WO2007094025A1

WO2007094025A1 - Variable volume container

Info

Publication number: WO2007094025A1
Application number: PCT/IT2007/000098
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alessandro Petrillo
Original assignee: Alessandro Petrillo
Priority date: 2006-02-15
Filing date: 2007-02-14
Publication date: 2007-08-23
Also published as: ITRM20060073A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a variable volume container (1) characterised in that it is comprised of a vessel (2) comprising sliding guides (4), realised on one or more lateral walls; a cover (2J), that is placed above said vessel (2); an intermediate element (3) between said vessel (2) and said cover (2); said intermediate element (3) comprising lateral walls (3J) that can be coupled with said sliding guides (4) so as to be in an inserted position, wherein said lateral walls (3') are at least partially juxtaposed to the perimeter lateral surface of said vessel (2), and one or more extracted intermediate positions; and locking means (5, 6, 7) for fixing each other said vessel (2) and said intermediate element (3) in said one or more extracted intermediate positions; in each one of said one or more extracted intermediate positions being defined a different volume within said container (1).

Description

VARIABLE VOLUME CONTAINER

The present invention relates to a variable volume container. More specifically, the invention concerns a container the volume of which can be modified, so as to conform as more as possible to the contents.

As it is well known, a high number of containers exists for transportation and packaging of different products. Particularly, said containers are used for rationalising and organising loads within trucks holds and within containers. It is known that main problem in transportation field is that of exploiting as more as possible space within rooms for goods.

To this end, containers are usually realised with a parallelepipedal shape. In this way, it is possible stacking them saving a lot of useful space, with respect to other alternative shapes. However, hardly ever containers are completely full. In other words, often occur loading containers only partially filled in, with the need of having a loading room containing all of them. Particularly refer to transportation and shipment of products such as metallic findings, post letters, documents, money, and so on. Transporting not full containers creates problems as far as organisation, delivering and costs are concerned. In fact, space wasted for partially full containers could be used for shipping further goods within the same container or room, remarkably improving the whole efficiency.

For some kind of products, in order to reduce the space waste, it is possible using bags instead of boxes. However, said bags creates problems with:

. hygiene: often mites and flies are present; protection of products: it is not possible packaging and transporting fragile products. Therefore, said solution can be used only for a limited kind of products.

In view of the above, it is object of the present invention that of providing a container the volume of which can be varied, so as to conform to the dimensions of its contents. It is therefore specific object of the present invention a variable volume container characterised in that it is comprised of a vessel comprising sliding guides, realised on one or more lateral walls; a cover, that is placed above said vessel; an intermediate element between said vessel and said cover; said intermediate element comprising lateral walls that can be coupled with said sliding guides so as to be in an inserted position, wherein said lateral walls are at least partially juxtaposed to the perimeter lateral surface of said vessel, and one or more extracted intermediate positions; and locking means for fixing each other said vessel and said intermediate element in said one or more extracted intermediate positions; in each one of said one or more extracted intermediate positions being defined a different volume within said container.

Always according to the invention, coupling between said vessel and said intermediate element can be of the telescopic kind.

Still according to the invention, said sliding guides can be placed on two walls faced with respect to said vessel.

Furthermore, according to the invention, said locking means can provide one or more projections on said sliding guides, in correspondence of each one of said projections being obtained a narrowing of said sliding guides and a cavity; and in that it further comprises further projections, on said lateral walls of said intermediate element, said further projections being in said cavities after the forced passage within said narrowing. Advantageously according to the invention, said projections can be at the lower ends of said walls.

Preferably, according to the invention, said vessel can be comprised of elastically deformable material, such as plastics.

Always according to the invention, said container can comprise means for fixing the position of said recipient with respect to said intermediate element, e.g. screws provided in such a way to compress the walls of said intermediate element against said sliding guides.

Still according to the invention, said container can have a parallelepipedal shape. The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows a first section lateral view of the variable volume container; and figure 2 shows a second lateral view of container of figure 1.

Making reference to both the enclosed figures, it is possible observing container 1 according to the invention. In this embodiment, said container 1 is comprised of a vessel 2, an intermediate element 3 and an upper cover 2'.

Vessel 2 and intermediate element 3 are slindingly coupled each other, particularly are coupled telescopically. Vessel 2 has guides 4 on at least two lateral walls, in which slides the corresponding lateral walls 3' of said intermediate element 3.

Said guides 4 have projections 5 at the top, creating narrowings and cavities 6.

Intermediate element 3 is provided with further projections 7 at the lower ends of said lateral walls 3', that can be introduced within said cavity 6 when said intermediate element 3 is extracted from said guides 4.

Vessel 2 is comprised of shape memory deformable material, such as plastics.

Container 1of the present embodiment can take two different conditions, with a different internal volume.

Particularly, when the intermediate element 3 is inserted within the vessel 2, projections 7 are in the lower part of guide 4 and volume V of container 1 is V.

While filling container 1 , if volume V is not sufficient, it is possible lifting intermediate element 3, acting on upper projections 3" of walls 3'. Said walls 3' slide within guide 4, along with projections 7. The latter pass through the narrowings, overlapping to projections 5, forcing the path and positioning within said cavities 6.

Thanks to introduction of projections 7 within said cavities 6, intermediate element 3 remains fixed in a raised position, and total volume V of said container 1 is now equal to V + V".

In order to positioning again walls 3' within the guide 4, it is necessary applying a suitable force in order to permit the outlet of said projections 7 from said cavities 6. Said container 1 can be stacked. Preferred embodiment is that of a parallelepiped, permitting occupying little space.

Within said guide 4 it is possible placing a plurality of adjacent projections 5 and cavities 6, so that said intermediate element 3 and said vessel 2 can take different positions, thus permitting different volume measures of the inner space.

Variable volume container 1 according to the invention can be provided with means for fixing the position of said vessel 2 with respect to said intermediate element 3, e.g. screws. Said screws exert a pressure between inner walls of guide 4 and walls 3' of said intermediate element 3.

Thus, in case a heavy weight acts on cover 2', it is possible preventing an accidental introduction of intermediate element 3within said vessel 2, thus limiting the risk of breaking the objects therein.

On the basis of the above description, it can be observed that basic advantage of the present invention is that of permitting variation of inner volume of a container, permitting a remarkable saving of occupied volume, in case said contained is partially filled in. The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

1. Variable volume container (1) characterised in that it is comprised of: - a vessel (2) comprising sliding guides (4), realised on one or more lateral walls;

- a cover (2'), that is placed above said vessel (2);

- an intermediate element (3) between said vessel (2) and said cover (2); said intermediate element (3) comprising lateral walls (3') that can be coupled with said sliding guides (4) so as to be in an inserted position, wherein said lateral walls (3') are at least partially juxtaposed to the perimeter lateral surface of said vessel (2), and one or more extracted intermediate positions; and

- locking means (5, 6, 7) for fixing each other said vessel (2) and said intermediate element (3) in said one or more extracted intermediate positions;

- in each one of said one or more extracted intermediate positions being defined a different volume within said container (1).

2. Container (1) according to claim 1 , characterised in that coupling between said vessel (2) and said intermediate element (3) is of the telescopic kind.

3. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said sliding guides (4) are placed on two walls faced with respect to said vessel (2).

4. Container (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that said locking means provide one or more projections (5) on said sliding guides (4), in correspondence of each one of said projections (5) being obtained a narrowing of said sliding guides (4) and a cavity (6); and in that it further comprises further projections (7), on said lateral walls (3') of said intermediate element (3), said further projections (7) being in said cavities (6) after the forced passage within said narrowing.

5. Container (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that said projections (7) are at the lower ends of said walls (3').

6. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said vessel (2) is comprised of elastically deformable material, such as plastics.

7. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises means for fixing the position of said recipient (2) with respect to said intermediate element (3).

8. Container (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that, said fixing means are comprised of screws provided in such a way to compress the walls (3') of said intermediate element (3) against said sliding guides

(4).

9. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it has a parallelepipedal shape.

10. Container (1) according to each one of the preceding claims, substantially as illustrated and described.