Collapsible container

Abstract

The utility model discloses collapsible container, include: the inner bag with opening, the inner bag is by the container wall for forming the container lateral wall and the container bottom for forming the container bottom, the junction of container wall and container bottom forms the first crease, and container wall and container bottom can be folded through the first crease, container wall has the first inner wall surface with material contact and is used for forming the first outer wall surface of holding surface, container bottom has the inner bottom surface with material contact and the outer bottom surface not with material contact. Through above -mentioned structural design, this application can form a completely flat portable container, improve the portability of container while reducing the volume of container greatly. Because can be completely flat storage, and can repeatedly use, the user can carry multiple inner bags once, can be washed and dried after using to use again, also can directly discard, thereby improve portability greatly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of container technology, and more specifically, to a foldable container. Background Technology

[0002] Most commonly used foldable containers employ axial compression design, with their compression effectiveness primarily relying on the material of the container's sidewalls. Currently, commercially available compression containers typically use silicone for the sidewalls, combined with rigid plastic for the bottom and rim. This structure makes it difficult to completely flatten the container after folding, retaining a certain thickness and volume, thus occupying a significant amount of space. Furthermore, to maintain the container's stability when unfolded, the bottom and rim need to maintain a certain degree of rigidity, which also makes the overall folded structure less compact. On the other hand, existing products mostly emphasize "reusability and long lifespan" as their main selling points. However, in actual use, users need to clean the interior, empty any liquids, and ensure thorough drying before each fold to avoid spills. These maintenance requirements indirectly affect the container's ease of use and portability. Therefore, how to minimize the container's volume while improving its overall portability in a folded state is the core technical problem this application aims to solve. Utility Model Content

[0003] The utility model description section introduces a series of simplified concepts, which will be further explained in detail in the detailed description section. This utility model description section is not intended to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0004] To at least partially solve the above problems, the present invention provides a foldable container, comprising: an inner liner with an opening, the inner liner being composed of a container wall for forming the container sidewall and a container bottom for forming the container bottom, wherein a first crease is formed at the connection between the container wall and the container bottom, and the container wall and the container bottom are foldable through the first crease; The container wall has a first inner wall surface that contacts the material and a first outer wall surface for forming a gripping surface; The container bottom has an inner bottom surface that contacts the material and an outer bottom surface that does not contact the material.

[0005] Preferably, the first crease is arc-shaped, and the opening of the arc-shaped first crease faces the bottom of the container.

[0006] Preferably, the container wall has two second folds, which allow the container wall to be folded over. One end of the second fold connects to the arc-shaped end of the first fold, and the other end extends to the opening of the inner liner. The two second folds divide the container wall into part A and part B. The first inner wall surface on part A is called the inner wall of A, the first inner wall surface on part B is called the inner wall of B, the first outer wall surface on part A is called the outer wall of A, and the first outer wall surface on part B is called the outer wall of B.

[0007] Preferably, there are two first creases, located on parts A and B respectively.

[0008] Preferably, the container bottom has a third crease, which divides the container bottom into part C and part D. The inner bottom surface on part C is called inner bottom C, the outer bottom surface on part C is called outer bottom C, the inner bottom surface on part D is called inner bottom D, and the outer bottom surface on part D is called outer bottom D. When the inner liner is folded, parts A and C are on the same plane, and parts B and D are on the same plane.

[0009] Preferably, the inner liner is a one-piece structure or is composed of at least two identical separate structures.

[0010] Preferably, it also includes an outer liner, the inner wall of which is connected to the outer wall of the inner liner, and the outer liner has a fourth fold, which can be folded along the fourth fold.

[0011] Preferably, there are two fourth creases, which divide the outer liner into part E and part F. When the outer bushing is folded, the inner wall of part E fits against the inner wall of part F.

[0012] Preferably, the outer bushing has at least two cuts for forming the insert, the cuts being evenly distributed on the outer bushing.

[0013] Preferably, the outer wall of the outer bushing is provided with a plurality of supporting ribs.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: Through the above structural design, this application can form a completely flattened portable container, which significantly reduces the container's volume while improving its portability. Because it can be completely flattened for storage and is reusable, users can carry multiple inner liners at once. After use, they can be washed and dried for reuse or simply discarded, thus greatly improving portability.

[0015] The foldable container described herein, along with other advantages, objectives, and features of the present invention, will be partly apparent from the following description and partly understood by those skilled in the art through study and practice of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to explain the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 (A) is a cross-sectional view of the inner liner in its unfolded state; (B) is a schematic diagram of the inner liner in its folded state, with the shaded area representing part C; (C) is a schematic diagram of the inner liner in its unfolded state, with the shaded area representing part C; (D) is a schematic diagram of the inner liner in its folded state when the fifth crease is set, with the shaded area representing part C; (E) is a schematic diagram of the inner liner in its unfolded state when the fifth crease is set, with the shaded area representing part C.

[0017] Figure 2 (A) is a schematic diagram of the outer bushing in the folded state; (B) is a schematic diagram of the outer bushing in the unfolded state.

[0018] Figure 3 (A) is a top view of the outer bushing; (B) is a schematic diagram of multiple cuts; (C) is a schematic diagram of a U-shaped cut; (D) is a schematic diagram of a V-shaped cut.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second implementation method.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the second embodiment.

[0023] Figure 8 In the third embodiment, (A) shows a cut that does not penetrate the outer bushing, and (B) shows a schematic diagram of a cut that penetrates the outer bushing.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth implementation method.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly according to the fourth implementation method.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the inner liner in the fifth embodiment.

[0027] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the insulation section and the reinforcement section.

[0028] Figure 13 This is a structural diagram of the insulation section and the reinforcement section.

[0029] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the insulation section and the reinforcement section.

[0030] In the diagram: 1 Inner liner, 11 Plug, 12 Flanged edge, 13 Hanger, 2 Container wall, 2a Part A, 2b Part B, 3 Container bottom, 3c Part C, 3d Part D, 41 First crease, 42 Second crease, 43 Third crease, 44 Fourth crease, 45 Fifth crease, 5 Outer bushing, 5e Part E, 5f Part F, 51 Slot, 6 Cutout, 7 Support rib, 71 Insulation section, 72 Reinforcing section, 721 Support leg, 722 Connecting piece. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can implement it based on the description.

[0032] It should be understood that terms such as “having,” “comprising,” and “including” as used herein do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements or combinations thereof.

[0033] like Figures 1-14 As shown, this utility model provides a foldable container, including: an inner liner 1 with an opening, such that when the inner liner 1 is unfolded, it can form a container with an opening, for example, when the inner liner 1 is unfolded, it is as follows: Figure 1 When the cylindrical structure is shown, the user can fill the inner liner 1 with materials through the opening. The materials can be liquids, such as water or beverages, or solids, such as rice, flour, or sunflower seeds. The inner liner 1 consists of a container wall 2 for forming the sidewalls of the container and a container bottom 3 for forming the bottom of the container. A first crease 41 is formed at the connection between the container wall 2 and the container bottom 3. When the inner liner 1 is in a folded state, it is compressed into a flat sheet-like structure, for example... Figure 1 The rectangular pieces shown in B and C have a first crease 41 at the connection between the container wall 2 and the container bottom 3. When the inner liner 1 is unfolded from its folded state, the container wall 2 and the container bottom 3 can be folded through the first crease 41, forming a three-dimensional tubular structure (which can be as follows). Figure 1 The cylindrical shape shown can also be a square tube or other shapes (the specific shape can be adjusted according to the design of container wall 2). The container bottom 3 is folded up to form the bottom of the container, such as... Figure 1 The shaded areas in B and C are shown; The container wall 2 has a first inner wall surface that contacts the material and a first outer wall surface for forming a gripping surface; When the inner liner 1 is in a folded state, the first inner wall surfaces are pressed together, and the opening of the inner liner 1 is compressed into one (or more) slits to reduce the volume of the container. When the inner liner 1 is in the unfolded state, the first inner wall surface is in contact with the material and is used to hold the material. The first inner wall surface can be waterproofed, so that the inner liner 1 can hold liquid materials.

[0034] The container bottom 3 has an inner bottom surface that contacts the material and an outer bottom surface that does not contact the material.

[0035] Through the above structural design, this application can form a completely flattened portable container, which significantly reduces the container's volume while improving its portability. Because it can be completely flattened for storage and can be reused, users can carry multiple inner liners 1 at once. After use, they can be washed and dried for reuse or simply discarded, thus greatly improving portability.

[0036] As one of many embodiments, the first crease 41 is arc-shaped, and the opening of the arc-shaped first crease 41 faces the bottom 3 of the container. Preferably, the first crease 41 is parabolic in shape. Taking the inner liner 1 as a rectangular piece in its folded state as an example, the first crease 41 is located at the lower edge of the rectangular inner liner 1 and is designed in a parabolic shape. When this "two-dimensional piece of paper" is bent into a cylinder, the container bottom 3 will naturally move upward along the parabola of the first crease 41, forming a stable and closed bottom for the cylindrical container. This is not a simple shape design, but a solution for how to automatically generate a sealed, stable, three-dimensional container from a two-dimensional plane with minimal folding actions.

[0037] Furthermore, the container wall 2 has two second folds 42, through which the container wall 2 can be folded. One end of the second fold 42 connects to the arc-shaped end of the first fold 41, and the other end extends to the opening of the inner liner 1, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown in B and C, the two second folds 42 divide the container wall 2 into part A 2a and part B 2b. The first inner wall surface on part A 2a is the inner wall of A, and the first inner wall surface on part B 2b is the inner wall of B. The first outer wall surface on part A 2a is the outer wall of A, and the first outer wall surface on part B 2b is the outer wall of B. The second folds 42 divide the container wall 2 into two equal halves. When the container is in a folded state, the two second folds 42 form the two long sides of a "rectangular piece," as shown in Figures B and C. Figure 1 As shown in B, C, D, and E.

[0038] When the container is unfolded, to make the "paper" bend more smoothly, there are two first creases 41, located on parts A 2a and B 2b respectively. Figure 1 As shown.

[0039] Furthermore, the container bottom 3 has a third crease 43, which divides the container bottom 3 into part C 3c and part D 3d. The inner bottom surface on part C 3c is called inner bottom C, the outer bottom surface on part C 3c is called outer bottom C, the inner bottom surface on part D 3d is called inner bottom D, and the outer bottom surface on part D 3d is called outer bottom D. When the inner liner 1 is folded, parts A 2a and C 3c are on the same plane, parts B 2b and D 3d are on the same plane, and the third crease 43 forms one short side of the "rectangular piece". The other short side of the "rectangular piece" is formed by folding the inner liner 1 through its opening.

[0040] Furthermore, in order to make the "paper" bend more smoothly, the container wall 2 also has two fifth folds 45, which are located on part A 2a and part B 2b respectively. When the inner liner 1 is folded, the extension line of the fifth fold 45 passes through the midpoint of the third fold 43.

[0041] Furthermore, the inner liner 1 is a one-piece structure, for example, it can be made of a single sheet of paper with a waterproof coating, or it can be composed of at least two identical separate structures, for example, two sheets of paper with a waterproof coating glued together at the edges.

[0042] As one of many implementation methods, the inner liner 1 is made of a sheet of thin paper with a waterproof coating, similar in material to a paper cup. Simply fold the thin paper in half and seal the long and short sides to form a container that can hold liquids. The bottom edge of the thin paper is designed in a parabolic shape. When the paper is folded inwards to the left and right to form a cylinder, the parabola will naturally shift upwards, forming a stable and sealed bottom for the cylindrical container.

[0043] Through the aforementioned embodiments, we can produce a temporary container. Because the first fold 41 adopts a parabolic shape to form a stable container bottom 3, the container bottom 3 is non-planar after the inner liner 1 is unfolded, as shown below. Figure 1As shown in C and E, the container cannot be placed on a table. Furthermore, to optimize costs and manufacturing processes, the inner liner 1 is typically made of thin paper similar to a paper cup. After filling it with materials, especially liquids, it is difficult to hold the container. Typically, the little finger is placed on the outer bottom surface of the crescent-shaped container base 3 for support, while the thumb and the other three fingers grip the first outer wall surface of the container wall 2. This method of use also prevents the container from holding hot water. For users who prefer hot water, drip coffee, or tea bags, this application lacks the necessary structural stability and heat insulation. To solve the above problems, this application also includes an outer sleeve 5. The inner wall of the outer sleeve 5 is connected to the outer wall of the inner liner 1. The outer sleeve 5 has a fourth fold 44, and the outer sleeve 5 can be folded along the fourth fold 44. Figure 2 As shown in Figure B. Preferably, there are two fourth creases 44, which divide the outer liner 5 into part E 5e and part F 5f; When the outer bushing 5 is folded, the inner wall of part E 5e fits against the inner wall of part F 5f, thus allowing the outer bushing 5 to be folded into a "rectangular piece" as shown. Figure 2 As shown in Figure A. Both the inner liner 1 and the outer sleeve 5 can be folded into "rectangular pieces", which can greatly reduce the volume of the container after folding. The inner liner 1 and the outer sleeve 5 can be manufactured and carried separately, and the container can exist in a variety of forms depending on the connection method of the inner liner 1 and the outer sleeve 5.

[0044] Form 1: The inner liner 1 and the outer sleeve 5 are an integral structure, that is, the outer wall of the inner liner 1 and the inner wall of the outer sleeve 5 are connected in a fixed way, such as by adhesive bonding, so that the inner liner 1 and the outer sleeve 5 form a whole, which does not require the user to assemble it, and can be used as needed. The disadvantage is that the outer sleeve 5 cannot be reused.

[0045] Form 2: The inner liner 1 and the outer bushing 5 are separate structures, meaning the outer wall of the inner liner 1 and the inner wall of the outer bushing 5 are detachably connected, for example: First implementation: A plug 11 is provided on the outer wall of the inner liner 1, and a slot 51 is provided on the inner wall of the outer bushing 5, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown.

[0046] The second implementation: An outwardly flared flange 12 is provided at the opening of the inner liner 1. The flange 12 has a second inner wall surface (facing the first outer wall surface) and a second outer wall surface. A gap is reserved between the second inner wall surface and the first outer wall surface, and the size of the gap is adapted to the thickness of the outer bushing 5. The outer bushing 5 is located between the second inner wall surface and the first outer wall surface, such as... Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown. By setting the flange 12, the inner liner 1 can rest on the outer liner 5, and the force on the inner liner 1 on the outer liner 5 is more uniform compared to the first embodiment.

[0047] Furthermore, in addition to structural design on the inner liner 1, the outer bushing 5 can also be structurally optimized. The outer bushing 5 has at least two cutouts 6 for forming inserts, and these cutouts 6 are evenly distributed on the outer bushing 5. The cutouts 6 can be used as slots or as the outer contour for forming the insert. When used as the outer contour, there can be one or more cutouts 6, such as... Figure 3 As shown in B, the shape of cut 6 can be as follows: Figure 3 The U-shape shown in C can also be as follows: Figure 3 The V-shape shown in D, still exemplified by Form Two: the inner liner 1 and the outer liner 5 are separate structures. The third implementation method: the cutout 6 is used as a slot, and the cutout 6 can penetrate the outer bushing 5, such as... Figure 8 As shown in B, it is also possible to not penetrate the outer bushing 5, such as... Figure 8 As shown in Figure A.

[0048] When the cut 6 does not penetrate the outer bushing 5, the cut 6 forms a slot with one end open, allowing the tip of the container bottom 3 to be inserted into the cut 6 during assembly. Figure 8 As shown in A, the non-penetrating cut 6 can seal the connection between the inner liner 1 and the cut 6 inside the outer liner 5, preventing liquid from spilling and wetting the cut 6, which would cause the inner liner 1 to soften and fall off. When the cut 6 penetrates the outer bushing 5, the processing of the cut 6 is simpler, requiring only a slit to be processed on the outer bushing 5. Assembly is also simpler compared to the non-penetrating cut 6.

[0049] Fourth implementation: The cutout 6 is used as the outer contour of the insert, and a hanger 13 with a plug hole can be provided on the first outer wall surface of the inner liner 1, such as... Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown.

[0050] It should be noted that the method of using the cutout 6 as the outer contour of the plug-in can also be applied to other implementations in Form 1 and Form 2, so that the present application can directly brew drip coffee or tea bags by setting the plug-in.

[0051] Fifth implementation: An external thread can be provided on the first outer wall surface of the inner liner 1, and an internal thread can be provided on the inner wall of the outer bushing 5. The connection between the two is completed by a threaded connection. The external and internal threads can be made by embossing, directly embossed on the inner liner 1 and the outer bushing 5. In order not to affect the folding of the inner liner 1 and the outer bushing 5, the external thread can be formed by several raised intervals, such as... Figure 11 As shown, the internal thread can also be formed by several protrusions spaced apart.

[0052] Furthermore, the outer wall of the outer bushing 5 is provided with a plurality of supporting ribs 7, which are arranged along the axial direction of the outer bushing 5, such as... Figure 3 As shown in Figure A. Preferably, the supporting rib 7 is a hollow structure, which can reduce the weight of the outer bushing 5, improve the heat insulation performance, and also provide support for the container, allowing the container to be placed stably on the table.

[0053] As one of many implementation methods, the outer sleeve 5 can be made of materials such as corrugated paper or silicone. Preferably, corrugated paper is used to make the outer sleeve 5. The hollow support ribs 7 of the corrugated paper can significantly optimize the production process and further reduce production costs. At the same time, corrugated paper can be used as a disposable item or for multiple uses, while the outer sleeve 5 made of silicone can be reused, is not afraid of getting wet, and has a longer service life than corrugated paper.

[0054] In the aforementioned embodiments, we mentioned that the weight of the outer sleeve 5 can be reduced, the heat insulation performance can be improved, and the stability of the container can be enhanced by setting hollow support ribs 7. If corrugated paper is used to make the outer sleeve 5, once there is water on the table, the bottom of the outer sleeve 5 will soften and collapse due to water absorption, which will easily cause the container to become unbalanced and tip over. In order to ensure that the outer sleeve 5 still has strong stability after absorbing water, and to allow users to see the front and back at a glance during repeated use (i.e., distinguish the drinking end and the end placed on the table), we have further optimized the support ribs 7.

[0055] In this embodiment, the supporting rib 7 is composed of a heat insulation section 71 and a U-shaped reinforcing section 72. The length of the reinforcing section 72 is less than the length of the heat insulation section 71. Both the reinforcing section 72 and the heat insulation section 71 are hollow structures, and the reinforcing section 72 is connected to the heat insulation section 71. The reinforcing section 72 is composed of two supporting legs 721 arranged radially along the outer bushing 5 and a connecting piece 722 arranged circumferentially along the outer bushing 5. The cross-sections of the two supporting legs 721 and the connecting piece 722 are U-shaped. Through the U-shaped design, the supporting rib 7 becomes a one-to-two structure. By setting two supporting legs 721, the reinforcing section 72 can effectively reduce the hollow area, making the supporting legs 721 closer to a solid structure, thereby providing more stable support. This design can also be directly applied to existing structures such as corrugated paper.

[0056] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0057] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0058] Although the embodiments of this utility model have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. They can be applied to various fields suitable for this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other modifications can be easily made. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and their equivalents, this utility model is not limited to the specific details and the illustrations shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A foldable container, characterized in that, include: The inner liner (1) has an opening, which is composed of a container wall (2) for forming the sidewall of the container and a container bottom (3) for forming the bottom of the container. A first crease (41) is formed at the connection between the container wall (2) and the container bottom (3), and the container wall (2) and the container bottom (3) can be folded through the first crease (41). The container wall (2) has a first inner wall surface that contacts the material and a first outer wall surface for forming a gripping surface; The container bottom (3) has an inner bottom surface that contacts the material and an outer bottom surface that does not contact the material.

2. The foldable container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first crease (41) is arc-shaped, and the opening of the arc-shaped first crease (41) faces the bottom of the container (3).

3. The foldable container according to claim 2, characterized in that, The container wall (2) has two second creases (42), which can be folded through the second creases (42). One end of the second crease (42) is connected to the arc-shaped end of the first crease (41), and the other end extends to the opening of the inner liner (1). The two second creases (42) divide the container wall (2) into part A (2a) and part B (2b). The first inner wall surface on part A (2a) is the inner wall of A, the first inner wall surface on part B (2b) is the inner wall of B, the first outer wall surface on part A (2a) is the outer wall of A, and the first outer wall surface on part B (2b) is the outer wall of B.

4. The foldable container according to claim 3, characterized in that, There are two first creases (41), located on part A (2a) and part B (2b) respectively.

5. The foldable container according to claim 4, characterized in that, The container bottom (3) has a third crease (43), which divides the container bottom (3) into part C (3c) and part D (3d). The inner bottom surface on part C (3c) is called inner bottom C, the outer bottom surface on part C (3c) is called outer bottom C, the inner bottom surface on part D (3d) is called inner bottom D, and the outer bottom surface on part D (3d) is called outer bottom D. When the inner liner (1) is folded, parts A (2a) and C (3c) are on the same plane, and parts B (2b) and D (3d) are on the same plane.

6. The foldable container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner liner (1) is a single-piece structure or is composed of at least two identical separate structures.

7. The foldable container according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an outer sleeve (5), the inner wall of which is connected to the outer wall of the inner liner (1), the outer sleeve (5) has a fourth crease (44), and the outer sleeve (5) can be folded along the fourth crease (44).

8. The foldable container according to claim 7, characterized in that, There are two fourth creases (44), which divide the outer liner (5) into part E (5e) and part F (5f). When the outer bushing (5) is folded, the inner wall of part E (5e) fits against the inner wall of part F (5f).

9. The foldable container according to claim 7, characterized in that, The outer bushing (5) has at least two cuts (6) for forming inserts, the cuts (6) being evenly distributed on the outer bushing (5).

10. The foldable container according to claim 7, characterized in that, The outer wall of the outer bushing (5) is provided with several supporting ribs (7).

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