GB2206476A - Holder for articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A collapsible holder 10 for articles, particularly for rectangular cross-section containers, comprises two walls 11, 12 connected by hinges 22 to base 15. Side walls 13, 14 consist of portions 16, 17 joined by a central hinge 19, and base 15 consists of portions 20, 21 joined by a central hinge 23. Complementary fastening means 24, 25 on adjacent folded portions of the side walls or base may maintain the holder in the collapsed condition until the front and rear walls 11, 12 are moved relatively apart. The holder may be secured by various fixing means to pushchairs, vehicle interiors, walls, etc. In an alternative embodiment, the holder dispenses with a base, the front and rear walls being hingedly connected at the lower edges. One of the walls may carry means for mounting the holder on a support. <IMAGE>

Description

HOLDER FOR RTICLES This invention relates to a holder for articles, particularly for containers of rectangular cross-section.

In recent years there has grown up a large market for the sale of fruit juices and other drinks in small cartons which may be pierced with a straw. There are many circumstances in which the user may wish to place the container in a convenient position before, during or after the consumption of the drink. This is particularly the case in caring for children in their early years when it is necessary to have drinks readily available in a variety of circumstances, for example when the child is in the cot, at play, at meals, or when travelling by pram, pushchair, motor vehicle, and so forth. Particularly when travelling, there is a need to have a convenient means for holding an already opened container so as to prevent spillage.

A similar need arises for adults when driving a car, for invalids when operating a wheelchair, or in general for any individual carrying out tasks requiring major use of both hands.

As there may not be a stable flat surface available in such circumstances, there is a need to provide a holder which retains such rectangular drinks containers in a substantially upright orientation. The same applies to other rectangular containers or articles, such as cigarette boxes, or to any articles of elongated horizontal crosssection, such as single- or double-handled baby's beakers, hereinafter all referred to as "the lie".

As a rigid holder of suitable dimensions may have an awkward and inconvenient shape when not in use, it is desirable to provide a collapsible holder for rectangular articles and containers or the like, which can be stowed away in a compact form This would also have advantages for the packaging and distribution of such holders.

Arrangements of collapsible holders have been proposec before, as shown for example in WO 84/04072, but these are complex in form leading to relatively high manufacturing costs and the risk of malfunction.

In accordance with the invention, a holder for article comprises front and back walls connected together at their bottom ends by support means which permits relative movemer of the wails and connected together at a position spaced from the support me.-ns by collapsible lateral side walls, whereby in an erected position, t- lateral side walls hold the front and back walls spaced apart so that the holder ca receive an article which is supported by the support mns, the lateral side walls being collapsible to allow the front and back walls to move relative to one another to a collapsed position.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, particularly suited to rectangular items, the holder comprises two walls which being moved relative to each other, form together with the remaining walls and a base a configuration adapted to receive an article.

Conveniently two opposed plane walls are joined by hinges to two side walls and a base, the side walls and the base each consisting of two portions joined by a central hinge so that in the collapsed condition the side walls and the base fold inwardly between the two opposed walls to form a flat compact shape. Alternatively the side walls and base fold outwardly so that the collapsed holder. forms a flatter but larger shape than in the case above.

Conveniently provision of at least one stud-and-socket fastening or other suitable fastening between two adjacent folded portions of at least one of the side walls or base retains the holder in the collapsed condition until one of the opposed walls is positively moved relative to the other.

Nny other fastening which may occur to those skilled in the art could also be used to retain the holder in the collapsed condition.

The holder would typically be attached to a substantially vertical support member or surface by permanent or temporary fastening means. Various securing means may be used as described in our co-pending application GB s .45-., and may include fastening the holder to an intermediate support member which is in turn secured to the required member or surface such as a pushchair bar, wall, or vehicle door.

Preferably the holder is made of plastics material, and is integrally moulded in the erected position so that any memory effect in the plastics material assists the holder to assume the unfolded configuration.

For lightness of construction and ease of cleaning, it is convenient if the holder has a cage-lie form.

Another embodiment of the invention, probably requiring more expensive moulding techniques, provides precision moulded abutting faces on the adjacent edges of the portion of the side walls and the base that are connected by the central hinges. In this case the hinges would not be positioned to join the centres of the adjacent edges. Fc.

an inwardly folding collapsible holder, they wold secure t the outside faces of the hinged portions, for an outwardly folding holder to the inside faces of said portions Moulding the hinges with the appropriate length and positioning would result in the faces being brought into close abutment when the holder is erected, whereupon the side walls and base would tend to form rigid cross-pieces between the front and rear opposed walls.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is proposer to dispense with a base and to provide a collapsible holder having a generally V-shaped side elevation, the holder comprising two walls hingedly joined at their base, which being moved relative to each other, form together with the remaining walls a configuration adapted to receive an article.

Such a holder may be used to support rectangular containers or the like if suitable cut-outs are provided in the hingedly connected walls so that the base of a container is supported by the lower edge of a cut-out. Alternatively a holder of this type may be used to support articles, which have a generally V-shaped cross-section in at least one plane, or which will conveniently fit such a cross-section, e.g. a sheaf of road maps, papers or floppy discs.

In a variant of the first embodiment, a holder has a base which is substantially longer than the side walls.

Then in the unfolded condition the base assumes a V-shaped configuration and the holder may support articles in a manner similar to the embodiment just described. If the base is broad it too may have cut-outs capable of supporting the bases of rectangular containers or articles or the like.

Three embodiments of a holder according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the holder with a rectangular drinks container retained therein; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the Figure 1 embodiment in the unfolded condition; Figure - . shows a front elevation of the Figure 1 embodiment; Figure 4 shows a rear elevation of the Figure 1 embodiment Figure 5 shows a side elevation of the Figure 1 embodiment in the unfolded condition; Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view of the Figure 1 embodiment in a partially folded condition, showing a studand-socket fastening for keeping the holder in a folded flat condition; Figure 7 shows a plan view of a second embodiment of the holder in the unfolded condition;; Figure 8 shows a rear elevation of the Figure 7 embodiment; Figure 9 shows a side elevation of the Figure 7 embodiment; Figure 10 shows a plan view of the Figure 7 embodiment in a partially folded condition; Figure 11 shows a side view of the Figure 7 embodiment in a partially folded condition, Figure 12 shows in enlarged detail the abutting edges and hinge of circle 'A' in Figure 7; Figure 1. shows a view of a third embodiment of the holder; Figure 14 shows a view of the Figure 1s embodiment with a cut-out in the front wall thereof; and Figure 15 shows a variant of the holder of Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, the holder 1O comprises generally T-shaped front and rear walls 11, 12 joined by side walls 1::., 14 and base 15. The side walls are each joined t hinges 18 to the front and rear walls, and each side wall comprises two portions 16, 17 joined by a central hinge 19. Similarly the base 15 is connected to the front and rear walls by hinges 22 and consists of two portions Xb, 21 joined by a central hinge 23.

The holder 10 assumes its collapsed position with the side walls 1S, 14 and the base 15 either folded inwardly or folded outwardly.

The holder 10 is extended by moving apart the front and rear walls 11, 12 whereupon the side walls and base unfold and ths holder to up Llp; c2nf g} tion in which it can retain a rectangular container 5.

Ns shown in Figure 4, the rear wall 12 has keyholeshaped apertures 26, 27 by which the holder may be attached to any suitable support by a variety of fixing means such as screws, bolts, suction cups, or C-clips having barbed or headed studs which can be secured in the apertures.

Alternatively the apertures may engage with headed studs on an intermediate support member of the type shown in our copending application GB 8613453.

###4430 As illustrated by way of example in Figure 6, the holder 10 may be provided with at least one fastening between two adjacent folded portions of a side wall or base.

Here the holder is shown in a semi-folded condition with the hinges 19, 2-. in an inward position. A stud 24 is provided on the outer face of portion 16 of side wall 14 and a socket 25 in a corresponding position of portion 17. It can be seen that when the holder is fully collapsed the stud and socket can be engaged to retain the holder in the folded condition until the walls 11, 12 are positively moved relative to each other. If necessary similar fastenings may be provided on side wall 13 and on base 15. Of course, any other suitable fastenings for securing the holder in the folded condition may be used.

Referring now to Figures 7 to 12, a second embodiment of the holder of the invention is illustrated in which parts which correspond exactly with those of the holder of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

The major difference from the first embodiment occurs at the central hinges of the side walls 13, 14 and of the base 15. The adjacent inner edges 22, 9 of the portions 16, 17 of the side walls 1 and 14 and the adjacent inner edges 30, 31 of the portions 20. 21 of the base 15 are moulded to form abutting faces.By means of appropriate selection of (a) the lengths of the central hinges 19, 23 and (b) the sites on the outer faces of the portions 16, 17 and 20, 21 respectively, towhich they are fixed, the pairs of adjacent edges 28, 29-and 30, 31 are drawn into firm abutment when the holder is erected, whereupon the side walls 13, 14 and the base 15 form rigid cross-pieces between the front and rear walls 11 and 12. This is shown in detail in Figure 12 for the side wall 13.

A holder according to the second embodiment in which the side walls and the base folded outwardly in the collapsed condition would, of course, have the central hinges 19, 23 secured to the inner faces of the portions 16, 17 and 2, 21.

In order to form the hinges 19, 23 and the pairs of adjacent abutting edges 28, 29 and 30, 31 to the required precision, it would be necessary to mould the holder in a partially folded condition as shown in Figures 10 and 11 This embodiment also illustrates the possibility of providing integrally moulded C-clips, 32, 33 on the rear wall 12 fur securing the holder to suitable bar-like support members, and an integrally moulded knob 34 on front wall 11 to facilitate movement thereof relative to rear wall 12.

Referring now to Figure 13, a third embodiment of the holder 10 of the invention is shown comprising two opposed walls 35, 36 hingedly connected at their lower edges by hinge 37 and joined at their side edges to side walls 13, 14 by hinges 18 as in the previous embodiments. Ns before, side walls 13, 14 consist of portions 16, 17 which are joined by a central hinge 19. In the erected condition this holder presents a V-shaped side elevation and can be used to support articles gene.lly having such a crows section or capable of being wedged int such a crosssection.

Alternatively the holder of this embodiment can be used to retain sheaves of articles such as road maps, letters or floppy discs, which may be required at a particular position for use on a temporary basis.

Referring to. Figure 14, the holder of Figure 13 is shown with the additional feature of a rectangular cut-out 38 in the front wall 35, capable of supporting the base of a rectangular container or article 5 or the like, the front and rear walls of which are retained between the front and rear walls 35, 3.6 of the holder.

Figure 15 illustrates a variant of the holder of the first embodiment in which the base 15 is longer in side elevation than the two side walls 13 and 14, with the result that in the erected positon the base of the holder assumes V-shaped configuration capable of serving similar functions to the hingedly connected walls 35, 36 of the Figure 13 embodiment. In this holder it would of course be necessary for the base 15 to fold outwardly in the collapsec condition.

If the base is sufficiently broad it may be provided with rectangular cut-outs 39T 4 in its portions 2, 21 similar to the cut-out 38 in the wall 35 of the holder of Figure 14, thereby enabling it to support rectangular containers and articles or the like, the upper walls of which are retained between the opposed walls 11, 12 from which the base 15 is suspended.

Claims (17)

1. A holder for articles, the holder comprising front and back walls connected together at their bottom ends by support means which permits relative movement of the walls and connected together at a position spaced from the support means by collapsible lateral side walls, whereby in an erected position, the lateral side walls hold the front and back walls spaced apart so that the holder can receive an article which is supported by the support means, the lateral sidewalls being collapsible to allow the front and back walls to move relative to one another to a collapsed position.

2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein each lateral side wall comprises two sections pivoted together each section being pivotally connected to a respective one of the front and back walls.

3. A holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 integrally moulded from a plastics material with the front and back walls in the erected position.

4. A holder according t; any of the preceding claims, wherein the front and back walls are biassed towards the erected position.

5. A holder according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sidewalls are biassed towards the erected position.

6. A holder according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising retaining means for retaining the front and back walls in the collapsed position.

7. A holder according to claim 6, wherein the retaining means comprises at least one stud and socket device whereby the stud and socket cooperate with each other when the lateral side walls collapse to retain the holder in the collapsed position.

8. A holder according to any of preceding claims, wherein the front and back walls are substantially parallel when in the erected position and wherein the support means comprises a collapsible base.

9. A holder according to claim 8, wherein the collapsible base is substantially the same length as the lateral side walls whereby when the front and back walls are in the erected position the base is substantially horizontal.

10. A holder according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the front and back walls form an acute angle relative to one another in the open position and wherein the support means includes a pivotal connection between the front and back walls.

11. A holder according to claim 10, wherein the support means further comprises an aperture located in the front wall.

12. A holder according to any of claims 8, 10 or 11, wherein the collapsible base is V-shaped when the front and back walls are in the erected position.

13. A holder according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support means comprises two sections pivoted together each section being pivotally connected to a respective one of the front and back walls.

14. A holder according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the front and back walls are T-shaped.

15. A holder according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the back wall comprises connection means for mounting the holder a support.

16. A holder according to claim 15, wherein the connection means comprises at least one C-clip.

17. A holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.