Patent Publication Number: US-10315802-B2

Title: Collapsible bottle with flow channels

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/855,012 filed Sep. 15, 2015. 
    
    
     SCOPE OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to collapsible containers for fluids and, more particularly, to a collapsible bottle having flow channels in a side wall of the bottle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Collapsible bottles are well known as to contain fluid material with the fluid to be dispensed from an opening of the container with collapsing of the container. For example, hand cleaning fluid dispensers are known incorporating a pump for drawing fluid from a collapsible container and dispensing it onto a user&#39;s hand. 
     A disadvantage of previously known collapsible containers is that the containers sometimes collapse in a manner which traps fluid in the container. For example, the collapsible container may collapse prematurely at a middle portion along the length of the container preventing fluid in the container from flowing through the collapsed intermediate portion to a discharge opening. This disadvantage is particularly acute when the fluid to be dispensed is expensive and under circumstances when the dispensing of fluid is critical to be maintained. This disadvantage generally increases with increases in the viscosity of the material to be dispensed and particularly with fluids including particulate matter such as pumice in a hand cleaning fluid. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To at least partially overcome these disadvantages of previously known devices, the present invention provides a collapsible bottle with a channelway provided in a side wall which, in collapsed conditions of the bottle, the channelway becomes engaged with opposed portions of the side wall and defines a flow passageway therethrough toward a discharge opening at one end of the bottle and a closed other end of the bottle. 
     The present invention also provides a collapsible bottle including an encircling side wall with a front wall portion and a rear wall portion opposed to the front wall portion in which front and rear wall portions of the side wall are drawn towards each other and into engagement as the bottle is collapsed, and wherein a channelway is provided in the front wall portion defining a flow channel open towards the rear wall portion and, in a collapsed bottle, the rear wall portion engages the front wall portion to bridge the flow channel and define a flow passage therein extending within the bottle toward a discharge opening of the bottle. 
     In one aspect, the present invention provides a collapsible bottle having a first end and a second end; 
     the bottle having an enclosed cavity defined between the first end and the second end and an encircling side wall bridging between the first end and the second end, the side wall including a front wall and a rear wall opposed to the front wall, 
     a discharge opening at the first end, 
     wherein the bottle is collapsible such that when vacuum conditions are applied to the opening, the bottle collapses with the front wall and the rear wall drawn towards each other and into engagement with each other, 
     a channelway provided in the front wall, 
     the channelway defining a flow channel which is open toward the rear wall between the first end and the second end, 
     wherein during collapse of the bottle when the front wall and the rear wall are drawn into engagement, the rear wall engages the front wall to bridge the flow channel and a flow passageway is defined between the channelway of the front wall and the rear wall permitting fluid flow therethrough between the first end and the second end. 
     In another aspect, the present invention provides a collapsible bottle having a first end and a second end; 
     the bottle having an enclosed cavity defined between the first end and the second end and an encircling side wall bridging between the first end and the second end, the side wall including a front wall and a rear wall opposed to the front wall, 
     a discharge outlet at the first end, 
     wherein the bottle is collapsible such that when vacuum conditions are applied to the discharge outlet, the bottle collapses with the front wall and the rear wall drawn towards each other and into engagement with each other, 
     characterized by: 
     a plurality of parallel channelways provided in the front wall, 
     each channelway formed between adjacent parallel panels in an array of the parallel panels folded in an accordion-like array, 
     each channelway defining a flow channel which is open toward the rear wall between the first end and the second end, 
     wherein during collapse of the bottle when the front wall and the rear wall are drawn into engagement, the rear wall engages the front wall to bridge each flow channel and a flow passageway is defined between each channelway of the front wall and the rear wall permitting fluid flow therethrough between the first end and the second end. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of a collapsible bottle in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the bottle of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a left side view of the bottle of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the bottle of  FIG. 1  along section line  4 - 4 ′ in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 4  but showing the bottle in a fully collapsed condition; 
         FIG. 6  is a pictorial view of a collapsible bottle in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the bottle of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a left side view of the bottle of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the bottle of  FIG. 6  along section line  9 - 9 ′ in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 9  but showing the bottle in a fully collapsed condition; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a top cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 4  but showing a third embodiment of a collapsible bottle in accordance with the present invention in an uncollapsed position; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a top cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 4  but showing a fourth embodiment of a collapsible bottle in accordance with the present invention in an uncollapsed position; and 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a top cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 9  but showing a fifth embodiment of a collapsible bottle in accordance with the present invention in an uncollapsed position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Reference is made to  FIGS. 1 to 5  which illustrate a first embodiment of a collapsible bottle  10  in accordance with the present invention. The bottle  10  is illustrated to extend along a central axis  11  from a closed end  12  to an open end  13 . 
     The container has an opening or discharge outlet  14  at the open end  13 . The bottle  10  has a cylindrical neck  15  about the outlet  14  carrying external threads  16 . The open end  13  has a top wall  17 . The closed end  12  has a bottom wall  18 . A side wall  20  bridges between the closed end  12  and the open end  13 , that is, between the top wall  17  and the bottom wall  18  with the side wall  20  encircling the bottle  10 . 
     The side wall  20  includes a front wall  21 , a rear wall  22  opposed to the front wall  21 , a right wall  23  and a left wall  24 . Each of the right wall  23  and the left wall  24  bridge between the front wall  21  and the rear wall  22  on the right and left sides thereof, respectively. The right wall  23  comprises a front right portion  25  and a rear right portion  26 . The left wall  24  comprises a front left portion  27  and a rear left portion  28 . 
     An enclosed cavity  30  is defined between the bottom wall  18  of the closed end  12  and the top wall  17  of the open end  13  inside the side wall  20  open via the outlet  14  at the open end  13 . 
     The front wall  21  comprises three portions, namely, a right face portion  32 , an intermediate step portion  33  and a left face portion  34 . The rear wall  22  is disposed substantially in a flat plane parallel the axis  11 . The right face portion  32  is disposed in a plane parallel to the rear wall  22  and extends from the right wall  23  to the step portion  33 . The step portion  33  is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the rear wall  22  and the right face portion  32  with the step portion  33  extending rearwardly towards the rear wall  22  from the right face portion  32  to the left face portion  34 . The left face portion  34  extends from an inner edge of the step portion  33  to the left wall  24 . Each of the rear wall  22 , the front right portion  25 , the rear right portion  26 , the front left portion  27 , the rear left portion  28 , the right face portion  32 , the step portion  33  and the left face portion  34  are rectangular panels disposed side by side and extending parallel to the central axis  11 . The right face portion  32  merges with the front right portion  25  at a right corner  36  and the left face portion  34  merges with the front left portion  27  at a left corner  37 . The right corner  36  and the left corner  37  are located from the rear wall  22  the same perpendicular distance and thus are disposed in the same flat plane as the right face portion  32 . The left face portion  34  extends from the left corner  37  towards the rear wall  22  as it extends toward the inner edge of the step portion  33 . 
     A front step corner  40  is defined between the right face portion  32  and the step portion  33 . A rear step corner  41  is provided between the left face portion  34  and the step portion  33 . The side wall  20  has an interior surface  38  and an exterior surface  39 . About the front step corner  40 , the interior surface  38  over the right face portion  32  forms an angle A with the interior surface  38  over the step portion  33 . About the rear step corner  41 , the exterior surface  39  over the left face portion  34  forms an angle B with the exterior surface  39  over the step portion  33 . The angle A is shown as being 90 degrees in the first embodiment. The angle B is shown as 83 degrees in the first embodiment. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a top cross-sectional view of the bottle  10  of  FIG. 1  in an uncollapsed condition. In contrast,  FIG. 5  is a top cross-sectional view the same as in  FIG. 4 , however, showing the bottle  10  in a fully collapsed condition. 
     In collapse of the bottle  10 , the front wall  21  and the rear wall  22  are drawn towards each other until in the fully collapsed condition of  FIG. 5 , the interior surface  38  over the front wall  21  comes into engagement with the interior surface  38  over the rear wall  22 . A channelway  42  is defined by the right face portion  32  and the step portion  33  with the channelway  42  defining a flow channel  43  which is open into the interior of the bottle  10  towards the rear wall  22 . The channelway  42  and its flow channel  43  extend longitudinally of the front wall  21  between the closed end  12  and the open end  13 . During collapse of the bottle  10  when the front wall  21  is drawn into engagement with the rear wall  22 , the rear wall  22  engages the front wall  21  to bridge the flow channel  43  and, as seen in  FIG. 5 , a flow passageway  44  is defined including the flow channel  43  between the channelway  42  of the front wall  21  and the rear wall  22 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the channelway  42  is defined between the inwardly directed interior surface  38  over the right face portion  32  which opens into the cavity  30  and the inwardly directed interior surface  38  over the step portion  33  which opens into the cavity  30  opposed to the interior surface  38  over the right face portion  32 . As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the channelway  42  is closed at the closed end  12  by the bottom wall  18  and the channelway  42  is closed at the open end  13  by the top wall  17 . 
     The right face portion  32  merges with the top wall  17  at a top corner  45 , the step portion  33  merges with the top wall  17  at a top corner  46  and the left face portion  34  merges with the top wall at a top corner  48 . Similarly, the right face portion  32  merges with the bottom wall  18  at a bottom corner  49 , the step portion  33  merges with the bottom wall  18  at a bottom corner  50  and the left face portion  34  merges with the bottom wall  18  at a bottom corner  51 . The front step corner  40  and the rear step corner  41  assist in providing structure to the front wall  21  resistant to collapse of the channelway  42  under conditions which may exist within the bottle  10  when it is being collapsed or collapsed. The corners  45 ,  46 ,  47 ,  48 ,  49 ,  50  and  51  further assist in providing structure and rigidity to the channelway  42  under conditions which may exist within the bottle  10  when it is collapsed. 
     The bottle  10  is to contain a fluid which is to be drawn from the opening  14  as when vacuum conditions are applied to the opening  14  as, for example, by a pump, not shown. The vacuum conditions applied to the opening  14  include a threshold vacuum condition required to draw a substantial portion of the fluid from the opening as, for example, to substantially draw all of the fluid from the bottle  10  so as to achieve the collapsed condition as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The threshold vacuum which is required to be applied to the opening  14  to fully collapse the bottle to the condition of  FIG. 5  will vary depending upon the nature of the fluid within the bottle. For example, the threshold vacuum condition will increase in pressure below atmosphere with an increase in viscosity of the fluid. The viscosity of the fluid will typically decrease with temperature of the fluid. Having regard to the nature of the fluid which the bottle is to contain and ambient conditions such as temperature under which fluid is to be drawn from the bottle, the relative strength of the side wall  20  forming the bottle  10  and, particularly the channelway  42 , is to be selected to maintain the channelway  42  against collapse so as to maintain the flow channel  43  and flow passageway  44  to provide for fluid flow longitudinally of the bottle  10  through the flow channel  43  provided the vacuum conditions within the bottle  10  do not exceed the threshold vacuum conditions needed to draw fluid from the bottle and fully collapse the bottle  10 . 
     The bottle is preferably formed by a manufacturing process including a blow molding step in which a parison or pre-mold is clamped in a mold and compressed gas blown into the parison or pre-mold to push the plastic outwardly into the mold. 
     The bottle  10  of  FIGS. 1 to 5  has a configuration which assists in a controlled collapse of the bottle to the collapsed condition as seen in  FIG. 5 . As seen in  FIG. 4 , the bottle  10  is symmetrical about a flat central plane  100  including the axis  11 , and another flat plane  99  is shown including the axis  11  normal to the central plane. The rear wall  22  is shown as parallel to the plane  99 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the bottle has a shape as seen in top view with the right wall  23  and the left wall  24  being spaced a greater distance than the rear wall  22  and the front wall  21  are spaced. The bottle  10  has the central axis  11  centered between the right wall  23  and the left wall  24  but displaced towards the rear wall  22 , that is, closer to the rear wall  22  than to the front wall  21 , as seen by the plane  99  being closer to the rear wall  22  than the front wall  21 . 
     The front right portion or panel  25  is joined to the rear right panel  26  over a mid-corner  61 . The rear right portion or panel  26  is joined to the rear wall  22  over a rear corner  62 . The front left portion or panel  27  is joined to the rear left panel  28  over a mid-corner  63 . The rear left portion or panel  28  is joined to the rear wall  22  over a rear corner  64 . 
     The bottle  10  is preferably blow molded from a preferred parison  70  schematically shown in  FIG. 4  as having a cylindrical parison wall  71  disposed about the central axis  11  and of constant thickness radially. As the cylindrical parison wall  71  of the parison  70  is expanded outwardly in blow molding to form the side wall  20 , the portions of the side wall  20  which are farthest from the central axis  100  have the thickness of the parison wall  71  reduced the greatest. The side wall  20  over the right wall  23  and the left wall  24  have a wall thickness less than the wall thickness of the rear wall  22  and the front wall  21 . Over the right wall  23  and the left wall  24 , the rear corners  62  and  64  and the mid-corners  61  and  63  have the least thickness. The rear wall  22  has a greatest thickness proximate the central plane and greater over a central portion indicated  66  than over portions closer to the right wall  23  or the left wall  24 . Similarly, the front wall  21  has greatest thickness proximate the central plane and generally greater over a central portion indicated  67  than over portions closer to the right wall  23  or the left wall  24 . The greater thickness of the front wall  21  over the central portion  67  renders it advantageous to have the channelway  42  provided close to the central plane towards having the panels forming the channelway  42  of relatively increased thickness so as to resist collapse of the channelway  42  when vacuum is applied to the bottle, preferably to have the channelway  42  more resistant to bending and collapse than the right wall  23  and the left wall  24  and the rear corners  62  and  64  and the mid-corners  61  and  63 . 
     This configuration of the bottle  10  is advantageous so that the bottle will collapse as indicated in  FIG. 5  with the right wall  23  and the left wall  24  folding inwardly upon themselves and the front wall  21  and the rear wall  22  being drawn towards each other and into engagement over their middle portions  66  and  67  between the collapsed right wall  23  and the collapsed left wall  24  as seen in  FIG. 5 . The front wall  21  has, as shown on  FIG. 3 , an intermediate portion  68  of the front wall  21  approximately mid-way between the top wall  17  and the rear wall  22 , and the rear wall  22  similarly has, as also shown on  FIG. 3 , an intermediate portion  69  of the rear wall  22  approximately mid-way between the top wall  17  and the bottom wall  18 . During collapse of the bottle  10  from a full condition to the fully collapsed condition, intermediate portion  68  of the front wall  21  and the intermediate portion  69  of the rear wall  22  are often drawn inwardly towards each other and into engagement with each other over their middle portions  66  and  67  before other portions of the front wall  21  and the rear wall  22  closer to the open end  13  or the closed end  12  are drawn together. This engagement over the intermediate portions  68  and  69  in a bottle without the channelway  42  often prevents fluid flow longitudinally in the bottle and can trap fluid in the bottle in the cavity at the closed end against being withdrawn from the outlet of the bottle. Providing the channelway  42  at least longitudinally across the intermediate portions  68  and  69 , provides for longitudinal flow of the fluid between the engaged middle portions  66  and  67  of the front wall  21  and the rear wall  22  at all times during collapse of the bottle. 
     Reference is made to  FIGS. 6 to 10  which illustrate a second embodiment of a collapsible bottle  10  in accordance with the present invention. The bottle  10  of the second embodiment has many similarities to the bottle of the first embodiment and similar reference numerals are used to refer to similar elements. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 6 , the front wall  21  is a rectangular panel between the right corner  36  and the left corner  37  symmetrical about a central plane  100  shown on  FIG. 9  to be normal to the rear wall  22 . The front wall  21  includes a series of longitudinal panels including a first panel  101 , a second panel  102 , a third panel  103 , a fourth panel  104 , a fifth panel  105 , a sixth panel  106 , a seventh panel  107 , an eighth panel  108 , a ninth panel  109 , a tenth panel  110 , an eleventh panel  111  and a twelfth panel  112 . Each of the panels  101 ,  103  and  105  are disposed in flat planes parallel to each other forming an angle of 75 degrees with the center plane  100 . Each of the panels  102 ,  104  and  106  are disposed in flat planes parallel to each other forming an angle of 65 degrees with the center plane  100 . Each of the panels  112 ,  110  and  108  are disposed in flat planes parallel to each other forming an angle of 65 degrees with the center plane  100 . Each of the panels  102  and  104  are disposed in flat planes parallel to each other forming an angle of 10 degrees with the center plane  100 . Each of the panels  109  and  111  are disposed in flat planes parallel to each other forming an angle of 10 degrees with the center plane  100 . Each of the panels  106  and  107  form an angle of 36 degrees with the center plane  100 . Five channelways are defined between adjacent of the panels  101  to  112  as channelways  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124  and  125 . Channelway  123  is a center channelway with an angle spanning about 78 degrees between the panels  106  and  107 . Each of the other channelways  121 ,  122 ,  124  and  125  span a respective angle of about 75 degrees between the interior surface  38  over the adjacent panels by which each channelway is formed inwardly in the cavity. 
     The front wall  21  has a top header portion  130  and a bottom header portion  131 , each disposed in a plane perpendicular to the center plane  100  and generally parallel to a plane in which each of the top wall  17  and the bottom wall  18  lies. Each of the panels  101  to  112  extends between the top header portion  130  and the bottom header portion  131  with each of the channelways  122  to  125  extending to the header portions and the engagement of the panels  101  to  112  with the header portions assisting in providing resistance of the channelways  122  to  125  to collapse under vacuum conditions in the bottle. As seen in  FIG. 10  showing a collapsed condition of the bottle  10  of  FIG. 6 , the front wall  21  is drawn into engagement with the rear wall  22  with the rear wall  22  to bridge the respective flow channel  43  formed within each channelway and with a flow passageway  44  being defined between the front wall  21  and its channelways and the rear wall  22  extending longitudinally to provide for fluid flow through the flow passageway  44  even when the bottle  10  is in a fully collapsed condition as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     The top header portion  130  extends inwardly with a number of triangular portions bridging between the panels  101  and  102 ; between the panels  103  and  104 ; between the panels  105  and  106 ; between the panels  107  and  108 ; between the panels  109  and  110  and between the panels  111  and  112 . Preferably, each of these triangular portions are interconnected along a continuous edge portion which extends outwardly of the apexes as, for example, between the panels  101  and  102 ,  103  and  104 ,  105  and  106 ,  107  and  108 ,  109  and  110  and  111  and  112 . These triangles and the joining edge portion along the apexes provides the top header portion  130  as a reinforcing member tending to provide transverse stability to the front wall across its width and together with the panels  101  to  112  forming the channelways to provide a relatively rigid three dimensional structure on the front wall  21  which resists deflection both longitudinally and transversely of the front wall  21 . However, as is to be appreciated, each of the channelways as, for example, the center channelway  123  formed between the panels  106  and  107 , extends longitudinally through the top header portion  130  and the bottom header portion  131  to provide for fluid passage through the channelway  123  from the closed end  12  to the open end  13  of the bottle. 
     In the second embodiment, the rear right portion  26  of the right wall  23  includes a fold slot  150  extending longitudinally therein and, similarly, the rear left portion  28  of the left wall  24  includes a left fold slot  151  extending longitudinally therein. These right and left fold slots  150  and  151  extend inwardly in the respective right and left walls  23  and  24  and provide longitudinally extending weakened portions of further reduced wall thickness about which each of the rear right portion  26  of the right wall and the rear left portion  28  most readily fold assisting the side wall  20  towards a controlled collapse of the right wall  23  inwardly upon itself and the left wall  24  inwardly upon itself and towards the rear wall  22  as the front wall  21  is drawn toward engagement with the rear wall  22 . 
     The arrangement of a plurality of panels such as  101 ,  102 ,  103 ,  104 ,  105 ,  106 ,  107 ,  108 ,  109 ,  110 ,  111  and  112  with the top header portion  130  and a bottom header portion  131  such as shown in the second embodiment is useful in collapsible bottles to assist in maintaining the wall which contains these panels and header portions to have a dimensional stability which resists undo twisting or bending of the front wall either transversely or longitudinally. Thus, the structure of the channelway forming panels  101  to  112  and the top and bottom header portions  130  and  131  may be provided in both the front wall  21  and the rear wall  22  of bottles, particularly in bottles which may be formed with relatively thin walls such as, for example, a bottle of the type shown in U.S. Design Patent D350,070 to Ophardt, issued Aug. 30, 1994, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Such a bottle has a close to square configuration and the right wall and left wall are provided with a structure to assist in inward collapse of the right wall and the left wall. In a bottle similar to that as shown in Ophardt D350,070, which may be square, the folding of the right wall and the left wall upon themselves may substantially prevent the front wall and the rear wall from coming into engagement with each other nevertheless the front wall and the rear wall will come to collapse upon the folded portions of the side walls and the channelways provided in the front wall will assist in ensuring that there is a flow channel and flow passageway  44  formed longitudinally within the channels during all conditions of collapse of the bottle. 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 11  which illustrates a third embodiment of a collapsible bottle  10  in accordance with the present invention having substantial similarities to the first embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , however, in  FIG. 11 , the left face portion  34  is disposed to be parallel to the right face portion  32  but at a different distance from the rear wall  22 . In  FIG. 11 , the angle A is 90 degrees and the angle B is also 90 degrees, however, angle A may be preferably in the range of 75 degrees to 120 degrees and the angle B may be preferably in the range of 75 degrees to 120 degrees. 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 12  which illustrates a fourth embodiment of a collapsible bottle  10  having similarities to the first embodiment, however, in which the front wall  21  comprises not only a right face portion  32 , a step portion  33  and a left face portion  34  but also a leftmost portion  134 . The leftmost portion  134  and the right face portion  32  are shown to be disposed in the same flat plane parallel to the rear wall  22 . The angle A is 90 degrees but may be preferably in the range of 60 degrees to 120 degrees and the angle B is 64 degrees but may preferably in the range of 75 degrees to 90 degrees. 
     In the first embodiment of  FIG. 1  and the third embodiment of  FIG. 11 , the one channelway  42  is effectively formed by a step in the front wall  21  formed by three panels in the front wall  21 ; in the fourth embodiment of  FIG. 12 , a channelway is formed with the front wall  21  having four panels. 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 13  which illustrates a fifth embodiment of a collapsible bottle  10  in accordance with the present invention having substantial similarities to the second embodiment, however, in which the rear wall  22  and the front wall are shown as being curved, that is, convex bowing outwardly. The channelways  121  to  125  are provided in the front wall  21 , however, at least two of the panels  101  and  112  are shown as being arcuate rather than lying in a flat plane, and other of the panels  102  to  111  may be arcuate. 
     The preferred first, third and fourth embodiments illustrate arrangements with a single channelway  42  and the second and fifth embodiments illustrate embodiments with a plurality of channelways. Each of the embodiments illustrates one or more such channelways merely in the front wall  21 . However, the channelways could alternatively be provided exclusively in the rear wall  22  or in both the front wall  21  and the rear wall  22 . 
     The preferred first to fourth embodiments illustrate the different panels of the front wall  21  forming a channelway as being disposed in flat planar planes, however, as seen in the fifth embodiment, this is not necessary and each of the panels of the front wall  21  forming a channelway may be arcuate or curved. The resultant structure forming a channelway needs to have sufficient resistance to collapse that a flow channel through the channelway will provide and maintain for longitudinal fluid flow and form a flow passage between the channelway and the rear wall  22  for fluid flow therethrough under threshold vacuum conditions to be applied to fully collapse the bottle. 
     The particular cross-sectional shape of a bottle useful with the present invention is not limited. The bottle may be rounded or rectangular or square. Insofar as two opposed surfaces of the side wall of the bottle are drawn together, characterized as interior surfaces of a front wall and a rear wall, the provision of the channelway assists in ensuring that there may be a longitudinal flow channel for fluid to pass through and out the outlet of the bottle under appropriate vacuum conditions to collapse the bottle and all conditions that the bottle assumes between a full or un-collapsed condition and a fully collapsed condition including all partially collapsed conditions in between. 
     While advantageous, it is not necessary that the central axis  11  be displaced towards the rear wall and the central axis may be displaced towards the front wall or equidistance between the rear wall and the front wall. For example, in the embodiment of  FIG. 12 , the center axis may be moved from the location where it is shown on  FIG. 12  forwardly towards the front wall  21  such that the center axis is equidistance between the front wall  21  and the rear wall  22 . 
     The preferred embodiments illustrate a generally rectangular bottle in which the front wall and rear wall are spaced a lesser distance than the right wall and left wall are spaced. While this is preferred, it is not necessary. 
     The preferred embodiments illustrate a bottle  10  adapted to collapse with the right wall and left wall drawn inwardly to fold about themselves. This is preferred, but not necessary. The bottle may have the right wall and the left wall adapted during collapse to extend outwardly and fold about themselves increasing the overall width of the bottle as seen looking at the front wall. For example, the bottle may have a configuration similar to that of the bottle of U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,260 to During, issued Jun. 14, 1992, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, with each of the right wall and the left wall to be extended outwardly at their center as seen in top view and in collapse to become folded about themselves and extend outwardly, however, in accordance with the present invention, with at least one of the front wall and the rear wall to have at least one channelway of the type disclosed in the embodiments of this invention extend longitudinally such that in collapse with engagement of the front wall and the rear wall a longitudinal flow channel and flow passageway are maintained at all times during collapse of the bottle as the front wall and the rear wall are drawn into engagement. It is to be appreciated that the bottle of During increases in overall width as it collapses and, therefore, is often not useful to be placed inside a closed housing as in a soap dispenser in which it may not be disadvantageous for the housing to have increased dimensions merely to accommodate a bottle as it increases in a dimension while collapsing. 
     Each embodiment of a collapsible bottle  10  is in accordance with the present invention is preferably formed of plastic or other materials with the walls of the bottle being sufficiently thin as to be deformable as under vacuum conditions in the bottle. The collapsible bottles are preferably formed by blow-moulding processes. 
     The collapsible bottles in accordance with the present invention is adapted for containing and dispensing fluids such as hand cleaning fluids but not limited to hand cleaning fluids. The fluids to be dispensed can include preferably fluids with high viscosity and fluids which contain solid materials such as particulate matter, for example, pumice to be used as grit in abrasive cleaning fluid. The particular nature of the fluid to be dispensed is not limited and may be any manner of product including, for example, flowable creams, food products such as ketchup and sauces, medicinal fluids, paints, pastes, adhesives, grease and lubricating materials. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, many modifications and variations will now occur to a person skilled in the art. For a definition of the invention, reference is made to the following claims.