NZ248134A

NZ248134A - Collapsible container formed from rectangular walls, each having a diagonal fold line extending in a common direction, joined to a base

Info

Publication number: NZ248134A
Application number: NZ248134A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Peter John Martin
Original assignee: Peter John Martin
Priority date: 1993-07-13
Filing date: 1993-07-13
Publication date: 1995-12-21
Also published as: WO1996034804A1

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> 24 8 13 4 Patents Form No. 5 Our Ref: JP500300 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 Complete After Provisional No. 248134 Filed: 13 July 1993 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO PACKAGING Ir PETER JOHN MARTIN, a citizen of New Zealand of 9a Boundary Road, Papakura, New Zealand, hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: PT0592167 - 1 - (followed by page la) 1 2 A 8 13 4 - la - The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to packaging and more particularly, but not exclusively, to containers for foods or beverages. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the packaging industry that while the present invention may find particular use as a food or beverage container it could find application in other uses unconnected with food or beverages. For example, the jq packaging could be used to hold paint or 2 pot mixes. To the present time difficulties have occurred with the storage of packaged materials and more particularly in the packaging of products in a dehydrated form where it is 15 advantageous to rehydrate the dehydrated product within the containing means. 20 35 What currently occurs is that the dehydrated matter has to be mixed with the required liquid content in a separate container or else the container has to be of sufficient volume to hold the additional liquid required for rehydration. Such packaging is either inconvenient in that it requires further containers to be used, or 25 alternatively is of such a volume that it takes up valuable storage space. Another problem resides in the storage of dry foods such as biscuits, coffee, flour etc when opening and removal of some of the contents leaves the remainder exposed to the on air. Moreover the same applies with paint. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a packaging means which overcomes or at least reduces the abovementioned disadvantages of packaging at the present time, or which at least provides the public with a useful choice^^1 20 September 1995/8423CS.995/gg 248 134 -2- According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a collapsible container comprising; at least one collapsible section having a predetermined number of orthogonally shaped collapsible walls joined at common edges so as to form an 5 enclosure, each of said collapsible walls having a fold line extending in a common direction from a bottom corner on a bottom edge thereof to a diagonally opposite top corner on a top edge thereof, and a base section connected to the bottom edges of said collapsible walls to provide a barrier at a base end of said enclosure. 10 Preferably the base section comprises a non-collapsible section having a number of orthogonally shaped walls, being the same number as number of collapsible walls of said at least one collapsible section, joined at opposite edges so as to form a common enclosure with said enclosure, with a planar member which provides a barrier at the base end to said common enclosure. 15 Preferably at least one collapsible section is provided between two other sections. Preferably said predetermined number of walls is four. 20 Preferably the collapsible walls of said at least one collapsible sections are square shaped. Preferably the collapsible container is further provided with a cover member for providing a barrier at an end of said enclosure opposite to said base end. 25 Preferably said collapsible section has square shaped walls provided between two other sections, with the square shaped walls folded so as to lie substantially flat and provide a barrier between respective enclosures formed by said two other sections. 30 In a further aspect the invention consists in a method of producing the collapsible container of any one of the preceding paragraphs from a sheet of material, comprising at least the steps of; forming on said sheet material first parallel fold lines defining the top and bottom edges 35 of the collapsible walls of said collapsible section, 20 September 1995/8423CS.995/cg \ 25 SEP 1995 -3- 248134 forming orthogonal to said first parallel fold lines, second parallel fold lines defining the common side edges of said collapsible walls, thereby defining collapsible walls of said collapsible section, 5 forming on each of said collapsible walls diagonal fold lines extending in a common direction from a bottom corner on a bottom edge to a diagonally opposite top corner on a top edge, and 10 folding said collapsible walls about their common edges so as to form an enclosure, with the two outer side edges of said collapsible walls joined. One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- 15 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a packaging construction utilising the collapsing panels according to one possible embodiment of the invention, Figure 2(a) is a perspective view of an elongated packaging construction 20 according to another possible embodiment of the invention, Figure 2(b) is a perspective view of the collapsed packaging construction of figure 2(a), 25 Figure 3 is a plan view of a disassembled packaging means as shown in figures 1,2(a) and 2(b), Figure 4 is a perspective view of a partially collapsed packaging means, 30 Figures 5(a), (b), (c), and (d) are respective side elevation, plan view on the lines a - a of (a), perspective view, and plan view along the lines b - b of (c). Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings. 5 & > J H • =r. - 35 °«\ ■ ■ ^ <■ - '4 \ 2 5 SEP 1995 20 September 1995/8423CS.995/ga "3. v .V.' J; f V 7 -4- 2 4 8 13 4> The packaging structure in figure 1, comprises a container of a substantially stiff material such as suitable surfaced paper board, cardboard, plastic or the like. The packaging structure 1 defines a chamber and may be formed by any suitable technique. The packaging structure 1 in figure 1 is a hollow box-like structure having a top 2. On the top 2 is a closure portion (not shown). A base 3 and four side portions 4 are arranged orthogonally to each other. Each side portion 4 is provided with a substantially diagonal fold line 5. 10 Each diagonal fold line 5 extends from a bottom corner to a diagonally opposite top corner. The fold lines 5 are inclined in a common direction on each side portion 4. To collapse the packaging structure 1, pressure is applied in a lateral twisting motion across the side portions 4, as shown by direction 6. The force follows the lateral j j direction of the diagonal fold line 5 from the angle of the diagonal fold line 5 at the base of the side portions 4 to the top of the side portion 4. This twisting motion cause the container to collapse in a substantially corkscrew motion along a longitudinal axis, the side portions 4 collapsing inwardly along the line of the diagonal fold lines 5. Figure 2a shows an extended packaging structure 10 comprising three box like 70 structures on top of each other, the top surface 2 of packaging 7, the base portion 3 of packaging 8, the top portion 2 of packaging 8 and the base portion 3 of packaging 9 have been removed to provide an elongated hollow container between the base 3 of packaging 7 and the top 2 of packaging 9. Each of the three box-like packaging structures are independently collapsible by twisting laterally along a longitudinal axis 25 by reference to the diagonal fold line 5, as discussed above. It will be appreciated that in use one of the box like structures 7, 8 or 9 may contain a dehydrated product whilst one or both the others may be in a collapsed state. The packaging structure may then be extended by applying lateral pressure to the collapsed portions 7, 8 or 9, the direction of pressure following the lateral direction of the ^ diagonal fold line 5 from the angle of said diagonal fold line 5 at the bottom of a side portion to the angle of the diagonal fold line 5 at the top of the side portion. A suitable liquid may then be added to the extended packaging structure 10. It will be further appreciated that the packaging structure 10 may be stored in a 35 collapsed or partially collapsed state as shown in figure 2b, thereby t 5 20 September 1995/8423CS.995/flg storage space. 2 A 8 13 4 5- It will be further appreciated that the packaging structure 10 may be utilised for the purposes of storage of dry foods where the extended packaging structure can be progressively collapsed as the dry goods (eg milo, custard powder, milk powder, coffee, 5 tea, soup, gravy powder, biscuits) are used up. This would decrease the volume of air around the goods and hence help maintain their freshness. Figure 3 shows the disassembled packaging structure in which the diagonal fold lines 5 are creased inwardly from the exterior surface of the packaging structure and the 10 horizontal 3 and vertical 4 creases the creased outwardly from the interior surface of the packaging structure. In figure 4 the partially collapsed container of figure 2 is seen in which the middle box-like portion 8 has been collapsed forming a base portion to packaging means 9 and 15 a top portion to packaging means 7. Of course, it will be appreciated that any one or two of the box-like portions could be collapsed whilst the other one (or two) remain extended. This enables the container to be decreased in volume as the product inside it is used up, 20 thus retaining freshness. Also the product may be individually packaged in portions, separated by a number of collapsed segments. Two or more parts of a package may be separated by a collapsed segment. Different products may be packaged in the separated segments. Upon opening up the collapsed segment (or segments) the barrier between the products may be mixed. An example of two products would be two packs of epoxy 25 paints. Figure 5(a) shows a side elevation view of two box-like structures. Figure 5(b) shows an internal plan view along the lines a - a where the lower box-like structure has been fully collapsed and where 3a represents the point of intersection of a side portion 4 of 30 one box-like structure with a side portion 4 of an adjacent box-like structure. Diagonal fold lines 5 are indicated in the collapsed state. The edge 4a of each side portion is shown in figure 5(a) as the packaging structure is in a process of collapse. The diagonal fold lines 5 of each box-like portion come together and intersect as the packaging structure collapses. Figure 5(d) shows a plan view of a partially collapsed box-like 35 structure where top edges 2 are shown substantially 45° to the position^;^^^u41y^ijf extended and at a midway position between the collapsed and extendeds'tate. f/v/ 2 5 SEP 1995 ™, 20 September 1995/8423CS.99S/gg ^ ~ - O/jf 2^8 134 -6- Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to specific containers or integers of the invention having equivalents, such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. 5 Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention. 10 For example, although the invention has been described by reference to a particular shaped container, the container may be in other forms, such as cylindrical or polygonal. Also the container may be made of any suitable material such as cardboard, plastics or metals. 15 The container according to the invention may be used for shipment of goods. The container could be collapsed and reused/recycled. The invention provides a packaging structure which may be used in many situations. It may be used to package dehydrated foods or drink such as dehydrated fruit drink, 20 coffee, milk powder, soup to which water may be added for reconstitution. The reconstituted food or drink can then be used directly from the reconstituted packaging structure. However, it will be appreciated that its use is not limited to such situations. 25 30 35 20 September 1995/8423CS.995/gg </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> 248 134 -7- WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A collapsible container comprising; at least one collapsible section having a 5 predetermined number of orthogonally shaped collapsible walls joined at common edges so as to form an enclosure, each of said collapsible walls having a fold line extending in a common direction from a bottom corner on a bottom edge thereof to a diagonally opposite top corner on a top edge thereof, and a base section connected to the bottom edges of said collapsible walls to provide a barrier at a base end of said 10 enclosure.

2. A collapsible container according to claim 1, wherein said base section comprises a non-collapsible section having a number of orthogonally shaped walls, being the same number as number of collapsible walls of said at least one collapsible 15 section, joined at opposite edges so as to form a common enclosure with said enclosure, with a planar member which provides a barrier at the base end to said common enclosure.

3. A collapsible container as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 2, wherein at 20 least one collapsible section is provided between two other sections.

4. A collapsible container according to any one of claims 1 through 3, wherein said predetermined number of walls is four. 25

5. A collapsible container according to any one of claims 1 through 4, wherein the collapsible walls of said at least one collapsible sections are square shaped.

6. A collapsible container according to any one of claims 1 through 5, further provided with a cover member for providing a barrier at an end of said enclosure 30 opposite to said base end.

7. A collapsible container according to claim 6 when dependent from claim 5, wherein said collapsible section having square shaped walls is provided between two other sections, with the square shaped walls folded so as to lie substantially flat and 35 provide a barrier between respective enclosures formed by said 20 September 1995/8423CS.995/gg 248 13 -8-

8. A method of producing the collapsible container of any one of claims 1 through 5 from a sheet of material, comprising at least the steps of; 5 forming on said sheet material first parallel fold lines defining the top and bottom edges of the collapsible walls of said collapsible section, forming orthogonal to said first parallel fold lines, second parallel fold lines defining the common side edges of said collapsible walls, thereby defining collapsible walls of 10 said collapsible section, forming on each of said collapsible walls diagonal fold lines extending in a common direction from a bottom corner on a bottom edge to a diagonally opposite top corner on a top edge, and 15 folding said collapsible walls about their common edges so as to form an enclosure, with the two outer side edges of said collapsible walls joined.

9. A collapsible container substantially as described herein with reference to the 20 accompanying drawings.

10. A method of producing a collapsible container substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. 25 30 35 James W Piper & Co Attorneys For; Peter John Martin 20 September 1995/8423CS.995/gg ,'V ft <*■;./ ^ «*\ 111 - 2 5 SEP 1995 E ^ </div>