US 5,080,260 AGranted

Self-supporting, stand-up, yet foldable plastic bottle, mold form for its manufacture, and method of reducing its volume when empty

AssigneeDuring AG

InventorWalter During

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Abstract

The bottle is made of thin-walled plastic produced by a blow-molding process; a bottom part (3) is pre-formed with an inwardly extending, in cross section essentially V-shaped folded part (13) which defines an elongated inner bottom fold line (8). The inner fold line (8) merges smoothly with body fold lines (15, 15a, 15b) extending longitudinally of the bottle. The inner bottom fold line (8) and the longitudinal fold line are in a single plane; the plane is transverse to the seam or junction lines (9) formed by molding the bottle in a two-part mold. The cross section of the bottle may be circular, rectangular, or hexagonal, and it is unitary with a pouring spout which extends, preferably with a reduced diameter, from the top portion of the bottle, so that, upon folding the bottle along the seam lines and expelling all air from the inside, the bottle can be compressed and reduced to small size upon air-tightly closing the spout.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A collapsible and expandable blow-molded plastic bottle which is self-supporting when expanded, having a body (2) including

a bottom portion (3, 4), adapted to support the bottle and contents thereof on a support surface;
a top portion (16, 26) including a pouring spout (16, 19);
two central face portions (11), and two pairs of side wall portion (12),
wherein the body (2) is formed with two seam lines or junctions extending longitudinally of the bottle and generated upon blow-molding of the bottle,
each of said pair of said side wall portions forming outwardly extending, in cross section essentially V-shaped side walls defining a longitudinally extending side fold line (15) at the apex of the outwardly directed V, and
each of said pair of side wall portions (12) forming an angle (.beta.) between each other and extending outwardly of said body (2), each said angle (.beta.) opening in a direction toward the interior of the bottle;
wherein the bottom portion is formed with an inwardly extending, in cross section essentially inverted V-shaped folded part (13) defining an elongated inner bottom fold line (8) at the apex of the inwardly directed V,
said inner bottom fold line (8) separating said bottom portion into two essentially parallel bottom wall regions (14);
wherein the bottom fold line (8) and the longitudinal side fold lines (15) are located in a single plane passing through a longitudinal axis of the bottle;
wherein said inner bottom fold line (8) comprises
a central, essentially straight portion (8) and two lateral curved portions (10) which extend upwardly to meet and merge with said longitudinal side fold lines (15);
and
upon collapse of said bottle, inverted, essentially Y-shaped folding lines (17) will form, extending the bottom wall region (14) of the bottom portion (3) of the bottle.

10 more elements

Collapsible and expandable blow-molded plastic bottle having

a body (2), said body having
wall portions, a bottom portion (3a) and a top portion (16, 26) including a pouring spout;
wherein, in cross section, the shape of the bottle in the central region thereof is essentially rectangular, said wall portions having two central face portions (11a) and four side wall portions (12a), two, each, of the side wall portions, at their edges, defining longitudinal fold lines (15a) which are preformed and project outwardly of the bottle, and two seam lines or junctions (9) on the body, generated upon blow-molding of the bottle;
wherein
the bottom portion (3) is formed with an inwardly extending, in cross section essentially inverted V-shaped folded part (13) defining an elongated inner bottom fold line (8a) at the apex of the V;
wherein the inner bottom fold line (8a) and the longitudinal fold lines (15a) are located in a single plane passing through a longitudinal axis of the bottle;
wherein said elongated inner bottom fold line comprises a central, substantially straight portion (8) and two lateral portions (10a), extending upwardly to directly meet said longitudinal fold lines (15a);
and
wherein said inwardly extending V-shaped folded part (13) defines two essentially convex surfaces (18a) forming part of the bottom portion (3a) and having lateral rounded end portions (14a), said rounded end portions (14a) merging into the body portion (2) and being located at opposite sides of said single plane.

6 more elements

Collapsible, blow-molded plastic bottle having a body (2) having

wall portions;
a bottom portion (3b);
and
a top portion (2b) including a pouring spout (16, 19),
wherein, in cross section, the shape of the bottle in a central region thereof is essentially circular;
longitudinal side fold lines (15b) which are preformed and project outwardly of the bottle and located diametrically opposite each other;
two seal lines or junctions (9) on the body, generated upon blow-molding of the bottle;
the bottom portion (3b) is formed with an inwardly extending, in cross section essentially inverted V-shaped folded part (13b) defining an elongated inner bottom fold line (8b) at the apex of the V;
wherein the bottom fold line (8b) and the longitudinal side fold lines (15b) are located in a single plane passing through a longitudinal axis of the bottle;
and wherein said elongated inner bottom fold line (8b) comprises a central, substantially straight portion and two lateral portions (10b), extending upwardly to directly meet said longitudinal fold lines;
and
wherein said inwardly extending V-shaped folded part (13b) defines two essentially convex surfaces (18b) forming part of the bottom wall (3b) and having lateral rounded end portions (14b), said rounded end portions (14b) merging into the body (2) and being located at opposite sides of said single plane.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.