Collapsible container

Abstract

A collapsible container has twist-and-fold panels in which a web of flexible material is held taut by a tension loop frame fastened to a periphery of the web. The container has a first and second panel each with a top and a bottom joined by sides, and with each side on the first panel being connected to a different one of the sides on the second panel. Either the web of material between the top and bottom on the first panel is shorter than the unrestrained distance between the top and bottom of the first frame or a strap connects the top and bottom of the first frame, so the top and bottom of the first panel are bowed out of a flat plane and extend away from the second panel when the container is in the expanded configuration. A bottom sheet fastened to the bottom of the first and second panels, and a top panel is optionally fastened to the top of the panels. When stacked into overlapping panels, the stacked panels assume a planar shape if the frames are not bowed during stacking, and assume a twisted, corkscrew-like shape if one of the frames is bowed during stacking.

1 . A collapsible container having an expanded configuration and having a collapsed configuration, comprising: 
 a first panel substantially covered by a first web of flexible material and a first pocket extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the first web with a first, flexible, twist-and-fold frame located in the first pocket, the first panel having a top and bottom connected by first and second opposing sides;    a second panel substantially covered by a second web of flexible material and a second pocket extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the second web with a second, flexible, twist-and-fold frame located in the second pocket, the second panel having a top and bottom connected by first and second opposing sides, the sides of the first panel being attached to the sides of the second panel, the panels being foldable at the sides to place the panels in abutting relationship, wherein the top on the first panel is bowed out of a flat plane and extends away from the corresponding top on the second panel in the expanded configuration; and    a bottom sheet of material fastened to the bottoms of the first and second panels.    
   
   
       2 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom on the first panel is bowed out of a flat plane and extends away from the corresponding bottom on the second panel.  
   
   
       3 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the tops on the first and second panels are each bowed out of a flat plane and each extends away from the other top.  
   
   
       4 . The collapsible container of  claim 2 , wherein the top on the second panel is bowed out of a flat plane and extends away from the first top and the bottoms on the first and second panels each extend away from the other bottom.  
   
   
       5 . The collapsible container of  claim 2 , wherein the sides of the panels are sewn together.  
   
   
       6 . The collapsible container of  claim 4 , wherein the sides of the panels are sewn together.  
   
   
       7 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the second panel has an expanded configuration comprising a substantially flat planar surface.  
   
   
       8 . The collapsible container of  claim 2 , wherein the second panel has an expanded configuration comprising a substantially flat planar surface.  
   
   
       9 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the second panel has an expanded configuration comprising a substantially flat planar surface and the bottom of the second panel is located between the bottom and top of the first panel when the container is in the expanded configuration.  
   
   
       10 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising a third panel substantially covered by a third web of material flexible fastened to a third pocket extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the third web with a third, flexible, twist-and-fold frame located in the pocket, the third panel having a top and bottom connected by first and second opposing sides, the third panel being located between the first and second panels and fastened to the sides of at least one of those panels, and wherein the bottom sheet of material is connected to the bottom of the third panel.  
   
   
       11 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the third panel is substantially a flat plane in its expanded configuration.  
   
   
       12 . The collapsible container of  claim 11 , wherein the bottom of the third panel is located between the bottom and top of the first panel.  
   
   
       13 . The collapsible container of  claim 12 , wherein the top of the third panel is not located between the top and bottom of the first panel.  
   
   
       14 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising a third panel substantially covered by a third web of flexible material fastened to a third, flexible, twist-and-fold frame, the third panel having a top and bottom connected by first and second opposing sides, the third panel being interposed between the first and second panels and the third panel sides being connected to at least one of the first and second sides of the first and second panels, and wherein the bottom′ sheet of material is connected to the bottom of the third panel.  
   
   
       15 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising a flexible handle connected to the container.  
   
   
       16 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising a door hook connected to the second panel.  
   
   
       17 . The collapsible container of  claim 7 , further comprising a zippered opening on the bottom sheet of material.  
   
   
       18 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising a strap connected to the top and bottom of the first panel and having a length or being adjustable to a length that is shorter than the undeformed distance between the top and bottom of the first panel to bow the top and bottom of the first panel out of a flat plane.  
   
   
       19 . The collapsible container of  claim 18 , wherein the strap is releasably connected to the top and bottom of the first panel.  
   
   
       20 . The collapsible container of  claim 18 , wherein the strap is releasably connected to the frame at the top and bottom of the first panel.  
   
   
       21 . A collapsible container having twist-and-fold panels in which a web of flexible material is held taut by a tension loop frame fastened to a periphery of the web, comprising: 
 a first and second panel each having a top and a bottom joined by sides, with each side on the first panel being connected to a different one of the sides on the second panel, with either the web of material between the top and bottom on the first panel being shorter than the unrestrained distance between the top and bottom of the first frame or a strap connects the top and bottom of the first panel so the top and bottom of the first panel are bowed out of a flat plane and extend away from the second panel when the container is in the expanded configuration; and    a bottom sheet fastened to the bottom of the first and second panels.    
   
   
       22 . The collapsible container of  claim 21 , wherein the sides are joined along a substantially straight line and the first panel is bowed by a strap.  
   
   
       23 . The collapsible container of  claim 21 , wherein the sides are joined along a substantially straight line and the first panel is bowed by the web of material.  
   
   
       24 . The collapsible container of  claim 21 , wherein the sides are joined along a substantially straight line and both the top and bottom of the first panel are bowed to extend away from the second panel, with the bottom panel extending a greater distance than the top.  
   
   
       25 . The collapsible container of  claim 21 , wherein the sides are joined along a substantially straight line and both the top and bottom of the first panel are bowed to extend away from the second panel, with the top panel extending a greater distance than the bottom.  
   
   
       26 . The collapsible container of  claim 21 , wherein the second panel is substantially flat and the sides are joined along substantially straight lines.  
   
   
       27 . The collapsible container of  claim 25 , wherein a door hook is connected to the second panel directly or through an intermediate member.  
   
   
       28 . The collapsible container of  claim 21 , wherein the web of material between the top and bottom on the second panel is shorter than the unrestrained distance between the top and bottom of the second frame so the top and bottom of the second panel are bowed and extend away from the first panel.  
   
   
       29 . The collapsible container of  claim 21 , further comprising a third panel interposed between the first and second panels and having its two sides each joined to a different one of the sides of both the first and second panels.  
   
   
       30 . The collapsible container of  claim 28 , wherein the top of the second panel is bowed and extends away from the third panel when the container is in the expanded configuration.  
   
   
       31 . The collapsible container of  claim 22 , wherein the first and second panels have a partially collapsed configuration in which the first and second panels abut each other to form a stack of panels resembling a portion of a corkscrew.  
   
   
       32 . The collapsible container of  claim 23 , wherein the first and second panels have a partially collapsed configuration in which the first and second panels abut each other to form a stack of panels resembling a portion of a corkscrew.  
   
   
       33 . The collapsible container of  claim 28 , wherein the panels are twisted and folded into a collapsed configuration having a plurality of overlapping coils.  
   
   
       34 . A method of making a collapsible container, comprising: 
 providing a first twist-and-fold panel having a top, a bottom and two sides joining the top and bottom on the first panel with a web of flexible material covering the first panel and a flexible frame around a periphery of the first panel;    providing a second twist-and-fold panel having a top, a bottom and two sides joining the top and bottom on the second panel with a web of flexible material covering the second panel and a flexible frame around a periphery of the second panel,    fastening each side of the first panel to a different side of the second panel along a substantially straight portion;    fastening a bottom sheet to the bottoms of the first and second panel; and    bowing the top and bottom of the first panel toward each other and out of a flat planar configuration and at least temporarily fixing the first panel in that configuration.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the web of material bows the first panel out of a flat planar configuration.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein a strap fastened to the top and bottom of the first panel bows the first panel out of a flat planar configuration.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising placing a releasably closable opening in the bottom sheet of material.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising fastening a handle to one of the panels.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the step of fastening the side panels comprises sewing sides of the panels together.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 providing a third twist-and-fold panel having a top, a bottom and two sides joining the top and bottom on the third panel with a web of flexible material covering the third panel and a flexible frame around a periphery of the first panel; and    fastening the sides of the third panel to the sides of at least one of the first and second panels.    
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising bowing the top and bottom of the second panel toward each other and out of a flat planar configuration and at least temporarily fixing the second panel in that configuration.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising bowing the top and bottom of the second panel toward each other and out of a flat planar configuration and at least temporarily fixing the second panel in that configuration.  
   
   
       43 . A method of collapsing a container having a first and second twist-and-fold panels having spring-loop frames each fastened to a web of material with the two panels being joined together along sides of the two panels with a bottom sheet connected to bottoms of the first and second panels so the bottom sheet and the two joined panels form an enclosed space when the panels are in an expanded configuration in which the top and bottom of the first panel are spaced apart from the respective top and bottom of the second panel, comprising: 
 moving the top of the first panel from the spaced apart position to a position adjacent the top of the second panel and forming a stack of two panels having a stable, twisted configuration comprising a portion of a corkscrew.    
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising twisting the stacked panels further in the direction of the twist to coil the frames into overlapping loops.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the panels are rectangular with four corners and two diagonal corners are in a different plane the remaining two diagonal corners when the two panels are stacked adjacent each other.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the second panel has a flat, planar shape in the expanded configuration.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the second panel has an expanded configuration in which the top and bottom are spaced apart from a plane through the joined sides to form a bowed configuration.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising fastening a third panel between the first and second panels, with the third panel having an expanded configuration comprising a flat, planar shape in the plane of the joined sides, the panel having a twist-and fold frame within a pocket.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising fastening a third, frameless panel between the first and second panels and extending laterally across a width of the container.  
   
   
       50 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising a sheet of material fastened to opposing sides of at least one of the first and second panels and extending laterally across a width of the container.  
   
   
       51 . The collapsible container of  claim 21 , further comprising a sheet of material fastened to opposing sides of at least one of the first and second panels and extending laterally across a width of the container.