Collapsible containers

Abstract

Collapsible containers, collapsible container systems, and storage devices are disclosed herein. An aspect of this disclosure is directed to a collapsible container having a flexible base, first and second rigid end walls each attached to a respective opposing end of the base, and first and second rigid sidewalls each attached to a respective opposing side of the flexible base. The sidewalls are permanently attached to the base and the end walls. The first and second rigid sidewalls are foldable such that the container can selectively transition between an expanded state, whereat the first and second sidewalls are generally perpendicular with the first and second end walls, and a collapsed state, whereat at least portions of the first and second sidewalls overlap one another interleaved between the first and second end walls.

1 . A collapsible container comprising:
 a flexible base;   first and second rigid end walls each attached to a respective opposing end of the flexible base; and   first and second rigid sidewalls each attached to a respective opposing side of the flexible base, the first and second sidewalls being permanently attached to the base and the first and second end walls, the first and second rigid sidewalls being foldable such that the container can selectively transition between an expanded state, whereat the first and second sidewalls are generally perpendicular with the first and second end walls, and a collapsed state, whereat at least portions of the first and second sidewalls overlap one another in an interleaved manner between the first and second end walls.   
     
     
         2 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second end walls have a first length, and wherein the first and second sidewalls when unfolded have a second length greater than the first length. 
     
     
         3 . The collapsible container of  claim 2 , wherein the second length is approximately 1.2-1.4 times larger than the first length. 
     
     
         4 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second foldable sidewalls each comprises a first rigid panel attached at a folding bias to a second rigid panel. 
     
     
         5 . The collapsible container of  claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of a face of the first or second rigid panels of the first sidewall lies generally flat against and opposes at least a portion of a face of the first and or second rigid panels of the second sidewall when the container is in the collapsed state. 
     
     
         6 . The collapsible container of  claim 4 , wherein, when the container is in the collapsed state, at least a portion of a face of the first or second rigid panels of the first sidewall lies generally flat against at least a portion of an inner face of the first end wall, and at least a portion of an inner face of the first or second rigid panels of the second sidewall lies generally flat against at least a portion of an inner face of the second end wall. 
     
     
         7 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , characterized by the absence of a separate rigid skeletal structure that must be assembled to maintain the collapsible container in the expanded state. 
     
     
         8 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible base is configured such that at least part of the flexible base is tucked between the end walls and the sidewalls when the container is in the collapsed state. 
     
     
         9 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the container transitions between the collapsed and expanded states by transitioning the end walls generally rectilinearly toward and away from one another, respectively. 
     
     
         10 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second end walls have a first polygonal shape, and the first and second sidewalls have a second polygonal shape different from the first polygonal shape. 
     
     
         11 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second end walls each includes a handle on or through a respective outer surface thereof, and wherein the first and second side walls each includes a pocket on a respective outer surface thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising a rigid base insert configured to removably insert into the container and to lie across the flexible base when the container is in the expanded state. 
     
     
         13 . The collapsible container of  claim 12 , wherein the rigid base insert is further configured to fold along a fold line, and wherein the rigid base insert has a width substantially equal to a length of the first end wall and a length substantially equal to a length of the first sidewall. 
     
     
         14 . The collapsible container of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second end walls each includes a handle through the respective outer surfaces of the first and second end walls, and wherein the handle is a cutout. 
     
     
         15 . A collapsible container system comprising:
 an elongated flexible base composed of a textile material;   first and second opposing rigid end walls each including a rigid quadrilateral panel attached at a bottom edge thereof to a respective opposing end of the flexible base; and   first and second opposing foldable sidewalls each permanently attached at a bottom edge thereof to a respective opposing side of the flexible base, the first and second sidewalls each being permanently attached at opposing ends thereof to the first and second end walls, the first and second end walls having a first length and the first and second foldable sidewalls, when fully unfolded, having a second length larger than the first length; and   a removable, rigid base insert configured to be inserted into and removed from the container,   wherein each of the first and second rigid sidewalls is foldable along a center folding seam such that the container can selectively transition between an expanded state, whereat the first and second sidewalls are generally parallel to each other and generally perpendicular with the first and second end walls to thereby define an expanded volume therebetween, and a collapsed state, whereat the first and second sidewalls at least partially overlap and lie against one another in an interleaved manner between the first and second end walls to thereby substantially eliminate the expanded volume.   
     
     
         16 . A storage device convertible between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, the storage device comprising:
 an elongated base composed of a flexible material, the base having a length greater than a width;   a pair of end walls each inseparably attached along a length thereof to a respective longitudinal end of the base; and   a pair of sidewalls each inseparably attached along a length thereof to a respective lateral side of the base, each of the sidewalls being inseparably attached at respective ends thereof to each of the end walls, each of the sidewalls having a fold line along opposing facing surfaces of the sidewalls and extending along a height of each of the sidewalls.   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein a collapsed footprint of the storage device when in the collapsed configuration is substantially the same size as an area of at least one of the end walls, and wherein an expanded footprint of the storage device when in the expanded configuration is substantially the same size as an area of the base. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 20 , further comprising a rigid base insert having a fold line such that the rigid base insert, when folded along the fold line, has an insert footprint smaller than the collapsed footprint of the storage device. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the storage device is converted from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration by urging each of the end walls toward one another thereby causing each of the sidewalls to fold along their respective fold lines toward one another. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein, as the storage device is converted from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration, the base deforms such that at least a portion of the base is captured in between the folding sidewalls.