US20040251795A1

US20040251795A1 - Collapsible mobile cabinet for wardrobe

Info

Publication number: US20040251795A1
Application number: US10/458,306
Authority: US
Inventors: Wen-Tsan Wang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-06-11
Filing date: 2003-06-11
Publication date: 2004-12-16

Abstract

A collapsible mobile cabinet for use in a wardrobe is constructed to have a plurality of flexible partition panels horizontally disposed at different elevations and adapted to support storage items, each flexible partition panel being reinforced with a plurality of transversely extended reinforcing rod members so that the flexible partition panels do not curve downwards when carrying heavy storage items.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to wardrobes and, more specifically, to a collapsible mobile cabinet for use in a wardrobe.

2. Description of the Related Art

In a wardrobe, a collapsible mobile cabinet may be selectively used for keeping small items. FIG. 1 illustrates a mobile cabinet for this purpose. As illustrated, the collapsible mobile cabinet, referenced by 1, has a top hanging rod 2 for hanging in a wardrobe, and a plurality of partition panels 11 disposed at different elevations for supporting storage items. The partition panels 11 are formed of canvass not reinforced with hard support means. When a relatively heavier storage item carried on one partition panel 11, the partition panel 11 is forced to curve downwards by the gravity weight of the storage item, i.e., there is a difference of elevation L between the two opposite lateral sides of the partition panel 11 and the middle part thereof. The curved partition panels destroy the sense of beauty of the mobile cabinet and, may cause the storage items to deform.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a collapsible mobile cabinet for wardrobe, which has means to support the partition panels against deformation when supporting storage items. According to one aspect of the present invention, the collapsible mobile cabinet comprises a plurality of flexible partition panels horizontally disposed at different elevations and adapted to support storage items. Each flexible partition panel is reinforced with a plurality of transversely extended reinforcing rod members so that the flexible partition panels do not curve downwards when carrying heavy storage items. According to another aspect of the present invention, the reinforcing rod members include a first reinforcing rod member transversely extended along the front side of the respective flexible partition panel, and at least one second reinforcing rod member transversely disposed in a middle part of the respective flexible partition panel. According to still another aspect of the present invention, transverse pockets are formed in the bottom side of each flexible partition panel by stitches to accommodate the reinforcing rod members. Alternatively, flexible flaps may be provided at the bottom side of each flexible partition panel for securing the reinforcing rod members to the flexible partition panels by hook and loop materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an applied view of a collapsible mobile cabinet for wardrobe according to the prior art. [0006]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a collapsible mobile cabinet for wardrobe according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [0007]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a collapsible mobile cabinet for wardrobe according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [0008]
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a part of FIG. 2. [0009]
FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but showing an additional pocket provided at the bottom side of the flexible partition panel and inserted with an additional reinforcing rod member. [0010]
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a part of the second embodiment of the present invention before fixing of the free ends of the flaps. [0011]
FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 76 but showing the free end of each flap fixed to the flexible partition panel. [0012]
FIG. 8 is another partial view in section of the second embodiment of the present invention. [0013]
FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 7 but shown an additional flap provided at the bottom side of the flexible partition panel and an additional reinforcing rod member secured to the additional flap.[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 2, a folding [0015] collapsible cabinet 1 for wardrobe is formed of a flexible sheet material (for example, canvass, having a top side, a bottom side, two opposite vertical lateral sides, and a vertical back side. The front side of the folding collapsible cabinet 1 is an open side. The folding collapsible cabinet 1 has a plurality of flexible horizontal partition panels 11 disposed at different elevations and adapted to support storage items.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 and FIG. 2 again, each flexible [0016] horizontal partition panel 11 has a plurality of transverse pockets 12 transversely disposed at the bottom side, and two reinforcing rod members 3 respectively fitted into the transverse pockets 12. The pockets 12 are fastened to the flexible horizontal partition panels 11 by stitches. The reinforcing rod members 3 are circular rods. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, there are two transverse pockets 12 provided at the bottom side of the flexible horizontal partition panel 11, i.e., one extended along the front side of the flexible horizontal partition panel 11 and the other extended along the transverse midline of the flexible horizontal partition panel 11. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, there are two transverse pockets arranged in parallel in the middle part of the flexible horizontal partition panel 11. Further, the reinforcing rod members 3 used in FIGS. 4 and 5 are round rods.
Referring to FIG. 3 and FIGS. [0017] 6˜9, as an alternate form of the present invention, each horizontal partition panel 11 has a plurality of transversely extended flaps 13 adapted to secure flat reinforcing rod members 4 at the bottom side by tapes of hook material 131 at the flaps 13 and tapes of loop material 111 at the bottom wall of the horizontal partition panel 11. The flat reinforcing rod members 4 are rectangular slats, having a rectangular cross section.
As indicated above, the respective [0018] horizontal partition panels 11 are reinforced by the reinforcing rod members 3 or slats 4. When the user put storage items on the horizontal partition panels 11, the reinforcing rod members 3 or slats 4 support the respective horizontal partition panels 11 in shape, and therefore the heavy load of the storage items does not cause the horizontal partition panels 11 to curve.
A prototype of collapsible mobile cabinet for wardrobe has been constructed with the features of FIGS. [0019] 2˜9. The collapsible mobile cabinet for wardrobe functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. [0020]

Claims

1-6. (canceled).

7. A collapsible mobile cabinet formed of a flexible sheet material, comprising a top side, a bottom side, two opposite vertical lateral sides, and a vertical back side, a front side of said folding collapsible cabinet being an open side, a plurality of flexible horizontal partition panels disposed at different elevations and adapted to support storage items, each of said flexible horizontal partition panels having a plurality of transverse pockets transversely disposed at a bottom side, two reinforcing rod members respectively fitted into said transverse pockets, said pockets being fastened to said flexible horizontal partition panels by stitches, said reinforcing rod members being circular rods, said reinforcing rod members including a first rod member transversely extended along a front side thereof and at least one second rod member arranged in parallel to said first rod member at a middle part thereof.