GB2363372A

GB2363372A - Container of adjustable volume

Info

Publication number: GB2363372A
Application number: GB0014689A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Kephalas; Kyriacos Kyriacou
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-06-15
Filing date: 2000-06-15
Publication date: 2001-12-19
Also published as: GB0014689D0

Abstract

A storage container comprises a first part and a second part, the two parts being releasably secured at a region of weakness (4) to form a unitary structure so that, upon separation, the two parts can perform telescopic movement with respect to each other such that as the contents of the container are reduced in volume the volume of the container itself can be reduced. The container is preferably formed from a blank with the region of weakness defined e.g. by a tear line, perforation, score lines or a cord embedded in the material of the blank. An internal receptacle, preferably of plastic material, may be provided.

Description

2363372 5 Storage Container

The current invention relates to the field of storage containers.

There are a number of storage containers on the market for food stuffs and domestic 10 products such as washing powder. Storage containers are intended to retain their contents in a secure manner to prevent spillage of the contents on to working surfaces. Such containers also act to protect their contents from contamination by other substances. This is especially important when a variety of products are stored in close proximity. In the case of food products storage containers also act to keep the food fresh and hence prolong their edibility.

15 This is often achieved by using storage containers which are sealed when packaged and in some cases the use of containers which are resealable. Storage containers are also often arranged to display product information, trade marks and brand labels with eye catching get up.

20 A particular problem arises when storage space is limited. This can be a problem for both domestic and business storage areas particularly as modem buildings tend to offer little in the way of storage space and business rents for premises tend to increase proportionately with floor area.

25 Traditional storage containers retain their shape and hence volume as the amount of' product contained within them reduces. This means that they are highly inefficient as they take up unnecessary space as the product is consumed. This problem has been approached by creating storage containers which collapse telescopically and are well known in the art.

Typically, such containers consist of a plurality of sections which are arranged to move 30 relative to each other in a telescopic fashion. This means that as the quantity of goods, or the volume of the product, stored in the container is reduced through use, the volume of the container can be reduced in a similar fashion. This allows more efficient use of space in storage facilities.

35 A problem with known telescopic containers is that they can allow their contents to 5 be damaged during transit within the distribution chain. Containers are often stacked within transporters and because of the sectional arrangement of the structure there is not sufficient rigidity within the structure to withstand the additional loading. Consequently, the containers are compressed slightly and transfer the load to the contents of the container with the associated risk of damage to the product. These telescopic containers can be reinforced or 10 have additional features added to them to protect the products but this adds cost to producing the containers, which is undesirable. Also, known such containers are generally formed of relatively expensive and durable materials in that they are arranged for re-use once the initial product is completely exhausted.

15 Accordingly, the current invention seeks to provide an improved collapsable storage container and, in particular, a container which can provide such advantages with relatively cheap materials.

According to one aspect of the current invention there is provided a storage container 20 comprising at least a first part and a second part, the two parts being releasably secured at a region of weakness to form a unitary structure and so that, upon separation, the two parts can perform telescopic movement with respect to each other such that as the contents of the container are reduced in volume the volume of the container itself can be reduced.

25 In one embodiment the unitary construction of the storage container comprises a plurality of parts wherein the parts are bonded together in an arrangement which forms the entirety of the storage container. The weakly bonded joints between parts can constitute the at least one tear line.

In a preferred embodiment the unitary construction of the storage container is made from a single piece of sheet material. The material can be cut and folded to form the storage container.

In another embodiment the region of weakness comprises at least one line of 35 weakness. Advantageously the at least one line of weakness can be any one of, or any 5 combination of, a tear line, a simple perforation, a compound perforation, a chord embedded in the container material, a chord attached to the container, a hidden film, score lines, folds, slits or cuts in the container material. The at least one line or weakness can fully or partially circumscribe the container. Preferably the at least one line of weakness is arranged to separate the container into two pieces of approximately equal size. It is to be understood however that 10 the invention is not restricted to this embodiment as it is obvious to the skilled man that the position of the at least one line of weakness will define the relative proportions between the plurality of parts generated, and that the number of lines of weakness will determine the number of parts generated.

15 Advantageously in one embodiment the dimensions of the container are such that when the storage container is split into a plurality of parts the plurality of parts can move telescopically with respect to each other. This can be achieved by arranging the container to include at least one tapered edge and / or at least one tapered side.

20 In another embodiment there are engagement formations arranged to restrict telescopic relative movement between the plurality of parts. The engagement formations can be arranged such that they facilitate collapsable telescopic relative movement between the plurality of parts but prevent extensible telescopic relative movement between the plurality of parts.

Alternatively the locking formations may be arranged to prevent relative telescopic 25 movement between the plurality of parts when in engagement and allow bi-directional telescopic movement when in disengagement.

In a preferred embodiment the storage container is substantially prismatic and comprises an internal hollow section. In a further embodiment the storage container is 30 substantially prismoidal and comprises an internal hollow section. The storage container can comprise a variety of regular cross-sections such as circular, triangular, rectangular, pentagonal or hexagonal. Alternatively the cross-section of the storage container may be irregular. The current invention is not restricted to any particular cross-section as it is appreciated by a person skilled in the art that a large number of potential cross-sections could 35 be employed.

5 Alternatively, telescopic movement between parts can be facilitated by using a flexible material to construct the storage container. The flexible material allows the sides of the plurality of parts to bend to accommodate each other.

In another embodiment the storage container includes an internal receptacle. The 10 receptacle can be attached to the internal sides of the storage container or alternatively can be a separate enclosure. Preferably the receptacle is not compromised when the storage container is separated into a plurality of parts at the region of weakness. The receptacle is preferably scalable and comprises a means for opening the receptacle. The receptacle may be made from a variety of materials and preferably from a plastics material. The receptacle can be sealed, 15 for example, for the purposes of keeping food products fresh. The receptacle can be arranged to either totally or partially envelope the product, According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a blank for forming a storage container such as that defined above.

The present invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure I illustrates the unitary construction of one embodiment of the current 25 invention; Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of the current invention split at a tear line in the unitary construction into a plurality of parts arranged to move telescopically with respect to each other; Figure 3 illustrates a further embodiment of the current invention split x, a tear line in the unitary construction into a plurality of parts arranged to move telescopically with respect to each other; and 35 Figure 4 illustrates a plan view of a single piece of material used to produce 5 the unitary construction of yet another embodiment of the current invention.

In each of the figures like numerals refer to like features.

In Figure 1 there is shown a storage container 1 having unitary construction with a line 10 of weakness such as a tear line 4 running circumferentially around the container 1. The tear line 4 includes a tab 5. There is also shown an upper part 2 and a lower part 3 of the container 1.

The storage container 1 can be separated into two parts, an upper part 2 and a lower 15 part 3, at the tear line 4. The upper part 2 and the lower part 3 are arranged such that they can move telescopically with respect to each other. This facilitates a reduction in volume of the container 1 as the volume of the product is reduced through use.

The unitary construction of the storage container 1 can be achieved by using a single 20 piece of sheet material cut to the appropriate dimensions and folded into shape (see Figure 4).

Alternatively the unitary structure can be achieved by bonding together a number of sections.

Each section can constitute one of the plurality of parts, for example upper part 2 or lower part 3 in Figures 1 to 3. The bonding of the sections can be arranged so as to form a line of weakness or tear line 4 to facilitate easy separation of the parts.

The tear line 4 defines the separation line where the unitary construction of the storage container 1 will be split into an upper part 2 and a lower part 3. Alternatively the line of weakness, such as a tear line 4, can be any one of or any combination of a simple perforation, a compound perforation, a chord embedded in the container material, a chord attached to the 30 container material, a hidden film, score lines, folds, slits or cuts in the container material. The tear line 4 is typically included in the sheet material at the point of manufacture. Of course it should be appreciated that any appropriate line of weakness or mode of separation of the two parts of the unitary structure can be employed as appropriate.

35 The tear line 4 may run circumferentially around the whole or part of the storage 5 container 1. For those tear lines 4 which comprise a chord or such like embedded or attached to the storage container surface 1 a tab 5 can be included to help start separation and to provide a means of grip for the user throughout the separation process. Typically chords are applied to the inner surface of storage containers 1 or embedded in the structure. In each case the tab 5 protrudes through the outer surface to allow easy access to the user. Perforated tear 10 lines 4 can be arranged such that a strip of the storage container 1 material can be tom away.

Alternatively, a perforation may require an implement or finger to penetrate the storage container 1 structure to commence separation of the parts 2, 3.

Figure 4 shows a material blank which can be folded to create a hollow cuboid storage 15 container 1. The dotted line indicates the location of a tear line 4. The letters A - D indicate dimensions that correspond to the upper part 2 (Figures 1 to 3) and letters E - H indicate dimensions that correspond to the lower part 3. Typically A > E, B > F, C > G and D > H in magnitude. This leads to a storage container 1 with slightly tapered sides and a top with a slightly larger surface area than the base. This arrangement facilitates telescopic relative 20 movement between upper part 2 and lower part 3. As the product is reduced in volume through use the upper part 2 can slide over the lower part 3 to reduce the volume of the container 1 (see Figures 2 and 3). Storage containers 1 comprising substantially hollow prisms or prismolds of a variety of cross sections can be used. Alternatively containers 1 without tapered sides can be made from a flexible material which allows the sides of upper part 2 and 25 lower part 3 to flex to facilitate telescopic movement between them.

Referring to figure 4, the following is an example of the dimensions which can be used: A = 82min, B = 202nun, C = 82mm, D = 202nim, E = 80mm, F = 20Omm, G = 80mm, H = 20Omm. and 1 = 30Omm.

The storage container 1 can also include locking formations (not shown). These can be used to prevent relative movement between upper part 2 and lower part 3. The formations may be arranged such that they facilitate telescopic collapsable movement but do not allow facilitate telescopic extensible movement. Alternatively the locking formations may be 35 arranged to prevent any relative telescopic movement between the upper part 2 and the lower 5 part 3 when in engagement and allow bi-directional telescopic movement when in disengagement. This feature overcomes the Problem of the lower part 3 disassociating itself from the upper part 2 if the container I is lifted up by the upper part 2 without adequate support for the lower part 3.

10 The storage container I also typically includes an inner product receptacle (not shown). This can take the form of, but is not restricted to, a bag, a wrapper or lining, the choice of which will largely be dependent upon the type of product being stored. For example, a plastic wrapper may be used for food products. The receptacle can be arranged so as to give an air tight seal to keep edible products fresh. The receptacle may be arranged to be either a 15 partial or total enclosure and can be arranged to be uncompromised by the separation process at tear line 4. It should be noted that this is not an essential feature of the current invention as some products may not require an inner product receptacle.

Also, the container can require removal of one part from the other so as to allow access 20 to, or dispensing of, the product. Alternatively, or in addition, the container or at least one part thereof, can include an opening, formed for example by flap portions through which the product can be dispensed and / or accessed. As an example with reference to Figure 1, the upper end of the container which would, for example, comprise a cardboard breakfast cereal, would be formed with a conventional opening arrangement.

It should of course be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments. For example, it will be appreciated by a skilled man in the art that the current invention could be easily inverted such that the lower part 3 slides over the upper part 2. Also, Figures I to 3 shows an embodiment consisting of I tear line 4 and two parts 2, 30 3 but it is to be understood that a plurality of tear lines 4 can be used to generate a storage container I with a plurality of parts. The current invention is not limited to storage containers of particular shape or dimension. Also, any means for achieving a releasably secured unitary structure, such as for example by means of two at least temporarily adhered parts, is contemplated by the present invention.

Claims

Claims

A storage container comprising at least a first part and a second part, the two parts being releasably secured at a region of weakness to form a unitary structure and so that, upon separation, the two parts can perform telescopic movement with respect to each other such that as the contents of the container are reduced in volume the volume of the container itself can be reduced.
2. A storage container according to claim I wherein the unitary construction is made from a single piece of sheet material.
3. A storage container according to claim I wherein the unitary construction comprises a plurality of parts bonded together.
4. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims comprising engagement formations arranged to prevent releative movement of the plurality of parts in at least one direction.
5. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims wherein the dimensions of the container unit are so as to assist with the telescopic movement with respect to each other.
6. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims arranged to be substantially prismatic comprising an internal hollow section.
7. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims arranged to be substantially prismoidal comprising an internal hollow section.
8. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims comprising at least one tapered edge.
9. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims comprising at least one tapered side.
10. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims comprising a regular cross- section.
11. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims comprising an irregular cross-section.
12. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims wherein the region of weakness runs circumferentially around at least a portion of the container.
13. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims wherein the region of weakness runs circumferentially completely around the container.
14. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims comprising one tear line.
15. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims comprising an internal receptacle.
16. A storage container according to claim 15 wherein the integrity of the internal receptacle is not compromised when the container is separated into a plurality of parts at the region of weakness.
17. A storage container according to claim 15 or claim 16 wherein the internal receptacle is attached to the storage container structure.
18. A storage container according to claim 15 or claim 16 wherein the internal receptacle is a separate enclosure.
19. A storage container according to anyone of claims 15 to 18 wherein the internal receptacle is made from a plastics material.
20. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims made from a flexible material to facilitate bowing of the container structure.
21. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the region of weakness is formed at a region where the two parts are releasably adhered together.
22. A storage container according to any one of claims I to 20, wherein the region of weakness comprises a line of weakness.
23. A storage container according to claim 22 wherein the line of weakness comprises any one of, or any combination of, a tear line, a simple perforation, a compound perforation, chord embedded in the container material, a chord attached to the container material, hidden film, score lines, folds, slits or cuts in the container material.
A blank for forming a storage container and having a line of weakness formed therein, the line of weakness serving to separate the blank into portions each of which is arranged to form respective parts of the container which, once separated at the line of weakness, can perform relative telescopic movement.
25. A blank as claimed in claim 24 and arranged for forming a container as claimed in any one of claims I to 23.
26. A storage container substantially as hereiribefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings.
27. A blank for forming a storage container hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.