Abstract:
The present invention includes a collapsible container defined by a continuous rigid structure and an interior liner that is uniformly affixed thereto. The continuous rigid structure is preferably four-sided such that it defines four continuous surfaces of a cube. The continuous rigid structure is collapsible due to at least one scoring line defined on at least one surface thereof. The liner is integrally affixed to each of the four sides and additionally provides a fifth side that forms the bottom of the container. A protective cover is secured to the exterior of the continuous rigid structure for protecting the contained materials against the elements. The cover can be selectively sealed for rendering the container of the present invention substantially impervious to the elements.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to containers for storing and/or transporting materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to collapsible containers that may be employed to transport bulk materials including, but not limited to, hazardous materials.  
         [0003]     2. Summary of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Metal containers are generally used to store and transport bulk materials, particularly hazardous materials. These metal containers are expensive to purchase, rent and store. They are fairly large and therefore require a considerable amount of space to maintain on site. That required space could be considerable, dependent upon the amount of material that must be stored and/or transported. While the storage volume of metal containers is considerable, the volume of material that is storable within multiple containers is diminished by the fact that the metal containers are generally cylindrical in nature. Cylinders generally cannot be oriented in a space-efficient manner. As such, there is a need in the art for containers that will contain a high volume of material and be storable in a low volume storage facility.  
         [0005]     To meet this need, bag containers have been employed. Such bags take up much less space when not in use. However, such bags are of insufficient physical characteristics for transport purposes. That is, they are generally not tough enough to stand up to the rigors of movement by mechanical devices such as forklifts, accidental drops into cargo holds, stacking, and the like. Moreover, bag containers are easily deformed by the materials that they contain. As such, bag containers are not reliably stackable, and hence bag containers do not provide for efficient transport or storing of voluminous materials.  
         [0006]     In order to overcome the limitations associated with flexible bags and rigid metal boxes, a series of collapsible containers have been developed. While these containers provide storage and transport benefits, they lack the rigidity and impermeability to contain a wide range of materials, such as hazardous materials. Therefore, what is needed is a collapsible container for the storage and transport of bulk materials suitable for retaining a range of materials. What is also needed is a collapsible container that minimizes the exposure of the materials to the surrounding environment. Lastly, there is a need in the art for a collapsible container that can reliably hold its shape while stacked during storage and transport.  
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
       [0007]     Accordingly, the present invention provides a collapsible container defined by a continuous rigid structure and an interior liner that is uniformly affixed thereto. The continuous rigid structure is preferably four-sided, such that it defines four continuous surfaces of a cube. The liner is integrally affixed to each of the four sides and additionally provides a fifth side that forms the bottom of the container. A protective cover is secured to the exterior of the continuous rigid structure for protecting the contained materials against the elements.  
         [0008]     The container of the present invention is selectively sealable via a pair of flaps that form part of the cover. The flaps are selectively attached to the exterior of the cover through a mechanical means, such as a loop and eyelet closure. In such a manner, the container can be easily and effectively sealed for stacking and transport without worry that the materials contained therein will be unnecessarily exposed to moisture and debris. The container of the present invention is also collapsible for storage and empty transport. A pair of scoring lines is defined on opposing sides of the continuous rigid structure such that the container can be folded inwards and collapse into a substantially planar square.  
         [0009]     The container of the present invention thus provides numerous benefits over the existing art. Namely, the container of the present invention combines the rigidity of a metal container with the adaptability of a semi-rigid container. Moreover, the liner and cover cooperate to render the container of the present invention substantially impervious to environmental damage that otherwise might harm the materials within. Further features and advantages of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is an elevated perspective view of the collapsible container of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the collapsible container of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a partial cut-away elevated perspective view of the collapsible container of the present invention, a portion of which is magnified for descriptive purposes.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is an elevated perspective view of a sealed collapsible container in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIGS. 5, 6  and  7  are a series of partial plan views of the present invention illustrating the mechanism by which the container is collapsed. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     The present invention provides a collapsible container that is rigid enough for stacking, storing and transporting a variety of materials. Unlike the ubiquitous metal containers, however, the container of the present invention can be collapsed from a substantially cubic volume into a substantially flat square for easy stacking and storage. The present invention thus provides numerous benefits to the user, as described more fully below with reference to the drawings.  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is an elevated perspective view of the collapsible container  10  of the present invention. The container  10  preferably includes four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  that are arranged in a symmetrical fashion so as to form part of a cubic structure defining a cavity within which materials may be contained. The four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  are preferably integral portions of a continuous rigid structure. That is, the four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  are not structurally independent, and therefore provide a greater degree of rigidity and structural integrity than the current state of the art containers. The four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  preferably form a rigid structure composed of corrugated board or similar materials that may be readily manufactured while providing light weight, rigidity and ease of storage.  
         [0017]     Although the container  10  of the present invention is substantially more rigid than existing containers, it is also readily collapsible and storable by a user. Two of the four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  include scoring lines  42  (depicted in phantom) that permit the four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  to be collapsed into a substantially planar structure as further described herein. The scoring lines  42  allow a user to collapse and store the present invention in the minimum amount of space while maintaining the structural rigidity of the container  10 .  
         [0018]     A cover  20  defines a substantially cubic form that is disposed over the four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18 . The cover  20  further defines a bottom (not shown), as well as two flaps  22 ,  24  that, in use, cooperate to enclose the contents of the container  10 . The cover  20  also includes a plurality of tabs  21  that may be fixed to the interior of the four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  for securing the cover  20  to the four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18 . The plurality of tabs  21  may be affixed thereto by glue, epoxy, resin or any other adhesive that is known in the art.  
         [0019]     The flaps  22 ,  24  include at least one end portion  26  for selectively engaging the cover  20  of the container  10 , thereby securing its contents. Any conventional and secure fastening means may be used to secure an end portion  26  of a flap  24 ,  26  to a corresponding portion of the cover  20 . For example, the end portions  26  may include a plurality of eyelets  28  which are adapted for receiving a plurality of ties  34 ,  36 ,  38  disposed on the exterior of the cover  20 . The user may encapsulate the container  10  by folding flaps  22 ,  24  down over the cavity of the container  10  and affixing the end portions  26  to the plurality of ties  34 ,  36 ,  38  through the eyelets  28 . As the cover  20  is preferably composed of a water resistant or waterproof material, the user can substantially insulate the container  10  against all kinds of moisture and corrosive elements by closing the flaps  22 ,  24  in the manner described above. It should be understood that the eyelet-tie mechanism is only one means by which the container  10  may be closed, and other similar mechanisms for selectively affixing two objects are equivalent to those described herein.  
         [0020]     The four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  are sandwiched between the cover  20  and a liner  30  that is affixed to the four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  on the interior portion of the container  10 . The liner  30  preferably includes a fifth surface (not shown) that forms the bottom portion of the container  10 . The liner  30  is preferably form-fitted to the four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  and uniformly affixed thereto by glue, epoxy, resin or any other adhesive that is known in the art. The liner  30  is affixed to the four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  in such a manner so as to render it coplanar with each of the four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18 . That is, the liner  30  is affixed to substantially all of the interior surfaces of the respective four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18 . As the liner  30  also includes the bottom portion, the liner  30  and four sides  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  substantially form five sides of a substantially symmetric cubic structure. The liner  30  is preferably composed of a water resistant or water proof synthetic material that is also resistive to degradation by temperature and corrosive compounds.  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the container  10  of the present invention. As shown, the continuous rigid structure  40  is shown having scoring lines  42  disposed thereon. As previously noted, the continuous rigid structure is preferably comprised of corrugated board, although other equivalent structures that provide the necessary rigidity, weight, and ease of use may also be used. The liner  30  is substantially similar in size and shape to the continuous rigid structure  40 , except for its fifth side (not shown) that forms the bottom of the container  10 . The liner  30  optionally includes a folding portion  32  (shown in cross-hatch) that is folded over the top of the continuous rigid structure  40  and affixed to the exterior thereof by glue, epoxy, resin or any other suitable adhesive material or method. In one embodiment of the container  10 , the liner  30  may be gathered and sealed by any conventional means for containing the contents of the container  10 . In a preferred embodiment, the liner  30  is uniformly affixed to the interior of the continuous rigid structure  40  so as to integrate the surfaces of the liner  30  with the inner surfaces of the continuous rigid structure  40 . The resultant structure is referred to as an integrated rigid structure  50 .  
         [0022]     The continuous rigid structure  40  and liner  30 , once formed into the integrated rigid structure  50 , can be fit within the cover  20 . The plurality of flaps  21  are then folded over the integrated rigid structure  50  and affixed to the interior thereof. That is, the flaps  21  are affixed to the liner  30 , which has been previously affixed to the continuous rigid structure  40 , so as to prevent any exposure of the continuous rigid structure  40  to the elements or the materials stored in the container  10 .  
         [0023]     The interplay between the cover  20 , liner  30  and continuous rigid structure  40  can be seen in  FIG. 3 , which is a partial cut-away elevated perspective view of the collapsible container of the present invention, a portion of which is magnified for descriptive purposes. The magnified portion M depicts the top edge of the container  10  where the continuous rigid structure  40  forms the core of a series of overlapping materials. As shown, the liner  30  is disposed on one side of the continuous rigid structure  40 , and the cover  20  is disposed on its opposite side. The foldable portion  32  is folded over the continuous rigid structure  40  and disposed underneath the cover  20 , while the tab  21  is folded over the continuous rigid structure  40  and the foldable portion  32 , and affixed to the interior of the liner  30 . As shown therefore, both the tab  21  and the foldable portion  32  protect the top of the continuous rigid structure  40  from any elemental interference. Also shown in  FIG. 3  is the bottom portion of the liner  30  that comprised the bottom portion of the container  10 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is an elevated perspective view of a sealed collapsible container  10  in accordance with the present invention. As shown, the flaps  22  (not visible),  24  are folded over the container  10  such that the end portions  26  are aligned with the plurality of ties  34 ,  36 ,  38 . The plurality of ties  34 ,  36 ,  38  may be looped through the eyelets  28  on the end portions  26  in order to secure the flaps  22 ,  24  and seal the container  10 . It should be noted that only flap  24  is shown in  FIG. 4 , but it is understood that flap  22  also could have been shown. In either arrangement, the container  10  is sealable against the elements, and in particular, the contained materials are shielded from moisture and debris.  
         [0025]      FIGS. 5, 6  and  7  are a series of partial plan views of the present invention illustrating the mechanism by which the container is collapsed. Unlike existing semi-rigid containers, the container of the present invention  10  is collapsible into a small area for easy storage and transport.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a partial plan view of the container  10  of the present invention omitting the cover  20 . As shown, the surface of the bottom of the container  10  is the liner  30 . Scoring lines  42  are shown disposed on opposing sides of the continuous rigid structure  40 . It should be noted that the scoring lines  42  are symmetrically placed about the continuous rigid structure  40  such that the container  10  is collapsible into a small space, through the introduction of an accordion-fold, without stretching the liner  30  and cover  20  (not shown) which comprise the bottom of the container  10 . The scoring lines  42  are disposed on the continuous rigid structure  40  such that it is readily collapsible as described. However, the scoring lines  42  are not sufficiently deep so as to damage or diminish the structural integrity of the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  is a partial plan view of the container  10  of the present invention shown at a midpoint during its collapse.  FIG. 7 a  partial plan view of the container  10  of the present invention in its collapsed state wherein it forms a substantially planar object that is substantially square and easily stored and transported.  
         [0028]     The container  10  of the present invention as described herein provides a number of tangible benefits over the existing rigid and semi-rigid containers known in the art. The container of the present invention is rigid enough for stacking, storing and transporting a variety of materials that other semi-rigid containers cannot handle. Moreover, unlike the rigid metal containers, the container of the present invention can be collapsed from a substantially cubic volume into a substantially flat square for easy stacking and storage.  
         [0029]     It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of but a few of the many possible specific embodiments of the present invention. Numerous and various other arrangements can be readily devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.