Abstract:
The collapsible storage device contains a foldable and expandable support member inside the storage device. The support member contains a first moving plate, a second moving plate, a third moving plate, and a fourth moving plate, cascaded in series. A front moving plate and a back moving plate support a front side and a back side of the storage device, respectively. The front moving plate can also function as a door to the storage device. The moving plates in the middle are laid on a bottom side of the storage device as bottom plates. This support member allows a user to quickly and conveniently expand and collapse the storage device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    (a) Technical Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention is generally related to storage devices, and more particular to collapsible storage devices. 
         [0003]    (b) Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Storage is a common need in today&#39;s households. A conventional storage box is usually integrally formed using plastics, and therefore is rigid in shape and occupy a certain space. When the storage box is not in use, it cannot be collapsed and folded to reduce the space it occupies. Some storage boxes are made of woods or other materials. However, other than the difference in terms of material used, the problem of rigid shape and space occupation remains 
         [0005]    Therefore there are collapsible storage boxes commercially available. But, due to their design, they still require a certain space after being collapsed. In addition, their appearance is less satisfactory, and they cannot be conveniently stored either. 
         [0006]    To achieve a small thickness after collapse, some storage boxes have their walls made by flexible fabrics. When these boxes are used, some rigid plates of the boxes are used to support the soft walls. However, the assembly and storage of these collapsible storage boxes are still not convenient. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides a fast collapsible storage device whose gist lies in a foldable and expandable support member inside the storage device. The support member contains three to four serially cascaded moving plates. A front moving plate and a back moving plate support a front side and a back side of the storage device, respectively. The front moving plate can also function as a door to the storage device. The one or two moving plates in the middle are laid on a bottom side of the storage device as bottom plates. This support member allows a user to quickly and conveniently expand and collapse the storage device. 
         [0008]    Another feature of the present invention is that the storage device can further contain a drawer member received by the storage device that can also be quickly and conveniently expanded and collapsed. 
         [0009]    The collapsible storage device contains a casing member and a support member. The casing member contains a top plate, a soft bottom piece opposing the top plate, a first side plate, a second side plate opposing the first side plate, and a soft back piece. The first and second side plates are configured between corresponding edges of the top plate and the bottom piece, and the soft back piece borders the top plate, the bottom piece, and the first and second side plates. The back piece, the first and second side plate can turn relative to the top plate along where they are joined together. Similarly, the back piece, the first and second side plate can turn relative to the bottom piece along where they are joined together. The first and second side plates can turn relative to the back piece along where they are joined together. The support member contains a first moving plate, a second moving plate, a third moving plate, and a fourth moving plate, cascaded in series in the above order. Two adjacent moving plates can turn relative to each other along where they are joined together. A back edge of the first moving plate is rotatably joined to a back edge of the top plate, along with the top edge of the back piece. When the casing member is expanded, the first moving plate is turned to be against the back piece so as to provide support along a vertical direction, the second and third moving plates are turned to lay flatly on the bottom piece, the fourth moving plate is used to cover or open a front opening of the casing member. 
         [0010]    Preferably, the top plate is configured with an interface element along the edges of the top plate, and the top edges of the back piece and the first and second side plates are rotatably joined to the interface element; 
         [0011]    Preferably, the interface element has an H-shaped cross-section, thereby providing a top trough and a bottom trough. Each edge of the top plate is bended downward and embedded in the top trough, and the top edges of the back piece and the first and second side plates are embedded in the bottom trough. 
         [0012]    In order to provide full support to the expanded storage device, the first moving plate has an area greater than or equal to that of the back piece inside the casing member, the total area of the second and third moving plates is greater than or equal to that of the bottom piece inside the casing member. 
         [0013]    To facilitate the close of the fourth moving plate to the casing member, a first magnet is configured at an appropriate location on a back side of the fourth moving plate, a second magnet is configured in a downward extended patch from a front section of the interface element, and the first and second magnets are of reverse polarities. 
         [0014]    To steadily position of the support member after expansion, a first fastening element is configured at an appropriate location on a bottom side of the third moving plate, and a second fastening element matching the first fastening element is configured correspondingly on a top side of the bottom piece. 
         [0015]    To facilitate the open of the fourth moving plate, a handle is configured on an outer side of the fourth moving plate. 
         [0016]    The collapsible storage device can further contain a drawer member received by the casing member, and the drawer member contains a number of plates assembled together. 
         [0017]    The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
         [0018]    Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram showing a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention after its assembly. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective diagram showing the insides of the storage device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 2A  is an enlarged diagram showing the details of a portion  2 A of the storage device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a schematic perspective diagram showing the expansion of a support member inside the storage device. 
           [0023]      FIG. 3A  is an enlarged diagram showing the details of a portion  3 A of the storage device of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a schematic perspective diagram showing the collapse of a support member inside the storage device. 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a perspective diagram showing a fully collapsed storage device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a perspective diagram showing a number of corresponding magnets configured on an interface element and on a moving plate, respectively. 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is a perspective diagram showing a drawer member according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  is a perspective diagram showing the drawer member of  FIG. 7  and the storage device of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0029]    The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram showing a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention after its assembly.  FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective diagram showing the inside of the storage device of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2A  is an enlarged diagram showing the details of a portion of the storage device of  FIG. 1 . As illustrated, the storage device contains a casing member  10  and a support member  10 A. The casing member  10  contains a top plate  101  and a soft bottom piece  107  opposing the top plate  101 . Between the corresponding edges of the top plate  101  and the bottom piece  107 , there are a first side plate  114 , a second side plate  115  opposing the first side plate  114 , and a soft back piece  106  bordering the top plate  101 , the bottom piece  107 , the first and second side plates  114  and  115 . 
         [0031]    The above-described top plate  101 , the first and second side plates  114  and  115  are rigid and of an appropriate strength. The back and bottom pieces  106  and  107  are made of a soft material and, due to their material flexibility, they can turn towards their neighboring plates  101 ,  114 , and  115 . 
         [0032]    The top plate  101  is configured with an interface element  108  along the edges of the top plate. The interface element  108  is a closed, rectangular frame made of bamboo, woods, or plastics. The interface elements  108  are joined to the back piece  106 , the first and second side plates  114  and  115 , respectively. 
         [0033]    In a preferred embodiment, the interface element  108  has an H-shaped cross-section, thereby providing a top trough  108   a  and a bottom trough  108   b . Each edge of the top plate  101  is bended downward and embedded in the top trough  108   a  of the interface element  108 . The top edges of the back piece  106 , the first and second side plates  114  and  115  are embedded in the bottom trough  108   b  of the interface elements  108 , respectively. 
         [0034]    The support member  10 A contains a first moving plate  102 , a second moving plate  103 , a third moving plate  104 , and a fourth moving plate  105 , cascaded in series in the above order. The first to fourth moving plates  102  to  105  are rigid, and two adjacent moving plates can turn towards each other. A back edge of the first moving plate  102  is embedded in the bottom trough  108   b  of the interface element  108 , along with the top edge of the back piece  106 . The first moving plate  102  can also freely turn relative to the top plate  101 . 
         [0035]    Preferably, the first moving plate  102  has an area greater than or equal to that of the back piece  106  inside the casing member  10 . The total area of the second and third moving plates  103  and  104  is greater than or equal to that of the bottom piece  107  inside the casing member  10 . The area of the fourth moving plate  105  is greater than or equal to that of the first moving plate  102 . As such, when the casing member  10  is expanded, the first moving plate  102  is turned to be against the back piece  106  so as to provide support along a vertical direction. The second and third moving plates  103  and  104  are turned to lay flatly on the bottom piece  107 . The fourth moving plate  105  is turned to be vertical and parallel with the first moving plate  102  so that it can reveal or conceal what is contained in the casing member  10  like a door as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0036]    In order to facilitate the fourth moving plate  105 &#39;s role as a door, preferably, a first magnet  112  is configured at an appropriate location on a back side of the fourth moving plate  105 . A second magnet  113  is configured in a downward extended patch  116  from a front section of the interface element  108 . The first and second magnets  112  and  113  are of reverse polarities so they are attracted to each other. Therefore, when the fourth moving plate  105  is turned to be vertical, the fourth moving plate  105  is positioned steadily as the first and second magnets  112  and  113  are attracted together. In addition, a loop handle  111  is configured on an outer side of the fourth moving plate  105 . By pulling the loop handle  111 , the first and second magnets  112  and  113  are detached and the fourth moving plate  105  can be turned again. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , multiple second magnets  113  can be configured on a front section of the interface element  108 , and multiple corresponding first magnets  112  are configured on the back side of the fourth moving plate  105 . 
         [0038]    Furthermore, in order to lay the second and third moving plates  103  and  104  steadily on the bottom piece  107  without displacement, a first fastening element  109  (such as a Velcro hook and loop fastener) is configured at an appropriate location on a bottom side of the third moving plate  104 , and a second fastening element  110  matching the first fastening element  109  is configured correspondingly on a top side of the bottom piece  107 . As shown in  FIG. 3A , when the second and third moving plates  103  and  104  are turned and arranged flatly on the bottom piece  107 , the first and second fastening elements  109  and  110  lock each other to prevent displacement. 
         [0039]    To collapse the casing member  10 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the first to fourth moving plates  102  to  105  of the support member  10 A are turned and folded together. Then, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the casing member  10  is fully collapsed into a flatted state. 
         [0040]    Alternatively, the storage box can further contain a drawer member  20  accompanying the casing member  10 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the drawer member  20  contains a rectangular bottom plate  201  and four side plates  202 ,  203 ,  204 , and  205 , each extended vertically upward from an edge of the bottom plate  201 . The side plates  202 ,  203 ,  204 , and  205  have their top edges joined to inner edges of moving plates  206 ,  207 ,  208 , and  209 , respectively. One of the moving plates, say,  208  has its outer edge (opposite to the inner edge) joined to an inner edge of a fifth moving plate  210 . The fifth moving plate  210  in turn has its outer edge (opposite to the inner edge) joined to an inner edge of a sixth moving plate  211 . Each of the above-mentioned moving plates  206  to  211  can turn relative to an adjacent moving plate or an adjacent side plate and therefore the drawer member  20 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , is formed. The drawer member  20  can be slid into the casing member  10  through a front side of the casing member  10 . 
         [0041]    While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claims of the present invention.