Container, container blank, and method of manufacture

Abstract

This invention provides a self-supporting container (10; 110; 210; 310) having at least one wall (36; 336), a base (52; 152; 252; 352) and a top (50; 350). The top has a closable spout (54) whereby the container is suitable for storing and transporting materials such as a drinks and other liquids. The wall is made of plastics material and includes at least one wall air chamber (26; 226; 326). The base has at least one base air chamber (84, 86), the at least one base air chamber having a dimension (2d) which is greater than a dimension (w) of the base whereby the base of the container is concave. The concave shape of the base makes the container more stable in use. There is also provided a blank for making the container, and a method of manufacturing the container blank.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to a container, to a container blank, and to a method of manufacturing the container. The invention relates in particular to a self-supporting closed container.[0002]The container is expected to have is primary utility for containing liquids such as beverages during their transportation and storage, and the following description will therefore relate primarily to such applications. However, the use of the container for some solids (such as granular solids) is not excluded.[0003]Directional and orientational terms such as “top”“bottom”“base” and “vertical”, for example, refer to the container in its normal orientation of use, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, unless otherwise stated.BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION[0004]Many different containers are available, some of which are open-topped. Examples of open-topped containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,585,755, 5,135,132 and 5,314,250. Each of those containers is self-supporting and derive...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a container that is self-supporting using air within the walls. When the container is empty, the air chambers can be emptied, allowing for easy collapsing for transportation. The top of the collapsed container can be easily accessed, allowing for simultaneous filling and inflation. These features maximize the use of transportation vehicles and improve efficiency.

Problems solved by technology

Some containers obtain at least some of their structural strength from the contained product, so that the containers are not self-supporting.

The material is not sufficiently thick to support its own weight when empty, however.

Such containers are therefore not suitable for materials which may be consumed over a period of time, for example fruit juices or milk, for which the container should be self-supporting, i.e. sufficiently rigid to stand up regardless of the volume of product contained.

Other containers are made from aluminium and glass, and whilst these containers are self-supporting they are not universally acceptable.

Aluminium containers in particular are not preferred since they are not readily resealable, so that the contained material may not retain its optimum freshness once the container has been opened.

Glass containers are self-supporting and can be resealable, but are typically too heavy for more widespread use.

Both aluminium and glass containers must be transported empty from the container manufacturer to the product supplier, and that represents an oncost since the transporting vehicle will typically not be fully utilised.

The weight of packaging is a factor in the cost of the product to the eventual customer.

The weight of the packaging directly affects the cost of transportation, both from the container manufacturer to the product supplier, and from the product supplier to the retailer or customer.

With wine, beer and other relatively expensive products, the additional cost due to the weight of the packaging and the under-utilisation of a transporting vehicle is not usually significant, and so aluminium and glass containers continue to be widely used.

With other relatively less expensive products, and products which are particularly price-sensitive such as milk and fruit juices on the other hand, these additional costs are significant, and the suppliers of these products, and the retailers of these products, will usually seek to reduce the weight of the packaging, and also to avoid any unnecessary oncost due to under-utilisation of transport vehicles.

Firstly, they are necessarily made from a number of layers of different materials, which makes recycling a used container more difficult.

The machine is necessarily complex and any breakdown may require the services of a dedicated technician as the machine may be significantly different to the other machines at the supplier's location.

It is not, however, typical to make the container lid from PET, so that the lids of PET containers in particular must be recycled separately from the remainder of the container.

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