Patent Publication Number: US-8529974-B2

Title: Collapsible container

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/296,346, filed Jan. 19, 2010. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a container that can be used for a fluid material, such as liquid, gas, paste, or gel, wherein the container is adapted to collapse to discharge the fluid material. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Consumer packaging is designed to take into consideration functionality and appearance. For example, consumption of food contained within a one-serve sized container is often achieved by the use of a spoon. The spoon may transfer the food content directly to the mouth of the consumer. A spoon is a further element that needs to be provided to allow for the contents of such a container to be consumed. Yogurt and custards and other gelatinous food consumer products, such as those having a jelly-like consistency are not to any significant extent able to be poured or dispensed quickly from a container due to their high viscosity and/or gelatinous nature. It is therefore necessary to use a spoon to transfer some if not a substantial part of the contents from the container. There also seems to be a trend with consumer packaging products for food container to allow the food contents to be dispensed without the need for further implements or utensils. The capability of a package to self dispense a significant part of the contents is being addressed by consumer packaging designers and manufacturers. 
     For example, in today&#39;s fast-paced society, where consumers are constantly on-the-go, a need exists for easy-to-consume, shelf-stable comestibles that could be preferably consumed in one bite without a spoon or other eating utensil. An example of such a comestible is an easy-to-consume gel-based product in a collapsible container. 
     There is, therefore, a need in the art for a container that is inexpensive and easy to use, and that eliminates the problems associated with the prior art containers. The present invention is directed to remedying these and other deficiencies of the prior art containers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The following presents a general summary of aspects of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of at least some of its aspects. This summary is not intended as an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a general form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below. 
     According to one aspect, the present invention relates to a container configured to hold edible contents that includes an outer cup, an inner cup located inside the outer cup, and a seal. The outer cup may comprise a bottom portion located at the bottom of the outer cup, a sidewall section engaged with the bottom portion, and an outer cup top portion engaged with the sidewall section. The bottom portion may further include a hole. The outer cup top portion may further include an outer cup perimeter flange that flares outwardly from the outer cup top portion. The inner cup may comprise a base, a plurality of collapsible sections, and an inner cup top portion. The plurality of collapsible sections may further include a top section, a middle section, and a base section. The inner cup top portion may further include an inner cup perimeter flange that flares outwardly from the inner cup top portion. A container opening may be defined in the inner cup top portion. The base may be accessible from through the hole in the outer cup. The seal may cover the container opening and may be affixed to the inner cup perimeter flange. Additionally, the base may be configured to collapse toward the container opening when a force is exerted toward the container opening through the hole on the inner cup, such that the base section collapses inside the middle section, and the base section and middle section collapse inside the top section, thereby discharging the edible contents from the container. 
     Additionally, this aspect of the invention may include additional features without departing from the invention. For example, the inner cup perimeter flange may engage the outer cup perimeter flange. The plurality of collapsible sections may be concentric, wherein the base section perimeter is less than the middle section perimeter and the middle section perimeter is less than the top section perimeter. Additionally, the inner cup may be made of a thermoform plastic and/or the outer cup may be made of a thermoform plastic. The seal may be made of a foil material. The container opening may be either circular or oval. Additionally, the outer cup may be stackable with a second outer cup such that the outer cup perimeter flange does not engage a perimeter flange on the second outer cup. Additionally, the inner cup may be stackable with a second inner cup such that the inner cup perimeter flange does not engage a perimeter flange on the second inner cup. Also, the sidewall section may include one or more of the following: logos, advertising content, or nutritional information. 
     According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a container comprising a first cup, a second cup located inside the first cup, an opening located at the top of the second cup, and a seal covering the opening. The first cup may comprise a first cup perimeter flange that flares outwardly from the perimeter of the top of the first cup. Additionally the second cup may comprise a base, a plurality of concentric sections, and a second cup perimeter flange that flares outwardly from the perimeter of the top of the second cup. The opening may be defined by the second cup perimeter flange. The seal may be affixed to the second cup perimeter flange. Additionally, the second cup may be configured to collapse within the first cup when a force is exerted toward the opening on the base, such that the plurality of concentric sections collapse toward the opening. 
     According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a container configured to hold edible contents that includes an outer cup, an inner cup located inside the outer cup, and a seal. The outer cup comprises a bottom portion located at the bottom of the outer cup, a sidewall section engaged with the bottom portion, and an outer cup top portion engaged with the sidewall section. The bottom portion may further include a hole. The outer cup top portion may further include an outer cup perimeter flange that flares outwardly from the outer cup top portion. The inner cup may include a base, a plurality of concentric and collapsible sections, and an inner cup top portion that engages the outer cup top portion. The plurality of concentric and collapsible sections may further include a top section, a middle section, and a base section, wherein the base section perimeter is less than the middle section perimeter, and the middle section perimeter is less than the top section perimeter. Additionally, the inner cup top portion may include an inner cup perimeter flange that flares outwardly from the inner cup top portion, such that the inner cup perimeter flange engages the outer cup perimeter flange. The inner cup top portion defines a container opening. The base may be accessible from through the hole in the outer cup. The seal covers the container opening and is affixed to the inner cup perimeter flange. The base may be configured to collapse toward the container opening when a force is exerted toward the container opening through the hole on the inner cup, such that the base section collapses inside the middle section, and the base section and middle section collapse inside the top section, thereby discharging the edible contents from the container. 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       A more complete understanding of the present invention and certain advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description in consideration with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  is a front plan view of a collapsible container in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is a side partial cut-away view of the collapsible container of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 1C  is a side cut-away view of the collapsible container of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 1D  is a top view of the collapsible container of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is a front plan view of an outer cup from the collapsible container of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of the outer cup of  FIG. 2A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 2C  is a top view of the outer cup of  FIG. 2A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is a front plan view of an inner cup from the collapsible container of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a side plan view of the inner cup of  FIG. 3A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 3C  is a top view of the inner cup of  FIG. 3A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cut-away front view of a stackable feature for the outer cup of  FIG. 2A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial cut-away front view of a stackable feature for the inner cup of  FIG. 3A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention; and 
         FIGS. 6A  though  6 C illustrate the use of the collapsible container of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with at least some examples of this invention. 
     
    
    
     The reader is advised that the attached drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following description of various examples of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various example structures, systems, and steps in which aspects of the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts, structures, example devices, systems, and steps may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, while the terms “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “side,” and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the invention, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three dimensional orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of this invention. 
     The present invention relates to a collapsible container  10 . The collapsible container  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1A through 1D . The collapsible container  10  may have a volume of between approximately 1 fluid ounce and 5 fluid ounces, and it will be appreciated that the container  10  can be upsized and downsized and still achieve the same functionality and desired characteristics as will be described herein. Although the foregoing embodiment relates to a container  10  that is circular, it will be apparent that the container  10  may also take other forms, for instance, oval, square, rectangular, or polygonal. As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the collapsible container  10  may include a first cup  20 , a second cup  40 , and a seal  60 . 
     The first cup, or outer cup  20  is illustrated in more detail in  FIGS. 2A through 2C . As is shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the outer cup  20  may be a circular structure. The outer cup  20  may be other shaped structures, such as an oval structure (as illustrated in  FIGS. 6A through 6C ), a rectangular structure, or other polygon shape structures without departing from the scope of this invention. The outer cup  20  may include a bottom portion  22 , a side-wall section  24 , and an outer cup top portion  26 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2B , the bottom portion  22  may include a flat portion  28  located at the bottom of the container  10 . The flat portion  28  may allow the container  10  to stand upright while seated on a flat surface. The bottom portion  22  may also include a hole  30 . The hole  30  may consist of a portion of the entire area of the bottom portion  22  of the outer cup  20 . The hole  30  may be circular in shape or may be other shapes without departing from the scope of this invention. Generally, the hole  30  may be big enough for a finger to move or push through. 
     Additionally as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the side-wall section  24  is engaged with or located next to the bottom portion  22 . The side-wall section  24  is generally a tubular shape and the same shape as the outer cup  20 . For example, if the outer cup  20  is circular, the side-wall section  24  is also generally circular and if the outer cup  20  is oval, the side-wall section  24  is also generally oval. The side-wall section  24  has generally smooth sides. The side-wall section  24  may also have sides that are not smooth without departing from the scope of this invention. The side-wall section  24  may also include one or more logos, advertising content, or nutritional information for the given product inside the container  10 . 
     Additionally, the side-wall section  24  may be substantially parallel, for example straight up and down. In another example in accordance with this invention, the side-wall section  24  may include a slight taper to help allow for the outer cups  20  to be stacked during manufacturing, shipping, or storage. 
     The outer cup top portion  26  is illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . The outer cup top portion  26  may be engaged with or located next to the side-wall section  24 . The outer cup top portion  26  includes a ridge  32 . The ridge  32  may be located where the outer cup top portion  26  meets or engages the side-wall section  24 . The ridge  32  may extend around the perimeter of the outer cup top portion  26 . Additionally, the outer cup top portion  26  may include an outer cup perimeter flange  34 . The outer cup perimeter flange  34  may be located at the top of the outer cup top portion  26 , furthest away from the side-wall section  24 . The outer cup perimeter flange  34  may flare outwardly from the outer cup top portion  24  and may extend around the perimeter of the outer cup top portion  26 . The outer cup perimeter flange  34  includes both a top and a bottom. 
     The outer cup  20  may be made of many different types of materials. The outer cup  20  may preferably be made from plastic, and particularly those plastics which can result in a rigid surface when sufficiently thin, and ensure flexibility, for example thermoform plastics. Additionally, without departing from the scope of this invention, the outer cup  20  may be made of other materials, such as metals. Other materials known and used in the art may be used for the outer cup  20  without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     Additionally, as shown in  FIGS. 3A through 3C , the collapsible container  10  may include a second cup, or inner cup  40 . The inner cup  40  may include a base  42 , a plurality of collapsible sections  44 , and an inner cup top portion  46 . The base  42  may be located at the bottom of the inner cup  40 . The base  42  may be rounded in shape. The base  42  may be other shapes, such as an oval (as illustrated in  FIGS. 6A through 6C ), rectangular, or other polygon shapes without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     The plurality of collapsible sections  44  may be located above the base and next to or engaged with the base  42  of the inner cup  40 . Additionally, the plurality of collapsible sections  44  may be located in the middle area of the inner cup  40 . Each collapsible section  44  may be separated by a section ridge  48 . As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the section ridges  48  may curve up and down around the inner cup  40 , wherein the section ridges go up and down around the perimeter of the inner cup  48 . The curving up and down of the section ridges  48  as described above and shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  helps to create the collapsible feature of the plurality of concentric sections  44 . However, in other examples in accordance with this invention, the section ridges  48  may be straight, rather than curving around the inner cup. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , in one example according to the invention, the plurality of collapsible sections  44  may include three concentric and collapsible sections. The plurality of concentric sections  44  may include a base section  50 , a middle section  52 , and a top section  54 . The base section  50  is located closest to the base  42  of the inner cup  40 . Additionally, the base section  50  may be engaged with or next to the base  42  of the inner cup  40 . The top section  54  is located closest to the inner cup top portion  46 . Additionally, the top section  54  may be engaged with or next to the inner cup top portion  46 . The middle section  52  may be located between the base section  50  and the top section  54 . Each of the concentric sections  50 ,  52 ,  54  may be defined by the section ridge  48  located between each of the corresponding concentric sections  50 ,  52 ,  54 . Additionally, the concentric sections  50 ,  52 ,  54  may have a differing circumference or perimeter. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the base section  50  may have smaller circumference than the middle section  52 . The middle section  52  may have a smaller circumference than the top section  54 . If the concentric sections  50 ,  52 ,  54  are non-circular, then the concentric sections  50 ,  52 ,  54  may have a different perimeter, similar to as described above for the different circumference. Additionally, without departing from the scope of this invention, the plurality of concentric sections  44  may include a number of concentric sections other than three, such as two, four, or five or more. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the inner cup top portion  46  is engaged with or located next to the top section  54  of the plurality of concentric sections  44 . The inner cup top portion  46  may include an inner cup perimeter flange  56 . The inner cup perimeter flange  56  may be located at the top of the inner cup top portion  46 . The inner cup perimeter flange  56  may extend around the perimeter of the inner cup top portion  46 . The inner cup perimeter flange  56  flares outwardly from the inner cup top portion  46  to present a surface with which the seal  60  can engage. The inner cup perimeter flange  56  may present a substantially continuous and planar engagement surface onto which the seal  60  can engage. The inner cup perimeter flange  56  includes both a top and a bottom. Additionally, the inner cup  46  includes a container opening  58  located at the top of the inner cup  40 . The container opening  58  may also be defined by the inner cup perimeter flange  56 . 
     The inner cup  40  may be made of many different types of materials. The inner cup  40  may preferably be made from plastic, and particularly those plastics which can result in a rigid surface when sufficiently thin, and ensure flexibility, for example thermoform plastics. Additionally, without departing from the scope of this invention, the inner cup  40  may be made of other materials, such as a thin collapsible metal. Other materials known and used in the art may be used for the inner cup  40  without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     Additionally, the collapsible container  10  may include a seal  60 . As shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  the seal  60  may cover the opening  58 . The seal  60  may include a pull-tab  62 . The pull-tab  62  may be a tab located on an outside portion of the seal  60 . A user may pull the pull-tab  62  by grasping and holding the pull-tab to remove the seal from the opening  58  and collapsible container  10 . The seal  60  may be, for example, be made of a foil material. Other materials known and used in the art may be used for the seal  60  without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     Additionally, as shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , the seal  60  may be slightly larger than the opening  58  to ensure that the opening  58  is completely covered. In other examples in accordance with examples of this invention, the seal  60  may be more than slightly larger than the opening  58 . If the seal  60  is more than slightly larger than the opening  58 , the excess material of the seal  60  may hang-over the opening  58 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the elements of the container  10  according to this invention may be configured together such that the inner cup  40  is placed inside the outer cup  20  and the seal  60  is located over the opening  58 . When the inner cup  40  is inserted into the outer cup  20 , the outside of the inner cup top portion  46  engages and contacts with the inside of the outer cup top portion  26 . As the inner cup  40  is inserted farther into the outer cup  20 , the bottom of the inner cup perimeter flange  56  engages the top of the outer cup perimeter flange  34 . Additionally, in examples in accordance with this invention, portions of the top section  54  ridge  48  of the inner cup  40  may also engage against portions of the ridge  32  of the outer cup  20 . After the inner cup  40  is fully inserted into the upper cup  20 , the inner cup  40  and the outer cup  20  may include one or more means of joining the two pieces together, such as an engagement fit, welding, gluing, thermal adhesive process or other means for joining plastics or like materials known in the art. The means for joining the two pieces together may include the area between the inner cup top portion  46  and the outer cup top portion  26 , which may be by a friction fit or friction engagement. Additionally, another area may include the inner cup perimeter flange  56  and the outer cup perimeter flange  34 , wherein the two perimeter flanges  34 ,  56  may be glued or thermally adhered in accordance with examples of this invention. Furthermore, when the inner cup  40  is fully inserted into the outer cup  20 , the base  42  of the inner cup  40  may be substantially flush with the flat portion  28  of the outer cup  40 . 
     Lastly, the seal  60  may be placed and located over the opening  58  and the container  10 . The seal  60  may be affixed to the inner cup perimeter flange  56  by commonly known techniques that may allow for the seal  60  to be removed and peeled from the inner cup perimeter flange  56 . One such technique may be a thermal adhesion process. 
     Additionally, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the outer cup  20  may be configured and manufactured to be stackable for manufacturing, shipping, packaging, storage, etc. When stacking a top outer cup  20 A and a bottom outer cup  20 B, the ridge  32 A of the top outer cup  20 A may engage with the outer cup perimeter ridge  34 B as the top outer cup  20 A is stacked inside the bottom outer cup  20 B. This stackability may provide an advantage for manufacturing, shipping, and/or packaging. As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the outer cup perimeter flange  34 A of the top outer cup  20 A may not contact the outer cup perimeter flange  34 B of the bottom outer cup  20 B in the stacked condition which may be desirable where the containers are provided in a stacked form. This stacked form may help to allow for a filling and sealing machine to grip a top most outer cup  20 A or bottom most outer cup  20 B of the stack for removal from the stack for subsequent filling and sealing. 
     Additionally, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , similar to the outer cup  20  as described above, the inner cup  40  may be configured and manufactured to be stackable for manufacturing, shipping, packaging, storage, etc. When stacking a top inner cup  40 A and a bottom inner cup  40 B, the top section ridge  48 A of the top inner cup  40 A may engage with the inner cup perimeter ridge  56 B of the bottom cup  40 B as the top inner cup  40 A is stacked inside the bottom inner cup  40 B. This stackability may provide an advantage for manufacturing, shipping, and/or packaging. As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , the inner cup perimeter flange  56 A of the top inner cup  40 A may not contact the inner cup perimeter flange  56 B of the bottom inner cup  40 B in the stacked condition which may be desirable where the containers are provided in a stacked form. This stacked form may help to allow for a filling and sealing machine to grip a top most inner cup  40 A or bottom most inner cup  40 B of the stack for removal from the stack for subsequent filling and sealing. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 6A through 6C , the container  10  may be used to contain or hold an edible content  72 . The edible content  72  may be an easy-to-consume, preferably shelf-stable, gel-based product that could be preferably consumed in one bite without a spoon. More particularly, the edible product  72  could relate to a soft gel-based product containing a gum and additional ingredients including, but not limited to food-grade acid, sodium citrate, calcium lactate, nutritive and non-nutritive sweetener, color, flavor, functional ingredients or combinations of these ingredients. Additionally, the edible product  72  could contain at least caffeine, taurine, a vitamin B complex and a gum. In other examples in accordance with this invention, the edible product  72  may also be a yogurt or custard or other gelatinous food consumer products, such as those having a jelly-like consistency that are not able to be poured or dispensed quickly from a container due to their high viscosity and/or gelatinous nature. Additionally, the container  10  may contain or hold other consumer products other than edible products without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , for a user  70  to use the container  10 , the user  70  may first remove the seal  60 . The user  70  may remove the seal  60  by grasping or holding onto the pull-tab  62 , thereby pulling the seal  60  from the opening  58  of the container  10 . After removing the seal  60 , as illustrated in  FIG. 6C , the user  70  may then insert their finger or thumb  71  into the hole  30  at the bottom of the container  10 . After the user  70  inserts their finger  71  into the hole  30 , the user&#39;s finger  71  presses against the base  42  of inner cup  40 , thereby exerting force against the inner cup  40  toward the opening  58  of the container  10 . As the user continues to press their finger  71  against the base  42  of the inner cup  40 , the inner cup  40  begins collapsing. For example, the plurality of concentric sections  44  may collapse within or against each other (such as a base section collapsing inside a middle section and the base section and the middle section collapsing inside a top section). As the plurality of concentric sections  44  collapse within or against each other, the edible content  72  is pressed out of the opening  58  of the container  10 , thereby falling out of the container  10  and into the user&#39;s mouth  70 . The user  70  may then consume or eat the edible content  72  and discard the container  10  after use. 
     CONCLUSION 
     The present invention is disclosed above and in the accompanying drawings with reference to a variety of examples. The purpose served by the disclosure, however, is to provide an example of the various features and concepts related to the invention, not to limit the scope of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the aspects described above without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.