Container wth hinged hanger

Abstract

A storage container has a bottom panel, an upstanding circumferentially continuous side wall coupled to a perimeter of the bottom panel, and a container interior defined by the bottom panel and side wall. The container also has an open top opening into the container interior and defined at a top edge of the continuous side wall. The container further has a pair of hanger elements disposed opposite one another across the top opening. Each of the pair of hanger elements extends from the top edge of the continuous wall.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A storage container comprising: 
 a bottom panel;    an upstanding circumferentially continuous side wall having a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion being coupled to a perimeter of the bottom panel;    a container interior defined by the bottom panel and the side wall;    an open top opening into the container interior defined at the top portion of the continuous side wall; and    a pair of hanger elements disposed opposite one another across the open top, each of the pair of hanger elements extending from the top portion of the continuous wall.    
     
     
         2 . The storage container of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of hanger elements is hingedly attached along the top edge of the side wall.  
     
     
         3 . The storage container of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of hanger elements is integrally attached along a living hinge to the top edge of the side wall, and wherein each of the pair of hanger elements is foldable between an extended position extending beyond the top edge and a folded position lying adjacent a part of the side wall.  
     
     
         4 . The storage container of  claim 3 , wherein the bottom panel, side wall, and integral hanger elements is comprised of a thermoplastic material.  
     
     
         5 . The storage container of  claim 1 , wherein the side wall includes four substantially flat interconnected panels defining a rectangular tube, and wherein the interconnected panels include two opposed end panels and two opposed side panels.  
     
     
         6 . The storage container of  claim 5 , wherein the pair of hanger elements are attached along a hinge to the top edge of each of the side panels.  
     
     
         7 . The storage container of  claim 6 , wherein each of the pair of hanger elements is integrally formed extending from the respective side panel, and wherein each of the pair of hanger elements is foldable between an extended position extending beyond the top edge and a folded position lying adjacent a part of the side wall.  
     
     
         8 . The storage container of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the pair of hanger elements are contiguous with and in a fixed relationship with the side panels.  
     
     
         9 . The storage container of  claim 8 , wherein both of the pair of hanger elements are contiguous with and in a fixed relationship with the side panels.  
     
     
         10 . The storage container of  claim 2 , wherein the hinge is a living hinge.  
     
     
         11 . The storage container of  claim 10 , wherein the continuous side wall is made from a composite material.  
     
     
         12 . The storage container of  claim 11 , wherein the composite material is a layered paper board, a layered plastic, or a combination of layered paperboard and plastic.  
     
     
         13 . The storage container of  claim 5 , wherein the flat panels are connected along seams, and the end panels include fold lines such that the storage container may be folded to a substantially flat condition.  
     
     
         14 . The storage container of  claim 13 , wherein the fold lines in the end panels each bifurcate into a pair of diagonal fold lines.  
     
     
         15 . A storage bag comprising: 
 a bottom panel;    a plurality of side walls extending upward from a perimeter of the bottom panel and being foldably interconnected to one another;    a bag interior defined by the bottom panel and the plurality of side panels;    an open top providing access into the bag interior and defined by respective interconnected top edges of the plurality of side panels; and    a pair of hanger elements each extending from and attached along a living hinge to a respective top edge of an opposed pair of the side panels.    
     
     
         16 . The storage bag of  claim 15 , wherein each of the hanger elements is a semicircular hook for hanging the bag from a horizontal rod.  
     
     
         17 . The storage bag of  claim 15 , the plurality of side panels including a pair of end panels and a pair of side panels, the hanger elements extending upwards from the side panels.  
     
     
         18 . The storage bag of  claim 17 , each end panel including a fold line, each fold line bifurcating into a pair of diagonal fold lines, the end panels attached to the side panels along seams, such that the bag can be folded to a substantially flat condition.  
     
     
         19 . The storage bag of  claim 18 , wherein the storage bag is made from a composite material, the composite material being layered plastic, layered paperboard, or a combination of layered paperboard and plastic.  
     
     
         20 . The storage bag of  claim 19 , wherein the composite material includes a flexible outer layer and a stiff inner layer, the hinge being defined by a portion of the bag lacking the stiff inner layer.