Abstract:
A collapsible storage container having a displaceable access opening for tracking and providing proximate access to said diapers stored within. Said collapsible container further includes a rigid non-collapsible portion at the top separated into two separate portions, the first portion being the top of said collapsible diaper storage area and the second portion being a discrete independent separate storage area for containing treated or medicated diaper wipes. Said second diaper wipe area having its own separate access area including a hinge and a depression or tab to access the sheets of said diaper wipes.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to adjustable volume and collapsible containers and in particular to an adjustable volume and collapsible container having a displaceable access means for accessing the stored materials within the container.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    Variable height and variable volume containers are well known in the art:  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,338 is directed to such an adjustable volume container. U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,338 teaches a perimeter side wall that is adjustably extendable to increase or decrease the volume of the interior space. A removable lid is provided.  
           [0006]    Design Pat. No. 342,674 is directed to an ornamental design for an expandable container.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,213 is directed to a collapsible and reusable container having a resealable cap.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,236 is directed to a carton with an opening for a controlled dispensing of materials therein. The opening reveals the entire side of the stack of materials therein and would be useful for grabbing and dispensing the entire stack of materials.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,325 is directed to an apparatus having a rectangular frame with an inverted y-shaped partition so as to form two compartments for holding two stacks of diapers each at an incline.  
           [0010]    While the variable containers of the above-identified patent references are more or less suitable for their intended purposes, they are not suitable for storing diapers or other materials inside while also having a convenient container for medicated or other suitable wipe sheets to be stored. It is essential to have convenient access to these wipes to be able to clean the diaper area of the baby during a diaper change. As such, an adjustable container such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,338 would not be suitable, nor all the other containers of the Relevant Art, because in order to access the contents you must remove the top from the container and set it down in which case the wipe sheets would no longer be at a convenient position for access. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a variable height/volume container with a non-removable lid that has a displaceable access means for tracking the top height of the materials (such as for example diapers) contained inside and providing access to same.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    Briefly, the present invention is a first variable height adjustable container having a displaceable access means for tracking the variable height of the materials contained within the container and providing access to the same. The container of the invention further includes a second non-adjustable fixed container disposed on the top portion of the variable container, said second fixed container having suitable access openings for both placing wipe sheet materials therein and dispensing therefrom. The variable height container includes four side walls, each having pleated accordion-like longitudinal folds disposed on each of its four rectangular architecture side walls and a rigid side wall portion disposed on the top thereof. Said rigid side wall portion has a rectangular access opening suitable for accessing the contents of the container. The principal purpose of the invention is to hold cloth or disposable diapers within the collapsible portion of the container and the access opening is sized to adequately permit easy removal of the top diaper contained therein. There is a second additional rigid container disposed at the top of the rigid top portion of the variable container, said second rigid container is suitable for storing single-sheet treated diaper wipe sheets for use of an individual changing the diaper of a baby. These diaper wipe sheets are preferably impregnated or otherwise treated with medicinal or convenient lotion materials and therefore require a second fully self-contained hermetically sealed storage container to prevent smearing of the treatment materials. The displaceable access means of the present invention therefore is disposed in the side wall of the variable height container directly below the rigid diaper wipe container and directly above the pleated accordion-like side walls of this variable height container. This positioning of the rectangular access means allows this rectangular access means to be displaceable with the displacement of the variable side walls of the variable container and further allows it to constantly track the decreasing height of the diapers or other materials contained therein so as to provide convenient access to the user of the top portion of the diaper or other materials contained therein. Loading of both the diaper wipe sheets and the diapers themselves are provided by two hinges disposed in the side of the rigid top portion of said variable container so as to provide access both to the first lower variable height container and the second upper rigid container. Said containing means further includes rigid access tabs disposed upon the opposite side wall from the flexible hinges so as to provide ease of opening both the top rigid container and the bottom variable height container for placing suitable contents therein. The rigid diaper wipe container on the top further includes either an indentation or a protruding tab disposed in its uppermost surface and a third lid having an opposing flexible hinge from the indentation or protruding tab. The indentation or protruding tab allowing opening of the third access opening so as to provide ease of access to the diaper wipe sheets contained therein. The first variable height container and the second fixed upper container may be formed as a unitary or separate construction without departing from the teachings of the invention.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    The invention may be understood and further advantages and uses thereof more readily apparent, when considered in view of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a front view of the present variable container invention constructed according to the teachings of the invention, illustrating the pleated accordion-like side wall of the variable container as well as the rigid container portion disposed on top thereof;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a top view of the variable container constructed according to the teachings of the invention shown in FIG. 1 illustrating a small rectangular hinged top portion for access to the rigid container disposed on top; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a side view of the variable height container constructed according to the teachings of the invention further illustrating both a displaceable access means that tracks the variable height of the container and provides access to the materials contained therein as well as three flexible hinges and three rigid opening tabs or levers for opening both the variable height container portion on the bottom, the rigid diaper wipe container portion on the top, and a third rectangular hinged portion at the very top for providing access to the diaper wipe materials therein.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention shown with the variable volume chamber of the invention in an extended condition.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention shown with the variable volume chamber of the invention in a collapsed condition. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]    Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a front elevational view of the adjustable collapsible container  12  constructed according to the teachings of the invention. Adjustable height container  12  includes base  14  and an adjustable height perimeter side wall  16  disposed around the base  14  to define an interior space where a storable material such as for instance a diaper may be placed. The perimeter side wall  16  has an adjustable height H defined as extending between the top portion  18  of perimeter side wall  16  and the bottom of the container  14 . This height H is fully adjustable and extendable to increase or decrease the interior volume of the interior space defined by perimeter side wall  16 . The adjustable extension of perimeter side wall  16  is permitted because side wall  16  has disposed thereon a pleated portion  22  extending around it. This pleated portion  22  has a plurality of longitudinal folds that are arranged in an accordion fashion between bottom  14  and top  18  of perimeter side wall  16 . Any acceptable material may be used for pleated portion  22 , however, preferably the material will be flexible but characterized by having a tendency to return to the folded configuration when expanded, easily cleaned, and water resistant. FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the container  12  with the variable volume chamber of the invention in an extended condition. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the container  12  shown with the variable volume chamber of the invention in a collapsed condition.  
         [0019]    Top portion  32  of perimeter side wall  16  is made of a rigid non-extendable material and is divided into three separate top portions,  34 ,  36  and  38  respectively. First top portion  34  is simply a rigid area used as the top of the extendable pliable pleated area  22  and is used both to store materials therein and as will be explained later, is used as a dispensing area for the user to obtain materials out of the extendable storage container below. Second top portion  36  is a rigid container that is used to store the pliable treated diaper wipes therein. Third top portion  38  is also used as a storage area for treated diaper wipes and also as will be shown later is used as an area in which to access and from which to retrieve diaper wipes (at the top  42  of container  12  there is disposed a hinged access door  44  which allow access to the treated diaper wipe sheet material). The non expandable portions of the container  12  maybe made of virtually any acceptable material, however, a tough plastic material is preferred. Both first and second top portions  34  and  36  have a rigid finger leverage tab  46  and  48  respectively which are used for leveraging open the first and second top portions of adjustable container  12 . In addition, top hinged access door  44  includes a rigid opening tab  52  which again is used for prying open top hinged access door  44  in order to retrieve the treated sheet wipe material. In some embodiments it is preferred that the container  12  include a carrying means such as a strap or handle.  
         [0020]    Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a top view of adjustable container  12  showing the top portion  18  of perimeter side wall  16  and showing in particular both first and second tab members  46  and  48  and tab member  52  which are used for opening adjustable container  12 . In addition, there is shown back hinge  62  and top hinge  64  which are used for opening hinged access door  44  and second top portion  38  of adjustable container  12 , respectively.  
         [0021]    Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown an elevational side view of expandable adjustable container  12  illustrating in particular displaceable access opening  72  which access opening  72  is displaceable to follow the collapse of adjustable container  12  as the amount of diapers contained inside is depleted such that displaceable and accessible access opening  72  is always proximate the location of the top diaper of the stored diapers. FIG. 3 further illustrates once again opening tabs  46  and  48  and  52  as well as back hinges  64 ,  66  and  68  respectively.  
         [0022]    In operation first lift tab  46  is used to open up the adjustable bottom portion of container  12  wherein the diapers can be loaded therein. Second rigid tab  48  can be used to open the second portion of the rigid top portion of adjustable container  12  to load the wipe sheets therein. Rigid tab  52  can be used to open the top hinged access door  44  in order to pull out the wipe sheets for use in dressing and cleaning the baby during a diaper change. As diapers are removed from displaceable access opening  72  the adjustable portion  22  of side wall  16  will naturally decrease in height due to the weight of diaper wipe sheets contained in upper storage area  32  or otherwise by the user pressing down on upper storage area  32 . As the displaceable access opening  72  decreases in height H along with the side wall portion  22  of side wall perimeter  16  then the uppermost diaper is always accessible to the fingertips of the user. Displaceable access means  72  not only tracks the height of the stored material such as stored diapers, but displaceable access means  72  also maintains proximate relationship to the side of the uppermost or topmost stored material within collapsible storage container  12 . Keeping this proximate access to the top material makes collapsible storage container  12  workable for always being able to access or dispense the top diaper through rectangular access opening  72 . Access opening  72  only has to be designed to the correct opening width for whatever size diaper or other material is stored inside collapsible container  12 .  
         [0023]    With respect to the sizes of the materials such as for instance diapers that are to be stored within expandable container  12 , it is to be understood that the optimal dimensional relationships for the side walls and other parts of the above described collapsible storage means  12  includes variations in sizes and materials that would lend collapsible storage means  12  to its intended use. Although not to be limited hereto, the following sizes and materials are found to be optimized for multiple sized diapers such as newborn through adult: the container should preferably define an area approximately 5 inches by 8 inches for babies below 2 years of age, approximately 5 inches by 10 inches for children 2 to 3 years of age, and the container preferably define an area approximately 8 inches by 10 inches to accommodate geriatric or adult diaper sizes. Although not to be limited hereto, it is preferred that the volume of the container be sufficient to hold at least 4-5 diapers of the appropriate size.