Collapsible bottle
OwnerDavid B. Haynieinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A collapsible fluid container having an expanded and a collapsed configuration, including a rigid top portion having an open mouth with structure onto which a closure member may be disposed, a rigid base portion bottom, and a resilient medial portion disposed between the upper portion and base portion. When in the expanded configuration the container is substantially cylindrical. It is placed into a collapsed configuration by twisting the upper portion and base portion in relation to one another or pushing the upper portion toward the base portion until they approximate one another. Retention structure is employed to hold the container in the collapsed configuration. When the retention structure is disengaged, the resilient material of the medial portion urges the container back into a fully expanded configuration.
Claims20
A collapsible fluid container having an expanded and a collapsed configuration, comprising:
- a generally rigid top portion having an open mouth with structure onto which a closure member may be disposed;
- a generally rigid base portion having a bottom with a planar portion for placement on a flat surface;
- a flexible and resilient medial portion disposed between said upper portion and said base portion;
- and
- retention structure for securing the container in the collapsed configuration;
- wherein when in the expanded configuration said collapsible fluid container is substantially cylindrical, and said apparatus is placed into a collapsed configuration by removing any closure member from said mouth and then either twisting said upper portion and said base portion in relation to one another or pushing said upper portion toward said base portion until said retention structure is engaged so as to hold said fluid container in the collapsed configuration.
A collapsible fluid container, comprising:
- an upper portion having an open mouth;
- a base portion;
- a medial portion fabricated from resilient material, said medial portion disposed between said upper portion and said base portion;
- and
- retention structure;
- wherein said fluid container has an expanded configuration and a collapsed storage configuration and is translated from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration by twisting said upper portion in relation to said base portion, and wherein when said fluid container is in the collapsed configuration, said resilient material imparts a force to each of said upper and base portions urging said upper and base portions to rotate in a direction opposite that of the rotation of twist used to place said fluid container in the collapsed configuration, and said retention elements uses such force as a means to maintain engagement with one another and thereby to retain said fluid container in the collapsed configuration.
A collapsible fluid container, comprising:
- an upper portion with a mouth;
- a base portion shaped for placement on a flat surface such that said fluid container is in a generally upright orientation;
- a medial portion fabricated from resilient material and disposed between said upper portion and said base portion;
- wherein said fluid container has an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, and when in the collapsed configuration said medial portion is distorted so as to reduce the volume within said fluid container and so as to bring said upper portion and said lower portion into engagement with one another, and wherein when said upper portion and said lower portion are released from such engagement, said resilient material will urge said fluid container back into the expanded configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.