WO2021059070A1

WO2021059070A1 - Expandable packaging and packaging container, procedure of its use and procedure for its manufacturing

Info

Publication number: WO2021059070A1
Application number: PCT/IB2020/058447
Authority: WO
Inventors: Miha PUHAR
Original assignee: Puhar Miha
Priority date: 2019-09-27
Filing date: 2020-09-11
Publication date: 2021-04-01
Also published as: SI25660A

Abstract

The present invention concerns an expandable packaging container which comprises a bottom (2), a top (3) and a container side wall (5) wherein said container side wall (5) comprises a folded part (6) consisting of at least one or more flexible stretchable folds. The folds run at an angle from and including 90° to and including 40° with respect to the vertical of the container and are compressed together by folding together in the stage of packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale. The folds stretch in the vertical direction of the container so that the volume of the packaging container is increased.

Description

Expandable packaging and packaging container, procedure of its use and procedure for its manufacturing

BACKGROUND

[0001] Technical field

The present invention relates to the field of packaging that is expandable, and to the field of procedures for its use and its manufacturing.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND REUATED ART

[0002] Description of a technical problem

Packaging for food, pharmaceutical, plant protection and various chemical products, preferably for products, which are packaged in a pre -prepared state, often includes a lot of empty space in the stage of packing and packaging of the product, among others, for example at the time of storage, transportation and delivery on the side of the manufacturer, the seller as well as of the consumer, at the time of distribution, at the time of sale, for example, on sales or exhibition shelves and in the stage of preparation of a food, pharmaceutical, plant protection and/or chemical product for end use or application of the product. This empty space is intended either for addition of another ingredient for the preparation of such a product for end use or only for the purpose of packing or packaging.

Such an empty space in the packaging, for example, most often appears in the packing or packaging of food products, which are consumed by fast preparation of food and which are therefore most preferably in a pre-prepared state and need to be prepared before ingestion, which is most frequently directly from the packaging itself, so that during preparation for ingestion another ingredient is added into this empty space, such as a liquid, most frequently water, juice, milk, sauce, dressing, or other similar liquid or semi-liquid foodstuff, and maybe also a foodstuff in a solid form. Similarly, such an empty space in the packaging is used also in the packing or packaging of pharmaceutical products, plant protection products and some chemical products.

This empty space means additional volume of packaging and product in all life stages of the product and contributes to increased consumption of raw materials and packaging materials, especially for its protective wrapping, for example during storage, transport, distribution and delivery, and thus to higher costs of packing or packaging and especially to higher consumption of space and to higher costs during packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, delivery and sale of products packed or packaged in such a way.

Therefore, the present invention assigns itself a task to solve a technical problem of reducing empty space in packaging and thus to reduce consumption of raw materials and materials in the production of packaging and to reduce consumption of space and thus to contribute to reduction of costs during packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, delivery and sale of packed products, which are, among others, food, pharmaceutical, plant protection, chemical and other similar products.

[0003] Description of the prior art

On the market we have not found a solution of packing or packaging of food products or foodstuffs, pharmaceutical, plant protection, chemical and other similar products, which would enable a reduction of the volume of the packed product during packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, delivery and sale of such packed or packaged products, and at the same time provide sufficient space or volume of packaging for addition of one or more of other ingredients at the time of the preparation of the product for end use. Patent US 8556099, published on December 15, 2011 and granted on October 15, 2013, describes a telescopically expandable or collapsible container or a cup, preferably for drinks, which consists of several horizontal annular segments or rings, which are one bottom cylindrical ring, one or more middle cylindrical rings and one top cylindrical ring, where each segment or ring, which is loaded over the other, is wider than the other segment, which in the collapsed phase of the container fits below the wider segment. Precise fitting and fixing of these segments in the collapsed and in the fully extended phase is achieved by grooves and locking pins on the surface of these segments. The described container is either made of plastic materials, paper, cardboard or of materials that are either durable and for long-lasting use. With such a construction a reduction in the volume of the container is achieved by stacking during storage and transportation, including the user carrying the container in a suit pocket or a bag, as well as during disposal to reduce the volume of waste, and by increasing the volume of the container during use. Preferably, the container is described in dimensions that fit into the holders for glasses and bottles in the vehicles.

Patent US 3131845, published and granted on May 5, 1964, describes receptacles (containers) with an opening, which are in the form of crucibles (cups) with a side wall extending outwards from the bottom of the cup upwards up to the opening. They are intended for single use for drinking of beverages or as containers covered with lids, for storing drinks, ice creams and similar products and are made of synthetic plastic materials, such as e.g. polystyrene. Because such containers are often transported stacked one into another before use, they often get stuck, especially the side walls. This patent describes a construction of a cup with a bottom, which has a protuberance of various shapes in the middle, protruding inwards into the space of the cup, and, if necessary, with added design elements along the protuberance and with a certain angle of inclination of the side wall of the protuberance with respect to the plane of the bottom of the cup, where such a protuberance prevents entrapment of cups. One of the embodiments shows a cup with a horizontally folded side wall with waves or ribs in the part of the upper half of the cup with the purpose of strengthening the cup. Patent US 4492313, published and granted on January 8, 1985, and patent US Re. 32379, published and granted on March 24, 1987, describe collapsible or compressible plastic receptacles (containers), preferably bottles made of very strong flexible plastic, such as e.g. of acrylonitrile and similar plastics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (English: Food and Drug Administration, abbreviation: FDA), which have a bottom, a top with an aperture and a cylindrical side wall, which connects the bottom with the top, where the side wall at least partially consists of a plurality of successively stringed circular folds or fold rings of alternately larger and smaller diameter, which are formed by a wall of lower thickness than the thickness of the side wall, and by conical sections, which comprise alternately shorter sections and longer sections, where the shorter sections have a larger tilt angle and the longer sections a smaller tilt angle with respect to the vertical axis of the container. Furthermore, such a container comprises an additional container, which is attached to the bottom of the compressible container and extends upwards to a certain height of the compressible container with the purpose of keeping the compressible container in the compressed phase and at the same time providing strength to the container. The described container is compressible in the vertical direction up to about 50% of the volume of the container and this due to the compression of the folds together or due to folding of folds. The aim of such a reduction in the volume of the container is primarily to reduce the air space at the top of the container due to the consumption of the drink in the container, which is crucial for carbonated soft drinks, where in a matter of some hours after opening of the container the carbon dioxide dissolved in the drink evaporates from the drink into the air space above it, due to which the drink loses its original taste. Additionally, the compressibility of the container also reduces the storage volume of empty containers before returning to reprocessing. A procedure for manufacturing of such containers is also described, which comprises a two-step procedure for designing of containers and an additional procedure for folding the side wall. In the two-stage procedure, the procedure of injection moulding of a preform of a container in the form of plastic tubes is followed by the procedure of heating the preforms above the temperature of thermal deformation of the plastic and of blowing and stretching of the containers to the final volume in the container mould. After this stretching, the designing of the folds of the side wall is performed before removal of the container from the mould in a way, in which additional air or nitrogen at high- pressure is suddenly blown into the container, which causes the stretched side wall to be pushed into the grooves of the mould, by which the folds of the side wall are formed. Suddenly increased pressure additionally stretches the side wall and thins it, especially over the inner circular ridges of the mould, where folding points or folding sections of the side wall are formed. Due to such folding of the side wall, the container is easily and quickly folded when the liquid is removed from it. The folds of the side wall also enable the container to be bent more to one side than the other, and thus simulating the shape of a tube for easier pouring of liquid into it.

Patent US 3850361, published and granted on November 26, 1974, describes a disposable plastic cup consisting of an inner wall and a ribbed outer wall, wherein the ribs are located in the middle part of the height of the outer wall of the cup, and the inner as well as the outer wall have a stepped shape at the transition from the bottom of the cup into the side wall. Said outer wall ribs and stepped shape are intended to facilitate the gripping of the cups and to prevent the cups from jamming when stacked one into another.

Patent US 3434589, published and granted on March 25, 1969, describes an expandable and at the same time compressible container or receptacle for pharmaceutical tablets, pellets or powder granules, into which water is poured in the expanded state. It is made of resilient plastic material and is intended for carrying in handbags and for single personal use. The described container has a bottom and a removable cap and an annular wall, preferably it is made of polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene or polypropylene film or sheets, which are manufactured by the procedure of injection moulding or vacuum forming, moulding or injection. The container has a circular cross section. Its side wall either stretches or compresses vertically and thus forms accordion-like folds. It is held in a compressed form by an overlying strip. The described container may be without built-in tablets, or it may have in the container cap, namely in its bottom, two recesses with built-in soluble tablets or pellets. Patent Application US 20050258225, published on November 24, 2005, describes a paper cup for single use having a cylindrical shape, a bottom and an opening at the top, and a side wall of a container constructed with vertical zigzag folding for the purpose of thermal insulation of a cup for a safe transfer of the cup, in which a hot or cold content is, liquid or drink, such as e.g. coffee. In the cup, at least one surface is moisture-repellent, either coated with a polyethylene film, preferably the internal for liquid tightness, or also the external. The folds are either rounded or pointed at the crest and the troughs and of equal lengths of the fold limbs. With such a construction, a minimum contact of the user's hand with the cup is achieved, which is only over the crests of the folds of the folded surface of the cup, where air flows between the outer crests and troughs of the folds, which provides additional thermal insulation. A procedure of folding the paper surfaces for manufacturing the cups is also described, wherein a paper material is selected, which is resistant to temperatures up to about 93.3 °C.

Patent application EP 287170, published on October 19, 1988, describes a vertically or axially expandable and compressible receptacle or container or a bottle for storing of a substance, which is contained in such a receptacle (such as e.g. concentrated fruit juices, frozen juice concentrates, partial melts of frozen concentrates, concentrates in the form of dry powder, such as e.g. of teas), in a collapsed receptacle, and then for dilution of the substance in an expanded receptacle. The receptacle is constructed for easier compression and expansion and has one handle at the bottom and one at the top of the receptacle. Crucial here is the folded (pleated) wall of the container with a special shape of the folds, which are rounded or circled with rounded or circular limbs of folds as opposed to similar receptacles from the prior art with folded side walls, constructed from flat-limbed folds. In addition, the folds are shaped so that their diameters are narrowing consecutively upwards or consecutively downwards along the axis or the vertical of the receptacle, and are configured among themselves with sections between the folds, so that in the fully collapsed state of the receptacle, the folds of the smaller diameter fit into the folds of the larger diameter. With such a shape of the folds, a more even distribution of the polymeric material is achieved during formation of the receptacle and greater resistance to vertical forces. The receptacle is of various cross-sectional shapes of the body, preferably of circular. It is made of polyethylene or polypropylene, which enable the storage of such a packaged product in refrigerators and by freezing, because they remain solid, resistant and flexible at the temperatures of freezing and at the same time at room temperatures.

This is crucial for immediate expansion of the receptacle, dilution with liquid, and consumption of the contents of the receptacle immediately after removal from the freezer. The application also describes the procedure of manufacturing of the receptacle by the procedure of moulding of plastic material by blowing.

Patent application EP 611700, published on August 24, 1994, describes receptacles (containers) for liquids, which comprise a flexible container body with a non-circular cross section of the body, constructed from a series of several folds arranged horizontally with respect to the axis of the container, and a rigid part of the container at the opening above, where both parts are integrally designed. Key here is a non circular, preferably rectangular or octagonal shape of the cross section of the flexible part of the container body. Such a body shape enables the container, after this part has been compressed together, to remain in a compressed state and not to stretch back after the liquid has been discharged from it. With this a storage space of empty containers is saved. The container is manufactured by the procedure of moulding of a plastic material by blowing and is used for packaging liquids, preferably liquids for developing photographs.

Patent application WO 88/02726, published on April 21, 1988, describes compressible (collapsible) hollow products or receptacles (containers) of cylindrical body shape, such as e.g. bottles or tubes of plastic materials with at least a part of the side wall in the form of compressible (latching) folds, which have improved configuration and geometry of the folds. The so-called inner parts of the folds, which extend with the limbs inwards into the space of the container, unlike the outer parts of the folds, which extend outwards, have a special shape with an additional angle in both limbs of the folds, where such a shape of the limbs enables that in the compressed state of the folded part of the container the limbs of the fold completely near each other and squeeze together. With this, a better compression and stability of the folded part of the container in the compressed (collapsed) state are achieved. Such a geometry extends the use of high-density linear plastic polymers to manufacturing of compressible containers, because it helps reduce or prevent the formation of crystalline fractures and weakening of the container wall along the inner limbs of the folds at first compression together and at the same time retains the feature of folding and the stability of the compressed folded part of the container. The improved geometry of the folds in the case of containers made of low-density plastic polymers, elastomers and rubber enables them to remain stable in the compressed state.

Patent application EP 850842, published on July 1, 1998, describes a compressible container (receptacle) with a folded (pleated) side wall with a special geometry and configuration of the limbs of the folds, which have specially designed indentations along the outer crest (hinge) of the folds and/or along the inner trough (hinge) of the folds. Such a shape enables a better control of the compressibility of the container in order to retain the fully compressed or partially compressed shape of the container.

Patent application WO 2016/162868, published on October 10, 2016, describes a compressible (collapsible) crucible (cup) for medical diagnostics, which consists of a folded side wall of a series of circular folds in the horizontal direction with respect to the vertical of the cup, which are connected with each other by intermediate annular parts, of the cup base and of the opening above. Such a cup occupies a minimum volume in the phase of compression of the folds. Preferably, in such a cup, the cup diameter above at the opening is larger than the diameter around and at the bottom of the cup. At the opening, the cup is designed semi-conically in order to prevent reflection and splashing of the liquids contained in it upwards and out of the cup and, if necessary, to place a lid onto it.

Patent application WO 2017/052475, published on March 30, 2017, describes a specially designed collapsible (compressible) container (receptacle) for bulk cargo consisting of a flexible medial part, which extends between the bottom part and the top part of the container, where the flexible medial part consists of a series of horizontal folds, which form a pleated wall similar to a shape of an accordion, that enables vertical expansion or compression of the container under the action of a vertical force on the container. The described container comprises also an inlet or a feeding guide with an opening in the top part of the container for pouring the contents into the container, which is closed by choice, and an outlet or drain guide with an opening in the bottom part of the container, which is opened by choice for draining the contents out of the container. The bottom and the top part of such a container have a special aperture into which a rod is inserted, which enables such containers in the compressed state to be stacked one above the other in order to minimize space consumption.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] Description of the drawings of the invention

Figure 1 schematically shows a side view or a view from the side of one of the implementation embodiments of a packaging container within the meaning of this invention, where this container has a shape of a crucible (cup) and in the side wall one section, which is constructed with a series of stretchable (extendable) folds, so that this section of the side wall is preferably stretchable (extendable) in the vertical direction of the container and, if necessary, compressible. Such a packaging container is shown in the phase of folding or compression of the folded part of the side wall of the container and thus in the phase of compression of the packaging container.

Figure 2 schematically shows a side view of one of the implementation embodiments of the packaging container according to Figure 1 within the meaning of this invention. This container has a shape of a crucible (cup) and one section in the side wall, which is constructed with a series of extendable folds, so that this section of the side wall is preferably stretchable in the vertical direction of the container and, if necessary, compressible. In Figure 2 the packaging container is shown in the phase of stretching of the folded part of the side wall of the container and thus in the phase of stretching of the packaging container.

Figure 3 schematically shows a lid of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention according to Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 schematically shows a side view of one of the implementation embodiments of a packaging container within the meaning of this invention, where this container has a shape of a crucible (cup) and two sections in the side wall, separated from each other, which are constructed with a series of extendable folds, so that these two sections of the side wall are preferably extendable in the vertical direction of the container and, if necessary, compressible. Such a packaging container is shown in the phase of complete folding or complete compression of the folded both of the two parts of the side wall of the container and thus in the phase of complete compression of the packaging container.

Figure 5 schematically shows a side view of one of the implementation examples of a packaging container within the meaning of this invention, which is the packaging container as shown in Figure 4 and which is, in this figure, covered with an additional outer cover of cardboard, where this cover completely covers the side walls of the crucible and has perforations or perforation lines for tearing off both removable parts of the side wall of this cover, which lie over the stretchable sections of the crucible in the folded phase.

Figure 6 schematically shows a side view of a packaging container within the meaning of this invention according to Figures 4 and 5, where the container has a shape of a crucible and an additional outer cover of cardboard with perforations for tearing off the removable parts of this cover, where this cover lies over flat parts of the side wall as well as both stretchable sections of the crucible, compressed together in the folded phase. For the purpose of showing the cover in a combination with the packaging container and in fitting to it, the Figure 6 schematically shows the vertical cut-off and removal of the cover in the left vertical half, so that the left vertical half of the crucible is visible in the fully folded phase of both flexibly compressible sections of the side wall, and on the right side of the figure, a cover with perforation lines is seen.

Figure 7 schematically shows a side view of a packaging container within the meaning of this invention according to Figures 4 and 5, where the container has a shape of a crucible and an additional outer cover of cardboard with perforations for tearing off the removable parts of this cover, where this cover has both removable parts removed, so that both flexibly compressible sections of the crucible are seen in the folded phase and the remaining parts of the cover, which wrap around and cover the flat walls of the crucible.

Figure 8 schematically shows a plan view of the additional outer cover from Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention, which consists of a bottom and a side wall of the cover with perforation lines.

Figure 9 schematically shows a side view of one of the implementation examples of a packaging container within the meaning of this invention, which has a shape of a bottle with a bottom, a bottle body with a side wall and a top constructed in a form of a neck with threads and with an opening above. The side wall of the bottle shown has two sections separated from each other, which are constructed with a series of extendable (stretchable) folds, so that these two sections of the side wall are preferably extendable in the vertical direction of the container and, if necessary, compressible. Such a packaging container is shown in the phase of partial folding or partial compression of both folded parts of the two parts of the side wall of the container and thus in the phase of partial compression of the packaging container.

Figure 10 schematically shows an enlarged side view of a section of the side wall of the packaging container in the form of a bottle according to Figure 9, where this section comprises flat parts of the side wall of the bottle below and above the flexibly folded wall section and a folded section placed between them of three successive flat- limbed folds and directly contacting each other. Figure 11 schematically shows a side view of one of the implementation examples of a packaging container within the meaning of this invention, where this container has a shape of a crucible and in the side wall three sections, separated from each other, which are constructed with a series of extendable folds, so that these sections of the side wall are preferably extendable in the vertical direction of the container and, if necessary, compressible. Such a packaging container is shown in the phase of a complete folding or complete compression of all the three folded parts of the side wall of the container and thus in the phase of complete compression of the packaging container.

[0005] Description of a solution to the technical problem

The present invention is solving the set technical problem by constructing a packaging, and preferably, a packaging container, which enables reduction of the volume of the product packed during the time of packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, delivery and sale of such a product and which simultaneously provides a sufficiently large space or volume of packaging for addition of one or more other ingredients during the time of the preparation of the product for ingestion or consumption and during the consumption of the product.

The subject matter of the present invention is packaging, and preferably, a packaging container, which is constructed in such a way that this packaging or packaging container is expandable. Expandable packaging or the expandable packaging container according to this invention comprises a bottom of the container and a side wall of the container, and has an opening of the container above, wherein said side wall comprises at least one part, which is flexibly folded in a horizontal direction with respect to the vertical, that is, to the vertical axis of the container, so that in this part the wall consists of at least one or more folds, wherein when pulling or stretching the container in the vertical direction, said fold is stretched or said folds are stretched in the vertical direction, and thus the folded part of the wall and thus the packaging container is stretched in the vertical direction. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention, the side wall of the expandable packaging container comprises at least two or more parts, which are flexibly folded in a horizontal direction with respect to the vertical of the container. When there are several folded parts of the side wall of the packaging container, they are arranged so that flat parts of the side wall of the packaging container are placed between the folded parts.

Preferably, the subject matter of this invention is an expandable packaging container, which comprises a bottom of the container and a side wall of the container, which runs along the vertical axis of the container body between the bottom and the top of the container body, and has an opening of the container above, wherein said container side wall comprises at least one, at least two or more parts, which is flexibly folded or which are flexibly folded in a more or less horizontal direction or in a more or less diagonal direction, wherein said folded part of the side wall consists of at least one or more flexible stretchable folds, where with respect to the vertical of the container said fold runs or said folds run at an angle from and including 90°, that is, in a completely horizontal direction, to and including 40°, that is, in a diagonal direction with respect to the vertical of the container, and where the said fold is compressed together or where the said folds of the side wall are compressed together by folding together during and/or in the stage of packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of such a packaging container alone or of such a packaging container with the product contained therein, and where the said fold is stretched or the said folds are stretched in the vertical direction and thus the folded part of the wall is stretched in the vertical direction of the container, so that the volume of the packaging container increases.

Most preferably, the expandable packaging container within the meaning of this invention comprises a container bottom and a container side wall, which runs along the vertical axis of the container body between the bottom and top of the container body, and has a container opening above, wherein said container side wall comprises at least two or more parts, which are flexibly folded in a more or less horizontal direction or in a more or less diagonal direction, wherein each said folded part of the side wall consists of at least one or more flexible stretchable folds, where said fold runs or said folds run with respect to the vertical of the container at an angle from and including 90°, that is, in a completely horizontal direction, to and including 40°, that is, in a diagonal direction with respect to the vertical of the container, and where the said fold is compressed together or where the said folds of the side wall are compressed together by folding together during and/or in the stage of packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of such a packaging container alone or of such a packaging container with the product contained therein, and where the said fold is stretched or the said folds are stretched in the vertical direction, and thus the folded part of the wall is stretched in the vertical direction of the container, so that the volume of the packaging container is increased.

Said fold or said folds of one or more sections of the side wall of the expandable packaging container within the meaning of this invention has or have a direction, which runs with respect to the vertical of the container at an angle of 90° or in a completely horizontal direction with respect to the vertical of the container, that is, with respect to the vertical axis of the container. In alternative implementations of this invention, the said fold or the said folds of one or more sections of the side wall of the expandable packaging container within the meaning of this invention has or have a direction, which, with respect to the vertical of the container, runs at a diagonal angle from and including 89° to and including 40° with respect to the vertical of the container. In special implementation examples, such a diagonal angle of the said fold or the said folds amounts either 87° with respect to the vertical of the container or 85° with respect to the vertical of the container or 80° with respect to the vertical of the container or 75° with respect to the vertical of the container or 70° with respect to the vertical of the container.

Compression of an expandable packaging container within the meaning of this invention, for example at least during and/or in the stage of packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of such a packaging container alone or of such a packaging container with the product contained therein, when this container is in a compressed state of the flexible folded part or the flexible folded parts of the side wall, enables and represents a volume saving from and including about 20% up to and including about 80% of the volume of the said packaging container in the fully stretched phase of the side wall of the container, preferably, from and including about 30% to and including about 70% of the volume of the said packaging container in the fully stretched phase of the side wall of the container, even more preferably, from and including about 40% to and including about 60% of the volume of the said packaging container in the fully stretched phase of the side wall of the container, and most preferably, 50% of the volume of the said packaging container in the fully stretched phase of the side wall of the container.

The folded part of the side wall of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention can cover from and including 10% to and including 90% of the surface of the side wall of the container with respect to the total surface of the container side wall in the fully stretched state of the container, where the folded part is horizontally arranged in the side wall with respect to the vertical direction or the axis of the container.

Preferably, the folded part of the side wall of the packaging container, which is arranged horizontally in this wall with respect to the vertical direction of the container within the meaning of this invention, covers from and including 20% to and including 80% of the surface of the side wall of the container with respect to the total surface of the container side wall in the fully stretched state of the container. Even more preferably, the folded part of the side wall of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention covers from 30% inclusive to 70% inclusive of the surface of the side wall of the container, and most preferably, from and including 40% to and including 60% of the surface of the container side wall with respect to the entire surface of the container side wall in the completely stretched state of the container.

Within the meaning of this invention, the folded part of the side wall is located or the folded parts of the side wall are located in any part of the side wall along the vertical of the side wall or along the vertical of the packaging container. In one of the implementation embodiments according to this invention, the folded part of the side wall is located or all the folded parts of the side wall are located in the middle part of the vertical height of the container wall, in another implementation embodiment one folded part of the side wall is located in the upper half and the other one in the lower half of the vertical height of the container wall, and in a third implementation embodiment, one folded part of the side wall is located in the upper third, the second one in the middle third and the third one in the lower third of the vertical height of the container wall.

In one of the alternative implementation examples according to this invention, the folded part of the side wall is located or all the folded parts of the side wall are located in the upper third of the vertical height of the container wall. In another alternative implementation example, the folded part of the side wall is located or all the folded parts of the side wall are located in the middle third of the vertical height of the container wall. In a further alternative implementation example, the folded part of the side wall is located or all the folded parts of the side wall are located in the lower third of the vertical height of the container wall.

In a further implementation example of the packaging container, which has two or more folded parts, the two folded parts or the folded parts of the side wall are arranged with flat parts of the side wall between them, so that one folded part or more folded parts are located in the upper third of the vertical height of the container wall and that the other folded part or the other folded parts are located in the middle third of the vertical height of the container wall. In a further implementation example with two or more folded parts, the two folded parts or the folded parts of the side wall are arranged with flat parts of the side wall between them, so that one folded part is located in the upper third of the vertical height of the container wall and the other folded part or the other folded parts are located in the middle third of the side wall of the vertical height of the container wall. Furthermore, in the implementation example with two or more folded parts, the two folded parts or the folded parts of the side wall are arranged with flat parts of the side wall between them, so that one folded part is located in the upper third of the vertical height of the container wall and the other folded part or the other folded parts are located in the lower third of the side wall of the vertical height of the container wall. An individual flexibly folded part of the side wall of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention consists of at least one or more folds. Such a fold has either a sharply shaped crest and sharply shaped angles at a contact with the plane of the side wall, and thus has a shape of a triangle in the cross section. The fold has either a rounded crest and rounded contacts of the fold with the plane of the side wall, and thus has a shape of a half-curve of a more or less sinusoidal curve or of other similar curves with a rounded wave-like shape in the cross section. The individual fold has a fold crest, which extends from the plane of the flat part of the side wall of the packaging container, and this either outwards from the container body, which forms the so-called outer fold, or inwards into the container body, which forms the so-called inner fold. When the flexibly folded part of the side wall consists of solely one fold, this one then extends with its crest into the interior of the packaging container according to this invention and forms the inner fold.

The fold within the meaning of this invention consists of a crest (apex) of the fold, which is formed by the adjacent limbs of the fold, and of two limbs of the fold, where the lower fold limb is closer to the bottom of the container and the upper fold limb is closer to the top of the container. The limbs of the fold and the crest of the fold extend from the plane of the wall of the container either outwards from the container and form the so-called outwardly oriented fold or the outer fold, or the limbs and the crest of the fold extend from the plane of the container wall inwards into the space of the container and form the so-called inwardly into the container oriented fold or the inner fold.

In order to minimize the volume of this container in the compressed phase of the expandable packaging container according to the invention as much as possible, in a preferred implementation embodiment, the crest of the fold, when there is one fold, is located or the crests of all folds, when there are more folds, are located below the plane of the side wall and/or at most in the plane of the side wall of the packaging container, and the crest of no fold extends outwards from the inner space of the packaging container, and thus outwards from the plane of the side wall of the packaging container. In such implementation embodiments of this invention, which are shown, for example, in Figures 1, 2, 4, 9 and 11, the packaging container has all the folds configured so that they are located inside in the container space, that is, inwards from the plane of the side wall of the container, so that all folds, that is, the folds with the crests oriented into the inside of the container or the inner folds, and the folds with the crests oriented outwards from the container or the outer folds, are located inside the container space. In an alternative implementation embodiment, shown in Figure 4, all the folds of the folded part of the side wall are the folds with the crests oriented into the inside of the container, which is achieved by configuration of the folds with intermediate short flat sections of the side wall between successive folds. Such embodiments of the folded sections of the side walls are intended to save as much space of the packaging container as possible in the stages of packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, delivery and sale.

An individual fold, in the sharp design of the edges and angles of the fold, as for example shown in Figures 1 and 2, forms an angle b at the top (crest) of the fold and thus between the fold limbs, and at the same time angles between the fold limbs and the plane of the side wall of the container, which are an angle a between the lower limb of the fold and the plane of the container side wall, i.e. the angle at the fold limb, which is closer to the container bottom, and an angle g between the upper limb of the fold and the plane of the container side wall, i.e. the angle at the fold limb, which is closer to the top of the container. In a preferred implementation example within the meaning of this invention, the angles a and g are equal to each other, and then the cross section of the individual fold has a shape of an isosceles triangle. In the rounded design of the edges of the fold, the individual fold forms a rounded crest of the fold and approximately the angles in the range from about 0°, preferably from about 45°, to about 90° at the contact of the fold with the plane of the side wall of the container depending on the compression of the folds. Said angles in the design of the folds of the sharp limbs as well as the rounded folds depend on the compression of the folds. The more the folds are compressed next to each other, the greater the angles a and g are and approach the angle of 90°, and the smaller the angle b is and approaches the angle of 0°, and at the same time the larger part of the side wall is compressed in the form of folds, and thus, depending on the proportion of the folded part of the side wall of the packaging container, more packaging space of the container is saved in the compressed state.

The shape and dimensions of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention can be arbitrary. A packaging container has, for example, a shape, which has, at the bottom of the container, at the top of the container and in the body of the container from the bottom to the top of the container in the horizontal cross section with respect to the vertical of the container, a shape, which is selected from a circle, ellipse, triangle, square, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, orthogonal shape and/or any other more or less circularly rounded shape or any other more or less angularly designed shape and/or a simultaneous combination of such circularly rounded shapes and of such angularly designed shapes. In some implementation embodiments, the packaging container has along the body or along the vertical axis of the container a more or less the same shape, this means that it has, at the bottom of the container, at the top of the container and in the body of the container from the bottom to top of the container in the horizontal cross section with respect to the vertical of the container, the same shape, which is selected from a circle, ellipse, triangle, square, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, orthogonal shape and/or any other more or less circularly rounded shape or any other more or less angularly designed shape and/or a simultaneous combination of such circularly rounded shapes and of such angularly designed shapes. The bottom of such a packaging container has, for example, a circular, elliptical, square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, trapezoidal, parallelogram, triangular or any other shape. Such a shape of the container bottom is followed also by a cross section of the body of the packaging container along the side wall of the packaging container according to the invention, so that also a cross section in the middle of the height of the body of the packaging container and at the top of the packaging container, that is, at the opening or the mouth of the packaging container, have a shape, which is equal to the shape of the bottom of the container.

In other implementation embodiments, the packaging container has a shape, which changes along the body of the container, i.e. along the vertical axis of the container. Such a container has, at the bottom of the container, at the top of the container and in the body of the container from the bottom to the top of the container in a horizontal cross section with respect to the vertical of the container, a shape, which changes along the vertical of the container and such a shape of the container at the bottom, at the top and between the bottom and the top of the container is selected from a circle, ellipse, triangle, square, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, orthogonal shape and/or any other more or less circularly rounded shape or any other more or less angularly designed shape and/or a simultaneous combination of such circularly rounded shapes and of such angularly designed shapes.

The packaging container thus has, in special implementation examples, a container body, which has a shape in a cross section, that differs from the shape of the bottom of the container, and, if necessary, also from the shape of the opening of the container above. Such a shape of the container body in the cross section of the body can be different from the shape of the container bottom either in the middle of the container height and/or next to, at and/or on the top of the container, that is, at the mouth of the container, in order to ensure easier handling and gripping of the container and/or easier preparation of the content, which is contained in such a container, and consumption of the content from the container. Such a handling, preparation and/or consumption comprises, among others, preparation of the product in the container into a preparation for consumption, e.g. by pouring in of a liquid and/or adding one and/or more other ingredients into the container before final consumption of the preparation from the content of the container and intermixed other ingredients, consumption of the preparation of the content of the container, either drinking and/or other ingestion of the preparation of the content or of the product from the container within the meaning of this invention, the overflowing of the content or the product from the container and/or any other application of this preparation from the container, e.g. with utensils for ingestion of food products, including with straws, mouthpieces, pacifiers and with various other capping and/or applicating elements, which are placed on such a container in order to prevent spillage and/or splashing of the preparation from the container in case of tilting and/or shaking of the container, either any other method of applying the preparation from the container, such as, e.g. with accessories for applying the preparation in the case of content or a product in the container, where this product is for pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, plant protection, chemical, cleaning, colouring, dying and/or varnishing purposes, or e.g. with a dropper, with a syringe, with various other types of applicators, such as, e.g. dosing spoons, application sticks, brushes and/or other similar types of applicators, as are known and as are used in the state of the art in the said product fields, i.e., in the field of pharmacy, medicine, cosmetics, plant protection, chemistry, industry of cleaners, industry of paints, dyes and varnishes, and in other similar fields.

The container according to this invention is preferably in a more or less cylindrical shape, and most preferably, in a shape of a crucible (cup), and in special implementation examples also in a shape of bottles with a neck.

Furthermore, such a packaging container has a top opening covered with at least one lid or with several lids, which enables the closure of the container during and/or in the stage of packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale, and, if necessary, also during preparation of the product, packaged in the container, for end use.

In some implementation embodiments, the transverse diameter along the length of the body of the packaging increases with respect to the transverse diameter of the bottom of the container, so that the angle of inclination of the outer wall with respect to the vertical or the vertical axis of the packaging container body, which represents the height of the packaging container body from the bottom of the container and to its top, amounts from an angle of 0° up to and including an angle of 80°, and preferably, from an angle of 0° to and including an angle of 45° or from an angle of 0° to and including an angle of 30°, even more preferably, from an angle of 0° to and including an angle of 20°, and most preferably, from an angle of 0° to and including an angle of 15°. In some implementation examples, the angle of inclination of the outer wall with respect to the vertical or to the vertical axis of the body of the packaging container, amounts from an angle of 0° up to and including an angle of 10° or from an angle of 0° up to and including an angle of 5°. The top of the container and the top opening of the container according to this invention further have a container mouth made in various shapes and configurations. Here, the wall of the container is slightly thickened and its upper edge or the edge of the container mouth is preferably rounded outwards and has at the same time a flat surface with a thickness of about 1 mm at the top for fitting and fastening the lid. In other implementation examples, the container mouth within the meaning of this invention has, inter alia, a shape of either a completely flat surface or a slightly textured flat surface with textures of various shapes for easier fastening of the container lid to the container mouth, and thus for closing of the container above, or the container mouth has a more or less rounded shape for easier drinking of the preparation of the product from the container, where either the mouth is partially and semi-circularly rounded or the entire mouth is circularly rounded, and where the upper part of such a rounded mouth has, if necessary, a slightly flattened part for smooth fitting of the lid, which is fastened either by welding and/or melting or adhesively by gluing with different adhesives, which are used for packaging in the food industry, in the pharmaceutical industry, in the plant protection industry and in the chemical industry. When the mouth of the packaging container is made in the shape of a flat surface, this one lies in a plane which is more or less perpendicular to the vertical axis of the container or is slightly inclined with respect to said plane either upwards at an angle from and including 0° to and including 30° or downwards at an angle from and including 0° to and including 30°. When such an inclination of the flat-shaped mouth is upwards, then the angle of the plane of this mouth is formed upwards with respect to the vertical axis of the container and amounts from 0° to 60° inclusive, and then the container lid attached to it rests concavely upwards. When such an inclination of the flat-shaped mouth is downwards, then the angle of the plane of this mouth is formed downwards with respect to the vertical axis of the container and amounts from 0° to 60° inclusive, and then the container lid attached to it rests convexly upwards.

Packaging or the packaging container within the meaning of this invention further comprises a container cap or a lid that rests over the opening of the container. Said container cap or lid is selected from the caps of the containers or lids and is made of materials as known and used in the state of the art in the packaging industry, and most preferably, in the packaging industry for foodstuffs, food products and/or for pharmaceutical products and in other embodiments of the present invention in the packaging industry for plant protection products and various chemical products, such as e.g. for different cleaners, detergents, solvents, disinfectants, dyes, paints, varnishes and similar products.

To the container, within the meaning of this invention, the lid is placed, fixed and fastened according to procedures as known and used in the state of the art in the packaging industry, most preferably, in the packaging industry for foodstuffs, food products, for pharmaceutical products, and in other implementation examples of this invention in the packaging industry for plant protection products and various chemical products, where such lids enable the tightness of the closure of the container opening, such as e.g. thermal attachment or welding of the lid to the edge of the top of the side wall at the opening of the packaging container, or adhesive gluing of the lid with adhesives as known and as used in the state of the art in the said fields of industries. If necessary, such a lid is made with threads on the inner surface of the lid, which fit to the threads at the mouth of the packaging container, due to which the packaging container within the meaning of this invention also has threads at the upper opening of the container in such implementation examples. Most preferably, such a lid according to this invention is made of polypropylene or of aluminium foil for the purposes of the packaging industry for foodstuffs, food products and for pharmaceutical products.

When there are two lids, the inner lid is preferably made of different plastic materials and/or aluminium foil and other similar materials, as known in the state of the art, and is attached to the mouth of the upper opening of the packaging container and/or to the neck of the container in the form of a bottle and it is either adhesively glued, melted, welded and/or pressed.

In some implementation embodiments within the meaning of this invention, as shown e.g. in Figure 9, the packaging container has a neck in the upper part of the body and at the top of the container, which has a smaller transverse diameter than the transverse diameter of the container body between the bottom and the neck of the container and/or the transverse diameter at the bottom of the container. Such a container neck is, in some implementations, located in the upper fifth of the height of the container body, including the container top, in other implementations in the upper tenth of the container body height, and in preferred implementations of the invention in the upper twentieth of the container body height. The packaging container with such a neck has preferably a shape of a compressible bottle and is used, for example, for packaging of product concentrates in a liquid form, semi-liquid form, and, if necessary, also in a powder form, which are then in the stretched phase of the container, if necessary, shaken with the aim of better preparation of the end form of the product packaged in such a container by adding one or more other ingredients to the product to achieve its better dissolution, mixture and/or distribution in one or more other ingredients. It has the upper opening on the neck closed with one or two lids. The lid is attached in different ways, selected from methods known in the state of the art. Among them are e.g. a lid with threads on the inner surface of the lid, where also the outer surface of the neck then has threads for winding up of such a lid, a lid welded, melted, adhesively glued and/or pressed to the neck. In the case of two lids, the inner one is made of different plastic materials and/or aluminium foil and other similar materials and is attached to the mouth of the upper opening of the bottle either by adhesive gluing, melting, welding and/or pressing.

The dimensions of the container volume within the meaning of this invention, the diameter of such a container at the bottom, at the top and/or in parts of the body between the bottom and the top of the container and the vertical dimension or height of the container body according to this invention, both, in the compressed state and in the stretched state of the flexibly folded part of the side wall of the container, as well as the dimensions of the wall thickness of the bottom of the container and the top of the container, and the dimensions of individual elements of the mouth of the container and/or the thickness of the side wall in the flat part and/or in the folded part are arbitrary and depend on the purpose and method of use or the method of end consumption of the product, which is packaged in such a container (see espresso coffee, cocoa, chocolate beverage, tea, beverages, soup, chemical solutions, sprays, paints, varnishes).

The dimensions of the container volume within the meaning of this invention in the stretched state of the side wall amount from a minimum of and including 20 ml or cm³ up to a maximum of and including 1500 ml, and in a maximally compressed state from a minimum of and including 4 ml up to a maximum of and including 300 ml. Preferably, the volume dimensions of such a container in the stretched state of the side wall amount from a minimum of and including 50 ml up to a maximum of and including 1000 ml, and in a maximally compressed state from a minimum of and including 10 ml up to a maximum of and including 200 ml. Most preferably, the volume of such a container in the stretched state of the side wall amounts from a minimum of and including 100 ml up to a maximum of and including 600 ml, and in a maximally compressed state from a minimum of and including 20 ml up to a maximum of and including 120 ml. In the case of use of a packaging container for different beverages, the volume of the container in the stretched state amounts from and including 150 ml to and including 300 ml, and in the maximally compressed state from a minimum of and including 30 ml up to a maximum of and including 120 ml, in the case of coffee beverages, such as e.g. espresso or various syrups from and including 30 ml to and including 50 ml, and in the maximally compressed state from a minimum of and including 10 ml up to a maximum of and including 40 ml. When using the packaging container for different types of food, the volume of the container in the stretched state amounts from and including 200 ml to and including 600 ml, and in the maximally compressed state from a minimum of and including 40 ml up to a maximum of and including 480 ml.

The packaging container in a shape of a bottle with a neck also has an arbitrary volume. Preferably, such a volume of the container in the fully stretched state of the folded side wall is from and including 100 ml to and including 2000 ml, preferably from 200 ml inclusive to 1500 ml inclusive, and most preferably, from 300 ml inclusive to 1000 ml inclusive. Such a container in the shape of a bottle is used, for example, for packaging of different types of drinks and/or beverages, such as e.g. concentrates of fruit juices, syrups, teas, coffee, cocoa and other drinks, as well as disinfectants, saline solutions, cleaners, detergents for washing, for dishwashing or for cleaning, washing powders, softeners for textiles and plasticizers, paints, dyes, varnishes, sprays and other similar products in the field of food products and drinks, pharmaceutical products, cosmetic products, plant protection products, various chemical and other similar products.

The vertical dimension or the height of the body of the container according to this invention in the stretched state and in the compressed state of the side wall can be arbitrary and depends on the purpose and method of use and consumption of the product packaged in it. In some implementation embodiments, the height of the container body in the stretched state of the side wall amounts from a minimum of and including 3 cm to a maximum of and including 50 cm, and in the maximally compressed state from a minimum of 1 cm inclusive to a maximum of 20 cm inclusive. Higher dimensions of the height of the container body in the stretched state and in the compressed state are used e.g. in the field of chemistry and plant protection, and lower in the field of food industry and pharmacy. For beverages, drinks, food products and/or pharmaceutical products, which are consumed in smaller or medium sized volumes, the height of the container body in the stretched state amounts from a minimum of 3 cm inclusive to a maximum of 20 cm inclusive, and preferably, from a minimum of 5 cm inclusive to a maximum of 15 cm inclusive, and in the maximally compressed state from a minimum of 1 cm inclusive to a maximum of 10 cm inclusive.

In the case of using a crucible for packaging and then consumption of a coffee beverage espresso, the height of the body of the container in the stretched state amounts from a minimum of and including 5 cm to a maximum of and including 10 cm, and in the maximally compressed state from a minimum of 1.5 cm inclusive to a maximum of 9 cm inclusive, and preferably, from a minimum of 2 cm inclusive to a maximum of 8 cm inclusive. In the case of using a crucible for packaging and then consumption of coffee beverage cappuccino and white coffee or tea beverages and/or fruit juices, the height of the container body in the stretched state amounts from a minimum of 8 cm inclusive to a maximum of 15 cm inclusive, and in the maximally compressed state from a minimum of 1,8 cm inclusive to a maximum of 9 cm inclusive, and preferably, from a minimum of 2 cm inclusive to a maximum of 8 cm inclusive.

In the case of using a crucible for packaging and then consumption of different types of soups and/or different types of pasta, rice dishes, corn dishes and/or dishes from other cereals or legumes, the height of the container body in the stretched state amounts from a minimum of and including 5 cm to a maximum of and including 20 cm, and preferably, from a minimum of 5 cm inclusive to a maximum of 15 cm inclusive, and in the maximally compressed state amounts from a minimum of 1.8 cm inclusive to a maximum of 10 cm inclusive, and preferably, from a minimum of 2 cm inclusive to a maximum of 8 cm inclusive.

The bottom of such containers in cross section, when the bottom is circular in shape, amounts from a minimum of and including 2 cm to a maximum of and including 10 cm, and preferably, from a minimum of and including 3 cm to a maximum of and including 9 cm, and most preferably, from a minimum of and including 5 cm to a maximum of and including 8 cm. When the bottom of such containers is of square, rectangular or other orthogonal shape, the longer dimension of the cross section of the bottom amounts from a minimum of and including 3 cm to a maximum of and including 15 cm, and preferably, from a minimum of and including 5 cm to a maximum of and including 10 cm, and most preferably, about 8 cm.

The top of such containers or the opening at the top of the container in cross section, when the top or the top opening is of circular shape, has a diameter in the range from a minimum of and including 4 cm to a maximum of and including 12 cm, and preferably, from a minimum of and including 5 cm to a maximum of and including 10 cm. When the top or the upper opening of such containers is of square, rectangular or other orthogonal shape, the longer dimension of the cross section of the top or of the upper opening or of the mouth of the top of the container amounts from a minimum of and including 3 cm to a maximum of and including 15 cm, and preferably, from a minimum of and including 5 cm to a maximum of and including 10 cm, and most preferably, about 8 cm.

The thickness of the bottom of the container amounts from a minimum of and including 0.3 mm to a maximum of and including 2 mm, and preferably, from a minimum of and including 0.4 mm to a maximum of and including 1 mm. The thickness of the side wall of the container amounts from a minimum of and including 0.05 mm to a maximum of and including 0.8 mm, and preferably, from a minimum of and including 0.1 mm to a maximum of and including 0.6 mm.

In the most preferred implementation embodiments, the packaging container in the stretched phase within the meaning of this invention has a volume, which amounts from a minimum of 150 mm (or cm³) inclusive up to a maximum of 300 ml inclusive, when such a container is used for liquid beverages and drinks, or a volume of a minimum of 200 ml inclusive up to a maximum of 600 ml inclusive, when such a container is used for preparation of food.

If necessary, the packaging container within the meaning of this invention is further additionally wrapped around with an outer cover on the external side, on which information about the product contained in the packaging container is given.

The additional cover may lie over and cover the entire packaging container from the outside, that is, the bottom, the side wall and the lid of the packaging container, or it may cover only a part of the packaging container, such as e.g. the side wall and the bottom of the container, the side wall and the top part of the container together with the lid, only the side wall or part of the side wall. Preferably, the additional outer cover wraps around and covers only the side wall of the container.

Such an additional outer cover is made of materials as known and used in the state of the art in the packaging industry for foodstuffs, food products and pharmaceutical products. Preferably, it is made of paper materials, such as e.g. of different types of cardboard of different thicknesses and/or of cellulosic materials and/or of different other polymeric materials, which are selected from polymeric materials as used in the state of the art in the packaging industry and are selected from the above stated polymeric materials and in addition, if necessary, also from conventional plastic polymers, such as e.g. polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP).

The additional outer cover according to this invention has at least one or more periodically interrupted perforations inlaid, most often in a form of a line and hereinafter referred to as a perforating line, so that it enables tearing off and removal of the entire additional outer cover from the packaging container or only part of this cover. When only part of the additional outer cover is removed from the packaging container, the part of the cover is removed, which is located between said perforation lines, that is, the so-called removable part of the additional outer cover. Said removable part of the additional outer cover is preferably a part of the cover, which covers the flexible folded part of the side wall of the packaging container according to this invention. In some implementation embodiments, such a cover has a cardboard and/or otherwise made paper bottom, which forms the outer layer of the bottom of the cover, and is coated inside with a polypropylene film or polypropylene foil.

The subject matter of the present invention is further a procedure for use of the packaging or the packaging container according to this invention. The expandable packaging container according to this invention, that is constructed according to this invention and is in the compressed state of the flexibly folded parts of the side wall, is intended for increasing its volume by stretching of the compressed folded parts of the side wall, by which the volume of the packaging container is increased and this increased volume serves for the preparation of the product contained in the packaging container before the end use. Preferably, when using a compressed packaging container according to the invention, the volume of the packaging container is increased by stretching the compressed flexibly folded part or such parts of the side wall of the container, preferably in the direction of the vertical axis, and then this increased volume serves for the preparation of the product contained in the packaging container before the end use.

Such a preparation of the product contained in the packaging container before the end use comprises an addition of a liquid and/or an addition of one or more other ingredients, where such a liquid is selected from water, milk, whey, kefir, fruit juice and/or tea. Preferably, such a liquid is water. In a further implementation example of the use of the packaging container according to this invention, such a liquid is milk.

Such a packaging container is used for packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of the product contained in the packaging container and/or for the preparation of such a product for end use, where said product is in a concentrated liquid, semi-liquid and/or solid form. Such a product contained in the packaging container is in a form, which is a concentrate of a liquid of the product, syrup, gel, granule, tablet, capsule, pellet, flake, powder, crystalline form of the product and/or frozen form of the product.

In some implementation examples, such a packaging container is used for the packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of food products, food additives, beverages and/or drinks and/or for the preparation of such products for end use, wherein such products are further selected from soups, sauces, dressings, pasta products, legume products, food vegetable products, food fruit products, food protein products, teas, coffees, coffee beverages, chocolate and/or cocoa beverages, milk beverages, protein beverages, multivitamin beverages, fruit and/or vegetable syrups, juices and/or beverages.

In other implementation embodiments, such a packaging container is used for packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of pharmaceutical products and/or for the preparation of such products for end use and further for packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of plant protection products and/or for the preparation of such products for end use: Furthermore, such a packaging container is used for packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of chemical products and/or for the preparation of such products for end use, wherein said products are selected from chemicals, solvents, cleaners, disinfectants, detergents, washing or dishwashing detergents, softeners for textiles and plasticizers, dyes, paints and/or varnishes.

When using such a packaging container, the volume of the packaging container is increased by stretching and this increased volume is used for the preparation of the product contained in the packaging container before the end use, where said preparation comprises adding a liquid and/or adding one or more other ingredients. In some implementation embodiments, such a liquid is selected from water, milk, whey, kefir, yoghurt, fruit juice and/or tea. Preferably, it is water or milk.

The expandable packaging container within the meaning of this invention is used, inter alia, for food products and/or foodstuffs, including various types of drinks, where such products are prepared before ingestion and/or serving by either pouring in a liquid, such as e.g. water, carbonated water, milk, tea, vegetable and/or fruit juice or other similar liquids, where said liquid is either cold, lukewarm or hot, and/or by adding another ingredient, such as, among others, e.g. yoghurt, sour milk, kefir, whey and/or other similar food products in liquid, solid and/or semi- solid state, which comprises either the addition of ice, ice cream and other similar frozen, partially - and/or semi-frozen products or the addition of various spices and/or moderators of the taste, colour, odour, density, texture and/or temperature of the preparation for ingestion.

In some embodiments, the packaging container within the meaning of this invention is used for packaging and preparation of food products, foodstuffs and/or beverages for fast preparation or instant preparation, which are in the form of powder, granules, in other forms of solid particles, such as, e.g. in the form of flakes, various muesli, bran, smaller and/or larger solid particles, such as e.g. balls, cubes, the so-called shells, biscuits and similarly shaped particles, in the form of liquid, semi-liquid, liquid or powdery concentrate, where such products are intended for quick and/or instant preparation, for quick and/or easy consumption and/or for consumption on the go and/or in another similar manner. Among others, e.g. such food products are intended for fast preparation of various kinds of soups and purees, including instant soups, primarily soups with side dishes, such as e.g. soups with different types of noodles, dumplings and/or with different types of pasta. In addition, such food products are intended for rapid preparation of various types of instant flakes (e.g. chocolino) and/or other forms, such as e.g. chocolate balls (English: chocoballs), shells (English: shells), biscuits (English: cookies) and/or muesli, which are e.g. prepared with milk or other similar liquids, for the fast preparation of various types of cereals for breakfast and/or for other meals (e.g. bran, cornflakes).

Furthermore, such food products are for fast preparation of different types of creams, puddings, fillings and/or sauces and dressings, including instant creams, puddings and/or fillings, where these are either sweet, salty and/or of mixed flavours. In addition, such food products are for fast preparation of various types of food additives and/or supplements to food and/or food substitutes, including preparations of proteins and/or amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals and/or vitamins, and preparations for weight loss and/or conversely for rapid gain of body weight.

Furthermore, such products are for fast and/or instant preparation of various beverages or drinks, among which are e.g. different teas (green, black, herbal), various coffee, chocolate and/or cocoa beverages, where these beverages/ drinks are, if necessary, flavoured with milk, with different flavours, sugar, stevia, birch sugar, natreen and/or with other sugar substitutes or are without the said moderators of taste. Furthermore, such products for fast and/or instant preparation can be various other food products, including superfoods, nutritional supplements, food additives, food substitutes and/or pharmaceutical products, among which are e.g. various vitamin (e.g. vitamins A, complexes B, C, D, E, etc.) or multivitamin preparations and/or mineral (e.g. calcium, magnesium, potassium) or multi-mineral preparations, different protein, amino acid, carbohydrate and/or fatty preparations, various energy beverages and various other beverages and drinks, where such products are e.g. in the form of a powder and/or gel or concentrated liquid form. In other implementation examples, the packaging container within the meaning of this invention is used, inter alia, for example for the preparation of different kinds of products that are packaged in the packaging container in a concentrated state, and are prepared for end use by preparation either by diluting and/or dissolving, or by adding and/or admixing at least one or more other substances, compounds and/or ingredients. In one of the implementation examples, such a packaged product is a saline solution, where sodium chloride salt in a solid state is in the container according to this invention, and is then by addition of an exactly specified amount of water, which is either at room temperature or at higher temperatures for faster dissolution of salt, into the stretched packaging container according to the invention diluted to a precisely determined concentration of the solution, which is preferably 9 g/1. In other implementation examples, different types of disinfectants, various types of pharmaceutical and/or plant protection preparations, different types of cleaners, paints, dyes and/or varnishes, and other similar products are packed in a concentrated state in the packaging container according to this invention, which is, after opening of the packaging container by removing the lid, stretched by pulling the container in the vertical direction, so that flexibly folded side wall is stretched either by stretching the folds completely or partially, and thereby increasing the volume of this container, so that one or more other ingredients can be poured into it or added to it, such as e.g. water and thereby the product, packaged in the container, is dissolved, diluted and/or a mixture with one or more other ingredients is prepared from it in such a stretched packaging container, and the so prepared product is then used and/or applied.

Preferably, the packaging or the packaging container according to this invention is intended for single use. Most preferably, the packaging or the packaging container within the meaning of this invention is used for food products or foodstuffs, for different beverages and drinks, for food additives and/or supplements, and for pharmaceutical products.

Packaging container with a flexibly stretchable side wall, designed and constructed according to the present invention, which is either in different shapes of crucibles, bottles and other similar shapes, is preferably made of one material throughout the container and has a container bottom at the bottom and a container opening at the top, and a side wall between them, that has at least one, and preferably, at least two or more sections of the side wall, which are flexibly folded so that such a part of the wall of the container is folded together during packaging of the product in the container, and that this part of the wall upon action of the pulling force, acting in the direction of the vertical axis of the container body, when the side wall, being gripped at the container opening, is pulled up and away from the container bottom and thus the folds of the side wall are stretched and more or less flattened, by which the container is stretched upwards and its volume is thus increased.

The subject matter of this invention is, further on, also the procedure for manufacturing of packaging or packaging container according to this invention. Such a packaging or packaging container within the meaning of this invention is manufactured from polymeric materials or from paper materials, as are known and as are used in the state of the art for manufacturing of packaging and packaging containers. Preferably, the polymeric materials are selected from polymers, which are thermoplastic and which become viscous at temperatures in the range above the temperature point of glass transition and below the temperature of melting point of the polymeric material, and can therefore be shaped at such temperatures by procedures, as are known and as are used in the state of the art and which are selected, inter alia, from procedures of injection moulding (English: injection molding/moulding), procedures of injection moulding with blowing (English: injection blow moulding), procedures of injection moulding with stretching and with blow designing (English: injection stretch blow moulding), and other similar procedures.

Preferably, the procedure of injection moulding with blowing (English: injection blow moulding) is selected, which has two-stages, where in the first stage, the injection moulding of the preforms of the product into moulds or models takes place first and then, in the second stage of the so-called stretch moulding with blowing, these preforms are heated and reshaped by blowing of air or another gas at elevated pressure, so that the preform of the product is stretched in the mould to the final shape of the container with a textured wall, which has sections of the folded side wall of the final product.

Thermoplastic polymeric materials suitable for such a procedure are selected from polymers, such as: polyethylene (hereinafter abbreviation: PE), polypropylene (hereinafter abbreviation: PP), polyvinyl chloride (hereinafter abbreviation: PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (hereinafter abbreviation: PET), polystyrene (hereinafter abbreviation: PS), polyethylene furanoate (hereinafter abbreviation: PEF), polyhydroxyalkanoates (hereinafter abbreviation: PHA), polylactide (hereinafter abbreviation: PLA), polybutylene succinate (hereinafter abbreviation: PBS), and in alternative implementation examples also different starch materials and/or mixtures of the above stated materials in different combinations. Said paper materials for packaging and packaging containers within the meaning of this invention are selected from paper materials, as known and as used in the state of the art in the packaging industry, and most preferably, in the packaging industry for foodstuffs, food products and for pharmaceutical products. Preferably, such paper materials are plasticized with various polymer coatings and/or polymer foils, which are and as they are used in the state of the art to provide water tightness and imperviousness to other liquids and to protect against other environmental elements. Furthermore, the packaging or a packaging container within the meaning of this invention is made of a combination of the above stated polymeric materials, starch materials and/or paper materials.

Unlike conventional polymers used for various plastic materials and deriving from fossil sources (e.g. oil and natural gas) and therefore often referred to as petrochemical polymers, the polymers within the meaning of the present invention are most preferably polymeric materials for the so-called bio-plastic materials that are either of biological origin and at the same time biologically degradable (English: biodegradable, such as, e.g. PLA, PHA, PBS and starch mixtures) or of biological origin and are not biodegradable (English: biobased, such as, e.g. bio-PE, bio-PET).

Furthermore, the polymers within the meaning of this invention are preferably natural polymers that are by-products in agriculture, such as, e.g. different starch polymers (corn starch), mixtures of starch polymers and polymers of lactic acid origin. If necessary, such natural polymers can also be different types of cellulose.

In preferred implementation embodiments, the packaging container is made of plastic materials, which are preferably polymeric plastic materials. In one implementation embodiment of this invention, the polymeric plastic materials are preferably selected from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene furanoate (PEF), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polylactides (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and in alternative implementation embodiments also from different starch materials, different protein materials and/or mixtures of the herein stated materials in various combinations. In a further preferred implementation example, the polymeric plastic material is polypropylene.

The packaging container according to this invention is preferably manufactured by a procedure, which comprises a procedure for designing of a plastic material by blowing, which is preferably a procedure for designing of a plastic material by blowing into a pre-prepared mould with a built-in texture of the folded wall. Furthermore, such a procedure of manufacturing a packaging container comprises a procedure for designing of a plastic material by blow injection and stretching of a plastic material, which is preferably a procedure for designing of a plastic material by blow injection and stretching of the plastic material by blowing and stretching into a pre-prepared mould with a built-in texture of the folded wall. For implementation of this procedure composite devices are used, which comprise devices and units for manufacturing of a preform by injection moulding and by subsequent designing into a final shape of the packaging container on the unit for designing by stretch blowing into moulds with the final shape of the container. Examples of such devices are e.g. machines for injection moulding and blowing by a Chinese manufacturer titled Victor Machinery, among which are machines for injection moulding and blowing with labels MSZ30 (manufacturer's title: MSZ30 Injection Blow Molding Machine), MSZ50 (manufacturer's title: MSZ50 Injection Blow Molding Machine), MSZ60S, MSZ70, MSZ95 and MSZ135 (manufacturer's title: MSZ60S, MSZ70, MSZ95 or MSZ135 Injection Blow Molding Machine), which are selected according to the volumes and other parameters of the packaging containers.

Such a procedure comprises steps as are known in the state of the art for blow injection and/or moulding of plastic materials, and preferably, of polymeric plastic materials.

In one of the implementation examples, such a procedure comprises the steps of melting of the polymeric plastic material at temperatures in the range above the temperature point of glass transition and at the same time below the temperature of melting of the selected polymer, which is preferably in the form of granules or pellets. This is followed by a stage of injecting a more or less viscous liquid polymeric material into the mould of the preform of the packaging container, which is followed by another stage, i.e. the stage of blow stretching of the preform of the product in the moulds, which comprise in the side wall the texture of the folds of the side wall of the final product of the packaging container. In this stage, the preform of the product in the part of the opening is placed on the feeding attachment, which transfers the preform into an opened mould with the shape of the final product. This mould is opened in the stage of transferring the preform into the mould, so that preform can be inserted into it, mounted on the feeding attachment. After inserting the preform, the open mould is closed to give or determine with its inside the shape of the final product with a textured side wall. The feeding attachment is, at the same time, also a blowing device, which in its inside comprises a tube, that leads to the blowing nozzles of the attachment, where air or another gas under elevated pressure and with appropriate temperature is supplied through the tube and is blown through the nozzles of the attachment out of the attachment, so that the preform reshapes and stretches all the way to the walls of the mould and thus transforms into the shape of the final product of the packaging container. With this the preform of the polymeric material is stretched to the volume and shape of the mould, including the side wall textured with folds. Thus, a packaging container according to this invention is designed from a polymeric material. This is followed by the step of cooling the packaging container and then its compression together to the volume and shape of the compressed folds of the side wall.

In an alternative implementation example, this procedure of manufacturing a packaging container comprises steps of melting the polymeric plastic material at temperatures in the range above the temperature point of glass transition and simultaneously below the temperature of melting of the selected polymer, which is preferably in the form of granules or pellets, which is followed by moulding of the polymer into a mould with the so-called precursor shape or the preform of the product, that is preferably the shape of a mini crucible or test tube, and then such a preform of the product is inserted with a feeding attachment into a pre-prepared mould with the texture of the folds of the side wall, which are heated in the heating chamber and then exposed to elevated pressure and to blowing of the heated air or individual gas to stretch the polymeric material to the volume and shape of the mould, which has the side wall textured with folds, to form a packaging container according to this invention from the polymeric material, which is followed by cooling of the packaging container and its compression together to the volume and shape of the compressed folds of the side wall.

With the packaging container according to this invention the consumption of packing/packaging material and the consumption of space and of the related costs (e.g. consumption of energy, fuels, propulsion machinery and/or assets, and infrastructure) is reduced during packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of the packaging container alone according to this invention or of such a packaging container together with the product, which is packaged in it. Consumed is e.g. less wrapping material and/or transport cardboard due to the significantly smaller volume of such packaged products or goods, and consequently, among other things, the costs of distribution of transport cardboard, pallets, containers, etc. are reduced. In addition, the compressibility of the wall of such a container also means a significantly smaller volume in the recycling or destruction of waste packaging, because such a container, potty, crucible (cup) or bottle is easier to compress and fold together after use. At the same time, such a packaging is practically useful also for the end consumer, because he handles the potty, crucible or bottle, which has a small volume and is stretched before the preparation of the product, and into which another ingredient is added, such as e.g. water or another liquid. At the same time, such a packaging/ packaging container is cooler in the part, which is flexibly stretchable and compressible, because the air between the compressed folds additionally insulates the container wall, and, if necessary, cools it, too. In addition, the folded or the ribbed part of the side wall of the packaging container is less slippery due to such a construction, which enables better gripping of such a container. In the case of the manufacturing of packaging containers from nature-friendly materials, the amount of harmful waste is additionally reduced.

Implementation examples

Implementation example 1 - Construction of a packaging container with one flexible section of the folded part of the side wall of the container

Figures 1 and 2 schematically show one of the implementation embodiments of a packaging container according to this invention in a side view. Such a container has a shape of a crucible (cup) with a circular cross section at the bottom, as well as in the container body and at the top of the container. In the side wall, it has one section, which is constructed with a series of fifteen flexibly extendable flat-limbed folds, so that this section of the side wall is preferably extendable in the vertical direction of the container and, if necessary, compressible. In Figure 1, the packaging container is shown in the phase of folding or compression of the flexible folded part of the side wall of the container, and thus in the phase of compression of the packaging container, and in Figure 2, in the stage of stretching of the packaging container with extended folds. The container 1 has a bottom 2, a top 3 with a top opening made in a form of a slightly thickened mouth 4 of the container, and a side wall 5 with a folded part 6, constructed from a series of fifteen directly contacting consecutive flat-limbed folds G, where each fold occupies an angle b at the crest of the fold, and an angle a at the lower limb of the fold, and an angle g at the upper limb of the fold, where these angles are shown in Figure 1. The fold G within the meaning of this invention consists of the crest of the fold VG at the angle b, which is formed by the limbs of the fold, namely, the bottom limb SKG (the limb closer to the bottom of the container) and the upper limb of the fold ZKG (the limb closer to the top of the container). The limbs of the fold SKG and ZKG, and the crest of the fold VG project from the plane of the container wall RS either slightly outwards from the container and form the so-called outwardly oriented or the outer fold ZUG, or the limbs and the crest of the fold project from the plane of the container wall RS inwards into the space of the container and form the so-called inwardly into the container oriented fold or the inner fold NUG.

The crucible shown is made of polypropylene.

Such a crucible is covered at the upper opening and closed with a lid, such as e.g. schematically shown in Figure 3. The lid PO has a circular shape, which follows the shape of the mouth of the upper opening of the crucible, and has an annular contacting part SD or rim at the outer edge, and next to it the outwardly projecting tab JP, which serves for gripping the lid with the purpose of its removal and thus for opening the crucible covered with the lid PO. The lid PO fits on the mouth of the upper opening of the container and is placed on it either adhesively by gluing, or alternatively by welding or pressing the lid onto the mouth of the crucible.

Implementation example 2 - Construction of a packaging container with two flexible sections of the folded part of the side wall of the container

Figure 4 schematically shows one of the implementation examples of the packaging container according to the invention with a side view of the container. The container shown has a shape of a crucible with a circular cross section and in the side wall two sections, separated from each other, which are constructed with a series of flexibly extendable flat-limbed folds, so that these sections of the side wall are preferably extendable and, if necessary, compressible in the vertical direction of the container. Such a packaging container is shown in the phase of complete folding or complete compression of both of the two flexibly compressible and at the same time flexibly extendable parts of the side wall of the container, and thus in the phase of complete compression of the packaging container. The packaging container 1 shown has a bottom 2, a top 3 with a top opening of the container with a thickened mouth 4 and a side wall 5 with a first folded part 6P and a second folded part 6D, which are constructed from a series of four consecutive flat-limbed folds G. All the folds of the folded parts 6P and 6D of the side wall of the container have the crests of the folds VG oriented into the inside of the container and thus inwards from the plane of the side wall RS of the container. This is achieved by configuring the folds with intermediate short flat sections VRO of the side wall between successive folds. Such an embodiment of the folded sections of the side wall is intended to save as much space of the packaging container as possible in the stages of packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, delivery and sale of the packaging container alone or of such a packaging container together with the product packaged in it.

Implementation example 3 - Construction of an outer cover of the packaging container with two flexible sections of the folded part of the side wall of the container

A cover of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention according to Figure 4 is schematically shown in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8. Figure 5 shows a side view of one of the implementation examples of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention according to Figure 4, in which the packaging container is covered with an additional outer cover O made of cardboard. This cover O completely covers the side walls of the crucible in a completely folded or compressed phase. Cover O has two removable parts of the side wall ODS 1 and ODS2, which are separated from the remaining parts of the cover by perforations or perforation lines PL, which enable tearing off of these removable parts of the side wall of the cover ODS1 and ODS2. These removable parts of the side wall ODS 1 and ODS2 cover the stretchable sections of the crucible in the folded phase, as visible from Figure 5, which shows a side view of the packaging container, completely covered with such a cover, and in Figure 6, which schematically shows a vertical cut-off and removal of the cover in the left vertical half of the crucible with the cover, so that in the left vertical half the crucible 1 of Figure 4 is seen in the fully folded phase of both flexibly compressible side wall sections 6P and 6D, and in the right vertical half the crucible with the cover with perforated lines PL placed on it. Figure 7 schematically shows a side view of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention according to Figures 4, 5 and 6, where the container has a cover O placed on it, so that it covers only the sections of the side wall of the packaging container without flexibly compressible or stretchable folds or only the flat sections of the side wall of the container. In this view, both removable parts of the side wall of the cover are removed from the cover and in these places the compressed folds of both flexibly folded sections 6P and 6D of the packaging container 1 in the folded phase and the remaining parts of the cover O wrapping around and covering the sections of the crucible, where the side wall is flat, can be seen.

Figure 8 schematically shows a plan view of an additional outer cover O from Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention, which consists of a bottom of the cover DO, which is of a circular shape, and a side wall of the cover SO with perforation lines PL.

Implementation example 4 - Construction of a packaging container in the form of a bottle with a neck and with two flexible sections of the folded part of the side wall of the container

Figure 9 schematically shows a side view of one of the implementation examples of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention, where the container has a shape of a bottle P with a bottom DP, a body of the bottle TP with a circular cross section and with a side wall SP, and with a top of the bottle VP, which is constructed in a form of a neck VRP with an opening above OP and which has threads N on the outer side for winding up the lid. The side wall of the bottle shown has two sections SP1 and SP2 separated from each other, which are constructed with a series of flexibly stretchable and compressible flat-limbed folds, so that these sections of the side wall in the vertical direction of the container are preferably stretchable and, if necessary, compressible. The packaging container shown in Figure 9 is in the phase of partial folding or partial compression of the folded both parts SP1 and SP2 of the side wall of the container, and thus in the phase of partial compression of the packaging container. In this implementation of the folding of the side wall sections, each section or part SP1 and SP2 consists of a series of three flat-limbed folds, horizontally oriented with respect to the vertical of the container, the fold crests VG of which, both the inner fold crests NVG (in each section, two crests oriented into the inside space of the container) and the outer fold crests ZVG (in each section, one fold crest oriented outwards from the space of the container), do not extend outwards from the plane of the side wall of the container, whereas the inner fold crests are located below the plane of the outer wall and inside the container space, and the outer fold crests in the plane of the outer wall RS of the container.

The section of the individual folds of this container in Figure 9 is schematically shown in Figure 10 in a side view of the section of the side wall of the packaging container and in enlargement. This section comprises the flat parts RD of the side wall of the bottle below and above the flexibly folded wall section and the folded section NG, lying between them, consisting of three consecutive and directly contacting flat- limbed folds Gl, G2 and G3. From this figure it can be seen that in the implementation of directly contacting folds, the lower limb SKG of each intermediate fold, which is lying between the lower and the upper fold, is at the same time the upper limb ZKG of the fold lying below this intermediate fold, and the upper limb ZKG of each intermediate fold is at the same time the lower limb SKG of the fold lying above this intermediate fold.

Implementation example 5 - Construction of a packaging container with three flexible sections of the folded part of the side wall of the container

In figure 11 schematically shown container 1 in a side view of one of the implementation embodiments of the packaging container within the meaning this invention has a shape of a crucible with a circular cross section, a bottom of the container 2, a top of the container 3 with an opening and with a thickened mouth 4, and in a side wall 5 three separate sections, that is, the first folded section/ part 6P, the second folded part 6D and the third folded part 6T, which are constructed with a series of flexibly extendable and compressible rounded-limbed folds, so that these sections of the side wall in the vertical direction of the container are preferably stretchable and, if necessary, compressible. All folds of the sections 6P, 6D and 6T are located below the plane and maximally in the plane of the side wall RS of the container, so that no fold extends outwards above the plane of the side wall of the container. With such a construction it is achieved that these sections 6P, 6D and 6T of the side wall in the vertical direction of the container are preferably stretchable and, if necessary, compressible. Such a packaging container is shown in the phase of complete folding or complete compression of all the three folded parts of the side wall of the container, and thus in the phase of complete compression of the packaging container.

The herein described expandable packaging container may alternatively be constructed, manufactured and made, and used with appropriate variations and adaptations according to each respective purpose of the packaging and according to its shape, dimensions and materials, which it is made of. This comprises various alternatives, modifications and variations in the technical characteristics of the herein described construction of the packaging container or the packaging, and of the herein described component parts, elements and materials of the packaging container within the meaning of this invention, and also in the technical characteristics of the herein described procedure or manner of use of such a packaging, and of herein described procedures and individual steps of the procedures for manufacturing of such a packaging container. Based on the herein described a person skilled in the art within the meaning of this invention, can develop also other embodiments of such a packaging, procedures of their use and procedures for their manufacturing, which does not alter the essence of this invention, as described and specified herein and defined in the claims.

Claims

Patent claims

1. An expandable packaging container, which comprises a bottom of the container and a container side wall along the vertical axis of the container body between the bottom and top of the container body and has an opening of the container above, wherein said container side wall comprises at least one, at least two or more parts, which is flexibly folded or which are flexibly folded in a more or less horizontal direction or in a more or less diagonal direction, where said folded part of the side wall consists of at least one or more flexible stretchable folds, characterized in that with respect to the vertical of the container said fold runs or said folds ran at an angle from and including 90°, that is, in a completely horizontal direction, to and including 40°, that is, in a diagonal direction with respect to the vertical of the container, and that said fold is compressed together or that said folds of the side wall are compressed together by folding together in the stage of packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of such a packaging container alone or of such a packaging container with the product contained therein, and that said fold stretches or that said folds stretch in the vertical direction and thus the folded part of the wall stretches in the vertical direction of the container, so that the volume of the packaging container is increased.

2. An expandable packaging container, which comprises a bottom of the container and a container side wall along the vertical axis of the container body between the bottom and top of the container body and has an opening of the container above, wherein said side wall of the container comprises at least two or more parts, which are flexibly folded in a more or less horizontal direction or in a more or less diagonal direction, where each said folded part of the side wall consists of at least one or more flexible stretchable folds, characterized in that with respect to the vertical of the container said fold runs or said folds run at an angle from and including 90°, that is, in a completely horizontal direction, to and including 40°, that is, in a diagonal direction with respect to the vertical of the container, and that said fold is compressed together or that said folds of the side wall are compressed together by folding together in the stage of the packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of such a packaging container alone or of such a packaging container with the product contained therein, and that said fold stretches or that said folds stretch in the vertical direction and thus the folded part of the wall is stretched in the vertical direction of the container, so that the volume of the packaging container is increased.

3. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that with respect to the vertical of the container the said fold runs or that the said folds ran at an angle of 90°, that is, in a completely horizontal direction with respect to the vertical of the container.

4. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that with respect to the vertical of the container the said fold runs or that the said folds run at a diagonal angle from and including 89° to and including 40° with respect to the vertical of the container.

5. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that with respect to the vertical of the container the said fold runs or that the said folds ran at a diagonal angle of 87° with respect to the vertical of the container.

6. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that with respect to the vertical of the container the said fold runs or that the said folds run at a diagonal angle of 85° with respect to the vertical of the container.

7. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that with respect to the vertical of the container the said fold runs or that the said folds ran at a diagonal angle of 80° with respect to the vertical of the container.

8. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that with respect to the vertical of the container the said fold runs or that the said folds ran at a diagonal angle of 75° with respect to the vertical of the container.

9. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that with respect to the vertical of the container the said fold runs or that the said folds ran at a diagonal angle of 70° with respect to the vertical of the container.

10. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and/or 9, characterized in that the crest of the fold is located or that the crests of all folds are located below the plane of the side wall and/or at most in the plane of the side wall of the packaging container and that the crest of no fold extends outwards from the interior space of the packaging container and thus outwards from the plane of the side wall of the packaging container.

11. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9 and/or 10, characterized in that, in the stage of packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of such a packaging container alone or of such a packaging container with the product contained therein, when this container is in a compressed state of the flexible folded part or of the flexible folded parts of the side wall, from and including about 20% to and including about 80% of the volume of said packaging container is saved in the fully stretched phase of the side wall of the container.

12. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10 and/or 11, characterized in that, in the stage of packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of such a packaging container alone or of such a packaging container with the product contained therein, from and including about 30% to and including about 70% of the volume of the said packaging container is saved in the fully stretched phase of the side wall of the container.

13. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11 and/or 12, characterized in that, in the stage of packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of such a packaging container alone or of such a packaging container with the product contained therein, from and including about 40% to and including about 60% of the volume of the said packaging container is saved in the fully stretched phase of the side wall of the container.

14. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and/or 13, characterized in that in the stage of packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of such a packaging container alone or of such a packaging container with the product contained therein, 50% of the volume of said packaging container is saved in the fully stretched phase of the side wall of the container.

15. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and/or 14, characterized in that the folded part of the side wall is located or that all the folded parts of the side wall are located in the upper third of the vertical height of the container wall.

16. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and/or 14, characterized in that the folded part of the side wall is located or that all the folded parts of the side wall are located in the middle third of the vertical height of the container wall.

17. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and/or 14, characterized in that the folded part of the side wall is located or that all the folded parts of the side wall are located in the lower third of the vertical height of the container wall.

18. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and/or 14, characterized in that the two folded parts or that the folded parts of the side wall are arranged with flat parts of the side wall between them, so that one folded part is located or more folded parts are located in the upper third of the vertical height of the container wall and that the other folded part or the other folded parts are located in the middle third of the vertical height of the container wall.

19. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and/or 14, characterized in that the two folded parts or that the folded parts of the side wall are arranged with flat parts of the side wall between them, so that one folded part is located in the upper third of the vertical height of the container wall and the other folded part or the other folded parts are located in the middle third of the side wall of the vertical height of the container wall.

20. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and/or 14, characterized in that the two folded parts or that the folded parts of the side wall are arranged with flat parts of the side wall between them, so that one folded part is located in the upper third of the vertical height of the container wall and the other folded part or the other folded parts are located in the lower third of the side wall of the vertical height of the container wall.

21. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and/or 20, characterized in that the packaging container is in a shape, which has at the bottom of the container, at the top of the container and in the container body from the bottom to the top of the container in the horizontal cross section with respect to the vertical of the container a shape, which is selected from a circle, ellipse, triangle, square, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, orthogonal shape and/or any other more or less circularly rounded shape or any other more or less angularly designed shape and/or a simultaneous combination of such circularly rounded shapes and of such angularly designed shapes.

22. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and/or 20, characterized in that the packaging container is in a shape, which has at the bottom of the container, at the top of the container and in the container body from the bottom to the top of the container in the horizontal cross section with respect to the vertical of the container the same shape, which is selected from a circle, ellipse, triangle, square, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, orthogonal shape and/or any other more or less circularly rounded shape or any other more or less angularly designed shape and/or a simultaneous combination of such circularly rounded shapes and of such angularly designed shapes.

23. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and/or 20, characterized in that the packaging container is in a shape, which has at the bottom of the container, at the top of the container and in the body of the container from the bottom to the top of the container in a horizontal cross section with respect to the vertical of the container a shape, which changes along the vertical of the container and where such a shape at the bottom, at the top and between the bottom and the top is selected from a circle, ellipse, triangle, square, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, orthogonal shape and/or any other more or less circularly rounded shape or any other more or less angularly designed shape and/or a simultaneous combination of such circularly rounded shapes and of such angularly designed shapes.

24. An expandable packaging container according to claim 23, characterized in that the packaging container has a neck in the upper part of the body and at top of the container, which has a smaller transverse diameter than the transverse diameter of the container body between the bottom and the neck of the container and/or at the bottom of the container.

25. An expandable packaging container according to claim 23 and/or 24, characterized in that the packaging container has a neck in the upper part of the body and at top of the container, which has a smaller transverse diameter than the transverse diameter of the container body between the bottom and the neck of the container and/or at the bottom of the container, where this neck is located in the upper fifth of the height of the container body, including the top of the container.

26. An expandable packaging container according to claim 23, 24 and/or 25, characterized in that the packaging container has a neck in the upper part of the body and at top of the container, which has a smaller transverse diameter than the transverse diameter of the container body between the bottom and the neck of the container and/or at the bottom of the container, where this neck is located in the upper tenth of the height of the container body, including the top of the container.

27. An expandable packaging container according to claim 23, 24 and/or 25, characterized in that the packaging container has a neck in the upper part of the body and at the top of the container, which has a smaller transverse diameter than the transverse diameter of the container body between the bottom and the neck of the container and/or at the bottom of the container, where this neck is located in the upper twentieth of the height of the container body, including the top of the container.

28. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and/or 27, characterized in that the packaging container has the upper opening covered with at least one lid or with several lids.

29. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and/or 28, characterized in that the volume of the packaging container is increased by stretching and that this increased volume serves for the preparation of the product, contained in the packaging container, before the end use.

30. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and/or 29, characterized in that it is used for the packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of the product contained in the packaging container and/or for the preparation of such a product for end use, where said product is in a concentrated liquid, semi-liquid and/or solid form.

31. An expandable packaging container according to claim 30, characterized in that the product contained in the packaging container is in a form, which is a concentrate of the liquid of the product, a syrup, gel, granule, tablet, capsule, pellet, flake, powder, a crystalline form of the product and/or a frozen form of the product.

32. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and/or 31, characterized in that it is used for the packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of food products, food additives, beverages and/or drinks and/or for the preparation of such products for end use.

33. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and/or 32, characterized in that it is used for packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of food products, food additives, beverages and/or drinks and/or for the preparation of such products for end use, wherein said products are selected from soups, sauces, dressings, pasta products, legume products, food vegetable products, food fruit products, food protein products, teas, coffees, coffee beverages, chocolate beverages, milk beverages, fruit and/or vegetable syrups, juices and/or beverages.

34. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and/or 31, characterized in that it is used for the packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of pharmaceutical products and/or for the preparation of such products for end use.

35. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and/or 31, characterized in that it is used for the packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of plant protection products and/or for the preparation of such products for end use.

36. An expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and/or 31, characterized in that it is used for the packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of chemical products and/or for the preparation of such products for end use.

37. An expandable packaging container according to claim 36, characterized in that it is used for the packaging, storage, transport, distribution, delivery and/or sale of chemical products and/or for the preparation of such products for end use, where said products are selected from chemicals, solvents, cleaners, disinfectants, detergents, washing or dishwashing detergents, softeners for textiles and plasticizers, dyes, paints and/or varnishes.

38. An expandable packaging container according to claim 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and/or 37, characterized in that the volume of the packaging container is increased by stretching and that this increased volume serves for the preparation of the product contained in the packaging container before the end use, where said preparation comprises an addition of a liquid and/or an addition of one or more other ingredients.

39. An expandable packaging container according to claim 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and/or 38, characterized in that the volume of the packaging container is increased by stretching and that this increased volume serves for the preparation of the product contained in the packaging container before the end use, where said preparation comprises an addition of a liquid, which is selected from water, milk, whey, kefir, yoghurt, fruit juice and/or tea.

40. An expandable packaging container according to claim 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and/or 39, characterized in that the volume of the packaging container is increased by stretching and that this increased volume serves for the preparation of the product contained in the packaging container before the end use, where said preparation comprises an addition of a liquid, which is water.

41. An expandable packaging container according to claim 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 38 and/or 39, characterized in that the volume of the packaging container is increased by stretching and that this increased volume serves for the preparation of the product contained in the packaging container before the end use, where said preparation comprises an addition of a liquid, which is milk.

42. A procedure for the preparation of an expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 and/or 41.

43. A procedure for the preparation of an expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and/or 42, characterized in that the packaging container is made of plastic materials.

44. A procedure for the preparation of an expandable packaging container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 and/or 43, characterized in that the packaging container is made of polymeric plastic materials.

45. A procedure for the preparation of an expandable packaging container according to claim 44, characterized in that the packaging container is made of polymeric plastic materials, selected from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene furanoate (PEF), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polylactides (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), different starch materials, different protein materials and/or mixtures of the herein stated materials in various combinations.

46. A procedure for the preparation of an expandable packaging container according to claim 44 and/or 45, characterized in that the packaging container is made of a polymeric plastic material, which is polypropylene.

47. A procedure for the preparation of an expandable packaging container according to claim 42, 43, 44, 45 and/or 46, characterized in that it comprises a procedure for designing a plastic material by blowing.

48. A procedure for the preparation of an expandable packaging container according to claim 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and/or 47, characterized in that it comprises a procedure for designing a plastic material by blowing into a pre-prepared mould with a built-in texture of folded wall.

49. A procedure for the preparation of an expandable packaging container according to claim 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and/or 48, characterized in that it comprises a procedure for designing a plastic material by blow injection and stretching of the plastic material.

50. A procedure for the preparation of an expandable packaging container according to claim 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 and/or 49, characterized in that it comprises a procedure for designing a plastic material by blow injection and stretching of the plastic material by blowing and stretching in the pre-prepared mould with built-in texture of the folded wall.