GB2533563A

GB2533563A - A self-standing storage container

Info

Publication number: GB2533563A
Application number: GB1422638.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Collier David
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-12-18
Filing date: 2014-12-18
Publication date: 2016-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 2034-12-18
Also published as: GB2533563B

Abstract

A self-standing storage container comprises an openable wall, such as a lid 5, one or more side walls 1, 3, 4 and a base 6, wherein said container further comprises at least one power socket and said base has an opening 8 suitable for a plug to be inserted into the container for connection with said at least one power socket located within said container. At least one of the side walls may comprise at least one panel held in a frame at least partially bounding the panel and allowing the panel to be removable from the frame. The removable panel may comprise an integral light source.

Description

Intellectual Property Office Application No. GII1422638.5 RTM Date:8 June 2015 The following term is a registered trade mark and should be read as such wherever it occurs in this document:

CORREX

Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.gov.uk/ipo A self-standingstorage container

Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to self-standing storage containers.

The invention has particular applications in the fields of both outdoor storage and powering of decorative lights, Dackground to the Invention The closest prior Eart is an outdoor storage trunk which is not weather proof, These trunks may he able to temporarily store Christmas decorations but cannot protect the contents from water and insects between Christmas seasons, in practice, each year heavy and holy outdoor decorations are stored indoors other than for the Christmas season when they are "251 transported with great effort from indoors to outdoors. These are then connected to a separate power source. Once the festive season is over, these are transported back indoors for storage. Outdoor storage trunks are also very limited in terms of functionality.

The invention seeks to improve outdoor storage trunks, h its broadest independent aspect, The invention provides a seLf-standirg storage container comprising an openabLe wall, one or more side wafts and a base, wherein said container further comprises at least one power socket and said base has an opening suitable for a plug", be inserted into thecontainer for connection with said ast One located within said container.

This configuration is particularly advantageous because o ", into the interior of the container through the opening whilst ensuring the socket remains securely protected once inside, the container and can be protected from the weather and thus used outdoors. The location of the aperture reverses, conventional thinking in the field of boxes since any aperture in the babe would not he favoured by the person skilled in the art who will seek traditionally to present a fully closed base for retention of objects.

Nevertheless, by following this teaching it allows the container to be much less prone to ingress of water whilst allowing a connection to an external power source. The configuration, provides a means to power electrical items as well as store applia In a further subsidiary aspect, the cont&ner comprises a dosure mechanism for adjusting the size of said opening.

This configuration is particularly advantageous because it allows, in preferred s, the user to select the appropriate size required for the opening and to tighten the opening around trailing cable to reduce the strain on the cable. This configuration is also particuiarly advantageous because the opening is able to be shut tightly, enhancing the weather-protection of the container by forming, in effect, a seal around a trailing cable, reducing entry of debris or water into the container, In a further subsidiary aspect., said closure mechanism is biased to tend to close said opening. This configuration further enhances the weather resistance of the box by reducing entry of water, debris and insects into the container by closing the aperture automatically, without the user having to adjust, once the plug has been inserted through opening.

In a further subsidiary aspect said closure mechanism a jaw with two halves, ich is displaceable to open and/or Close said opening. This provides an nt mechanism for the opening which may he particularly compact in size in preferred embodiments in order to allow the container to retain as much as possible of its storage capacity.

Preferably, a seal is provided between said jaw halves. This further enhances the water resistance and debris-resistance of the container by limiting the amount of water, debris and insects that could otherwise enter through the opening.

In a further subsidiary aspect., at least one of the container's walls comprises at least two separate, spaced apart pa.nels. This is particularly advantageous as it provides a 'double glazing' effect which further enhances the water resistance obthe box, it also provides a void between said panels which can be utilised to provide thermal protection to the container contents by optionally filling the void with insulation panels or equivalent, Another advantage of this feature is that screws and fixings for the electrical components within the box can be hidden by the outer panel.

in,a further subsidiary aspect, the container is raised by at least one tubular member extending along the exterior of the base, This is a particularly advantageous configuration as the base of the container is raised off the ground, providing easy access to the opening in the base and further enhancing the weather and water -resistance of the box by limiting the amount of water and debris that can reach the opening. It also provides for a,: particularly stable configuration,whilst providing a space for the cables which exit the base of the container.

In,a further subsidiary aspect, end caps are provided to close said tubular members which are integral with said side wails. This configuration is advantageous as the end caps provide a means to cover said tubes and prevent entry of debris within the tubes, The end caps also provide the advantage of securing the frame together once in place with the tubes slotted within them.

In a further subsidiary aspect, at least one wall comprises at least one panel which is held in a,frame at. least partially bounding said panel and allowing said panel to be removable from said frame, This allows for the invention to be pre-assembled as separate panels for o assembly by the end user and thus allows the separate, panels to be flat --packed, thus decreasing the shipping volume of the container, This configuration also provides the advantage of the possibility of interchanging the panels for alternative design features or due to damage to one of the panels, Preferably at least one of said walls comprises at least one panel and at least one Eframe;:a seal being provided between said panel and said frame, This configuration further enhances the weather resistance of the container.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the container comprises an interchangeable panel with an integral light source which is connected to a power source allowing for lighting. One advantage of this is that the user can change the panel in order to customise the container.

In a second broad independent aspect, the invention provides a self-standing storage container comprising an operable wall, one or more side watts, a base, and at least one power socket; wherein at least one of said wets comprises at least one panel which is held in a frame at least partially bounding said panel and allowing said panel to be removable from said frame.

is In a further subsidiary aspect, the removable panel comprises an integral light source which is connected to a power source for lighting said light source,

Brief Description o D

26 The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of an embodirre.nt of the invention, Figure.2 is a perspective, view of an embodiment of the invention.

2.5 Figure:3 is a. perspective view of the base.

Figure 4 is a close up view of the opening in the base.

Figure 5 is a close up cuta'ivay view of the opening in the base incorporating a seal..

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the side panels, Figure 7 is a close up view of an end cap.

'Figure 8 is a: part sectional view of the invention along the lines vv' and b-b' Figure 9 is a sectional view of Figure 1 along the Line a-a' Figure 10 is a close-4,p view of a cross,-section the first extrusion Figure VI is a close-up view of a cross -section the second extrusion Figurel2 is a close up view of a cross-section the corner extrusion.

Figure 13 is a close-up cross section of the panels slotted into the extrusions.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the paneL slotted in to the extrusions.

Figure 15 is a close-up view of Figure 13 showing the addition of a seal, figure 16 is a perspective view of the container without the lid and without the front panel but the lighting board in place.

Figure 17 is a perspective close-up view of a corner of the container with the front panel in place.

Figure 18 is a perspective ciose-up transparent view of a corner of the container with the front panel in place.

Figure 19 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the container: Figure 20 is a perspective view of the interior of the container, Figure 21 is a perspective view of the interior of the container.

Figure 22 is perspective transparent view of the container fiat-packed, Figure 23 is a front transparent view of the container flat-packed.

16 Figure 24 is a side transparent view of the container fiat-packed, Figure 25 is perspective view of an embodiment of the container.

Figure 26 is a perspective cutaway view of an embodiment of the container, Detailed _D Figure 1 shows a self-standing, cuboid container particularly suitable for storing electric-dal plug sockets, one embodiment of which is illustrated by a deconstructed, exploded view in Figure 1 and a perspective view in Figure 2. The container may be suitabie for both powering and storing Christmas decorations.

Figure 1 shows a deconstructed embodiment consisting of six skies; a front wall 1, two side walls 3, a back wall 4, lid 5 and the base 6. Base 6 comprises an aperture 8 and two tubular Legs 7. Wags 1 and 4 are each connected to two end caps 2. in one embodiment, the walls form the outer frame of the box and are able to slot together with each other and the base due to the extrusion frames provided for each pane/.

In one embodiment, the lid 5 is hilly removable from the box and retained only by its own weight. in another embodiment, the lid may have a latch or lock mechanism or may be connected to the top panels with a hinge. In a preferred embodiment, the lid is made of '4 material suitable to withstand pressure of a person seated on a container allowing the container to be used as a bench when the lid is closed, in an alternative embodiment, the lid material may comprise space for a waterproof cushion or other waterpioof, soft material to enable use as a seat arid to add comfort to the seat. Cushions may be removable or built-in to the lid, In a preferred embodiment, the base 6 contains an aperture 8, best depicted in Figures 3-S, In one embodiment, aperture 8 consists of two jaws 10, existing in such a way as to form an adjustable slot gap system which, preferably, is biased shut. In this one embodiment, io there are four slots 11, shown in figure 4, which are capable of accommodating a fastener to enable the jaws to controllably slide along the base 12 between a:position where a plug may be inserted through the aperture and a position where the jaws dose cad one another or about a power cable. The two jaws can be prised apart to enable something such as a cable to be pushed through the aperture to reach the inside of the box. The two plates are arranged in such a way as to slide towards each other and compress tightly together or up to the inserted trailing cable, The jaws are raised slightly and on the frame and are able to slide towards one another in a preferred embodiment being biased towards sliding shut. In a particular embodiment, the four slots ii allow for the option of fastening the jaws to remain in either the closed or open position. This can facilitate the process of entering or removing cables from the box.

The location of the aperture in the base and the bias of the jaws towards being in the shut position, has the benefit of allowing easy insertion of a mains cable or equivalent into the box, yet, allowing the box to remain water resistant as, in a preferred embodiment, the jaws will automatically dose around the inserted cable to prevent water, other debris or even insects entering the interior of the box An additional benefit of this may be reduced strain on a mains cable. In an alternative embodiment, tubular seaLs 13 can be inserted into the gap 14 within the aperture to increase the water-resistance as depicted in Figure 5. Preferably seals may be standard toPVC seals.

In an alternative embodiment the opening may open with a flap mechanism. The flap mechanism may be secured to the base via a hinge and secured in the closed position by an appropriate latch or other push-fit mechanism, Referring to Figure 3, in a preferred embodiment base 6 incorporates two hollow tubular members 7 running parailel to one another along the underside of the base. Preferably the two legs 7 would be attached to the base with ultra-high bond tape, although any suitable attachment is possible. In one embodiment, lags are tented far enough apart from one another, by distance ii, to allow an adequate gap for side panels to fit between legs," alongside the base, during transport.

The legs beneath the base allow the box to heiraised'off the ground, reducing the likelihood of the ingress of water, debris and insects, In a preferred embodiment, the legs would be at least 100mm in height to keep the base off the ground surface and thus allow an easy access to the aperture.

In a preferred embodiment the legs can slot into the end caps,-4 as shown in figure 6. The 'end caps may be connected to the bottom frame portions of the front panel 1 and back panel. 4.

Figure 7 depicts a close up view of an end cap. The end caps are moulded hollow spaces to fit around the ends of the tubular legs, for which the Legs can slot into, The top of the end caps 15 contains a recess 16 which enables end caps to slot and slide into the extrusion frame. in one embodiment depicted in figure 7, the end caps have a double layer 17 which can add to the water resistant nature of the box, in an alternative embodiment, there is just one tubular member which runs aiong the underside of the base. In further alternative embodiments there may be more tubular members.

In a preferred embodiment, walls 3, 1 and 4. consist of two separate spaced apart panels forming a 'double-glazing effect as shown 'in:figure 8, 'Panels 34, and 4a are the outer :30 panels and panels 3ti and 4b are the inner panels of walls 3 and 4 respectively. The benefit of this double layer of panels is to add extra protection to keep water away: from the inside of the box and also provides a void between panels which cah be filled with insulation panels to give improved thermal protection to the container from both heat and cold, The panels are held together by an extrusion 20.

Figure 9 Shows a cross section of ths embodiment and further illustrates the double panels and the tubular legs slotted into the caps. in an ideal version, the invention may exteriors dimensions of approximately 900mm x 600mm x 600mm, a:preferred embodiment: walls 3, 1 and 4 are preassembled to be bonded to extrusions 19 and 20 in the suitable positions. Figures 10,11 and 12 show cross sections of ed embodiments of the extrusion frames 18, 19 and 20 respectively, which may be secured to the panels. Preferably there is only a need thr these three different types of Ic extrusions, Figure 10 shows that extrusion 18 consists of a curved right angled panel with a recess at one end 21 and another recess in the same direction at the other end 22 able to fit, the perpendicular panels. A recess 23 for a seal can be seen in this preferred embodiment. Recess 24 is able to fit a perpendicular panel for example, the base or lid. A mound 25 runs along the top edge of the panel Figure 11 shows section of extrusion This extrusion consists of a panel 26 connected perpendicularly to a shorter panel 27 and to a pane: 28 in two places, 29 and 30. Panel 28 consists of a rectangular void 31 and an extending portion $2. A small curved recess 33 is able to slot mound 25 (see figure 10) on extrusion 18 to fit above. Recess 34 between panels 27 and 28 is provided to fit a panel Figure on of extrusion 20. Extrusion 20 is 0 corner extrusion which in a preferred embodiment consists of two sets of grooves 35, 36 for holding the two sets of parallel panels and two recesses 37 for holding the screw fixings 38. Extrusion 20 connected to a parallel set of perpendicular panels 3a, 3b and 4a and 4b was depicted the previous Figures 13 and 14 show a close up view of an embodiment of extrusion 18 running extrusion 19 and perpendicular to extrusion 20. Extrusion 18 can be seen holding the front panels la and lb in place. Side panel 3b is shown in place within extrusion 18.

in a preferred en- lent, the extrusions are pre-bonded to the panels to allow for easy assembly by the end user. The benefit of this would be to allow the user to assemble the box at the final stage, thus allowing panels to be Rat packed and thus decreasing the bulk volume for shipping. In a preferred embodiment sixteen screws hold the panels together, two in each of the eight corners.

Although in some previously described embodiments, the panels can be pre-assembted for final construction by the end-user, in alternative embodiments the box may be ready moulded as a cuboid with all panels ready in place and no assembly required by the user. Depicted in Figure 15 is an alternative embodiment showing a seal 40 in place within a slot gap 23 between extrusions 1E3 and 19. The benefit of this can increase the total water resistance of the box. Preferably the seal will be a standard uPVC seal or window profile seal, in a preferred embodiment, the inner panel lb of the front wall I IS 8,Ighth-ttoard existing behind the front panel Lighting board lb is shown in Figure 16 where the outer front panel la is removed. in a preferred embodiment, the Lighting is provided by a single 15:string of tow voltage LED lights with the lamps being mounted within the main body of the tiox., behind the front pane:, Small hole fittings 41 for lights c.an be seen in lighting board lb in Figure 17,, Figures 17 and 18, depict a preferred embodiment in whit') the lighting board lb Of the front wall 1 is interchangeable by removal of the two screws 38E in each corner which are positioned either side of the extrusion 20, The extrusion can be lifted away and the fmnt panel is able to slide out to be replaced by a differing,penel Figore, 18 shows the lighting board lb removed, In a further embodiment, one or MOM wet may be fluted 42 to add to the striae u strength, insulation and protection of the interior of the box. The box May be advantageously structurally strong enough to function as a seat or bench.

Preferably the lighting board Th is constructed to allow for customisation by user. Figure 19 illustrates one embodiment of the final customised box, in a preferred embodiment, outer front panel; la may be translucent to show tight board 1,4 clearly. This is an efficient and effective way of displaying the lighting.

RI

In an alternative preferred embodiment, strings of lamps are fastened flat to the inner 'front panel lb and an acrylic sheet can be used to diffuse the light source. A benefit of attaching the lamps to the inner panel is a reduced cost as the same tamps are reused. This embodiment also provides the advantage of making the removable panel Lighter and hence easier to exchange and allows for a tidier installation. The strings of lamps may be attached to the inner panel in a square spiral Alternatively they can be attached in a to and fm pattern. Preferably, a mask can be added behind the acrylic sheet to produce an alternative image. The benefit of adding the mask behind the sheet rather than on the exterior is that a 'clean outer face is provided :Preferably a reflective vinyl is used to improve the light intensity, In a preferred embodiment the interior of the box is capable of holding at least two plug:sockets and in a preferred embodiment is able to hold up to forty plug sockets. Ideally the:Mpg sockets would be secured to the inside of box. In a preferred embodiment, the ifa:electrical components can be:pre-wired away from the box and added at the point of:assembly so that no screws penetrate the outer layer of the container.

In a preferred embodiment, the container may comprise a timer which may be a iiist hour timer arid which may itself be located on the inside of the container to provide protection against water.

in a preferred embodiment, the container is weather resistant with an Ingress Protection Rating of 1P13. In a preferred embodiment the container is made of corrugated polypropylene, particularly preferable is Correx sheeting. Cortex sheeting has the benefit of being lightweight, non-toxic and chemically inert, suitable for the storing of electrical plug sockets. Correx also has the benefit of being water-resistant and resilient to outdoor: elements, resistant to cracking and splitting and fully recyclable, Therefore, ideally the container is suitable for outdoor conditions, as the contents of the container will he protected. This is particularly important for the electrical components the box 'Mil store, In alternative embodiments, panels may be made of any other suitable waterproof and chemically inert material in a further preferred embodiment, fittings and screws are made of BIP: steel.

in a preferred embodiment the box has no wheels or handles however alternative embodiments may comprise wheels and handles in various Locations to facilitate transport of the container once fully assembled.

Figure 20 shows an alternative embodiment in which the interior of the container has separate compartments 43-46 separated by dividers and trays to make storage more practical and to separate the plug sockets and cables from lighting and items to be stored, This embodiment may comprise frames such as 47 to wrap the cables around, a Figure 21 shows an alternative embodiment of the interior of the container, in which the plug sockets 48 are attached to the back wall 4. This embodiment also comprises a timer 49 attached to the back wall.

22-24 show the fiat-pack feature of this alternative embodiment h the plug sockets are attached to the back wait This fat-packing allows for minimal Ohl and assembly skills by the end user. In a preferred embodiment; the panels and legs are 'provided packed together within an outer container 50. In an embodiment, the Legs 7 are:provided flat between the side panels and the extrusions, although in alternative embodiments, the side panels could tie above the sockets on the back wall and the gaps could be filled by the corner extrusions.

A final alternative embodiment Mich the lid is attached to the container by a simple barrel, lock mechanism is shown in Figures 25 and 26. This embodiment also shows a: slightly narrower box than the previous embodiments mentioned. Two bolts 55 are shown at either side the lid.5 of the container. The bolts can be seen in Figure 26 to travel the Length of the first extrusion frame, The bolts have an extending iart. 56 which slides under the tip of the extrusion frame, into:gap 24, to keep the lid from lifting.