RU2118602C1 - Semirigid folding container - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: materials handling and storage. SUBSTANCE: proposed semiring container with folding part is designed for storing carbonized liquids. It consists of many rhomboid-shape panels forming truncated cone. Panels are curved to arc relative to connecting bed of truncated cone in cross or longitudinal direction. Panels counteracting the expansion caused by inner pressure of container are able to expand crosswise to provide folding of foldable part under of longitudinal folding force. Panels resists to expand from folder state. EFFECT: enhanced storage of carbonized liquids. 15 cl, 25 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to containers, in particular semi-rigid folding containers. The invention may be intended for the storage of carbonated liquids and the like.

 The term “semi-rigid” refers to a container of a material such as polyethylene terephalate (PET), which does not deform under the pressure of the contents and does not take its shape, as is the case with a “flexible” container, although the container has some flexibility to distinguish it from "hard" container. The term "semi-rigid" is used in this context throughout the description, including the claims.

 Carbonated liquids, such as carbonated drinks and the like, are usually stored under pressure in airtight containers and the like in order to keep the liquid carbonated or at least reduce the degree of gas evolution, whether it is carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide) or other gas from a liquid.

 When the container is opened, the gas tries to get out of the liquid. The exit process can be slowed to a certain extent by re-sealing the container. However, after re-sealing, there is usually an extended free space above the liquid into which gas can escape.

 It is well known that if the free space above the liquid can be reduced by reducing the volume of the drink or other liquid, then the degree of gas evolution from the liquid, or otherwise, its loss, can be reduced. To this end, a number of collapsible containers have been proposed to date. Some of these collapsible containers are bellows type containers. Such containers have several disadvantages.

 Firstly, these containers do not function as pressure vessels, so they cannot be used to store soft (non-alcoholic) drinks until sold. If there is a soft drink in such a container, the internal pressure of the liquid causes the container to expand unnecessarily after the lid is put on, the container is overstressed and goes into a “swollen” state, providing a large free space above the liquid, leading to a loss of carbon dioxide saturation. This should happen even with gentle stirring and it cannot be expected that the container will be able to withstand the harsh conditions of transportation and handling methods expected for vessels with soft drinks produced from a bottling factory.

 Secondly, the ability of the bellows-type containers to expand and also to fold means that after the container is partially folded and resealed, it remains prone to re-expansion and subsequent loss of carbon dioxide saturation, since the pressure of the liquid leads to the formation of free space above the liquid in particular, if the container is shaken or dropped in any way. To some extent, this makes the proposed goal unattainable.

 Although some bellows-type containers have been improved, they have not completely overcome the above problems. They should also be manufactured with relatively tight tolerances and relatively inconvenient to use.

 In US patent N 479361 (Jones and others) an attempt is made to overcome the problem of excessive expansion before any expansion is required after filling the container. Unfortunately, this can never be achieved in a bellows-type container without some external clamping device to hold it in place. Such a device must be connected to the container, which leads to higher costs. Although this container might partially resist “after filling” expansion, it should still yield to the very high pressure created by stirring the soft drink.

 With this explanation, the alleged shape of the container Jones (Jones) and others "is pulled out" of plastic, which leads to irreparable damage to the polymer. Such a container, in essence, would be impossible to manufacture when choosing existing plastics - polyethylene terafthalate (PET). In addition, due to the large surface area of such a container, the cost of materials would be increased. This container would also be subject to repeated expansion from the folded position.

 Jones et al. Use folds formed by a plurality of protrusions and depressions, each protrusion preferably consisting of flat sections bounded by quadrangles and acting as a hinge around which folding occurs. The device in US Pat. No. 4,492,313 (Tousani) also does not initially function as a pressure vessel. It also, therefore, cannot be used as a packaging for soft drinks before selling. Of course, Touzani offers some way to overcome the problem of re-expansion from a partially folded state. The way in which Touzani achieves this at the same time leads to new problems. The container is folded in some “sectional” way and pushes the contents with “shocks”, which may not be consistent with the remaining free space above the liquid. This sectional folding method also leads to some splashing of the contents. After the container is clogged, the operator can also accidentally press on it (bending the rings down), as a result of which the contents are released when the lid is opened.

 British Patent 781103 (International Patent Trust) describes a container for viscose material, such as toothpaste, provided with axial folds along its side wall. Pressure on the base allows the wall to move inward when the wall bends, distributing the material. United States Patent 4,865,211 (Gollingworth), Dutch Patent 294,186 (Metal Box), United States Patent 4,456,134 (Cooper), and French Patents 2,294,297 (Normos) and 623,181 (Lacy) offer various other folding containers using concertina (hexagonal harmonics) designs or another type with folding walls. However, these containers are not suitable for soft drinks. The containers of US Pat. No. 4,865,211 and UK Pat. No. 781,103, in particular, are not suitable because they more easily give in to internal pressure, which leads to their over expansion when they are filled as a result of warping and creasing during use.

 These containers can also be easily re-expanded from a folded state, in particular when they are constructed from a flexible material. The device of UK patent 781103, in particular, is subject to re-expansion.

 Each of these containers is folded so that the walls acquire annular or round folds, which is best illustrated in FIG. 8 in US Pat. No. 4,865,211. Holland Pat. No. 294,186 and British Pat. No. 781,103 specifically make reference to a wall that bends itself or lies on an uncomplicated annular wall, which has yet to be folded. The walls in these containers are made of flexible material like polyethylene. In the case of UK patent 781103, the content is not liquid, but something like viscose. This gives support to the walls of the container with folding forces when the material resists movement in it. This helps the flexible walls resist warping during folding efforts.

 Other collapsible containers contain a relatively flexible shell part that folds to reduce available space. Although simple collapsible containers such as a shell in a box can hold liquids, such as sparkling wine, they cannot contain pressurized drinks such as sparkling wine. This is because a conventional shell is prone to re-expand after folding if there is pressure inside. Therefore, improvements in this type of collapsible container are currently focused on the requirement of having some separate control means, such as an outer container, shell, or the like, for controlling folding and keeping the collapsed container folded. An external control device must add significant value to the container, since it must always be attached to the shell. Examples of such containers are described in the Cooper and Normos patents mentioned above. As for the PET bases and other plastic containers, there were various proposals, for example, for a possible design, one of which, the most popular at present, has a petal base according to New Zealand patent 227274 (Continental Pet Technologies Inc.).

 The aim of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a method for solving the above problems or at least a useful choice.

 The invention consists in the following.

 According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semi-rigid container, the side wall of which has a folding part having a plurality of panel means, each of which is arcuate (as defined herein), at least in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of said container, and arranged that these panel means work together to resist the expansion of the specified folding part from the folded state and provide rigidity with respect to the longitudinal warehouses ayuschey strength, at the same time providing a gradual folding of said folding portion under said longitudinal folding force, whereby said folding part is folded relative to the remainder of the container by reducing the internal volume of said container.

 Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

The invention is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a partially folded position;
FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in the fully folded position;
FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view along line XX of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a detail of a fold in another embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a further embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a schematic front view of a panel (fragment) according to this invention;
FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective rear view of a fragment of FIG. eight;
FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a fragment of FIG. 8 and 9;
FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of an example of a control part of the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view along JJ of FIG. eleven;
FIG. 13 is a cross section according to II of FIG. eleven;
FIG. 14 is a schematic side view of a container according to another possible embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 15a, b, c show an additional embodiment of the present invention in its initial, partially folded and fully folded positions;
FIG. 16 is a very schematic view of yet another additional embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 17 and 18 are very schematic possible embodiments of the base of the containers of the invention;
FIG. 19a, b are possible alternative fragment devices for further embodiments of the invention;
FIG. 20a, b, c illustrate (very schematically) the effect of tipping or inverting a cylindrical container.

 Description of preferred embodiments.

 The embodiments shown in the drawings and the following description with reference to these drawings are given by way of example only and may not serve as limitations on possible embodiments of the invention.

 In FIG. 1 shows a view of a semi-rigid container 1. The container 1 is a substantially elongated bottle for light drinks (non-alcoholic). It has an opening 2 at one end and is threaded 3 to facilitate opening when using a threaded cover (not shown). The container 1 in this example is formed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), although any suitable material may be used to provide semi-rigidity characteristics.

 The side wall (shell) of the container 1 has a folding part 5. In this example, the folding part is limited by dashed lines A and B.

 As will also be seen with reference to FIG. 2 and 3, in response to the folding force directed longitudinally and relative to the inside of the container 1, in this example directed along the longitudinal axis 8 in the direction 9, the container 1 gradually bends the bending portion 5 of the side wall 4 so that the size of the outwardly open recess 10 increases, the internal volume of container 1 is increasing.

 As the bending action continues, the bending part 5 moves downward relative to the container 1 to a position in the receiving part 12, which in this example is provided with a waist part and a base 14.

 In order to evaluate the effect of folding (folding) in more detail, let us return once again to FIG. 1. The folding part 5 in this example contains the initiating part 6 and the control part 7.

 The initiator part 6 in this example is formed with alternating sections of strong and weak and relatively more susceptible to folding in response to forces in direction 9 than the adjoining control part 7 and neck portion 11. Thus, in response to the folding force in direction 9, relatively controlled movement of the initiator portion 6 to initiate the folding (folding) action described previously.

 In this example of the invention, alternating regions of strengths and weaknesses in the initiator part 6 have two adjacent transversely arranged annular segments of the side. Lines of weakness are defined in the spaces between adjacent annular segments. Perhaps, than any change in the thickness of the material due to erosion or the like, the lines of weakness can change in the angle within part 6.

 The control part 7 in this example is provided with a plurality of substantially elongated polygonal fragments 112, each of which has four sides to form a diamond shape. Each fragment 112 is located so that they are all directed along the longitudinal axis of the container and are adjacent to each other so as to create a side wall 4 of essentially the shape of a truncated cone.

 The shape of the substantially truncated cone helps the folding part 5 of the side wall 4 to fit inside the receiving part 12, as explained. However, for the folding part 5, other shapes can be used, for example cylindrical and polygonal, they use fragmentary means such as 112. However, such shapes will act on the space into which the folding part 5 is able to move when folding, and change the ease of folding. Turning in particular to FIG. 2 and 3, except for the edge 100 formed on the periphery of the depression 10 formed by folding, tipping and moving down the container, the diameter of the folded parts of the folding part is less than the diameter of the parts that have not yet been folded. Because of this, there is space for the folded parts to be placed in the receiving part 12 after folding.

 FIG. 20 further illustrates this. If the lateral side (surface) 500 of the container is substantially cylindrical in shape, as shown, rather than a truncated cone, then attempting to fold the container in this way will result in a ring having a diameter H from the top wall 499 (FIG. 20b) which should be smaller than its diameter G (Fig. 20a). This will result in axial stress that will resist tipping. As long as the initial diameter G remains, there is no free space inside the cylinder into which the wall 500 is to be folded. There will be a corresponding transfer of the pressure force downward on the walls in the L direction instead of the pressure inside the bend, which will lead to the bending of the cylindrical wall 500, as shown at 501 in FIG. 20, under the action of the folding force in the P direction, instead of tipping down. The only way to make a cylinder that works with this approach should actually be to keep it in the outer frame or shape and tilt it inward with force through a piston device that will push it into itself. The inverted segment will be significantly warped due to the need to have a reduced diameter for it (a circle of a given length must be deformed so that the diameter decreases at any point).

 Alternatively, it can be broken or torn, as shown at 498, to increase the diameter in the case, for example, turning outward (see Fig. 20c), but an external device should be similarly used to influence this behavior.

 Therefore, in order to have a container that can only be folded with the force directed along its longitudinal axis and without the help of an external device, the folding segment must have, in the absence of fragments according to the present invention, the shape of a truncated cone, or the material must be sufficiently elastic and capable of expansion or reduction, since it cannot keep the original dimensions in a new position.

 Without such an initiator portion as 6 in FIG. 1, even a section of the shape of a truncated cone will have difficulty folding under controlled tipping, in particular with a steep spatial position and a reasonable length of the side wall. The side walls will not be able to withstand the load from above, and the container will simply deform and fold completely randomly. The force required to start tipping at any point on steep walls should be much greater than that required for deformation and warping of the walls. One part of the wall begins to deform the rest of the container and continue this type of deformation in response to additional downward pressure.

 Referring again to FIG. 1, 2 and 3, it is obvious that the operator applying the folding force in direction 9, in practice, directs the folding force only, in general, in the direction of arrow 9. There are deviations in the direction of application of force. Deviations in the folding force, if not taken into account or weakened, will lead to irregular folding and folding of the folding part 5, in particular, if folding is too fast. Irregular folding in turn leads to crushing and warping of the side wall 4 rather than the action of gradual folding, which is supposed to occur in response to the folding force.

 Fragments 112 of the folding part are provided so that the folding of the container occurs in a predetermined and relatively regular form.

 Fragments 112 of the control portion 7 assist in regular folding and reduce the tendency of the side wall to collapse and warp in response to the folding force. The way in which this is obtained will be more clear when referring to FIG. 4 and 5.

 Fragments 112 of the control part 7 are shown as having a substantially arcuate shape, as seen at the end section. This arcuate shape is shown (visible) in FIG. 4 and is illustrated by a cross section along line X-X of FIG. 1. The use of arch-shaped fragments, such as those shown with reference to fragment 112 of FIG. 4 enhances the control created by the voltage of the fragment 112 during folding. The term “arcuate” is used in the description and claims to describe any container wall profile that extends beyond the main peripheral plane of the container wall.

 With the orientation shown in FIG. 4, fragment 112 should already be folded. Fragment 112 is separated from adjacent fragments by barrier means 90 and 101, shown in this example as relatively narrow, non-arcuate parts of side wall 4, forming the pit net 111 of FIG. 1 shape of a truncated cone. As can be seen in the drawings, the shape will be chordal, i.e. essentially similar to the shape of the chord 23.

 Since the length of the arc of fragment 112 (arc length of fragment 112) is greater than the length of chord 23 (chord length 23), folding leads to a slight expansion of the periphery of the cavity formed during folding. The chord length between the barrier means 90 and 101 on each side of the panel 112 will increase to a maximum equal to the arc length of the fragment 112. After that, when folding continues, the portion of the fragment 112 that must be folded usually returns to the essentially arc-shaped shape that it had before straightening and folding.

 The expansion of the periphery can be seen in FIG. 5, which shows how the edge of the cavity formed by the wall 4 at its edge 100 bends outward from its normal position, essentially on a line with the outer surface of the container, shown by line 24, when the fold 26 moves downward along the side wall.

 The ability to easily widen the edge allows the truncated cone to tip over relatively easily. The force is transmitted along the radius to increase the periphery of the side and is not transmitted to the bottom of the side wall, which could otherwise lead to warping of the side wall. This expansion of the periphery (edge) of the side wall creates space for sections of the side wall of the shape of the truncated cone to bend and tip over inward and take a place inside the side wall (shell) when folded. This property of adapting the side wall of the shape of a truncated cone with such fragments 112 gives much less resistance to the wave created by the edge 100 of the cavity 10 when it moves to the bottom of the side wall, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

 In addition, by dividing the side surface 4 of the container into adjacent fragments 112 according to the invention, the side surface 4 is divided and folded in part of a certain chordal length. Therefore, the fold edge is formed into a polygonal shape, as determined by the connection of the chords formed during folding (see Fig. 4). The formed polygon has a different number of sides depending on the number of fragments used and the number of arcs contained in them. Therefore, the edge of the folding section (100 in Fig. 2) will not be round, as previously discovered and reflected in the known technical solutions that were cited above. This polygonal formation helps to direct the folded sections towards each other and put them together with an accordion, causing a latch effect, which is then amplified again by the formation of arcuate fragments when they are bent over the chord and to the other side. This latch effect prevents folded parts from returning to their unfolded position even at high internal pressure. The corners of the polygonal formation are located relatively close to the uncomplicated part of the wall. In the case of arcuate fragments 112, the chord length during folding varies between the chord length measured between the sides of the arc before folding and the arc length of fragment 112, see FIG. 4.

 By controlling the chord length of the parts of the side wall that are folding, the risk of creasing and warping during folding during folding is reduced. Fragments 112 have a smoothing effect on the bend 100 as it moves toward the bottom of the container, which helps to correct any incorrect deviations in the folding direction, which is set by the operator.

 The arcuate fragments 112 of the diamond shape shown in this example of the invention help and control the folding action of the control part 7.

 The barrier network 90, 101, which extends between the diamond-shaped fragments 112, stretches in both directions when the lid is closed and internal pressure is created. The barrier network 90, 101 lies on the base in the form of a truncated cone or substrate 111. It was mentioned that the shape, size and / or depth of this interconnecting network or substrate 111 between the fragments can vary in accordance with the requirements for matching the characteristics required for the resulting container. Such an effort attempts to cause the rhomboid fragments 112 to move in both directions. Since the forces in each direction are equal, the rhomboid shape cannot change. Since each fragment 112 has a fixed size, the control part 7 cannot expand.

 However, when the cover is removed, there is no force in each direction. While the cover is removed, the operator can optionally apply a force in one direction, 9 in FIG. 1 (down to fold the container). Since the force is directed in only one direction, the diamond-shaped shape of the fragments 112 can be weakened vertically, and the arc-shaped fragments 112 are allowed to start acting on the periphery by otherwise sacrificing material. This peripheral expansion of the fold 100 occurs, and thus there is folding control in the manner already described.

 Fragments 112 also have another major effect on the behavior of container 1, used as a collapsible container for pressurized liquids. The inverted section of the control part is further prevented from being forced to return to its original position. The inverted arches of the rhombuses of the fragments 112 re-expand when they are in an inverted position and tend to “jam” if a force is applied to expand the container 4 from the folded position. This can be caused by the concentration of pressure inside the contents if the container 4 was, for example, dropped. The inverted section cannot bend back; they are trying to keep the bent arches in place. This allows the container to maintain its integrity as a pressure vessel, even in a partially folded state.

 In practice, polygons with a varying number of sides can be used on the folding part. They can be of mixed shape, even if there is no distinct advantage over the diamond-shaped network. However, polygons with an increased or decreased number of sides can be used with a different arching device. Other geometric shapes may also be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

 The size of arch formation used with panels (fragments) may also vary according to the amount of control required from the chord formation, which affects the ease of folding. While arching in the transverse or annular direction is an essential requirement, in most cases arching in the longitudinal direction can also be provided.

 Thus, referring to FIG. 19a, we see that the folding section 600 of the container according to one possible embodiment is defined by a plurality of triangular panels 601 curved in an arch such that the peaks of the panels are at their centers. In FIG. 19b, the folding section 602 of another embodiment has round panels 603, again curved in an arch shape so that their highest points (peaks) lie at their centers.

 Returning now to FIG. 1, 2 and 3, we see that the base 14 is formed so as to receive an opening 28. The hole 28 is formed relative to the parts of the neck 11 adjacent to the folding part 5, so that when the container 1 is essentially completely folded and fold 100 the side shell 4 is at its more or less largest size, the hole 28 is essentially surrounded by the neck portion 11.

 Thus, as can be seen from FIG. 3, the rim 29 of the neck portion 11 in this example defines an area that is at least equal in plan or preferably greater than the area defined by the rim of the hole 28. In addition, in the folded position shown, portions of the rim 29 are arranged circumferentially with respect to the outside of the rim 30, so so that during tipping, to help the fluid flow to flow more in the opening 28 into the neck portion 11 and towards the opening 2 than into the bend in the side wall 4.

 Let us return to the discussion of FIG. 6. We see an alternative folding device. In FIG. 6, the folding part 15 comprises an initiator part 16 and a control part 17. The control part 17 in this example contains hexagonal panels 22.

 The initiator part 16 is also shown as containing hexagonal panels 22. The panels 22, which form the initiator part 16, can, if necessary, be smaller and more numerous than the panels forming the control part 17, and can be offset relative to the arrangement of the panels of the control part 17.

 For non-carbonated beverages, and in particular for any hot filling requirements, it may be desirable to use a configuration that allows some reduction after filling. By changing the configuration of the barrier network connecting the panel, indicated generally by 599 (111 in FIG. 1), it is possible to provide the control part with the ability to hold pressure (which is not necessary for non-carbonated drinks, in exchange, for example, for abbreviations).

 An example of how this can be achieved is the removal of the transverse connecting parts 598 from the barrier network and allowing the arcs from each hexagonal panel 22 to be connected in a longitudinal manner. Here again, there may be many changes, without going beyond the scope of the invention. All formations should be curved in a polygonal shape, as discussed above.

 This removal or alteration of the transverse or other connecting parts between the panels 22 could be used in any of the other embodiments of the invention described herein.

 In other embodiments of the invention, other suitable initiating and controlled folding devices may be provided for the folding part. For example, in at least one other embodiment of the invention, where the panels are provided, a single panel may pass through the control part and the initiator part, essentially crossing the entire folding part of the container. An example of this type of embodiment is shown in FIG. 7.

 We discuss FIG. 7. As you can see, the container 200 contains a neck portion 201, a folding part 202, enclosed between lines G and H, and a receiving part 203. The area immediately adjacent to the intersection of the neck 201 and the folding part 202 has a recess 204 that helps in handling container 200.

 The folding part 202 is provided with an initiator part 205 and a control part 206. The receiving part 203 includes a waist part 207 and a base 208.

 As will be seen, the folding part 202 is provided with a plurality of diamond-shaped panels 209, which should be arcuate at least in the transverse direction, all panels aligned with the longitudinal axis of the container 202 and adjacent to each other, to give the folding part 202, essentially, shape truncated cone.

 In this example of the invention, the panels 199 in the neck portion 201 and in the receiving portion 203 have various functions. These panels 99 do not help folding, but together provide strength to the neck 201 and the receiving part 203, and also help these parts to resist warping or other deformation under the action of axial folding forces. Regarding the arc provided for the panels 209, there is only a relatively minor arc in the neck 201 and the receiving portion 203.

 In further alternative forms of the invention, small arcuate panels around the cavity 204 may be used. These panels can help the cavity to resist any plastic creep inside the material at very high pressure, since this area is not as strong as the rest of the side shell of the container due to nature biaxial orientation in manufacturing. Other methods may also be used to strengthen the cavity 204 without departing from the scope of the invention, for example, adding a durable, externally held ring made of a suitable material and placed around the recess 204.

 Another objective of this invention is to provide an improved section of the base for the container for drinks.

 In a biaxial orientation bottle manufacturing process, the molecular orientation of the polymer is smaller at the top and bottom of the bottle, so these areas need to be made thicker, but the overall round base design minimizes the required material (due to its better ability to hold pressure). With this round design, however, the bottle cannot stand straight, so a “cup” of base is required that has a flat bottom. It can be molded by injection of PET or more commonly high pressure polypropylene.

 A lot of design effort was made, in particular in the USA, in the direction of the base design, which would avoid the need for a separate cup, and Continental Beverage Containers Inc. proposed a base having 4 or 5 bulges that form the legs on which the bottle can stand. This design, as mentioned earlier, is usually called the “petal” base and has the disadvantage that more material is required, and the blow molding machine must have higher blow molding and compressive pressures.

 Another disadvantage is that many areas of material of different thicknesses are distributed around the base. As a result of these various thicknesses, a very complex stress distribution occurs.

 Another drawback is that the thick, non-expanding central region under pressure becomes the primary site of cracks, and this is the most common area of bottom damage. That is why strong pressure tends to "pull apart" and creates an outward force on the surface presented.

 Another drawback of the design of the base of this type is that the container cannot stand directly on a lattice-like surface, which is usually in a refrigeration device. This led to resistance from both the seller and the consumer.

 The aim of the variants of the present invention is to solve some of these problems or at least provide an appropriate choice.

 Thus, referring again to FIG. 7, it can be seen that the exemplary base 208 is formed to provide an opening 211 substantially similar to that described previously in connection with FIG. 1, 2 and 3, to collect and move the residual contents of the container to the opening 210. To help the base 208 withstand the internal pressure of conventional carbonated drinks, in particular when the container is formed of PET or the like, a relatively deep pant 211 is provided (the term “pant” means emptiness in the bottom, especially with champagne bottles.

 The base 208, given as an example, provides an improvement over previous proposals by introducing a thick round ring on which the bottle rests, instead of legs (if this is the case with a petaloid base). This full contact ring provides greater stability when placed on incomplete surfaces, such as grilles commonly used in refrigeration units.

 Turning to FIG. 8 to 13, where examples of diamond-shaped panels, such as in FIG. 7 are illustrated in more detail. It can be seen that the panels 301, 302, 303 can be arranged to form a composite panel 300, sharpened towards one end. As the cross-sectional and cross-sectional views of FIG. 9 and 10, panels 301 to 303 are arcuate in both the transverse and longitudinal directions so as to control folding as previously described.

 In FIG. 11 to 13 show the diamond-shaped panels 305 of the control portion 304, which are arcuate and form the shape of a truncated cone required for the folding action.

 Turning now to FIG. 14, which illustrates an additional embodiment of the invention, generally indicated by arrow 478. Here, it is shown that the diamond-shaped panels of the previous embodiments are replaced by a plurality of hexagonal panels, 475, forming a folding part 472. An initiator part 476 is shown having many concentric lines of weakness, which can be changes in the angle leading up to the neck portion 477. The base 474 again provides an inner diameter commensurate with or less than the diameter of the rim (circle) of the neck portion 477 The hexagons 475 are shown oriented in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the container 478. Each panel 475 should be arch-shaped at least in the transverse direction so as to allow folding along the axis as a result of folding force, but to resist expansion around the circumference due to internal pressure. Turning now to FIG. 15a, b, c, where another embodiment is generally indicated by arrow 492. We see a folding part 488 in the form of a truncated cone, facing down, limited by a network of diamond shaped panels 420. Such an arrangement of the upwardly folding control section 488 allows for a more complete emptying of the container during folding. Air generally cannot linger in a folding shell, which usually happens with upright versions. This network of arcuate panels 420 resists expanding forces and holds the folding portion 488 in place. The dimensions of these panels 420 may, of course, vary. They can be wider on some containers than on others, and even have different sizes on one container. When the lid is removed, the net 488 does not lengthen under the influence of forces acting on the beverage side. Such forces usually try to cause movement in both the vertical and horizontal directions of each panel 420 of the network 488. Since the forces acting with the cover closed in each direction are equal, the network 488 of the diamond-shaped panels cannot move. However, when the cover is removed, forces in both directions are absent. While the lid is open, the operator can optionally apply a force in one direction (downward, as shown in FIG. 15b, to fold the container). Since the force is directed in only one direction, the diamond-shaped panels 420 of the network 488 may be forced to loosen vertically and allow the arcuate panels 420 to begin to influence the periphery 487, otherwise sacrificing excess material. Thus, the peripheral expansion of the fold 487 is achieved when it moves through the base 490 and thus controls the folding of the container in the manner already described.

 A number of other forms of the invention, according to this and another embodiment, use more than one folding section.

 Turning now to FIG. 16, the container 800 of this embodiment has a folding portion 802 with arcuate diamond-shaped panels 801 that form a truncated cone shape that tapers up rather than down, as in the previous FIGS. fifteen.

 Returning again to the formation of the base of the containers of the present invention, an additional improvement is a more even distribution of material on the base. The inner surface 480 of the base 483 in FIG. 17 is formed by a concave surface of revolution in the vicinity of the central support 481 from a relatively unstretchable material around antler 479. By placing the non-stretchable material in such a shape it becomes self-resistant under pressure and, therefore, more protected from destruction. It not only self-reinforces under pressure, but it becomes almost impossible to push down the “squeeze bottom” of the container, as in normal bases with no champagne antler made of such a thin material where, for example, a convex dome directed inward is used.

 In alternative forms of the invention, the base may have arcuate panels adapted to withstand the folding forces mentioned above in connection with the example of the invention of FIG. 17. The addition of arcuate panels to this section increases the pressure holding level. In addition, arcuate panels can help the material fold in one direction if they bend in the direction in which the panels can withstand any tendency to fold. By applying them near the central support 481 in FIG. 17 any tendency of the base to succumb to the downward pressure and bend under the action of force is significantly reduced.

 In FIG. 18 shows yet another example of a base 483 that utilizes such arcuate panels 486 around a hollow support 485 of antler 484 to increase pressure thresholds. Can be used and additional placement of the panels, without going beyond the scope of this invention.

 Still other alternative forms of the invention of this invention may use an outward folding motion instead of an inward folding process. The container according to this invention may have a bendable part with a bend outwardly part and a bend outwardly control part. Arc-shaped diamond-shaped or other shaped panels in such embodiments should face inward, not outward.

 It can be seen that the present invention in its various embodiments provides a container that has various parts that are able to adapt to different loads, and where the folding is done by folding the middle part rather than pushing the end inward.

 Thus, it can be appreciated that the invention provides an improved container in which it helps control the gradual folding of the side of the container so that it folds, and in preferred embodiments, the base is designed to withstand higher pressures and give the container more stability.

 Where reference has been made in the previous description to specific components or figures of the invention having known equivalents, these equivalents are included as if they were separately described.

 Although this invention has been described by one example with reference to possible embodiments, it is obvious that modifications and improvements are possible without going beyond the scope of the invention defined by the attached claims.

Claims (15)

 1. A semi-rigid folding container with a longitudinal axis 8, comprising a neck 11, a base 14, and a side wall 4 including an intermediate folding section 5, characterized in that the folding section 5 is also semi-rigid and has several wall fragments 112, each of which has a profile protruding from the common peripheral surface of the side wall 4 at least in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis 8 to provide rigidity against a longitudinally directed deforming force, said fragments being The caps 112 are flexible for laterally directed force, and are located on the side wall 4 so that the folding section 5 under the influence of a longitudinally directed compressive force can gradually fold relative to the rest of the container in a folded state, in which the base and neck are located closer to each other, with the purpose of reducing the internal volume of the container, and the fragments 112 by a joint action resist the expansion of the folded section 5 from the folded state, while folding chastok 5 comprises a controlling portion 7, which provides control of the folding and initiator portion 6, which begins with the folding.  2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the folding section 5 is mainly in the form of a truncated cone.  3. The container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the wall fragments 112 protrude from the main peripheral surface of the side wall 4 also in the direction of the longitudinal axis 8 of the container.  4. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the wall fragments (112) have a polygonal shape and are located essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container.  5. The container according to claim 4, characterized in that each wall fragment 112 has a rhomboid shape and these rhomboid fragments are located with their long axes essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container.  6. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the folding section 5 is located at a distance from both the neck 11 and the base 14 of the container.  7. The container according to claim 2, characterized in that said truncated cone tapers inward towards the neck 11 of the container so that the folding force applied to the neck causes the neck to move towards the base of the container.  8. The container according to claim 7, characterized in that the inner diameter 29 of the neck 11 is substantially equal to or greater than the inner diameter 30 of the base 14 so that residual contents of the container in its folded state are forced to flow into the neck 11.  9. The container according to claim 2, characterized in that the truncated cone 488 tapers inward towards the base 490 of the container so that when the container is folded, the base moves inside the folding section 5 towards the neck of the container.  10. The container according to claim 4, characterized in that the initiating section 6 contains at least one zone that is substantially less perpendicular to the said transverse direction than any other zone of the folding section 5.  11. The container of claim 10, characterized in that in the specified initiating section also has several wall fragments 112.  12. The container according to claim 5, characterized in that the rhomboid shape is formed by a pair of adjacent triangular wall fragments.  13. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the wall fragments 603 have a rounded shape.  14. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that its base 208 has a deep hollow central portion 211 and a circular portion around it to provide a stable supporting surface for the container.  15. The container according to 14, characterized in that the deep hollow central section of the base 484 includes several arcuate fragments 486 around its circumference to prevent deformation of the base material due to internal pressure in the container.

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