Collapsible container with compartments

Abstract

A collapsible container has a longitudinal axis with a top frame and a bottom frame connected by a spiral frame where the frames encircle the axis. The spiral frame is collapsible along the axis and the container has a web of flexible material supported by the frame. A first stiffener has opposing ends fastened to the container along a length of the frame that curves outward around the longitudinal axis. The stiffener has a first curved position extending adjacent the frame and a second position curved in an opposite direction to define an opening to a compartment between the frame and the stiffener. The compartment has a sidewall formed by a sheet of material fastened to the stiffener and the web of material supported by the frame. A plurality of these compartments can be provided, with the stiffener holding the entrance to the compartment open or closed.

1 . A collapsible container having a longitudinal axis with a top frame and a bottom frame connected by a spiral frame, the frames encircling the axis, the spiral frame being collapsible along the axis, the container having a web of flexible material supported by the frame and a bottom panel connected to the container, comprising: 
 a first stiffener having opposing ends fastened to the container along a length of the frame such that the distance between opposing ends of the stiffener is less than a length of the stiffener, the stiffener having a first position extending adjacent the frame, the stiffener having a second position extending in an opposite direction to define an opening to a compartment between the frame and the stiffener, the compartment having a sidewall formed at least in part by a sheet of material connected to the stiffener.    
   
   
       2 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment is further defined by the web of material on the container.  
   
   
       3 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment is further defined by the web of material on the container and a bottom panel of the container.  
   
   
       4 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment is defined entirely by the side wall.  
   
   
       5 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the first stiffener extends along a portion of the top frame.  
   
   
       6 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the first stiffener extends along a portion of the spiral frame.  
   
   
       7 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the center of the stiffener is closer to the longitudinal axis in the second position than in the first position, and extends into an interior of the container.  
   
   
       8 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the center of the stiffener is further from the longitudinal axis in the second position than in the first position.  
   
   
       9 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the side wall has a bottom, and further comprising a second stiffener fastened to the bottom of the side wall, the second stiffener having opposing ends fastened to the container along a length of the frame such that the distance between opposing ends of the second stiffener is less than a length of the second stiffener, the second stiffener having a first position in which it extends along and adjacent to the frame, the second stiffener having a second position extending in an opposite direction to define a space between the second stiffener and the adjacent frame.  
   
   
       10 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the spiral frame is circular, the container is cylindrical, and the first stiffener has a continuous radius of curvature for a majority of the length of the first stiffener.  
   
   
       11 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the stiffener comprises a strip of plastic contained in a stiffener pocket with opposing ends of the stiffener pocket fastened to the container adjacent the frame, and where the first and second positions are on the opposite sides of a chord extending between the ends of the first stiffener.  
   
   
       12 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the frame is contained in a frame pocket extending along a length of the frame and fastened to the web of material, and wherein the stiffener comprises a strip of plastic contained in a stiffener pocket with opposing ends of the stiffener pocket fastened to the frame pocket, the side wall being fastened to the stiffener pocket, the stiffener having a length less than half the length of a periphery of the top frame, the first stiffener maintaining that second position under the force of gravity.  
   
   
       13 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein there are n compartments with n being between 2 and 6, each compartment having a stiffener connected to the top frame or spiral frame and a separate compartment associated with that stiffener, each stiffener having a length less than the length of the periphery of the top frame divided by n.  
   
   
       14 . A collapsible container having a longitudinal axis with a top frame and a bottom frame connected by a spiral frame, the frames encircling the axis, the spiral frame being collapsible along the axis, the container having a web of flexible material supported by the frame and a bottom panel connected to the container, comprising: 
 a first compartment formed at least in part by a flexible sidewall and having an entrance formed in part by one of the frames;    stiffener means for forming a portion of the entrance and for positioning the entrance between a closed position adjacent and along the frame and an open position spaced apart from the frame, the stiffener means being connected to the sidewall at the entrance and connected to said one of the frames.    
   
   
       15 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein the first compartment is further defined by the web of material on the container.  
   
   
       16 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein the first compartment is further defined by the web of material on the container and a bottom panel of the container.  
   
   
       17 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein the first compartment is defined entirely by the side wall.  
   
   
       18 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein the entrance is defined in part by the top frame.  
   
   
       19 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein the stiffener means comprises a stiffener having a center that is closer to the longitudinal axis in the open position than in the closed position, and extends into an interior of the container.  
   
   
       20 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein the stiffener means comprises a stiffener having a center that is further from the longitudinal axis in the open position than in the closed position.  
   
   
       21 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein the side wall has a bottom edge and further comprising second stiffener means for positioning the bottom of the sidewall between a first position adjacent and along the frame and an second position spaced apart from the frame, the second stiffener means being connected to the sidewall adjacent the bottom edge.  
   
   
       22 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein the spiral frame is circular and the container is cylindrical.  
   
   
       23 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein the first stiffener means comprises a strip of plastic contained in a stiffener pocket with opposing ends of the stiffener pocket fastened to the container adjacent the frame, wherein the first and second positions are on opposite sides of a chord extending between the ends of the first stiffener and the stiffener maintaining the first and second positions under the force of gravity.  
   
   
       24 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein the first frame means has a length less than half the length of the periphery of the frame where the first frame means connects to the frame.  
   
   
       25 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein there are n compartments with n being between 2 and 6, each compartment having a stiffener means fastening to the top frame, each stiffener means having a length less than the length of the periphery of the top frame divided by n.  
   
   
       26 . A container having a longitudinal axis and frame; comprising: 
 a concave portion in the frame;    a stiffener adjacent at least part of the concave portion of the frame with opposing ends of the stiffener connected to the frame so the distance between the connected ends is less than the length of the stiffener between those connected ends;    a sheet of material connected to the stiffener to form at least part of the compartment, the stiffener being positionable between a closed position adjacent the concave portion of the frame and an open position on the opposing side of a chord extending between the ends of the stiffener.    
   
   
       27 . The container of  claim 26 , wherein the frame has a peripheral length and the stiffener has a length of less than about half the peripheral length.  
   
   
       28 . The container of  claim 26 , wherein the stiffener can move from the open to the closed position by passing through the chord.  
   
   
       29 . The container of  claim 26 , wherein the middle of the stiffener extends toward the longitudinal axis in the open position.  
   
   
       30 . The container of  claim 26 , wherein the middle of the stiffener extends away from the longitudinal axis in the open position.  
   
   
       31 . A method of opening a collapsible container having top and bottom frames connected by a spiral frame, the frames encircling a longitudinal axis, the container having a web of material supported by the frame with a bottom panel connected to the container, the spiral frame being compressed along the longitudinal axis and held in that compressed configuration by a releasable mechanism, comprising: 
 releasing the mechanism and expanding the spiral frame, and either    opening a first compartment in the container by moving a first curved stiffener having opposing ends connected to one of the spiral or top frame from a first closed position where the first stiffener is along and adjacent the one of the spiral or top frame, to a second open position where the first and second positions are on opposite sides of a chord extending between the ends of the first stiffener, the first stiffener having opposing ends connected to a side wall defining at least a portion of the compartment and the length of the stiffener in the closed position being greater than the straight-line distance between the ends of the stiffener; or    closing a first compartment in the container by moving the first curved stiffener from the open position to the closed position.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising moving a second stiffener having opposing ends connected to the bottom frame from a first closed position where the second stiffener is along and adjacent the bottom frame, to a second open position where the first and second positions of the second stiffener are on opposite sides of a chord extending between the ends of the second stiffener, the first and second stiffeners being connected to the same side wall.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first stiffener is connected to the top frame and has a length that is less than half the length of the periphery of the first frame.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein when the first stiffener is in the second position, a center of the stiffener is closer to the longitudinal axis than when the first stiffener is in the first position.