AU620122B2

AU620122B2 - A demountable container

Info

Publication number: AU620122B2
Application number: AU38992/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Theresa Daphne Hill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-07-26
Filing date: 1989-07-26
Publication date: 1992-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 2009-07-26
Also published as: AU3899289A

Description

\1 8000390 26/07/ea~ 6,2 0122 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 le 00 p

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rThIE~RE82 D=TIIN X~ 0 p p p COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED:i 14 "A DEMOUNTABLE CONTAINER" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best ai; thod of performing ~it known to us:-

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3k THERESA DAPHNE HILL S I 2 This invention has particular but not exclusive application to containers used for the storage of children's toys, and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However, it is to be understood that this children's toys and the like. Such toy boxes may be made from wood or a plastics material and are generally of a rigid :10 construction. Such toy boxes are bulky and are difficult to store away when not required. Furthermore, toy boxes of the o type described are not usually demountable, or are capable of being transformed into a chair, bed or playing surface upon which a child may rest or play.

e S S The present invention aims to alleviate the above disadvantages and to provide a demountable container which will be reliable and efficient in use. Other objects and Sadvantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.

With the foregoing and other objects in viei,; this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a demountable container having a plurality of wall components formed as cushions and connector means for maintaining'said cushions in Contines o varousshaes nd szesareusedto tor ^F cilre's oy ad helik. uc ty oxe my e ad r I 3 the f orm of a container whereby said container may be used to store toys and said connector means being releasable to enable said cushions to be utilised as child supporting cushions.- 00 1 00 04 *000 00 *0 I 000* 0I 00 0 00 00 0 00 00 00 0 0 0 0 000@ 00 00 0 00 00 0 0 00 00 00 0 04 00 0 0 4~ih OfI 00 0 04 10 *Preferably the components include a base wall assembly and a side wall assembly. The side wall assembly may include a single wall panel and wherein opposite ends of the panel are releas.ably attached together so as to f orm a continuous sidte- wall. In an alternative embodiment, the side wall assembly includes a plurality of wall panels. Similarly, the base wall assembly may include a single wall panel or a plurality of wall panels, -preferably releasably attached to one another. The wall components may also include a releasable top wall assembly.

15 The base wall, side wall and top wall assemblies are preferably cushions but the assemblies may also be made from such TPaterials as wood, sheet metal, plastics or cardboard.

Preferably the cushions are made from a deformable material such as foam rubber or polystyrene and wherein the material is preferably enclosed within a flexible cover made frca~ a plastics, vinyl, leather or textile material.

The abutting edges of adjacent wall panels may be attached or attachable to one another by a variety of means.

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6. .4 The connection means may include fasteners such as zips, press studs or adhesive strips sold under the trade mark VELCRO may be used to releasably join adjacent wall panels, particularly where the walls comprise sheets of foam rubber enclosed within a cover. In another embodiment abutting edges of adjacent walls may be woven together by a suitable fibrous material or held together by a number of ties associated with each edge thereof. Alternatively, opposed edges of adjacent walls may be hingedly interconnected be a °°010 thin strip or a plurality of thin strips of material integral with or attached thereto.

S0 In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a 00 o- °15 number of preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein:- 0 00 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fully assembled 0°0 demountable container constructed in accordance with the present invention; .o0 FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a partially assembled oO0 20 demountable container constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view from below of a fully j ii assembled demountable container constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a chair constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bed constructed in accordance with the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a playing surface constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a demountable container in an assembled and partly assembled state respectively. The container 10 as illustrated includes a rectangularly shaped base wall 11 surrounded by two pairs of opposed, rectangularly shaped side walls 12 and 13, and a top wall or 'o lid 14. The base wall 11, side walls 12 and 13 and the lid S 14 are each made of foam rubber enclosed within an outer textile cover.

o Zips, comprising opposed strips of interlocking teeth 15 like projections, are used to releasably attach abutting edges of adjacent walls of the container 10 together. With reference to figures 1 and 2, zips 15 are shown attached to the outer textile covers of each of the walls 11, 12, 13 and 14 and wherein the zips extend along the edges of the walls.

Zip 15a extending along abutting edges 16 and 17 of top wall 14 and side wall 13a respectively, acts as a hingei j thereby enabling the container to be selectively opened and closed. The top wall 14 is maintained in a closed -i 6 positioned, as illustrated in Fig. 1, by a strap 18 secured to the textile cover of the top wall 14 at 19 and further releasably attached to the front face 20 of side wall 13b by a way of an adhesive fastener such as that sold under the trade mark VELCRO.

To help retain the shape of the container 10 and further increase the strength thereof, there are provided corner plates 21 formed from a piece of plastics, leather, vinyl or textile material and releasably attached by press studs 22 to abutting corners of adjacent side walls 11, 12 and 13.

*e 0 00 0 '°"There are also provided handles 23 attached to side walls 12 of the container 10. The handles 23 aid in carrying or transporting the container o o Fig. 4 illustrates a chair 30 constructed from various 15 walls from which container 10 was formed including base wall 11, opposing side walls 12 and side wall 13a. As with the container 10, zippers 15 are used to releasably secure together the abutting edges of adjacent walls 11, 12 and 13a.

Fig. 5 illustrates a bed 35 constructed from the various walls from which container 10 was formed including top wall 14, side walls 13 and base wall 11. As with the container and the chair 30, zippers 15 are used to releasably secure ;:i -i 9i--:16 i i 7 together the abutting edges of adjacent walls. -,s illustrated in figure 4, the top wall 14 may be used as a pillow.

Fig. 6 illustrates a playing surface 40 constructed from the various walls from which the container 10 was formed. A games board 41 is shown either integral with, attached to or simply positioned on the base wall 11. Side walls 12 and 13 are each attached to a respective side of the base wall so as o0 o to form a cross. Persons may sit on a respective side wall S o10 12 or 13 whilst playing the game.

0 o* S In use, side walls 12 and 13 are attached t- base wall 11 by way of zips 15 so as to form a box like container. The top wall 14 may be attached to side wall 13a by way of zip 15a so as to form a lid hingedly connected to the container.

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0 15 A number of the walls 11, 12, 13 and 14 may be arranged in end to end relationship and releasably connected by way of S zips 15 so as to form a bed, the top wall 15 forming a head cushion.

In another embodiment, removal of the top wall 14 and one of the side walls 13 from an assembled container transforms the container into a chair

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8 In yet another embodiment, the side walls 12 and 13 are releasably attached to the base wall 11 and laid flat so as to form a playing surface in the shape of a cross.

It will be appreciated that the demountable container -described above may not only be used as a container to store toys and the like therein, but may be converted into a comfortable chair or bed upon which a child may rest or play.

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Claims

2. A demountable container as claimed in claim 1, and so wherein said components include a base wall assembly and a i 1 side wall assembly. *0
3. A demountable container assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said side wall assembly includes a single wall o I panel and wherein opposite ends of the panel are releasably attached together so as to form a continuous side wall.
4. A demountable container assembly as claimed in claim *o 2, wherein said side wall assembly includes a plurality of wall panels. A demountable container as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said base wall assembly includes at least one wall panel. %I i t~j/ b 1- ^I 7 l j il I
6. A demountable container as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the side wall assembly is releasably attached to the base wall assembly by said connector means. I
7. A demountable container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said wall components include a releasable top wall assembly.
8. A demountable container as claimed in claims 7, o. wherein the top wall assembly includes at least one wall "panel.
9. A demountable container as claimed in any one of the o 9 preceding claims, wherein said connector means are zips.
10. A demountable container as claimed in any one of r" the preceding claims, wherein the connector means includes flexible corner connectors releasably attachable to adjacent wall components. 11, A demountable container as claimed in claim 7, wherein said wall panels from which the side wall and base wall assemblies are formed are each rectangular in shape and thinner than the wall panel of the top wall assembly, and whereby a number of the wall panels may be arranged in end to I J: 1I' S;r I 11 end relationship so as to form a bed, the wall panel of the top wall assembly forming a head cushion.
12. A demountable container as claimed in claim wherein removal of one of said wall panels forming said side wall assembly transforms said container into a chair.
13. A demountable container as claimed in claim wherein the side panels forming the side wall assembly are 0n 0 So each releasably attached to the wall panel or panels of said oo base wall assembly and when laid flat form a playing surface S O 0 o 010 in the shape of a cross. 0 a 0
14. A demountable container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 0000 0 A DATED THIS twenty-sixth DAY OF July, 1989. 0 0 0 0 00 THERESA DAPHNE HILL by PIZZEY COMPANY PATENT ATTORNEYS S cr a e w l s e b y a d w e a d f a o m ap a i g s r a ej