Patent Publication Number: US-6702143-B2

Title: Container

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to containers, and more particularly, to a container, which is easily contracted to reduce its capacity and elastically expanded to restore its original capacity. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Generally, containers may contain something which is not transformed in shape or reduced in quantity regardless of consumption, but usually contain something which is reduced in volume as it is consumed. In the case of containing liquid food in the container, as a user drinks the liquid, the food in the container is decreased in quantity and empty space in the container becomes larger. Due to such an increased empty space, the container is inefficient in terms of its space utilization. In addition, since the container with the increased empty space undesirably maintains its original volume, it is inconvenient for a user to carry the container. 
     In order to solve the above problem, as shown in FIG. 4, a collapsible container has been proposed and widely used to contain liquid material. A plurality of annular folding lines are formed around the circumferential surface of the container at regular intervals. The folding lines are designed to allow the collapsible container to be expanded or contracted at the folding lines in a zigzag mode so as to appropriately control the capacity of the container. That is, when a large quantity of material is required to be contained in the container, a user pulls up on the container for increasing its capacity. On the other hand, when the quantity of contents is decreased, the user presses down on the container for reducing its capacity. 
     Such a collapsible container is advantageous in that its capacity can be controlled. However, this container has a problem that it doesn&#39;t have a restoring force in itself for restoring its original shape, so a user has to manually pull up on or press down on the container when necessary, thus being complicated to control the capacity of the container. Furthermore, the conventional collapsible container has another problem that it is inferior in terms of hygiene, since dirt may be caught in the channels, formed inside the container along the folding lines, during containing something in the container, and the dirt can hardly be removed from the container due to the bellows shape of the collapsible container. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a container, which is easily expanded or contracted and ensures the easy removal of dirt. 
     In order to accomplish the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a container, including a flexible body having a cylindrical interior for containing something, and a capacity control ring spirally formed around the outer surface or inner surface of the sidewall of the body, and allowing the body to be contracted and expanded in a vertical direction thereof, thus controlling the capacity of the body. 
     It is preferable that the capacity control ring have a hollow passage interiorly formed along the ring, and a coil spring received in the hollow passage and providing an elasticity to the body for allowing the contraction and expansion of the body. It is also preferable that the capacity control ring be a solid ring. 
     It is further preferable that a spiral collapsible groove be formed on the sidewall of the body along a spiral channel formed between turns of the capacity control ring. 
     It is still further preferable to have a lid closing the mouth of the body and having an air valve for allowing air to be discharged from the interior of the body. 
     In order to accomplish the above object, another embodiment of this present invention provides a container, including a flexible body having a cylindrical interior for containing something, a seat groove spirally formed around the sidewall of the body, a coil spring set along the seat groove and providing an elasticity to the body for allowing elastic contraction and expansion of the body, a collapsible groove spirally formed around the sidewall of the body along a spiral land formed between turns of the seat grove for allowing the body to be easily contracted and expanded, and a lid closing the mouth of the body and having an air valve for allowing air to be discharged from the interior of the body. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a container according to the primary embodiment of this invention, when a lid of the container is opened; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the container according to the primary embodiment of this invention, when the lid is closed; 
     FIGS. 3 a  to  3   d  are sectional views of containers according to the other embodiments of this invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a conventional collapsible container. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components. 
     According to the primary embodiment of this invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a container  1  includes a body  3  and a lid  10  airtightly closing the body  3 . 
     The body  3  is formed in a cylindrical shape, and provided along the edge of its mouth with a plurality of locking projections  4  at diametrically opposite positions. The locking projections  4  are used to lock the lid  10  to the body  3 , in addition to functioning as a handle of the container. A capacity control ring  5  is spirally formed around the outer surface of the sidewall of the body  3 , while extending from the top to the bottom of the body  3 . This capacity control ring  5  is used to contract and expand the body  3 . 
     The capacity control ring  5  is protrusively formed on the outer surface of the sidewall of the body  3  in a spiral direction. The capacity control ring  5  has a semicircular cross-section, and is provided in its interior with a hollow passage  6 . A coil spring  7  normally having a predetermined spring force is received in the hollow passage  6 . 
     Thus, when contracting the body  3  in a vertical direction, a spiral channel formed between turns of the capacity control ring  5  is folded, so the capacity of the body  3  becomes smaller. However, in a normal condition, the spring force of the coil spring  7  is applied to the body  3 , thus keeping the body  3  at a vertically expanded state. 
     The lid  10  is used to close the body  3 , and has a dome-shaped appearance. A plurality of locking rings  11  are installed along the edge of the lid  10 . The locking rings  11  have a square shape, and are locked to the locking projections  4 , respectively. The lid  10  is provided on its center portion with an air valve  13 , which is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 88100 applied by and allowed to the inventor of this invention. 
     The process of containing something in the container  1  of this invention is as follows. First, the user puts something in the body  3  and puts the lid  10  on the body  3 . Thereafter, the user locks the lid  10  to the body  3  by fitting the locking rings  11  over the locking projections  4 . When the quantity of material contained in the container  1  is smaller than that of the body  3 , the user presses down the body  3  to contract it. By this operation, the capacity of the body  3  is reduced to meet the volume of the contents in the container  1 . 
     When contracting the body  3  in this way, air is discharged from the interior of the container  1  through the air valve  13  provided on the lid  10 , thus accomplishing airtight sealing of the container  1 . Therefore, the capacity of the container  1  can be controlled to an appropriate minimum level which is required to contain something. In addition, the container  1  can keep contents, such as food or drink, fresh for a lengthy period of time in the airtightly sealed state. 
     In the case of where it is required to take the contents out the container  1 , the user pushes the air valve  13  down such that atmospheric air flows into the container  1 . While air flows into the container  1 , the body  3  is vertically and elastically expanded by the spring force of the coil spring  7 . When the body  3  is completely expanded and restores its original shape, it is possible to take the contents out the container  1  after removing the lid  10  from the body  3 . 
     As such, according to this invention, the flexible body  3  is designed to be collapsible for controlling the capacity of the container  1 . When it is required to reduce the capacity of the body  3 , the user has to directly press down the body  3  to collapse it. But, when it is required to return the body  3  to its original shape, the user manipulates the air valve  13  to allow atmospheric air to flow into the body  3  through the air valve  13 , thus easily expanding the body  3  without manually expanding it. Therefore, it is very easy to control the capacity of the body  3 . Normally, the body  3  maintains its original shape, that is, an extended shape, thus easily removing the dirt caught in the folded channel while containing something in the container  1 , therefore being excellent in terms of hygiene. Furthermore, by using the air valve  13 , food and drink can be freshly contained in the capacity controllable container  1  for a lengthy period of time in the vacuum state. 
     According to another embodiment of this invention, as shown in FIG. 3 a , a collapsible groove  9  is spirally formed around the outer surface of the sidewall of the body  3  along a spiral channel formed between turns of the capacity control ring  5  and cut in such a way as to have a V-shaped cross-section. The collapsible groove  9  is formed from the top to the bottom of the body  3  along the spiral channel. Thus, when pressing down the body  3 , the body  3  is folded along the collapsible groove  9 . Therefore, the body  3  can be folded with a small force, thus allowing a user to easily fold the body  3 . 
     In the above embodiments of this invention, a coil spring  7  is received in the hollow passage  6  of the capacity control ring  5 . However, as shown in FIG. 3 b , the container  1  may be designed to have only the hollow passage  6 , without the coil spring  7 . In this case, since,the capacity control ring  5  serves as a coil spring, the body  3  can be contracted as well as expanded to its original shape by only guiding air into the airtightly sealed body  3 , similarly to the above embodiments provided with the coil spring  7 . 
     Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 c , it is possible to design the container  1  to have a solid ring  5  without such a hollow passage  6 , different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 b . According to still another embodiment of this invention, as shown in FIG. 3 d , a seat groove  15  is spirally formed around the sidewall of the body  3  and receives a coil spring  12  therein for allowing contraction and elastic expansion of the body  3 , thus it is easy to manufacture the container  1 . 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     As described above, the present invention provides a container, which has a lid provided with an air valve, thereby being convenient to control the capacity of the container, easy to clean and keeping food and drink fresh for a lengthy period of time.