US1980683A - Portable receptacle - Google Patents

Description

Filed Aug; 10, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1934- R. HERRMANN PORTABLE RECEPTACLE Filed Aug. 10, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to portable receptacles, and has particular reference to traveling cases such as those used as traveling kits.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described having a plurality of containers associated in an improved manner With a wall element and in movable relation thereto whereby in the closed position of the device, a compact relatively rigid case is provided, and in the open position thereof, the

device is so disposed that the contents of the container are readily available and may be conveniently positioned in a stabilized manner on ,a table or the like, with the containers held in 'upright position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the nature set forth including a plurality of containers and an intervening in- ,terconnecting wall element so that in open position the contents of the containers are readily and conveniently available, the Wall element holding for immediate access various articles supplemental to those in the containers, with ,the entire device having a large supporting base, and the device being collapsible into relatively small compact position as by movement of the containers into contact with the intervening wall to close the device.

Another object of the invention is the provi- 9 sion of a device of the class alluded to wherein a wall element and one or more end containers therefor are associated together in a resilient manner to facilitate the opening of the device and the maintaining thereof in open position.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a device of the type mentioned having a plurality of preferably rigid containers hingedly interconnected by a Wall element for movement of the containers into abutment with each other and with the Wall element, all in improved relation with each other.

Another object of the invention is to construct a device of the character described including end containers and an intervening interconnecting wall element arranged in an improved manner with respect to the containers so that the device is collapsible in varying degrees so as to have supporting base areas of varying sizes and with the wall el ment being adapted to carry different articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the nature set forth having relatively few and simple parts and which is inexpensive to construct, convenient in use, neat and compact in appearance, durable, reliable and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceed's.

With the aforesaid objects in View, the invention 7 consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawings, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawings: a r

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a device embodying the invention, in the closed position thereof.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the device inthe open position thereof.

Fig; 3 is a longitudinal diagrammatic sectionview taken on the line 33 of Fig. 4, with parts omitted.

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the device shown- The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and thesame structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obviousto those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same maybe incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawings therefore, are submitted-merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 denotes a device embodying the invention. In closed position, the same is of compact regular form and may be generally rectangular. It will be noted that this device includes a plurality of containers 11, 12 in abutment with each other along a transverse upright plane 13, and the container 12 having a flap 14 secured to the container 11 by suitable releasable fastening means 15.

Each of the containers 11 and 12 may be a duplicate of the other, if desired, except that the container 12 is provided with the flap 14 having a snap fastener element 15 for snap fastener engagement with the stud 16 of the container 11.

Each of the containers is provided with a bottom wall 17, side walls 18 and 19, and exactly similar end walls 20. The containers are elongated and of preferably rectangular form and extend in generally parallel relation to each other, each having a top opening 21 in the open position of the device. openings, the contents of the containers are readily available as will be conceived from the drawings, but in order to facilitate access to Through such top Ill the containers as, for example, to articles which may be disposed at the bottoms of the containers, openings in the side walls 19 may also be provided. Desirably the side walls 19 may also be provided with undercuts such as shown at 22 so as to afford side openings which face each other and which are in registry and in continuous communication with the top openings 21.

In the open position of the device, the containers 11 and 12 are spaced at a considerable distance from each other. Intervening between the containers is a bottom wall element or flap means 23 which may be suitably reenforced as desired, and which may be hingedly connected to the lower portions or bottoms of the respective containers as along parallel hinge lines 24. The width ofthe wall element 23 may bev equal to the length of the individual containers, and the length of the wall element may be such that the containers are foldable over upon the wall element so as to lie with their top openings 21 in registry with each other and with the free edges of the walls 20 and 21 in abutment with each other along the plane 13 as shown in Fig. 1. By thus swinging the containers toward each other and downward with respect to the bottom Wall element 23 into the closed position, it will be perceived 'that the .top openings of the containers are closed by interengagement of the containers and that the side openings are closed by the bottom wall element.

1 A feature of the invention, therefore, is the simultaneous closing of top and side openings of a plurality of containers by a simple swinging motion or movement of containers with respect to each other and to an interconnecting element without requiring the manipulation of special flaps or other closure devices, although the latter may of course be provided.

1 The bottom wall element 23 may be adapted to carry various articles and consequently may have a pouch 25 for the reception of a nail file, a skeleton pocket 26 for the reception of a mirror, and a sleeve-like holder 27 for the reception of a comb. The members 25, 26 and 27 are intended to beillustrative merely, and may, however, be omitted or replaced by other members, it being sufficient to indicate that preferably the element 23 may be used as a display holder or support for articles that may be supplemental to those positioned in the containers 11 and 12. The containers may have articlessuch as shaving, cosmetic, hair treating, or other toilet articles.

In order to assure that the bottom wall element 23 may operate as an adequate closure for the side openings of the containers 11 and 12, and also as a safe container portion for the articles received in the members 25, 26, and 27, the containers 11 and 12 are preferably provided with side extensions such as 28 that face each other. These 7 extension compartments or rigid portions may be-produced by prolonging the end walls 20 of the different containers toward each other along the planes of said end walls, as shown at 29. The extensions 28 are rigid and equal in height with the end walls 20, although of greater height than the rigid walls 19, and are relatively narrow so as to provide only sufiicient space to accommodate the members 25, 26, and 27 together with the articles that may be held thereby,

It willnow be seen that on moving the containers into closed position, the vertical free edge portions of the wall element 23 so as to provide a relatively narrow closed compartment which is continuous for the length of the bottom wall 23 between the hinge lines 24 and between the walls 19 and the wall 23. The walls 19 in the closed position lie in a plane, and although they provide an opening between each other, this is immaterial, it being sufficient that the compartment thus provided between the walls 19 and 23 is otherwise completely closed.

While different parts of the device may be flexible and other parts rigid, the preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates that the containers 11 and 12 and the wall element 23 shall be wholly rigid throughout. Consequently in the closed position of the device as shown in Fig. 1, a strong reliable protective container is afforded, the mutually abutting containers 11 and 12 being well adapted to take up any stresses that might be exerted thereon, and the wall element 23 serving as a strong reenforcement for the containers. The embodiment of the invention may be constructed of various materials, for'example, leather, rubber, or fabric, and reenforcements of any desired character may be employed, such as cardboard, wood, metal, or composition material.

In Figs. 3 and 4 are shown elements in the construction of the device. Thus the containers 11 and 12 may be formed essentially of box-like structures 30, while the bottom wall element may consist of a strip member 31 extending continuously not only between the boxes 30, but also underneath the same as shown at 31a and upward along the outer sides thereof as shown at 32. In this manner the expense of manufacturing the device may be greatly reduced, and a very neat continuous edge may be afforded for the case as shown at 33 in Fig. 1.

To cause automatic opening of the device upon release of the fastening 15, resilient elements may be employed between the end containers and the intervening bottom wall. For example, leaf springs 34 may overlie the thickened strongly reenforced part of the wall 31, and may be secured thereto as by rivets 35, and extend thence between the wall portion 31a and the overlying bottom portion 36 which together may provide the bottom wall 17 hereinbefore referred to. It will now be seen that the leaf springs 34 tend to move into the position shown in Fig. 3 to open and maintain the device in open position. In order to close the device the end containers are swung toward each other and downward about the hinge lines 24 as aforesaid, thereby flexing the springs 34 into right angle positions.

The wall portions 32 together with the adjacent side wall portions 37 provide the side walls 18 hereinbefore. mentioned. The different parts of the device including the springs, 34 may be completely covered by suitable linings which thus conceal the rivets 35 and also the rivets 38 that connect the leaf springs to the container bot toms 36. The linings may function as reenforcements for the device and in this respect the springs 34 may also operate as reenforcements to tend to prevent separation of the boxes 30 from the wall element 31a.

It will be noted that since the wall element 23 rests on the same plane as the container bottoms, its weight will not affect the containers, and nevertheless possible outward tilting of the positioned thereon.

containers will be effectively prevented by said wall element, much more effectively than if the wall element were connected to the containers at a substantial height above the bottoms. Then again, any downward pressure that might be exerted on the element in inserting or removing articles from the display holders 25, 26, 2'7 will not cause; tilting of the containers but will be taken up by the common supporting plane. An additional feature is that the spaced walls 18, i9 reenforce and maintain the end walls 20 parallel so that the projections 29 will always accur ately abut the wall element when the device is closed. Should the wall 19 be of lighter material than the wall 18, any bellying of the wall 19 by pressure in the container will be taken up in the side recess of the container, and uniform close contact of projections 29 and the wall element 23 permitted. Not only does the wall element maintain the containers in alinement due, to its rigidity, but it also assures accurate and complete closing of the recesses to furnish the compartments for the holders 25, 26, 27; the rigid wall 23 also coacts with the outer walls 18, which are continuously extended and connected with the end walls up to the tops of the containers, and whereby a wholly rigid and completely closed receptacle is afforded. It is seen that all of these features cooperate to furnish a novel, improved device of distinctive character.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modification of the invention embodied in a device 39 which may in all respects be similar to the device 10 except that the flap 14 is omitted, and a flap arrangement substituted therefor which is directly connected to the intervening bottom wall element 23a. Thus flaps 40 and 41 may be connected to the element 23a along fold lines 42, other fold lines being provided in the flaps so that in the folded position of the containers shown in Fig. 1,

the flaps may be swung from opposite directions over the containers with the sections 44 of the flaps between the lines 42 and 43 overlying the end walls of the containers. The flap 40 may have a stud 45 and the flap 41 may have a socket 46 for releasable fastening interengagement in the well known manner to hold the device 39 closed. The springs 34 may or may not be used in the devices 10 and 39.

small supporting area is available, the device may be partially collapsed as shown in Fig. 6 with the element 23?) nevertheless functioning as a display holder for the articles adapted to be Obviously the element 231) may be folded to a greater or less extent about the transverse hinge line 48. In order to close the device 4'7, the same may be operated for movement into either of two different positions.

For example, the containers 11 and 12 may be I be swung over the top of the containers for releasable interengagement of the fastener elements 49. As thus closed, the top openings of the container are closed by the flap 14a, and the side openings of the containers are closed by the intermediate element 23b. The device 4'7 will then have a form different from that of the device shown in Fig. 1 so as to be adapted to fit a difierent space or compartment in a trunk or valise. However, if it be desired that the device 47 shall, in closed position, assume the form shown in Fig. 1, it is merely necessary to flatten the element 23b into the bottom plane of the device, whereupon the flap 14a may be folded over the container 11 in the same manner as the flap 14 and with its fastening element 49 releasably engageable with the fastener element 50 on the container 11. In order that the element 231) shall snugly hug' the adjacent sides of the containers 11 and 12 in this closed position, it is desirable that the hinged connection at 48 shall be such as to be rigid against any hinged movement of the element 23?) away from the containers 11 and 12'. In other words, the radius of movement of the hinge connection at 48 is limited to 180. I

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawings, and that the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being efined in the following claims.

I claim: 7

1. A portable receptacle including a plurality of elongated rigid containers each having bot-.

'tially parallel relation to each other, a bottom wall element extending between and permanently hingedly interconnecting the bottoms of the containers and being of sufficient length so that the containers are foldable along said hinge lines to lie with their sides against the bottom wall element and with their open ends in register with each other, said bottom wall element resting on the same plane with the container bottoms in the said open position so as to tend to maintain said bottoms in flat resting position on said plane, and means for maintaining said containers in said overlying relation.

2. A portable receptacle including a plurality of elongated containers each having bottom walls and side and top openings, said containers being spaced apart with their side openings facing each other, said containers having end and outer side walls defining the top openings and being continuously interconnected up to the top openings, a bottom wall element disposed substantially in the plane of the bottom walls of the containers and having permanent hinged connection therewith, said bottom wall element being of suflicient length so that both containers are swingable about the hinge connections to rest on the bottom wall element with their top portions including the end and outer side walls in abutment with. each other and with the bottom wall element acting as a closure for the side openings, and means for securing the containers together to maintain the same in said overlying relation to the bottom wall element.

3. A portable receptacle including a'plurality face each other being undercut to provide openings, the'outer side walls and the end walls having their upper edges defining top openings for the containers and being continuously interconnected up to said top openings, a continuously rigid bottom wall element extending between and hingedly connected to the containers at the inner bottom edges thereof so as to rest with the containers on a common plane, said element being extended the length of the containers and the containers being foldable downward toward each other about the hinge connections to closely overlie said element in con tact therewith and with said top and outer walls in abutmentwith each other, and a flap connected to the outer side wall of one of the containers and adapted for releasable connection with the outer side *wall of the other container, said flap lying wholly on a side of the infolded containers opposite to said element.

4. A portable receptacle including a plurality of parallel rigid containers, each of said containers having a bottom, side and end walls. the side walls that face each other being spaced inward of the edges of the end walls to provide side recesses facing each other, each of said containers having a top opening, and a plane rigid wall means hingedly connected to the containers at the bottoms thereof, said containers being foldable about the hinge connections downward against said wall means with the'said end wall edges abutting said wall means to form said recesses into compartments, and the outer side walls and the end walls abutting each other edge to edge to close the said compartments and said top openings, and said rigid wall means holding said containers in abutting relation with each other.

5. A portable receptacle having a plurality of upright spaced containers, a continuously rigid wall element extending therebetween substantially along the plane of the container bottoms and being hingedly connected to the individual containers,rso that the containers are adapted to fold about the hinge lines upon said wall element, with the latter extending substantially in a plane along corresponding sides of the containers, and a flap extending along the opposite sides of the containers and releasably inter- 'engaging the containers, and resilient means acting between the containers and the wall element for throwing the containers into open upright position.

6. A portable receptacle including a plurality of spaced upright containers, said containers having side walls and end walls having edge portions projecting toward each other beyond the side walls to provide recesses, a wall element hingedly interconnecting the containers adjacent to and in the plane of the bottoms thereof so that the containers are swingable about thehinge connections downward and toward each other to lie with said edge portions in bearing relation to the wall element, means for releasably maintaining said containers in the swung position, article holding members on said wall element to lie within said recess, said wall element having a central fold line between the hinge connections so that the wall element is f oldable upon itself with the containers dis posed in upright position, said containers being adapted to rest against the sides of the folded wall element, and said meansbeing. adapted'to releasably maintain the containers against said sides of the wall element.

7. A portable receptacle including a plurality of rigid containers lying edge to edge along a plane, a continuously rigid reenforcement. wall lying along a side of the containers and hingedly connected thereto at the container edges remote from each other, said containers being otherwise separate of each other, means releasably connecting the containers together against movement away from the said wall, so that the latter constitutes a means for maintaining the containersalong said plane, the containers being swingable upward and away from each other so as to be adapted to rest in upright position with the said wall lying in the plane of the container bottoms to stabilize the containers, and means on said wall formounting articles in display position thereon.

8. A portable receptacle having a plurality of rectangular containers adapted to rest on" their individual bottom walls in upright spaced parallel relation to each other, said containers having rigid side and end walls continuously interconnected to and being open at the top, a plane rigid plate extending between the containers in the plane of the bottom walls thereof so as to rest with said bottoms on said plane, and be ing hingedly connected to the adjacent edge portions of the bottom wall, said containersbeing swingable about the hinge connections to rest in alinement with each other upon the rigid plate with said openings in register with each other so that the containers abut and close each other, said rigid plate maintaining the containers in said alinement in the closed position, and the outer side walls affording a substantially continuous, rigid wall structure on the side of the receptacle opposite to said rigid plate, and means to releasably prevent relative movement between the containers and said rigid plate.

9. A portable receptacle having a plurality of spaced parallel containers havingrigid side, end and bottom walls and being open at the tops thereof, the outer sidewalls and the end walls of the containers being continuously interconnectedup to the tops of the containers,

the inner side walls being spaced inward of the adjacent edges of the end walls to provide recesses, a plane rigid wall element hingedly interconnected with the bottom portions of the containers so as to rest on the same plane with said bottoms, said wall element being of such length that the containers are foldable about the hinge connections downward against the wall element with the edges of the container walls in abutment with each other to close the container openings, said edges of the container end walls abutting said wall element so that said recesses constitute compartments, means secured to said wall element for holding articles in display and in housed positions in the open and closed positions, respectively, of the receptacle, and means for releasably holding the containers together in folded position,

sidewalls of the containers.

ROBERT -HERRMANN.

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