Abstract:
A set of one-piece containers constructed so that each of the containers has a peripheral side wall which is arranged to permit movement of each container from an extended position to a collapsed position by reason of a telescoping relationship between the various sections of the peripheral side wall. The set of containers is constructed so that the outermost and innermost dimensions of the peripheral side walls are such that, in the collapsed position, the containers are nestable one within another to provide for low-volume storage of the entire set of containers between uses.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]    This invention relates to sets of reusable and re-collapsible one-piece containers and caps of the same general appearance, which are nestable one within another to provide for low-volume storage of the entire set of containers between uses. 
         [0002]    Collapsible containers are, of course, well known. For example, in applicant&#39;s own prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,384,138; 5,392,941; 5,417,377; 5,533,638; and 5,575,398 show collapsible, thin wall, plastic containers having a closed end, an annular peripheral side wall and an open end, the peripheral side wall including a plurality of annular steps or shoulders for enabling controlled axial collapse of the container to a compact, collapsed condition wherein at least one fold of the side wall surround a remaining un-collapsed portion of the container, and a removable cap is securable to the open end. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,138, the cap is disclosed to include a further container or chamber of an entirely different structure for holding, for example, a foodstuff. 
         [0003]    Nesting sets of similar containers are also well known. For example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,951,832; 5,769,229; and 6,796,430 as well as U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0070907 show a set of graduated containers, with each container having a lid that may be placed on top to seal its respective container. The lids may be attached to the bottom in order that a smaller container with lid attached may be nested in the next larger container for convenient storage without loss or misplacing the lid. However, none of the containers are shown to be collapsible, and thus the nested set of containers shown in these patents necessarily occupies the space of the largest container. 
         [0004]    What is needed is a set of reusable and re-collapsible, one-piece containers having the same general appearance which are nestable one within another to provide for low-volume storage of the entire set of containers between uses. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    A set of one-piece containers can be constructed so that each of the containers has a peripheral side wall which is arranged to permit movement of each container from an extended position to a collapsed position by reason of a telescoping relationship between the various sections of the peripheral side wall. The set of containers can be constructed so that the outermost and innermost dimensions of the peripheral side walls are such that, in the collapsed position, the containers are nestable one within another to provide for low-volume storage of the entire set of containers between uses. The containers can be molded from a variety of plastics to have the structural features and flexibility necessary to move between the collapsed and the extended positions. 
         [0006]    In a preferred embodiment the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers can include a lowermost portion, an uppermost portion and an intermediate portion. The uppermost portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers can include an upwardly facing and radially outwardly curved portion that provides a good gripping surface to facilitate collapse of each container. The uppermost portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers can also include a downwardly facing and radially inwardly curved portion that provides a good gripping surface to facilitate extension of each container. A junction of the upwardly facing and radially outwardly curved portion and the downwardly facing and radially inwardly curved portion of each of the set of one-piece containers can form a ridge, which is preferably smoothly rounded, defining the outermost dimension of the peripheral side wall. The configuration of the uppermost portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers remains substantially unchanged between the extended and collapsed position of each of the containers. 
         [0007]    The lowermost portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers can have an upwardly facing and radially outwardly curved surface that extends downwardly substantially to a smooth heel joining the lowermost portion of the peripheral side wall to the bottom wall. The upwardly facing and radially outwardly curved surface of the lowermost portion of each of the set of one-piece containers provides a good gripping surface to facilitate extension of each container. An additional inwardly curved gripping area can be included in the heel portion joining the lowermost portion of the peripheral side wall to the bottom wall to facilitate the extension of one or more of the container from the collapsed position to the extended position. The configuration of the lowermost portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers remains substantially unchanged between the extended and collapsed position of each of the containers. 
         [0008]    The intermediate portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers joins the uppermost portion to the lowermost portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers. A first circumferential transitional step joins an upper margin of the intermediate portion of the peripheral side wall to a lower margin of the uppermost portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers. Similarly, a second circumferential transitional step joins a lower margin of the intermediate portion of the peripheral side wall to an upper margin of the lowermost portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers. The first circumferential transitional step of each of the set of one-piece containers has a diameter that is greater than the second circumferential transitional step of the same container so that, when in the extended position, the intermediate portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers can form a downwardly facing and radially inwardly curved surface. 
         [0009]    In the collapsed position, the intermediate portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers is inverted and situated radially between uppermost and the lowermost portions of the peripheral side wall of the same container. In the collapsed position, the first circumferential transitional step of each of the set of one-piece containers can be positioned at about an upper margin of the heel portion of the same container, while the intermediate portion curves upwardly and inwardly to the second circumferential transitional step at the upper margin of the lowermost portion of the peripheral side wall. An inner surface of the lowermost portion of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers defines a minimum internal diameter for each container. The diameter of the ridge defining the outermost dimension of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers can be sized to be no greater than the minimum internal diameter of the next larger container in the set of one-piece collapsible containers so that the containers are nestable one within another to provide for low-volume storage of the entire set of containers between uses. 
         [0010]    Other features of the present set of one-piece containers and the corresponding advantages of those features will be come apparent from the following discussion of a preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1A  is a side elevation view of a first container of the set in an extended position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1B  is a side elevation view of a second container of the set in an extended position. 
           [0013]      FIG. 1C  is a side elevation view of a third container of the set in an extended position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2A  is a side elevation view of the first container of the set in a collapsed position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2B  is a side elevation view of the second container of the set in a collapsed position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2C  is a side elevation view of the third container of the set in a collapsed position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the set of containers in the collapsed position with accompanying lids and ready for nesting one with another. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the nested set of containers with the containers being in the collapsed position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of one of the containers. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    A set of one-piece containers  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  1 C. The set can be constructed so that the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers can include a lowermost portion  14 , an uppermost portion  16  and an intermediate portion  18 . The uppermost portion  16  of the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers can include an upwardly facing and radially outwardly curved portion  20  that provides a good gripping surface to facilitate collapse of each container  10 . The uppermost portion  16  of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers can also include a downwardly facing and radially inwardly curved portion  22  that provides a good gripping surface to facilitate extension of each container  10 . A junction of the upwardly facing and radially outwardly curved portion  20  and the downwardly facing and radially inwardly curved portion  22  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10  can form a ridge  24 , which is preferably smoothly rounded, defining the outermost dimension of the peripheral side wall  12 . The configuration of the uppermost portion  16  of the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10  remains substantially unchanged between the extended, shown in  FIGS. 1A-1C , and a collapsed position of each of the containers shown in  FIGS. 2A-2C . 
         [0021]    The set of one-piece containers  10  can also be constructed so that a lowermost portion  14  of the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10  can have an upwardly facing and radially outwardly curved surface  28  that extends downwardly substantially to a smooth heel  30  joining the lowermost portion  14  of the peripheral side wall to a bottom wall  32 . The upwardly facing and radially outwardly curved surface  28  of the lowermost portion  14  of each of the set of one-piece containers provides a good gripping surface to facilitate extension of each container  10  from the configuration shown in  FIGS. 2A-2C  to the configuration shown in  FIGS. 1A-1C . An additional inwardly curved gripping area  34  can be included in the heel portion  30  joining the lowermost portion  14  of the peripheral side wall to the bottom wall  32  to facilitate the extension of one or more of the container set from the collapsed position to the extended position. The configuration of the lowermost portion  14  of the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers remains substantially unchanged between the extended and collapsed position of each of the containers  10 . 
         [0022]    The set of one-piece containers  10  can also be constructed so that the intermediate portion  18  of the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10  joins the uppermost portion  16  to the lowermost portion  16  of the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10 . A first circumferential transitional step  38  joins an upper margin of the intermediate portion  18  of the peripheral side wall to a lower margin of the uppermost portion  16  of the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10 . Similarly, a second circumferential transitional step  40  joins a lower margin of the intermediate portion  18  of the peripheral side wall to an upper margin of the lowermost portion  14  of the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10 . The first circumferential transitional step  38  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10  has a diameter that is greater than the second circumferential transitional step  40  of the same container so that, when in the extended position, the intermediate portion  18  of the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10  can form a downwardly facing and radially inwardly curved surface  42 . 
         [0023]    In the collapsed position shown in  FIGS. 2A-2C  and in  FIG. 4 , the intermediate portion  18  of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers is inverted and situated radially between uppermost  16  and the lowermost portions  14  of the peripheral side wall of the same container  10 . 
         [0024]    In the collapsed position, the first circumferential transitional step  38  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10  can be positioned at about an upper margin of the heel portion  30  of the same container, while the intermediate portion  18  curves upwardly and inwardly to the second circumferential transitional step  40  at the upper margin of the lowermost portion  14  of the peripheral side wall. As shown in  FIG. 4 , an inner surface  44  of the lowermost portion  14  of the peripheral side wall of each of the set of one-piece containers  10  defines a minimum internal diameter for each container  10 . The diameter of the ridge  24  defining the outermost dimension of the peripheral side wall  12  of each of the set of one-piece containers  10  can be sized to be no greater than the minimum internal diameter of the next larger container in the set of one-piece collapsible containers so that the containers are nestable one within another, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , to provide for low-volume storage of the entire set of containers  10  between uses. 
         [0025]    Each container  10  of the set preferably includes an annular rim  46  defining an opening into the container  10 , the annular rim being adapted for engagement with a lid  48  to close the container  10 . The engaging feature can take the form of a screw thread, a bayonet connection, or other similar feature that will permit the lid  48  to be removed and re-applied to the container  10 . A maximum volume of the containers  10  of the set shown in the drawings can be, for example, 2-cups, 3.5-cups, and 6-cups, but other maximum volumes are also possible. A maximum diameter for the ridge  24  of such a set of containers  10  can be, for example, 3.84 in., 4.63 in., and 5.44 in., respectively, but other maximum diameters are also possible. When in the extended position, the vertical dimension of such a set of containers  10 , measured from the bottom wall  32  to the annular rim  46 , can be, for example, 4.20 in., 4.94 in., and 5.65 in., respectively, but other vertical dimensions are also possible. While the set of containers  10  is illustrated to be a set of three containers, the set can consist of at least two containers, and may consist of up to six or more containers. 
         [0026]    While these features have been disclosed in connection with the illustrated preferred embodiment, other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art that come within the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.