GB2434137A

GB2434137A - Collapsible container suitable for liquids, gels and pastes

Info

Publication number: GB2434137A
Application number: GB0600664A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Richard Howe
Original assignee: HOWE HOMES Ltd
Current assignee: HOWE HOMES Ltd
Priority date: 2006-01-13
Filing date: 2006-01-13
Publication date: 2007-07-18
Also published as: GB0600664D0

Abstract

A collapsible container for storing and dispensing liquids, gels or pastes comprises a hollow tubular, suitably cylindrical, body (10) for containing the liquid, gel or paste and having a deformable wall formed with a continuous thread (11) therein or thereon such that collapsing of the thread upon itself reduces the length of the body. A receiver (12) in the form of a hollow member open at one end has an internally threaded portion (13) adjacent to the open end engage-able with the thread on the body. Rotation of the receiver (12) around the body urges the end of the body into the receiver causing the portion of the body within the receiver to collapse. The body (10) has at one end thereof an outlet (15) through which the liquid, gel or paste is urged as the body is collapsed. In preferred embodiments the internally threaded portion of the receiver decreases continuously in pitch away from the open end and the body comprise an inner flexible bag for holding the liquid, gel or paste.

Description

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER SUITABLE FOR FOODS OR BEVERAGES

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a collapsible container suitable for storing and dispensing liquids, gels or pastes, for example food or beverages.

Background to the Invention

Collapsible containers of various types are well-known, generally falling into two types: those which can be collapsed simply to expel excess air after removal of part of the contents, so as to avoid damage to the remaining con-tents by exposure to air; and those which require collapsing of the container to expel the contents. An example of the former category is the concertina-form plastics bottle used to store photographic chemicals, typically formed of a resil- ient plastics material, and requiring care to collapse down the bottle until the liquid contents just reach the neck portion and then application of the screw lid in this state. Another example is the use of an inner plastics bag in a rigid outer container, so that as the contents are withdrawn from the bag, it naturally col-lapses, so preventing the ingress of air. An example of this type is the wine box. The latter category is represented by the plastics or metal toothpaste tube, where the tube is squeezed to expel the contents.

While squeezable tubes are suitable for small volumes of pasty or gel material, such as toothpaste, mayonnaise, or glue, when larger volumes are to be dispensed, the tube becomes impractical, and squeezable plastics bottles may then be employed. However, a disadvantage with such bottles is that, if the contents are viscous or otherwise not free-flowing, it can become difficult to expel all the contents, and in attempting to do so, the shape of the bottle be-comes severely distorted, which can prevent the bottle from standing correctly when not in use.

An alternative approach is to incorporate a pump mechanism to permit the liquid etc to be pumped out of the container, for example by pressing down on a dispensing spout. While such pumps can be satisfactory for larger con-tainers, they are expensive to manufacture, and do not prevent ingress of air as the contents of the container are gradually expelled, thus rendering them un-suitable generally for use with foodstuffs.

The present invention seeks to overcome the difficulties of the existing containers.

Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there is provided a collapsible container for storing and dispensing liquids, gels or pastes, comprising a hollow closed tubu-lar body for containing the liquid, gel or paste and having a deformable wall formed with a continuous thread therein or thereon such that collapsing of the thread upon itself reduces the length of the body, and a receiver in the form of a hollow member open at one end and having an internally threaded portion adja-cent the open end engageable with the thread on the body, whereby rotation of the receiver relative to the body urges the end of the body into the receiver causing the portion of the body within the receiver to collapse, the body having at one end thereof an outlet through which the liquid, gel or paste is urged as the body is collapsed.

While the container of the invention may have a single receiver, for ex-ample at the end thereof remote from the outlet, in one embodiment a receiver is provided at each end of the body, rotation of the receivers in opposite direc-tions serving to compress the container with less effort.

The container will conveniently be circular in cross-section, but it could alternatively be square or rectangular, or indeed other shapes, the thread being provided at the intersections between adjacent sides, or on an internal core, in which case the receiver will require a corresponding internal member with an external to engage the threaded core of the container instead of an internal thread on the surrounding structure.

For larger containers, the receiver may be driven by an electric motor, a ratchet drive, screw drive or a hydraulic drive.

The threaded portion of the or each receiver may have a constant pitch or the pitch may decrease continuously in a direction away from the open end of the receiver.

The body may be formed from any flexible, foldable material, but plastics materials or metal, for example thin aluminium alloy, will typically be used.

The outlet may comprise a valve operative selectively to open or close the outlet. For example, the valve may comprise a rotatable spout which, when projecting from the end of the container allows material to pass through it, but when rotated down against the end of the container blocks the outlet. Such ro-tatable spouts are employed, for example, in washing up liquid bottles.

In an alternative embodiment, the body contains an inner flexible imper- meable bag which holds the liquid, gel or paste. The bag collapses as the con-tainer is collapsed. When the contents of the bag have been dispensed, it can be removed from the container, leaving it clean for recycling purposes. Alterna-tively, where the body is formed of a resiliently deformable material, it can be restored to its original shape simply by rotating the or each receiver in the op-posite direction, thereby permitting a fresh bag of the liquid etc to be inserted.

The or each receiver is preferably formed from a plastics material, for example by injection moulding. This may be a rigid plastics, or it may have a degree of flexibility to assist in expelling the last parts of the contents. A prod-uct identification may be embossed on or indented or engraved in a surface of the receiver, whereby the contents may be identified by touch as well as sight.

The product identification may comprises Braille.

The container of the invention is simple to operate, and has the advan-tage that, where the container is not to be re-used, but discarded or recycled, it is substantially reduced in volume when emptied of its contents, thereby avoid-ing the need to crush the container before putting it into the waste or recycling bin.

The collapsible container of the invention may be used with a range of different liquids, gels and pastes, for example sauces, non-effervescent bever-ages, and tomato puree. Its use, however, is not limited to edible materials.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention: Figure 1 is a part-sectional elevation of a container, partly collapsed, ac-cording to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a corresponding view of a container according to an alterna-tive embodiment; Figures 3 and 4 are part-sectional views of a further embodiment of the invention, respectively uncollapsed and partially collapsed; and Figure 5 is a part-sectional view corresponding to Figures 3 and 4, but showing a modified form of receiver.

Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiments Referring first to Figure 1, a first embodiment of the invention comprises a container body 1 of a resilient deformable plastics material shaped with a con-tinuous screw thread 2 structured so that the body can collapse in concertina fashion. An outlet nozzle valve 3 is mounted in one end of the body 1. The valve 3 is suitably of the rotatable type where the valve is closed when the noz-zle lies parallel to the end of the body, as illustrated in Figure 1, and is opened when the nozzle is rotated to extend outwardly from the end of the body, as il-lustrated in Figure 2. A receiver 4 in the form of a hollow cylinder, closed at one end 4a, has an internal screw-thread 5 adjacent to the open end 4b thereof en-gageable with the thread on the body. The thread 5 has a pitch which reduces progressively away from the open end 4b. Between the thread 5 and the closed end 4a of the receiver, a space is provided into which the body is compressed, in use. As the receiver 4 is rotated around the body the body is compressed by the reducing pitch of the thread so that the compressed portion emerges from the thread to be stored within the receiver. The reduction in length of the body causes the contents to be urged out of the nozzle valve 3.

In the alternative arrangement shown in Figure 2, a second receiver 6 is provided, on the opposite end to the first. The second receiver has an opening 7 in the end thereof through which the nozzle valve 3 can extend, but in other respects is the same as the first. The two receivers are rotated in opposite di-rections to compress the body at both ends thereof.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, an alternative embodiment of the in-vention provides a container having a body 10 formed of a resilient plastics ma- terial and having an external rib 11 therearound, in the form of a continuous spi- ral extending from one end of the body to the other. One end of the body is en-gaged in a receiver 12 in the form of a hollow cylinder closed at one end 12a thereof. A internal thread portion 13 has a groove 14 therein corresponding to the rib 11 on the body, and is engageable therewith. As the receiver 12 is ro-tated manually relative to the body, the end of the body is compressed against the closed end wall 12a of the receiver, causing the portions of the body wall between the turns of the rib to collapse and fold inwardly, as shown in Figure 4.

Because the body is constrained by the receiver during this process, the col- lapsing and folding can only be directed inwardly of the container. This is con-tinued until substantially the whole of the body is contained in a collapsed state within the receiver. The free end of the body is provided with an outlet 15, which may be externally threaded and provided with a screw closure in conven-tional manner. As the body is compressed into the receiver, the contents of the body are expelled through the outlet.

In either of the main embodiments, it may be desirable to provide some flexibility in the end walls of the container, and to shape the end wall of the re-ceiver to provide a central, inwardly directed raised portion to ensure that the maximum amount of the contents is expelled. This configuration is illustrated by Figure 5, showing a modification to the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, al- though it will be appreciated that the modification is applicable to other em-bodiments of the invention. The receiver 12 has an internal raised portion 16 which forces the collapsed portion 17 of the container 10 to occupy the annular space around it, thereby ensuring that the residual volume within the container after full collapse is kept to a minimum. Where a receiver is used at each end of the container, each may be modified in this way, although the upper receiver will still have to allow for the passage through of the outlet. To facilitate collaps-ing in this way, it may be desirable to provide a reinforcing disc 18 within the container.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A collapsible container for storing and dispensing liquids, gels or pastes, comprising a hollow closed tubular body for containing the liquid, gel or paste and having a deformable wall formed with a continuous thread therein or thereon such that collapsing of the thread upon itself reduces the length of the body, and a receiver in the form of a hollow member open at one end and hav-ing an internally threaded portion adjacent the open end engageable with the thread on the body, whereby rotation of the receiver relative to the body urges the end of the body into the receiver causing the portion of the body within the receiver to collapse, the body having at one end thereof an outlet through which the liquid, gel or paste is urged as the body is collapsed.

2. A collapsible container according to Claim 1, comprising a re-ceiver at each end thereof.

3. A collapsible container according to Claim I or 2, wherein the re-ceiver has a circular cross-section.

4. A collapsible container according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the internally threaded portion of each receiver decreases continuously in pitch away from the open end.

5. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the body is formed from plastics material.

6. A collapsible container according to any of Claims I to 4, wherein the body is formed from metal.

7. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the outlet comprises a valve operative selectively to open or close the outlet.

8. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, compris-ing an inner flexible impermeable bag within the body for holding the liquid, gel or paste.

9 A collapsible container according to Claim 8, wherein the bag is provided with the outlet at one end thereof projecting through an end of the body.

10. A collapsible container according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein the bag is removable and replaceable, and the body is formed of a resiliently deform-able material, whereby it may be restored to its original size by rotation of the receiver or receivers in the opposite direction to that required to collapse the body.

11. A collapsible container according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each receiver is formed from a rigid plastics material.

12. A collapsible container according to Claim 11, wherein a product identification is embossed on or engraved in a surface of the receiver, whereby the contents may be identified by touch as well as sight.

13. A collapsible container according to Claim 12, wherein the product identification comprises Braille.

14. A collapsible container, substantially as described with reference to, and/or as illustrated in, any of the drawings.