AU654564B2

AU654564B2 - Storage flask II

Info

Publication number: AU654564B2
Application number: AU18689/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jurgen Schick
Original assignee: Joh A Benckiser GmbH
Current assignee: Reckitt Benckiser NV
Priority date: 1991-07-02
Filing date: 1992-06-30
Publication date: 1994-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-30
Also published as: EP0521417B1; NO922556L; ATE114286T1; AU1868992A; DE59200802D1; ES2065113T3; DK0521417T3; TR27627A; NO922556D0; EP0521417A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage bottle for pourable or free-flowing products, in particular for domestic products, consisting of a plastic body with a closable pouring opening, in which the body (1) has a hexagonal, extended, flat cross-section with inner edges (10) and outer angles tapering substantially to foldable outer edges (2), and the bottom (3) is drawn inwards (5), forming outer bottom edges (4) and having a longitudinally extending central edge (6) and a drawn-in transverse line (11) running transversely and centrally relative to said central edge, the outer edges each running out to form triangular, obliquely ascending flattened portions (7) and having sides (8) which merge into outwardly directed roundings (9), and the sides each being adjoined by horizontal portions as bottom edges which lie parallel to the centre line, are offset slightly inwards and are drawn up centrally towards the transverse line, and the wide surfaces (12) having at least one fold line (16) between the inner edges approximately at the height of the intersection of the sides. <IMAGE>

Description

654564.

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT 4* C 44 4 4

C

Applicant(s): JOH A. BENCKISER GmbH BENCKISERPLATZ 1 D-6700

LUDWIGSHAFEN/RHEIN

GERMANY

STORAGE FLASK II Invention Title: C C Cco cc r The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: -2- Storage flask II The present invention, as supplement to the German Patent Application P 40 01 429, relates to the further development of the foldable storage flask described therein for bulk- or pourable-goods. The flask may be especially fabricated to be light in weight, thus requiring the use of only a very small amount of synthetic plastics material but it has, however, a high degree of stability because of its configuration. The body of the flask has a hexagonal elongated, flat cross-section with inner edges and acute outer angles running to foldable outer edges, in which case the base, with the formation of outer, rounded, base edges is pulled inwards and possesses a foldable middle line extending between the ends of the outer edges, where the base edges possess four outer rising slopes which run together to the ends of the outer edges.

The shape of the flask is distinguished by the fact that, even with the use of very small wall thicknesses, it has a stable shape which stands firmly upright. At C CC 15 the same time, it can easily be collapsed into a flat packet, because of which there is only a fraction of the amount of waste space which formerly had to be taken into account.

Cr C e C CC The raised-up base edges are rounded out to form four convex bulges, which *originate from a contraction on the middle of the two inner flask surfaces and 20 run together in pairs to the ends of the outer edges. In this way there are formed four, approximately point-shaped, contacts on the surface on which the flask isplaced.

The flask may have a conA entional shape, where the inner edges of the elongated-hexagonal cross-section run together to the pour-out opening. Here it is not necesary for the pour-out opening to be located in the region of the IC 9 I I i _Ir i I- -3central axis of the flask, but it may be offset, in particular towards the side.

The flask may have finger-grip grooves which, to facilitate the collapsing, likewise have linear folding edges with preferably small bending radii, in order to keep the flanging effect, which could occur with larger radii, a small as possible.

In particular, the flask is provided with a hollow handle, so where there is an aperture between this handle and the flask body. In this case, both the hollow handle and the flask body have their own inner and outer folding edges.

The flask mould is produced by the blowing method, in which case the initial wall thicknesses for the film of approximately 0.3 to 0.5 millimetres (for a flask volume of 1 litre) have been found particularly suitable.

The body itself is relatively flat, where the distances between the edges of the inner surfaces of the flask in the region below the gathering together, which may be undertaken as required, for the pour-out nozzle is approximately three times that of the distance between the outer edges and the inner edges.

The folding procedure itself takes place by collapsing or laying flat.

This solution of the problem has the following disadvantages. On the one hand, in the region of the contact points for standing on, the base edges may form socalled elephant's feet if the base of the flask, for example during transport in bulk parcels, is subjected to substantially higher stresses than the actual weight rof the flask and contents. In addition to this, only one folding procedure is made positively possible by the given shape, a flipping-over of the base onto the I side surface of the flask requires careful manipulation, because no possibility of rv us; ~hrl~LCIT~t~lZ.

St According to the present invention there is provided a storage flask for pourable materials comprising: a body, constructed of a synthetic plastic material, having a cross-section of an elongate hexagonalshape having six edges including a pair of opposed outer edges and two pairs of opposed inner edges, each pair of adjacent edges interconnected by a wall, adjacent walls at each of the outer edges defining an acute angle therebetween and adjacent walls at each of the inner edges defining an obtuse angle therebetween, a closable pour-out opening adjacent an end of the body, and at least one wall fold line adjacent an opposite end of the body and extending on a wall of the body between one of the pair of inner edges; and ha base having two pairs of opposed substantially horizontal base edges, each base edge extending, substantially parallel to an adjacent wall from an end of each of the inner edges, a longitudinal fold line disposed between the two pairs of base edges defining a ridge in the base, a pair of opposed triangular-shaped portions an apex thereof substantially coinciding with an end of each of the outer edges of the body, the apex located at substantially the same height as the pair of wall fold lines, a transverse fold line extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal fold line between opposed walls of the body, and two opposed pairs of adjacent base portions an edge of each base portion substantially coinciding with the longitudinal fold line and an opposite edge of each base portion substantially coinciding with one of the base edges whereby, in use, the storage flask can be collapsed by applying pressure to at least one of the wall fold lines q wherein the base can collapse about both the transverse and stafarelle/keep/speci/18689.92 14.9 o longitudinal fold lines and the opposing walls of the body can be pressed together wherein the outer edges fold.

Preferably the base further comprises four flanges each flange starting from inner end of each of the base edges and terminating at a mid-point of the base.

Preferably the sides of the triangular-shaped portions have in total length approximately three to four times the length of the longitudinal fold line.

Preferably the storage flask further comprises an outer flange pair running parallel to each of the outer edges and each outer flange located at a very small distance away from each of the outer edges.

Preferably each of the triangular-shaped portions adjoin each of the base edges at an angle of between 1500 to 1700.

The present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

S

444* 5 4 4 C (St tot S C 4 45 4 44 444444 Fig. 1 f lask.

is the side elevation of the broad side of the Fig. 2 is the side flask.

Fig. 3 depicts the elevation of the narrow side of the base of the flask seen from below.

dt stafflare~elkeeplspecYIJ8689.92 14.9 -6- As shown in Fig. 1, the flask 1 in accordance with the present invention, which has a hexagonal cross-section, corresponds largely with structure described in the main application which has the outer edges 2 as well as the inner edges On the base, directed towards the narrow faces, there are triangular flattened areas 7 (Fig. the sides 8 of which form an apex at the outer edges 2, and which have adjacent outwardly-rounded regions 9 passing over below into four base edges 4, which are joined together centrally at the upwardly-directed apex of the pulled-in region. The base edges 4 form the four contact sites with the surface on which the flask 1 stands upright. Above the level of the apex 5 of the pulled-in region, on at least one of the broad faces 12, there is a folding line 16 impressed by a profile in the blow mould. The folding line is disposed here in such a way that it is parallel to the base edges 4 and at the same level as the point of intersection of the sides 8 of the triangular flattened area, and said line ends at the inner edges CC For the folding operation, the flask 1 is laid down on a support surface. With C C the use of the hands, the flask is pushed inwards in the region of the folding line, in which case the base is folded over. The base is pressed against the side V Cface of the flask so that it is flattened and any air inside it is expelled.

C ii S If the flask which has been emptied is then dosed (with the screw cap), the flask will remain in its flattened condition, so that waste space is very substantially reduced.

t e The laying together of the flask bodies is facilitated by the pulled-in flanges which are parallel to the outer edges at a small distance (approximately millimetres) away from them, in which case they can extend up to the upper edge of the threaded pour-out nozzle.

II

I r -7- Fig. 2, in the elevation of the narrow face, shows the rounded portions 9 as well as the profile of the base 4, which likewise may be slightly rounded. In the plan view, the igg\situated longitudinal middle edge 6 between the base edges may be recognised, as well as the triangular flattened areas 7 between the sides 8 of the triangle and the transition line 18 from the under surface of the base to the flattened area 7.

The folding lines 16 may be seen in the side view. These end at the inner edges and it is actually only necessary to have one such folding line.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the base 3. The base of the flask runs out between the sides 8 of the triangles to form acute angles a and is here pulled upwards to form the triangular flattened areas 7. The flattened area 7 is bounded at the base by the transition line 18. Adjacent to this there are the four base edges 4 slightly offset towards the middle and it is on these edges that the standing flask rests, the triangular flattened areas 7 adjoining the base edges 4 at an angle i (1500 170°) as shown in Fig. 1.

The base edges do not run as far to the moulded-in line 11 (Fig. 3) but finish about halfway and below continue on, by way of the base flanges 13, to the midc C C point 14 of the base, thus forming triangular regions 19 which slope upwards towards the transverse line 11.

S. The middle edge 6 stands out and is formed by the mould division during blcwirg. The flask may also be folded along this line if the flask which is lying I down is only pressed flat without having first folded the base.

j:, 1 x: f f 1 1 y 1 1 v l l w 1 111 1 1 1 1 I 1 I 2 -8- List of components Flask body Outer edges Base Edge of base Pulled-in portion Middle edge Flattened areas Sides of triangle Rounded portions Inner edges Transverse line Broad faces Flanges Mid-point of base Outer pair of flanges Folding line Edge of threaded neck Transition lines

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Claims

1. A storage flask for pourable materials comprising: a body, constructed of a synthetic plastic material, having a cross-section of an elongate hexagonal- shape having six edges including a pair of opposed outer edges and two pairs of opposed inner edges, each pair of adjacent edges interconnected by a wall, adjacent walls at each of the outer edges defining an acute angle therebetween and adjacent walls at each of the inner edges defining an obtuse angle therebetween, a closable pour-out opening adjacent an end of the body, and at least one wall fold line adjacent an opposite end of the body and extending on a wall of the body between one of the pair of inner edges; and a base having two pairs of opposed substantially horizontal base edges, each base edge extending, substantially parallel to an adjacent wall, from an end of each of the inner edges, a longitudinal fold line disposed :t between the two pairs of base edges defining a ridge in the base, a pair of opposed triangular-shaped portions an apex "e thereof substantially coinciding with an end of each of the outer edges of the body, the apex located at substantially the same height as the wall fold line, a transverse fold line extending substantially perpendicular to the 25 longitudinal fold line between opposed walls of the body, a a and two opposed pairs of adjacent base portions an edge of each base portion substantially coinciding with the longitudinal fold line and an opposite edge of each base portion substantially coinciding with one of the base edges 30 whereby, in use, the storage flask can be collapsed by applying pressure to at least one of the wall fold lines wherein the base can collapse about both the transverse and longitudinal fold lines and the opposing walls of the body can be pressed together wherein the outer edges fold. 4 staWarell/keepspeci/l868992 14.9 j rE .4 1 :n r lc- I ~1 r 10

2. The storage flask according to Claim 1, wherein the base further comprises four flanges each flange starting from an inner end of each of the base edges and terminating at a mid-point of the base. r r II ret r r Ir t r

3. The storage flask according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the sides of the triangular-shaped portions have in total length approximately three to four times the length of the longitudinal fold line.

4. The storage flask according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an outer flange pair runs parallel to each of the outer edges and each outer flange is located at a very small distance away from each of the outer edges.

The storage flask according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the triangular-shaped portions adjoin 15 each of the base edges at an angle of between 1500 to 1700.

6. A storage flask substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one or more of the accompanying drawings. Dated this 14th day of September, 1994 JOH. A. BENCKISER GMBH By Its Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia staff/arelle/keep/spei18689.92 14.9 ~r r C E) L L ii L"' :f I~ 'I ~I 1 upljlnaumk b 1 ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a storage flask for bulk- or pourable-materials, especially for household materials, which comprises a synthetic plastics material body with a closable pour-out opening, in which the body has a hexagonal elongated, flat cross-section with inner edges and essentially acute outer angles running out to foldable outer edges, and the base, with the formation of outer edges, is pulled inwardly upwards and possesses a foldable middle line extending longitudinally, as well as a pulled-in cross-line running transversely to it, so that each of the outer edges run out into triangular upwardly sloping flattened areas possessing sides which change over into outwardly directed ~rounded portions and, on the sides and parallel to the centre line, slightly offset to the inside, there are adjoining horizontal portions as base edges, which are centrally pulled up towards the cross-line, and the broad surfaces approximately at the height of the point of intersection of the sides of the triangle have at least one folding line between the inner edges. S Fig. 1 SIL SlII I 1 1 1 I: