Abstract:
A storage container includes a container body formed of multiple upright peripheral panels linked to one another with stitches and a flexible bottom bearing sheet stitched to the upright peripheral panels at the bottom side, each upright peripheral panel being formed of a bamboo curtain that is formed by using weaving cords to link bamboo strips together in a parallel manner and wrapping a reinforcing strip at each side, and a bottom panel supportable on the flexible bottom bearing sheet inside the container body and formed by using weaving cords to link bamboo strips together and having each peripheral side thereof respectively covered with a flexible covering material.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    (a) Technical Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to storage containers and more particularly, to a storage container formed of bamboo curtains that are decomposable in the natural environment. 
         [0003]    (b) Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Storage containers are commonly used in a limited home space area for keeping things. Some storage containers for this purpose have a fixed configuration. Some others are folding collapsible to reduce the dimension when not in use. Further, plastics, metals and many other materials that are not easily decomposable are used for making these storage containers. The handling of waste undecomposable materials is complicated. Further, storage containers made of these undecomposable materials do not cause a unique sense of beauty. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a storage container, which utilizes environmentally protective materials that are decomposable in the natural environment, and which causes a unique sense of beauty. 
         [0006]    According to one aspect of the present invention, the storage container comprises a container body and a bottom panel. The container body comprises a plurality of upright peripheral panels linked to one another with stitches, and a flexible bottom bearing sheet stitched to the upright peripheral panels at the bottom side. The upright peripheral panels are respectively formed of a bamboo curtain. The bamboo curtain comprises a plurality of bamboo strips arranged in parallel, a plurality of weaving cords linking the bamboo strips, a first reinforcing strip respectively provided at each of the peripheral sides thereof, and a binding respectively fastened to the bamboo strips at each peripheral side to hold the associating first reinforcing strip in place. The bottom panel is inserted into the container body and supported on the flexible bottom bearing sheet. The bottom panel is formed of a plurality of bamboo strips that are linked together with weaving cords, and having each of the peripheral sides respectively covered with a flexible covering material. 
         [0007]    According to another aspect of the present invention, second reinforcing strips may be provided at the inner side of the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the bamboo strips of the bamboo curtain are horizontally arranged in parallel, and second reinforcing strips are vertically stitched to the inner side of the bamboo curtain. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment of the present invention, the bamboo strips of the bamboo curtain are vertically arranged in parallel, and second reinforcing strips are vertically stitched to the inner side of the bamboo curtain. 
         [0010]    Further, pockets may be stitched to the inner side of the bamboo curtain to accommodate a respective second reinforcing strip. 
         [0011]    The foregoing object 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. 
         [0012]    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 
         [0013]      FIG. 1A  is an elevational view of a storage container according to the present invention (the bottom panel separated from the container body). 
           [0014]      FIG. 1B  is an exploded view of a storage container according to the present invention (the bottom panel excluded). 
           [0015]      FIG. 2A  is a top plain view of the storage container according to the present invention after removal of the bottom panel. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2B  corresponds to  FIG. 2A , showing folding collapsible operation of the storage container. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic plain view of a part of the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body according to a first edge-forming method of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3B  is a sectional view taken along line  3 B- 3 B of  FIG. 9A . 
           [0019]      FIG. 4A  is a schematic plain view of a part of the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body according to a second edge-forming method of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4B  is a sectional view taken along line  4 B- 4 B of  FIG. 4A . 
           [0021]      FIG. 5A  is a schematic plain view of a part of the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body according to a third edge-forming method of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5B  is a sectional view taken along line  5 B- 5 B of  FIG. 5A . 
           [0023]      FIG. 6A  is a schematic plain view of a part of the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body according to a fourth edge-forming method of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6B  is a sectional view taken along line  6 B- 6 B of  FIG. 6A . 
           [0025]      FIG. 7A  is a schematic plain view of a part of the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body according to a fifth edge-forming method of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 7B  is a sectional view taken along line  7 B- 7 B of  FIG. 7A . 
           [0027]      FIG. 8A  is a schematic plain view of apart of the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body according to a sixth edge-forming method of the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 8B  is a sectional view taken along line  8 B- 8 B of  FIG. 8A . 
           [0029]      FIG. 9A  is a schematic plain view of a part of the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body according to a seventh edge-forming method of the present invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 9B  is a sectional view taken along line  9 B- 9 B of  FIG. 9A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0031]    The following descriptions are of 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. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a storage container in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a container body  1  and a bottom panel  2 . 
         [0033]    The container body  1  has a rectangular profile formed of four upright peripheral panels and a bottom bearing sheet material  13  and defining a storage space for storing things. According to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the upright peripheral panels are bamboo curtains, each is formed of a number of bamboo strips  11  and weaving cords  111 . The weaving cords  111  link the bamboo strips  11  together in a parallel manner. Further, each of the four sides of each upright peripheral panel of the container body  1  is provided a first reinforcing strip  14  and a binding  12  that holds the first reinforcing strip  14  in place (see  FIG. 3B ). The binding  12  at one vertical lateral side of one upright peripheral panel is fastened to the binding  12  at one vertical lateral side of another upright peripheral panel with stitches, and therefore the four upright peripheral panels of the container body  1  are linked together. The bottom bearing sheet material  13  is made of a flexible material, such as nylon cloth, plastic sheet material, canvass, etc. Further, the bottom bearing sheet material  13  is stitched to the bindings  12  at the bottom sides of the four upright peripheral panels of the container body  1 . Each first reinforcing strip  14  can be formed of a single strip having a length equal to the transverse width of the upright peripheral panels of the container body  1 . In this case, upright peripheral panel of the container body  1  is not folding collapsible. Alternatively, each first reinforcing strip  14  can be formed of two equal strip members hinged together. In this case, the container body  1  can be folded into a collapsed flat manner (see  FIGS. 2A and 2B ). 
         [0034]    The bottom panel  2  is formed of a number of bamboo strips  21  and weaving cords  211 . The weaving cords  211  link the bamboo strips  21  together in a parallel manner. Further, each of the four sides of each upright peripheral panel of the bottom panel  2  is respectively provided a binding  22 . When the container body  1  is set up, the bottom panel  2  is put in the container body  1  and supported on the bottom bearing sheet material  13  with its four sides respectively stopped against the four upright peripheral panels of the container body  1 . 
         [0035]    The formation of the edge of the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body  1  can be achieved, as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , by means of: arranging bamboo strips  11  in vertical in a parallel manner, and then horizontally attaching one first reinforcing strip  14  to the bamboo strips  11  at the top, and then fastening one binding  12  to the bamboo strips  11  with stitches  15  to hold the first reinforcing strip  14  at the top of the bamboo strips  11 . 
         [0036]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate a second edge-forming method for the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body  1 . This second edge-forming method is same as the aforesaid first method shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  with the exception of that second reinforcing strips  14 A are stitched to the inner side of the bamboo curtain either in vertical or horizontal. The second reinforcing strips  14 A reinforce the strength of the bamboo curtain. However, the locations of the second reinforcing strips  14 A must not hinder the folding collapsible function of the bamboo curtain. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate a third edge-forming method for the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body  1 . This third method is substantially similar to the second method shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B  with the exception that pockets  16  are stitched to the inner side of the bamboo curtain either in vertical or horizontal, and a second reinforcing strip  14 A is respectively is mounted in each pocket  16 . 
         [0038]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate a fourth edge-forming method for the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body according to the present invention. According to this method, bamboo strips  11  are horizontally arranged in a parallel manner, and then one first reinforcing strip  14  is horizontally attached to the top side of the topmost bamboo strip  11 , and then one binding  12  is fastened to the topmost bamboo strip  11  with stitches to hold the first reinforcing strip  14  at the top of the topmost bamboo strip  11 . 
         [0039]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate a fifth edge-forming method for the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body according to the present invention. This fifth edge-forming method is same as the aforesaid fourth method shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  with the exception of that second reinforcing strips  14 A are stitched to the inner side of the bamboo curtain either in vertical or horizontal. The second reinforcing strips  14 A reinforce the strength of the bamboo curtain. However, the locations of the second reinforcing strips  14 A must not hinder the folding collapsible function of the bamboo curtain. 
         [0040]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  illustrate a sixth edge-forming method for the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body  1 . This sixth method is substantially similar to the fifth method shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B  with the exception that pockets  16  are stitched to the inner side of the bamboo curtain either in vertical or horizontal, and a second reinforcing strip  14 A is respectively is mounted in each pocket  16 . 
         [0041]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  illustrate a seventh edge-forming method for the bamboo curtain for each upright peripheral panel of the container body according to the present invention. According to this method, bamboo strips  17  are vertically arranged in a parallel manner, and then cords  17 A are inserted through insertion holes (not shown) on the bamboo strips  17  to link the bamboo strips  17  together, and then one binding  12  is fastened to the top of the bamboo strips  11  with stitches. In another alternate form, the bamboo strips  17  are horizontally arranged in a parallel manner, and then one cords  17 A are inserted through insertion holes (not shown) on the bamboo strips  17  to link the bamboo strips  17  together. 
         [0042]    It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
         [0043]    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 spirit of the present invention.