Reusable and re-collapsible container

This invention relates to reusable and re-collapsible containers, and particularly to a one-piece container having a peripheral side wall which is arranged to include areas of differential wall thickness and diameter to thereby permit collapse of the container from an extended to a collapsed condition by reason of a telescoping relationship between the various portions of the peripheral side wall. Holders are also disclosed for optional use with the container.

RELATED APPLICATIONS 
This application is generally related to applicant's copending applications 
Ser. No. 07/576,080 filed Aug. 31, 1990; Ser. No. 07/598,385 filed Oct. 
18, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,011; Ser. No. 07/603,182 filed Oct. 24, 
1990; Ser. No. 07/706,853 filed May 29, 1991 now U.S. Pat. No. 0,330,993 
and Ser. No. 07/719,711 filed Jun. 26, 1991. 
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to reusable and re-collapsible containers, and 
particularly to a one-piece container having a peripheral side wall which 
is arranged to include areas of differential wall thickness and diameter 
to thereby permit collapse of the container from an extended to a 
collapsed condition by reason of a telescoping relationship between the 
various portions of the peripheral side wall. 
Collapsible containers, drinking cups and the like are, of course, well 
known. For example, in applicant's own prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,644, a 
collapsible, thin film plastic container is disclosed wherein a major 
portion of the container side wall has a reduced wall thickness to permit 
random collapse of the side wall. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,211, a plastic 
bottle having a uniform wall thickness throughout the side wall, is 
configured to permit collapsing of the container through telescoping 
movement of one portion of the side wall into another portion of the side 
wall. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,576, a container is disclosed wherein an 
intermediate portion of the side wall incorporates a bellows-type 
arrangement for facilitating collapse and extension of the container. The 
patent also discloses the use of helical creases which spiral or angle 
between first and second portions of the container side wall to facilitate 
collapsing action of the creased portion of the side wall. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,100, a bi-stable, expandable plastic bottle is 
disclosed which incorporates a bellows-type side wall for movement between 
collapsed and extended positions. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,880,902, a collapsible, drinking cup (or camera bellows) 
is disclosed wherein the side wall is composed of alternating thick and 
thin portions. 
The present invention incorporates a number of features not previously 
found in the prior art and which result in simple, easy-to-use, low cost 
containers which may be used and reused by the consumer as desired, and 
which may be stored in a collapsed condition, maximizing storage space, 
etc. At the same time, by significantly reducing the thickness of the 
container side wall in an intermediate portion thereof, source reductions 
in the amount of plastic required to manufacture the containers are 
realized. 
More specifically, in the various exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, 
one-piece blow molded containers are each formed with a peripheral side 
wall divided into upper, intermediate and lower portions of substantially 
the same axial length, with the upper and lower portions having 
significantly greater wall thickness than the intermediate portion. For 
example, the intermediate portion may have a wall thickness of preferably 
between about 2 and about 12 mils which permits the intermediate portion 
to reverse fold as the upper and lower portions, which may each have a 
wall thickness of at least about 35 mils and preferably in the range of 
about 35-45 mils, are moved toward one another in the aforementioned 
telescoping relationship. 
It is also a feature of the invention that the peripheral side wall of each 
container include surface configurations which facilitate the axial 
collapse of the container. In one embodiment, a radially outwardly flared 
portion may be provided at the lowermost edge of the upper side wall 
portion which serves as a guide surface as the intermediate portion and 
lower portion are axially collapsed and telescoped into the upper portion. 
In this same embodiment, the interface between the intermediate and lower 
portions may be indented to further facilitate the collapsing action. 
Another feature of this first embodiment which facilitates the axial 
collapse of the container is the provision for a plurality of obliquely 
oriented grooves within the intermediate, thin side wall portion which, 
upon slight twisting action imparted to one or the other (or both) of the 
upper and lower side wall portions, causes the intermediate portion to 
immediately collapse and reverse fold upon itself as the upper and lower 
portions are pushed toward each other. 
It is another feature of the invention to provide gripping means at either 
end of the container to assist the user to collapse, extend and 
re-collapse the container during its useful life. For example, where the 
discharge opening in the top wall of the container is provided with a 
conventional screw cap arrangement, a radially outward directed flange 
just below the threaded portion provides a convenient first gripping 
location. At the lower end of the container, an annular groove may be 
provided where the lower portion of the side wall joins with the bottom 
wall to provide a second convenient and easily accessible gripping 
location. In an alternative to the above described arrangement, a radially 
outwardly directed foot or flange may be provided in the lower side wall 
portion and which extends radially beyond all of the side wall portions, 
so that the flange also serves to support the upper portion of the side 
wall when the container is in the collapsed condition. As yet another 
alternative to the lower gripping arrangement, a pull tab or ring may be 
formed integral with the bottom wall, and the tab or ring may be folded 
over and releasably latched in a horizontal, out of the way position so as 
to not to interfere with the stability of the container. 
In alternative embodiments of the invention, the upper and lower peripheral 
side wall portions may be provided to a greater or lesser extent with a 
plurality of annular reinforcing ribs which provide hoop strength to these 
relatively thicker portions of the side wall, and which therefore also 
especially facilitate the telescoping action of the container to the 
collapsed condition. 
It will also be appreciated that in order to achieve the above described 
telescoping/collapsing action, the cross sectional areas of the upper, 
intermediate and lower portions are successively and progressively reduced 
(or increased) in one or the opposite direction so that an overall 
tapering effect is achieved. Within the individual portions, the side wall 
may also have a slight taper in the same direction. 
Additional embodiments of the invention are disclosed which are 
particularly adapted for use as 2 1/2 gallon water (or other liquid) 
containers, and which are provided with a valve mechanism in the lower 
portion of the peripheral side wall. In these embodiments, an internal 
vacuum is created through the dispensing of the container contents which 
thereby causes the container side wall portions to collapse automatically 
by means of the above described telescoping action. 
In another aspect of the invention, external holders are provided for 
optional use with the containers. These holders, which may also have 
insulating properties to retain heat or cold, are designed to support the 
container and to facilitate pouring of the contents from the container. 
Accordingly, in its broader aspects, the present invention relates to a 
collapsible, extendable and recollapsible, plastic container comprising a 
bottom wall; a top wall; and a peripheral side wall extending between the 
bottom wall and the top wall, the side wall having at least three axially 
extending portions of substantially equal length, including an upper 
portion, an intermediate portion and a lower portion, wherein the 
intermediate portion has a wall thickness less than wall thicknesses of 
the upper and lower portions, and wherein cross-sectional areas of the 
side wall portions progressively vary so that the upper and lower portions 
may be telescoped one into the other with the intermediate portion reverse 
folded therebetween, and wherein a dispensing opening is provided in one 
of the top wall and peripheral side wall. 
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent 
from the detailed description which follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
With reference to FIG. 1, a container 10 in accordance with the first 
exemplary embodiment of the invention generally includes a peripheral side 
wall 12, a bottom wall 14, and a top wall 16 which, in this embodiment, 
includes a radially inwardly and upwardly tapered shoulder section 18 and 
an upstanding dispensing or neck portion 20 including a radially outwardly 
directed annular flange 22, an exteriorly threaded portion 24 adapted to 
receive a conventional screw cap (not shown), and a discharge opening 25 
(see FIG. 2). 
The peripheral side wall 12 in this exemplary embodiment is formed to 
include three axial portions of substantially equal axial length, 
including an upper portion 26, an intermediate portion 28 and a lower 
portion 30. The upper and lower portions 26, 30 have minimum side wall 
thicknesses of about 15 mils. The maximum thicknesses of these portions 
may be considerably greater depending on the desired amount of rigidity. 
An exemplary thickness for side wall portions 26 and 30 may be, for 
example, at least about 35 mils and preferably in the range of about 35 to 
45 mils. The bottom wall 14 and dispensing portion 20 (and especially the 
threaded portion 24) may be substantially thicker if desired. The 
intermediate side wall portion 28 may have a minimum thickness of about 2 
mils and a preferred thickness of between about 2 and 12 mils (i.e., a 
ratio of each of the thicknesses in the upper and lower side wall portions 
to the thickness of the intermediate side wall portion is at least 3.75 to 
1). Thus, while the upper and lower side wall portions 26 and 30 are 
flexible, they are relatively rigid as compared to the much thinner 
intermediate portion 28. This arrangement permits easy collapse, extension 
and re-collapse of the container in a manner described in more detail 
below. This construction may also result in a source reduction of the 
amount of plastic material required to make the container and, of course, 
the reduced profile of the container in the collapsed condition permits 
reduced volumes of post consumer waste. 
In order to achieve the telescoping action which enables collapse, 
expansion and recollapse of the container, the upper side wall portion 26, 
intermediate side wall portion 28, and lower side wall portion 30 have, in 
this embodiment, slightly reduced, respective diameters from top to 
bottom. It should be noted that reference is made to the "diameters" of 
the various side wall portions for those instances where the containers 
are substantially round. For other cross-section shapes, it is more 
appropriate to refer to "cross-sectional areas" of the respective side 
wall portions. For purposes of convenience here, round containers are 
described but the invention embraces other container shapes as well. 
The three described side wall portions 26, 28 and 30 may be separated by a 
pair of transitional steps or areas 32, 34. The upper transitional step or 
area 32 comprises a radially outwardly flared portion which serves as a 
guide means as the intermediate portion 28 is reverse folded into the 
upper portion 26, as described in greater detail below. 
The lower transitional step or area 34 comprises a radially inwardly 
directed tuck or indentation which forms a groove facilitating telescoping 
of the lower side wall portion 30 into the upper portion 26, as well as 
the reverse folding, or rolling action of the intermediate side wall 
portion 28 relative to lower side wall portion 30. 
At the lower end of side wall portion 30, there is provided an annular 
groove 36 which enables the user to grip the lower side wall portion 
during collapse but especially during extension of the container as also 
described in greater detail below. A second gripping area at the opposite 
end of the container is provided by the radial flange 22. 
At the upper end of the container, the upper side wall portion 26 merges 
with the radially inwardly directed tapered neck 18 at a peripheral lip 40 
and shallow, substantially horizontal annular groove 42, facilitating 
separate movement of the top wall 16 between collapsed and extended 
positions also described below. In this regard, the tapered shoulder 18 
may have a relatively thin wall thickness similar to that of the 
intermediate portion 28. 
To even further facilitate the collapsing/telescoping action, the 
intermediate portion 28 may be provided with a plurality of peripherally 
arranged depressions or grooves 44 which are oriented obliquely to the 
longitudinal axis of the container, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Thus, upon 
the exertion of a slight twisting movement to the lower portion 30, 
relative to upper portion 26 (or vice versa), the intermediate portion 28 
immediately begins to collapse and reverse fold as the upper and lower 
portions 26, 30 move relatively toward each other. 
The container 10 may be collapsed to the condition illustrated in FIG. 2 by 
gripping the container via flange 22 and groove 36 (this is not essential, 
however) and exerting an axial compressive force at the upper and lower 
ends of the container. In so doing, the thin intermediate portion 28 is 
caused to double back on itself, or reverse fold, as the upper and lower 
portions 26, 30 are telescoped one within the other. In the collapsed 
condition, as seen in FIG. 2, it will be appreciated that the thin 
intermediate portion 28 is sandwiched between the thicker upper and lower 
side wall portion 30. 
To complete the collapsing action, the top wall 16 (including the radially 
inwardly tapered shoulder section 18 and upstanding dispensing portion 20) 
may be collapsed axially as shown in FIG. 2, so that the dispensing 
portion 20 does not protrude above the peripheral lip 40, or so that 
portion 20 extends partially above the lip. This permits efficient 
stacking and/or nesting of a plurality of the above described containers 
for shipment, storage and the like. 
The container may be shipped empty from the manufacturer for filling at 
another location, or for future use by the consumer. In the event the 
container is to be shipped with contents, such as a concentrate, powdered 
mix or the like, the contents are conveniently added after the container 
is in the collapsed condition. The consumer would then add liquid (water, 
juice, etc) upon extension of the container as described below. 
To convert the container to its fully expanded or extended condition, the 
user may conveniently grip the container at opposite ends via radial 
flange 22 and groove 36 and simply pull the container in opposite 
directions. Upon full extension of the side wall to the condition 
illustrated in FIG. 1, the user may then pull the top wall 16 outwardly to 
its fully extended position as also shown in FIG. 1. 
It will be appreciated that other bottom wall configurations may be 
utilized in order to facilitate especially the movement of the container 
from the collapsed to the extended condition. For example, rather than the 
above described groove 36, the lower side wall portion 30 may simply 
terminate at a radially outwardly directed flange or foot 50 as shown in 
FIG. 4, which not only provides a convenient grasping point for the user, 
but also provides increased stability for the upper and intermediate 
portions 26, 30 of the container in the collapsed condition. 
Still another variation of the lower gripping arrangement is shown in FIG. 
3 where pull tab or ring 52 is provided on the bottom wall 14 of the 
container. It will be appreciated that the tab or ring 52, which may be 
integral with the bottom wall 14, may be folded over and locked in 
horizontal position (by means of an integral notch 53 or other suitable 
means) so as to hold the tab 52 in an out of the way position when not in 
use. Because the bottom wall 14 is recessed, the tab will not interfere 
with the stability of the container. 
Turning now to FIG. 6, another exemplary embodiment of the invention is 
disclosed in conjunction with a "sports bottle" 54 which includes a 
peripheral side wall 56, a bottom wall 58 and a top wall 60 defining a 
discharge opening closed by a removable lid 62 (which may be of the 
conventional screw thread or snap-on types) and an integral or separable 
straw 64. 
In this embodiment, the peripheral side wall 56 of the container 54 is 
again separated into upper, intermediate and lower portions 66, 68 and 70 
with the upper and lower side wall portions having a greater wall 
thickness than the intermediate thin wall section 68. The specific 
thicknesses may be similar to those described above in conjunction with 
the first described embodiment. In this exemplary embodiment, however, the 
upper and lower portions 66 and 70 may be formed with groups of integral, 
annular reinforcing ribs 72, 74, respectively which provide additional 
hoop strength for the upper and lower side wall portions (the shape of 
which does not change during the collapse or extension of the container. 
By rigidifying the upper and lower side wall portions 66, 70 (without 
having to increase the wall thickness thereof) the collapsing and 
telescoping movements of the side wall portions of the container are 
greatly facilitated It will be appreciated in this regard that the 
transition areas between the ribbed upper and lower portions 66, 70 and 
intermediate portion 68 serve as "hinges" for the intermediate portion 68 
as the latter is reverse folded during collapse and extension. As a 
practical matter, the annular ribbing may only extend a short distance 
above and below the intermediate thin wall portion 68 to provide the 
required strength. On the other hand, the entire upper and lower portions 
66, 70 may be provided with such annular ribs as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. 
Where ribs 74 extend to the bottom of lower portion 70, they will provide 
a gripping area for the user, thereby eliminating the need for a separate 
groove (as 36) or flange (as 50). A pull tab or ring such as 52 may 
nevertheless be employed if so desired. 
As in the earlier described embodiment, the peripheral side wall 56 of the 
container 54 is constructed to have diameters in the upper, intermediate 
and lower portions 66, 68 and 70 which progressively decrease from top to 
bottom, such that in the collapsed condition, the intermediate and lower 
side wall portions 68, 70 lie radially within the upper side wall portion 
66 as shown in FIG. 7. This is referred to as a "bottom fold" arrangement. 
In still another exemplary embodiment of the invention, as best seen in 
FIGS. 8 and 9, a "top fold arrangement" is utilized wherein the respective 
diameters of the side wall portions progressively increase from top to 
bottom. Specifically, the container 80 includes a peripheral side wall 82, 
a bottom wall 84 and a top wall 86. Side wall 82 includes upper, 
intermediate and lower portions 88, 90 and 92 which have wall thicknesses 
similar to those in the earlier described embodiments, and upper and lower 
portions 88 and 92 are provided with annular ribs 89, 93, respectively. In 
this embodiment, the top wall 86 includes a tapered (thin wall) neck or 
shoulder 94 and is provided with a thickened, open-ended dispensing 
portion 96 including screw threads 98 for receiving a conventional finger 
grip type cap 100 which is also provided with an integral or separable 
drinking straw 102. As shown in phantom in FIG. 9, neck or shoulder 94 and 
dispensing portion 96 are also collapsible to a low profile position where 
the container cap or lid 100 does not extend above the upper side wall 
portion 88 of the peripheral side wall 82. In the collapsed condition as 
illustrated in FIG. 9, the intermediate and lower side wall portions 90, 
92 lie radially outside the upper side wall portion 88. 
It will be appreciated that various arrangements of the annular reinforcing 
ribs may be provided which are nevertheless still within the spirit and 
scope of this invention. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10 through 13, the 
thicker portion (upper or lower) of the container side wall which is to 
telescopingly receive the intermediate thin wall portion can be provided 
with the annular ribs while the remaining thicker side wall portion 
remains smooth. Thus, as shown in the bottom fold arrangement of FIGS. 10 
and 11 (similar to FIGS. 6 and 7), only the upper side wall portion 88 is 
ribbed, while in the top fold arrangement of FIGS. 12 and 13 (similar to 
FIGS. 8 and 9), only the bottom side wall portion 92 is ribbed. Here 
again, the annular ribs 89 or 93 are optionally provided primarily to 
increase the hoop strength of the particular side wall portion in order to 
facilitate the axial collapse of the container. 
Where the lower portion 92 remains smooth (FIGS. 10 and 11) it is 
advantageous to provide a single annular groove 95 to serve as a gripping 
area. As previously described, an alternative to an annular groove, a 
radially outwardly extending flange or foot 97 may be employed as a 
gripping means, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 11A. 
It is also to be noted that by providing at least one annular rib 89 at the 
interface of upper portion 88 and intermediate portion 90 (FIGS. 10 and 
11), and at least one annular rib 93 at the interface of lower portion 92 
and intermediate portion 90 (FIGS. 12 and 13), guide surfaces such as the 
flared area 32 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are unnecessary, is substantially mooted, 
although similar flared areas could be provided within the ribbed area if 
desired. Alternatively, transition areas 32, 34 and ribs 89, 93 may be 
omitted, for example as a cost-saving measure, but recognizing that when 
present, they do serve to enhance the collapsing and recollapsing action 
of the side wall. 
With reference now to FIGS. 14 and 15, still another exemplary embodiment 
of the invention is illustrated, and this particular design is especially 
advantageous in the form of, for example, 21/2 gallon liquid (such as 
water) containers. With reference specifically to FIG. 14, the water 
container 104 includes a bottom wall 106, a peripheral side wall 108 and a 
top wall 110 with, if desired, a carrying handle 112 which may be formed 
integrally with the top wall 110. The peripheral side wall 108 is divided 
into upper, intermediate and lower portions 114, 116 and 118, 
respectively, again with the upper and lower portions 114 and 118 having 
wall thicknesses that are greater than the intermediate thin wall portion 
116 (within the ranges disclosed hereinabove). In this particular 
embodiment, a dispensing valve 120 is incorporated within the lower side 
wall portion 118 for dispensing liquid from the container. With the above 
described arrangement, and upon dispensing of liquid from the container 
104, a vacuum will be drawn on the inside of the container, to thereby 
automatically collapse the container as a function of the amount of liquid 
dispensed therefrom. It will be appreciated that eventually the container 
will assume the collapsed position shown in FIG. 15 (in the same manner as 
in the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 12). From this point, 
however, in order to dispense the remaining amount of liquid from the 
container, either the container itself or the valve 116 must be vented. 
This can be achieved in accordance with any number of known venting 
techniques. 
The above described container 104 is a "top fold" type wherein the upper 
and intermediate side wall portions 114, 116 are received telescopically 
within the lower side wall portion 118 by reason of the progressively 
increasing diameters of side wall portions 114, 116 and 118 in a direction 
from top to bottom. In the larger containers such as the 21/2 gallon (and 
up) type illustrated in FIG. 14, where wall thicknesses are at the higher 
end of the ranges described above, it is not as important to provide a 
flared and/or indented area as shown at 32 and 34, respectively, in FIGS. 
1 and 2, but such areas may be incorporated therein if otherwise desired. 
FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate a variation of the container illustrated in 
FIGS. 14 and 15 (with similar reference numerals used where appropriate, 
but with a prime designation added) insofar as the top wall 110' of the 
container 104' is shown to include a thin tapered shoulder section 122 
terminating at a flat top wall 124 which is provided with an integral 
handle 112'. As best seen in FIG. 17, this top wall arrangement is 
collapsible in a manner similar to that described above in connection with 
FIGS. 1-4, 8, 9, 12 and 13. 
It will be appreciated from the earlier described embodiments, that the 
upper and lower peripheral side wall portions 114, 118 (and 114', 118') 
may be provided with a plurality of annular ribs 126, 128 extending along 
the entire length of such portions as shown in FIG. 18, or at least in the 
area adjacent the interface with the intermediate side wall portion 116 to 
facilitate collapse of the container as previously described. 
With all of the above described embodiments, it will be appreciated that 
the optional incorporation of integral handles and/or gripping areas 
allows the container not only to be collapsed but also to be extended and 
then recollapsed repeatedly, so that the containers are not limited to a 
single use. In other words, the consumer may reuse the container for any 
desired purpose following the initial use of the container, and the 
collapsible/expandable/recollapsible feature facilitates compact storage 
of the container between such uses. It should be further appreciated that 
this invention is applicable to containers of various sizes, from, for 
example, a pint up to 5 gallons or more. 
With reference now to FIGS. 19 through 23, there may be occasions where it 
is desirable to hold or support any of the above described containers, and 
especially those disclosed in FIGS. 1 through 13 within an external 
container holder. Such holders typically provide support for associated 
containers and facilitate the pouring of contents therefrom, while in some 
instances, the holders may also provide thermal insulation to maintain the 
contents of the containers in a heated or cooled state. 
In FIG. 19, for example, a collapsible styrofoam holder 130 is disclosed 
which comprises a plurality of annular styrofoam sections or rings 
arranged in telescoping relationship with respect to each other. 
Specifically, the holder 130 includes a bottom wall 132 and a peripheral 
side wall 134 including three discrete slidably associated side wall 
sections or rings 136, 138 and 140. The uppermost ring or section 136 
terminates at an upper open end 142 Which receives the container 144. 
The three annular side wall sections or rings 136, 138 and 140 are 
generally cylindrical in shape (or slightly tapered--inwardly from top to 
bottom) but with progressively increased diameters from bottom to top, 
i.e., section 136 has a larger diameter than section 138, while section 
138 has a larger diameter than section 140. 
The lower section 140 terminates at its upper end in a radially outwardly 
directed flange (not shown) which is adapted to seat in a complementary 
groove (not shown) provided in the interior surface of section 138 near 
the lowermost edge thereof. At the same time, the upper end of the 
intermediate section 138 terminates at its upper end in a radially 
outwardly directed flange (not shown) which is adapted to seat in a 
complimentary groove (not shown) provided in the interior surface of upper 
section 136 near the lowermost edge thereof. The lowermost end of the 
lower side wall section 140 is also provided with a radially outwardly 
directed flange or seat 146, and the lower end of the intermediate side 
wall section 138 is provided with a similar flange or seat 148. As a 
result of this arrangement, it will be appreciated that the container 
holder 130 in its fully extended position is releasably locked by reason 
of the interaction of the above described radially outwardly directed 
flanges and cooperating grooves. The holder may be collapsed simply by the 
application of axially directed forces from opposite ends of the holder so 
that the lowermost section 140 and intermediate section 138 will be 
telescoped substantially entirely within upper section 136. In the 
collapsed condition, flange 146 will support the intermediate section 138, 
and flange 148 will support upper section 136 and will prevent axial 
separation of the respective side wall sections. 
Another feature of the holder 130 is the provision of an integral handle 
150 in the uppermost side wall section 136 to facilitate holding and 
pouring of contents from the container 144 when supported within the 
holder 130. 
The annular step or shoulder created between upper section 136 and 
intermediate section 138 may correspond to, and be engaged by, a similar 
step (such as flared area 34 in FIG. 1) between upper and intermediate 
side wall portions of the container. A similar arrangement may exist at 
the interface of holder sections 138 and 140 and related intermediate and 
lower portions of the container side wall. 
In FIG. 20, a one-piece non-insulating holder 152 is illustrated which 
includes a bottom wall (not shown) and an open upper end. The holder side 
wall 154 is provided with a plurality of vertically oriented scalloped 
areas or shallow grooves 156 which facilitate gripping of the holder 152 
in the event handle 158 is not attached to, or formed with the holder. The 
scalloped design, of course, may be utilized in addition to the handle if 
so desired. In any event, this holder is provided with a pair of annular 
steps or shoulders 160 and 162 which establish progressively reduced 
diameter side wall portions 164, 166 and 168. The steps 160, 162 may be 
adapted to engage annular steps or shoulders in the peripheral side wall 
of the container so as to provide a further degree of support. The holder 
illustrated in FIG. 20 may be constructed of plastic or other suitable 
material, and may take a variety of shapes although, it is desirable that 
the interior surface configuration generally complement the side wall 
configuration of the container. In the event the peripheral side wall 154 
of the holder is tapered inwardly as shown, the holder bottom wall may be 
omitted. If the holder is substantially cylindrical on the other hand, it 
will be appreciated that a bottom wall (or at least an annular horizontal 
support shelf) will be necessary to provide the required support. 
FIG. 21 discloses another embodiment of a suitable holder which, in this 
case, is of the clamshell type wherein an open frame holder 170 is 
vertically split along a seam 172 but held together along an opposite 
vertical edge by an integral, living hinge 174 which permits the holder to 
pivot between open and closed positions (similar to the arrangement shown 
in FIG. 22). The holder may be releasably secured opposite the hinge 174 
by any suitable latch arrangement, preferably located inside handle 176 in 
the area generally designated by numeral 178. 
The holder 170 in the closed position illustrated in FIG. 21, provides a 
substantially cylindrical open frame which engages a substantial portion 
of the container side wall. Of particular note is the radially inwardly 
directed step or shoulder 180 which is adapted to engage a corresponding 
step between an upper side wall portion of the container 182 and an 
intermediate thin wall portion 184 of the container side wall. Holder 170 
also includes an upper tapered neck portion 186 which is also constructed 
as an open frame, and which terminates at an upper open end 188 which is 
adapted to substantially embrace the radially outwardly directed flange 
(not shown but similar to flange 22 of FIG. 1) on upper and lower surfaces 
of the flange to securely grip the container. 
As shown, the holder 170 does not engage the lower portion 190 of the 
container side wall although it may be extended in the axial direction to 
do so if desired. 
To release the container from the holder, the user simply releases the 
latching mechanism and opens the holder 170 by pivoting the two mirror 
image half sections about the living hinge 174 thereby releasing the 
container. 
A variation of holder 170 is illustrated in FIG. 22 where the holder 192 is 
formed without the container neck engaging portion as in the FIG. 21 
embodiment, but is otherwise axially extended to support the bottom wall 
of the container by means of a horizontal support shelf 194 extending 
radially inwardly form the lowermost portion of the holder. Holder 192, 
like holder 170, may be of one-piece plastic construction with a living 
hinge 196 enabling the holder to move between open and closed positions. 
In the FIG. 22 embodiment, he holder may be releasably secured in a closed 
position by means of a plurality of peg-like projections 198 which are 
adapted to be snapped into correspondingly located apertures on the 
opposite portion of the handle (not shown). 
Finally, with respect to FIG. 23, a substantially solid clamshell type 
holder 200 is shown which also includes split halves connected by an 
integral or living hinge 202. The holder 200 is otherwise constructed as 
an open-ended pitcher having a handle 204 and a bottom wall (not shown) 
which engages the bottom wall of the container 206. The vertically 
arranged integral hinge would, of course, permit easy loading and 
unloading of the associated container. 
The above described exemplary embodiments of the invention contain numerous 
advantages from both a practical and an environmental standpoint. For 
example, from a practical standpoint, the collapsibility feature of the 
containers permits the efficient use of space from the standpoint of 
shipping, storage, and, ultimately, post consumer waste. At the same time, 
the incorporation of a very thin intermediate peripheral side wall portion 
effects a source reduction in the amount of plastic required for the 
manufacture of the container. A further advantage lies in the reusable 
nature of the container along with its collapsibility feature. Thus, after 
its initial use, the consumer may utilize the container for any number of 
purposes, and when not in use, the container may be efficiently stored in 
its collapsed configuration. By constructing the container so as to be 
easily and manually collapsed, expanded and recollapsed, the expected life 
of the container is substantially lengthened, and fewer containers will be 
disposed of after first use, thereby effecting even further reductions in 
post consumer waste volumes. 
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently 
considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be 
understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed 
embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various 
modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and 
scope of the appended claims.