WO1996018327A1

WO1996018327A1 - Combined storage box and stool

Info

Publication number: WO1996018327A1
Application number: PCT/FR1994/001461
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joseph Figuereo
Original assignee: Joseph Figuereo
Priority date: 1994-12-14
Filing date: 1994-12-14
Publication date: 1996-06-20
Also published as: EP0797400A1

Abstract

Combined storage box and stool characterized in that it consists of, firstly, a storage box open at its upper end and divided into compartments, said box including gripping and carrying means (4), and secondly, a stool (T). The box and stool are shaped so that the box (1) fits at least partially into the stool (T) in an overturned position. The invention is useful, in particular, for performing housework.

Description

STORAGE BOX COMBINATION

The present invention relates to the production of a storage box-stool combination constituting a kit comprising various instruments or objects including a stool, intended for a particular use.

More specifically, the invention relates to a household kit, transportable by hand and capable of grouping the various materials and useful products, preferably arranged in a functional manner, and will be described below in this application, but it is quite obvious that the device of the invention may be used for other purposes or tasks, possibly being arranged according to the objects, instruments, products or other, specific to the intended use.

Today, in the field of industrial cleaning and more precisely still housework, such as washing and dusting of surfaces or furniture, the transport of materials and brushes for the execution of household tasks, excluding washing, is frequently done at home. 'unit, stored in the pockets of a blouse. Not very practical, this way of doing things, on the number of products to use, requires numerous trips between the place where the products are stored and the endioit of their uses. Most, work at a certain height, above cupboards, shelves, etc ..., sometimes feels not carried out for lack of stepladder hand, or executed mounted on a chair or other types The supports may present risks fall.

The present invention aims to remedy all disadvantages by providing the user with an ansembla conveniently grouping together, materials and various products and a stool.

To this end, the invention relates to a combined storage box-stool, characterized in that it consists, on the one hand, of a storage box, open at its upper part, compartmentalized and provided with means gripping-transport and, on the other hand, a stool, the box and the stool being configured so that the box at least partially fits into the interior space of the stool in the inverted position.

According to one embodiment, the box has an external shape of a trunk of a pyramid, the large rectangular base of which coincides with the upper orifice of the box, and the stool is rectangular and has a foot inclined towards the outside at each angle. and in the form of an angle iron the internal face of which is capable of overlapping a lateral edge of the box in the position where the latter fits into said inverted stool.

The storage box is advantageously compartmentalized so as to constitute storage compartments for instruments, objects, or products, such as brushes, wolf's head, cleaning, deodorant bombs, sprayer, scouring powder, etc. and / or one or more receptacles for receiving one or more liquids, the arrangement of said cells being designed with a view to a harmonious, practical arrangement and with the minimum of bulk. The gripping / transport means are for example constituted by a flat handle shaped in the central zone of the upper planar wall of the box, ajcuráe so as to delimit the various orifices for access to the cells mentioned above.

In addition, at least one of the external walls of the box can advantageously be provided with means, such as clips, for rapid attachment of instruments, for example a telescopic wolf head, a broom, a telescopic pole. for window washer, etc.

The combined box-stool set is in the transport position, of a truly minimal footprint, practically reduced to the volume of the storage box, The combination is placed everywhere and is stable, its lower face constituted by there upper face of the stool being flat. it can serve as a receiving surface for another handset or other object, since the upper face of said assembly is also flat and without projection.

The interlocking of the two parts, box and stool, is stable and ensured simply by wedging or friction of inclined surfaces. The separation of the two parts is easy and almost instantaneous by providing, for this purpose, on at least one side of the stool, in the vicinity of the seat, a notch in the wall making it possible to engage the end of a foot to block the floor on the stool while pulling on the box for its extraction.

Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the description which follows of an embodiment of the device of the invention, description given by way of example only and with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a top view of a storage box for a handset according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of the box of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is "a partial sectional view along line III-III of the box of Figure 1;

- Figure 4 is a top view of a stool designed for the box of Figures 1 to 3;

- Figure 5 is an elevational view of the stool of Figure 4;

- Figure 6 is a left view in partial section along line VI-VI of the stool of Figure 4; - Figure 7 is a top view of the combined forr.â of the box of Figure 1 and the stool of Figure 4; - Figure 8 is an elevational view of the handset of Figure 7, and

- Figure 9 is a left view of the handset in Figure S.

In Figures 1 to 3, there is shown schematically a storage box 1 of general truncated pyramid shape, the face of the large base, constituting the upper face 2 of the box and the face of the small base, are planar.

The box is made for example of molded plastic material and is compartmentalized by walls arranged da appropriately to constitute several cells of variable shapes and dimensions depending on their destination or use.

Thus, for example and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the upper face 2 of the box can be divided into three zones juxtaposed along the longitudinal axis

3 of the box (FIG. 1), namely a central zone in which are made, in the wall defining said upper face 2, a central flat handle 4 in the axis 3, and, on either side, orifices 5,6,7 of various forms.

The central zone of the handle 4 is flanked on either side by a zone provided with four access ports 8 and by a zone provided with a single port 9.

The four orifices 8 give access to four independent compartments 10 in the body of the box, while the orifice 9 gives access to a large single compartment 11.

The orifices 5 to 7 are simple passage orifices and do not give access to any compartment as can be seen in FIG. 3, the small side walls of the box being perforated at 12 so as to form an empty central corridor between the compartments 10,11 to lighten the box, the space under the handle 4 being difficult to use.

The sides of the corridor (12) are delimited by walls

13 of compartments 10.11.

Under the handle 4 and at a distance is provided a bridging wall 14 to stiffen the box.

On one of the large external lateral walls are fixed clips 15, of known type, allowing the horizontal hanging of tubular elements 16 (FIGS. 8,9) such as broom handle, wolf head extension, etc ...

A drain hole 17 (Figure 3) closed by a removable drain (not shown), can be formed in an end wall of the compartment 11, if the latter is intended to accommodate a liquid, for example water with money.

The stool T shown schematically in Figures 4. to 6 is advantageously formed with the same molded plastic material as the box 1 and comprises a seat lö formed by a flat wall of dimensions corresponding to calles of the underside of the box and a base was four feet 19 in the corners of seat 13. The feet 19 move away from the seat and are formed of corner angles whose internal edge has the same inclination as the lateral lateral edges of the box

1 so that the latter 1 can be introduced into the internal space defined between the legs 19 when the stool is inverted, as illustrated by FIGS. 7 to 9. In this nesting position, the angle brackets 19 overlap the side edges of the box over its entire height. This position is stable, the two elements 1 and T remaining integral by friction between the feet 19 and the box 1.

The dimensions of the feet 19 are, in the illustrated embodiment, determined so that the ends of the feet 19 are flush with the upper face 2 of the box, while between the seat 18 and the lower face of the box 1 (FIG. 8 ) exists a space.

Via a window 20 formed in the wall of the stool T in one of the sides and along one of the long sides of the seat 18, it is possible for the user of the handset to introduce a foot between the stool T and the box 1 in order to separate the two elements and extract the box by pulling on the handle 4, the stool T remaining flat on the ground. The opening 20 can also be used for handling the stool.

The feet 19 of the stool define between them large openings leaving free access in particular to the side of the box provided with the clips 15.

The combined box 1 - stool T is remarkably practical, of reduced size, has flat upper and lower surfaces ensuring good stability, allowing, for example during storage outside of periods of use, to place several combined handsets some on the others.

The nesting and the nesting of elements 1 and T, are easy and almost instantaneous. The stool can be used as a stepladder as a seat.

The handset can be picked up and transported easily thanks to the integrated central handle 4.

The cells 10, 11 and the openings 5 to 7 of ratenua-presentation, make it possible to present in a harmonious manner, practical and functional the various objects, instruments, even liquids useful for the tasks to be performed.

The cell can thus be used as a container containing water with detergent and in which the window washer can immerse a wetter for example. After use, the liquid in compartment 11 is drained through hole 17.

The compartment 11 can of course be itself divided into smaller compartments by means of partitions as illustrated at 21 in FIG. 1.

The shapes and dimensions of the openings 5 to 7 are determined according to the nature of the object which will be received there, in general an instrument of which only the handle will be engaged in one of the said openings.

Finally, the invention is obviously not limited to the embodiment shown and described above, but on the contrary covers all its variants, in particular as regards the shapes and dimensions of the box 1 which can be frustoconical or in shape of pyramid trunk with sides in number different from four. The stool T has a shape suitable for that of box 1 and may have legs in numbers other than four. It should be noted that the sides of the box 1 as well as the feet of the stool T could be straight instead of being inclined, insofar as between the two parts, box and stool, are arranged contact surfaces allowing the at least partial nesting of one of said parts in the other and their retention.

The handset of the invention can be used in the context of the exercise of all kinds of activities.

Claims

CLAIMS =: =: =: =: =: =: =: =: =: =: =: =: =: =

1. Combined storage box-stool, characterized in that it consists, on the one hand, of a storage box (1), open at its upper part, compartmentalized and provided with gripping-transport means (4 ) and, on the other hand, a stool (T), the box and the stool being configured so that the box (1) at least partially fits into the interior space of the stool (T) in the inverted position .

2. Handset according to claim 1, characterized in that the box (1) has an external shape of a pyramid trunk whose large, rectangular base, coincides with the upper orifice of the box, and the stool (T) is rectangular and has at each angle a foot (19) inclined towards the outside and in the form of an angle whose internal face is capable of overlapping a lateral edge of the box (1) in the position of nesting of the latter in said inverted stool.

3. Combination according to claim 2, characterized in that the box (1) is compartmentalized so as to constitute cells (10, it) for storing instruments, objects or products and / or containing a liquid.

4. Combination according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said gripping-transport means are constituted by a central handle (4) formed in a flat wall defining the upper face (2) of the box (1) and in which are formed orifices (8, 9) for access to said compartments (10,11) and / or orifices (5 to 7) for inserting various objects.

5. Combination according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one external lateral face of the box (1) is provided with attachment means (15) of objects or instruments (16).

6. Combination according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the stool (T) and the box (1) are designed so as to provide, in the nesting position, an interval between the siega (18) of the stool and the upper face (2) of the boita, the stool (T) being provided on the at least one of its lateral flanks, in the immediate vicinity of said seat (18), of a passage orifice (20).

7. Handset according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one of the compartments (11) has a drain orifice (17) provided with a drain.