CA1271144A

CA1271144A - Continuous surface access collapsible container

Info

Publication number: CA1271144A
Application number: CA000499510A
Authority: CA
Inventors: William Touzani
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Collapsible Bottle Of America A California LP
Priority date: 1986-01-14
Filing date: 1986-01-14
Publication date: 1990-07-03
Also published as: JPS62168861A

Abstract

CONTINUOUS SURFACE ACCESS COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER

Abstract.

A collapsible or foldable plastic container of circular bellows like configuration capable of manufacture on current plastic blow molding equipment with current plastic materials approved for contact with foods and beverages. A floating sleeve extends downwardly about the outside of the container from an attachment to the container adjacent the upper rim and opening of the container. The bellows of the container, when fully folded cause the container to substantially fit within the downwardly extending sleeve. The bellows over center and fold to retain the folded condition without external assistance thus providing a self-latching feature to retain the container in the sleeve.
The container can be folded bellow by bellow as the contents are used thus retaining the surface of the container contents adjacent the opening in the top of the container.

Description

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CONTINUOUS SURFACE ACCESS COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER

Background of the Invention The field of the invention pertains to plastic containers for solid, semi-solid and liquid foods and beverages although not limited thereto. Such containers are constructed of plastics approved by governmental authorities for intimate and prolonged contact with foods and beverages.
Plastic containers are typically manufactured by blow molding in a one or two stage forming process to shape the containers~ Wine bottles for example are formed of clear plastic in a two stage process comprising the creation of a preform in the first stage and the blowing of the bottle in the second stage. Most other containers are formed by blowing an extruded parison into a bottle in one step. In applicant's U.S. Pat.
4,492,313 a collapsible soda pop bottle is disclosed for substantially reducing the air volume in the bottle as the contents are used to reduce dissipation of carbon dioxide into bottle head space.

Summary of the Invention .
Applicant's invention comprises further improver.lents in collapsible containers, bottles and jars to provide continuous surface, access to the contents. In particular, as the contents of a jar or container are used, it becomes increasingly difficult to remove .
semi-solid, semi-liquid and solid chunk contents such as jams, jellies, peanut butter, peanut brittle and hard candies.

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Applicant's container herein disclosed collapses in bellows form to force the contents toward the container opening in the top thereby providing continuous access to the surface of the contents at a level adjacent the opening. The need to "fish" for the contents in an almost empty container is eliminated because applichnt's collapsible container is always "full" until almost completely empty.
Applicant's collapsible or oldable plastic container is of substantially eylindrical, barrel or oval side wall shape having an opening or aperture surrounded by a rim at the top. The aperture may be of narrow or wide mouth. In the preferred embodiment illustrated below, the container is in the form of a jar for jam or other semi solid food.
Attached about the rim or adjacent thereto is a floating sleeve encircling the container and extending downwardly about the upper portion of the uncollapsed bellows. The bellows side wall of the container fold and latch "bottom up" into the sleeve as the contents of the container are used and the user pushes down on the rim of the container. In so doing, the contents remaining in the container are forced toward the container opening.
In addition to providing a convenient chamber within which the container bellows side wall folds, the sleeve provides a surface to print or retain labels, a convenient gripping surface and an "apron7' that prevents the spillage of contents from the container rim from entering the bellows. The bellows adjacent the rim are thereby kept clean of food material on the outside of the container.

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Description of the Drawin~

Fl(:~. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of the new collapsible container;

FIG. la is a detail of an alternate form of the container sidewall;

FIG. 2 is a fully collapsed partially cutaway side view of the container of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the container;

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view of an alternate form of the new collapsible container; and FIG. 5 is a fully collapsed partially cutaway side view of the container of FIG. 4.
, Description of the Preferred Embodiments In FIGS. 1 and 3, the container generally denoted by 10, includes a threaded rim 12 surrounding an opening or aperture 14. A cap 16 is shown attached to the threaded rim 12. The container 10 is formed with a generally bellows-shaped sidewall 18. Surrounding the upper portion of the bellows-shaped sidewall 18 is a floating sleeve 20 which is affixed circumferentially about the container at 22 just below the threaded rim 12. The sleeve 20 may be affixed at 22 adhesively, welded or by other means suitable for the plastic materials selected.
The sleeve 20 sidewall is generally smooth to provide a suitable surface for the labels or printing placed on the container. Labels may also be placed on the cap 18. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the bellows-shaped sidewall 18 of the container extends up within the .

sleeve 20 as illustrated at 24. The bellows preferably extend fully within the sleeve 22 and the sleeve length extends toward the middle of the expanded vertical height of the con~ainer.
Each bellow here indicated by 26, comprises a downwardly and outwardly extending conical section or portion 28 and a downwardly and inwardly extending conical section or portion 30 which is smaller and at a greater angle to the vertical axis of the bottle.
FIG. 2 illustrates the container substantially collapsed for a volume approximately one-half that of the expanded container. Non-bellow portions 19 of the sidewall 18 interspersed between the bellows as illustrated in FIG. la will reduce the ratio of the uncollapsed to the collapsed volume. In use the bellows are collapsed one or a few at a time to bring the surface 32 of the contents back adjacent the opening 14 and rim 12 of the container. As shown, the individual bellows 26 are collapsed such that the shorter bellow portion 30 is tucked under the longer bellow portion 28.
The increase in diameter of the container attributable to the bellows and the sleeve 20 does not substantially increase the diameter of the container. The sleeve 20 interior diameter or clearance 23 need only be sufficient to permit the bellows to fold over and over center or latch as shown in FIG. 2. Once latched, because of the generally cylindrical configuration of the container and surface of revolution configuration of the bellows, the bellows will not expand whether or not the cap 16 is replaced on the container. In over-centering to latch, the shorter bellow portion 30 is forced to flex as the inner fold ring 34 pas~es momentarily through a radial plane containing the outer fold ring 35.

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` ' ~ ~7~4 In addition to the latching or over-centering action of the container bellows, the cap 16 with an air tight se~l to the container prevents the container from expanding due to the external atmospheric air pressure. A variety of plastics can be used for the containers. Acrylonitrile, polypropylene, polyethyleneterepthalate G and polyvinyl chloride are suitable and tests with the latter two show multiple collapsings without significant degradation of strength.
FIGS. 4 and S illustrate an alternate embodiment of the container generally denoted by 110. The bellows side wall 118, threaded rim 112 and aperture lld. are substantially similar to that disclosed above, however, the sleeve above is deleted and a modified cap 116 having an extended skirt 120 substituted. In this embodiment the skirt 120 extends over and about the sidewall 118 bellows and the bellows collapse therewithin to latch in the same manner as above. This embodiment provides a less expensive ~wo piece container rather than the three piece container above, however, the bellows are no longer covered by a protective sleeve when the container is open, therefore making it more practical as a reusable container.

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Claims

1. A continuous surface access container comprising a base and a top joined by a substantially cylindrical side wall integral therewith and an aperture in the top of the container, at least a portion of said side wall formed into a plurality of bellows extending therearound, said bellows comprising upwardly and downwardly pointed substantially conical sections joined by fold rings, said fold rings retaining substantially fixed diameters and at least one of said upwardly and downwardly pointed conical sections flexing from the unfolded to the folded position to provide an over centering of the bellows during folding thereby latching the bellows in the collapsed position.

2. A continuous surface access container comprising a base and a top joined by a substantially cylindrical side wall integral therewith, at least a portion of said side wall formed into a plurality of bellows extending therearound, said bellows comprising upwardly and downwardly pointed substantially conical sections joined by fold rings, said fold rings retaining substantially fixed diameters and at least one of said upwardly and downwardly pointed conical sections flexing from the unfolded to the folded position to provide an over centering of the bellows during folding thereby latching the bellows in the collapsed position, an aperture in the top of the container, said aperture surrounded by a rim, a floating sleeve attached to the container adjacent the top and rim and extending downwardly from the attachment and outside of the side wall of the container.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein the sleeve extends circumferentially about the side wall of the container and is spaced from said side wall a distance sufficient to permit the bellows to flex from the unfolded to the folded position within said sleeve.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein the sleeve extends downwardly a distance only sufficient to enclose the bellowed side wall in latched condition.

5. A continuous surface access container comprising a base and a top joined by a substantially cylindrical side wall integral therewith, at least a portion of said side wall formed into a plurality of bellows extending therearound, said bellows comprising upwardly and downwardly pointed substantially conical sections joined by fold rings, said fold rings retaining substantially fixed diameters and at least one of said upwardly and downwardly pointed conical sections flexing from the unfolded to the folded position to provide an over centering of the bellows during folding thereby latching the bellows in the collapsed position, an aperture in the top of the container, said aperture surrounded by a rim, a cap attachable to the top of the container, a skirt extending around and downwardly from said cap and of a diameter sufficient to clear the sidewall bellows of the container when attached thereto, said skirt downward length limited by the collapsed height of the container.