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US 5,356,024 AGranted
Collapsible hamper for storage of laundry and other items
AssigneeAllure Home Creation Co., Inc.
InventorsStanley Ho, Mark Ho
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a collapsible hamper, used for the storage of laundry or other items comprising a rigid upper frame, a rigid lower frame, a lid movably hinged to the upper frame, a flexible side wall woven out of polypropylene strips, fabric or other weavable material, and a plurality of supporting rods removably secured between the upper and lower rigid frames, which define a three dimensional internal storage space and decorative external structure that is attractive to the eye when said hamper is assembled for use and which can be easily disassembled and collapsed for convenient storage or transport when not in use.
Claims23
A collapsible hamper comprising:
- a side wall substantially fabricated of a sheet of flexible material;
- an upper rigid frame;
- a lower rigid frame;
- the top and bottom edges of said side wall being secured about the outside circumferential surface of said upper rigid frame and said lower rigid frame, respectively;
- a plurality of supporting rods removably secured and extending between the downward surface of said upper rigid frame and the upward surface of said lower rigid frame to define a three-dimensional internal storage space;
- a lid hingably fixed to the upward surface of said upper rigid frame, said lid covered with the same flexible material as that comprising said side wall;
- said lower rigid frame being fabricated from a molded polymeric material and comprising,
- a rectangular horizontal surface of uniform thickness having a plurality of perforations throughout said horizontal surface,
- a plurality of upwardly extending flanges for removably securing said supporting rod therebetween and maintaining each said rod in a substantially vertical position when said hamper is assembled for use, and
- downwardly extending legs of a length sufficient to provide space between said horizontal surface of said lower rigid frame of the floor to allow air to flow into air and out of said internal storage space of said hamper.
7 more elements
A collapsible hamper comprising:
- a side wall substantially fabricated of a sheet of flexible material;
- an upper rigid frame;
- a lower rigid frame;
- the top and bottom edges of said side wall being secured about the outside circumferential surface of said upper rigid frame of said lower rigid frame, respectively;
- a plurality of supporting rods removably secured and extending between the downward surface of said upper rigid frame and the upward surface of said lower rigid frame to define a three dimensional internal storage space;
- and
- a lid hingably fixed to the upward surface of said upper rigid frame, said lid covered with the same flexible material as that comprising said side wall;
- said upper rigid frame being fabricated from a molded polymeric material and comprising,
- a rectangular outside wall, and
- a rectangular inside wall,
- said outside wall having a circumference greater than said inside wall,
- a horizontal wall of uniform thickness extending between the respective upper edges of said inside wall and outside wall,
- plurality of ribs, downwardly extending from the bottom surface of said horizontal wall, between said inside and outside walls, and
- a plurality of cavities on the lower edges of said downwardly extending ribs for removably securing each said supporting rod in a substantially vertical position when said hamper is assembled for use,
- said upper rigid frame structure defining a rectangular opening within the inside surface of said inside wall to accommodate storage and removal of items in the said hamper when assembled for use.
12 more elements
A collapsible hamper comprising:
- a side wall substantially fabricated of a sheet of flexible material;
- a upper rigid frame;
- a lower rigid frame;
- the top and bottom edges of said side wall being secured about the outside circumferential surface of said upper rigid frame and said lower rigid frame, respectively;
- a plurality of supporting rods removably secured and extending between the downward surface of said upper rigid frame and the upward surface of said lower rigid frame to define a three-dimensional internal storage space;
- and
- a lid hingably fixed to the upward surface of said upper rigid frame, said lid covered with the same flexible material as that comprising said side wall;
- said upper rigid frame being fabricated from a moldable material and further comprising,
- an outside wall, and
- an inside wall,
- said outside wall having a circumference greater than said inside wall,
- a horizontal wall of uniform thickness extending between the respective upper edges of said inside wall and outside wall,
- a plurality of ribs downwardly extending from the bottom surface of said horizontal wall between said inside and outside walls, and
- a plurality of cavities on the lower edges of said downwardly extending ribs for removably securing each said supporting rod in a substantially vertical position when said hamper is assembled for use;
- said lower rigid frame being fabricated from a moldable material and further comprising,
- a horizontal surface of uniform thickness having a plurality of perforations throughout said horizontal surface,
- a plurality of upwardly extending flanges for removably securing each said supporting rod therebetween and maintaining each said rod in a substantially vertical position when said hamper is assembled for use, and
- downwardly extending legs of a length sufficient to provide space between said horizontal surface of said lower rigid frame and the floor to allow air to flow into and out of said internal storage space of said hamper.
15 more elements
A collapsible hamper comprising:
- a side wall substantially fabricated of a sheet of flexible material;
- an upper rigid frame;
- a lower rigid frame;
- said side wall being secured about the outside circumferential surface of said upper rigid frame and said lower rigid frame, respectively;
- a plurality of supporting rods removably secured and extending between the downward surface of said upper rigid frame and the upward surface of said lower rigid frame to define a three dimensional internal storage space;
- and
- a lid moveably fixed to said upper rigid frame;
- said upper rigid frame further including,
- an outside wall, and
- an inside wall,
- said outside wall having a circumference greater than said inside wall,
- a substantially horizontal wall extending between said inside wall and said outside wall,
- a plurality of support ribs, downwardly extending from the bottom surface of said horizontal wall, between said inside and outside walls, and
- a plurality of cavities adjacent the lower edges of said downwardly extending ribs for removably securing each said supporting rod in position when said hamper is assembled for use;
- said upper rigid frame further defining an opening within the inside surface of said inside wall to accommodate storage and removal of items in the hamper.
12 more elements
A collapsible hamper comprising:
- a side wall having top and bottom edges substantially fabricated of a sheet of flexible material;
- an upper rigid frame having a lower surface and a first outside circumferential surface;
- a lower rigid frame having an upper horizontal surface and a second outside circumferential surface;
- the top and bottom edges of said side wall being secured about the first and second outside circumferential surfaces of said upper rigid frame and said lower rigid frame, respectively;
- a plurality of supporting rods removably secured and extending between the lower surface of said upper rigid frame and the upper surface of said lower rigid frame thereby defining a three dimensional internal storage space;
- a lid moveably fixed to the said upper rigid frame;
- and
- said lower rigid frame further including,
- a plurality of perforations throughout said upper horizontal surface,
- a plurality of upwardly extending flanges for removably securing each of said supporting rods therebetween and maintaining each said supporting rod in position when said hamper is assembled for use, and
- downwardly extending legs of a length sufficient to provide space between said upper horizontal surface of said lower rigid frame and a floor on which said hamper may be located whereby air may flow into and out of said internal storage space through said perforations.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.