Collapsible receptacle type stand for use in transporting loaded grocery bags

Claim 1

A collapsible stand for maintaining loaded grocery bags, or the like, in an upright position even when subjected to sudden inertial forces such as those caused by the stopping, starting or turning of the vehicle in which the grocery bags are being transported, comprising: spaced apart, open-worked end and side walls defining an enclosure, wherein each end wall comprises an upper and lower end rail, and wherein each side wall comprises two upper side rails placed in end-to-end relation and two lower side rails placed in end-to-end relation; first pivotal means to pivotally interconnect the end and side walls; second pivotal means to pivotally interconnect the two upper side rails and the two lower side rails of each side wall; an open worked intermediate wall, extending between the spaced apart side walls to divide the enclosure into a pair of adjacent compartments having the intermediate wall as a common wall, and comprising an upper and lower intermediate rail, wherein each end of the intermediate wall is pivotally connected to its respective side wall by its respective side wall's second pivotal means; whereby the first and second pivotal means enable each adjacent compartment to be moved between an open position, for receiving a grocery bag which is prevented from tipping by bearing against the end, side and intermediate rails which surround it, and a collapsed position for more compact storage when not in use, wherein when both adjacent compartments are collapsed, the collapsed length of the stand is substantially equal to the length of the end wall plus one half of the length of one side wall.