Lunchbox-specific collapsible structure

Abstract

Lunchbox-specific collapsible structure, comprising: a base body (10) which has a peripheral wall (12) framing a receiving space (11) and a base surface (13) connected to the bottom of the peripheral wall (12), wherein the peripheral wall (12) is connected to the base surface (13) at one end and is provided at the other end with an opening (14) which is continuously connected to the receiving space (11) and whose circumference is larger than that of the base surface (13), wherein the peripheral wall (12) has an inner side (121) facing the receiving space (11) and an outer surface (122) lying opposite the inner side (121), the direction of which outer surface extends up to the base surface (13) being a support direction (F), wherein a support angle (θ) is formed between the outer surface and the base surface (13), wherein the peripheral wall (12) consists of at least a first segment (12A), a second segment (12B) and a third segment (12C), wherein the opening (14) is arranged on the inside (121) of the first segment (12A),wherein one end of the third segment (12C) is connected to the circumference of the base surface (13) and the first segment (12A) is connected to the second segment (12B) via a first folding zone (15A), while the second segment (12B) is connected to the third segment (12C) via a second folding zone (15B), so that the outer surfaces (122) of each of the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B) and the third segment (12C) form a smooth plane and a support angle (θ) is formed between the base surface (13) and the respective outer surface (122) of the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B) and the third segment (12C), while the outer surfaces (122) of the first folding zone (15A) and the second folding zone (15B) also form a smooth plane and a support angle (θ) is formed between the base surface (13) and the respective outer surface (122) of the first folding zone (15A) and the second folding zone (15B), when the base body (10) is not folded in, the outer surfaces (122) of the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B) and the third segment (12C) of the peripheral wall (12) lie flush with the respective outer surface (122) of the first folding zone (15A) and the second folding zone (15B) on a straight line, wherein in addition there is a support angle (θ) between the base surface (13) and the respective outer surface (122) of the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B) and the third segment (12C) as well as the first folding zone (15A) and the second folding zone (15B), wherein, when the base body (10) is folded in, the first folding zone (15A) and the second folding zone (15B) deform, so that the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B) and the third segment (12C) in the folded state at the same height; characterized in that the inner sides (121) of the first folding zone (15A) and the second folding zone (15B) are recessed, the recess in the first folding zone (15A) being larger and shallower than that in the second folding zone (15B), the second segment (12B), when the base body (10) is folded in, folding in the opposite direction so that the second segment (12B) engages in the recess of the first folding zone (15A) without interference, while the second folding zone (15B) folds in from the outer surface (122) and the recess of the second folding zone (15B) is expanded so that the outer surface (122) of the second segment (12B) approaches the outer surface (122) of the third segment (12C) of the peripheral wall (12).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the technology of folding containers, in particular a lunchbox-specific collapsible structure.

[0002] Currently, there are various foldable containers on the market, such as drinking cups, lunch boxes, and storage boxes, which are used for storing food, storage items, or everyday items. To ensure that the containers can be easily carried or stored when not in use, foldable silicone containers are widely used in various industries.

[0003] Among these, foldable drinking cups and eating utensils are the most popular. Due to their contribution to environmental protection, many people nowadays take their own eco-friendly cups or bowls with them on outings. To reduce the volume of such containers and make them easy to carry, they are made of soft materials and are designed with annular folding grooves on the outer and inner surfaces of the container bodies to allow for easy folding.

[0004] Each such vessel has a folding groove formed on both the outer and inner surfaces, leaving the connection points structurally relatively weak. When the vessel is unfolded for practical use, the connection points are prone to deformation, making the entire vessel less robust.

[0005] For example, document CN 1 12 319 991 A describes a conventional foldable container, and more specifically, an annular hinge structure of a composite foldable container, and document CN 1 09 875 336 A describes a foldable bowl with a reinforced structure comprising a base portion, a foldable portion, and a bowl opening portion. Essentially, a foldable structure according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from these documents.

[0006] According to the invention, a novel embodiment is to be provided to solve the above-mentioned problem.

[0007] The object of the invention is to eliminate the problem that the containers unfolded for practical use cannot be robust.

[0008] To achieve the object, a lunchbox-specific collapsible structure according to claim 1 is provided, comprising: a base body having a peripheral wall framing a receiving space and a base surface connected to the bottom of the peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall is connected to the base surface at one end and is provided at the other end with an opening continuously connected to the receiving space, the circumference of which opening is larger than that of the base surface, and has an inner side facing the receiving space and an outer surface opposite the inner side, the direction of which extends up to the circumference of the base surface being a support direction, wherein a support angle is formed between the outer surface and the base surface, wherein the peripheral wall consists of at least a first segment, a second segment and a third segment, wherein the opening is arranged in the inner side of the first segment,wherein one end of the third segment is connected to the circumference of the base surface, and the first segment is connected to the second segment via a first folding zone, while the second segment is connected to the third segment via a second folding zone, so that the outer surfaces of the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment each form a smooth plane, and a support angle is formed between the base surface and the respective outer surface of the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment, while the outer surfaces of the first folding zone and the second folding zone also form a smooth plane, and a support angle is formed between the base surface and the respective outer surface of the first folding zone and the second folding zone.

[0009] When the base body is not folded, the outer surfaces of the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment of the peripheral wall are flush with the respective outer surfaces of the first folding zone and the second folding zone on a straight line. In addition, a support angle is located between the base surface and the respective outer surfaces of the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment, as well as between the first folding zone and the second folding zone.

[0010] When the base body is folded, the first folding zone and the second folding zone deform so that the first segment, the second segment and the third segment are at the same height in the folded state.

[0011] The inner sides of the first folding zone and the second folding zone are recessed, with the recess in the first folding zone being larger and shallower than that in the second folding zone. When the base body is folded, the second segment of the peripheral wall folds in the opposite direction, so that the second segment engages the recess of the first folding zone without interference, while the second folding zone folds in from the outer surface, and the recess of the second folding zone expands, so that the outer surface of the second segment approaches the outer surface of the third segment of the peripheral wall.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the support angle is between 90 degrees and 120 degrees.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the first segment of the peripheral wall is made of hard material, while the second segment, the third segment and the base surface are made of soft material.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the first segment, the second segment and the third segment are made of hard material, while the first folding zone and the second folding zone are made of soft material.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the base surface is made of hard material.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the base body is made of soft material.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the peripheral wall extends from the circumference of the base in the direction of the effective force, so that the peripheral wall runs perfectly straight in the direction of support. Two folding grooves are provided, which are arranged in a row on the inside in the direction of support.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the peripheral wall can be fully unfolded and thus be in an unfolded state, or folded over each folding groove and thus be in a folded state. In the unfolded state, the peripheral wall extends in the support direction and frames a receiving space. The base surface lies in a flat surface, so that the contact position of the base surface with the floor forms a transverse plane, with a support angle as an obtuse angle between this and the inner side of the peripheral wall.

[0019] In this design, only the inner side is recessed with folding grooves to form a completely uniform outer surface. This ensures that the peripheral wall transfers the absorbed forces mostly in the direction of support to the base surface, and the peripheral wall is less likely to deform because most of the forces are shifted to the base surface. Furthermore, by providing only the inner side of the peripheral wall with recessed folding grooves, a uniform outer surface can be ensured, so that the outer surface, as a completely flat surface, is not susceptible to undesirable deformation. Fig. 1 Perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention Fig. 2 Sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the invention Fig. 3 Enlarged sectional view of a part of a preferred embodiment of the invention Fig. 4 Perspective view of the folded state in a preferred embodiment of the invention Fig. 5 Sectional view of the folded state in a preferred embodiment of the invention

[0020] Regarding the Fig. 1 to 3, the lunchbox-specific collapsible structure according to the invention comprises a base body 10 made of a soft material. Silica gel is preferably used as the soft material, but other materials may also be used, provided they have suitable folding properties.

[0021] The base body 10 is made of a soft material mentioned above and has a peripheral wall 12 framing a receiving space 11 and a base surface 13 connected to the bottom of the peripheral wall 12, wherein the peripheral wall 12 is connected to the base surface 13 at one end and is provided at the other end with an opening 14 which is continuously connected to the receiving space 11 and whose circumference is larger than that of the base surface 13, and which has an inner side 121 facing the receiving space 11 and an outer surface 122 lying opposite the inner side 121, the direction of which extends up to the base surface 13 being a support direction F, wherein a support angle θ is formed between the outer surface 122 and the base surface 13, wherein the peripheral wall 12 consists of at least a first segment 12A, a second segment 12B and a third segment 12C, wherein the opening 14 is arranged in the inner side 121 of the first segment 12A,wherein one end of the third segment 12C is connected to the circumference of the base surface 13 and the first segment 12A is connected to the second segment 12B via a first folding zone 15A, while the second segment 12B is connected to the third segment 12C via a second folding zone 15B, so that the outer surfaces 122 of each of the first segment 12A, the second segment 12B and the third segment 12C form a smooth plane and a support angle θ is formed between the base surface 13 and the respective outer surface 122 of the first segment 12A, the second segment 12B and the third segment 12C,While the outer surfaces 122 of the first folding zone 15A and the second folding zone 15B also form a smooth plane, and a support angle θ is formed between the base surface 13 and the respective outer surface 122 of the first side 4, folding zone 15A, and the second folding zone 15B. Furthermore, the peripheral wall 12 has an inner side 121 facing the receiving space 11 and an outer surface 122 opposite the inner side 121, wherein the inner side 121 encircles the receiving space 11 with a plurality of folding grooves 15, while the outer surface 122 extends smoothly in the support direction F.

[0022] When the base body 10 is not folded, the outer surfaces 122 of the first segment 12A, the second segment 12B, and the third segment 12C of the peripheral wall 12 are flush with the respective outer surface 122 of the first folding zone 15A and the second folding zone 15B on a straight line. Furthermore, a support angle θ exists between the base surface 13 and the respective outer surface 122 of the first segment 12A, the second segment 12B, and the third segment 12C, as well as between the first folding zone 15A and the second folding zone 15B. When the base body 10 is folded, the first folding zone 15A and the second folding zone 15B deform, so that the first segment 12A, the second segment 12B, and the third segment 12C are at the same height in the folded state.

[0023] The inner sides 121 of the first folding zone 15A and the second folding zone 15B are recessed, the recess in the first folding zone 15A being larger and shallower than that in the second folding zone 15B. When the base body 10 is folded, the second segment 12B folds in the opposite direction, so that the second segment 12B engages the recess of the first folding zone 15A without interference, while the second folding zone 15B folds in from the outer surface 122 and the recess of the second folding zone 15B is expanded, so that the outer surface 122 of the second segment 12B approaches the outer surface 122 of the third segment 12C of the peripheral wall 12. In the first embodiment, the first segment 12A of the peripheral wall 12 is made of hard material, while the second segment 12B, the third segment 12C and the base surface 13 are made of soft material.In the second embodiment, the first segment 12A, the second segment 12B, and the third segment 12C are made of hard material, while the first folding zone 15A and the second folding zone 15B are made of soft material. In the third embodiment, the base surface 13 is made of hard material. In the fourth embodiment, the base body 10 is made of soft material.

[0024] In the present embodiment, the peripheral wall 12 extends from the circumference of the base surface 13 in the support direction F, so that the peripheral wall 12 also runs perfectly straight in the support direction F. Two folding grooves 15 are provided, which are lined up in the support direction F on the inner side 121, so that the peripheral wall 12 is folded out over the folding grooves 15 and is therefore in an unfolded state Q1 or is folded in over each folding groove 15 and is therefore in a folded state Q2 (as shown in Fig. 4).

[0025] As in the Fig. 1 to 3, the peripheral wall 12 extends in the support direction F in the unfolded state and therefore frames a receiving space 11. The base surface 13 lies in a flat surface, so that the contact position of the base surface 13 with the floor forms a transverse plane X, wherein between this and the inner side 121 of the peripheral wall 12 there is a support angle θ as an obtuse angle > 90 degrees.

[0026] The designs and connection types of the embodiments of the invention have been described above. The method of use is explained below.

[0027] As in the Fig. 1 to 3, the peripheral wall 12 extends in the support direction F in the unfolded state Q1. Since there is a support angle θ between the inner side 121 of the peripheral wall 12 and the transverse plane X, the peripheral wall 12 remains tilted.

[0028] When a user exerts a pressure force in the direction of the base surface 13 on the opening 14 of the peripheral wall 12 (see Fig. 3), the effective force is transmitted from the opening 14 of the peripheral wall 12 in the support direction F to the base surface 13. Since the outer surface 122 of the peripheral wall 12 extends in a perfectly straight line in the support direction F, the effective force in the support direction F can be transmitted directly from the peripheral wall 12 to the base surface 13.

[0029] In this context, the susceptibility to deformation of the peripheral wall 12 is greatly reduced. The reason for the insusceptibility to deformation of the peripheral wall 12 according to the invention is that each folding groove 15 is recessed in the inner side 121 and contains a weak point 151 closest to the outer surface 122, which is closer to the outer surface 122 than the other locations of the folding groove 15, so that the location of the weak point 151 represents the thinnest area between the inner side 121 and the outer surface 122. Since each folding groove 15 is recessed in the inner side 121 and the effective forces are transmitted from the opening 14 of the peripheral wall 12 via the folding groove 15, the folding groove 15 bends from the weak point 151 toward the outer surface 122. In addition, the outer surface 122 runs in a perfectly straight line in the support direction F and remains not susceptible to deformation.This means that the deformation potential of the inner side 121 from the weak point 151 to the outer surface 122 is already compensated at the points adjacent to the outer surface 122. As a result, the peripheral wall 12 is less likely to deform.

[0030] With such a design, only the inner side 121 is recessed with folding grooves 15 to form a completely uniform outer surface 122, so that the peripheral wall 12 transfers the absorbed active forces mostly in the support direction F to the base surface 13, and the peripheral wall 12 is less likely to deform due to the fact that most of the active forces are shifted to the base surface 13. Furthermore, by providing only the inner side 121 of the peripheral wall 12 with recessed folding grooves 15, a uniform outer surface 122 can be ensured, so that the outer surface 122, as a completely flat surface, is not susceptible to undesirable deformation.

Claims

[1] Lunchbox-specific collapsible structure, comprising: a base body (10) which has a perimeter wall (12) framing a receiving space (11) and a base surface (13) connected to the bottom of the perimeter wall (12), wherein the perimeter wall (12) is connected to the base surface (13) at one end and is provided at the other end with an opening (14) continuously connected to the receiving space (11), the perimeter of which is larger than that of the base surface (13), wherein the perimeter wall (12) has an inner surface (121) facing the receiving space (11) and an outer surface (122) opposite the inner surface (121), the direction of which extends to the base surface (13) is a support direction (F), wherein a support angle (θ) is formed between this and the base surface (13), wherein the perimeter wall (12) consists of at least a first segment (12A), a second segment (12B) and a third segment (12C), wherein in the opening (14) is arranged on the inside (121) of the first segment (12A),wherein one end of the third segment (12C) is connected to the circumference of the base (13) and the first segment (12A) is connected to the second segment (12B) via a first fold zone (15A), while the second segment (12B) is connected to the third segment (12C) via a second fold zone (15B), such that the outer surfaces (122) of each of the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B) and the third segment (12C) form a smooth plane and a support angle (θ) is formed between the base (13) and the respective outer surface (122) of the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B) and the third segment (12C), while the outer surfaces (122) of the first fold zone (15A) and the second fold zone (15B) also form a smooth plane and a support angle (θ) is formed between the base (13) and the respective outer surface (122) the first folding zone (15A) and the second folding zone (15B) is formed, When the base body (10) is not folded, the outer surfaces (122) of the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B), and the third segment (12C) of the circumferential wall (12) are flush with the respective outer surface (122) of the first fold zone (15A) and the second fold zone (15B) on a straight line, wherein, in addition, a support angle (θ) lies between the base surface (13) and the respective outer surface (122) of the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B), and the third segment (12C), as well as between the first fold zone (15A) and the second fold zone (15B), wherein, when the base body (10) is folded, the first fold zone (15A) and the second fold zone (15B) deform, so that the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B), and the third segment (12C) are folded into the state at the same level; characterized by , that the inner surfaces (121) of the first fold zone (15A) and the second fold zone (15B) are recessed, the recess in the first fold zone (15A) being larger and shallower than the recess in the second fold zone (15B), the second segment (12B) folding in the opposite direction when the base body (10) is folded, so that the second segment (12B) engages in the recess of the first fold zone (15A) without interference, while the second fold zone (15B) folds in from the outer surface (122) and the recess of the second fold zone (15B) is extended, so that the outer surface (122) of the second segment (12B) approaches the outer surface (122) of the third segment (12C) of the circumferential wall (12). [2] Lunchbox-specific collapsible structure according to claim 1, characterized by , that the support angle (θ) is 90 to 120 degrees. [3] Lunchbox-specific collapsible structure according to claim 1, characterized by, that the first segment (12A) of the circumferential wall (12) is made of hard material, while the second segment (12B), the third segment (12C) and the base surface (13) are made of soft material. [4] Lunchbox-specific collapsible structure according to claim 1, characterized by , that the first segment (12A), the second segment (12B) and the third segment (12C) are made of hard material, while the first folding zone (15A) and the second folding zone (15B) are made of soft material. [5] Lunchbox-specific collapsible structure according to claim 1, characterized by , that the base (13) is made of hard material. [6] Lunchbox-specific collapsible structure according to claim 1, characterized by , that the base body (10) is made of soft material. [7] Lunchbox-specific collapsible structure according to claim 1, characterized by, that the circumferential wall (12) extends in a straight line from the circumference of the base (13) in the support direction (F), wherein the inner side (121) with several folding grooves (15) surrounds the receiving space (11), wherein two folding grooves (15) are provided which are arranged in the support direction (F) on the inner side (121). [8] Lunchbox-specific collapsible structure according to claim 1, characterized by, that the inner side (121) with several folding grooves (15) surrounds the receiving space (11), wherein the circumferential wall (12) can be fully unfolded and therefore be in an unfolded state (Q1) or folded over each folding groove (15) and therefore be in a folded state (Q2), wherein the circumferential wall (12) in the unfolded state (Q1) extends in the support direction (F) and frames a receiving space (11), wherein the base surface (13) lies in a planar surface, such that the contact position of the base surface (13) with the floor forms a transverse plane (X), wherein a support angle (θ) as an obtuse angle exists between this and the inner side (121) of the circumferential wall (12).

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