Combined Seat And Article Carrying Case

Abstract

An inexpensive combined seat and article-carrying case is formed from a single, flat blank of paper stock. The blank is provided with score lines whereby an open-ended receptacle or case formation is provided, which case also serves as the seat. Other transverse score lines on the blank divide it into a backrest panel adjacent the seat and a backrest support panel adjacent the backrest panel. The transverse score lines between the panels act as hinge lines whereby the panels may be placed in various angular related positions. The panels are held in their placed position by a belt means, one end of which is fixed within the case formation and the other end of which is adjustably secured to the backrest support panel. The seat can be converted into an article carrier by folding the backrest panels on the seat portion and thereafter passing the belt over the folded backrest panels and across the open front end of the case formation to engage a fastening means secured to the bottom of the case formation. Thus, the panels are held in a folded position, and the portion of the belt bridging the open end of the case serves as a handle to carry the unit.

Description

This invention relates to a combined seat and article-carrying case which is particularly useful at the beach, pool, picnic grounds, or the like.

This invention provides a more economical and lighter unit than heretofore provided by the prior art. The prior art may be represented by U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,224 to B. D. O'Neil, entitled "Combined Carrying Bag and Seat." The patent discloses a unit utilizing an assembly of metallic frame elements and other members of various shapes and sizes and a woven covering. The several parts are relatively expensive to fabricate and to assemble to form the combined unit. In view of the use of metal, it is much heavier than the unit provided by the present invention.

An object of this invention is to provide a combined seat and article-carrying case formed from a single flat blank of paperboard or chipboard. The blank has formed thereon score lines whereby the unit can be easily erected by merely folding the several portions of the blank along the score lines.

A further object is to maintain the erected seat unit with its backrest in the proper position by using a flexible belt secured to the several parts of the unit by simple bonding and fastening means.

A further object is to convert the seat unit into an article-carrying case by forming the seat portion as an open-ended receptacle or article-holding case, folding the backrest and support panels against the top of the seat formation, and securing the parts in their folded position by the same belt which holds the unit in its seat-erected position.

Another object is to provide a carrying handle means for the folded unit by locating a portion of the belt across the open end of the case formation.

A further object is to provide a very inexpensive unit which may serve as an advertisement item. The unit is made from an easily erected, inexpensive paper stock blank and presents sufficient visible open spaces for presenting advertising matter to the public.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective rear view of the unit erected as a seat;

FIG. 2 is a perspective front view of the unit;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the unit taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 3, and shows the unit being folded to its article-carrying case position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the completely folded unit;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the unit converted to an article-carrying case;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view through the coated paper stock of the blank; and

FIG. 8 is a top view of the flat blank.

Referring to FIG. 8, the combined seat and article-carring case unit is preferably formed from a single flat blank B. Blank B is made of paperboard or chipboard of suitable weight. Since the unit will carry advertising matter, the printed or lithographic matter is applied to the paper stock 1 forming the blank, and thereafter the paper stock is covered with a suitable waterproof coating 2 (FIG. 7) to preserve and protect the unit which is designed to be subject to comparatively severe conditions of sunlight, water, salt and chlorine at a beach or pool location. The waterproof coating may also be applied before the advertising matter is applied. In such application, the coating must be of the type to accept printing inks and colors.

Blank B is divided by transverse score lines into a seat panel 3, a backrest panel 4 and a backrest support panel 5. Triangular sides 7 and 8 extend from opposite edges of seat 3. Bottom flaps 9 and 10 extend from the edges of sides 7 and 8, respectively.

In erecting the combined seat and article-carrying case unit, sides 7 and 8 are folded downwardly along fold or score lines 12 and 13, and bottom flaps 9 and 10 are then folded inwardly along fold lines 14 and 15 to thereby form the open-ended box or case formation illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6. As illustrated in these figures, the case has a large open front end 18 and a much narrower open rear end 19.

Bottom flaps 9 and 10 are secured together to form a unitary bottom for the seat or case portion. While the flaps are illustrated in an edge-abutting relation, they may be so dimensioned as to overlap and then be adhesively secured to each other at the overlap. The bottom flaps may also be stapled together. However, the preferred means for securing the bottom flaps together to form the case bottom comprises a belt or strip 20, preferably made of a plastic material, such as extruded vinyl chloride polymer, polyethylene or synthetic rubber. A portion of the end of belt 20 may initially be bonded by a suitable adhesive to the edge portion of flap 10, as illustrated in FIG. 8. After the case formation is formed, the other portion of the end of belt 20 may be bonded to the edge of flap 9, thereby securing flaps 9 and 10 together to form an effective unitary bottom for the seat or case portion of the unit.

The free end of belt 20 passes through narrow rear opening 19. A row of spaced holes 22 is formed along the free end of belt 20.

Backrest panel 4 and is support panel 5 are hinged along transverse score lines 24 and 25, respectively, whereby they may be folded to various angularly related positions, as illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 3. The desired angular positions of backrest panel 4 and backrest support panel 5 are maintained by engaging a selected hole 22 in the belt with a hook or fastener element 27 secured to backrest support panel 5 by appropriate means. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the backrest panel 4 and backrest support panel 5 are adjusted in the desired angular positions, and thereafter the nearest appropriate hole 22 is aligned with and secured to fastener 27. If desired, the left over end of belt 20 may be folded back and the final hole 22 is also secured to fastener 27. Thus, the free end of belt 20 is secured to backrest support panel 5 and the belt limits the rearward movement of panel 5 and opposes in tension the reactive forces of the seater acting on panel means 4 and 5 tending to displace them rearwardly.

In its collapsed condition, the unit serves as an article-carrying case for the various articles customarily used at the beach, such as bathing suits, towels, bottles, etc. As illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, after belt 20 is disengaged from fastener 27, backrest panel 4 is folded on seat 3 along fold line 24, and thereafter backrest support panel 5 is folded along fold line 25 upon panel 4. The folded superimposed positions of means 3, 4 and 5 are illustrated in FIG. 5. The belt emerging from opening 19 is passed along folded backrest support panel 5, across opening 18 and partly over the bottom of the seat unit. A proper hole 22 is engaged with a fastener element 29 secured to one of the bottom flaps 9 or 10, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

The article-carrying case function of the unit is clearly illustrated in FIG. 6. The seat, sides and bottom flaps form a triangular case or receptacle into which articles may be placed through front open end 18. The purpose of narrow bottom opening 19 is to permit sand, water and similar beach material which gathered in the case formation to fall out therefrom.

The portion of belt 20 bridging opening 18 may be used as a handle whereby the case may be carried. Suitable articles may also be held between the belt portion passing over backrest support panel 5 and the panel itself.

If desired, a hole may be punched at the proper place in belt 20 to receive and accommodate fastener 27 when the belt is wrapped around the collapsed unit illustrated in FIG. 5.

Further, fastener 29 may be eliminated by sufficiently lengthening belt 20 so that it can be fully wrapped around the outside of the bottom of the case formation and across opening 19 with the leading hole 22 engaging fastener 27 to thereby hold the unit in the collapsed position.

While the unit has been described with respect to a beach or pool environment, it is obvious that it can be used elsewhere, as for example, at picnics or on similar occasions.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed for purpose of illustration, it may be evident that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A combined seat and article-carrying case unit formed from a flat blank of paper stock material, said blank having transverse score lines defining, with a transverse edge of the blank, a seat panel, a backrest panel adjacent said seat panel, and a backrest support panel adjacent said backrest panel, said seat panel having score lines defining a seat top adjacent said backrest panel and said transverse score lines serving as hinge lines for said panels whereby said panels may be placed in various angularly related positions, sides attached to opposite edges of the seat and separated from the seat by score lines, bottom flaps attached to said sides which are separated from said sides by score lines, said side and bottom flaps, when folded along said score lines with said bottom flaps secured to each other forming an open-ended receptacle serving as an article carrying case, and elongated flexible means having one end secured to the seat panel and the other end secured to fastening means carried by said backrest support panel to maintain said backrest panel and said backrest support panel in their placed angularly related positions when the unit is being used as a seat.

2. The combined seat and article-carrying case unit of claim 1, wherein the sides are triangular so that the case is formed with a large front article-receiving opening and with a relatively narrow rear opening.

3. The combined seat and article-carrying case unit of claim 2, wherein the flexible member is a belt and said one end is bonded to the bottom flaps within the case to thereby secure the flaps to each other to form a unitary bottom panel.

4. The combined seat and article-carrying case unit of claim 3, wherein the other end of the belt passes from inside the case through the narrow opening, said other end having a series of longitudinally spaced holes, each hole cooperating with said fastening means to engage it when aligned therewith to retain the panels in their placed angularly related position.

5. The combined seat and article-carrying case unit of claim 4, wherein, upon disengagement of said other end of said belt from said fastening means, the seat top, the backrest panel and the backrest support panel may be folded along their hinge lines to a superimposed position and the belt may be wrapped along the superimposed backrest support panel and across the front opening of the case, wherein, also, second fastening means are secured to the seat bottom to engage a selected spaced hole in the belt to thereby permit the belt portion bridging said front opening to serve as a handle to carry the folded unit.

6. The combined seat and article-carrying case unit of claim 4, wherein upon disengagement of said other end of said belt from said fastening means, the seat top, the backrest panel and the backrest support panel may be folded along their hinge lines to a superimposed position and the belt may be wrapped along the superimposed backrest support panel, across the front opening of the case, along the outside of the seat bottom, and across the narrow rear opening to reengage said fastening means, the portion of the belt bridging the front opening serving then as a handle to carry the folded unit.

7. The combined seat and article-carrying case unit of claim 3, wherein said blank comprises a sheet of chipboard coated with a waterproof coating.