WO2008017823A1

WO2008017823A1 - Collapsible bottle

Info

Publication number: WO2008017823A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/002984
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Collins
Original assignee: Concentrated Solutions Limited
Priority date: 2006-08-05
Filing date: 2007-08-06
Publication date: 2008-02-14
Also published as: GB2440523B; EP2054308A1; GB2440523A; GB0615582D0

Abstract

The invention provides a collapsible bottle (2) having a base, a side wall and a closure (4) at an upper end thereof and being partially filled with a non-gaseous dispersible substance, the bottle (2) being present in a collapsed form in which a re¬ entrant fold (12) extends up the side wall from the base towards the upper end; the bottle being held in the collapsed form by means of a releasable tie (10) bridging the re-entrant fold (12); and the bottle (2) being capable of being restored to an expanded form upon release of the releasable tie (10) and opening of the closure (4) at the upper end to introduce a diluting liquid into the collapsible bottle.

Description

COLLAPSIBLE BOTTLE

This invention relates to a collapsible container in collapsed form containing a nongaseous dispersible substance such as a liquid concentrate.

Background of the Invention

Various types of collapsible container have been proposed for transporting liquid and solid concentrates and examples include the containers disclosed in US 2863305, US 3805855, US 5114011, US 5609899, GB 2080756, WO 94/15846, JP 8026339 and JP 07330027.

US 5114011 discloses a bottle that has a series of fold lines allowing it to be collapsed in a concertina fashion.

US 5609899 discloses a collapsible canteen with a relatively complex arrangement of gussets and fold lines to allow it to collapse into a flattened and folded configuration.

GB 2080756 discloses another example of a concertina-shaped bottle with multiple fold lines.

WO 94/15846 discloses a container in which the base folds into the upper part of the bottle to give an inverted cup-shaped collapsed form in which a powder mix is contained within a chamber in the cap of the container.

US 2863305 discloses a sachet or wallet containing a concentrate which can be diluted by opening the sachet or wallet and adding water to hydrate the contents.

US 3805855 is another example of a concertina box type container for carrying concentrated acids.

A problem with many of the known forms of container is that they are of relatively complex construction and would therefore be difficult or expensive to produce. Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides an improved collapsible container in the form of a collapsible bottle which has been deformed into a collapsed state by forming a reentrant fold up a side wall of the bottle from the base to a position at or near the top of the bottle. The collapsible bottle is held in the collapsed state by a releasable tie and can revert to its original shape following release of the tie. A dispersible substance is contained within the bottle, the dispersible substance being capable of being diluted by the addition of a liquid to give a solution or suspension of a desired concentration.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a collapsible bottle having a base, a side wall and a closure at an upper end thereof and being partially filled with a non-gaseous dispersible substance, the bottle being present in a collapsed form in which a re-entrant fold extends up the side wall from the base towards the upper end; the bottle being held in the collapsed form by means of a releasable tie bridging the re-entrant fold; and the bottle being capable of being restored to an expanded form upon release of the releasable tie and opening of the closure at the upper end to introduce a diluting liquid into the collapsible bottle.

The releasable tie bridges the re-entrant fold holding the two lobes either side of the fold together, to prevent the bottle from springing back into its expanded form. The releasable tie can take the form of a band surrounding the collapsed bottle, or it can be affixed to the bottle either side of the fold. In one preferred embodiment, the releasable tie is in the form of a label. The label may be provided with a peelable adhesive so that it can be released by peeling away from the bottle. Alternatively, the label can be 'released' simply by tearing or cutting it, and a line of perforations or skip cuts may be provided to assist this process.

The collapsible bottle is deformed into the collapsed form by the creation of a reentrant fold that extends along the side wall from the base towards the upper end of the bottle. The re-entrant fold can be formed by urging a deforming edge or bar against the surface of the bottle, so that the bottle collapses around the deforming edge or bar. The collapsible bottle is capable of being restored to its expanded form upon removal or release of the releasable tie and the introduction of a diluting liquid such as water into the bottle following opening of the closure at the upper end of the bottle.

In one preferred embodiment, the collapsible bottle is formed from a material that is sufficiently resilient to allow the collapsible bottle to revert to an expanded form upon release of the releasable tie and opening of the closure at the upper end to introduce a diluting liquid into the collapsible bottle.

The bottle may be sufficiently resilient that it reverts completely to its expanded (i.e. original) form upon release of the tie and opening of the closure. In this case, the walls of the bottle spring out to their original undeformed state without assistance. Alternatively, upon release of the tie and opening of the closure, the bottle may spring out to a partially expanded form with complete reversion being effected by the introduction of a diluting liquid into the bottle. With some materials such as polylactide, the weight of liquid introduced into the collapsed bottle may provide the necessary force to restore the bottle to its expanded position.

The dispersible substance is a non-gaseous material that can be diluted, dissolved, suspended or otherwise dispersed in a dispersing medium, for example a diluting liquid such as water. As such, the term "dispersible substance" as used herein refers to both liquids and solids. Examples of dispersible substances include liquid concentrates, syrups, gels, powders, granules and other particulate solids. The dispersible substances are typically capable of being dissolved or suspended in water. Air or other gases or mixtures of gases may also be present in the collapsible bottle with the dispersible substance although much of the original gaseous content of the collapsible bottle will be expelled as the bottle is collapsed.

In one particular embodiment of the invention, the dispersible substance is a liquid concentrate, for example a water-miscible or water-soluble liquid concentrate.

In another embodiment, the dispersible substance is a water-soluble powder or other water-soluble particulate solid. The dispersible substance may be present in a free form in the collapsed bottle or it may be contained within a container such as a packet, sachet or capsule(s) that dissolves or disintegrates when liquid (e.g. water) is introduced into the bottle. The dispersible substance may be present in the soluble or disintegratable container in the form of powder or granules, for example.

Where the collapsible bottle contains a liquid concentrate, the volume of liquid concentrate in the collapsed bottle will of necessity be substantially less than the volume of the collapsible bottle in its non-collapsed (expanded) form. Typically, the liquid concentrate is present in a volume corresponding to between 1% and 50% (more typically 2% and 25%) of the volume of the expanded form of the collapsible bottle. For example, the volume of the liquid concentrate can correspond to between 5% and 15%, more typically from 6% to 10%, of the volume of the expanded form of the collapsible bottle.

The collapsible bottle is preferably not only liquid-tight, but is also resistant to permeation by gases, and in particular oxygen. Therefore, for example, the walls of the collapsible bottle can be formed from one or more polymer layers, wherein at least one of the layers acts as an oxygen barrier. Where the walls of the collapsible bottle are formed from a multi-layer polymeric material, the multiple layers can be co-extruded or laminated together. One example of a co-extruded or laminated polymeric material is a multi-layer material formed from ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) and polyamide (PA) layers. It will be appreciated, however, that alternative polymer materials may be used as required, e.g. polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

The collapsible bottle has a sealed closure that can be opened by the customer and a liquid diluent such as water added to dilute or dissolve the dispersible substance (e.g. liquid concentrate) to give a liquid product of the required strength. The sealed closure is preferably one which is capable of being removed and then placed back on the container.

In one embodiment, the sealed closure is a screw cap which is secured to a threaded neck of the bottle. The screw cap may be provided with a gasket or seal formed from a suitable material such as an elastomeric sealing material, in order to render the container liquid-tight and preferably also gas-tight.

In another embodiment, the sealed disclosure is a spray head having a screw collar which is secured to a threaded neck of the bottle.

A wide variety of different dispersible substances may be contained within the sealed collapsible container and examples include solid and liquid compositions containing one or more materials such as surfactants, polymers, minerals, solvents, proteins, alcohols, acids, alkalis, phenols, esters and odours.

In a still further aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacturing a collapsible bottle as hereinbefore defined comprising introducing a non-gaseous dispersible substance into the collapsible bottle, collapsing the bottle by creating a re-entrant fold extending up a side wall of the collapsible bottle from the base to wards the upper end, attaching a releasable tie to the bottle so that it bridges the reentrant fold and prevents the bottle from reverting to an expanded form, and sealing a closure at the upper end of the collapsible bottle.

In one embodiment of the method, the bottle is collapsed by urging a deforming edge or bar against the side wall of the bottle so that the bottle collapses around the deforming edge or bar.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible bottle according to one embodiment of the invention prior to deforming into a collapsed state.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bottle of Figure 1 in its closed collapsed state.

Figure 3 shows a pair of collapsed bottles alongside a non-collapsed bottle and illustrates the stacking of the collapsed bottles.

Figure 4 is another perspective view of the collapsible bottle of Figures 1 to 3. Figure 5 is a perspective view of a collapsible bottle according to a second embodiment of the invention prior to deforming into a collapsed state.

Figure 6 is a side view of the collapsible bottle of Figure 5 prior to collapsing.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the collapsible bottle of Figures 5 and 6 in a collapsed state.

Figure 8 is a side view of the bottle of Figures 5, 6 and 7 in a collapsed state.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will now be illustrated in greater detail, but not limited, by reference to the particular embodiments described below and illustrated in the drawings Figures 1 to 8.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 4, a collapsible bottle according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a bottle 2 formed (e.g. by injection moulding) from a plastics material. The bottle is of generally cylindrical form in its expanded state and has a screw cap 4 and security ring 6 around the neck of the bottle. An adhesive label 8 is attached to the bottle, the adhesive label 8 having a tab portion 10 which, in use, serves as a tie to hold the bottle in a collapsed state.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the bottle in its collapsed state. As can be seen, the side wall of the bottle 2 has a re-entrant fold 12 extending from the base of the bottle up the side wall towards the upper end. The re-entrant fold 12 can be formed using a deforming tool (not shown) which is urged against the side of the bottle so that the bottle wraps itself round the deforming tool to form the re-entrant fold. The tab 10 on the label 8 is then used to hold the two lobes 2a and 2b together in the collapsed form.

After the collapsible bottle has been deformed into its collapsed state, the contents of the bottle can be added and then the screw cap 4 secured to the bottle.

The contents of the bottle typically will be water soluble powders or liquids, e.g. liquid concentrates. Examples include cleaning materials, detergents, and like substances, or soluble powders or liquid concentrates of food or drink products such as fruit juices.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 5 to 8. In this embodiment, the collapsible bottle 102 is similarly provided with a label 108 with a tab 110 used to secure or tie the bottle into its collapsed state. In this embodiment, rather than a simple cap, a trigger dispenser or spray head 114 is provided. The manner in which the bottle is deformed into its collapsed state and then filled are otherwise the same as for the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4.

The collapsible bottle of the invention has a number of significant advantages over other forms of collapsed container. Firstly, the bottle is of very simple construction and requires no special fold lines or areas of weakness in order to facilitate deformation to the collapsed state. Secondly, in its collapsed state, it occupies a much smaller footprint and can therefore be stacked at a greater density than bottles containing a fully diluted product. Thirdly, in the collapsed state, the shape of the collapsed form means that it can be stacked much more tightly than can an array of cylindrical bottles.

It is preferred that the collapsible bottles are made from a plastics material that has a degree of resilience. Consequently, when the tab 10 is torn away or peeled off, and the closure (either the screw cap 104 or the trigger mechanism 114) is removed or opened, and water or another liquid is introduced into the container, the container readily reverts to its original expanded form. In some embodiments, the plastics material from which the bottle is made may be sufficiently resilient so that the bottle reverts to its expanded state merely upon release of the tab 10. In other embodiments, the weight of the water or other liquid introduced into the bottle is required in order to facilitate complete reversion of the bottle to its expanded state.

Equivalents

It will readily be apparent that numerous modifications and alterations may be made to the specific embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the principles underlying the invention. AU such modifications and alterations are intended to be embraced by this application.

Claims

1. A collapsible bottle having a base, a side wall and a closure at an upper end thereof and being partially filled with a non-gaseous dispersible substance, the bottle being present in a collapsed form in which a re-entrant fold extends up the side wall from the base towards the upper end; the bottle being held in the collapsed form by means of a releasable tie bridging the re-entrant fold; and the bottle being capable of being restored to an expanded form upon release of the releasable tie and opening of the closure at the upper end to introduce a diluting liquid into the collapsible bottle.

2. A collapsible bottle according to claim 1 which is formed from a material that is sufficiently resilient to allow the bottle to spring back at least partially towards its expanded form upon release of the releasable tie.

3. A collapsible bottle according to claim 2 wherein the material from which the bottle is formed is sufficiently resilient to allow the bottle to spring back substantially completely to its expanded form upon release of the releasable tie.

4. A collapsible bottle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the releasable tie takes the form of a band surrounding the collapsed bottle.

5. A collapsible bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the releasable tie is affixed to the bottle either side of the fold.

6. A collapsible bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the releasable tie is in the form of a label.

7. A collapsible bottle according to claim 6 wherein the label is provided with a peelable adhesive so that it can be released by peeling away from the bottle.

8. A collapsible bottle according to claim 6 wherein the releasable tie is releasable by tearing or cutting.

9. A collapsible bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the releasable tie has a line of perforations or skip cuts to assist tearing.

10. A collapsible bottle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the dispersible substance is a liquid concentrate, syrup, gel, powder, granular solid or other particulate solid.

11. A collapsible bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the closure at the upper end of the bottle is a screw cap which is secured to a threaded neck of the bottle.

12. A collapsible bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the closure at the upper end of the bottle is a spray head having a screw collar which is secured to a threaded neck of the bottle.

13. A collapsible bottle substantially as described herein with reference to Figures l to 4.

14. A collapsible bottle substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 5 to 8.

15. A method of manufacturing a collapsible bottle as defined in any one of the preceding claims, which method comprises introducing a non-gaseous dispersible substance into the collapsible bottle, collapsing the bottle by creating a re-entrant fold extending up a side wall of the collapsible bottle from the base to wards the upper end, attaching a releasable tie to the bottle so that it bridges the re-entrant fold and prevents the bottle from reverting to an expanded form, and sealing the closure at the upper end of the collapsible bottle.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the bottle is collapsed by urging a deforming edge or bar against the side wall of the bottle so that the bottle collapses around the deforming edge or bar.