WO2001076425A1

WO2001076425A1 - Compact container for shirts and the like

Info

Publication number: WO2001076425A1
Application number: PCT/EP2001/003928
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giovanni Pinetti
Original assignee: Giovanni Pinetti
Priority date: 2000-04-10
Filing date: 2001-04-06
Publication date: 2001-10-18
Also published as: ITMI20000775A1; IT1318458B1; ITMI20000775A0; AU5478401A

Abstract

Container for shirts (1), characterized in that it comprises at least one pair of shelves (20, 30; 20, 130; 120, 130), i.e. a lower shelf (20; 120) and an upper shelf (30; 130), said upper shelf (30; 130) having at least one opening (31) for seating the collar (1a) of a shirt.

Description

COMPACT CONTAINER FOR SHIRTS AND THE LIKE

Description The present invention relates to a container for shirts, comprising at least one pair of shelves, i.e. a lower shelf and an upper shelf, said upper shelf having at least one opening for seating the collar of a shirt. The problems associated with the need to store ironed shirts m wardrobes and/or m suitcases m such a way as to prevent them from being crumpled are known.

In particular, m the first case, the problems associated with the need to have spacious volumes inside the wardrobes m order to be able to store the shirts so that the collars are not arranged on top of each other, causing them to be crumpled, are known; while, m the second case, the problems of maintaining the ironed condition after insertion of the shirts inside a suitcase inside which they are inevitably squashed are known. The technical problem which is posed, therefore, is that of providing a container allowing the storage of shirts inside a wardrobe, reducing as far as possible the overall dimensions of the whole assembly, in particular m the vertical direction. Within the context of this problem a further requirement is that the device should have auxiliary means m order to allow extraction of the shirts and transportation thereof to another location, if necessary inside suitcases and the like, without their being squashed by the arrangement of several shirts on top of each other or by other personal belongings or as a result of simple closure of the suitcase lid. These technical problems are solved according to the present invention by a container for shirts, comprising at least one pair of shelves, i.e. a lower shelf and an upper shelf, said upper shelf having at least one opening for seating the collar of a shirt. Further details may be obtained from the following description of a non-limiting example of embodiment of the invention, provided with reference to the accompanying plates of drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a wardrobe container for shirts according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-section along a vertical plane of the container according to Fig. 1;

Figure 3 shows a variation of an example of embodiment of a pair of shelves for the container according to the invention;

- Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a shelf for shirts with an upper shelf realised m accordance with a variation of embodiment, for separation of two shirts arranged on top of each other;

Figure 5 shows a cross-section along the plane indicated by V-V m Fig. 4; - Figure 6 shows a cross-section along the plane indicated by VI-VI m Fig. 4;

Figure 7 shows a schematic cross-section along a vertical plane of the container according to the invention with shirts arranged on top of each other by means of the upper shelf according to Fig. 4;

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of two shirts arranged on top of each other and separated by the upper shelf according to Fig. 4; and

- Figure 9 shows a further embodiment of the container according to the invention.

As illustrated m Fig. 1, the container according to the present invention (for which solely for the sake of convenience of the description the three directions, i.e. longitudinal direction X-X, transverse direction Y-Y and vertical direction Z-Z, are defined) is formed by two vertical shoulder-pieces 10 which have, fixed thereto, opposite pairs of transverse brackets 11 with an L-shaped cross-section, suitably spaced m the vertical direction Z-Z and forming the guiding supports for the shelves on which the shirts are placed.

In greater detail, said shelves supporting the shirts are formed by pairs which comprise: a first - lower - shelf 20 and a second - upper - shelf 30 m which a suitably shaped opening 31 is formed. A template 32, extending outwards from one side only of the shelf 30 and in turn suitably shaped to contain the collar la of the shirt 1, is formed opposite the said opening 31. Said template may be provided m strip form, as shown in the figures, or formed as a single body by means of deformation of the shelf during provision of the opening 31.

During use, said pair of shelves 20,30 allow (Fig. 2) a first shirt 1 to be placed resting on the first lower shelf 20, arranged with the collar la upwards, and a second shirt 1 to be arranged on the upper shelf 30, overturned by means of rotation about an axis parallel to the transverse axis Y-Y (or turned upside down and rotated through 180° in the same plane) so that the collar la is arranged inside the opening 31 where it is supported and protected by the flexible support 32. By inserting the two shelves into the respective guides 11, the two shirts 1 are arranged, one right side up and the other overturned on top of the first one, being separated therefrom by means of the upper shelf 30, with the respective collars la m opposite positions and projecting towards the bodies lb of the other shirt, allowing the thickness of the two shirts to be reduced substantially to the thickness of a single shirt. In an alternative embodiment (F gs. 1 and 3), the lower shelf 120 of the pair may be formed with a raised and shaped edge 121 extending approximately over a half perimeter comprising one of the two short sides of the said shelf. With this configuration it is also possible to provide containers for transportation of the shirts 1 formed by a first shelf 120 on which the shirt 1 rests and a second shelf 120 overturned so as to form the lid of the box. Although not described m detail, it is possible to envisage means for joining together the two shelves, such as pins and seats or matching profiles able to provide a stable, but reversible, connection between the two shelves. Figures 4 to 8 show a further embodiment of the upper shelf which has the function of a separating element 130 able to be inserted with contact between two shirts 1 so as to keep them m the folded condition. In greater detail, said separating element 130 consists of a shape substantially m the form of an "H" with a central body 131 shaped in the manner of a rhomboid so that the corners corresponding to the ends of the longitudinal diagonal may be arranged m the vicinity of the collar la of the shirt. The shelf m the example is advantageously made of foam rubber .

Once the first shirt has been placed on the shelf 20, the separating element 130 is arranged on the shirt itself (Fig. 4) so that the collar la is contained between the two longitudinal arms 132 of the "H" and the said corner 131a of the central body 131 is arranged m the vicinity of the collar la thereof. Then a second shirt 1 is placed, overturned with respect to the first shirt by means of rotation through 180° about a transverse axis, on the separating element 130 so that the body lb rests on the longitudinal arms

132 of the "H" and the collar enters into the seat formed between the central body 131 and the part of the longitudinal arms 132 opposite that containing the underlying shirt.

In this way it is possible to provide a further pair of shelves which may be particularly advantageous for being able to remove, from the fixed container, the two shirts separated by means of the upper separating element and arrange them inside a suitcase or the like, by sliding, for example, the whole arrangement from the shelf 20 which may be recovered and reused. Although described m detail for a specific example of embodiment, it is obvious that the form, thickness and the material with which the upper separating element 130 is made may be modified as required, it being sufficient to retain separating means between the two shirts, equivalent to the longitudinal arms and to the central H-shaped body, as well as hollow seats on opposite sides of the said central body of the separating element m order to allow seating of the collars of the two shirts, one of which being overturned with respect to the other one. In addition, it is envisaged being able to use the upper separating element 130 m combination with the shelves 120 described and illustrated m Fig. 3 so as to be able to keep the two shirts properly separated and ironed during transportation inside the box formed by the two matching shelves 120. Fig. 9 shows a further embodiment of the container according to the invention m which the access opening for extraction of the shelves, and hence the shirts, is formed along the side corresponding to the short ( .e. transverse) dimension of the shirt 1. This embodiment may be particularly advantageous for reducing the lateral dimensions inside a wardrobe, even though it requires the extraction of two shelves (i.e. two shirts) at the same time, instead of a single shelf as in the preceding case.

Claims

1. Container for shirts (1), characterized m that it comprises at least one pair of shelves (20, 30;20, 130/120, 130) , i.e. a lower shelf (20/120) and an upper shelf (30; 130), said upper shelf (30; 130) having at least one opening (31) for seating the collar (la) of a shirt.

2. Container according to Claim 1, characterized m that the upper shelf (30) is arranged with its opening

(31) located on the opposite side to that of the collar (la) of the shirt (1) on the lower shelf (20).

3. Container according to Claim 1, characterized m that said opening (31) of the upper shelf has, arranged opposite it, a template (32) extending outwards from one side of the said shelf, for containing and supporting the collar (la) of the shirt.

4. Container according to Claim 1, characterized m that said upper shelf is in the form of an element

(130) for separating two shirts (1) with which it makes contact .

5. Container according to Claim 4, characterized in that said separating element has a shape substantially in the form of an "H" .

6. Container according to Claim 5, characterized in that the central body (131) of said "H" has a substantially rhomboid shape.

7. Container according to Claim 6, characterized m that the opposite corners (131a) of the central body (131) arranged along the longitudinal diagonal are arranged in the vicinity of the collars (la) of the upper shirt and lower shirt (1), respectively.

8. Container according to Claim 1, characterized in that said lower shelf (20/120) is solid.

9. Container according to Claim 1, characterized m that said lower shelf (120) has a raised edge (121) extending substantially over a half perimeter comprising one of the short sides of the shelf.

10. Container according to Claim 4, characterized in that the pair of shelves (120) is formed by a lower shelf (120) with a shaped edge (121) and by an upper shelf m the form of a separating element (130) making contact with the shirts.

11. Container according to Claim 10, characterized m that it comprises a second lower shelf (120) with a shaped edge (121) matching the first one so as to form an upper closing lid of the container.

12. Container according to Claim 1, characterized m that it has an access opening along the longitudinal dimension (X-X) thereof.

13. Container according to Claim 1, characterized in that it has an access opening along the transverse dimension (Y-Y) thereof.