CN112368215A

CN112368215A - Collapsible article comprising a plurality of foldably interconnected foldable sections

Info

Publication number: CN112368215A
Application number: CN201880094277.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 佩塔尔·扎哈里诺夫
Original assignee: Diford Co
Current assignee: Diford Co
Priority date: 2018-06-05
Filing date: 2018-10-17
Publication date: 2021-02-12
Also published as: JP2021525204A; CA3129775A1; EP3762301B1; ES2924281T3; EP3762301A1; CA3129775C; WO2019233618A1; DK3762301T3

Abstract

The collapsible article includes a plurality of collapsible sections/modules that are foldably interconnected. The foldable section may be a part of a cylindrical surface or a conical surface. The foldable section may also be in the form of a closed section. When the foldable section is part of a tubular surface, which is cylindrical or conical, the foldable section is made up of four polygonal surface sections. The polygonal section is curved/circular in the unfolded state and has a flat or nearly flat shape in the partially folded and folded state. The folding process typically involves an abrupt transition between the unfolded position and the folded position, which makes the unfolded article almost as stable as a non-foldable equivalent. Typically, the folding process requires a force to be applied to the edges forming the valley fold during folding. When the article is made of a soft material or has a constant or relatively constant thickness and has convex and/or concave foldable edges, the article typically contracts upon application of excessive axial force.

Description

Collapsible article comprising a plurality of foldably interconnected foldable sections

Background

A major problem with currently known collapsible tubular structures for collapsible articles is that they are not very stable in the non-collapsed position, they need to be made of very soft materials and they do not provide smooth cylindrical or conical surfaces.

The folding principle currently used does not provide a general solution that can be adapted to different material types and different production methods. The folding principles currently used do not provide variability in shape and generally involve dense corrugations of the surface, which can make cleaning and maintenance of the interior of such articles difficult.

Disclosure of Invention

The structure of the disclosed collapsible article comprising a plurality of collapsible sections may be both stable and compact. The structure may be made of different materials, including harder materials, and the structure may be manufactured using different production methods. The structure may include both a cylindrical portion and a conical portion, the structure having a greater degree of freedom in shape than the widely used collapsible techniques. These articles may be disposable or reusable. Such disposable products can be easily contracted and more efficiently disposed of, and significantly reduce waste volume. The collapsible reusable product based on the disclosed combination of foldable sections and multiplication can be very practical due to being very compact and fully functional at the same time.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows an example of a barrel and cone combination of a foldable section/module.

Fig. 2 shows a very simple and very symmetrical type of foldable section made up of four identical isosceles right triangle sections.

Fig. 3 depicts a simple collapsible unit made of four identical non-isosceles right triangle sections.

Fig. 4 shows a collapsible cylindrical section consisting of a set of two right triangle sections and two trapezoid sections.

Fig. 5 depicts a collapsible cylindrical section made up of four trapezoidal sections.

Fig. 6 illustrates general and/or asymmetric combinations and multiplications of a collapsible cartridge unit made up of four triangular sections.

Fig. 7 depicts a generic and/or more asymmetric structure of collapsible cylindrical sections and combinations thereof made up of four quadrilateral sections or a hybrid section between a quadrilateral section and a triangular section.

Fig. 8 illustrates a foldable combination of segments constructed by mirroring the segments depicted in fig. 2 and 3.

FIG. 9 shows a combination of sections constructed by mirroring the sections depicted in FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 shows a combination of sections constructed by mirroring the sections depicted in FIG. 5.

Fig. 11 shows a simple and symmetrical section consisting of isosceles triangular sections and the combination/multiplication of this section.

Fig. 12 shows a simple section consisting of non-isosceles triangular sections and the combination/multiplication of the simple section.

Fig. 13 depicts a tapered section consisting of a triangular section and a trapezoidal section and the combination/multiplication of the tapered section.

Fig. 14 depicts a tapered section consisting of a triangular section and a trapezoidal section and the combination/multiplication of the tapered section.

Fig. 15 depicts a tapered section consisting of trapezoidal sections and the combination/multiplication of the tapered section.

FIG. 16 illustrates the general and/or asymmetric combination and multiplication of a collapsible cone unit made up of four triangular sections.

Fig. 17 depicts a generalized and/or more asymmetric structure of a collapsible taper segment made up of four quadrilateral segments or a hybrid segment between a quadrilateral segment and a triangular segment, and a combination of such collapsible taper segments.

Fig. 18 depicts the actual method of building a rolled form from a spread form and a spread form from a rolled form from any cylindrical or conical foldable section and combinations thereof.

Figure 19 illustrates the need to correct the outer edge when blending foldable sections defining different surfaces.

Fig. 20 shows a trim and mirror image of a cylindrical or conical foldable section and/or a combination between these sections.

Fig. 21 shows a trim and mirror image of a cylindrical or conical foldable section and/or a combination between these sections.

Fig. 22 shows a trim and mirror image of extended cylindrical or conical foldable sections and/or combinations between these sections.

Fig. 23 depicts a very simple circular collapsible closure section adapted to a cylindrical surface.

Fig. 24 depicts a very simple circular collapsible closure section adapted to a tapered surface.

Fig. 25 depicts a very simple circular collapsible closure section adapted to a tapered surface.

Fig. 26 shows an asymmetric closing section for a cylindrical or conical surface.

Fig. 27 shows a trimmed circular collapsible closure section adapted to a cylindrical surface.

Fig. 28 illustrates a trimmed circular collapsible closure section adapted for a tapered surface.

Fig. 29 shows a trimmed circular collapsible closure section adapted for a conical surface.

Fig. 30 depicts a very simple flat collapsible closure section adapted to a cylindrical surface.

Fig. 31 depicts a very simple flat collapsible closure section adapted to a conical surface.

Fig. 32 depicts a very simple flat collapsible closure section adapted to a tapered surface.

Fig. 33 shows a trimmed flat collapsible closure section adapted to a cylindrical surface.

Fig. 34 shows a trimmed flat collapsible closure section adapted for a conical surface.

Fig. 35 shows a trimmed flat collapsible closure section adapted for a conical surface.

Fig. 36 depicts a very simple chamfered flat collapsible closure section adapted to a cylindrical surface.

Fig. 37 depicts a trimmed and chamfered flat collapsible closure section for a cylindrical surface.

Fig. 38 depicts a very simple chamfered flat collapsible closure section adapted to a tapered surface.

Fig. 39 depicts a very simple chamfered flat collapsible closure section adapted to a conical surface.

Fig. 40 depicts a trimmed and chamfered flat collapsible closure section adapted for a conical surface.

Fig. 41 depicts a trimmed and chamfered flat collapsible closure section adapted for a conical surface.

Fig. 42 shows a pointed collapsible closing section adapted to a cylindrical or conical surface.

Fig. 43 shows a trimmed pointed collapsible closure section adapted to a cylindrical or conical surface.

Fig. 44 depicts a mirror image of a closed section adapted to a cylindrical surface.

FIG. 45 depicts trimming and mirroring of the closure segments.

FIG. 46 depicts trimming and mirroring of the closure segments.

FIG. 47 depicts the combination of trimmed and mirrored closure segments with tubular foldable surfaces.

FIG. 48 depicts a mirror image of a flat closed section.

FIG. 49 depicts a face removal and mirror image of a flat closure segment.

Figure 50 shows a combination of mirrored flat closed sections and tubular foldable sections.

Fig. 51 shows a combination of different closure segments.

Fig. 52 illustrates the merging of rounded and pointed cylindrical and conical closure sections with appropriate cylindrical and conical tubular sections.

Fig. 53 illustrates the merging of rounded and pointed cylindrical and conical closure sections with appropriate cylindrical and conical tubular portions, with the removed intersecting edges on the tubular surface.

FIG. 54 depicts the extension or removal of a face.

Figure 55 shows shape stretching of symmetric tubular and closed sections and symmetric combinations thereof.

Fig. 56 depicts a simple cylindrical and conical section made of two faces.

Fig. 57 illustrates a foldable joint between two or more tubular structures.

FIG. 58 illustrates flattening and merging of the outer edges of the tubular structure.

Fig. 59 shows flattening of the outer edge of the tubular structure.

Fig. 60 illustrates the closure of the flattened outer edge of the tubular structure.

Fig. 61 illustrates the closure of the flattened outer edge of the tubular structure.

Fig. 62 shows a thicker housing modification of the foldable section.

Fig. 63 shows a thicker housing modification of the foldable section.

Fig. 64 depicts a rigid material modification of the foldable section.

Fig. 65 shows a partially folded state of a structure comprising foldable segments.

Figure 66 illustrates possible geometries of the folded edge/hinge.

Fig. 67 depicts a modified foldable section filling a cavity in a folded configuration.

Fig. 68 depicts a modified foldable section filling a cavity in a folded configuration.

Fig. 69 depicts a collapsible container including a collapsible section.

Fig. 70 depicts a collapsible container comprising a collapsible section.

Fig. 71 depicts a collapsible container comprising a collapsible section.

Fig. 72 depicts a collapsible container comprising a collapsible section.

Fig. 73 depicts a collapsible container comprising a collapsible section.

Fig. 74 depicts a collapsible container including a collapsible section.

Fig. 75 depicts a collapsible container comprising a collapsible section.

Fig. 76 depicts a collapsible container including a collapsible section.

Fig. 77 depicts a collapsible container comprising a collapsible section.

Fig. 78 depicts a collapsible container including a collapsible section.

Fig. 79 illustrates a collapsible tube structure including a collapsible section.

Fig. 80 shows a collapsible tube structure comprising a collapsible section.

Figure 81 shows a foldable structure with convex and concave foldable edges.

Fig. 82 depicts a foldable structure with raised foldable edges.

Fig. 83 depicts a foldable structure with recessed foldable edges.

Fig. 84 depicts a collapsible structure having a segmented corrugated surface.

Detailed Description

The advantages of the foldable structure of the article comprising the described collapsible section/module are:

the foldable structure is self-supporting and stable in the unfolded position

The foldable structure may form a smooth and rounded surface

The foldable structure may be made of a number of different materials including a stronger material

The foldable structure can be produced by different methods and techniques

The foldable structure can be very compact in the folded position

The foldable structure may comprise both a cylindrical surface and/or a conical surface

The collapsible structure may also be operable in a partially collapsed state, providing variability in shape and size

A tubular article comprising a plurality of foldable segments/modules and the modifications thereof described in this specification causes the circular/curved shape of the tubular article to be naturally maintained in the unfolded position and to be generally as stable as a non-folded tubular structure when axially compressed until an additional force is applied at a specific location along the mutually foldable edges connecting the segments/modules. The folding process typically involves an abrupt transition between the unfolded (curved/circular shape) state and the semi-folded (flat shape) state, making the structure behave differently in the two states. In the flat shape state, these structures generally behave like springs. Rather, in the deployed position, these structures behave like conventional non-folding equivalents.

The above qualities provide the option of exploiting the foldability without compromising the stability and overall performance of the product comprising such foldable sections. Furthermore, even harder and non-rubber-like materials can be used to reduce the thickness and weight of the described foldable structure.

An example of a barrel and cone combination of the collapsible section/module described below is shown in fig. 1. The cylindrical example shows that the tubular part of the collapsible structure may comprise different types of foldable sections.

A very simple and symmetrical type of foldable section is shown in fig. 2. The foldable section is made up of four identical isosceles right triangle sections and folded into a square shape. The edges coinciding with the

hypotenuses

101, 102, 103 and 104 of the triangular section form valley (valley) folds during folding when combined with other collapsible sections. The edges (inner edges) coinciding with the right-angled edges (catheti)105, 106, 107, 108 and 109 form mountain-shaped (mountain) folds during folding. The foldable tessellation based on the collapsible portion resembles the so-called Yoshimura pattern, which describes the buckling behaviour of a cylindrical thin shell structure. The greatest difference is that the number of triangular segments formed in the form of an endless belt is reduced to four. This reduction brings about the qualities explained in the preceding paragraph, since, in general, a thin cylindrical shell contracts when exposed to axial pressure alone is not a natural way of contracting. To start the shrinking process, additional force needs to be exerted on the edges forming the valley fold during folding. In order to unfold the structure made up of folded sections of this type in the unfolded or semi-folded state, the structure can be pulled axially or a force can be exerted on any two opposite convex vertices.

Another simple collapsible portion may be made of four identical non-isosceles

right triangle sections

110, 111, 112, 113 shown in bold continuous lines in fig. 3. In this case, the collapsible portion is folded into a rectangular shape. The collapsible portion may be multiplied and combined with itself as represented by

triangular sections

114, 115, 116, 117 shown in thin continuous lines, with a mirror image version of itself as represented by

triangular sections

118, 119, 120, 121 shown in thin dashed lines, or may be combined with a different set of identical right triangle sections, including the triangular sections of fig. 2.

The foldable portion shown in fig. 2 and 3 can be modified in the rolled/looped state by trimming with a plane 122, the plane 122 being perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical surface formed by the foldable portion, thereby providing the set of two right triangle sections and two trapezoid sections of fig. 4. The same result can be obtained by cutting the spreading section with a straight line 123 parallel to the hypotenuse.

The foldable portion of fig. 5, which is made up of two pairs of trapezoidal sections, can be achieved by trimming these portions with one or more different planes 124 or lines 125 of this type. The two types of trapezoidal sections may be the same or may be different depending on the location of the two cutting planes/lines. If the four trapezoidal sections are isosceles, the sections may form a tessellation similar to a so-called "checkerboard" (chicken wire chess). The main difference is still that the number of trapezoidal sections in the form of endless bands is reduced to only four, naturally maintaining the circular shape of the tubular structure when combined with another suitable foldable section in the unfolded position. Such structures are typically used in both the collapsed and semi-collapsed states of the structure for filters, bellows or pumps with limited deployment. In the case of the disclosed structure, the structure is not only used in a semi-folded and folded state, but the structure is also used in a fully unfolded state to form a stable and self-supporting tubular article having a predetermined folded edge. In the particular section depicted in fig. 5, during folding, the edges coinciding with the major base edges of the

trapezoidal sections

126, 127, 128, and 129 form valley-shaped creases when combined with other collapsible sections. In contrast, the edges coinciding with the minor bases of the

trapezoidal sections

130, 131, 132 and 133 form mountain folds when combined with other collapsible sections. These are edges/hinges 130, 131, 132, and 133 that can be pressed to unfold the structure. Structures made from trapezoidal shaped sections experience less material deformation during folding and unfolding than sections made from triangular shaped sections, which makes these structures more suitable when using stiffer and stiffer materials. It is important to know that the trimmed sides of the segment depicted in fig. 3 cannot be combined with the cut modifications of the segment depicted in fig. 2, because the outer annular edge of the trimmed sides of the segment depicted in fig. 3 and the outer annular edge of the cut modifications of the segment depicted in fig. 2 (in the rolled-up state) do not coincide in the folded position. The outer annular edges form a parallelogram in the first case and a rectangle in the second case. A trimmed section of the type shown in fig. 3 cannot be combined with itself, but may be combined with a mirror image of itself.

A more general and/or asymmetric structure can be constructed that includes a combination and multiplication of foldable sections made up of four triangular sections, which are not necessarily right angled (fig. 6). In this case, it is a general rule that the angle between two angles of any one of the four triangular sections located between the other two triangular sections must be equal to the sum of these two angles. For the basic sections shown with thick continuous lines in the upper diagram depicting the example in the unfolded state, this type of correlation in fig. 6 is as follows: α 2 ═ α 4+ α 12; α 5 ═ α 3+ α 7; α 8 ═ α 6+ α 10; the correlation between angles in suitable sections for combining, shown with thin continuous lines α 11 + α 9, follows the same rule: α 13 ═ α 16+ a 24; α 17 ═ α 15+ α 20; α 19 ═ α 18+ α 22; another important correlation is that the

respective edges

134 and 135, 136 and 137 overlapping in the rolled position or 138 and 139, 140 and 141, 142 and 143 overlapping in the folded position have equal lengths, α 23 ═ α 14+ α 21. The

edges

134 and 135, 136 and 137 that coincide in the rolled/looped position are parallel.

Geodesic lines

144, 145 and 146 connecting the vertices that overlap in the rolled/looped position are all of equal length, the

geodesic lines

144, 145 and 146 being parallel when laid out and shown in the same upper drawing in fig. 6 by thin dashed lines.

The foldable sections depicted in fig. 2 and 3 can be considered as special cases of this general geometry.

General and/or more asymmetric configurations of foldable sections and combinations thereof, consisting of four quadrilateral sections or a hybrid between quadrilateral and triangular sections are also possible (fig. 7). This configuration can be constructed by trimming a set of four triangular segments that satisfy the correlation in fig. 6 with one or two non-intersecting fold lines. Each end point of each segment of such a fold line must be located on an edge/hinge (the inner side in the rolled up state) common to two of the four triangular segments. The end points may also coincide with the intersection of two edges/hinges of this type, so that no cutting of the triangle is performed. The segments of such fold lines cannot overlap with these edges/hinges, but can overlap with the outer annular (rolled-up state) edges, so that the triangle is no longer trimmed.

Geodesic lines

147 and 148 connecting the two end points of the entire polyline are parallel to

geodesic lines

149 and 150 connecting the vertices of the triangular segments that overlap in the rolled position, and the length of

geodesic lines

147 and 148 and

geodesic lines

149 and 150 are also the same and are shown in the upper two figures in fig. 7 with thin dashed lines. The

respective sections

151 and 152, 153 and 154, 155 and 156 which overlap in the rolled-up state are of equal length.

The endpoints of the segments of the polyline may be used to construct a new set of triangular segments that satisfy the rules in FIG. 6. Likewise, the

geodesic lines

157 and 158 connecting the two end points of the entire polyline are parallel to the

geodesic lines

159 and 160 connecting the vertices of the triangular segments that overlap in the rolled position. Likewise, the respective

fold line segments

161 and 162, 163 and 164, 165 and 166 that overlap in the rolled-up state are of equal length.

The inner edge/crease must not only pass through the end points of the polyline section, but must also follow the foldability rules of the pattern consisting of vertices diverging into four edges-the sum of the angles of the opposite parts equals 180 °. This rule may be used when the end points on the polyline do not coincide with the vertices of any of the belonging (in this case) triangular segments. In fig. 7, the correlation is as follows:

β3+β5＝β4+β6＝β7+β9＝β8+β10＝β11+β13＝β12+β14＝β15+β2＝β16++β1＝180°。

the foldable sections depicted in fig. 4 and 5 can be considered as special cases of this general geometry. Even the general structure in fig. 6 can be considered as a special case in the case of following the rules of fig. 7 if the cutting fold lines coincide and overlap with the outer annular (in rolled-up state) edges of the triangular segments in the group. Vice versa, the structure in fig. 7 can be considered as a combination of modified/trimmed forms of foldable sections consisting of four triangular sections.

The foldable structure of fig. 8 can be formed by mirroring the simple foldable sections depicted in fig. 2 and 3. This is also valid for the cutting modification depicted in fig. 4 and 5. This is demonstrated in fig. 9 and 10.

Foldable asymmetric tubular sections consisting of triangular sections, mixed sections of triangular and quadrangular sections, or only quadrangular sections can also be modified by modifying the tubular section with a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and then mirroring it. These planes must intersect all four interior edges/hinges in the foldable section.

The four polygonal sections can form not only cylindrical but also conical foldable sections.

A simple and symmetrical foldable section is shown in fig. 11. The foldable section is made up of two pairs of isosceles triangle sections and is similar to the cylindrical foldable portion shown in fig. 2. The main difference is that the angle of 45 ° decreases in one of the

pairs

169 and 170 and correspondingly increases at the same angle in the other pair of

triangular segments

167 and 168. Angle α 25 is 45 ° + Δ 1 and angle α 26 is 45 ° - Δ 1. The foldable section is folded into a diamond shape. This type of foldable section may be combined with a scaled version of the foldable section itself, where the

triangular sections

173 and 174 are similar to 167 and 168 and the

triangular sections

171 and 172 are similar to 169 and 170. These types of foldable patterns may also be combined with the next type of foldable sections described below.

The simple collapsible cone section shown in fig. 12 is similar to the barrel section shown in fig. 3. The main difference is that the 90 ° angle increases in

pairs

175 and 176 in the first section and 179 and 180 in the second section, while the same angle decreases in

pairs

177 and 178 in the first section and 181 and 182 in the second section, respectively. Angle α 27 is 90 ° + Δ 2, and angle α 28 is 90 ° - Δ 2. Such a section is folded into a parallelogram. All the vertices of the four triangular sections in a section lie on the

concentric arcs

183, 184, 185 when spread, the centers of the

concentric arcs

183, 184, 185 being the vertices of the conical surface spread.

The foldable structure (fig. 13 and 14) can be constructed by trimming the four triangular sections of the cone-shaped structure shown in fig. 11 and 12 by

fold lines

186, 192 consisting of sections parallel to the outer edge of the ring in the rolled-up state. The endpoints of the polyline segments must be located on the common edges/hinges (inner edges/hinges) 187, 188, 189, 190, 191 and 193, 194, 195, 196, 197 of the same set of two corresponding triangular segments. Like the cylindrical equivalent, the trimmed section in fig. 12 cannot be combined with the trimmed and scaled version of itself and the version in fig. 11, but the trimmed section in fig. 12 can be combined with a configuration that satisfies the foldability rule of the pattern of vertices diverging into four edges illustrated in fig. 7-the sum of the angles of the opposing portions equals 180 °.

Sections consisting of four trapezoidal sections are also possible if the triangular sections are cut by two different fold lines 198, 199 (fig. 15).

A more general collapsible cone configuration (fig. 16) consisting of four triangular sections can be constructed. This configuration is similar to the cylindrical configuration (fig. 6). The main difference is that the edges/hinges 200 and 201, 202 and 203 that coincide in the rolled up position are not parallel in the deployed position. The edges/hinges 200 and 201, 202 and 203 rotate relative to each other about the apex of the spreading conical surface. The endpoints of the edges/hinges 200 and 201, 202 and 203 lie on

concentric arcs

204, 205, 206 also centered on the apex. For the initial section shown in bold continuous lines, the correlation between angles follows the same rule: α 30 ═ α 32+ α 39; α 34 ═ α 31+ α 35; α 36 ═ α 33+ α 38; α 40 ═ α 37+ α 29, the correlation between angles for a suitable foldable set of four triangular segments combined with this initial segment is: α 41 ═ α 44+ α 52; α 45 ═ α 43+ α 48; α 47 ═ α 46+ α 50; α 51 is α 42+ α 49. The edges that overlap in the folded position are of equal length. The structures in fig. 11 and 12 can be considered as special cases of this general structure.

More general configurations and combinations of collapsible cone segments made up of quadrilateral segments or hybrid segments between quadrilateral and triangular segments similar to the cylindrical segment depicted in fig. 7 are also possible (fig. 17). The construction and combination can be constructed in the same process. The initial foldable section, which consists of four triangular segments following the rules in fig. 16, is then cut with one or two non-intersecting fold lines. The end points of the fold segments must be located on the inner edges/hinges 207, 208, 209, 210, 211 in the set. The end points of the fold line segments may also coincide with the intersection of the two edges so that the triangular section is not cut. Both end points of the entire folding line must be located on an arc centered on the apex of the spreading conical surface. A new set of four foldable triangular sections may be constructed using the end points of the segments of the initial fold line, where the inner edges/hinges 216, 217, 218, 219, 220 of the new set must pass through the end points of the initial fold line, and the general rule of foldability of a pattern consisting of vertices diverging into four edges may be used again — the sum of the angles of the opposing portions equals 180 °. In this case, the formula is:

β17+β32＝β18+β31＝β19+β21＝β20+β22＝β23+β25＝β24+β26＝β27+β29＝β28+β30＝180°。

the foldable sections in fig. 13, 14 and 15 can be considered as special cases of this general construction.

The general structure in fig. 16 can also be considered as a special case in the case of fig. 17, if the cutting fold lines coincide and overlap with the outer annular (rolled-up state) edges 212, 213, 214, 215 and 221, 222, 223, 224 of the triangular segments in a particular group. Vice versa, the configuration in fig. 17 can be considered as a combination of modified/trimmed forms of the collapsible cone section consisting of four triangular segments. Furthermore, a cylindrical foldable section can be considered as a special case of a conical modification with the apex at infinity. Thus, all of the described conical and cylindrical sections can be considered as special cases of the structure shown in fig. 17 or as a modification depicted in fig. 16. The generally mirror image forms of the cylindrical section and the conical section are also foldable. Rolling the tessellation in the opposite direction also produces a mirror image.

Practical methods of constructing rolled forms from any of the described cylindrical or conical foldable sections and their combined rolled forms and of constructing rolled forms from any of the described cylindrical or conical foldable sections and their combined rolled forms are: the wire mesh is drawn and the corresponding point of intersection between the wire mesh and the edge/hinge is found (figure 18). The straight line in the spread state is shown as the geodesic line in the rolled state and vice versa.

When two sections having different surfaces are combined, the shape of the respective edges must be corrected. When the new common edge/hinge is a chevron edge/hinge 225, both surfaces must extend equally. Conversely, if it is a valley edge/hinge 226, the two surfaces must contract equally (fig. 19).

Each of the cylindrical or conical foldable sections described above can be trimmed and mirrored by a

free plane

227, 228, 229, 236, 237 intersecting the four inner edges/hinges 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 238, 239, 240, 241 in the foldable section to provide a new foldable structure (fig. 20 and 21). As shown in the examples, this plane may be tilted with respect to only one of the planes of symmetry, or may be a random plane that intersects all of the interior edges/hinges. If desired, surface 242 may be extended into a first piece 243 and then trimmed and mirrored (FIG. 22). The cutting plane may also pass through the end points of the inner edges/hinges 244, 245.

Several types of closed foldable sections may be combined with the described cylindrical and conical sections and modifications thereof.

A circular and simple section is shown in fig. 23. This section can be constructed as an intersection of the sections in fig. 2 or 3, wherein the same axis of the cylindrical surface 246 divided in half in the longitudinal direction passes through the hypotenuse midpoint of the rolled right triangle section 247. The section can also be constructed by drawing pairs of parallel webs of

equal length lines

248 and 252, 249 and 253, 250 and 254, 251 and 255, the pairs of

lines

248 and 252, 249 and 253, 250 and 254, 251 and 255 overlapping in the folded position, as shown in the upper drawing in fig. 23.

The paired line approach can be used to construct a closed foldable section for a tapered surface by some approximation (fig. 24 and 25).

More asymmetric closure portions for the tubular surface can also be constructed (fig. 26). In this case, the length of the line segment lying on the closed surface is equal to the sum or an approximation of the length of the corresponding segment lying on the annular tubular surface. This type of closing section will also be more asymmetric than the example in fig. 26 if the section closing the tubular surface is asymmetric.

The collapsible closing section described above can be trimmed and combined with trimmed cylindrical and conical sections (fig. 27, 28, 29). The general rule is that the respective outer edges of the two sections being combined must have the same length and the same shape in the folded and unfolded positions.

Flat rectangular closure sections are also possible (fig. 30, 31, 32). The equal angles in fig. 31 and 32 are shown as α 53 and α 54. The illustrated example is applicable to square flat closed surfaces, but non-square rectangular sections can be constructed while maintaining angular dependence.

Trimming variants of the flat closure section are also possible (fig. 33, 34, 35). The equal angles in fig. 34 and 35 are shown at α 55 and α 56.

The flat section may also be chamfered to be smoother (fig. 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41).

A pointed foldable closure section for the cylindrical and conical sections can be constructed (fig. 42 and 43). The pointed collapsible closing section may be constructed using the same auxiliary pairs of wires that may be used to construct a rounded/curved closing section for continuing the same cylindrical or conical

annular surfaces

256, 257.

Each of the closure segments described for the cylindrical surface may be mirrored into the collapsible structure of fig. 44.

The cylindrical and conical closure elements can also be cut and mirrored using the planes of fig. 45, 46, 47. These planes may be perpendicular to the plane of symmetry or they may be inclined.

The flat closure section may be mirrored by a plane coincident with the flat portion 258 of the closure surface of fig. 48. The flat face/section may be removed completely or partially if desired, fig. 49. Depending on the type of flat closure section of fig. 50, the flat closure section may be combined with a tubular surface that is cylindrical or conical.

Different closure segments or trimmed versions of closure segments may be combined and formed into the foldable structure of fig. 51. Also, it is a general rule that the corresponding outer edges of the two sections being combined must have equal lengths and the same shape in the folded and unfolded positions.

Rounded and pointed cylindrical and conical closure sections and their cutting modifications can be combined with corresponding cylindrical and conical tubular sections, fig. 52 and 53.

The combination of two or more foldable sections can be modified by partially or fully removing the faces/sections or by extending the faces/sections while stabilizing the overall structure and not affecting the folding process (fig. 54). Such faces/sections may be part of both the tubular section and the closed section.

All symmetrical tubular and closed sections and symmetrical combinations thereof shapes can be stretched as shown in fig. 55. If the tubular section and the closing section have two planes of symmetry, the tubular section and the closing section can be stretched in two directions.

Both the tubular section and the closure section can be formed into a structure by combining with a tubular foldable portion of a simple type, as shown in fig. 56.

The simple foldable section of fig. 56 can be combined with the pointed cylindrical and conical foldable closing sections depicted in fig. 42 and 43 and form a foldable joint between two or more tubular structures (fig. 57). The closing faces/sections of the pointed segments may be removed in their entirety or in part, and also the corresponding parts of the surfaces of the simple segments may be removed in their entirety or in part, in order to connect the spaces inside the tubes.

The structure made up of a combination of cylindrical and/or conical tubular sections can be modified by flattening (flatten) the

outer edges

259, 260, 261, 262, 263, as shown in fig. 58, 59, 61.

If the end sections/modules are cut, the end sections/modules may be fully or partially closed with additional faces/

sections

264, 265, as shown in fig. 60 and 61.

The shell of the folded section can be thicker if the material allows sufficient flexibility (fig. 62 and 63).

Rigid materials may also be used in the combination of the two tubular sections if the thick sub-section is oriented such that it does not block the housing from bending, fig. 64. Thick sub-sections or additional transverse partitions in a living hinge pattern may also be used to provide the rigid shell with bending capability.

The structure consisting of a cylindrical and conical collapsible section can work in a partially collapsed state (fig. 65), providing a symmetrical or asymmetrical solution. This may also provide interactivity for the item used by providing engraving options.

An example of a possible geometry of the folded edge/hinge is shown in figure 66. Possible geometries of the folded edge/hinge may be achieved by making the edge more flexible than the surface material or making the edge stiffer than the surface material but sufficiently flexible at the area of intersection. Flexibility can generally be achieved by reducing the thickness of the material along the edge/hinge or making the edge/hinge convex or concave.

The edge/hinge may be made of the same material as the surface, or the edge/hinge may be made of a different material. A structure constructed from the disclosed combination of foldable sections may also be self-deploying or self-folding depending on the natural state of the elements/sections of the structure if the material used for the edges/hinges is sufficiently elastic and the material used for the surfaces provides sufficient flexibility.

The edge/hinge may be continuous or the edge/hinge may be divided into sections such that the bridge connects the surface elements. Flexibility of the edge/hinge may also be achieved by a sequentially ordered ensemble along the edge/hinge. Where appropriate, it is even possible to cut some of the edges completely to serve as openings.

The geometry of the edges or segments thereof not used as hinges may be modified if the obtained modification does not undesirably interfere with the folding process. The opening may be placed on the surface element and may even be placed above the edge/hinge.

The shape of the surface element/section may be modified to follow the shape of another element in the folded position, e.g. when in the folded position the container needs to be completely emptied (fig. 67 and 68).

An article comprised of a combination of foldable sections may be made of one material or may be made of multiple materials for different sections or components of the article.

Examples of possible material choices for these sections or components of the article may be: plastic (polymer), rubber and silicone (elastomer), paper, cardboard, leather, fabric, foam, metal, and any other suitable type of material. A variety of production techniques can be used: molding, casting, thermoforming, vacuum forming, rolling sheet, welding, gluing, sewing, and any other suitable method.

The article may be manufactured in unfolded, folded, and partially or semi-folded states. If the initial shape of the segments making up the foldable section is flat or nearly flat, it may be helpful to progressively fold the entire structure section by section. If the initial shape of the segment is circular/curved, the folded or semi-folded structure is more likely to behave as a self-deployable structure. The article may be manufactured as one component, or the article may be manufactured as an assembly of different components.

The foldable structure can be used not only for articles designed to be used multiple times, but also for articles designed to be used only once, thereby making the handling, storage and transportation of said articles more efficient, or even making said articles reusable.

The structure made up of the combination of foldable segments can be used not only for fully collapsible articles, but also for parts and portions of articles. The structure may also be used in combination with other suitable folding patterns.

The cross-sections of the cylindrical and conical sections/modules need not be symmetrical curves. The cross-section of the cylindrical and conical sections/modules may be asymmetric and may even have a steep bend if the bend coincides with an inner edge/hinge in the section. The cylindrical and conical sections/modules may also have straight sections. The main requirement is to provide a suitable circumference for a particular segment. The shape of the cylindrical and conical sections/modules may also vary along the tubular structure, without significant variation in the required length of the sections and with the resulting surface being deployable or sufficiently close to the deployable surface.

The surface element/section need not be part of a fully deployable surface. The surface element/section may be deformed to have a double curvature, the surface element/section being deformed to have a double curvature, in particular if a smoother shape is required but maximum shrinkage is not required. The surface elements/sections may also be divided by adding additional edges/hinges if desired.

It is also acceptable for the shape of the surface element to approximate the shape of the edge/hinge, depending on the desired quality of the product.

Fig. 69-78 illustrate some examples of collapsible containers that include combinations of the foldable sections shown. Examples of foldable tube structures are shown in fig. 79 and 80.

Alternative applications are also possible. The collapsible structure comprising the segments may be used as a pump, a syringe and a cookie press. The fact that the foldable structure is interactive and can provide different shapes in the folded and partially folded state makes the foldable structure suitable for toys and modular construction items. Foldable coverings or insulating materials for pipes and containers may also be used as an alternative. Other applications may be packaging, funnels, pipettes, dust and powder puffs, inflatable structures, bags, clothing, light covers, collapsible furniture, and shade structures and components for collapsible furniture. Different applications may even be combined into one task integrated item. The mass of the object made of rigid and solid material is possible if the closed unfolded object is filled with a fluid or powdered substance, to prevent the folding process, which makes the object suitable for handles, sticks, rolling pins and other suitable objects.

The described collapsible tubular structure may also be used in the pneumatic field as or as a component of a device and machine, as an inflatable mechanism and any other suitable application for the purpose of reducing pressure and stress.

As can be seen from fig. 66, a collapsible article comprising the collapsible cylindrical and/or conical portion described may also be achieved by homogenizing the thickness of the surface of the collapsible cylindrical and/or conical portion. This may be done by making the edge/hinge convex or concave. In this case, it is generally possible to shrink the article by applying only axial pressure, without having to press the edges forming the valley fold during folding. Some examples are shown in fig. 81, 82, and 83. Both convex or concave shapes may be used for valley folds or hill folds during folding. If desired, the surface of the section between the edges/hinges may be corrugated to reinforce the section. The example in fig. 84 shows the corrugations parallel to the axis of the overall structure, but the corrugations may be oriented in another direction or directions, if desired, depending on the desired properties of the article.

Such a foldable constant thickness structure is well suited for use in products produced by blow molding, spin casting or any other suitable technique. The fact that the structure can be easily folded is well suited for use with disposable containers and packages, encouraging the user to collapse the disposable container and package, for example, prior to disposal, and optimizing waste management through significant volume reduction. The structure may also be used for reusable items.

Claims

1. A collapsible article, the article comprising:

a plurality of foldably interconnected foldable sections, at least one of said sections being annular and comprising four curved sections in the shape of a polygon in a folded state;

a foldable edge connecting the segment and the segment.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein at least one or more of the sections is annular and comprises four curved sections that are polygonal in shape in the folded state.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein at least two of the segments are triangular in shape.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the segments are triangular in shape.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein at least two of the sections are quadrilateral in shape.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the segments are quadrilateral in shape.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein at least two of the segments are trapezoidal in shape.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein at least two of the segments are isosceles triangle shaped.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sections comprises three curved sections that fully or partially close the article.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sections comprises five sections that fully or partially close the article.

11. The article of claim 1, wherein the foldable edge is formed in a reduced thickness.

12. The article of claim 1, wherein the foldable edge is convex or concave in shape.

13. A method of manufacturing a foldable article, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a body of the foldable article in a spread state, the body comprising a plurality of foldably interconnected sections, at least one of the sections comprising four sections in a polygonal shape;

rolling up the body in a direction to loop the segments;

connecting the ends of the body to each other.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a closure element;

attaching the closure element to the body.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a first closure element;

attaching the first closure element to the body;

providing a second closure element;

attaching the second closure element to the body.

16. A method of manufacturing a foldable article, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a mold for the foldable article, the article comprising a plurality of foldably interconnected sections, at least one of the sections being annular and comprising four curved sections in the shape of a polygon;

molding the collapsible article.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the mould is formed for moulding the article in a partially folded condition.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the mould is formed for moulding the article in an expanded condition.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the mold is formed for an injection molding process.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the mold is formed for a blow molding process.