Storage box

Abstract

The present invention provides a housing box by which means for efficiently transporting clothes with hangers at a low cost by using a general-purpose container such as a dry container. Connecting members for respectively connecting front ends of a pair of side structures to each other and rear ends to each other are provided. A bending device for bending the connecting members inward is provided. The box can be changed between an unfolded attitude in which the respective connecting members are kept extended and the hanger pipes are mounted to bridge the pair of side structures to form a housing space and a folded attitude in which the respective connecting members are bent inward to thereby bring the side structures close to each other.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A housing box for transporting clothes, the box comprising casters for movement at a bottom portion and one or more hanger pipes mounted to bridge a pair of left and right side structures such that the clothes with hangers are housed in the box while being hung from the hanger pipes, wherein 
 connecting members for respectively connecting front ends of the pair of side structures to each other and rear ends to each other are provided,    bending means for bending the connecting members inward is provided,    the box can be changed between an unfolded attitude in which the respective connecting members are kept extended and the hanger pipes are mounted to bridge the pair of side structures to form a housing space, and    a folded attitude in which the respective connecting members are bent inward to thereby bring the side structures close to each other.    
     
     
         2 . A housing box according to  claim 1 , wherein opposite end portions of the respective connecting members are pivoted on the front and rear ends of the pair of side structures to be rotatable inward and the respective connecting members can be bent at substantially central portions thereof such that the respective connecting members can be folded inward in two.  
     
     
         3 . A housing box according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein bending guide members are provided to corner portions of the front and rear ends of the side structures on which the opposite end portions of the respective members are supported with one end of each the bending guide member supported on the connecting member and the other end supported on the side structure and each the bending guide member is provided with a lock mechanism for restricting a guiding operation to maintain an extended state of each the connecting member.  
     
     
         4 . A housing box according to any of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein each the connecting member is formed by forming a pair of angular-U-shaped members by vertical rods pivoted on the front or rear ends of the pair of side structures to be rotatable inward through hinge portions and horizontal rods respectively extending horizontally from upper and lower ends of the vertical rods and connecting end portions of the corresponding horizontal rods of the angular-U-shaped members to each other through hinge portions such that each the connecting member can be bent inward in two by the hinge portions.  
     
     
         5 . A housing box according to any of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein each the side structure is formed by forming a lattice-shaped frame by a pair of upper and lower horizontal rods and a plurality of vertical rods connecting the horizontal rods and mounting a plurality of plate-shaped brackets at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction on an inner face side of the frame, the bracket being formed with a plurality of support holes for supporting end portions of the hanger pipes.  
     
     
         6 . A housing box according to any of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein an inserted pin to be fitted in the support hole provided to an inner face side of the side structure is mounted in one end portion of the hanger pipe to be able to project and recede such that the hanger pipe is detachable.  
     
     
         7 . A housing box according to  claim 6 , wherein a spring for biasing the inserted pin outward is mounted in the hanger pipe and an outer peripheral face of the hanger pipe is provided with a substantially L-shaped guide groove for guiding an operating lever projecting from the inserted pin and capable of maintaining a state in which the spring contracts and the inserted pin recedes.  
     
     
         8 . A housing box according to any of  claims 1  to  7 , wherein a jack device for lifting the caster to prevent movement of the box is provided to a bottom portion of the side structure to which the caster is provided.  
     
     
         9 . A housing box according to any of  claim 1  to  8 , wherein a single or divided floor plate(s) is/are pivoted on (a) lower end portion(s) of one or both of the side structures to be rotatable upward and the floor plate(s) form(s) a floor of the housing box in the unfolded attitude and can be folded inside the side structures in the folded attitude.