubular support frame and a mating
bag. The support frame comprises crossed first and second
substantially rectangular sections that are coupled at the crossing
points of the sections by elastomeric rings to allow pivotal
movement.
[0005] The folding basket disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,300 can
only be brought into an upright state by folding the side and end
walls to an upright position and engaging the adjacent walls with
snap locks on the edges of the walls.
[0006] Although the collapsible hamper disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,464,113 has good structural rigidity in an upright state, it can
only be brought into an upright state by assembling the frames and
supporting rods. The folding basket in U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,300 and
the collapsible hamper in U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,113 are inconvenience
in operation.
[0007] Even though the collapsible laundry basket assembly
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,066 is very convenient in folding
it, its structural rigidity is not satisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is an objector of the present invention to provide a
collapsible laundry hamper for storing or transporting laundry and
other items.
[0009] It is an another object of the present invention to provide
a collapsible laundry hamper which can be collapsed into a very
thin package for storage, transport and display.
[0010] It is an another object of the present invention to provide
a collapsible laundry hamper which is easy to be folded and
unfolded for a user.
[0011] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
collapsible laundry hamper which can be folded or unfolded between
an upright state and a collapsed state.
[0012] It is a still further object of the present invention to
provide a collapsible laundry hamper which has good structural
rigidity in the upright state.
[0013] The present invention discloses a collapsible laundry hamper
including a plurality of ring frames and a plurality of elongated
links, wherein the ring frames are pivotally connected with the
links in a manner that the ring frames are parallel to and spaced
from each other. The links are pivotable with respect to the ring
frames between an upright position, at which the links are
substantially perpendicular to the ring frames so that the
collapsible laundry hamper is unfolded into an upright state, and a
collapsed position, at which the links are substantially parallel
to the ring frames so that the collapsible laundry is folded or
collapsed into a collapsed state.
[0014] Preferably, the collapsible laundry hamper further includes
at least one fastener pivotally mounted to one of the ring frames.
When the laundry hamper is unfolded into the upright state, the
links are held by pivoting the fastener to a locking position so as
to prevent the links from pivotally rotating with respect to the
ring frames and keep the laundry hamper in the upright state.
[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, the
fastener is mounted to a top one of the ring frames, and a ring
frame next to the top ring frame serves as a stopper to prevent the
fastener from escaping out of the locking position when the
fastener is positioned at the locking position.
[0016] According to an another aspect of the present invention,
each of the ring frames is provided with angle bars, and the ring
frames are pivotally connected with the links through the angle
bars.
[0017] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the
laundry hamper further includes a plurality of casters mounted on a
bottom one of the ring frames.
[0018] According to a still further aspect of the present
invention, the laundry hamper further includes a mating bag
detachably mating with the hamper.
[0019] For skilled person, the foregoing and other objects and
advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood
through the following descriptions with reference to the drawing,
wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a laundry hamper in
accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1 showing the
details of a fastener;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an angle bar;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an angle bar with
tabs;
[0024] FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b partially showing a link;
[0025] FIG. 6 shows the laundry hamper in the collapsed state;
[0026] FIG. 7 shows a mating bag mating with the laundry
hamper;
[0027] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a laundry hamper in
accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0028] FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 8 showing the
details of a pivotal joint;
[0029] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 8 showing the
details of a fastener;
[0030] FIG. 11 individually shows a link;
[0031] FIG. 12 individually shows a ring frame; and
[0032] FIG. 13 shows a pivotal rotation direction of the link.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0033] Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a perspective view showing
a collapsible laundry hamper according to the first preferred
embodiment of the present invention, and the collapsible laundry
hamper as a whole is represented by the reference numeral 10.
[0034] The collapsible laundry hamper 10 includes a plurality of
ring frames 11 and four elongated links 12. Each ring frame 11 is
provided with two parallel angle bars 14. The ring frames are so
arranged that they are parallel to and spaced from each other, and
each angle bar 14 is pivotally connected with two links 12, such
that the links 12 are pivotable with respect to the ring frames 11
between an upright position and a collapsed position. At the
upright position, the links are substantially perpendicular to the
ring frames 11 so that the laundry hamper 10 is unfolded into an
upright state (as shown in FIG. 1). At the collapsed position, the
links are substantially parallel to the ring frames 11 so that the
laundry hamper 10 is folded into a collapsed state (as shown in
FIG. 6).
[0035] If viewing from the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 1 (i.e.
viewing from a side of the laundry hamper), the top ring frame, the
bottom ring frame and two links substantially forms a
parallelogram-like mechanism, and thus the laundry hamper is able
to be folded or collapsed into a very thin package.
[0036] The laundry hamper 10 further includes two fasteners 13.
Being a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1, FIG. 2 shows the
detailed aspects of the fastener 13. Two fasteners 13 are pivotally
disposed on the top ring frame 11 through the angle bars 14. As
shown in FIG. 4, the angle bars on the top ring frame are
additionally machined, such as punching, to form a pair of tabs 141
with a hole for pivotally mounting the fasteners 13. FIG. 3 shows
other angle bars without tabs provided on the ring frames other
than the top ring frame.
[0037] Each fastener 13 has a U-shaped body 131 and a holder 133.
When the laundry hamper is folded into the upright state, the
fasteners 13 are able to be pivotally rotated to a locking position
as shown in FIG. 2 to hold the links 12, so as to prevent the links
12 from being pivotally rotated with respect to the ring frames 11
and keeping the laundry hamper 10 in the upright state. The
fasteners is prevented from escaping out of the locking position by
the ring frame next to the top ring frame (i.e. the second ring
frame in a top-to-bottom direction) abutting against the horizontal
portion 132 or the apex of the U-shaped body 131.
[0038] In the illustration of FIG. 5a and 5b for the first
preferred embodiment, the link is preferably partially flattened
about each pivotal joint, such that the pivotal rotation direction
of the link is secured by surface contact on the one hand and the
outward protrusion of coupling elements such as rivet, bolt and pin
is able to be lessened.
[0039] Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a perspective view showing
a collapsible laundry hamper 10 according to the second preferred
embodiment in the present invention. In contrast to the first
preferred embodiment, the links 12 are directly pivotally connected
with the ring frames without the angle bars in the second preferred
embodiment. Please refer to FIG. 9 for detailed information of the
pivotal connection. Therefore, each ring frame in the second
preferred embodiment is formed with two parallel sections 111 as
shown in FIG. 12.
[0040] The ring frames 11 are so arranged that they are parallel to
and spaced from each other, and each section is pivotally connected
with two links, such that the links 12 are pivotable with respect
to the ring frames 11 between an upright position and a collapsed
position. At the upright position, the links 12 are substantially
perpendicular to the ring frames 11 so that the laundry hamper 10
is unfolded into an upright state (as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 13).
At the collapsed position, the links 12 are substantially parallel
to the ring frames 11 so that the laundry hamper 10 is folded or
collapsed into a collapsed state.
[0041] The laundry hamper 10 further includes two fasteners 13
whose detailed information is shown in FIG. 10. The two fasteners
13 are pivotally mounted on the top ring frame 11 by virtue of
tubes 112, and the tubes 112 are provided on the parallel sections
111 of the top ring frame 11 as shown in FIG. 12. The tubes 112 are
provided for pivotally mounting the fasteners 13.
[0042] Likewise, each fastener 13 has a U-shaped body 131 and a
holder 133. When the laundry hamper is unfolded into the upright
state, the fasteners 13 are pivotally rotated to a locking position
as shown in FIG. 10 to hold the links 12 and prevent the links 12
to pivotally rotate with respect to the ring frames 11, so as to
keep the laundry hamper 10 in the upright state. The fastener is
prevented from escaping out of the locking position by the ring
frame next to the top ring frame (i.e. the second ring frame in a
top-to-bottom direction) abutting against the horizontal portion
132 of the U-shaped main body 131.
[0043] Preferably, a sleeve 134 is provided on the horizontal
portion 132 of the U-shaped body 131 and is composed of elastic
material. By means of elastic deformation of the sleeve, the
fastener is positioned on the locking position effortlessly. The
sleeve 134 may be composed of hard material and is movably
contacted with the horizontal portion 132. In this case, the hard
sleeve may function as a roller by which the fastener can be
positioned on the locking position effortlessly.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the ring frames and the
links are preferably partially flattened about pivot joints.
[0045] A mating bag 16 mates with the laundry hamper as shown in
FIG. 7, if necessary. Preferably, the mating bag 16 detachably
mates with the laundry hamper and is washable. The material of the
mating bag could be cotton, canvas, nylon or other material
commonly used in textile industry.
[0046] A plurality of casters 15 are mounted to the bottom ring
frame of the laundry hamper as shown in FIG. 8, if necessary, so as
to move the laundry hamper in an upright state.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 13, when the fasteners escapes from the
locking position, the laundry hamper could be folded by pivotally
rotating the links along a direction designated by the arrow B.
[0048] Furthermore, the ring frames of the laundry hamper may have
identical size, making that the laundry hamper has a cylindrical
shape when the laundry hamper is kept in the upright state.
[0049] Alternatively, the ring frames may have different sizes.
Substantially, the sizes of the ring frames gradually enlarged in a
bottom-to-top direction such that the laundry hamper has an
gradually enlarged cylindrical shape in a bottom-to-top direction
(i.e. a shape of an inversed truncated cone).
[0050] The term "ring frame" used in the present invention is not
necessarily limited to be circular. The ring frames in accordance
with the laundry hamper of the present invention could also be
oval, square, rectangular, polygonal or other irregular shape. The
term "ring frame" is also not limited to an enclosed structure.
Partially open structure, such as C-shaped or U-shaped structure,
could be also employed.
[0051] While the invention has been described in reference to
preferred embodiments, it should be understood that numerous
changes and modifications could be made within the spirit and scope
of the inventive concepts described. Accordingly, it is intended
that the invention not be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but
have the full scope permitted by the language of the following
claims.
* * * * *