GB2089089A - Foldable stands - Google Patents

Abstract

A stand 1 for a double-chamber bottle 5, or similar article, is formed by suitably cutting a flat sheet of cardboard to form two triangular flaps 2, 3. The flaps are hinged at their bases along a common straight line 21 and have opposed edges 22, 23 that are parallel to one another. When the flaps are in an upright position, they define together a gap 30 for receiving a narrow portion 52 of the bottle such that the chambers of the bottle sit on the base plate 4 of the stand on opposite sides of the flaps. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Stands This invention relates to stands and assemblies including such stands.

The invention is more particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with stands for multi-chamber vessels such as pleural drainage bottles of the kind having two chambers separated by a portion of reduced thickness.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a stand which will be sturdy in use but that will be inexpensive to manufacture and that can be folded flat for packing.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a stand for supporting articles of the kind having two portions separated from one another by a portion of reduced thickness wherein said stand comprises a substantially flat base member having two flaps hinged therewith, said flaps having opposed edges which are arranged to be substantially parallel with one another when said flaps are in an upright position and which together define a gap for receiving said portion of reduced thickness when the said article is seated on said base member.

The flaps may be formed integrally with the base member such as by cutting said base plate. The flaps may be hinged along substantially the same straight line, the said edges lying substantially at right angles to said line.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an assembly including a bottle and a stand, said bottle having two verticallyarranged chambers separated from one another by a portion of reduced external thickness, wherein said stand comprises a substantially flat base member on which said bottle is seated, and two hinged flaps mounted therewith and arranged in an upright position, said flaps having opposed vertical edges which are substantially parallel with one another and which together define a gap for receiving the portion of said bottle of reduced thickness so that said flaps are thereby located on opposite sides of said bottle.

A stand and an assembly including a stand and a pleural drainage bottle, in accordance with the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the stand; Figure 2 is a plan view on a reduced scale of the assembly showing the stand in use; and Figure 3 is a perspective view on the scale of Figure 2 of the assembly.

The stand 1 is of stiff laminated cardboard about 6 mm thick and is of circular shape, being about 19 cm in diameter. The stand 1 is appropriately cut to form two hinged flaps 2 and 3, and a base plate 4 which support a drainage bottle 5.

The material of the stand is cut through where indicated by the unbroken lines 12 to 16 in Figure 1.

The cuts 12 and 13 extend substantially along a diameter of the stand between points 17 and 18 respectively located about 1.5 cm from the circumference of the stand. The cut 12 extends from the point 17 about 10 cm whereas the cut 13 extends from the point 18 inwardly about 6 cm. The cuts 12 and 13 are not exactly aligned but are separated from one another by a short transverse cut 14. The other cuts 15 and 16 extend from the points 17 and 18 respectively at an angle 2 of about 40" for approximate distances of 12.5 cm and 8.5 cm to points 19 and 20 respectively. The top surface of the material of stand 1 is also scored in a straight line 21 between the points 19 and 20 by indenting or cutting partially through the material so that the flaps 2 and 3 can be readily raised by bending along the line 21.

It can be seen that the cuts 12 to 16 produce two flaps 2 and 3 in the shape of right-angled triangles that are hinged at their bases along the line 21. The flaps 2 and 3 are of different sizes and are separated from one another by the length of the cut 14.

In use, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the base plate 4 of the stand 1 is placed on the ground and the flaps 2 and 3 are raised to an upright position, perpendicular to the base plate. In this upright position, the flaps 2 and 3 have opposed vertical edges 22 and 23, formed by the cuts 12 and 13 respectively, which are aligned parallel with one another and which together define a narrow vertical gap 30 (the width of which is equal to the length of the transverse cut 14) for receiving the bottle 5. The drainage bottle 5, which is of the kind for receiving fluid drained from the pleural cavity, comprises two vertically-arranged chambers 50 and 51, one of which 50 is smaller than the other 51. The two chambers 50 and 51 are separated from one another by a portion 52 of reduced thickness.Details of the construction of the bottle 5 are not necessary for an understanding of the nature of the present invention. The drainage bottle 5 sits on the base plate 4 of the stand 1 with its portion 52 of reduced thickness slotted in the gap 30 between the raised flaps 2 and 3. The shape of the chambers 50 and 51 keep the flaps 2 and 3 in the upright position whilst the large area ofthe base plate 4 in contact with the ground gives the bottle 5 additional stability.

The stand 1 is of simple construction and may be made from inexpensive materials such as cardboard, paper or plastics. The stand 1, moreover will fold flat for transport and packing, the flaps 2 and 3 being received in the triangular recesses formed on opposite sides of the line 21.

It will be appreciated that the dimensions given above are only by way of example and that, for different applications, the stand could be larger or smaller than described. The hinged flaps need not be of different sizes and could be other than of triangular shape. For example, the flaps could be rectangular or square, or have a curved side. The stand need not be of unitary construction having flaps formed by cutting from the base plate. Instead, the flaps could be formed separately and subsequently mounted on the base plate such as by means of adhesive tape. The base plate of the stand need not be circular but could be of any shape. It will be appreciated that the stand is not confined to use with a pleural-cavity drainage bottle but could be used with any article for medico-surgical or other applica tions which has two major portions separated by a portion of reduced thickness.

Claims (13)

1. A stand for supporting articles of the kind having two portions separated from one another by a portion of reduced thickness, wherein said stand comprises a substantially flat base member having two flaps hinged therewith, said flaps having opposed edges which are arranged to be substantially parallel with one another when said flaps are in an upright position and which together define a gap for receiving said portion of reduced thickness when the said article is seated on said base member.

2. A stand according to Claim 1, wherein the said flaps are formed integrally with the base member.

3. A stand according to Claim 2, wherein the said flaps are formed by cutting said base member.

4. A stand according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said flaps are arranged to be received in correspondingly shaped recesses in said base member when said flaps are laid flat with the base member.

5. A stand according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said flaps are hinged along substantially the same straight line, and wherein said edges lie substantially at right angles to said line.

6. A stand according to Claims 4 and 5, wherein the said recesses in said base member lie on opposite sides of the line on which said flaps are hinged.

7. A stand according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said base member is of cardboard material.

8. A stand according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said flaps are of triangular shape.

9. A stand substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. An assembly including an article having two portions separated from one another by a portion of reduced thickness and a stand according to any one of the preceding claims, on which said article is seated.

11. An assembly including a bottle and a stand, said bottle having two vertically-arranged chambers separated from one another by a portion of reduced external thickness, wherein said stand comprises a substantially flat base member on which said bottle is seated, and two hinged flaps mounted therewith and arranged in an upright position, said flaps having opposed vertical edges which are substantially parallel with one another and which together define a gap for receiving the portion of said bottle of reduced thickness so that said flaps are thereby located on opposite sides of said bottle.

12. An assembly according to Claim 11, wherein said bottle is a pleural drainage bottle.

13. An assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.