US 10,563,346 B2Granted

Shape shifting hamper and bag

AssigneeNeatfreak Group Inc.

InventorsBertrand Barre, Francis Lepage, Yan Feng

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A container takes on the form of a laundry hamper or basket while static or stationary. Upon bringing front and back panels of the container into closer proximity for transport, such as by drawing together their respective handles, or drawing one of the handles towards the other, the container changes configuration, or shape, to that of a tote bag. Upon releasing at least one of the front and back panels of the container from being drawn towards the other, such as by releasing at least one of their respective handles, the container automatically reverts back to the form of a laundry hamper or basket. The use of substantially rigid front and back panels, coupled with side panels that have resilient upper regions, permit the side panels to take on a spout-like configuration when the container is in its tote bag configuration, and to return to a planar configuration when the container is in its laundry hamper or basket configuration.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A container for the storage and transporting of objects, comprising:

a rigid front panel having an upper region;
a rigid rear panel having an upper region;
a first side panel having a first, planar configuration and a second, spout-shaped configuration, the first side panel being coupled to a left side of the front panel and a left side of the rear panel, at least an upper region of the first side panel extending from proximate the front panel to proximate the rear panel having a first, linear configuration and a second, outwardly bowed configuration;
a first resilient member disposed proximate the upper region of the first side panel and extending from proximate the front panel to proximate the rear panel, the first resilient member having a first, linear configuration and a second, outwardly bowed configuration;
the upper region of the first side panel taking on its second, outwardly bowed configuration and the first resilient member taking on its second, outwardly bowed configuration upon at least one of the upper region of the front panel and the upper region of the rear panel being drawn towards the other;
the first resilient member returning to its first, linear configuration and causing the upper region of the first side panel to return to its first, linear configuration upon releasing at least one of the upper region of the front panel and the upper region of the rear panel from being drawn towards the other;
the first side panel taking on its second, spout shaped configuration upon at least one of the upper region of the front panel and the upper region of the rear panel being drawn towards the other;
and
the first resilient member causing the first side panel to return to its first, planar configuration upon releasing at least one of the upper region of the front panel and the upper region of the rear panel from being drawn towards the other.

6 more elements

A container for the storage and transporting of objects, comprising:

a rigid front panel having an upper region having a linear configuration;
a rigid rear panel having an upper region having a linear configuration;
a first side panel having a first, planar configuration and a second, spout-shaped configuration, the first side panel being coupled to a left side of the front panel and a left side of the rear panel, at least an upper region of the first side panel extending from proximate the front panel to proximate the rear panel having a first, linear configuration and a second, outwardly bowed configuration;
a first resilient member disposed proximate the upper region of the first side panel and extending from proximate the front panel to proximate the rear panel, the first resilient member having a first, linear configuration and a second, outwardly bowed configuration;
the upper region of the first side panel taking on its second, outwardly bowed configuration, the first resilient member taking on its second, outwardly bowed configuration, the upper region of the rigid front panel retaining its linear configuration, and the upper region of the rigid rear panel retaining its linear configuration, upon at least one of the upper region of the front panel and the upper region of the rear panel being drawn towards the other;
the first resilient member returning to its first, linear configuration and causing the upper region of the first side panel to return to its first, linear configuration upon releasing at least one of the upper region of the front panel and the upper region of the rear panel from being drawn towards the other;
the first side panel taking on its second, spout shaped configuration upon at least one of the upper region of the front panel and the upper region of the rear panel being drawn towards the other;
and
the first resilient member causing the first side panel to return to its first, planar configuration upon releasing at least one of the upper region of the front panel and the upper region of the rear panel from being drawn towards the other.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/884,422Filed 31 Jan 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 15 Mar 2017
Published: US 2018/0266046 A120 Sep 2018
Granted: 18 Feb 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

D06F 95/002
Laundry systems or arrangements of apparatus or machines; Mobile laundries: baskets or bags specially adapted for holding or transporting laundry;…
A45C 3/00
Flexible luggage
A45C 7/0059
Collapsible or extensible purses, luggage, bags or the like: flexible luggage; Hand bags
A45C 9/00
Purses, luggage or bags convertible into objects for other use