Container with concertina side walls and base

Abstract

A collapsible container or reservoir including at least one side wall region ( 4 - 7 ) and a basal wall region or base ( 1 ) surrounding a containment region having an upper opening or mouth ( 10 ) surrounded by a perimeter flange ( 9 ) at the ends of the side walls distal from the basal wall region, the side walls include a region of coneeitina ( 14 ) whereby, upon squeezing or compression of the side walls, the basal wall region of the container is compacted more, relative to the extent of the upper opening. The container can be used for dispensing foods such as pet food, sauces, yoghurt, custard or the like, or other liquids or semi fluid materials such as oil, grease, glue or resin.

1 . A container having an upper portion and a lower portion comprising:
 a containment region including at least one side wall defining a pair of opposed side wall regions extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, and a basal wall at the lower region of the container;   an upper opening at least partially surrounded by a flange disposed at the upper portion at an end of said at least one side wall distal from said basal wall; and   a plurality of compaction enabling features at each of said at least one side wall and said basal wall readily enabling compaction of said lower portion compared to said upper portion configured to substantially completely compact said basal wall to bring at least a lower region of said opposed side wall regions substantially adjacent to one another upon squeezing of said opposed side wall regions;   said compaction enabling features including at least one surface relief on said basal wall and a region of concertina in said side wall;   said region of concertina extending from said basal wall upwards towards said flange.   
     
     
         2 . The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one side wall is concertinaed in opposed regions of said at least one side wall. 
     
     
         3 . The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the region of concertina of said at least one side wall extends in a direction between the basal wall and said flange. 
     
     
         4 . The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one surface relief includes a region of concertina. 
     
     
         5 . The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the region of concertina of said basal wall extends in a direction parallel to a plane parallel to which the at least one side wail concertina features extend. 
     
     
         6 . The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said container is of a quadrilateral plan shape and includes four side walls extending between said flange and said basal wall. 
     
     
         7 . The container as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said four side walls include a first pair of opposed side walls in which the region of concertina of said side walls are defined. 
     
     
         8 . The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said region of concertina of said at least one side wall includes at least one trough formed in said at least one side wall and said at least one trough extends in a direction between said flange and said basal wall. 
     
     
         9 .The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said region of concertina of said at least one side wall includes at least two troughs and a ridge intermediate of two troughs, formed in said at least one side wall and the at least two troughs and the ridge extend in a direction between said flange and said basal wall. 
     
     
         10 .The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said region of concertina of said at least one side wall includes a series of ridges and troughs extending in a direction between said flange and said basal wall. 
     
     
         11 . The container as claimed in claim  9 , wherein each said trough extends from said basal wall towards said flange and is terminated by a web that transitions the at least one side wall between said trough and said flange. 
     
     
         12 . The container as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein each said web is a planar triangular web with one base side parallel to said flange and one apex in the trough. 
     
     
         13 .The container as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein each said web is a planar triangular web with one base side parallel to and contiguous said flange and one apex in the trough. 
     
     
         14 . The container as claimed in claim  9 , wherein said trough is one defined by said at least one side wall to extend towards said containment region. 
     
     
         15 . The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said flange includes a acne of weakness to allow for a fracturing of the flange. 
     
     
         16 . The container as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said concertina of said side walls meet at said basal wall. 
     
     
         17 . The container as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said other pair aside walls are planar sidewalls. 
     
     
         18 . A set of containers, wherein
 each container having an upper portion and a lower portion, each container including   i) at least one side wall surrounding an opening, said upper portion including at least said opening, and   ii) a containment region defined by the at least one side wall and a base wall, said base wall including at least one surface relief allowing compression of the base wall, said lower portion including at least said base wall,   iii) said opening being at least partially surrounded by a flange,   iv) said at least one side wall including vertically aligned collapsible formations for facilitating collapse of opposed regions of the at least one side wall towards each other when opposed regions of the at least one side wall are compressed to reduce volume of the containment region, thereby to facilitate dispensing of contents from the container,   a rigidity of said upper portion being greater than a rigidity of said lower portion,   said containers being integrally formed with each other.   
     
     
         19 . The set of containers as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the set of containers is integrally formed in an injection moulding, vacuum forming, rotary moulding or blow moulding process. 
     
     
         20 . The set of containers as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the set of containers is formed from a single sheet of material in a deep drawing thermoforming machine.