Patent Publication Number: US-2004040971-A1

Title: Progressive volume adjustable container to eliminate unused space within the container

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The invention, a space saver container, has wide application where efficient utilization of space is critical. The embodiments present herein are primarily directed towards containers used for storing consumables in refrigerators or closets with limited free space. The concept is simple: container volume must match the content volume through out the process of content consumption to increase shelf space at the same rate as the rate of consumption of the contents. A measure of storage efficiency is the ratio of the volume of the material in a container to the volume of the container. When a container is full at the time of purchase the storage efficiency is the highest, nearly 1. However conventional containers maintain the container volume and shelf space utilization even though the contents are depleted through progressive consumption. In conventional container as the volume of the material contained depletes the storage efficiency falls. When the container is half full the storage efficiency becomes 0.5. Containers built to the concept of space saver container are volume adjustable to shrink in volume to the extent there is free space within the container. Thus the storage efficiency of containers built to this concept are capable of maintaining their storage efficiency of nearly 1 through out the period they contain material, depleted or not. In effect the new containers release space to the shelf Space saver container based milk container would release space to the refrigerator as the milk is consumed. It is possible to stock up on items that are almost over as more and more space becomes available due to combined effect of other containers built to the new concept. The availability of space makes other items in the refrigerator more accessible particularly the ones stored along the back wall. To time a visit to the grocery store precisely when the contents are over is difficult and sometimes impossible. Breakfast without milk becomes a reality. The space saver container&#39;s ability to release shelf space as soon as the contents are consumed enables re stocking activity to begin well before the item is totally consumed. Thus space saver container improves accessibility, improves re stocking window and reduces the risk of running out of essential items. The conventional containers in the instance of milk allow on an average a 12-hour window to re stock to have it available for breakfast the next day. This window can be considerably improved with a container built to the concept of space saver container. The disadvantage of fixed volume container storage is eliminated with adaptable volume design of the space saver container. By combining the space saver container concept with standard manufacturing practices a wide variety of storage solutions are possible. The embodiments presented herein address application of the concept to fluids and solid objects as in the case of milk, bottled water and ice cream but it is recognized that the concept can be extended to other material, objects and systems that require efficient space utilization. The ideal is a storage efficiency of 1 even when the volume of the stored entity changes.  
       DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART  
       [0002] There is prior art under the title of plurality of selectable volumes, which deals with cartons that by virtue of different folds create different volumes. Once assembled, the volume is fixed and the container behaves like a fixed volume container. There was no discovery of prior art on container design that retains adjustability of volume once assembled. The issues of stocking up and accessibility exist because of inability of the currently available containers to adapt their size to the volume of the content of the containers if so required by the consumer.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] The concept of adjusting container volume to match the volume of the content is the basis for the invention referred to as space saver container.  
       [0004] The concept has been illustrated by applying it to four typical usages. Each application has differences in construction but substantially use the same principle. The differences have been highlighted through four embodiments:  
       [0005] Embodiment 1 is the application of the concept to half-gallon container for milk using elastic material to create a container composed of bellow biased for maximum extension. The bellow can be compressed and in the process behaves like a compressed coil spring that is stabilized through a restraint means, which enables the new shape to be stable. The reduction of volume is accompanied by reduction of footprint. In operation the restraint means is a ball chain. One end of the chain is a ball called anchor ball and the other end is a smaller ball called the latch ball. When a reduced volume is desired the user compresses the surfaces and pulls on the latch ball to take up the slack. The appropriate ball in sequence gets latched to hold the new shape of the container.  
       [0006] Embodiment 2 is the application of the concept to larger heavier containers that need a special handle. Balanced weight distribution becomes a requirement and has been addressed using an elastic material to create a pair of bellows symmetrically placed around the handle as a part of the container enclosure. The restraint means is identical to embodiment 1. Space saving is accompanied by reduction of footprint.  
       [0007] Embodiment 3 is the application of the concept using a non-elastic material to create container that can collapse by creating folds in the construction material like stiff paper sheets. (A single fold is a particular case of a bellow). The restraint means is different from embodiment 1 &amp; 2. Space saving is accompanied by reduction of footprint.  
       [0008] Embodiment 4 is the application of the concept with the volume shrinkage taking places transverse to the ground or the seat of the container. This application shows its adaptation to solids like ice cream containers. Space saving is through reduced container height without change of footprint.  
       [0009] The embodiments are aimed at creating space outside even as the contents are progressively depleted. The FIG. 23 contrasts the front of a refrigerator shelf and an ice box laden with space saver containers on day 1, when the contents are full, to day 4 when it is assumed that more than half the contents are gone. Typically such containers would be loaded with milk, fruit juice, water, yogurt and ice creams. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010] Embodiment 1 FIGS.  1  to  9 .  
     [0011]FIG. 1 is the perspective of freestanding space saver container applied to a ½ gallon milk carton.  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is the side elevation of FIG. 1. The shape is naturally biased to stretch to a shape of maximum volume shown in this figure.  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is the exterior side profile of bias restraint of space saver container.  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is the view of space saver container compressed laterally. This is the view when a portion of the content is removed the remaining space is eliminated by shrinking the container.  
     [0015]FIG. 5 is the elevation of space saver container compressed further over the shrunken figure shown in FIG. 4.  
     [0016]FIG. 6 is view of FIG. 1 with the bias restraint, as it would normally be assembled with the container.  
     [0017]FIG. 7 is the elevation of the space saver container as seen along direction x-x shown in FIG. 2.  
     [0018]FIG. 8 is the elevation of the space saver container as seen along the direction y-y shown in FIG. 2.  
     [0019]FIG. 9 is the magnified alternate view of the section of FIG. 6 depicting the restraint means placement in the air tunnel tube and its application as a balance to bias with latch and anchor combination.  
     [0020] Embodiment 2 FIGS.  10  to  13  and  23 .  
     [0021]FIG. 24 is the perspective view of embodiment 2.  
     [0022]FIG. 10 is the side elevation of the embodiment 2.  
     [0023]FIG. 11 is the side elevation of FIG. 10 along the direction a-a.  
     [0024]FIG. 12 is the side elevation of the restraint means called the ball chain.  
     [0025]FIG. 13 is the bottom view of the seat of the FIG. 10 along the direction b-b.  
     [0026] Embodiment 3 FIG. 14 to FIG. 18.  
     [0027]FIG. 14 is the perspective of embodiment 3.  
     [0028]FIG. 15 is the side elevation of the restrain means of embodiment 3. It has a ball and loop arrangement to enable it to arrest the outward expansion of the container under the influence of its natural bias.  
     [0029]FIG. 16 depicts the restraint means latching, ball and loop arrangement.  
     [0030]FIG. 17 is the plan of the embodiment with the restraint means forming a belt around the embodiment to prevent the container from fill expansion.  
     [0031]FIG. 18 is side elevation of the embodiment showing its freestanding position with the restraint means.  
     [0032] Embodiment 4 FIG. 19 to FIG. 20.  
     [0033]FIG. 19 is the perspective view of the embodiment 4. It is two component assembly. The sealed tunnel bellow and the lid form the container.  
     [0034]FIG. 20 is the side elevation of the embodiment 4.  405  is one surface represented by the lid cover.  410  is the tunnel bellow and  415  is the second surface represented by the bottom seat.  
     [0035]FIG. 21 is the side elevation of FIG. 19 when the lid  405  bears down on the walls  410  of the tunnel bellow. The figure shows the reduced volume. The figure in this reduced volume mode is placed in confined enclosure like a closet or an icebox. The tunnel bellow expands due it&#39;s natural bias into the free space if it is available. If not it expands until it meets a restraining force provided by the reaction due a immovable surface or an object. An adjacent object or surface provides the restraint means in this embodiment. It is possible to provide the restraint means of embodiment 3 if so required.  
     [0036]FIG. 22 is the plan of the lid derived from FIG. 20. The lid has diameter proportioned to fit the tunnel bellow.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS SHOWN  
     [0037] FIGS.  1  to  9  describe embodiment 1 of about half gallon container that can be used as milk/fruit juice or any other fluid container. The embodiment is made from elastic material.  
     [0038] FIGS.  10  to  13  &amp;  24  describe embodiment 2 of about one gallon carton that can be used for milk/fruit juice or as any other fluid container. The embodiment is made from elastic material.  
     [0039] FIGS.  14  to  18  describe embodiment 3 of about half gallon container for fluids that uses folds in sheet to collapse the container. It is built out of sheets that use folds as a mechanism to collapse.  
     [0040] FIGS.  19  to  22  represent embodiment 4 as container that shows bellow as walls between the lid (surface  1 ) and the seat of the container as (surface  2 ) to create an enclosure that can collapse into the free space within the container.  
     [0041]FIG. 23 shows the space utilization with space saver containers in a typical use in refrigerator.  
     [0042] The techniques for manufacturing these embodiments are the same as the ones used for the conventional containers namely blow mold and injection molding and differences if any are well within the skills of one trained in these processes.  
     [0043] Embodiment 1.  
     [0044]FIG. 1 is the perspective view of the concept of space saver container as applied to a half-gallon milk container.  
     [0045]FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the first embodiment of the space saver container.  2 ,  3  are pair of parallel sides of the container referred to as surfaces.  
     [0046] 14  is the entire tunnel bellow that connects the surface  2  to  3 .  40  is the air tunnel tube that creates a passage between the surfaces  2  to  3 .  
     [0047] Surfaces  2  and  3  are rectangular, parallel and form two sides of the container.  
     [0048] The container storage space is created between the inner walls of  14 , surfaces  2  and  3  and the outer walls of  40 .  
     [0049] The construction is such that when the surfaces  2 , 3  are compressed together the tunnel bellow and the air tunnel tube act like coiled springs and provide the bias to restore the original distance between the surfaces.  
     [0050] 10  is the snout or access to the container storage space.  12  is the lid to the snout that secures the contents from spillage.  
     [0051] 15  through  22  and  23  through  30  are the folds of the tunnel bellow  14 .  
     [0052] Edges  15  through  22  and  23  through  30  are planar edges that form two parallel planes orthogonal to the walls  2  and  3 .  
     [0053] The air tunnel tube two ends are  4  and  5 . The distance between them is equal to the bellow tunnel and its surface is composed of folds that number equal to the folds on the tunnel bellow. The folds in the air tunnel tube co-operate with the folds of the tunnel bellow to enable the surfaces  2 , 3  to come together or apart without affecting the integrity of the container as an enclosure.  
     [0054] The end  4  of the air tunnel tube has a funnel mouth that is referred to as anchor seat  13 . The end  5  of the air tunnel tube has a blister latch  6  with four slits.  
     [0055] The blister latch is proportioned to cause an interference with the latch balls  31  to  38 . The interference is sufficient to enable the balls to pass through with reasonable force.  
     [0056]FIG. 3 is the side elevation of the restraint means called the ball chain. The ball chain is used to prevent the surfaces  2 , 3  from springing back to their original distance between them.  
     [0057] The ball chain has a larger ball on one end and multiple smaller balls all linked together. The larger ball  30  is the anchor ball and the other balls  31  through  38  are the latch balls.  
     [0058] Ball  30  has a diameter larger than the diameter of the bellow tubes  4  to  5 . Balls  31  through  38  are 8 latch balls of the ball chain connected through links to form a chain. Balls  31  to  38  have a diameter that enables them to force an entry through the blister latch slits. The diameters are smaller than the diameter of the bellow tube  4 , 5 . Between one of the balls  31  to  38  and the anchor ball  30  the restraint means balances the natural bias of the bellow tunnel and the bellow tube.  
     [0059] The ball chain is placed in the air tunnel tube with anchor ball  30  seated on the anchor seat  13  and the latch ball  38  latched into the blister latch  6  when the container is at maximum volume. (FIG. 6) Once the surfaces  2 , 3  are compressed together the ball  38  is pulled along the axis of air tunnel tube to take up the slack of the ball chain. The ball chain is pulled enough till the slack is taken up and the next latch ball latches into the blister latch.  
     [0060]FIG. 4 is the side elevation of the structure FIG. 2 with surfaces  2 , 3  shrunk along the axis  4 , 5  of the bellow tube.  
     [0061]FIG. 5 is the side elevation of the structure FIG. 2 with surfaces  2 , 3  shrunk along the axis  4 , 5  of the bellow tube. The shrinking is limited by the thickness of the pleats  15  through  30 .  
     [0062]FIG. 6 is the same as FIG. 2 but showing the placement of the ball chain in the air passage of the bellow tube. Ball  30  anchored on the end  4  and ball  38  latched into the blister latch slits.  
     [0063]FIG. 7 is the front elevation of FIG. 2 as seen from direction x-x. Blister Latch  6  is shown with slits  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 . The perimeter of the wall  3  in FIG. 2 is seen from the front.  12  is the front elevation of the screw cap sealing the snout  10  of the space saver container.  
     [0064]FIG. 8 is the rear elevation of the space saver container as seen along y-y shown in FIG. 2. The wall  2  along with the mouth of the bellow tube end  4  is seen in this view.  13  is the anchor seat for the anchor ball  38  (FIG. 2)  
     [0065]FIG. 9 is the elevation of a magnified view of the air tunnel tube with the ball chain. The ball  30  is anchored while seated in anchor seat  13 . Latch ball  38  is latched into the blister latch  6 .  
     [0066] Embodiment 2  
     [0067] Embodiment 2 has all the elements of embodiment 1 above which are: tunnel bellows, air tunnel tube, ball chain, anchor and latch restraint means, access to the enclosure for fluid loading and unloading and lid to seal the access.  
     [0068] The differences are that container has a handle  70  and a pair of bellows symmetrically disposed around the handle. A main conduit  80  that connects to the pair of tunnel bellows that have sealed ends.  
     [0069] The container volume can be reduced by compressing the two sealed ends of the tunnel towards each other similar to the functionality of embodiment 1 above.  
     [0070]FIG. 24 is the perspective of embodiment 2.  
     [0071]FIG. 10 is the elevation of the space saver container embodiment 2. It has all the elements of embodiment 1 described above with the addition of handle ( 70 ).  74  is the anchor seat for the anchor ball.  
     [0072]FIG. 11 is the elevation of FIG. 10 as seen along a-a.  81  and  85  are two tunnel bellows that form wings to the main section of the container that has a fixed main conduit  80  connected to the tunnel bellows.  
     [0073] 74  is the anchor seat for the anchor ball.  
     [0074] 95  is the Blister Latch with Slits.  
     [0075] 90  to  95  is the bellow tube that houses the ball chain restraint.  
     [0076]FIG. 12 is the elevation of the Ball Chain restraint that shows the Anchor Ball  100  and Latching Balls  101  to  115 .  
     [0077]FIG. 13 is the view of FIG. 10 seen along the arrow b-b. This is also the seat of the space saver container on which the space saver container can stand upright. The elements  81 ,  80  and  85  are substantially planar.  
     [0078] Embodiment 3  
     [0079] This illustrates the concept of the space saver container by using a single pleat bellow that is formed by creating a fold in a stiff paper sheet. The choice of paper material can provide the natural bias for the container to hold on to the maximum volume or the designed shape and volume of the container.  
     [0080]FIG. 14 is the perspective of a collapsible container. For ease of viewing and understanding how this design enables the container to reduce in volume the critical lines of fold and angles between edges are labeled.  
     [0081] Surfaces  300  and  301  by application of force directed towards each other can be forced to approach each other causing the structure to fold along lines c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , c 4 , f 1 , f 2 , f 3  &amp; f 4 . This causes the angles t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, t10, t11, t12, t13, t14, t15to reduce thus the volume of the container can be reduced until the surface  300  touches surface  301  which is when the volume of the container content is nearly zero.  
     [0082] A restraint in the form of a loop ball belt is tightened around the sides as shown in subsequent figures (FIGS. 17, 18).  
     [0083]FIG. 15 is the side elevation of the restraint means called the ball loop chain that has a loop ( 305 ) on one end connected to a chain of balls. The ball diameters are dimensioned to be able to pass through the loop but large enough for the loop to capture them if the chain is under tension. The loop under tension becomes elliptical thereby creating interference with the balls and in the process latching them.  
     [0084]FIG. 16 is the side elevation of the restraint means with the end ball inserted through the loop of the ball chain.  
     [0085]FIG. 17 is the plan of the embodiment 3 with the ball loop chain belted around the embodiment 3 with the ball end latched to the loop of the chain. The ball end can be tightened like a belt to enable any of the reduced volumes to be stable.  
     [0086]FIG. 18 is the elevation of embodiment 3 with the restraint means looped around it when the container is full.  
     [0087] Embodiment 4  
     [0088] This embodiment is presented to show the application of the concept to an ice cream container. The two surfaces that can be compressed towards each other are the lid  405  and the bottom seat  415  of the container. The walls  410  of the container form the tunnel bellow. The contents being frozen allow only the portion of the tunnel bellow free of the frozen material to compress until the lid touches the frozen surface of the contents. The embodiment retains it&#39;s foot print but shrinks along the vertical axis. The benefit to this design is the ability to stack items over the package since the container through compression releases space over the structure. The restraint means is obtained by external means through the top surface of the icebox or the stacking weight of other containers placed over it. The design enables the container to be compressed into a tight fit enclosure. If required a restraint means similar to embodiment 3 can be incorporated.  
     [0089]FIG. 19 is the perspective of embodiment. The press fit lid captures the bellow tunnel to seal the contents. The bellow tunnel is biased to attain maximum extension.  
     [0090]FIG. 20 is the side elevation of embodiment 4.  405  is the side elevation of the lid that acts as one of the surfaces of the enclosure formed between the bottom seat  415  (the second surface), tunnel bellow  410  and the lid  405 .  
     [0091]FIG. 21 is the side elevation of FIG. 20 after the top surface is compressed. The container is shown empty so the bellow is shown compressed uniformly. When the container has frozen ice cream it compresses only in the empty space above the frozen ice cream.  
     [0092]FIG. 22 is the plan of the lid or  405  viewed along the direction e-e in FIG. 20.