Hermetically sealable collapsible container
OwnerThomas J. Scarnatoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A resuable container made of elastic material which is formed with sections of different geometry wherein when the container is opened it will self-expand to a fully extended position. However, when pressure is applied to the top of said container it will progressively collapse from the top to the bottom thereof thereby allowing reduction of volumetric dimension substantially equal to the substance contained therein for easy access to that substance. An air tight closure is tightened about the access opening while the container is held in collapsed condition whereby a partial vacuum is then created therein.
Claims20
A hermetically sealable container comprising;
- a self-expanding body having an access opening at the top and a base at the bottom thereof;
- said body comprising at least one fold disposed between said top and base and having upper and lower fold portions of substantially uniform thickness joined in an outwardly directed apex;
- and said upper fold portion being of different radial length than said lower fold portion and said fold being characterized by increased rigidity from the upper to the lower portions thereof whereby upon pressure being applied to the top of said container, said body will collapse progressively from the top to the bottom thereof.
A hermetically sealable container comprising:
- a self-expanding body having an access opening at the top and a base at the bottom thereof;
- said body comprising a plurality of pleats successively connected from the top of the container to the bottom thereof, and each pleat having upper and lower converging portions of substantially uniform thickness joined in an outwardly directed apex;
- each pleat defining a progressively decreasing transaxial cross-sectional area from top to bottom of the container, and the upper portion of any particular pleat having a greater length than the corresponding lower portion of that same pleat radially of the container, and each pleat having less flexibility than one thereabove whereby said pleats progressively collapse from top to bottom of said container upon a load being applied to the top thereof.
A hermetically sealable container comprising a self-expanding structure of plastic material with an access opening, a reusable closure adapted to seal said opening, said structure comprising a bellows-like body adapted to be compressed to bring said access opening to the level of the product therein to proportion the volumetric dimensions of the interior of the container to approximately the volume of the contents therein such that as the contents are depleted the container size is reduced to approximately the volume of the remainder of the contents, and said container adapted to be hermetically resealed in such collapsed condition by application of the closure, said body characterized in being self-expandable to original dimension if an air leak occurs, whereby indicating deficiency of the seal to the user, said container comprising folds having sections of progressively decreasing compressibility from top to bottom of said container, and said folds formed and arranged in an axial series and said folds from top to bottom of the container being progressively less compressible, and said section of each of said folds being formed by opposing upper and lower truncated conical portions joined in an outwardly directed apex and adjacent portions of respective sections merging into bights, the apex of each fold from top to bottom of the container being disposed outwardly of the one therebelow, the upper conical portion of each fold being of lesser radial length than the lower conical portion of the fold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.