Container with scalable features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11401100-B2
Application number	US-201916382265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2019
Priority date	Apr 13, 2018
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

A container for containing a fluid. The container includes a sidewall construct that includes an inner sidewall extending at least partially around an interior of the container and having an inner lower edge, and an outer sleeve attached to the inner sidewall, the outer sleeve has an outer lower edge that is spaced below the inner lower edge. The container also includes a closed bottom defining a bottom of the interior of the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container for containing a fluid, comprising:
a sidewall construct comprising an inner sidewall extending at least partially around an interior of the container and having an inner lower edge, and an outer sleeve attached to the inner sidewall, the outer sleeve has an outer lower edge that is spaced below the inner lower edge; and
a closed bottom defining a bottom of the interior of the container, the closed bottom is selectively positioned at a first vertical distance from the outer lower edge or at a second vertical distance from the outer lower edge, the container has a first interior volume when the closed bottom is at the first vertical distance and the container has a second interior volume when the closed bottom is at the second vertical distance, the first vertical distance is less than the second vertical distance such that the first interior volume is greater than the second interior volume.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the closed bottom is selectively positioned at the first vertical distance from the outer lower edge or at the second vertical distance from the outer lower edge such that an interior volume of the container is scalable based on the selected position of the closed bottom.

3. The container of claim 2 , wherein the sidewall construct is oriented at a fixed angle relative to a vertical centerline of the container when the closed bottom is positioned at the first vertical distance and at the second vertical distance.

4. The container of claim 2 , wherein the closed bottom is spaced above the outer lower edge such that a lower portion of the outer sleeve defines an annular recess below the closed bottom.

5. The container of claim 4 , wherein the closed bottom comprises a bottom panel and an annular leg extending downwardly from the bottom panel and attached to the inner sidewall, the annular leg is spaced above the outer lower edge.

6. The container of claim 5 , wherein a portion of the outer sleeve defines a lower edge margin that is folded into the annular recess and into at least partial face-to-face contact with the lower portion of the outer sleeve.

7. The container of claim 6 , wherein the inner lower edge is spaced above an upper edge of the lower edge margin of the outer sleeve such that a gap is defined therebetween.

8. A container for containing a fluid, comprising: a sidewall construct comprising an inner sidewall extending at least partially around an interior of the container and having an inner lower edge, and an outer sleeve attached to the inner sidewall, the outer sleeve has an outer lower edge that is spaced below the inner lower edge; and
a closed bottom defining a bottom of the interior of the container, the closed bottom is positioned a selected vertical distance from the outer lower edge such that an interior volume of the container is scalable based on a position of the closed bottom, the closed bottom is spaced above the outer lower edge such that a lower portion of the outer sleeve defines an annular recess below the closed bottom,
the closed bottom comprises a bottom panel and an annular leg extending downwardly from the bottom panel and attached to the inner sidewall, the annular leg is spaced above the outer lower edge and a portion of the outer sleeve defines a lower edge margin that is folded into the annular recess and into at least partial face-to-face contact with the lower portion of the outer sleeve, the inner lower edge is spaced above an upper edge of the lower edge margin of the outer sleeve such that a gap is defined therebetween, wherein a cavity is defined between the inner sidewall and the outer sleeve, and the gap provides a vent for the cavity.

9. The container of claim 2 , wherein a cavity is defined between the inner sidewall and the outer sleeve, and the container comprises insulating features comprising the cavity and a plurality of annular bands, each annular band of the plurality of annular bands comprises a plurality of spacers and a respective plurality of gaps separating respective adjacent spacers in a respective annular band, each spacer extends in the cavity from the inner sidewall to the outer sleeve.

10. The container of claim 9 , wherein the respective gaps of the respective annular bands define a plurality of fluid paths through the cavity.

11. The container of claim 10 , wherein the respective gaps of respective adjacent annular bands are offset from one another.

12. The container of claim 11 , wherein at least one fluid path of the plurality of fluid paths extends from the inner lower edge to an upper edge of the outer sleeve.

13. The container of claim 9 , wherein at least one spacer is comprised of an adhesive that adheres the outer sleeve to the inner sidewall.

14. The container of claim 2 , wherein an upper portion of the inner sidewall defines a flanged rim, the rim is configured to interengage a container closure.

15. A method of forming a container for containing a fluid, comprising;
obtaining an inner sidewall having an inner lower edge and an outer sleeve having an outer lower edge;
attaching the outer sleeve to the inner sidewall to form a sidewall construct having the outer lower edge spaced below the inner lower edge;
forming an interior of the container by positioning the sidewall construct so that the inner sidewall extends at least partially around the interior; and
selectively positioning a closed bottom relative to the sidewall construct to define a bottom of the interior such that the closed bottom is selectively positioned at a first vertical distance from the outer lower edge or at a second vertical distance from the outer lower edge, the container has a first interior volume when the closed bottom is at the first vertical distance and the container has a second interior volume when the closed bottom is at the second vertical distance, the first vertical distance is less than the second vertical distance such that the first interior volume is greater than the second interior volume.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the closed bottom is selectively positioned at the first vertical distance from the outer lower edge or the second vertical distance from the outer lower edge such that an interior volume of the container is scalable based on the selected position of the closed bottom.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the sidewall construct is oriented at a fixed angle relative to a vertical centerline of the container when the closed bottom is positioned at the first vertical distance and at the second vertical distance.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the closed bottom is spaced above the outer lower edge such that a lower portion of the outer sleeve defines an annular recess below the closed bottom.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the closed bottom comprises a bottom panel and an annular leg extending downwardly from the bottom panel and attached to the inner sidewall, the annular leg is spaced above the outer lower edge.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein a portion of the outer sleeve defines a lower edge margin that is folded into the annular recess and into at least partial face-to-face contact with the lower portion of the outer sleeve.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the inner lower edge is spaced above an upper edge of the lower edge margin of the outer sleeve such that a gap is defined therebetween.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein a cavity is defined between the inner sidewall and the outer sleeve, and the gap provide

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Vogt James
• Milewski Jozef
• Baldwin Mark
• Baird Kyle

Classifications

• B65D3/14 Primary

  Discs fitting within container end and secured by bending, rolling, or folding operations · CPC title

• B65D81/3869 Primary

  formed with double walls, i.e. hollow · CPC title

• B65D21/08

  Containers of variable capacity (containers of polygonal cross-section adapted to be of variable capacity formed by folding or erecting blanks made of paper {B65D5/0005}) · CPC title

• B65D21/0233

  Nestable containers · CPC title

• B65D3/06

  essentially conical or frusto-conical · CPC title