Combination play station and container

The present invention relates to a combination play station and container. In its broadest context, the invention includes a receptacle with a number of flaps secured thereto. Additionally, the receptacle includes a number of smaller containers which are slidably secured thereto. These smaller containers are labeled with the names of various vehicle accessories. Additionally, these containers are adapted to hold toy versions of such accessories. In the preferred embodiment, there are three flaps which are each pivotally secured to the container. These flaps can be pivoted outwardly such that entire container obtained an opened configuration. Alternatively, each of the flaps can be folded over the receptacle such that the container in placed in a closed orientation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a container and more particularly pertains 
to such container which functions as a play station for toy vehicles. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of a toy vehicles is known in the prior art. More specifically, 
such toy vehicles are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and 
obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs 
encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the 
fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,040 to Shiraishi discloses a 
construction toy set. U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,820 to Good discloses a 
connection for miniature toy vehicle parts. U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,692 to 
Daenen discloses a car and boat toy with removable parts. U.S. Pat. No. 
4,895,542 to de Blanitza discloses a toy automobile with attachments. U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,953,937 to Pfeilsticker discloses a part assembly for toy 
vehicles. U.S. Design Pat. No. 313,824 to Weiland discloses a toy dump 
truck attachment. 
In this respect, the container and play station of the present invention 
substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the 
prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for 
the purpose of providing a play area for toy vehicle and a storage 
compartment for toy vehicle components. 
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for 
improved toy play stations. In this regard, the present invention 
substantially fulfills this need. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of toy 
vehicles, and associated component parts, now present in the prior art, 
the present invention provides a novel combination play station and toy 
vehicle storage container. As such, the general purpose of the present 
invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to 
provide a multi-function container. 
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a combination 
play station and container. In its broadest context, the invention 
includes a receptacle with a number of flaps secured thereto. 
Additionally, the receptacle includes a number of smaller containers which 
are slidably secured thereto. These smaller containers are labeled with 
the names of various vehicle accessories. Additionally, these containers 
are adapted to hold toy versions of such accessories. In the preferred 
embodiment, there are three flaps which are each pivotally secured to the 
container. These flaps can be pivoted outwardly such that entire container 
obtained an opened configuration. Alternatively, each of the flaps can be 
folded over the receptacle such that the container in placed in a closed 
orientation. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved combination play station for toy vehicles and container. The 
combination comprises a major receptacle having an interior, a forward 
opened portion, and a closed rearward portion. The forward opened portion 
is defined by first and second elongated edges as well as by upper and 
lower edges. The major receptacle further includes and upper surface with 
a handle secured thereto. Nine smaller containers are included, with each 
of the smaller containers being slidably secured within the major 
receptacle and disposed in a first, a second, and a third horizontal row 
with three containers per row. Each of the containers has item labels, the 
containers within the first row being labeled "Hitches", "Running Boards", 
and "Sun Roofs", the containers within the second row being labeled 
"Visors", "Bed Liners" and "Bug Shields", the containers within the third 
row being labeled "Grill Guards", "vent Visors" and "Tonneau Covers". A 
first side flap is secured along the first edge of the major receptacle, 
with the first side flap having a first orientation wherein the flap is 
disposed over the major receptacle and a second orientation wherein the 
flap is folded away from the major receptacle. The first side flap has an 
inner surface, the inner surface contains pictures corresponding to the 
items labeled upon the smaller containers. A second side flap is included 
and is secured to the second edge of the major receptacle, the second side 
flap has a first orientation wherein the flap is disposed over the major 
receptacle and a second orientation wherein the flap is pivoted away from 
the major receptacle. The second flap has an inner surface,with the inner 
surface containing pictures of an office environment. A third flap is 
secured to the lower edge of the major receptacle, with the third flap 
having an outer extent with a pivotal upper cover secured thereto, the 
upper cover has a oblong cutout formed therein adapted to be inserted over 
the handle. The third flap has a first orientation covering the major 
receptacle with the upper cover disposed over the upper surface and handle 
of the major receptacle. The third flap has both inner and outer surfaces, 
with the inner surface having streets and roads depicted thereon, and the 
outer surface having indicia printed thereon. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a storage 
container for toy vehicle accessories. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a container 
which also functions as a play station for toy vehicles. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide such a 
container/play station which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture 
with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then 
susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making 
such container/play station economically available to the buying public. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container 
with pictures of the various accessories stored within the container. 
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a 
container/play station with two orientations: a first opened orientation 
and a second closed orientation. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several 
views of the drawings. 
Description of the Preferred Embodiment 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof, 
the combination play station and container is depicted. In its broadest 
context, the invention includes a receptacle with an number of flaps 
secured thereto. Additionally, the receptacle includes a number of smaller 
containers which are slidably secured thereto. These smaller containers 
are labeled with the names of various vehicle accessories. Additionally, 
these containers are adapted to hold toy versions of such accessories. In 
the preferred embodiment, there are three flaps which are each pivotally 
secured to the container. These flaps can be pivoted outwardly such that 
entire container obtained an opened configuration. Alternatively, each of 
the flaps can be folded over the receptacle such that the container in 
placed in a closed orientation. The various components of the preset 
invention, and the manner in which they interrelate will be described in 
greater detail hereinafter. 
With reference to FIG. 5, the combination play station and container 10 is 
illustrated in its opened configuration. Such container is specifically 
for use in conjunction with toy vehicles. The container of the present 
invention includes a major receptacle 20. This major receptacle 20 is 
defined by an interior 22, a forward opened portion, and a closed rearward 
portion. The forward opened portion, in turn, is defined by first 24 and 
second 26 elongated edges as well as upper 28 and lower 32 edges. With 
continuing reference to FIG. 5, the upper surface 34 of the major 
receptacle, and the handle 36 which is secured thereto, is illustrated. 
In the preferred embodiment, nine smaller containers 38 are included within 
the major receptacle. Each of these smaller containers 38 is slidably 
secured within the major receptacle 20. The preferred arrangement has the 
smaller containers 38 disposed in first, second, and third horizontal 
rows, with three containers per row. Additionally, each of the containers 
has an item labels. The preferred labeling arrangement is as follows: the 
containers within the first row are labeled "Hitches", "Running Boards", 
and "Sun Roofs"; the containers within the second row are labeled 
"Visors", "Bed Liners" and "Bug Shields";and the containers within the 
third row are labeled "Grill Guards", "Vent Visors" and "Tonneau Covers". 
Such labels corresponding to the miniature vehicle items which can be 
stored within each of the smaller containers 38. 
The flaps associated with the major receptacle will next be described. The 
first side flap 42 is secured along the first edge 24 of the major 
receptacle 20. This first side flap 42 has a first orientation wherein the 
flap 42 is disposed over the major receptacle 20, and a second orientation 
wherein the flap 42 is folded away from the major receptacle 20. FIG. 5 
illustrates the first flap 42 in the second orientation. Additionally, the 
first side flap includes an inner surface. Such inner surface, in the 
preferred embodiment,contains pictures 44 corresponding to the items 
labeled upon the smaller containers. Thus, the inner surface contains 
pictures of visors, bed liners, sun roofs etc. Thus, with the container in 
its opened orientation, a user can readily see exactly what items are 
stored within each of the nine smaller containers. 
The second side flap 46, in a similar fashion, is secured to the second 
edge 26 of the major receptacle. The second side flap 46 has a first 
orientation wherein the flap 46 is disposed over the major receptacle 20, 
and a second orientation wherein the flap 46 is pivoted away from the 
major receptacle 20. This second orientation is illustrated in FIG. 5. The 
second flap 46 also includes an inner surface. In the preferred 
embodiment, such inner surface contains pictures 48 of an office 
environment. For example, the inner surface can depict a desk, a chair, a 
computer a couch and the like. 
The third flap 52 is secured to the lower edge 32 of the major receptacle 
20. This flap 52 further includes an outer extent with a pivotal upper 
cover 54 secured thereto. The upper cover has a oblong cutout 56 formed 
through its thickness. The cutout 56 is adapted to be inserted over the 
handle 36, such that the handle 36 can extend through the upper cover 54. 
The first orientation of the third flap 52 is achieved with the flap 
covering the major receptacle 20 and with the upper cover 54 disposed over 
the upper surface 34. In such orientation, the handle 36 of the major 
receptacle 20 extends through the upper cover 54. The third flap 52 
includes both inner and outer surfaces each with indicia formed thereon. 
The inner surface having streets and roads 58 depicted thereon, and the 
outer surface having indicia 62 printed thereon. 
Thus, with the container in the opened orientation, illustrated in FIG. 5, 
toy vehicles can be maneuvered over the streets depicted upon the inner 
surface of the third flap. Additionally, the user can select, via the 
items depicted upon the inner surface of the first flap, the items for 
accessorizing the vehicle. Such items can be found with in smaller 
containers with the major receptacle. The closed orientation of the 
container is achieved by placing both the first and second flaps in facing 
relation with the major receptacle. Then, the third flap can be placed in 
facing relation, overlying both the first and second flaps. The upper 
cover can then be folded overtop of the container with the aperture of the 
upper cover inserted over the handle of the container. In this manner, the 
container is maintained in its closed orientation. Lastly, the container 
can also include such items as official certificates denoting the vehicle 
accessory shop. Such certificates are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same 
should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further 
discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.