Flexible compartment system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flexible compartment system comprising a plurality of conjoined cells ( 1 ) which open out between flexible, interconnected walls and which are collapsible by laying opposing or adjacent walls ( 2 ) of the cells ( 1 ) on top of one another, wherein the cells ( 2 ) form an array ( 3 ) of cells ( 1 ) which are disposed adjacently to one another in a plurality of rows ( 4 ). In order to create a flexible compartment system which, although having on the one hand the advantage of a high degree of flexibility of the individual cells or cell walls, nevertheless at the same time can also be made to stand up freely by itself and does not collapse or contract when placed in an opened-out state in a larger container without being connected to the walls of the latter, it is proposed, according to the invention, that rigid outer walls ( 5 ) of two rows ( 4 ) of cells ( 1 ) located on opposing sides of the array ( 3 ) are each connectable or connected to a rigid wall element ( 6 ) at a fold angle of at least 30° in the direction of the rigid outer wall ( 5 ).

1 . A flexible compartment system, comprising: 
 a plurality of conjoined cells which open out between flexible, interconnected walls and which are collapsible by laying opposing or adjacent walls of the cells on top of one another, wherein the cells form an array of cells which are disposed adjacently to one another in a plurality of rows; and    two outer rows of cells located on opposing sides of the array of cells each having a rigid outer wall which is connected to a rigid wall element at a fold angle of at least 30° in the direction of the rigid outer wall.    
     
     
         2 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 1 , wherein the rigid wall element is pivotally connected to the rigid outer wall.  
     
     
         3 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 2  wherein each end of each of the rigid outer walls has one of the rigid wall elements connected thereto.  
     
     
         4 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 1  wherein a further rigid wall element is provided at one end of one of the rigid outer walls, and another further rigid wall element is likewise provided at another end of the opposing rigid outer wall that is diagonally opposite the array.  
     
     
         5 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 4  wherein the further rigid wall elements are connectable at free ends thereof.  
     
     
         6 . A flexible compartment system according to  claim 5  wherein the rows of cells are formed by a plurality of parallel webs with adjacent webs being connected to one another along substantially parallel lines and connecting locations of adjacent rows of cells being offset from one another.  
     
     
         7 . A flexible compartment system according to  claim 1  wherein the rows of cells are formed by a plurality of parallel webs with adjacent webs being connected to one another along substantially parallel lines and connecting locations of adjacent rows of cells being offset from one another.  
     
     
         8 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 1  wherein the flexible walls are composed of a textile material.  
     
     
         9 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 1  wherein the rigid outer walls and rigid wall elements are produced from any of a cardboard material or a thin-walled plastic material.  
     
     
         10 . The flexible compartment system according  claim 1  wherein the rigid outer walls are hingedly connected to respective rigid wall elements by hinges or hinged connections made in the form of elastic strips made from a flexible material.  
     
     
         11 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 10  wherein the flexible material from which the elastic strips are made is any of textile material or flexible plastic.  
     
     
         12 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 4  wherein the rigid outer walls are hingedly connected to respective rigid wall elements by hinges or hinged connections made in the form of elastic strips made from a flexible material.  
     
     
         13 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 1  and further including base elements wherein the rigid outer walls, rigid wall elements and base elements include pockets or loops into which sheets of a rigid or semi-rigid material are easily inserted.  
     
     
         14 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 13  wherein the rigid outer walls, rigid wall elements and base elements are composed of a two-layer textile material formed to include the pockets or loops.  
     
     
         15 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 14  wherein the rigid outer walls, base elements and rigid wall elements form a unitary conjoined structure hingedly connected together by respective hinges or hinged connections formed by the double-layer textile material or by connecting pieces between pockets of the double-layer textile material.  
     
     
         16 . The flexible compartment system according  claim 15  wherein each base element is connected to a lower edge of at least one of the rigid outer walls and can be folded over backwards.  
     
     
         17 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 4  and further including base elements wherein the rigid outer walls, rigid wall elements and base elements include pockets or loops into which sheets of a rigid or semi-rigid material are easily inserted.  
     
     
         18 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 17  wherein the rigid outer walls, rigid wall elements and base elements are composed of a two-layer textile material formed to include the pockets or loops.  
     
     
         19 . The flexible compartment system according to  claim 18  wherein the rigid outer walls, base elements and rigid wall elements form a unitary conjoined structure hingedly connected together by respective hinges or hinged connections formed by the double-layer textile material or by connecting pieces between pockets of the double-layer textile material.  
     
     
         20 . The flexible compartment system according  claim 19  wherein each base element is connected to a lower edge of at least one of the rigid outer walls and can be folded over backwards.  
     
     
         21 . The flexible compartment system according  claim 13 , wherein each base element is connected to a lower edge of at least one of the rigid outer walls and can be folded over backwards.  
     
     
         22 . The flexible compartment system according  claim 14 , wherein each base element is connected to a lower edge of at least one of the rigid outer walls and can be folded over backwards.  
     
     
         23 . The flexible compartment system according  claim 1  wherein a base element which can be folded over backwards is connected to a lower edge of at least one of the rigid outer walls.  
     
     
         24 . A transport or storage facility for storing a plurality of flexible compartment systems, each flexible compartment system including 
 a plurality of conjoined cells which open out between flexible, interconnected walls and which are collapsible by laying opposing or adjacent walls of the cells on top of one another, wherein the cells form an array of cells which are disposed adjacently to one another in a plurality of rows; and    two rows of cells located on opposing sides of the array of cells each have at a rigid outer wall which is connectable or connected to a rigid wall element at a fold angle of at least 30° in the direction of the rigid outer wall; and    the facility having a housing or a frame whose inner dimensions correspond to an integer multiple of the outer dimensions of the flexible compartment systems to be accommodated therein.