FIELD OF APPLICATION

The present invention relates to a storage container, in particular a portable or wearable container, i.e., intended as a storage container able to be worn or carried by hand, of various colours, shapes and sizes.

According to the intended use, the storage container can be, for example, a bag or purse, a bag with a handle, a shoulder bag, a handbag, a clutch, a backpack, a travel bag, possibly also a suitcase or briefcase, or a coin purse, a pencil case, a wallet or the like. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates for example to a purse for containing personal objects such as coin purses, keys or the like.

The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing the aforementioned storage container.

BACKGROUND ART

In the field of storage containers, and in particular purses, countless shapes, sizes and materials are known with which these can be made. In particular, the storage containers can also be made of rigid or semi-rigid materials, such as polymeric, metallic, or mixed materials.

Hard or semi-rigid storage containers with a non-linear bottom are known, formed by two half-shells which are essentially equal and of the most diverse shapes, according to the tastes and aesthetics chosen, hinged together along their respective lower edges to be movable between an open configuration, in which they allow access to the inside of the storage container, and a closed configuration.

The bottom of such storage containers has, according to a section plane perpendicular longitudinally to the bottom itself, a non-linear profile but, for example, according to a broken, curvilinear, undulating or mixed line.

The creation of this type of storage container with even complex shapes and sizes is particularly easy if made by means of injection moulding a polymeric material. In fact, once the mould has been adequately shaped according to the desired shape or geometry, it is sufficient to proceed with the injection of the polymer, thus producing storage containers of complex shape even on a large scale.

However, the storage containers with this processed profile, when in the open configuration and as a result of the irregularity of the bottom where the hinging edges are present, necessarily define spaces, or openings, from whose bottom the objects contained in the storage container could fall or exit.

Therefore, there is a need to improve a storage container and a relative manufacturing method which can overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

To do this, it is necessary to solve at least the technical problem of making a storage container of the type discussed above, having a non-linear bottom or profile in which, when the two half-shells are open, there is no undesired fall or exit of the objects contained therein.

In particular, therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage container in rigid or semi-rigid material with a non-linear bottom from which the contents cannot fall when the storage container is open.

Another object is to prevent the aforementioned fall or exit of objects and at the same time obtain a sufficient capacity even in small storage containers.

Another object of the present invention is that the storage container can be made by means of a simple and economical method, without the need for additional workings or application of auxiliary elements.

The Applicant has studied, tested and realized the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art and to obtain these and further objects and advantages.

EXPOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention is expressed and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims show other features of the present invention or variants of the main solution idea.

In accordance with the aforementioned objects and to solve the aforementioned technical problem in a new and original manner, also obtaining considerable advantages with respect to the state of the prior art, a storage container according to the present invention comprises a containment body, having two half-shells of mutually conjugated shape to internally delimit a containment chamber and below a bottom of said containment body. The half-shells comprise respective bottom walls having a non-linear longitudinal profile and defining the bottom of the containment body.

The half-shells comprise hinging means to be mutually hinged along the bottom walls so as to be mobile between an open configuration, in which access to the containment chamber is allowed, and a closed condition of the containment body.

Each half-shell comprises at least one respective cover flap in a single body.

The cover flaps are disposed on opposite sides in the containment chamber in association with the aforementioned respective bottom walls and are made transversely projecting towards the inside of the containment chamber from a lower portion of a respective half-shell.

The cover flaps extend towards the inside of the containment chamber overlapping each other at least along a median line of the storage container and are movable together with the respective half-shells, as a result of the rotation of the aforementioned half-shells, sliding with respect to each other and having a mutually overlapping condition both when the half-shells are in a closed configuration and when the half-shells are in a maximum opening configuration.

Thus, at least the advantage is obtained of being able to make rigid or semi rigid storage containers with a non-linear bottom from which the contents cannot fall from the bottom when the storage containers are open.

Advantageously, the dimensions of the cover flaps are reduced, thus allowing small storage containers to be made, as it is avoided to use, as is usual, membranes which fold inside the storage container and which, in the case of storage containers in which the two longitudinal dimensions and height are comparable to the transverse extension, would lead to occupying a significant part of the inner volume of the storage container.

The cover flaps can be configured to slide inclining with respect to each other during the opening and closing of the storage container. It is thereby possible to slide one cover flap with respect to the other. According to embodiments, one cover flap can be fixed to one of the half shells at a distance from the bottom upper with respect to the distance from the bottom at which the other cover flap is fixed to the other of the two half-shells. It is thereby possible to ensure the sliding of the cover flaps therebetween. The cover flaps can have transverse dimensions such that the sum of their projections on a plane passing through a midline and at least one point where the cover flap is fixed on the respective end portion of the half-shell is at least equal to the opening of the storage container in the maximum opening configuration. Advantageously, the bottom is thus always covered by the cover flaps, even in the maximum opening configuration of the storage container.

It is an advantage that the cover flaps can be configured to maintain mutual contact during sliding. Therefore, any small objects at the bottom of the storage container cannot slip into any spaces between the cover flaps, hindering the opening and closing of the storage container and risking exit.

The fact of being able to make the two half-shells of the body of the storage container in a single production step, including the two cover flaps, in a single body, is therefore an advantage, reducing working times and costs and also simplifying the operations of acquisition, management and storage of raw materials.

The storage container can comprise closure elements integrally obtained from the half-shells in the same production step as the containment body.

The storage container can further comprise containment side elements configured to laterally prevent objects from exiting from the storage container. The containment side elements can be made of the same material as the body of the storage container.

It is therefore an advantage to be able to make the entire storage container in a single production step.

ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of some embodiments, given as non-limiting examples, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

- fig. 1 is a perspective view of a storage container according to the present invention, in a configuration, in use, of maximum opening;

- fig. 2a and 2b are perspective views of storage containers in a closed configuration, according to embodiments;

- fig. 3 is a perspective view of the storage container of fig. 1 in which the bottom has been made visible omitting some inner elements; - fig. 4 is a top view of the storage container of fig. 1 in a completely open configuration which cannot be assumed in use;

- fig. 5 is a side sectional view with respect to the plane V-V of fig. 4;

- fig. 6 is a side sectional view with respect to the plane VI- VI of fig. 1.

It should be noted that in the present description the phraseology and terminology used, as well as the figures of the accompanying drawings also as described^ have the sole function of better illustrating and explaining the present invention, having a non-limiting exemplary function of the invention itself, the scope of protection being defined by the claims.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the figures. It is to be understood that elements and features of an embodiment can be conveniently combined or incorporated into other embodiments without further clarification.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

With reference to figure 1, a storage container 10 according to the present invention comprises a containment body 11 of the storage container 10.

The body 11 can be made of rigid or semi-rigid material. The storage container 10 can therefore have a shape which does not change with use, for example by grasping or resting it on a surface.

The body 11 can preferably be made with shape memory materials. Shape memory materials are intended as materials able to always return to their original position.

In some possible embodiments, the aforementioned materials can preferably be polymeric materials, such as TPU, EVA, ABS, TPE and the like, preferably rubber-effect materials. For example, the body 11 can be made entirely of polymeric material. In the case of polymeric material, the body 11 can be made by means of injection moulding.

In other possible embodiments, the aforementioned materials can be metallic materials, for example iron, welded iron or harmonic steel.

The body 11 has two half-shells 12 of mutually conjugated shape to internally delimit a containment chamber 13 and below a bottom 14 of the body 11.

Bottom 14 is intended as the wall of the body 11 of the storage container 10 usually facing downwards.

In the body 11, a rear wall 15 can also be identified, usually but not necessarily facing, in use, towards the user's body, a front end 16, opposite the rear wall 15, two sides 17 joining the side edges of the rear wall 15 and the front end 16 and a cover 18 joining the upper edges of the rear wall 15 and the front end 16. According to embodiments, there can be a clear line marking between the rear wall 15, front end 16, bottom 14, sides 17 and cover 18 or these can degrade into each other without a clear boundary.

The half-shells 12 comprise respective bottom walls 14a having a non-linear longitudinal profile 19 and defining the bottom 14 of the body 11.

Advantageously, the bottom walls 14a having a non-linear longitudinal profile 19 allow to make storage containers 10 of various shapes, as depicted in figures 2a and 2b.

The half-shells 12 further comprise hinging means 20 to be mutually hinged along the bottom walls 14a so as to be mobile between an open configuration, as shown in figures 1, 3 and 6, in which access to the containment chamber 13 is allowed and a closed condition of the body 11, as shown in figures 2a and 2b.

Each half-shell 12 comprises at least one respective cover flap 21 in a single body. The cover flaps 21 are disposed on opposite sides in the containment chamber 13 in association with the aforementioned respective bottom walls 14a and are made transversely projecting towards the inside of said containment chamber 13 from a lower portion 12b of a respective half-shell 12.

The cover flaps 21 extend towards the inside of the containment chamber 13 overlapping each other at least along a median line LI of the storage container 10 and are movable together with the respective half-shells 12, as a result of the rotation of the aforementioned half-shells, sliding with respect to each other and having a mutually overlapping condition both when the half-shells 12 are in a closed configuration and when the half-shells 12 are in an open configuration. The overlapping is maximum in a closed configuration of the storage container 10 and minimum in a maximum opening configuration.

The overall dimensions of the cover flaps 21 can be reduced, when compared for example to that of a membrane which folds inside the storage container 10, often used in such applications. It is therefore also possible to make small storage containers 10, which can have, for example, a non-negligible transverse extension E with respect to the two longitudinal dimensions L0 and in height H, as in the example in fig. 2b, in which a membrane would lead to occupy a significant part of the inner volume of the storage container 10.

As shown in fig. 3, when the half-shells 12 are opened to access the contents of the storage container 10, the bottom 14 having a non-linear longitudinal profile 19, an empty space S is created therebetween.

According to embodiments, the two half-shells 12 can have equal shapes to each other.

In embodiments not illustrated, the two half-shells 12 can have different shapes coinciding only in correspondence with the respective joining edges 12a.

Each half-shell 12 can have, respectively, the rear wall 15 or the front end 16, the bottom walls 14a and elements 17a, 18a of the sides 17 and of the cover 18. The elements 17a, 18a of each half-shell 12, in a closed configuration, compose the sides 17 and the cover 18 of the body 11.

If the two half-shells 12 have different shapes, as an example, one of the two half-shells 12 can have a concave shape and the other convex shape.

As a further example, one half-shell 12 can be concave and the other can be essentially flat. In this case, in the flat half-shell 12 the bottom wall 14a is substantially coincident with the lower edge of the rear wall 15 or front end 16 comprised in the half-shell 12. Likewise, the elements 17a, 18a are substantially coincident with the side or top edges of the rear wall 15 or front end 16.

In the latter case, both half-shells 12 can have a corresponding cover flap 21 or, alternatively, the flat half-shell 12 can have a cover flap 21 while, for the other of the half-shells 12, the bottom wall 14a can also act as a corresponding cover flap 21.

The cover flaps 21 can have a substantially two-dimensional extension, such that their thickness SP is much smaller than their longitudinal dimension L and transverse dimension Tl, T2. The cover flaps 21 can further have a continuous surface. Advantageously, the cover flaps 21 can therefore completely cover the bottom 14 while maintaining small dimensions and a negligible weight.

The cover flaps 21 are fixed at least in correspondence with the end part of the « 8 rear wall 15 and the front end 16, respectively, where end part is intended as the one closest to the bottom 14.

The cover flaps 21 can also be fixed in correspondence with the end part of the sides 17.

5 As depicted in figures 5 and 6, in which the storage container 10 is depicted in a completely open configuration for the sole purpose of a better understanding, an upper cover flap 21 can be fixed on one of the two half-shells 12 at a greater distance D1 from the bottom 14 than the distance D2 from the bottom 14 to which a lower cover flap 21 can be fixed on the other of the two half-shells 12.0 The transverse dimensions Tl, T2 of the cover flaps 21 can be at least such that the sum of their projections on a plane P, passing through the midline LI and at least one point in which a cover flap 21 is fixed on the respective end portion of the rear wall 15 or the front end 16, is at least equal to the opening A of the storage container 10, as depicted in fig. 6. Thereby, even in a maximum opening5 configuration, in use, of the storage container 10, the cover flaps 21 will always be at least partly overlapping.

In an opening and closing step of the storage container 10, the cover flaps 21 are configured to slide inclining with respect to each other.

During the sliding, the cover flaps 21 can be configured to maintain mutual0 contact.

In the closing step, the upper cover flap 21 can therefore be configured to push any objects positioned on the lower cover flap 21 towards the rear wall 15 or the front end 16, preventing them from exiting from the bottom 14.

The transverse dimensions Tl, T2 can be variable along the longitudinal5 extension of the cover flaps 21. In particular, the transverse dimensions Tl, T2 can assume a maximum value TM1, TM2 in correspondence with the centre portion of the storage container 10 and lower values towards the sides 17.

Advantageously, the cover flaps 21 can therefore cover the empty space S which is created from time to time on the bottom 14 by opening the storage0 container 10 and prevent the accidental fall of objects also for storage containers 10 which have, for example, a deeper cavity in correspondence with a central part 10 thereof than the parts towards the sides 17, the bottom 14 and/or the cover The storage container 10 can comprise containment side elements 22, configured to laterally prevent objects from exiting from the storage container 10. The containment side elements 22 can be flexible membranes, bellows, extensible membranes. The containment side elements 22 can each be positioned in correspondence with a side 17 of the containment body 11.

Each containment side element 22 can be fixed at least in correspondence with the side of the rear wall 15 and the front end 16, where side part is intended as the one closest to a side 17, joining the two half-shells 12. The containment side elements 22 can be made of the same material as the body 11 of the storage container 10.

In preferred embodiments, the containment side elements 22 can also be made integrally by moulding in a single body with the half-shells 12.

In alternate embodiments, not depicted in the figures, the containment side elements 22 can be fixed to the body 11 following the moulding of the body 11. They can be made of the same material as the body 11 or of different materials.

The containment side elements 22 can be fixed to the body 11 by means of mechanical fasteners, such as rivets, by means of gluing elements such as glues or silicones, by means of thermal welding processes or the like. The storage container 10 can comprise closure elements 23 of the storage container 10.

The closure elements 23 can be coupling elements, such as a male coupling element 23a and a female coupling element 23b, integrated in the body 11 of the storage container 10, as depicted in the figures. Advantageously, the aforementioned coupling elements 23a, 23b can be integrally obtained by moulding from the half-shells 12, therefore obtainable in the same production step of the body 11.

In non-illustrated variants, the closure elements 23 can be magnets, inserted into recesses suitably made in the moulding step of the half-shells 12, a hook with a corresponding ring or the like.

The storage container 10 can further comprise gripping elements 24, such as a handle, a shoulder strap, two handles 24a, or the like.

The gripping elements 24 can be made of the same material as the containment body 11.

In preferred embodiments, the gripping elements 24 can also be integrally made by moulding.

In alternate embodiments, not depicted in the figures, the gripping elements 24 can be fixed to the body 11 following the moulding of the body 11. In this case, they can be made of the same material as the body 11 or of different materials. They can then be fixed to the body 11 by means of mechanical fasteners, such as rivets, by means of gluing elements such as glues or silicones or the like.

Embodiments disclosed herein further relate to a method of making a storage container 10 according to the invention.

According to the invention, the method provides to make in a single body in a single step the two half-shells 12 of the containment body 11 of the storage container 10, including the two cover flaps 21.

In preferred embodiments in which the body 11 and therefore the two half- shells 12 are made of polymeric material, the method provides to make, by means of injection moulding polymeric material in a single step, the two half shells 12 of the containment body 11 of the storage container 10, including the two cover flaps 21, in a single body. Advantageously, processing times and costs are thereby reduced, also simplifying the acquisition, management and storage of raw materials.

In some embodiments, the storage container 10 can comprise closure elements 23 integrally obtained by moulding from the half-shells 12 in the same production step as the containment body 11.

According to embodiments, the method can provide to make, in a single step, together with the two half-shells 12, also containment side elements 20.

In particular, the method can provide to mould, in a single step, the containment side elements 20 together with the two half-shells 12.

The method can provide to mould in a single step, together with the two half shells 12, also gripping elements 24. The method can provide to obtain, by moulding from the half-shells 12, closure elements 23 of the storage container 10.

In alternative embodiments not depicted in the figures, the method can provide to make, during the moulding of the half-shells 12, cavities and insert closure elements such as magnets, hooks or the like into the cavities.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts can be made to the storage container 10 and the relative manufacturing method described so far, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person skilled in the art will certainly be able to produce many other equivalent forms of storage containers 10 and relative manufacturing method, having the features expressed in the claims and therefore all of which falling within the scope of protection defined by them.

In the following claims, the references in parentheses have the sole purpose of facilitating reading and must not be considered as limiting factors of the scope of protection of the same claims.