Packaging
AssigneeLifetime Products, Inc.
InventorTroy W. Nye
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container may include one or more walls and one or more expandable portions. For example, a container may include four walls and a first expandable portion may be movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position. The container may also include a second expandable portion that is movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position. The first and second expandable portions may allow a wall of the container to move between a first position and a second position when the first and second expandable portions are moved between the collapsed position and the expanded position.
Claims20
A container movable between a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration sized and configured to retain one or more items within the container, the second configuration sized and configured to facilitate removal of one or more items from the container, the first configuration having a smaller size than the second configuration, the container comprising:
- a first outer wall;
- a second outer wall;
- a first corner disposed at least proximate an intersection of the first outer wall and the second outer wall;
- a first expandable portion disposed in the first corner, the first expandable portion movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position, the first expandable portion comprising:
- a first portion integrally connected to the first outer wall;
- a second portion integrally connected to the second outer wall;
- a first surface of the first portion abutting a first surface of the second portion when the first expandable portion is disposed in a collapsed position, the first surface of the first portion at least partially spaced apart from the first surface of the second portion when the first expandable portion is disposed in the expanded position;
- and
- a second surface of the second portion abutting an inner surface of the second outer wall when the first expandable portion is disposed in the collapsed position, the second surface of the second portion at least partially spaced apart from the inner surface of the first outer wall when the first expandable portion is disposed in the expanded position;
- wherein the first expandable portion allows the first outer wall of the container to move from a first position to a second position when the first expandable portion moves from the collapsed position to the expanded position;
- a first connector disposed at least proximate an upper portion of the first corner, the first connector releasably securing the first expandable portion in the collapsed position;
- and
- a second connector disposed below the first connector in the first corner, the second connector releasably securing the first expandable portion in the collapsed position, the first connector and the second connector being independently releasable;
- wherein when the first connector is released, the first expandable portion expands a first amount;
- and
- wherein when the second connector is released, the first expandable portion expands a second amount, the second amount being larger than the first amount.
A method of constructing a container that is movable between a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration sized and configured to retain one or more items within the container, the second configuration sized and configured to facilitate removal of one or more items from the container, the first configuration having a smaller size than the second configuration, the method comprising:
- providing a first outer wall;
- providing a second outer wall;
- disposing a first corner at least proximate an intersection of the first outer wall and the second outer wall;
- forming a first expandable portion in the first corner, the first expandable portion movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position, the first expandable portion including a first portion integrally connected to the first outer wall, a second portion integrally connected to the second outer wall, a first surface of the first portion abutting a first surface of the second portion when the first expandable portion is disposed in a collapsed position, the first surface of the first portion spaced apart from the first surface of the second portion when the first expandable portion is disposed in the expanded position, the first expandable portion allowing the first outer wall to move from a first position to a second position when the first expandable portion moves from the collapsed position to the expanded position;
- and
- contacting a second surface of the second portion of the first expandable portion with an inner surface of the second outer wall when the first expandable portion is disposed in the collapsed position;
- disposing a first connector in an upper portion of the first corner, the first connector releasably securing the first expandable portion in the collapsed position;
- disposing a second connector below the first connector in the first corner, the second connector releasably securing the first expandable portion in the collapsed position, the first connector and the second connector being independently releasable;
- wherein when the first connector is released, the first expandable portion expands a first amount;
- and
- wherein when the second connector is released, the first expandable portion expands a second amount, the second amount being larger than the first amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.