System of a bottle and of an associated co-operating device

A system comprising a bottle with a variable volume the outer side wall of which is deformable in the direction of the height and a device integrated into the inside of the bottle and retained in the latter to hold the bottle in one of a series of states of volume and to allow its gradual deformation from one state of given volume to another state of smaller volume, the system being applicable in particular to fizzy beverages.

BACKGROUND 
The present invention relates to a system of a bottle made for instance 
from plastics material with a variable volume intended to contain a 
liquid, in particular a fizzy beverage or gasified or sparkling drink 
(referred to hereinafter as a fizzy drink) and of an associated 
co-operating device. 
One often uses for containing an alimentary liquid a substantially 
cylindrical or polygonal bottle made from plastics material and having at 
its upper part a neck through which the liquid may be inserted into the 
bottle or poured outwards thereof. 
In the case of sparkling or fizzy beverages, the bottles with a fixed 
volume do not permit to preserve their gas content in a satisfactory 
manner during the consumption thereof. 
Indeed prior to the first use of the bottle, i.e. before its first being 
opened, the gas volume topping the contained liquid is reduced to a 
minimum in the zone inside of the neck and a pressure balance builds up 
between the gas dissolved in the liquid and the gas topping the latter. 
The initial gas content of the liquid is determined by this pressure 
equilibrium and may be predetermined in the case of a gasifying of the 
liquid. 
At each successive use of the bottle, one portion of the contained liquid 
is poured to the outside and air enters the bottle to replace by an equal 
volume the liquid poured to the outside. 
After every use, a new pressure balance is set up between the gas volume 
topping the liquid and the gas bubbles dissolved in the latter. The gas 
bubbles are migrating towards the surface of the liquid to balance the 
pressure inside of the bottle. 
Therefore on each use, the air which enters the bottle decreases the 
partial pressure of the gas topping the liquid and thus causes a 
degasification of the latter. 
This physical phenomenon is all the more important as the utilizations are 
spaced in time which generally occurs when the so-called "family" bottles 
are used, namely bottles with a volumetric capacity of 1.5 to 2 liters for 
instance. 
This degasification constitutes a major inconvenience in the consumption of 
fizzy drinks since the decrease of the gas content of these beverages 
results in an impairment of their taste. 
There is already known from the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,134 in the 
name of Cooper a vessel having a top opening for the filling and the 
pouring of fizzy drinks, which opening is extended towards the bottom of 
the vessel by a flexible and compressible or deformable middle wall. This 
document also proposes a device externally connecting the part above the 
bottom of the vessel to progressively adjust and maintain the internal 
volume thereof. 
This external device at least partially and concentrically encloses the 
vessel or is eccentered with respect thereto so as to be easily adaptable 
to the different types of existing vessels and to be reusable fully or in 
part on another vessel after complete consumption of the liquid contained 
in the original vessel. 
The solution proposed by Cooper has the inconvenience to require the user 
to always take with him the external device permitting to keep the bottle 
in a state of reduced volume, thereby significantly increasing the bulk of 
the bottle for example in the bag of the user without taking into account 
the fact that the user may easily forget to take this device with him. 
Moreover after the initial filling of the bottles during the conditioning, 
the latter are stored for a more or less long period in warehouses or 
distribution centers where the consumer will later come to buy the desired 
drink. 
For this storage period the bottles, Which always have some elasticity, are 
generally ending in becoming deformed or elongated under the effect of the 
strong internal pressure exerted by the gas dissolved in the liquid 
thereby resulting in the formation of an air space topping the liquid in 
the bottle, in which space the gas may escape and thus result in a 
previous degasification of the beverage before an external device may be 
used. 
It is also possible during the conditioning of the bottle to take this 
elongation of the bottle during its storage into account by filling it 
with an amount of drink sufficient to occupy the initial volume or volume 
at rest of the bottle increased by the estimated elongation. 
In this case however there will occur an outflow of the liquid out of the 
bottle upon its first being opened by the user through elastic relaxation 
of the bottle towards its state of initial volume, which is unacceptable. 
There is also known another system aiming at coping with the degasification 
of the beverages during their consumption, which proposes to fit the 
bottle after its first being opened and after each subsequent use with a 
special closing stopper with a check valve and to provide a gas 
overpressure in the air volume topping the liquid to restore the initial 
pressure balance and to stop the escape of gaseous carbon dioxide within 
the bottle. 
This known system however has the inconvenience of a high cost, a 
constraining utilization and above all this system surprisingly restricts 
but imperfectly the escape of the gas dissolved in the liquid. 
Furthermore the increase of the air volume contained in the bottle during 
its use as well as a possible introduction of air under pressure may also 
be a drawback from the sanitary standpoint owing to the possible pollution 
of the liquid by the air entering the bottle. 
The object of the present invention is therefore to remove the aforesaid 
inconveniences and to provide a system of a bottle with a variable volume 
and of an associated co-operating device permitting to fully avoid that 
the contained liquid goes flat or becomes staled since its initial 
conditioning until its total consumption and the manufacture of which 
should be inexpensive and its use should be simple. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
For that purpose the subject matter of the present invention is a system of 
a bottle with a variable volume intended to contain in particular a liquid 
with a gas content, of the type comprising a deformable external side wall 
and of an associated co-operating device to hold the bottle in one of a 
series of states of internal volume and to permit its gradual deformation 
from one state of given volume to another state of in particular smaller 
volume so as to conform the inner volume of the bottle to the volume of 
liquid remaining in the latter, characterized in that the aforesaid device 
is integrated into the inside of the bottle and retained in the latter. 
According to another characterizing feature of the invention the 
deformation is made in the longitudinal direction of the bottle and the 
device is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the bottle and symmetrical 
with respect to that axis. 
According to a particular embodiment the deformable external side wall of 
the bottle exhibits the shape of a creased or corrugated wall, four 
example which is pleated or formed with bellows-like folds. 
According to still another characterizing feature of the invention, the 
device consists of a return-preventing stop means co-operating with a 
means for guiding the deformation preferably as from the conditioning of 
the liquid into the bottle, one at least of the said means being retained 
either by the lower portion or by the upper portion of the bottle or by 
both of them. 
In the meaning of the invention the upper and lower portions of the bottle 
are spaced by the aforesaid deformable wall and the aperture for the 
filling and the pouring of the liquid is formed in the upper portion. The 
lower portion may be formed of the bottom of the bottle and the upper 
portion may be formed of the neck or even the stopper or plug. 
In a first embodiment of the invention the return-preventing stop means 
comprises a return-preventing interlocking or cogging mechanism and a stop 
member retained by the upper portion of the bottle through the medium of 
the guide means and co-operating with the pleated wall of the bottle. 
According to one embodiment the pleated configuration of the cylindrical 
circular wall of the bottle exhibits helical folding lines so as to 
co-operate with the stop member which is retained in bearing relationship 
through the agency of a vertical rod forming a guide means in the neck of 
the bottle, the rotation of the rod in the neck being made unidirectional 
in the sense of a reduction of volume of the bottle by the 
return-preventing interlocking mechanism. 
One may provide that the stop member co-operates with the inside of a whorl 
formed by the pleated helical wall of the bottle or that said member bears 
underneath peripheral ridges which are radially projecting inwards of the 
bottle from the helical folding lines. 
The stop member may be formed of a perforated or fragmentary disk with a 
diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the bottle and 
parallel to the folding lines of the pleated wall. 
The perforated disk may of course be replaced with a plurality of blades 
radiating from the aforesaid rod. 
According to another embodiment, the guide means extends substantially 
longitudinally in the bottle from its lower portion or from its upper 
portion and the return-preventing stop means is formed of peripheral 
ledges perpendicular to the axis of the bottle and projecting inwards of 
the bottle from the radially inner folding lines of the pleated wall and 
of at least one catch or projection supported by the guide means and 
coming in engagement with these ledges. 
The guide means may be formed of an externally toothed cylinder coaxial 
with the bottle, the teeth of the cylinder being adjacent to the pleated 
wall of the bottle. 
Alternatively the guide means may be a longitudinal rod supporting one or 
several blades the free end of which is toothed and the length of which is 
equal to the distance separating two opposite side faces of the bottle. 
According to still another embodiment of the invention, the guide means is 
made from at least two parts partially fitted into each other which are 
retained by the lower portion and the upper portion, respectively, of the 
bottle and which are more entering each other during a reduction of volume 
of the bottle, the return-preventing stop means being provided at least in 
part between the said parts. 
One may provide that the return-preventing stop means comprises an 
anchoring member on the bottom of the bottle and another associated 
co-operating member intended to be inserted through the neck to become 
hooked itself onto the said anchoring member. 
Preferably the lower and upper portions are rigid enough to avoid their 
deformation upon the contraction of the bottle. 
According to a first embodiment, the guide means is formed of a rod or of a 
telescopic tube with nestable sections which extend axially in the bottle 
and the return-preventing stop means consists of catches or teeth formed 
at least partially on the internal and/or external wall of the nestable 
sections. 
The teeth may of course be substituted for by simple bosses and the catches 
by grooves, slots or notches. 
If the telescopic tube consists of two sections only, one of the sections 
has teeth on its external face whereas the other section has notches on 
its internal face or vice versa. 
When the telescopic tube comprises at least three nestable sections, the 
latter are toothed both on its internal and external faces except for the 
two end sections which are toothed on one face only. 
The mutually confronting toothed faces of two nested sections may of course 
comprise teeth on one of the sections and grooves, slits or notches on the 
other section. 
According to another embodiment, the guide means is formed of a rod and of 
a hollow cylinder which extend axially in the bottle and the 
return-preventing stop means comprises an external screw-thread on the 
aforesaid rod and an internally screw-threaded portion in the vicinity of 
the free end of the aforesaid tube, the said internally threaded portion 
being adapted to be screwed onto the screw-threaded rod in the direction 
of a reduction of volume of the bottle and locked against rotation in the 
opposite direction for instance by an interlocking mechanism. 
When the internally threaded portion forms one single integral part with 
the tube, the tube being operable for rotation by its top end accessible 
at the level of the neck and the aforesaid interlocking mechanism is 
provided between this top end and the internal wall of the neck of the 
bottle. 
One may provide that the pitch of the threading be fine enough to prevent 
any spontaneous unscrewing. 
On the contrary if the internally threaded portion is a separate part 
forming a nut caged into the free end of the tube, the top end of the 
latter is held immovable against rotation in the neck and the aforesaid 
interlocking mechanism is provided between the said nut and the internal 
wall of the tube. 
In this case the volume of the bottle may be reduced by a simple motion of 
compression in the manner of a child which "resets" the spinning of a toy 
top. 
According to an alternative embodiment the guide means is formed of a rod 
which is made internally fast preferably axially to the bottle and of a 
frame which projects in substantially perpendicular relation to the inner 
wall of the bottle, for instance with several cross arms and bored through 
its center for the passage of the said rod and the return-preventing stop 
means comprises serrations or notches or teeth on the aforesaid rod 
co-operating with a flexible tongue forming a stop dog made fast to the 
aforesaid frame and projecting radially into the aforesaid bore. 
According to still another embodiment of the invention the guide means is 
formed of a flexible tie which extends axially from the bottom of the 
bottle and extends into a guide with a zigzag or bent internal 
passage-way, retained at the upper portion of the bottle and the 
return-preventing stop means comprises notches in the zigzag passage-way 
of the guide and co-operating with teeth formed along the flexible tie. 
In a general manner one may also provide that the aforesaid co-operating 
device when it is retained at the level of the neck be not fastened to the 
latter but urged into simple bearing by the engagement of the guide means 
and of the return-preventing stop means. 
The bearing surface of the device at the level of the neck may either be 
frusto-conical for resting upon a corresponding surface inside of the neck 
or constituted by a collar adapted to top the upper end of the opening of 
the neck or to rest upon a corresponding shoulder formed inside of the 
neck. 
In-a general manner the return-preventing stop means also provides a brake 
function preventing a spontaneous contraction or collapse of the bottle 
owing for instance to the slope of the teeth, to the elasticity of the 
slots, to the interlocking mechanisms or to the friction between the 
nestable parts. 
According to another particular embodiment, the device is formed of a 
return-preventing stop means co-operating with the pleated inner wall of 
the bottle which serves as a guide means for the deformation, the said 
stop means comprising peripheral ridges or ledges which are projecting 
inwards of the bottle from the innermost folding lines of the pleated wall 
and of a plurality of hook-like elements projecting from each ridge in the 
direction of the height of the bottle and adapted to hook themselves onto 
the immediately adjacent ridge for locking the bottle in the contracted or 
collapsed position. 
One may also provide that the aforesaid hooks be arranged in staggered 
relationship on the different peripheral ridges or ledges and may exhibit 
the variable lengths.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
According to the embodiment shown on FIGS. 1 to 3, the system of the 
invention comprises a bottle 1 and an associated co-operating device 2 
integrated into the inside of the bottle and retained within the latter. 
The bottle 1 comprises a bottom 3 which is extended by a substantially 
cylindrical middle portion 4 growing thinner at its upper part towards the 
neck 5 of the bottle. 
The middle portion of the bottle may of course have any shape for example 
with a substantially elliptical or polygonal cross-section or any other 
adapted shape. 
The upper portion of the bottle 1 is advantageously made thinner at 6 so 
that at the end of the reduction of the volume of the bottle the room 
remaining in the bottle be minimum. 
At the end of the volume reduction of the bottle indeed the lower end of 
the thinned portion 6 has come in the vicinity of the bottom 3 of the 
bottle so that the free space or room remaining in the latter is confined 
to the inside of the thinned portion 6. 
According to the invention, the middle portion 4 of the bottle is 
deformable in the axial direction of the bottle 1, i.e. in the direction 
of its height H and exhibits a corrugated or creased for example pleated 
or bellows-like folded wall. 
Peripheral ledges or ridges may be provided at the level of the folding 
lines 7 of the pleated wall 4 in order to avoid any risk of break or of 
tear of the bottle at these points. 
The pleated wall 4 of FIG. 1 consists of a series of frusto-conical rings 
4a with a rectilinear section in an axial plane of the bottle, two 
adjacent frusto-conical rings 4a being joined by their respective great 
base or small base along one folding line 7. 
The pleated wall 4 of the bottle 1 here exhibits an alternance of 
reinforcing circular arches with a small diameter 7a and a great diameter 
7b which are spaced from each other in the direction of the height H of 
the bottle by their substantially flat portion 4a. 
During the collapse of the bottle 1, the pleated wall 4 would fold itself 
in the direction of the axis H of the bottle 1 without generating too 
substantial a deformation in the substantially flat portions 4a which are 
defined between a reinforcement with a smaller diameter 7a and a 
reinforcement with a greater diameter 7b. 
The bottle 1 is generally made from stiff plastics material while the 
middle portion 4 may be made from a semi-rigid material or have a 
thickness such as to allow the folding of its wall. 
The bottom 3 of the bottle is separated from this pleated wall 4 by a lower 
rigid cylindrical tubular portion 4b. 
On FIGS. 2D and 3 have been shown two alternative embodiments of a stopper 
or cap 8 provided with a sealing gasket 9 for closing in a fluid-tight 
manner the open end of the neck 5 of the bottle 1. 
On FIG. 2D, the sealing gasket or washer 9 is provided outside of the 
threading 8a of the stopper or cap 8 whereas on FIG. 3 it is provided 
inside of the stopper or cap 8 upstream of the threading 8a. 
The device 2 consists of a telescopic rod 10 having three sections fitting 
into each other and designated from top to bottom by the reference 
numerals 10a, 10b and 10c, respectively. 
Hooks 11 are projecting inside of the bottle 1 from the bottom 3 to retain 
the lower end of the telescopic rod 10. 
The upper end of the first section 10a is bearing through the medium of a 
collar or flange 12 upon the top edge of the opening of the neck 5 whereas 
the lower end of the third section 10b is caused to be hooked by teeth 13 
onto the hooks 11. 
It could of course be considered that the telescopic rod 10 be formed of 
the sections 10a and 10b only, the section 10c forming a toothed rod or 
rack retained at the level of the bottom 3 of the bottle 1. 
It could further be contemplated that the sections 10a and 10b be formed of 
at least two vertical toothed fingers extending at right angles to a 
common base instead of an internally toothed tube. 
The intermediate section 10a is toothed at 14 over its whole inner wall but 
at one end 15 only of its outer wall in order to avoid a redundant use 
thereof with the inner teeth 14 of the first section 10a. 
In the same manner one end only of the section 10c is externally toothed at 
15 in order to come in engagement with the teeth 14 of the inner wall of 
the intermediate section 10b. 
In the case of course where the reference numeral 10 designates a 
telescopic rod, apertures are provided on its wall to permit the passage 
of the liquid into the bottle and outwards thereof. 
An elasticity slot 16 is provided at the lower end of the section 10c to 
permit the retraction of the teeth 13 when being hooked onto the hooks 11. 
Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there has been shown an alternative 
embodiment of the aforesaid telescopic rod. 
The telescopic rod 100 here comprises three nestable sections 100a to 100c. 
The upper end of the first section 100a comprises a flared-substantially 
frusto-conical portion 112 which is intended to bear upon a corresponding 
flared portion 5a inside of the neck 5, thereby permitting to directly 
apply a sealing disk upon the opening of the neck together with an adapted 
cap. 
The lower end of the last section 100c is externally threaded at 113 so as 
to be caused to be screwed into a female internally threaded hollow base 
111 to serve as a stop means for the telescopic guide tube 100. 
The section with a greater diameter here is in the vicinity of the bottom 3 
of the bottle 1 whereas in the alternative embodiment of FIG. 1, the 
section with a greater diameter is in the vicinity of the upper portion of 
the bottle. 
The sections 100b and 100c are hollow internally grooved cylinders the 
inner grooves 114 of which are intended to co-operate with lugs 115 which 
are radially projecting from the lower end of the external wall of the 
sections 100a and 100b. 
Elasticity slots 116 are provided in the vicinity of these lugs 115 to 
permit an easier bending of the latter during their passage from one 
groove 114 to another subjacent one. 
A longitudinal groove 17 is formed along the external wall of the 
intermediate section 100b for receiving a corresponding rib 18 which is 
radially projecting from the internal wall of the section 100c along its 
height to prevent any rotation of the sections 100b and 100c with respect 
to one another. 
The section 100a also comprises a groove 17' formed along its external wall 
so as to fit onto a corresponding boss of the groove 17 which projects 
inwards of the section 100b (see FIG. 5). 
The lower end 113 may thus be screwed into the base 111 by turning the 
telescopic tube 100 about itself from the neck 5. 
Windows 19 are also provided through the wall of the different sections of 
the telescopic tube 100 in order to let-pass the liquid contained in the 
bottle. 
The sections of the telescopic tubes 10 and 100 may of course be in any 
number determined in accordance with the maximum reduction of the bottle 
which is desired to be obtained. 
On FIGS. 6 and 7 has been shown another alternative embodiment of the 
system of the invention. 
The device 2 consists here of a hollow cylinder 20 made fast to one end of 
the bottom 3 of the bottle 1 and extending axially within the latter and 
of another hollow cylinder 21 with a diameter smaller than the cylinder 20 
and the upper end 21a of which is flared in order to bear upon a 
corresponding flared portion 5a inside of the neck 5. 
The return-preventing stop means consists here of teeth 22 which are 
projecting from the external wall of the cylinder 21 in the vicinity of 
its lower end and of a series of slots 23 formed through the wall of the 
cylinder 20 over its whole height and in which the teeth 22 are intended 
to be retained. 
Windows 19 are also provided in the cylinders 20 and 21 for the passage of 
the liquid. 
In the alternative embodiments shown on FIGS. 1 to 7, the inner guide means 
10, 100 and 20, 21 may of course have any for example elliptical or 
polygonal section. 
In the embodiments shown up to now, the reduction in volume of the bottle 1 
is effected in a gradual and stepwise manner in accordance with the number 
and with the height of the teeth on the internal guide means. 
In the alternative embodiment illustrated on FIG. 4, the deformable pleated 
wall 104 of the bottle 1 is constituted by a series of annular strips 104a 
bulged outwards and joined to each other along peripheral folding lines 
107. 
The pleated wall 104 comprises a series of reinforcing arches 107 with the 
same diameter and spaced from each other in the axial direction H by a 
flexible portion 104a which is bulged outwards of the bottle 1. 
The bulged portions 104a exhibit a substantially thinner wall thickness 
than that of the reinforcing arches 107. 
In both variants of the embodiment shown on FIGS. 8 to 11, the device 2 
permits a continuous and or infinitely variable reduction of the volume of 
the bottle 1. 
On FIGS. 8 and 9 the device 2 comprises a guide means formed of a rod 24 
axially projecting into the bottle from its bottom 3 and of a cylindrical 
tube 25 which is retained at its upper end 25a in the neck 5 and caused to 
fit with its lower end 23b onto the aforesaid rod 24. 
The return-preventing stop means here comprises a stop means formed of an 
outer threading 24a on the rod 24 and a corresponding tapping or internal 
threading inside of the lower end 25b of the tube 25. 
It could of course be alternatively provided that the internal surface of 
the tube 25 be screw-threaded and that the upper end alone of the rod 24 
be screw-threaded. 
The tube 25 is retained in bearing relationship at the level of its upper 
end 25a upon the internal flared surface 5a of the upper end of the neck 5 
through the medium of a hand grip-shaped element (see FIG. 9). 
The hand grip-like element 25a comprises on either side of a central web 26 
two apertures 26a serving both for the passage of the liquid through the 
neck 5 and for the gripping of the said element by a user with a view to 
rotate the tube 25 about the axis H. 
The return-preventing stop means moreover comprises a return-preventing 
means consisting for example of an interlocking mechanism between the hand 
grip-like element 25a and the inner wall of the neck 5, of the type shown 
on FIG. 11. 
FIGS. 10 and 11 show a modification of the device of FIG. 8. 
The rod 24 here comprises an external screw-threading 24a the pitch of 
which is definitely greater than that of FIG. 8 so as to permit an easy 
sliding of a nut 27 on the rod 24. 
The nut 27 is caged at the lower end 125b of a tube 125 the upper end 125a 
of which is retained in bearing relationship in the neck 5 and locked 
against rotation for example by a lug 28. 
It is seen on FIGS. 10 and 11 that the nut 27 has an axial tapping or 
internal screw-threading 27a with a pitch identical with the external 
screw-threading 24a of the rod 24 as well as inclined teeth 27b on its 
external periphery adapted to co-operate with a pawl-like tongue 29 which 
is fastened to the internal surface of the lower end 125b of the tube 125. 
The pawl 29 permits the rotation of the nut 27 in the direction of the 
arrow F on FIG. 11 but prevents its rotation in the reverse direction. 
The mechanism illustrated on FIG. 11 could be adapted to the hand grip-like 
element 25a of the embodiment of FIG. 8 by providing the inclined teeth 
27b on the periphery of the element 25a and the pawl 29 on the internal 
face of the neck 5 or reversely. 
FIGS. 12 and 13 show still another embodiment of the system of the 
invention wherein the device 2 comprises a flexible tie 30 which is 
fastened with one end to the bottom 3 of the bottle 1 and the other end of 
which is inserted into a guide with an internal zigzag passage-way 31 
which is retained by two lugs 32 within the neck 5. 
The lugs 32 are bent outwards at their upper end 32a in order to be caused 
to bear upon the upper flared portion 5a of the neck 5. 
The return-preventing stop means is here formed of teeth 31a in the zigzag 
passage-way of the guide 31 and of inclined teeth 30a which are projecting 
longitudinally from the flexible tie 30 so as to co-operate with the 
aforesaid teeth 31a. 
The flexible tie 30 is therefore in a state stretched or tensioned between 
the bottom 3 of the bottle and the guide 31 and in a released state at the 
outlet of the guide 31 at the level of the neck 5. 
One could also provide although this has not been shown a yielding tie 
without teeth fastened onto the bottom of the bottle with one end and the 
other end of which is retained at the level of the neck by an adapted 
means by making a knot with the tie or by clamping dogs. 
On FIGS. 14 and 15 has been shown another embodiment of the system of the 
invention wherein the pleated wall 204 of the bottle 1 is cylindrical and 
exhibits helical folding lines 207 so that the inner surface of the 
frusto-conical rings 204a serve as a ramp for a stopping member 33. 
The stop member 33 is retained by a vertical rod 34 which is bearing in the 
neck 5 through the agency of the aforesaid hand grip-like element 25a. 
On FIG. 14 has been shown in chain-dotted lines a gripping member 35 which 
may be used to rotate the hand grip-like element 25 about the axis H of 
the bottle. 
As in the embodiment of FIG. 8 an interlocking mechanism is provided 
between the hand grip-like element 25a and the neck 5 of the bottle 
although not shown on FIGS. 8 and 14. 
The stopping member 33 consists here (see FIG. 15) of several blades 
radiating from the vertical rod 34 and the free end of which is caused to 
be inserted into one whorl of the helically pleated wall 204. 
The blades 33 could of course be replaced with a perforated disk. 
On FIG. 14 it is seen that the stopping member 33 is substantially parallel 
to a folding line 207 of a whorl of the pleated wall 204. 
The blades 33 are of course made fast to for rotation with the vertical rod 
34. 
FIG. 16 shows a fifth embodiment of the system of the invention in which 
the guide means is formed of a cylinder 36 concentric with the bottle, 
fastened onto the bottom 3 of the latter and adjacent to the internal 
pleated wall 4. 
The cylinder 36 could of course be alternatively provided at the level of 
the upper portion of the bottle 1 in the manner of an inner skirt. 
The return-preventing stop means is formed here of peripheral edge flanges 
37 which are radially projecting inwards of the bottle from the innermost 
folding lines 7a of the pleated wall 4 and of teeth 36a inclined towards 
the bottom 3 and which are projecting from the external side surface of 
the cylinder 36. 
The folding lines 7 of course are here perpendicular to the axis H of the 
bottle 1. 
In the form of embodiment of the pleated wall 4 shown on FIG. 16, the 
peripheral edge flanges 37 are provided at the level of every second 
folding line since the innermost folding lines 7a only may come in 
engagement with the teeth 36a. 
On the contrary if the pleated wall 104 of FIG. 4 is used, the peripheral 
edge flanges may be provided at the level of all the folding lines 107. 
One will now briefly describe the mounting and the operation of the system 
of the invention with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. 
One has at first provided through injection into a same mold a preform 
which is subsequently blown up or inflated to form the bottle 1 which is 
provided with the hooks 11 on its bottom 3. 
One then slips through the neck 5 the telescopic rod 10 the sections of 
which have already been partially nested and one engages the teeth 13 of 
the last section 10c with the hooks 11. 
The device 2 is then inside of the bottle 1 and retained therein at its 
lower end by the hooks 11 and at its upper end by the collar or flange 12 
which is bearing at the level of the top end of the neck 5. 
The next step consists in filling the bottle 1 with the desired liquid up 
to the vicinity of the upper end of the neck 5 so as to reduce in a 
maximum fashion the volume of the air topping the liquid contained in the 
bottle. 
The opening of the neck 5 is then closed in a fluid-tight manner by the 
stopper or cap 8 and the bottle is ready for use. 
One thus avoids during the storage of the bottle after its conditioning an 
undesirable elongation of the bottle in the direction of the height H 
since the device 2 prevents any moving away of the bottom 3 of the bottle 
with respect to its upper portion 5, 6. 
On FIGS. 6 and 10 it is therefore necessary to engage both parts of the 
device 2 with each other before filling the bottle 1 in order to produce 
the result stated hereinabove. 
One may alternatively provide that a threaded base 111 (FIG. 4), a tube 20 
(FIG. 6), a threaded rod 24 (FIGS. 8 and 10) or a toothed cylinder 36 
(FIG. 16) be made integral in one single piece through molding with the 
bottle 1. 
When a user opens the bottle 1 for the first time by unscrewing the cap 8 
and pours one part of the contained liquid outside of the bottle, the user 
before closing the bottle again would compress it by pressing for instance 
upon its top so as to deform the pleated wall 4 and to fold or collapse it 
until the level of the liquid remaining in the bottle reaches the upper 
portion of the neck 5. 
At the same time as the folding of the pleated wall 4, the nestable 
sections 10a to 10c of the telescopic rod 10 would retract into each other 
and retain the bottle 1 in the new state of reduced volume owing to the 
co-operation of the teeth 14 and 15. 
Once the user has caused the inner volume of the bottle to be in conformity 
with the volume of the liquid remaining in the latter, he would put the 
cap 8 back on its place on the opening of the neck 5. 
Moreover as the successive consumptions of the liquid contained in the 
bottle 1 proceed, the sections of the telescopic rod 10 are fitting more 
and more into each other thereby contributing to strengthen the axial 
guiding of the contraction through the formation of a multiple wall, in 
the present case a double or treble wall. 
The other embodiments shown operate in a manner similar to that of the 
system of FIG. 1 except for the embodiments of FIGS. 8, 12 and 14. 
In the embodiments of FIGS. 8 and 14, the contraction or collapse of the 
bottle is produced by causing the hand grip 25a to be turned about its 
axis inside of the neck either directly by hand by the user or indirectly 
through the medium of the member 35. 
One may also exert a compression upon the bottle 1 in the direction of the 
arrow IX of FIG. 8 in order to facilitate the rotation of the hand grip 
25a. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 12, it is necessary to pull on the flexible 
toothed tie 30 at the same time as or subsequently to the compression of 
the bottle 1. 
After the full consumption of the liquid contained in the bottle, one may 
give the latter its initial shape again with a view for example to reuse 
it or to recover some parts thereof. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 1 owing to the elasticity slit 16, it suffices to 
disengage or unhook the teeth 13 from the hooks 11 with the assistance of 
an adapted tool inserted from the neck 5 so as to withdraw the telescopic 
tube 10. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 4, it suffices to rotate the telescopic tube 100 
about its axis for unscrewing the lower end 13 of this tube. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 6, it is possible to disengage the tube 21 from 
the tube 20 by inserting from the neck 5 an adapted tool for retracting 
the teeth 22 owing to the elasticity slit 21b. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 16 if the elasticity slits are provided in the 
cylinder 3, it suffices to insert an adapted tool through the neck 5 for 
drawing the teeth 36a back into a retracted position and to thus allow the 
bottle 1 to return into its initial position. 
It may also be desirable to come back to a state of greater volume of the 
bottle with a view to pour some amount of liquid into the latter from 
another bottle for example already opened and partially used up. 
On FIG. 1 one may provide for example that the teeth 4 be present on one 
sector only of the section 10a so that by turning the latter with respect 
to the section lob one may disengage the teeth 14 from the teeth 15 and 
thus permit the return to a state of larger volume of the bottle without 
withdrawing the telescopic tube 10. 
On FIG. 8 one may selectively come back to a state of greater volume by 
first compressing the bottle with a view to reducing its volume for 
unlocking the interlocking relationship between the hand grip 25a and the 
neck 5 and then by unscrewing the tube 25 from the threaded rod 24 until 
reaching the state of desired volume and at last by releasing the pressure 
upon the bottle for engaging the interlocking again. 
The system of the invention may of course be applied to bottles intended to 
contain non fizzy drinks and even pasty fluids in order to avoid to a 
maximum the contact of the contained fluid with the air topping the latter 
within the bottle. 
In the meaning of the invention the bottle designates any type of container 
either or not provided with its closure cap. 
The device of the system of the invention may be incorporated partially 
into the closure cap or into the wall of the bottle without departing from 
the scope of the invention. 
One may thus provide a yielding or rigid toothed rod fastened with one end 
onto the bottom of the bottle and the other end of which extends through 
the cap in which is provided an adapted interlocking or stopping 
mechanism. 
It should also be pointed out that the teeth on FIGS. 1 to 7 ensure the 
function of a brake preventing the spontaneous contraction or collapse of 
the bottle. 
In the alternative embodiment shown on FIGS. 17 to 20, the associated 
co-operating device 2 comprises a toothed rod 310 forming a rack which 
projects inside of the bottle 1 from the bottom 3 thereof and extends for 
instance up to above the deformable middle portion 4. 
The device 2 further comprises a guide member such as a cross frame 311 
which is formed inside of the bottle 1 in a plane perpendicular to the 
axis H and which is made fast to the inner side wall of the bottle. 
One may of course vary in any manner whatsoever the number of arms or legs 
of the guide member 311 or even adopt any other shape. 
The cross-frame 311 is bored through in its center to form an aperture 312 
for the passage of the upper end of the toothed rod 310. 
A flexible tongue 313 projects radially into the aperture 312 to co-operate 
with the teeth 314 and the associated teeth 315 of the toothed rod 310. 
On FIG. 17 it is seen that the teeth 314 are directed towards the bottom 3 
of the container 1 to allow the flexible tongue 313 to slide while curving 
itself on the inclined portion of the teeth 314 when the bottle 1 is 
squeezed in the direction of the axis H. 
One could alternatively provide several tongues 313 as well as a rod 
toothed over its whole periphery. 
The toothed rod 313 comprises a stop collar or flange 316 below the toothed 
portion of the rod 310 in order to come in abutment against the aforesaid 
guide member 311 so as to limit the contraction or collapse of the bottle 
and to thus avoid that the toothed rod 310 extends beyond and juts out of 
the neck 5 thereby preventing the closing of the bottle 1 or that the 
pleated wall 4 becomes cracked following too great a deformation. 
On FIG. 20 has been shown the bottle 1 in the contracted position in which 
one has decreased the height of the bottle 1 by several teeth 315. 
The tongue 313 serves as a stop means in the contracted position since it 
comes in abutment against the face of one tooth 315 which is opposite to 
its face inclined towards the bottom 3 of the bottle. 
The toothed rod 310 thus permits to decrease the height and the volume of 
the bottle 1 stepwise in accordance with the number and with the height of 
the teeth on this rod. 
During the squeezing of the bottle 1, the bulged walls 104a would be curved 
outwards of the bottle and the reinforcing circular arches 107 would move 
towards each other in the axial direction H. 
The circular reinforcements 107 have the function both to avoid any risk of 
break of the pleated wall 4 at the level of the folding lines and to 
withstand the circumferential force generated by the liquid enclosed in 
the bottle 1. 
Indeed when the bottle 1 contains a fizzy liquid, the inner pressure of the 
bottle 1 when the latter is closed may reach 6 bars for example. One could 
of course alternatively provide that the toothed rod be fastened inside of 
the upper portion of the bottle 1, its free end being directed towards the 
bottom 3 of the bottle and the guide member 311 being located underneath 
that reinforcing arch 107 which is nearest to the bottom of the bottle 
without for all that changing the principle of operation of the system of 
the invention. 
On FIGS. 21 to 24 is shown still another embodiment of the system of the 
invention in which the associated co-operating device 2 comprises edge 
flanges 334 engageable with hooks 335. 
The pleated wall 104 of this embodiment is substantially identical with 
that of the bottle shown on FIG. 4 except that the circular reinforcements 
107 are extended by peripheral edge flanges 334 projecting radially 
inwards of the bottle 1 in the manner of the edge flanges 37 of FIG. 16. 
Hooked-like elements 335 are projecting from each peripheral edge flange 
334 in the direction of the height of the container and their bent end 
335a faces the internal wall of the container 1 so that this bent end 335a 
is caused to be hooked onto an immediately adjacent edge flange during the 
squeezing or collapsing of the bottle 1 in the axial direction H. 
The hooks 335 may be arranged in staggered relationship on different 
peripheral edge flanges 334 and may exhibit a variable length so as to 
carry out a gradual contraction of the bottle 1 during its collapse. 
The system of the invention thus permits to adapt the volume of the bottle 
to the volume of the liquid remaining in the latter after its use. 
The upper portion 6 of the bottle 1 is preferably made to be flared so that 
a smaller volume of liquid be contained in the upper portion. 
Thus in the maximum contracted position of the bottle 1 there would only 
remain a very small volume of liquid in the bottle 1 which may be consumed 
by the user during one single subsequent utilization. 
One may of course provide that the bottle 1 and its different locking means 
be made integral in one piece of material and made from one and the same 
plastics material. 
The system of the invention may be provided by the injection in a same mold 
of a preform which is subsequently blown up or inflated to form the bottle 
fitted with its associated co-operating device. 
In the case of the embodiment of the system of the invention shown on FIGS. 
17 to 20, one may make the bottle 1 into two parts, namely an upper and a 
lower part to permit for example in an easy manner the mounting of the 
cross-frame 311 inside of the bottle 1. 
Although the invention has been described in connection with several 
particular embodiments, it is obvious that it should not be limited 
thereto and that it comprises all the technical equivalents of the means 
described and their combinations if the latter fall within the scope of 
the appended claims.