US 6,547,263 B1 · Collapsible cart and shipping container

Abstract

A convertible cart and container may be assembled by folding a blank of paperboard and attaching a wheeled carriage thereto. The blank includes a floor panel connected to front and back panels along fold lines, the back panel having side panels connected thereto along fold lines. The blank includes a plurality of lines of weakness which facilitate separation of the assembled cart into an upper handle portion which may be discarded and a container portion. The assembled cart conveniently includes an opening in a front panel and a pair of doors which are hinged to the front panel along fold lines to permit access to the chamber within the cart while obscuring the contents from view. The cart includes a top flap portion which may be separated from the upper handle portion and folded over a substantially rectangular box-type container for enclosing items received in the container and permitting shipping of the reduced size container without the need for emptying the contents for conversion.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A convertible cart and shipping container comprising:

a wheeled carriage assembly;
and
a cart body supported on said wheeled carriage for rolling therewith, said cart body defining therein and substantially enclosing a chamber, said cart body comprising:
a floor, a pair of upright sidewalls, an upright back wall, and a front wall,
said front wall including a lower segment and an upper segment unitary therewith and separated by a fold line, said upper segment being angled from said fold line rearwardly toward said back wall,
said upper segment including an opening therethrough providing access to said chamber and at least one door hingedly connected to said upper segment for covering the opening and for permitting insertion of items through said opening into said chamber.

3 more elements

A convertible cart and shipping container comprising:

a wheeled carriage assembly;
and
a body removably mounting said wheeled carriage assembly, said body including
a floor panel, a first container panel and a second container panel unitary with said floor panel and connected thereto along fold lines, a pair of opposed side container panels unitary with said first and second containers panel and connected thereto along respective fold lines, said body further including side panel extensions unitary with each one of said pair of side container panels and extending away from said floor panel, said second container panel including a top flap portion unitary therewith and hingably connected thereto along a top flap fold line, a first container panel extension unitary with said first container panel and extending away from said floor panel, and a second container extension panel unitary with said second container panel and said top flap portion and extending away from said floor panel whereby said first and second container extension panels are convergent toward a top edge to enclose a first volume within said body,
lines of weakness positioned between the respective side container panels and side panel extensions;
a line of weakness positioned between the first container panel and the first container panel extension;
and
a line of weakness positioned between the top flap portion and said second container panel extension,
whereby, upon removal of said wheeled carriage and separation of said side panel extensions, said first container panel extension and said second container panel extension, said top flap portion may be folded along said hinge line to cover said floor panel, first and second container panels, and said side container panels and thereby convert to a shipping container and enclose therein a chamber having a volume less than said first volume.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Collapsible cart and shipping container

Life of this patent

Collapsible cart and shipping container

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20