JPS62168861A - Foldable vessel, surface thereof is continuously brought near - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention pertains to, but is not limited to, plastic containers for solid, semi-solid and liquid food and beverages. , Government Licensing Criteria for Close and Prolonged Contact with Food and Drinks (gov@
Constructed from plastic approved by the National Medical Authority.

Plastic containers typically undergo a one- or two-step forming process to shape the container.
Blow molding process
For example, a wine bottle manufactured by
It is made of clean plastic in a process step that includes shaping a preform in a first step and blowing the bottle in a second step. Most other containers are extruded parisons (e.g.
xtruded parison) into a bottle (shape of)
It is formed by blow molding.

No. 4,492,313, owned by Assignee, discloses a collapsible soda pop bottle (c
ollapsible 5oda pop bottl
e) is disclosed which substantially reduces the volume of air in the bottle at the same time the contents are used, reducing the wastage of carbon dioxide into the space of the bottle head.

In addition, the invention of the applicant is a collapsible container, bottle (bot).
tle and jars to provide a continuous surface in close proximity to the contents.

More specifically, the contents of the jar or container may be used at the same time as jam, jelly, peanut butter, etc.
(nut butter), roasted peanut butter (pea
nut brHtle) and hard candy (har
The difficulty of removing semi-solid or semi-fluid or solid bulk contents such as candy (candy) is increased.

Applicant's containers disclosed herein are folded into a bellows configuration;
The contents are urged toward the container opening in the top, thereby providing continuous access of the surface of the contents at a level adjacent to the opening. The need for "fish" for the contents in a substantially empty container is eliminated. Applicant's collapsible containers are designed to remain in a "filled" state at all times until substantially completely empty. (full).

Applicant's collapsible or bendable plastic containers have a substantially cylindrical barrel shape.
el) or oval sidewall shape with openings surrounded by a rim at the top.
) or has an aperture.

The mouth can be narrow or wide. In the preferred embodiment illustrated below, the container is in the form of a jar for jam or other semi-solid food products. Attached around or adjacent to the rim are floating sleeves.
and the sleeve surrounds the container and extends downwardly around the upper portion of the unfolded bellows. The bellows sidewall of the container is designed to allow the user to press down on the rim of the container at the same time that the contents of the container are used and the user presses down on the rim of the container.
Into the sleeve with the bottom protruding (bottoa+)
Folded and latched to upN. When this is done, the contents remaining within the container are urged towards the container opening.

In addition to providing a convenient chamber within which the container bellows sidewall is folded, the sleeve provides a surface for printing or holding a label, a convenient gripping surface, and a surface for the bellows to penetrate. To provide an apron that prevents contents from spilling out from the rim of a container. Thereby, the bellows adjacent the rim remains clean of food material outside the container.

The container, shown schematically at 10 in FIGS. 1 and 3, includes a ridged rim 12 surrounding an opening or mouth 14. A cap 16 is shown attached to threaded rim 12. The container 10 has a generally bellows shape.
It is formed with an s-shaped side wall 18. Surrounding the upper portion of the bellows-like sidewall 18 is a floating sleeve.
ve) 20, the sleeve 20 being secured around the container at 22 just below the ridged rim 12;

Sleeve 20 may be secured at 22 by adhesive, by welding, or by other means preferred for the selected plastic material.

The sidewalls of sleeve 20 are generally smooth to provide a favorable surface for labels or printed matter placed on the container. A label may also be placed on the cap 16. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the bellows-like side wall 18 of the container is connected to a sleeve 24 as illustrated at 24.
Extends beyond 0 interior. The bellows preferably extends fully within the sleeve 22, and the length of the sleeve extends toward the middle of the extended vertical height of the container.

Each bellows (bell 26 in the figure)
ow) includes a downwardly and outwardly extending conical section or portion 28 and a downwardly and inwardly extending conical section or portion 30;
The portion 30 is smaller (compared to portion 28) and at a greater angle to the vertical axis of the bottle.

FIG. 2 illustrates the container substantially collapsed to approximately one-half the volume of the expanded container.

The non-bellow portions of the sidewalls interspersed between the bellows, as illustrated in FIG. will reduce it. In use, the bellows are folded one at a time, or two or three at a time, so that the rear surface 3 of the contents
2 to a position adjacent the opening 14 and rim 12 of the container. As shown, the individual bellows 26 are folded such that the short bellows portion 30 tucks under the long bellows portion 28.

The increase in diameter of the container due to the bellows and sleeve 20 does not substantially increase the diameter of the container, as shown in FIG.
3, the bellows are folded and overlap concentrically (o
ver center) or latched
ch) is only required to be large enough to allow the Once latched, the generally cylindrical shape of the container and the rotating surface of the bellows
of revolution configuration
Because the bellows will not extend regardless of whether the cap 16 is placed on the container, the bellows will overlap concentrically to latch (on).
er centering, the inner fold ring 34 is the outer fold ring.
Upon passing momentarily through the radial plane encompassing 35, the short bellows portion 30 is urged to fold.

In addition to the latching or concentrically overlapping action of the container bellows, the cap 16 with its airtight seal to the container prevents expansion of the container due to external atmospheric pressure. A variety of plastilafs can be used for the container. acrylonitrile
), polypropylene,
Polyethylene terephthalate G
netereptalate G) and polyvinyl chloride are preferred, and tests on the latter two have shown that they can be folded multiple times without significant loss of strength. .

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an alternative embodiment of a container, shown schematically at 110. FIG. The bellows sidewall 118, threaded rim 112 and mouth 114 are substantially similar to the embodiment disclosed above, however, the sleeve (in the embodiment) has been omitted;
and a modified cap 116 having an extended skirt 120 is substituted. In this embodiment, the skirt 120 extends over and around the bellows of the sidewall 118, and the bellows is similar to the embodiment described above. folded into the interior of the skirt in a latching manner in the same manner.This embodiment provides a two-piece container that is rather less expensive than the three-piece container (as in the embodiment) described above, but
However, when the container is opened, the bellows is no longer covered by the protective sleeve, thus making the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.5 more practical as a reusable container.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of the novel collapsible container; FIG. 1a is a detail of an alternative configuration of the container side wall; FIG. 3 is a top view of the container; FIG. 4 is an alternative configuration of the novel collapsible container; FIG. and FIG. 5 is a partially cut-away side view of the container of FIG. 4 fully collapsed. 10.110--container, 12.112--rim, 1
4.114--mouth, 16,116...-cap,
18, 118-Bellow-shaped side wall, 20-Floating sleeve, 23-.-Gap, 26-.-Bellows, 28.30-
・-conical part, 34...-inward folding ring, 35
- Outward folding ring. Name of agent Kawahara 1) - Ho FIG, 1 FIG 4

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) comprising a base and a top, the base and the top being joined by an integral substantially cylindrical sidewall, and a mouth at the top of the container, at least a portion of the sidewall being joined by a substantially cylindrical sidewall integral therewith; formed as a plurality of bellows extending thereabout, said bellows including upwardly and downwardly oriented substantially conical sections joined by a folding ring, said folding ring and having at least one of said upwardly and downwardly facing conical sections retaining a substantially fixed diameter and varying from an unfolded position to a folded position; A continuous surface approximation container characterized in that the bellows provide concentric overlapping therebetween, thereby latching engagement of the bellows in the collapsed position. (2) includes a base and a top joined by an integral substantially cylindrical sidewall around which at least a portion of the sidewall extends; configured as a plurality of bellows, said bellows including upwardly and downwardly oriented substantially conical sections joined by folding rings, said folding rings having a substantially fixed diameter; holding and at least one of said upwardly and downwardly facing conical sections changing from an unfolded position to a folded position, the bellows concentrically overlapping while folded; latching the bellows in the collapsed position, including a mouth at the top of the container, the mouth being surrounded by a rim, and including a floating sleeve, the sleeve being connected to the top and the rim. and extending downwardly from the attachment and outside the side wall of the container. (3) the sleeve extends around the sidewall of the container and the sleeve extends a distance sufficient to allow the bellows to change from an unfolded position to a folded position within the sleeve; 3. A container according to claim 2, wherein the container is spaced from the side wall. 4. The container of claim 3, wherein the sleeve extends downwardly a distance sufficient to enclose the bellows-like sidewall in the latched condition. (5) includes a base and a top, the base and the top being joined by an integral, substantially cylindrical sidewall around which at least a portion of the sidewall extends; configured as a plurality of bellows, said bellows including upwardly and downwardly oriented substantially conical sections joined by folding rings, said folding rings having a substantially fixed diameter; holding and at least one of said upwardly and downwardly facing conical sections changing from an unfolded position to a folded position, the bellows concentrically overlapping while folded; a cap attachable to the top of the container, the cap comprising a mouth at the top of the container, the mouth being surrounded by a rim; a skirt extending downwardly around the cap and having a diameter sufficient to wrap around the sidewall bellows of the container without contacting the container when attached to the container; Continuously approaching container characterized in that the length is limited by the folded length of the container.