Abstract:
A collapsible storage chest is formed to receive a number of collapsible storage boxes, or drawers. The chest and boxes or drawers are capable of being collapsed to a substantially flat configuration to enable the efficient packaging, shipping, warehousing, distribution and reconstitution of them.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/663,558 entitled “Collapsible Storage System” and currently co-pending. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to storage systems. In particular, it relates to a storage system of a chest and drawers. More specifically, though not exclusively, this invention relates to collapsible storage systems having the ability to be flattened for shipment, and reconfigured into a rigid storage container for use.  
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0003]     Chests and drawers for storage have existed for many years and in many forms. One problem with traditional chests and drawers is that if they are not in use for a time they merely occupy space that could be used for other purposes. Therefore, there is a need for a chest and drawers that would occupy little space when not in use.  
         [0004]     The need for a storage system that can be efficiently transported is becoming more and more apparent as the economy becomes more global, and the cost of transporting goods increases with the ever-soaring costs of fossil fuels. As a result if these fossil fuel costs, the price of products transported becomes largely dependent on the distance the product is transported, the location of the manufacturing, the location of the retail sales, and the method of transportation. In some cases, the transportation costs of a product could contribute more than twenty five percent (25%) of the retail price.  
         [0005]     In light of the above, it would be advantageous to provide products which can be easily shipped in the smallest volume as possible. More specifically, since freight is often shipped in containers, the minimization of the physical volume of a product is often more critical than the actual weight of the product. Products used for storage are often plagued by the air volume of the containers themselves.  
         [0006]     Because there is no advantage to shipping products containing air and wasting valuable cargo space, the present invention was devised to provide a collapsible storage system which can overcome the storage and transport challenges of fixed storage devices.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention includes a collapsible storage chest that is formed to receive a number of collapsible storage boxes, or drawers. Each of the elements of the present invention is capable of being collapsed to a substantially flat configuration to enable the efficient packaging, shipping, warehousing, and distribution of the invention.  
         [0008]     The collapsible containers of the present invention include four side-walls hinged together in the form of a parallelogram which may be positioned into a rectangular configuration; and by folding acutely two opposing hinges, collapsed into a flat configuration.  
         [0009]     The hinges may be actual metal pin hinges, may be effective hinges by sewn seams in material-covered side-walls, or may be formed by spaces between the rigid portions of the side-walls. The bottom panel of the container is a pliable material which may be separated along a diagonal between diagonally separated hinges, and flexible enough to allow the collapse of the container an opposite diagonal direction.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the small collapsible storage container;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the small collapsible storage container;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a left side view of the small collapsible storage container;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the small collapsible storage container;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the small collapsible storage container;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a back view of the small collapsible storage container;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a right-side view of the small collapsible storage container;  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the small collapsible storage container shown in a semi-collapsed configuration;  
         [0019]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the collapsible storage chest of the present invention having three collapsible storage boxes installed with one removed for clarity; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 10  is a front view of the collapsible storage chest showing the diagonal zipper along the back panel to allow for the collapsing of the storage chest to a substantially flat configuration.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a top perspective view of the collapsible storage container is shown and designated  100 . Container  100  includes a back  102 , a right side  104 , and left side  106 , a front  108  formed with a handle slot  110 , and having bottom panels  112  and  114  attached together with a zipper  116 .  
         [0022]     As shown in this configuration, the sides are attached together to form a hinge. Specifically, sides  102  and  106  are attached with hinge  124 , sides  102  and  104  are attached with hinge  122 , sides  104  and  108  are attached with hinge  128 , and sides  108  and  106  are attached with hinge  126 . These hinges allow the angles between the sides to vary from ninety degrees to facilitate the collapsing of the storage container as shown and discussed in conjunction with  FIG. 8  below.  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the collapsible storage container and shows the bottom panels  112  and  114  attachable together with a zipper  116  having a zipper slide  118 . It is to be appreciated that the zipper  116  is shown in its usable configuration with the two bottom portions zipped together to make the bottom panel sufficiently rigid to maintain the sides  102 ,  104 ,  106  and  108  in a substantially rectangular form. If the zipper is opened, the storage container may collapse in direction  117  to a substantially flat configuration for easy storage. It may be reconfigured to its usable state by merely re-closing the zipper  116  to re-establish the sides in a rectangular configuration.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a left side view of the collapsible storage container.  FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the collapsible storage container showing the orientation of the zipper  116 , and a handle  120  used to advance the zipper slide  118  along the zipper  116  to change the configuration of the container. As shown in this Figure, the handle  120  is on the bottom of the container, however, it is to be appreciated that the handle may be placed inside the container. Further, although the zipper is shown as a fastener in this preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be appreciated that any variety of fasteners may be used in the present invention without departing from the invention. For instance, Velcro hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, ties, etc., may be used to fasten bottom panels  112  and  114  together.  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a front view of the collapsible storage container is shown and front side  108  is formed with a cut-out handle  110 . It is to be appreciated that other shapes may be used for the handle, such as finger-holes, or a handle may be attached to the front  108  (not shown).  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  is a back view, and  FIG. 7  is a right side view of the collapsible storage container.  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a perspective view of the collapsible storage container shown in a semi-collapsed configuration. In order to collapse the storage container, zipper  116  must be opened to allow for the separation of bottom panels  112  and  114 . As shown, these panels are flexible enough to allow for the movement of the sides  102 ,  104 ,  106  and  108  into a trapezoidal configuration. When fully collapsed, sides  104  and  106  are directly adjacent each other, or separated only by panels  112  and  114 . This collapsed configuration provides for the very compact storage of the container in a flat package, readily usable simply by re-orienting the sides into a rectangular position and zipping bottom panels  112  and  114  together.  
         [0028]     Referring to  FIG. 9 , a perspective view of the collapsible storage chest of the present invention is shown and generally designated  200 . Storage chest  200  includes a frame  202  and a drawer  204 . Chest  200  is formed having a top  206 , a bottom  208 , a left side  210 , and a right side  212 . Also shown is a center support  214  extending between left side  210  and right side  212  to support drawers  204 .  
         [0029]     Frame  202  is formed with hinges  230 ,  232 ,  234 , and  236  which provide for the collapsing of the frame to a substantially flat configuration. Drawers  220 ,  222 ,  224  and  226  are similar to drawer  100  discussed above, and likewise collapsible.  
         [0030]     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , a front view of the collapsible storage chest  200  showing the diagonal zipper  240  having slide  242  separating two back panels  242  and  246 . The zipper  240  along the back panel to allows for the collapsing of the storage chest to a substantially flat configuration. Once un-zipped, the frame  202  may collapse in direction  248 .  
         [0031]     The storage system of the present invention may be made of any material capable of supporting the structure shown herein. No limitation as to the materials is contemplated except that the materials chosen for the sides must be substantially rigid, and the materials chosen for the bottom must be somewhat flexible when in the un-zipped configuration in order to allow for the collapsing of the sides together.  
         [0032]     While the particular collapsible storage containers as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.