WO1997000037A1

WO1997000037A1 - Foldable crib

Info

Publication number: WO1997000037A1
Application number: PCT/SE1996/000790
Authority: WO
Inventors: Per Lindwall
Original assignee: Munksjö Förpackningar Ab
Priority date: 1995-06-15
Filing date: 1996-06-17
Publication date: 1997-01-03
Also published as: SE509861C2; SE9502179D0; SE9502179L

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable receptacle combination made of board or corrugated fibreboard, particularly a portable crib. In its erected state, the receptacle includes a supportive surface (72) and side walls (74, 76) which are upstanding from the supportive surface (72) on all sides thereof. The inventive erectable receptacle is characterized in that it includes two mutually coacting units (2, 4) of which the first unit (2) can take a first and second state, wherein when in its first state the first unit (2) forms a structural part of the erected receptacle, and when in its second state is portable and configured to accommodate the second unit (4).

Description

FOLDABLE CRIB

The present invention relates to an erectable receptacle combination comprised of board or corrugated fibreboard, and more particularly to an erectable crib assembly. In its erected state, the receptacle includes a supportive surface and essentially upstanding side walls that extend upwardly from the supportive surface and enclose said surface on all sides.

There are known to the art many different types of portable and/or erectable cribs made of different materials, such as canvass, wood or plastic. It is also known to construct an erectable crib from board or fibreboard; see for instance US 3,487,479. This crib is designed for use when carrying a baby and for storing necessary baby care accessories, and is composed of a plurality of different parts which in a dismantled state can only be handled with difficulty. The known erectable and/or portable cribs are encumbered with various drawbacks. For instance, the cribs are heavy, are difficult to assemble, are composed of many different parts, are troublesome to carry in a dismantled state, are not sufficiently safe, and are expensive to purchase.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above problems. This object is achieved with an erectable receptacle combination, particularly an erectable crib assembly, which is made of board or corrugated fibreboard, which is light in weight and inexpensive to produce, and which can be dismantled to an easily packaged compact state which is easy to carry. The inventive receptacle combination is also simple to erect and dismantle and provides receptacle without risk of damage or injury to its occupant.

The inventive erectable receptacle combination is characterized in that it includes two mutually coacting units, of which the first unit can take a first and a second state, wherein when in its first state said first unit forms a structural part of the erected or assembled receptacle and wherein when in its second state said first unit is portable and configured to accommodate the second unit of said receptacle combination.

Because of the simple and special construction of the receptacle comprising a combination of solely two unit parts, the receptacle can be erected, or assembled, very easily and is practically self-instructive with regard to its method of assembly. The number of units in the construction of the receptacle is reduced to a minimum by virtue of one of the two units being designed to form an easily carried and easily packed packaging unit for the second receptacle unit, besides forming a necessary structural part of the construction in the erected state of the receptacle.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof and also with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows a flat blank from which a first unit of the inventive receptacle can be erected,^•

Figure 2 shows a flat blank from which a second unit of the inventive receptacle can be erected;

Figure 3 shows the inventive device in a carrying state in which the first unit blank has been erected to form a packaging box which accommodates the second unit when in a folded state;

Figure 4 shows the combination of Figure 3 with the lid of the box open and the folded second unit removed from the box;

Figure 5 is an exploded view showing the two units of the receptacle combination in a first state in an erection process;

Figure 6 shows the inventive receptacle combination in a second state in the erection process; and

Figure 7 illustrates a fully erected receptacle. The Figures illustrate an exemplifying embodiment of the invention in the form of an erectable crib made of corrugated fibreboard and comprised of first and second units 2, 4. Figure

1 shows a flat blank from which the first unit 2 is erected. The second unit 4 is comprised of two mutually identical and mutually joined parts 6, as shown in detail in Figure 2. The parts 6 are joined together to form a unit 4 by fastening a fastener tab 8 to the edge part 10 of a corresponding second part 6, by gluing said tab or by securing the tab in some other way.

When erected, the blank shown in Figure 1 forms the first unit

2 of the receptacle combination, shown in different states in Figures 3, 4 and 5. The blank is comprised of a bottom-forming surface 12 and a lid-forming surface 14, which are mutually joined by a hinge line 16.

The lid-forming surface 14 includes two short-side flaps 18 delimited by fold lines 26, and a long-side flap 20 delimited by a fold line 27. The two outer ends of the long-side flap 20 are provided with foldable fastener tongues 22 while an opening 24 through which a handle (not shown in Figure 1) can be inserted is provided in the centre of said flap. The lid- forming surface 14 includes an additional fold line 28 which extends parallel with the hinge line 16.

The bottom-forming surface 12 includes two inner and outer short-side flaps 30 and 32 respectively delimited by fold lines 38, and two long-side flaps 34 delimited by fold lines 39. The two outer ends of the long-side flaps 34 are provided with foldable fastener tongues 36 and the centre part of the outer long-side flap is provided with two mutually spaced folds 46 for the attachment of a handle (not shown in Figure 1) made of plastic or some other suitable material. The outer short-side flaps 32 are provided with one or more snap-in tongues 40 which are adapted for coaction with a corresponding number of snap-in fastener openings 42 provided in the bottom-forming surface 12 as described in more detail herebelow. A transverse slot 44 is provided centrally in each short side-flap 30, 32 transversely to the fold lines 38 that extend between the inner and the outer short-side flaps 30, 32.

The part 6 shown in Figure 2 constitutes one of two mutually identical halves of the second unit 4 and is divided by transversal fold lines 48, 49 and slots 50 into three parts 52, 54, 56 of essentially equal size. This division enables the second unit 4 of the device to be folded to a state in which it can be accommodated in the erected first unit 2, as shown in Figure 4. Two 52, 54 of the three parts are mutually identical and in mirror image in relation to the fold line 48 and are also provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending fold lines 57, 58, 59. A short notch or recess 60 and a long recess 62 are provided opposite one another in the outer edges of each of the two mirror-image parts 52, 54. The third part 56 is delimited from the part 54 by a longitudinally extending slot 50 and the fold line 49. The third part 56 also includes longitudinally extending fold lines 64 and mutually opposing wedge-shaped fold lines 66.

The blank shown in Figure 1 is erected to form the first unit 2 of the device, i.e. the packaging box. The box is shown in different states in Figures 3, 4 and 5, i.e. in a closed state, an open state and in an outwardly developed state respectively. The blank is erected by folding up the long-side flaps 34 and the short-side flaps 30, 32 of the bottom-forming part 12, while folding the fastener tongues 36 in towards the inside of the inner short-side flaps 30. The outer short-side flaps 32 are then folded in and over the fastener tongues 36, and the snap-in tongues 40 are pressed down and secured in the snap-in openings 42.

The first unit 2 is now in the state shown in Figure 4. The three parts 52, 54, 56 of the second unit 4 can now be folded one on to the other in the aforedescribed manner and as illustrated in Figure 4, therewith enabling the second unit 4 to be placed in the open box. The box is closed by folding the lid-forming surface 14 over the bottom-forming surface 12 at the hinge line 16, and by folding the short-side flaps 18 of the lid part inwardly of the inwardly folded outer short-side flaps 32 of the bottom part 12. The long-side flap 20 of the lid part 14 is folded down on the outside of the long-side flap 34 of the bottom part while, at the same time, inserting the fastener tongues 22 on the lid part 14 into the open slots 35 formed in respective corner parts of the bottom part between the upwardly folded short-side flaps 30 and the fastener tongues 36 inwardly thereof, so as thereby to lock the lid part 14 to the bottom part 12. The handle 68 attached in the holes 46 is, at the same time, passed out through the opening 24 so as to be located on the outside of the box and therewith enable the erected receptacle to be readily carried.

The non-erected parts of the inventive receptacle combination can be easily packed into the box-like packaging receptacle shown in Figure 3 and carried therein, said packaging receptacle being both compact and easy to carry with the aid of the handle 68, in the manner of a bag or briefcase.

When the receptacle combination is to be erected to provide a crib, the packaging receptacle 2 of the combination is first opened, as shown in Figure 4, and the second unit 4, the crib blank, is removed from the box and erected. Figure 5 is an exploded view showing the inventive receptacle in a first state of erection. In this stage, the first unit 2 has been erected and the lid part 14 folded back at the hinge line 16 and then inwardly along the additional fold line 28 in the lid part 14 so as to lie beneath the bottom part 12 . The second unit 4 has been developed and erected such as to form a crib having mutually parallel long and short sides respectively. The long sides are formed by the two mirror-image parts 52, 54, whereas the short sides are formed by the outer part 56 of the part 6. The crib 4 is placed on the first unit 2, by positioning the recesses 62 over the end-parts of the short-side flaps 30, 32 on the bottom part 12, so that said short-side flaps extend parallel with the short sides 56 of the crib 4 and so that the long sides 34 of the bottom part are in abutment with the outer sides of the longitudinal side-surfaces 52, 54 of the crib 4. The short and the long sides of the first unit 2 are thus included as part of the supportive structure v/hen the inventive receptacle is fully erected.

As will be seen from Figure 5, one short-side 56 of the crib 4 forms a first crib end-wall, by virtue of folding-in the opposing wedge-shaped parts at the fold line 66 at the same time as the end-wall 56 is folded double at the fold line 64. The inwardly folded wedge-shaped parts of the end-wall parts mean that all outer edges of the end-walls are folded double and therewith rounded smoothly, so as to avoid the presence of any sharp edges on which a baby or child may injure her¬ self/himself.

In the state of assembly illustrated in Figure 6, the two short-side walls 56 have been folded down to form a head and a foot wall 76 respectively. It will be seen that one long-side part 52, 54 has been folded-in and the two short recesses or notches 60 placed in the central slots 44 in the short-side flaps 30, 32 of the bottom part, such as to therewith form one- half of the crib bottom 72. Figure 6 illustrates the coaction of the first unit 2 with the second unit 4 and shows the crib 4 placed on the box-like packaging unit 2. The long-side flaps 34 of the bottom part lie against the outside of the long sides 52, 54 of the crib 4 and therewith hold the construction together with the short-side flaps 30, 32. The short-side flaps 30, 32 of the bottom part also form transverse support beams which support the crib bottom in its cross-direction. The crib bottom is supported in its position raised from the underlying surface by the outer edges 70 of respective longitudinally extending side-parts 52, 54, these edges extending in a vertical plane along the centre part of the receptacle in the erected states of the crib shown in Figure 6 and 7.

Figure 7 shows a fully erected receptacle with which both long- side parts 52, 54 have been folded inwards to form a complete crib bottom 72. As a result of the particular design of the two units 2, 4 and their coaction with one another, the erected receptacle presents no sharp edges which would be liable to injure a child placed in the crib. The particular design of the crib construction also ensures that the child will be raised from an underlying crib supporting surface, such as a floor surface for instance, thereby protecting the child from cold draughts. The particular design of the inventive device also provides the advantage of holding the material together at the transition between the crib bottom and the vertical long sides 74, and therewith obviate the risk of the child being pinched in this region of the crib.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the aforedescribed exemplifying embodiment and that several modifications are conceivable within the scope of the following Claims. Although the receptacle combination is primarily designed to provide an erectable crib, it may also be designed for other purposes, for instance as a dog basket or the like.

Claims

1. An erectable receptacle combination made of fibreboard or corrugated fibreboard, particularly an erectable crib, said receptacle having in its erected state a supportive surface

(72) and side walls (74, 76) which are generally upstanding from the supportive surface (72) on all sides thereof, characterized in that the device includes two mutually coacting units (2, 4) of which the first unit (2) can take a first state and a second state, wherein when in its first state the first unit (2) forms a structural part of the receptacle construction, and when in its second state said first unit (2) is portable and configured to accommodate the second unit (4) .

2. An erectable receptacle combination according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first unit (2) includes a bottom part (12) having on one side thereof short-sides (30, 32) and long- sides (34) which are generally perpendicular to the bottom part, and a lid part (14) which is hinged to the bottom part (12) .

3. An erectable receptacle combination according to Claim 2, characterized in that in the first state of the first unit (2) the lid part (14) has been rotated to a position in which it lies against the other side of the bottom part (12) .

4. An erectable receptacle combination according to Claim 3, characterized in that in the second state of the first unit (2) the lid part (14) lies against the short-sides and long-sides (30, 32; 34) of the bottom part so as to form a lid over said bottom part (12) , wherein the unit includes a locking arrangement (22, 35) for locking the lid part (14) in said position.

5. An erectable receptacle combination according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the second unit (4) includes fold lines and/or recesses (48, 49, 50) such as to enable said unit to be folded to a state in which it is accommodated in the first unit (2) .

6. An erectable receptacle combination according to Claim 5, characterized in that the second unit (4) is comprised of a continuous unit (52, 54, 56) which can be folded with the aid of fold lines (48, 49, 57, 58, 59, 64, 66) and which forms the side walls (74, 76) , such as the short and long side walls, of the erected receptacle and the supportive surface (72) .

7. An erectable receptacle combination according to Claim 6, characterized in that the second unit (4) includes recesses (62) which when erecting said receptacle coact with the sides (32, 32; 34) of the bottom part (12) on said first unit (2), thereby holding the second unit (4) together and locking said second unit to the first unit (2) .

8. An erectable receptacle combination according to Claim 7, characterized in that the supportive surface (72) is spaced from the surface on which the receptacle rests and that two mutually opposing sides (30, 32) of the bottom part (12) provide supports for the supportive surface (72) .

9. An erectable receptacle combination according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the outer edges of the upstanding side walls (74, 76) are folded double.

10. An erectable receptacle combination according to any one of Claims 2-9, characterized in that a handle (68) is provided on one of the short or long sides (30, 32; 34) of the first unit (2) .