Collapsible container

#The present invention generally relates to collapsible containers. In particular embodiments, the present invention relates to a collapsible container for use in a liquid dispenser. In a specific embodiment the present invention generally relates to a collapsible container useful in a wall-mounted dispenser, wherein a pump communicates with the collapsible container and the container collapses as product is removed from the container by operation of the pump.

#Collapsible containers are well know and used in a variety of environments. The collapsible container disclosed herein will be useful in any environment wherein it is desired that a container collapse as product is removed from the container. However, when disclosing aspects of the collapsible container herein, the liquid dispensing arts are focused upon. Notably, in particular embodiments, the present application focuses upon collapsible containers employed in liquid dispensers that most commonly dispense hand-treatment products such as soaps, hand sanitizers, and lotions. Nevertheless, it should again be stressed that the collapsible containers herein can be employed in a multitude of environments because the containers taught herein collapse upon the removal of product, regardless of the particular product therein or the particular environment in which they are employed.

#Collapsible containers for liquid dispensers range in complexity from simple film-type plastic bags, such as those in the well-known bag-in-a-box type dispensers (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,952), to more rigid yet collapsible structures such as that shown U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,678. The containers are sealed such that the removal of product from the container causes the container volume to decrease by the volume of the product removed. Typically, a pump is sealed to the container, and the actuation of the pump causes product to be removed from the container. In such environments, the collapsing of the container presents a number of advantages.

#FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the collapsible container in accordance with this invention;

#FIG. 2 is a left side elevation view of the collapsible container of FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a right side elevation view of the collapsible container of FIG. 1;

#A collapsible container in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-10 and designated by the numeral 10. The collapsible container is shown with an opening 12 at neck 14, but it will be appreciated that this opening 12 is typically sealed off so that, when product is removed from the container 10 the volume of the container 10 necessarily decreases such that the container 10 must collapse as it is designed to do in accordance with this invention. The container 10 is shown without the opening 12 being sealed simply because the manner in which the opening 12 is sealed so that the container 10 collapses upon the removal of product is not material to the broadest embodiment of the present invention. Nevertheless, the container 10 is shown at various stages of collapse in FIGS. 1-10. In other embodiments, the opening 12 may be sealed by a pump 100, as seen in FIGS. 11-13, but, again, in the broadest sense, this invention relates to a collapsible container without regard to how it might be sealed at an opening such as opening 12.

#The container 10 includes a front wall 16, a rear wall 18, a left side wall 20, a right side wall 22, a top wall 24 and a bottom wall 26. The left and right side walls 20, 22 interconnect the front wall 16 with the rear wall 18 and the bottom wall 26 with the top wall 24. Similarly, the top wall 24 interconnects with the front wall 16, the rear wall 18, the left side wall 20 and the right side wall 22, as does the bottom wall 26. The transitions between the various walls may be slightly rounded or angled, as seen in the figures, for example at the transition 28 between the rear wall 18 and the top wall 24.

#It should be appreciated that all of the terms respecting the orientation of various walls (front, rear, left, right, top, bottom) are all relative and do not in any way limit the present invention. Indeed, in some embodiments, the container 10 may be oriented such that the bottom wall 26 is actually a top wall. However, in a particular embodiment in which the collapsible container of this invention is employed in an inverted orientation, as shown in FIG. 13, the wall with the neck 14 and opening 12 serves as a bottom wall. Thus, the term bottom wall has been employed for the wall at numeral 26, though, in other orientations, that wall may be oriented as a top wall, a front wall, a rear wall, or a side wall.