Expandable container

Abstract

An expandable container has a bellows portion within its body that permits the container to change volume as the bellows portion expands or collapses.

1 . An expandable container comprising:
 a. a body having a first width, a variable body height, a bottom portion, a top portion and a single expandable bellows portion disposed between said bottom portion and said top portion, wherein said variable body height is variable between a fully expanded bellows configuration and a fully collapsed bellows configuration;   b. a sealable mouth having a second width that is substantially the same as said first width of said body so that the bottom portion of said expandable container is easily accessible by a utensil from said sealable mouth when the expandable container is in said fully collapsed bellows configuration; and,   c. wherein said single expandable bellows portion comprises a contiguous series of interlocking discs.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the variable body height in said fully expandable bellows configuration is approximately twice the variable body height in the fully collapsed bellows configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1  wherein when in the fully expanded bellows configuration each of said contiguous series of interlocking discs comprises a protruding ring member, a top wall having a top wall length and extending in a diagonally upwards and inwards disposition from an inside surface of said protruding ring member and a bottom wall having a bottom wall length and extending in a diagonally downwards and inwards disposition from an outside surface of the protruding ring member. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 3  wherein each of the contiguous series of interlocking discs are joined between said top wall and said bottom wall at generally right angles. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 4  wherein said top wall length is greater, than said bottom wall length. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5  wherein when in the fully collapsed bellows configuration the top wall retains said diagonally upwards and inwards disposition. and the bottom wall is folded upwards and around said inside surface of the disk member so that it rests substantially parallel to the top member. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1  wherein said contiguous series of interlocking discs comprises seven discs. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the contiguous series of interlocking discs comprises less than seven discs. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the contiguous series of interlocking discs comprises more than seven discs. 
     
     
         10 . An expandable container comprising:
 a. a body having a first width, a bottom portion, a top portion and a single expandable bellows portion disposed between said bottom portion and said top portion, wherein said body has a height in a fully expanded bellows configuration that is approximately half said height in a fully collapsed bellows configuration;   b. a sealable mouth having a second width that is substantially the same as said first width of said body so that the bottom portion of said expandable container is easily accessible by a utensil from said sealable mouth when the expandable container is in said fully collapsed bellows configuration; and,   c. wherein when in said fully expanded configuration said single expandable bellows portion comprises a contiguous series of interlocking discs each comprising a protruding ring member, a top wall having a top wall length and extending in a diagonally upwards and inwards disposition from an inside surface of said protruding ring member and a bottom wall having a bottom wall length and extending in a diagonally downwards and inwards disposition from an outside surface of the protruding ring member;   d. so that each of the contiguous series of interlocking discs are joined between said top wall and said bottom wall at generally right angles.   
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 10  wherein said top wall length is greater than said bottom wall length. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 10  wherein when in the fully collapsed bellows configuration the top wall retains said diagonally upwards and inwards disposition and the bottom wall is folded upwards and around said inside surface of the disk member so that it rests substantially parallel to the top member. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 10  wherein said contiguous series of interlocking discs comprises seven discs. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the contiguous series of interlocking discs comprises less than seven discs. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the contiguous series of interlocking discs comprises more than seven discs.