U.S. patent number 3,603,367 [Application Number 04/844,013] was granted by the patent office on 1971-09-07 for collapsible hamper.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Ironees Company. Invention is credited to David Lehrman.
United States Patent |
3,603,367 |
Lehrman |
September 7, 1971 |
COLLAPSIBLE HAMPER
Abstract
A collapsible hamper is disclosed wherein a collapsible and
foldable frame supports a receptacle of flexible sheet material.
The frame, in one presently preferred form, includes a pair of
central leg portions pivotably interconnected at medial points
thereon, and removable upper and lower leg portions. The upper leg
portions engage the receptacle and support a cover for the
receptacle. The lower leg portions are adapted to engage a support
surface to support the entire hamper in an upright position.
Inventors: |
Lehrman; David (Cheltenham,
PA) |
Assignee: |
The Ironees Company
(Philadelphia, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
25291550 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/844,013 |
Filed: |
July 23, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/9.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G
25/54 (20130101); D06F 95/004 (20130101); B65B
67/1205 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47G
25/00 (20060101); A47G 25/54 (20060101); D06F
95/00 (20060101); B65B 67/00 (20060101); B65B
67/12 (20060101); B65d 033/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;150/48,49,50,51 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Norton; Donald F.
Claims
I claim:
1. A collapsible hamper comprising a receptacle of flexible sheet
material, a collapsible frame for supporting said receptacle, and a
cover for said receptacle coupled to said frame, said frame
comprising a pair of central leg portions pivotably connected at
medial points thereon, generally L-shaped upper leg portions
removably coupled to said central leg portions and adapted to
engage said receptacle at opposite edges thereof to support said
receptacle in an operative position, and lower leg portions
removably coupled to said central leg portions, said lower leg
portions including floor-engaging members adapted to support said
hamper in an upright position.
2. A collapsible hamper in accordance with claim 1 wherein said
central leg portions and said upper and lower leg portions are
tubular members, said upper and lower leg portions including
reduced diameter end portions thereon adapted to be recessed in end
portions of said central leg portions.
3. A collapsible hamper in accordance with claim 2 wherein said
receptacle includes a hem at an upper edge portion thereof, and a
bight member in said hem adapted to be coupled to said upper leg
portions when said receptacle is in an operative position.
4. A collapsible hamper in accordance with claim 3 and a crossbar
coupled to and extending between said upper leg portions when said
frame is in an operative position, said cover being pivotably
coupled to said crossbar and adapted to overlie an open upper
portion of said receptacle when said receptacle is in its operative
position.
5. A collapsible hamper in accordance with claim 1 wherein said
receptacle includes a hem at an upper edge thereof, said upper leg
portions having parallel distal ends adapted to be received in said
hem.
6. A collapsible hamper in accordance with claim 5 wherein said
central leg portions and said upper and lower leg portions are
tubular members, said upper and lower leg portions including
reduced diameter end portions thereon adapted to be received in end
portions of said central leg portions.
7. A collapsible hamper in accordance with claim 6, and a crossbar
coupled to and extending between said upper leg portions when said
frame is in an operative position, said cover being pivotably
coupled to said crossbar and adapted to overlie an open upper
portion of said receptacle when said receptacle is in its operative
position.
8. A hamper comprising a frame and a receptacle of flexible sheet
material supported by said frame, said receptacle comprising front
and rear panels, and juxtaposed generally parallel side panels,
upper edges of said front, rear and side panels defining an opening
for said receptacle, a hem adjacent an upper edge portion of said
receptacle, said hem being adapted to receive portions of said
frame so that said receptacle is supported in an operative position
by said frame, said hem being disposed above at least said side
panels and said front panel, a generally U-shaped bight member
disposed in said hem and having opposite ends thereof in the
portions of said hem above said side panels and adapted to engage
the portions of said frame received in said hem, said receptacle
including a bottom panel intersecting said front, rear and side
panels, and a rigid bottom insert coextensive with said bottom
panel and supported thereon when said receptacle is in an operative
position.
9. A collapsible hamper comprising a receptacle of flexible sheet
material, and a collapsible frame for supporting said receptacle,
said frame comprising a pair of U-shaped leg members pivotably
interconnected at medial points thereof, said leg members including
distal upper portions for engagement with said receptacle at
opposite edges thereof to support said receptacle in an operative
position, said leg members including lower portions adapted to
support said hamper in an upright position, and a generally
U-shaped bight member coupled to said receptacle adjacent an upper
portion thereof for engagement with said distal upper portions of
said leg members.
10. A collapsible hamper in accordance with claim 9 and a generally
U-shaped bight member interconnecting the lower portions of said
leg members.
11. A collapsible hamper in accordance with claim 10, and a
crossbar member interconnecting lower portions of said leg members,
said crossbar member including a portion adapted to contact a
surface supporting said hamper when said hamper is operatively
disposed.
Description
This invention relates to a collapsible hamper, and more
particularly, to a laundry hamper whose various components can be
collapsed, disassembled or folded to produce a compact readily
portable package.
Conventional hampers in common usage take the form of rigid
containers of fixed external dimension. Thus, one frequently seen
form of hamper includes a hollow body member having the shape of a
rectangular prism, and a hinged cover adapted to overlie an opening
in the upper portion of the body member. Such a structure is
relatively bulky, and its fixed external dimension preclude ease of
portability. Other readily apparent shortcomings of such a
structure are the necessity for manipulating the entire hamper in
order to empty it, and difficulty in cleaning due to the relative
inaccessibility of the lower interior portions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible
hamper whose external dimensions and capacity, in its operative
configuration, approximate those of conventional rigid hampers, but
which forms a compact bundle suitable for travel upon
disassembly.
Thus, it is another object of this invention to provide a
collapsible, readily transportable hamper, suitable for travel.
It is another object of this invention to provide a collapsible
hamper comprising a receptacle of flexible sheet material, which
can be disengaged from its supporting structure and transported to
a desired place, such as a laundry room, to be emptied.
It is another object of this invention to provide a collapsible
hamper whose construction is such that the portions of its
structure which normally come in contact with soiled materials are
readily cleaned.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.
The foregoing and other objects are realized, in a presently
preferred form of The invention, by a hamper comprising a
receptacle of flexible sheet material, supported by a collapsible
frame. The frame comprises a pair of central leg portions,
pivotably connected to each other at medial points thereon. Upper
leg portions are removably received in the central leg portions,
and support the receptacle in an operative position by engaging
opposite edges thereof. Lower leg portions are removably coupled to
the central leg portions, and provide a base upon which the hamper
rests. A cover member for the receptacle, which may also serve as a
shelf, is coupled to the frame.
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in
the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being
understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the
precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a collapsible hamper in
accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view, in cross section, taken along the
line 3--3 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is an elevation view, in cross section, taken along the line
4--4 in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5--5 in FIG.
1.
FIG. 6 is a detail view, showing a portion of the frame of the
present hamper.
Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate
like elements, there is seen in FIG. 1 a collapsible hamper
designated generally by the reference numeral 10.
The hamper 10 includes a receptacle 12 of flexible sheet material,
supported by a frame, designated generally by the reference numeral
14. A cover 16 is provided for the receptacle 12.
Referring now to FIG. 2, in the illustrated form of the invention,
the frame 14 comprises crossed generally U-shaped legs 18, 20, and
a crossbar 22 interconnecting the legs 18, 20.
The legs 18, 20 include central leg portions 24, 26, pivotably
interconnected at medial points thereon by a rivet 28 or the like.
The legs 18, 20 also include generally L-shaped upper leg portions
30, 32 and lower leg portions 34, 36. The upper leg portions 30,
32, as is best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, include parallel distal ends
38, 40, the purpose of which will be more fully explained later.
The lower leg portions 34 and 36 include similar parallel distal
ends 42, 44. A bight portion 46 interconnects the ends 42, 44 in
the illustrated embodiment.
The distal ends 42, 44 of the lower leg portions 34, 36, and the
bight portion 46 may be provided with resilient or scuff-resistant
feet 48, 50 adapted to contact the surface upon which the hamper 10
rests.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the assembled inter-relation of the
various elements of the frame 14 in their operative dispositions is
seen. The crossbar 22 is secured at its respective ends to the
upper leg portions 30, 32. Such securement may be accomplished by
conventional means such as nuts 52, 54 or the like. In an
alternative construction, not illustrated, opposite ends of the
crossbar 22 are retained in juxtaposed blind openings in the upper
leg portions 30, 32.
The legs 18, 20, it should be understood, may be fabricated of any
suitable rigid tubular material, such as seamless or lock-seamed
steel tubing.
Referring to FIG. 6, there is seen a typical joint, designated
generally by the reference numeral 56, by which the various members
of the frame 14 are interconnected. The upper leg portion 30 is
seen to include a reduced diameter portion 58, formed by swagging
or other similar process. The outer diameter of the reduced
diameter portion 58 is complemental with and adapted to
frictionally engage the inner wall of the central leg portion 24.
The frictional engagement of the reduced diameter portion 58 and
central leg portion 24 is such that the parts are maintained in
assembled leg portion 24 is such that the parts are maintained in
assembled relation, but may be selectively disassembled when
desired.
Although the foregoing description of FIG. 6 makes reference to the
upper leg portion 30 and central leg portion 24, it should be
understood that similar joints may be provided between the other
leg portions 32, 34 and 36, and the central leg portions 24 and
26.
Referring now to FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5, the receptacle 12 will now be
described in detail.
In the presently preferred form, the receptacle 12 is constructed
of sheet plastic material, such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride
or the like. The receptacle 12 includes a front panel 60, a rear
panel 62, juxtaposed side panels 64 and 66 and a bottom panel 68.
As illustrated, the front panel 60 and rear panel 62 are separate
elements, and the side panels 64, 66 and bottom panel 68 are
portions of a continuous strip of material coupled to the front
panel 60 and rear panel 62 by welted seams 70, 72. Other equivalent
constructions can of course be used if desired.
The back panel 62 may be provided with ventilation openings 74 to
permit free passage of air into the receptacle 12, as is best seen
in FIG. 2.
Upper edge portions of the side panels 64 and 66 are doubled over
to form a hem 76 including elongated parallel pockets 78, 80,
adapted to receive the distal ends 38, 40 of the upper leg portions
30, 32. In the presently preferred construction a generally
U-shaped bight member 82, seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, is sewn or
otherwise retained in the portion of the hem 76 corresponding to
the front panel 60. Ends of the bight member 82 extend into the
portions of the hem 76 associated with the side panels 64, 66. The
ends of the bight member 82 may be coupled to the distal ends 38,
40 when the hamper 10 is in its operative condition. Joints such as
the above-described joint 56 may be used to accomplish such
coupling.
It should be apparent that the parallel distal ends 38, 40 of the
upper leg portions 30, 32 when in place in the pockets 78, 80 and
coupled to the ends of the bight member 82, aid in maintaining the
shape of the receptacle 12 in a neat, eye-pleasing geometric form
approximating a rectangular prism. To further insure proper shaping
of the receptacle 12, a rigid batten 84, whose plan shape
corresponds generally to the dimensions of the bottom panel 68, may
be provided. As illustrated, the batten 84 comprises a rigid core
86 of heavy cardboard, chipboard, wood or the like, the outer
surface of which is covered with a skin 88 of plastic film of the
sort used in the receptacle 12. Thus, the batten 84, like the
receptacle 12, may be readily cleaned when necessary, and is not
subject to soling by contact with soiled materials in the hamper
10.
The previously mentioned cover 16 is pivotably coupled by hinges 90
or The like, seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, to the cross bar 22. The cover
16 may be constructed in the same manner as the batten 84, and
include a core 102 and skin 104. When in its operative position,
the cover 16 rests on the distal ends 38, 40 of the upper leg
portions 30, 32 and the bight member 82, and overlies the top
opening of the receptacle 12. The plan shape of the cover 16, in a
preferred form, corresponds to that of the distal ends 38, 40 and
bight member 82.
If desired, a second cross bar 92 may be provided interconnecting
leg portions 34, 36. The second cross bar 92, seen in FIGS. 2, 3
and 5, includes a portion 94 adapted to contact the surface on
which the assembled hamper 10 rests, thereby enhancing the
stability of the hamper.
It should now be apparent that the entire hamper 10 can be
disassembled to form a small, readily portable bundle. For example,
one operative form of the invention, when disassembled, forms a
package measuring 10 inches by 16 inches, and approximately 2-1/2
inches in height. Such a package is of course readily packed into
luggage for travel purposes.
It should also be apparent that the flexible receptacle 12, the
weight of which is itself minimal, may be removed with its contents
from the frame 14 for transportation to a desired unloading point,
such as a laundry room. The utility of the present hamper 10 is
thus greatly increased over conventional rigid hampers of fixed
shape and dimension.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms
without departing from the spirit or essential attributes
thereof.
* * * * *