Abstract:
A twist collapsible bag includes a collapsible bag body and a collapsible frame structure, which supports the collapsible bag body in shape, having a plurality of annular frame members horizontally arranged at different elevations and a plurality of vertical support rods vertically and equiangularly arranged between each two adjacent annular frame members and kept apart from the respective annular frame members at a predetermined gap such that when twisting the annular frame members relative to one another, the vertical support rods are biased from vertical to horizontal, thereby collapsing the twist collapsible bag into a flat condition.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to collapsible bags and more particularly, to a twist collapsible bag, which can be collapsed into a flat condition by means of a twisting operation. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    A collapsible storage box is known comprising a collapsible rectangular box body made of a flexible sheet material and a collapsible frame structure supporting the collapsible rectangular box body in shape. The collapsible frame structure comprises a plurality of first horizontal rod members and a plurality of second horizontal rod members arranged at four sides at two different elevations and a plurality of vertical rod members set in between the first horizontal rod members and the second horizontal rod members in four corners. When not in use, the collapsible storage box can be twisted into a flat condition. This design of collapsible storage box has a complicated structure because it is formed of a big number of component parts. Further, the limited storage space of this design of collapsible storage box may be unable to satisfy the user&#39;s needs. 
         [0005]    Further, U.S. Ser. No. 11/221,689 discloses a collapsible multi-stack storage container, which comprises a plurality of rectangular shell members made of a flexible sheet material and vertically connected in a string, a flexible bottom panel made of the same flexible sheet material and stitched to the bottom side of the bottom rectangular shell member, a plurality of horizontal flexible rod members respectively horizontally fastened to the four sides of each of the rectangular shell members around the top opening thereof, a plurality of vertical rods respectively vertically affixed to the four corners of each rectangular shell member and a hard bottom board supported on the flexible bottom panel. By means of twisting the horizontal flexible rod members at each rectangular shell member, the collapsible multi-stack storage container is collapsed into a flat condition. This design of collapsible multi-stack storage container utilizes a big number of horizontal rod members, complicating the structure and increasing the manufacturing cost. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a twist collapsible, which has a simple structure and can easily be collapsed into a flat condition by means of a twisting operation. 
         [0007]    To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a twist collapsible bag comprises collapsible bag body made of a strong and tough sheet member and a collapsible frame structure supporting the collapsible bag body in shape. The collapsible frame structure comprises a plurality of annular frame members horizontally arranged at different elevations and a plurality of vertical support rods vertically and equiangularly arranged between each two adjacent annular frame members and kept apart from the respective annular frame members at a predetermined gap. By means of twisting the annular frame members relative to one another, the vertical support rods are biased from vertical to horizontal, thereby collapsing the twist collapsible bag into a flat condition. 
         [0008]    Further, each annular frame member of the collapsible frame structure can be made by bending a metal wire rod into a circular shape and then welding the two ends of the metal wire rod together. 
         [0009]    Alternatively, each annular frame member of the collapsible frame structure can be made by bending a metal wire rod into a circular shape and then fixedly fastening the two ends of the metal wire rod together with an adhesive. 
         [0010]    Alternatively, the annular frame members of the collapsible frame structure can be directly made from plastics by injection molding. 
         [0011]    Further, the collapsible bag body has double-layer wall structure, and the frame structure is embedded in the double-layer wall structure of the collapsible bag body and affixed thereto with stitches. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a collapsible frame structure for a twist collapsible bag in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an elevational view of a collapsible frame structure for a twist collapsible bag in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an elevational view of a collapsible frame structure for a twist collapsible bag in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an elevational view of a collapsible frame structure for a twist collapsible bag in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a schematic perspective view of the twist collapsible bag in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a schematic plain side view of the twist collapsible bag in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a schematic drawing of the second embodiment of the present invention, showing the first annular frame member twisted relative to the second annular frame member. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  corresponds to  FIG. 7 , showing the second annular frame member twisted relative to the third annular frame member. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  illustrates the collapsed condition of the twist collapsible bag in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    A twist collapsible bag in accordance with the present invention can be a single stack design, double-stack design, triple-stack design or any design having more than four stacks wherein the frame structure in each stack is collapsible, including one annular frame member horizontally disposed at each of the top and bottom sides and a plurality of vertical support rods vertically and equiangularly arranged between the two annular frame members. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates a collapsible frame structure for a twist collapsible bag in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the collapsible frame structure comprises a first annular frame member  1 A, a second annular frame member  1 B and a third annular frame member  1 C horizontally arranged at three different elevations, one first vertical support rod  2 A and one second vertical support rod  2 B vertically arranged between the first annular frame member  1 A and the second annular frame member  1 B at two opposite sides and another first vertical support rod  2 A and another second vertical support rod  2 B vertically arranged between the second annular frame member  1 B and the third annular frame member  1 C at two opposite sides. The vertical support rods  2 A and  2 B are kept apart from the adjacent annular frame members  1 A and/or  1 B and/or  1 C at a predetermined gap. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  illustrates a collapsible frame structure for a twist collapsible bag in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the collapsible frame structure comprises a first annular frame member  1 A, a second annular frame member  1 B and a third annular frame member  1 C horizontally arranged at three different elevations, one first vertical support rod  2 A, one second vertical support rod  2 B and one third vertical support rod  2 C vertically and equiangularly arranged between the first annular frame member  1 A and the second annular frame member  1 B, and another first vertical support rod  2 A, another second vertical support rod  2 B and another third vertical support rod  2 C vertically and equiangularly arranged between the second annular frame member  1 B and the third annular frame member  1 C at two opposite sides. The vertical support rods  2 A,  2 B and  2 C are kept apart from the adjacent annular frame members  1 A and/or  1 B and/or  1 C at a predetermined gap. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates a collapsible frame structure for a twist collapsible bag in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the collapsible frame structure comprises a first annular frame member  1 A, a second annular frame member  1 B and a third annular frame member  1 C horizontally arranged at three different elevations, one first vertical support rod  2 A, one second vertical support rod  2 B, one third vertical support rod  2 C and one fourth vertical support rod  2 D vertically and equiangularly arranged between the first annular frame member  1 A and the second annular frame member  1 B, and another first vertical support rod  2 A, another second vertical support rod  2 B, another third vertical support rod  2 C and another fourth vertical support rod  2 D vertically and equiangularly arranged between the second annular frame member  1 B and the third annular frame member  1 C at two opposite sides. The vertical support rods  2 A,  2 B,  2 C and  2 D are kept apart from the adjacent annular frame members  1 A and/or  1 B and/or  1 C at a predetermined gap. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  illustrates a collapsible frame structure for a twist collapsible bag in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the collapsible frame structure comprises a first annular frame member  1 A and a second annular frame member  1 B horizontally arranged at different elevations, one first vertical support rod  2 A, one second vertical support rod  2 B and one third vertical support rod  2 C vertically and equiangularly arranged between the first annular frame member  1 A and the second annular frame member  1 B. The vertical support rods  2 A,  2 B and  2 C are kept apart from the annular frame members  1 A and  1 B at a predetermined gap. 
         [0026]    The number of the annular frame members and the number of vertical support rods are determined subject to the pressure the twist collapsible bag to be received, however at least two vertical support rods must be set between each two adjacent annular frame members to provide sufficient support strength. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  illustrates a twist collapsible bag using the collapsible frame structure of the aforesaid second embodiment. As illustrated, the twist collapsible bag further comprises a bag body  3  made from a certain thickness of strong and tough fabric (for example, canvass) supported on the collapsible frame structure. The bag body  3 , when extended out, is shaped like a single open end container, having an opening  30  at one end, namely, the top end thereof. The bag body  3  is a double-layer wall structure. The first annular frame member  1 A is embedded in the double-layer wall structure of the bag body  3  around the opening  30  and secured thereto with stitches; the third annular frame member  1 C is embedded in the double-layer wall structure of the bag body  3  around the closed bottom end of the bag body and secured thereto with stitches; the second annular frame member  1 B is embedded in the double-layer wall structure of the bag body  3  between the first annular frame member  1 A and the third annular frame member  1 C and secured thereto with stitches; the vertical support rods  2 A,  2 B and  2 C are embedded in the double-layer wall structure of the bag body  3  and stitched thereto at the selected locations. When the twist collapsible bag is extended out, the annular frame members  1 A,  1 B and  1 C are horizontally disposed at different elevations, and the vertical support rods  2 A,  2 B and  2 C are vertically disposed at different elevations and equiangularly spaced between each two adjacent ones of the vertically spaced annular frame members  1 A,  1 B and  1 C (see  FIG. 6 ), thus, the collapsible frame structure supports the bag body  3  in shape for holding things. When not in use, twist the first annular frame member  1 A relative to the second annular frame member  1 B to bias the respective vertical support rods  2 A,  2 B and  2 C downwards (see  FIG. 7 ), and then twist the second annular frame member  1 B relative to the third annular frame member  1 C to bias the respective vertical support rods  2 A,  2 B and  2 C downwards (see  FIG. 8 ), thus, the twist collapsible bag is collapsed into a flat condition where the annular frame members  1 A,  1 B and  1 C are received together (see  FIG. 9 ). When wishing to use the twist collapsible bag again, twist the collapsed twist collapsible bag in the reversed direction. 
         [0028]    In the aforesaid various embodiments of the present invention, each annular frame members can be made by bending a metal wire rod into a circular shape and then fixedly fastening the two ends of the metal wire rod together by means of welding or with an adhesive. Alternatively the annular frame members can be injection-molded from plastics. 
         [0029]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.