Carrier

Abstract

The carrier comprises a frame assembly, including a substantially rectangular base and wall-forming rods pivotally mounted at the terminal edges of the base and carrier hanger means, and a cover disposed about the exterior of the frame assembly and having fastening means operable to hold walls of the carrier in a folded configuration.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to carriers and, more particularly, to collapsible carriers provided with hanger means for detachable dependent mounting thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Apparatus, commonly used and employed, for carrying small infants and items have included rigidly fabricated cribs and flexibly fabricated bags. Rigidly fabricated cribs have commonly been unwieldy to store and to assemble; and, when used in conjunction with moving vehicles, such as automobiles, have been dangerous to the contents carried therein. Contents, commonly, have not been protected against contact with the crib. Although flexibly fabricated bags do afford protection against rigid surfaces, flexible bags, commonly, are not operable to retain a predetermined configuration.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide carrier apparatus including padded walls with support means operable to retain a predetermined configuration.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a carrier means which is operable to be disassembled into a relatively compact, flat structure.

It is another object of this invention to provide hanger means operable to dependently mount the carrier means of this invention.

These and other objects shall become apparent from the description following, it being understood that modifications may be made without affecting the teachings of the invention here set out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally, the carrier comprises a frame assembly, including a substantially rectangular base, wall-forming rods pivotally mounted at the terminal edges of the base, and carrier hanger means; and a cover disposed about the exterior of the frame assembly and having fastening means operable to hold walls of the carrier in a folded configuration. The cover may include suitable padding.

A more thorough and comprehensive understanding may be had from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when read in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the carrier of this invention shown in the unfolded or disassembled configuration, and having a portion of the cover broken away to show the hinging means of the frame assembly thereof.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the frame assembly shown in the folded or assembled configuration, and including a typical hanger mounted to one of the rectilinear wall-forming rods for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the carrier of this invention shown folded or assembled.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing the carrier disposed between a pair of seats shown in broken lines for illustrative purposes, and showing a portion of the cover broken away to show the interior configuration of the base for illustrative purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to the FIG. 1, the carrier of this invention is shown to advantage and generally identified by the numeral 10. The carrier 10 is intended to be selectively assembled and disassembled from a substantially rectangularly configured member, as hereinafter described. The carrier 10 comprises a cover 11 and a frame assembly 12.

The cover 11 has a substantially rectangular configuration. The cover 11 includes a central layer of flexible padding 13 having a configuration substantially similar to the cover 11. The material of the padding 13 may be quilted to increase the fabric strength and to resist shifting within the cover 11. As shown by the FIG. 4, the uppermost terminal side of the bottom portion of the frame assembly 12 may be provided with padding 13. Referring again to the FIG. 1, the carrier 10 is covered by a suitable skin 14 which covers the padding 13 over all of its terminal surfaces. It has been found to advantage to employ a washable, water-repelling, soil-resisting material, such as plastic, as a material for a skin 14. Fastening means are provided to join upper outer portions of the cover 11. The fastening means may include a pair of grommets 15 and a pair of springs 16. The grommets 15 are disposed distally from the corners along one of the rectilinear sides of the cover 11. The grommets 15 provide re-enforced holes used in assembling the carrier 10. The corners opposite the rectilinear side of the cover 11 having the grommets 15 are provided with suitable springs 16. The springs 16 are pivotally fastened by means of suitable bracket-like fastening means 17 to the cover 11. It has been found to advantage to fasten the springs 16 with their free, grommet-engaging ends disposed outwardly toward the respective transverse edges of the cover 11. Although springs 16 and grommets 15 fastening means have been described, other fasteners may be satisfactorily used to secure the cover 11. Referring now to the FIG. 2, the frame assembly 12 comprises a base 18, wall-forming rods 19 and 20, and a plurality of hangers 21. The base 18 is substantially smaller in area than the outer perimeter of the similarly configures cover 11. The cover 11 may be stitched about the perimeter of the base 18 to hold the base 18 in position within the cover 11. The wall-forming rods 19 and 20 are operable to form a framework for the cover 11. A pair of rectilinear wall-forming rods 19 is pivotally mounted on each of the rectilinear edges of the base 18. The rods 19 have a substantially inverted, square cornered, U-shaped configuration. The height of the legs of the U-shaped wall-forming rods 19 determines the height of the walls of the carrier 10. Each of the lowermost terminal ends of the wall-forming rods 19 is pivotally mounted distally from a corner of the base 18 by hinging means which may be operable to permit the rods 19 to fold inwardly and substantially flat against the base 18. The hinging means may include tubular hinge members 22 fixedly fastened to the base 18. Each of the members 22 is operable to engage a suitably formed terminal end of respective rods 19. In a manner similar to the rods 19, each of the terminal ends of the transverse wall-forming rods 20 is mounted to each of the respective transverse edges of the base 18 on hinge members 22. The transverse wall-forming rods 20 are similarly configured and mounted as the rods 19, as set out above. As shown to advantage in the FIG. 1, the wall forming rods 19 and 20 are held in position within the cover 11 by suitable stitching.

The hangers 21 are pivotally mounted to the uppermost horizontal legs of the rectilinear wall-forming rods 19. The hangers 21 have a substantially inverted J-shaped configuration. One of the terminal ends, opposite the crook, of the J-shaped hanger 21 is provided with a suitable convoluted portion operable to securely pivotally engage the rod 19. It has been found to advantage to provide bound holes in the cover 11, which are operable to hold the hangers 21 apart at intervals on the rods 19. The crook portion of each J-shaped hanger 21 is disposed outwardly on each of the respective rectilinear sides of the rods 19. The hangers 21 are suitably configured to engage the top of the uppermost terminal side of the back of a seat 23, as shown to advantage in the FIG. 4. A cushion 24 may be provided above the base 18 to resiliently support articles carried by the carrier 10.

Referring now to the FIG. 3, the carrier 10 is assembled from a flat configuration by folding the transverse sides into an upstanding configuration with respect to the base 18. The rectilinear sides are thereby brought into a substantially upstanding relationship to the base 18. It has been found to advantage to stitch the covering 11 along the lines of the respective folds. The respective springs 16 of the respective sides of the carrier 10 may then be engaged with their respective grommets 15, thereby fastening the walls of the carrier 10 into a fixed, secure relationship. The hangers 21 may be used as lifting handles, as shown to advantage in the FIG. 4. The carrier 10 may be disposed between a pair of seat backs, such as the seats 23, as commonly provided in an automobile, by engaging the respective crooks of the rectilinear sides of the hangers 21 with the uppermost side of the respective seats 23.

Having thus described in detail a preferred apparatus which embodies the concepts and principles of the invention and which accomplishes the various objects, purposes and aims thereof, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes could be made in the apparatus without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. Hence, it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A carrier comprising

a cover having a substantially rectangular configuration, said cover being made of a suitable, flexible material, said cover including a pair of grommets, each of said grommets being disposed distally from the corners at one of the rectilinear sides of said cover, and springs fastened at one of their terminal ends to said cover at the corners opposite the rectilinear side having said grommets;

a frame assembly being covered by said cover including a substantially rectangularly configured base, said base being disposed centrally within said cover, a pair of rectilinear wall-forming rods, said rectilinear wall-forming rods having a substantially inverted, U-shaped configuration, said rods being pivotally mounted by hinge means to said base, a pair of transverse, pivotally mounted, U-shaped wall-forming rods, and hangers pivotally mounted to the uppermost horizontal member of said rectilinear wall-forming rods, each of said hangers having a substantially inverted J-shaped configuration, the crook portion of said hangers being disposed outwardly with respect to said carrier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cover is provided with a central layer of padding and a washable skin disposed about the outer terminal surfaces of said cover, said cover being bound by means of stitching about the perimeter of said base and about said wall-forming rods.