EP2445817A1

EP2445817A1 - Container

Info

Publication number: EP2445817A1
Application number: EP10792413A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Petra DORSKI
Original assignee: Scania CV AB
Current assignee: Scania CV AB
Priority date: 2009-06-25
Filing date: 2010-06-15
Publication date: 2012-05-02
Also published as: WO2010151210A1; CN102459034B; KR20120028943A; BRPI1009730A2; CN102459034A; SE534179C2; EP2445817A4; RU2497739C2; RU2012102410A; KR101345319B1; SE0950490A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (10) for storage of sundry items, e.g. waste items. The container has a bag-like outer case (12) made of flexible material with a container aperture adapted to accommodating an inner bag (40) of disposable type in the container, and a peripheral inner collar (20) in the outer case (12) is connected to the outer case at a distance from the container aperture for firm holding of an edge portion (42) of a bag aperture of the inner bag (40) by the edge portion being folded over down into a space delineated between the inner collar (20) and the outer case (12).

Description

Container

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a container for storage of sundry items, e.g. waste items, comprising a bag-like outer case made of flexible material with an aperture adapted to accommodating an inner bag in the container.

BACKGROUND

Containers intended, for example, for temporary storage of waste items, e.g. food residues and food packaging material, often take the form of open baskets made of rigid plastic and placed at a particular location, e.g. on a planar floor surface, or fastened to a vertical wall surface. Particularly in limited spaces such as vehicle cabs, such rigid and stationary containers may encroach upon space, disseminate unpleasant odours and not always be readily accessible to users. There is therefore need for a container of the kind indicated above which is portable, hygienic, easy to close and easy to stow away.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is therefore to further develop a container with such desirable characteristics.

This is achieved by the features illustrated in the claims set out below.

According to a version of the invention, the container comprises a bag-like outer case made of flexible material with a container aperture adapted to accommodating an inner bag of disposable type in the container. The container is also provided in the outer case with a peripheral inner collar, connected to the outer case at a distance from the container aperture, to firmly hold in position an edge portion of a bag aperture of the inner bag by the edge portion being folded over down into a space delineated between the inner collar and the outer case. This makes it possible for the edge portion of the inner bag to be concealed in a simple and aesthetic way and be kept separate from the contents of the container, so that the edge portion does not come into contact with the contents. It also facilitates hygienic handling when the filled inner bag needs to be removed from the outer case.

Although the container may be closed in other ways, e.g. by magnetic lock or magnetic strips at the container aperture, the container has in an embodiment a flexural spring extending along an aperture edge of the outer case and adapted to closing the container aperture in a first state and to opening the container aperture in a second state. It is thus possible to ensure that the container is always closed at times when there is no need to put something into it.

The container may also further have a flexural spring which extends along an opposite aperture edge of the outer case.

The flexural spring may also be curved along the aperture edge in the first state. An opposite unit, e.g. the further flexural spring or a pair of linked-together rigid elements, may then likewise be curved in order to close the aperture in the first state. When the container is opened, the opposite unit can then snap over to a stable second state. This embodiment may be suitable if one side of the outer case is fastened, e.g. to a wall surface, and the user, e.g. a vehicle driver, can use just one hand to open the container from the other side of the case, put an object in and thereafter close the container.

If an aperture edge of the inner collar protrudes outside the aperture of the outer case, this makes it possible to avoid the outer case coming into contact with items being put into the container.

The container may have transverse fold initiation on the outer case, making it possible for an upper portion of the container to be folded down along the fold initiation to effect extra-tight closure of the contents. The container may also have a fastening means on an outside of the outer case for suspended storage of the container. The fastening means may be part of a Velcro device or a hooking means.

Other features and advantages of the invention may be indicated by the claims and description of embodiments set out below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closed container according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an open container according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a folded-up container according to FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is a side view on a larger scale with portions cut away of an upper portion of an open container according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view on a larger scale along the line 5-5 in FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 6A-D are schematic views from above of a bi-stable spring arrangement for closing and opening a container according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The containers 10 according to the invention depicted in FIGS. 1 -5 comprise a bag- like outer case 12 capable of accommodating an inner bag 40, e.g. a disposable plastic bag. The inside of the aperture of the outer case 12 has a peripheral inner collar 20 connected to the outer case 12 at a distance from the aperture by a longitudinal joint, e.g. a sewn seam 22. An edge portion 42 of the aperture of the inner bag 40 can be folded about the upper aperture edge of the inner collar 20 and be pushed down into a space between the outer case 12 and the inner collar 20 as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5. The surfaces of the outer case 12 and the inner collar 20 which face towards one another may then hold the edge portion firmly between them by friction. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the inner bag 40 may be an outermost bag pulled up from a roll of a plurality of rolled-up bags stored on the bottom of the inside of the outer case 12.

Both the outer case 12 and the inner collar may be made of any suitable flexible sheet material, e.g. woven or other textile material, leather or artificial leather. It is also conceivable to use flexurally elastic sheet material made of, for example, plastic.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 -3, the outer case 12 may have a planar bottom 16 making it possible for the unsupported container 10 to stand upright on a planar substrate. To prevent the container 10 from tending to collapse when empty or nearly empty, the bottom 16 and also the sides of the outer case 12 may in an undepicted way be reinforced by stiffening strips or the like.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 , 2 and 6A, however, the container may also be provided with fastening means 50 for suspended storage. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 , the fastening means 50 is an element 52 of a Velcro device, the other element of which may be self-adhesive and be fastened to a wall surface, e.g. a wall surface on the inside of a door pillar of a truck (not depicted). In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2 and 6A, the fastening means 50 comprises a tape 54 sewn firmly to the outer case 12 and having at its free end a hooking means 56 so configured as to allow the container 10 to be suspended from or firmly hooked to sundry different objects.

For the carrying and/or opening of the container 10, it may be provided, as depicted in FIGS. 2 and 6A, with at least one handle or loop 58 at an upper portion of the outer case 12. The handle or loop 58 may of course also be used for suspending the container 10 from a wall-mounted hook or the like.

As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3-5, the outer case 12 may also have transverse fold initiation or bend initiation 18 at a suitable height on its two opposite sides (only one side is depicted). Extra-tight closure of the container 10 can then be effected when an upper portion of the outer case 12 is folded down, along the bend initiation 18, towards its lower portion, as depicted in FIG. 3.

An aperture edge 14 of the outer case 12 is provided with at least one flexural spring 30 adapted, when in a substantially unstressed planar state, to keeping the aperture of the outer case 12 closed by the cross-section of the aperture being stretched so that the opposite sides of the aperture are held closingly adjacent to one another.

In the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1 -5, the aperture edge 14 is provided with two opposite flexural springs 30 (only one is depicted) of known leaf spring type. FIGS. 4 and 5 depict a leaf spring 30 with a stiffening curved cross-section which causes the spring 30 to endeavour to revert to its linear shape in the longitudinal direction by changing from a deflected state in which the outer case is open (FIG. 2) to a planar state in which the outer case is closed (FIG. 1 ). FIGS. 4 and 5 intentionally depict the spring 30 facing in different directions, solely to indicate that it is possible to reshape the curved cross-section of the spring. In these examples the leaf spring 30 is depicted sewn into a pocket at the aperture edge 14.

FIGS. 4 and 5 indicate by chain-dotted lines the possibility that the aperture edge of the inner collar 20 may also have one or two opposite flexural springs 30.

Where applicable, as illustrated schematically and in outline in FIGS. 6A-D, mutually different flexural springs 3OA, 3OB may also be used, in which case at least one of them may be unstressed in a curved stable state (FIG. 6A) in which they close the aperture of the outer case 12. The springs 3OA, 3OB may be so dimensioned that when they are subjected to a sufficiently strong opening force (FIG. 6B), one of them, 3OB, will snap over to a stable aperture state (FIG. 6C) of the container. If the aperture is then not large enough, the user may continue to apply the opening force as illustrated in FIG. 6D. Closure of the aperture is effected by undepicted corresponding reverse action. The springs 3OA, 3OB are shown with their ends connected by articulations 32. Corresponding articulations may of course also be constituted by the sheet material of the outer case 12. As indicated by chain-dotted lines in FIGS. 6C and D, it is also conceivable for the spring 3OB to be replaced by a pair of possibly stiffer elements 3OC linked to one another via an articulation 3OD. The flexural springs 30, 3OA, 3OB, 30C described above may be separate springs made of, for example, spring steel, but they may also be made of suitably resilient elastic plastic material (not depicted). In the latter case they may also be more or less integrated with the more flexible sheet material of the outer case. It is then at least conceivable for the springs, the outer case and the collar to be made in one or a small number of forming steps. It is also possible for the spring 3OA to be made more rigid than the spring 3OB so that substantially only the latter spring 3OB is deflected during opening and closing of the container 10.

Instead of or in addition to one or more springs, it is also possible, however, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , to use one or more magnets 60 for keeping the aperture of the container 10 closed. One or more magnets with great holding force, e.g. magnets of neodymium type, may then be, for example, sewn into one aperture edge 14 of the outer case 12 to cooperate with opposite magnets or with other magnetically attracting elements in the opposite other aperture edge 14.

The description set out above is primarily intended to facilitate comprehension and no unnecessary limitations of the invention are to be inferred from it. The modifications which will be obvious to one skilled in the art from perusing the description may be effected without departing from the concept of the invention or the scope of the claims set out below.

Claims

1. A container (10) for storage of sundry items, e.g. waste items, comprising a bag-like outer case (12) made of flexible material with a container aperture adapted to accommodating an inner bag (40) in the container, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by a peripheral inner collar (20) in the outer case (12) and connected to the outer case at a distance from the container aperture for firm holding of an edge portion (42) of a bag aperture of the inner bag (40) by the edge portion being folded over down into a space delineated between the inner collar (20) and the outer case (12).

2. A container according to claim 1 , comprising at least one flexural spring (30; 3OA, 30B) which extends along an aperture edge (14) of the outer case (12) and is adapted to closing the container aperture in a first state and to opening the container aperture in a second state.

3. A container according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a flexural spring (30; 3OA, 30B) which extends along an opposite aperture edge (14) of the outer case (12).

4. A container according to claim 2 or 3, such that said flexural springs (3OA, 30B) are curved along the aperture edge (14) in the first state.

5. A container according to any one of the foregoing claims, such that an aperture edge of the inner collar (20) protrudes outside the aperture of the outer case (12).

6. A container according to any one of the foregoing claims, comprising transverse fold initiation (18) on the outer case (12).

7. A container according to any one of the foregoing claims, comprising a fastening means (50) on an outside of the outer case (12) for suspended storage of the container.

8. A container according to claim 7, such that the fastening means (50) comprises an element (52) of a Velcro device.

9. A container according to claim 7, such that the fastening means (50) comprises a hooking means (56).

10. A container according to claim 7, such that the fastening means comprises a handle or loop (58).