U.S. patent application number 12/705747 was filed with the patent office on 2010-06-10 for collapsible container.
This patent application is currently assigned to SEA TO SUMMIT PTY., LTD.. Invention is credited to Paramjeet Singh, Roland Tyson.
Application Number | 20100140279 12/705747 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40377732 |
Filed Date | 2010-06-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100140279 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tyson; Roland ; et
al. |
June 10, 2010 |
Collapsible Container
Abstract
A collapsible container includes a compressive wall and a base.
The base includes a retaining ring extending from at least a
portion of its circumference, and the base is also made of a
hardened material compared to the material making up the
compressive wall. The compressive wall is adapted to be retained
around the circumference of the base via the retaining ring.
Inventors: |
Tyson; Roland; (East Perth,
AU) ; Singh; Paramjeet; (East Perth, AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
EDELL, SHAPIRO & FINNAN, LLC
1901 RESEARCH BOULEVARD, SUITE 400
ROCKVILLE
MD
20850
US
|
Assignee: |
SEA TO SUMMIT PTY., LTD.
East Perth
AU
|
Family ID: |
40377732 |
Appl. No.: |
12/705747 |
Filed: |
February 15, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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PCT/AU2007/001163 |
Aug 17, 2007 |
|
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12705747 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/666 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 21/086 20130101;
B65D 11/02 20130101; A45F 2003/205 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/666 |
International
Class: |
B65D 6/00 20060101
B65D006/00 |
Claims
1. A collapsible container comprising: a compressive wall; and a
base having a retaining ring extending from at least a portion of
its circumference; wherein the base comprises a hardened material
compared to the material making up the compressive wall and the
compressive wall is adapted to be retained around the circumference
of the base by way of the retaining ring, the retaining ring
includes a plurality of retaining lugs extending therefrom, the
compressive wall is retained to the base by receiving the plurality
of retaining lugs in a plurality of apertures provided therein on
at least a one-to-one basis, and an overlaying layer is applied to
the retaining lugs, as received within the apertures, to provide
additional strength to the join between the base and compressive
wall.
2. A collapsible container according to claim 1, wherein a top
strengthening ring is provided at the end of the compressive wall
not connected to the base.
3. A collapsible container according to claim 2, wherein at least
one additional strengthening ring is provided in the compressive
wall between the base and the top strengthening ring.
4. A collapsible container according to claim 1, wherein the base
is made of a material of a suitable hardness to allow small knives
to be used thereon without damaging its structural integrity.
5. A collapsible container according to claim 1, wherein the
compressive wall consists of a series of linked layers.
6. A collapsible container according to claim 5, wherein each
linked layer has a shape substantially similar to a parallelogram
in cross section.
7. A collapsible container according to claim 2, wherein the top
strengthening ring is adapted to allow a lid to be connected
thereto.
8. A collapsible container according to claim 2, further including
a handle, the handle being adapted to extend from the base to the
top strengthening ring to facilitate carrying of the container.
9. A collapsible container according to claim 8, wherein the handle
is adapted to be recessed into the base when not in use.
10. A collapsible container according to claim 1, wherein the
interior side of the collapsible wall is labelled with a series of
indicators and the volumetric capacity of the container at such
indicators.
11. A collapsible container according to claim 1, further including
feet made from a non-skid material.
12. A collapsible container comprising: a compressive wall; and a
base having a retaining ring extending from at least a portion of
its circumference; wherein the base comprises a hardened material
compared to the material making up the compressive wall and the
compressive wall is adapted to be retained around the circumference
of the base by way of the retaining ring, the retaining ring
includes a plurality of apertures provided therein, the compressive
wall is retained to the base by a plurality of retaining lugs
extending therefrom being received on at least a one-to-one basis
in the plurality of apertures, and an overlaying layer is applied
to the retaining lugs, as received within the apertures, to provide
additional strength to the join between the base and compressive
wall.
13. A collapsible container according to claim 12, wherein a top
strengthening ring is provided at the end of the compressive wall
not connected to the base.
14. A collapsible container according to claim 13, wherein at least
one additional strengthening ring is provided in the compressive
wall between the base and the top strengthening ring.
15. A collapsible container according to claim 12, wherein the base
is made of a material of a suitable hardness to allow small knives
to be used thereon without damaging its structural integrity.
16. A collapsible container according to claim 12, wherein the
compressive wall consists of a series of linked layers.
17. A collapsible container according to claim 16, wherein each
linked layer has a shape substantially similar to a parallelogram
in cross section.
18. A collapsible container according to claim 13, wherein the top
strengthening ring is adapted to allow a lid to be connected
thereto.
19. A collapsible container according to claim 13 further including
a handle, the handle being adapted to extend from the base to the
top strengthening ring to facilitate carrying of the container.
20. A collapsible container according to claim 19, wherein the
handle is adapted to be recessed into the base when not in use.
21. A collapsible container according to claim 12, wherein the
interior side of the collapsible wall is labelled with a series of
indicators and the volumetric capacity of the container at such
indicators.
22. A collapsible container according to claim 12, further
including feet made from a non-skid material.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of International
Application No. PCT/AU2007/001163, filed Aug. 17, 2007, and
entitled "Collapsible Container," the entire contents of each of
which are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a collapsible container such as a
bowl, plate or mug.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0003] The following discussion of the background to the invention
is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present
invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is
not an acknowledgment or admission that any of the material
referred to was published, known or part of the common general
knowledge in any jurisdiction as at the priority date of the
application.
[0004] Collapsible bowls have commonly been made of a silicon-based
material. While this provides the resilience and flexibility
required to allow such bowls to be collapsible, these same
attributes can result in the base of the bowl losing its structural
shape. This impedes the stability of the container when being
carried or handled, especially when the container is full.
Furthermore, such materials are generally prone to damage when
metal eating utensils are used to eat food served thereon.
[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
alleviate or reduce, at least in part, the aforementioned
problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Throughout this document, unless otherwise indicated to the
contrary, the terms "comprising", "consisting of", and the like,
are to be construed as non-exhaustive, or in other words, as
meaning "including, but not limited to".
[0007] In accordance with the present invention, there is a
collapsible container comprising: [0008] a compressive wall; and
[0009] a base having a retaining ring extending from at least a
portion of its circumference; [0010] where, the base is made of a
hardened material compared to the material making up the
compressive wall and the compressive wall is adapted to be retained
around the circumference of the base by way of the retaining
ring.
[0011] The base may be made of a material of a suitable hardness to
allow handling and carrying of contents. In other arrangements, the
base may be made of a material of a suitable hardness to allow
eating utensils to be used thereon without damaging its structural
integrity. Ideally, the base is made of a material of a suitable
hardness to allow small knives to be used thereon without damaging
its structural integrity. The compressive wall may be made from a
silicon-derived material.
[0012] The compressive wall preferably consists of a series of
linked layers. In a preferred form, each linked layer has a shape
substantially similar to a parallelogram in cross section. This
allows the compressive wall to expand and collapse with ease.
[0013] The retaining ring may have a plurality of apertures
provided therein and the compressive wall is retained to the base
by a plurality of retaining lugs extending therefrom being received
on at least a one-to-one basis in the plurality of apertures.
Alternatively, the retaining ring has a plurality of retaining lugs
extending therefrom and the compressive wall is retained to the
base by a receiving the plurality of retaining lugs in a plurality
of apertures provided therein on at least a one-to-one basis. It is
further preferred that the retaining ring extend around the
complete circumference of the base.
[0014] An overlaying layer may be applied to the retaining lugs, as
received within the apertures, to provide additional strength to
the join between base and compressive wall.
[0015] A top strengthening ring is provided at the end of the
compressive wall not connected to the base. Additional
strengthening rings may be provided in the compressive wall between
the base and the top strengthening ring. Such additional
strengthening rings are preferably provided between pairs of linked
layers.
[0016] The top strengthening ring can be adapted to allow a lid to
be connected thereto. A handle may also be incorporated to extend
from the base to the top strengthening ring to facilitate carrying
of the container. To retain compactness of the container, the
handle is ideally adapted to be recessed into the base when not in
use. To prevent loss of the handle, the handle may also be hingedly
connected to the base.
[0017] The collapsible wall may be arranged to expand in a manner
that the diameter of each successive layer is smaller than that of
its preceding layer the further the layer is from the base.
[0018] The interior side of the collapsible wall can be labelled
with a series of indicators and the volumetric capacity of the
container at such indicators. As an additional feature, the
container may also include feet made from a non-skid material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The invention will now be described, by way of example only,
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a collapsible bowl
according to the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the collapsible bowl shown in
FIG. 1 in its collapsed state.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a cut-away view of a portion of the collapsible
bowl shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] Specific embodiments of the present invention are now
described in detail. The terminology used herein is for the purpose
of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to
limit the scope of the present invention.
[0024] In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention there
is a collapsible bowl 10. The collapsible bowl 10 comprises a base
12 and a compressive wall 14.
[0025] The base 12 is made from a nylon material to a hardness
suitable for small knives to be used thereon without damaging the
structural integrity of the base. The base 12 is circular.
Protruding from the base is a retaining ring 17. The retaining ring
17 has a plurality of apertures 18 disposed about its
circumference.
[0026] The compressive wall 14 is frustoconical in its uncompressed
state. In this uncompressed state, the diameter of one open end of
the compressive wall 14 is of substantially equal size to the
diameter to the base 12. The compressive wall 14 is made of a
silicon-derived material.
[0027] The compressive wall 14 consists of a series of layers 20.
Each layer 20 is shaped like a cross-sectional shape similar to a
parallelogram as shown in FIG. 3. The layers 20 are linked to each
other.
[0028] The layer 20 to which the base 12 is to be attached has a
series of retaining lugs 22 disposed about its circumference. Each
retaining lug 22 is adapted to be received within an aperture
18.
[0029] To prevent disassociation of the base 12 from the
compressive wall 14, an additional layer of silicon-based material
overlays each retaining lug 22 received within an aperture 18.
Thus, the retaining ring 17 is received within the first layer 20
in a tongue and groove configuration.
[0030] In use, the collapsible bowl 10 is provided in its collapsed
state as shown in FIG. 3 to facilitate easy storage. In this
position, the side of the base 12 opposing the collapsible wall 14
may be used as a chopping board.
[0031] To convert the collapsible bowl 10 into a container, layer
20d is gripped and pulled in the direction illustrated by arrow A
in FIG. 1. Pulling layer 20d in this direction causes layer 20c to
rotate about its connection to layer 20b in the direction indicated
by arrow B due to that layers 20c own connection to layer 20d. This
continues until layers 20b, 20c and 20d are in substantial
alignment to each other. At this point, the height of the bowl is
increased by an amount equal to the combined height of layers 20c,
20d.
[0032] This process can then be repeated for each new layer 20
until the compressible bowl 10 has reached its full uncompressed
state or the user has uncompressed the bowl to their desired
height.
[0033] To compress the bowl 10, the user pushes on layer 20d of the
compressive wall 14 in a direction opposite to that shown by arrow
A. Because of the offset connection between layers 20 caused by
their parallelogram shape, force applied in this direction forces
layer 20d to rotate about its connection with layer 20c in the
direction indicated by arrow C. This continues until layer 20d
abuts layer 20c. Layer 20c can then be folded in to also abut layer
20b, and so on, if the material has not already facilitated such
abutment.
[0034] This continues until each all layers 20 have been compressed
to form a substantially flat bowl.
[0035] It should be appreciated by the person skilled in the art
that the above invention is not limited to the embodiment
described. In particular, the following modifications and
improvements may be made without departing from the scope of the
present invention: [0036] To provide the collapsible bowl 10 with
additional strength, the top-most layer 20 of the collapsible bowl
may be provided with a strengthening ring. The strengthening ring
is designed to assist in preventing the silicon-based material of
the top-most layer from collapsing on one side only. The
strengthening ring may take the form of an embedded metal wire or
ring made from the same material as the base 12. Additionally, the
strengthening ring may be adapted to allow a lid to be securely
fitted thereover or otherwise connected thereto. [0037] In a
configuration where the strengthening ring allows for a lid to be
connected thereto, the lid may contain a vent to allow heated air
to escape therefrom. Alternatively, where the collapsible container
is used to hold liquids, the lid may have a dispensing means, such
as a sipper, provided therein to facilitate dispensing of the
liquid. [0038] The collapsible bowl may be provided with additional
strengthening rings. Such additional strengthening rings may assist
in preventing the silicon-based material of intervening layers 20
form collapsing on one side only. [0039] The respective layers 20
of the collapsible bowl may be labelled on the interior wall with
details of the volume capacity of the bowl at that layer 20 in its
uncompressed state. To elaborate, if the first layer 20 has a
measurement capacity of 100 ml, if the bowl 10 is subsequently
filled with a liquid to the level of the top of the first layer 20,
the amount of liquid within the bowl 10 should equate to
approximately 100 ml. [0040] While the invention has been described
in the context of a collapsible bowl, the same principles can be
applied to form a collapsible plate and/or a collapsible mug or any
other form of container. [0041] Where the present invention is
modified to form a collapsible mug, it is preferred that a
strengthening ring be provided in respect of the top-most layer 20.
The provision of the strengthening ring in the top-most layer then
allows for a handle to be fitted to the mug. To ensure that the
addition of the handle does not detract from the otherwise compact
nature of the compressible mug, the handle may be recessed in the
base 12 of the mug. Ideally, the recessed handle may be hingedly
connected to the base 12 such that rotation of the handle about the
hinge essentially places the handle in a position to be connected
to the top-most layer of the mug. [0042] The concertinaed
arrangement of the collapsible wall may be inverted such that in an
uncompressed state, the diameter of each layer 20 of the
compressive wall 14 so uncompressed decreases rather than increases
as described above. This arrangement is particularly suited to
liquid containers where the decreasing diameter provides additional
containment of the liquid. [0043] The base 12 may be provided with
feet that extend from the opposing side to the compressive wall 14.
The feet may take the form of rubberised patches or protrusions
made from a non-skid material. Alternatively, the feet may take the
form of one portion of a hook and eye securing devices such as that
made under the trade name Velcro.TM.. [0044] The retaining lug 22
and aperture 18 arrangement described above may be reversed such
that the retaining lugs 22 are provided in the retaining ring 17
and the apertures 18 provided in the compressive wall 14. [0045]
The base 12 may be made of any suitably hardened material relative
to the compressive wall 14. Ideally, the material is sufficiently
hardened to allow eating utensils and/or knives to be used thereon
without substantially affecting the structural integrity of the
base 12.
[0046] Furthermore, the features described in the above embodiments
and the additional features mentioned above may be combined to form
yet additional embodiments that fall within the scope of the
present invention.
* * * * *