Trunks and hand-carried luggage – Trunks – Frames and interior braces
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-03
2003-08-12
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Trunks and hand-carried luggage
Trunks
Frames and interior braces
C190S025000, C190S108000, C190S122000, C190S123000, C190S01800A, C220S668000, C206S503000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06604616
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly to a container with a multi-functional edge frame arrangement which is constructed to enable various of container supports, such as wheels, stands, or connectors, to be selectively mounted on the container, so as to facilitate a user to arrange the container(s) more effectively.
2. Description of Related Arts
A typical container is constructed by a plurality of panels which are made of stiff material such as metal or aluminum to provide a rigid box structure for protecting items inside the container. In order to connect the panels together in an edge to edge manner, an edge frame, which has a L-shaped cross section and two longitudinal U-shape side holders extended at two end sides respectively, is commonly used to perpendicularly connect two edge sides of two panels to the two holder sides of the edge frame respectively. For some other conventional metal containers, hinges are used to connect two panels. However the hinge may not rigidly connect the two respective panels together. Besides, the hinge fails to protect the connections of the container.
The problem with these conventional containers is that they are bulky, usually heavy, and difficult to carry. It is preferred for the container to be incorporated with wheels or ground stand for carrying and supporting the container easily in a stable manner. However, in order to rotatably mount the wheel on the container, a wheel assembly must be embedded into the container. In other words, the wheel assembly must require a certain space of a storage cavity of the container so as to reduce a valuable storing space of the container. Thus, the original rigid structure of the container must be altered to incorporate with the wheel assembly.
In addition, if the user is carrying more than one container, such as a luggage container, a notebook computer container and a camera container, all the containers have no connection between each other so that the user have to actually carry all the containers with his or her hands and shoulders.
Moreover, storing the containers is another problem for the user. In order to arrange the containers, the user may usually pile up the containers in columns. However, when the containers are not piled up properly, the containers at the upper deck of the column may fall down, which may cause an unwanted injury to the user. Thus, the items inside the containers may be damaged by the accumulated weight of the containers when they are piled up. Otherwise, the user must build a supporting shelf to store the containers.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide a container with multi-functional edge frame arrangement that enables a user to selectively mount a container accessory such as wheels or ground stand on the container without altering the original structural design of the container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container with multi-functional edge frame arrangement which enables a user to selectively connect another container thereto so that he or she can merely carry the present invention without actually carrying all the containers independently.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container with multi-functional edge frame arrangement, which not only substantially connects two panels of the container together but also protects the edge of the container from collision.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container with multi-functional edge frame arrangement which comprises a connector for rigidly connecting two containers together side by side in such a manner that the user is able to rigidly pile up the containers to from a cubic structure. In other words, the containers can be stored effectively by piling up the containers in a rigid connecting manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container with multi-functional edge frame arrangement, wherein no expensive or complicated structure is required to employ in the present invention in order to achieve the above mentioned objects. Therefore, the present invention successfully provides an economic and efficient solution for providing a reinforced supporting configuration to the container.
Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a container, which comprises:
a container body comprising a base panel and a plurality of side panels connected to sides of the base panel respectively; and
a multi-functional edge frame arrangement, comprising:
a plurality of edge frames, each having a L-shaped cross section and comprising two elongated edge holders which are longitudinally extended along two longitudinal end edges of the respective edge frame respectively and arranged to securely mount along an edge portion of the side panel and an edge portion of the base panel respectively so as to connect the side panel with the base panel;
at least an elongated mounting unit provided on at least one of the edge frames constructing the edge frame to form a utility edge frame wherein the mounting unit is longitudinally extended between the two edge holders and along the utility edge frame; and
a container accessory comprising a reinforcing member shaped and sized to fittedly mount on the mounting unit.
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Chan Raymond Y.
David & Raymond Patent Goup
Weaver Sue A.
LandOfFree
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