HK1118683B - Collapsible colander and bowl - Google Patents

Description

Collapsible colander and bowl

This application claims the benefit of the following prior U.S. design applications: U.S. design application No. 29/277285 filed on 20/2/2007 with attorney docket No. prog-1-1221, U.S. design application No. 29/277401 filed on 23/2/2007 with attorney docket No. prog-1-1228, and U.S. design application No. 29/277399 filed on 23/2/2007 with attorney docket No. prog-1-1249.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to collapsible bowls, colanders, measuring cups and strainers.

Background

Large kitchen items such as bowls and colanders are difficult to store. They can take up considerable space in a kitchen cabinet or drawer, thereby making it cumbersome to retrieve the cookware and replace it when it is used.

In some instances, some have created collapsible containers to reduce the storage space required. The prior collapsible containers have several disadvantages. Some collapsible containers are made of a single material (usually of the plastic type) having a plurality of pleats. This design makes them difficult to stretch and fold because the materials are relatively stiff and require considerable force. In some examples, the collapsible container is formed entirely of a flexible material. This design allows the article to be easily flattened, but because the material is too soft it cannot be self-supporting and will collapse when placed on a surface. Accordingly, there is a need for improvements in collapsible containers and colanders that are easily collapsed and expanded and that are fully self-supporting on a surface.

Disclosure of Invention

As discussed below, the preferred collapsible container is comprised of three parts: a rigid top edge, a flexible center strip, and a rigid base. The combination of the parts allows the container to be easily folded to about one third of its original height. The container is also very stable when stretched and made self-supporting. The top edge of the container may be fitted with different types of handle shapes. The base may also have a different shape, for example for drainage cut-outs or non-skid feet.

In some examples of the invention, the container is a filter. In this form, the reservoir base preferably includes holes for facilitating drainage, but the central band and rim are devoid of holes.

In still other examples, the container is a funnel, strainer, or other item that generally includes a rigid rim and a collapsible center portion.

Drawings

Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred strainer;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a preferred strainer;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred strainer in an extended position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the preferred strainer in a collapsed position;

FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternative preferred strainer;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative preferred strainer;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a collapsible strainer mounted on a sink;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a collapsible strainer mounted on a sink;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a collapsible strainer resting on a sink with a rim in a retracted position;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a preferred colander having a handle;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a preferred collapsible bowl in a collapsed position;

FIG. 12 is a side view of a preferred collapsible bowl in an extended position;

FIG. 13 is a top view of a preferred foldable filter;

FIG. 14 is a side view of a preferred foldable filter;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a preferred collapsible funnel;

FIG. 16 is a side view of a preferred collapsible funnel; and

fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the collapsible container taken along line a-a of fig. 9.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1-4 illustrate an example of a collapsible container, shown as a colander (or referred to as a filter pan) 10. Fig. 1 shows a side view of a filter 10, wherein the filter 10 comprises a substantially rigid rim 12 and a substantially rigid base 20, and a flexible central portion extending between the base and the rim. The central portion is a flexible membrane 14 attached to the base and the rim so that the base, rim, and central portion together form the container. Preferably, the central portion is formed from a single material extending between the rim and the base, more preferably the material is a food grade material so that the container can contain food items (foods) therein.

As shown, the film 14 includes a first relatively uniform portion 21, a first folded portion 22, a second relatively uniform portion 23, and a second folded portion 24. Each of the first and second relatively uniform portions has a substantially uniform thickness in the region of the portion. The thickness and material are selected to provide sufficient rigidity so that the container will not collapse under its own weight when extended to the position shown in fig. 1. In some embodiments of the invention, the height of the central portion is about half the height of the entire membrane.

In a preferred embodiment, the membrane 14 is formed of silicone and the base 20 and rim 12 are both formed of plastic, and the membrane is over-molded onto the rim and base. The membrane is optionally formed of other flexible materials, such as thermoplastic elastomers, and may be glued or otherwise adhered to the base and the rim. Likewise, the rim and base may alternatively be formed of other rigid or semi-rigid materials, such as metal.

The base 20 includes a convex or domed portion 27 that serves as the bottom of the container 10. Although the bottom of the base need not be dome-shaped, a dome shape facilitates drainage in the form of a colander and is the preferred shape for the form of a bowl. The base also includes a peripheral edge defined by a plurality of feet 29 each separated by a cutaway segment 28. The bottom of the feet 29 are preferably lower than the outermost and lowest portions of the rounded portion 27 so that the bottom of the rounded portion 27 of the container is above and will not contact the floor of the sink or other horizontal surface on which the container rests. The arrangement of the height of the feet helps to promote more rapid drainage of liquid from the colander. In other embodiments of the invention, the base is free of feet and may optionally terminate on an annular rim or a substantially flat bottom.

The base of the container includes a plurality of apertures 30 to allow drainage when the container is in the form of a filter. As best seen in fig. 2, the size, shape and arrangement of the holes may vary. In one example, the base may include a first plurality of generally annular holes 30a and a second plurality of generally elliptical holes 30 b. As shown, the annular holes 30a are located towards the center of the base and the second plurality of elliptical holes are distributed radially from the center. Optionally, a third plurality of annular holes 30c are provided adjacent the upper portion of the base.

As shown in fig. 1-3, the container, in this case a colander, can be stretched to readily accommodate food or other items. An aperture in the base allows liquid to drain from the bottom of the container. When the container is not in use, the container may be folded as shown in fig. 4. In the collapsed position, the height of the container is much shorter than in the extended position. In the most preferred embodiment, the height of the container when folded is about one third of the height when it is extended. Each of the first and second folding portions 22, 24 is folded to fold the container. Thereby, the flexible film 14 is folded upward along the first folded portion 22 and downward along the second folded portion 24. The first and second substantially uniform portions 21, 23 remain substantially uniform and are not folded.

In an alternative form of the invention, the first uniform portion 21 may be substantially omitted, such that the flexible film 14 is attached to the rim 12 in a position relatively close to the first folded portion 22.

The first and second folded portions 22, 24 are formed in the flexible film 14 by forming one or more portions around the film 14 that are more easily folded under force than the remainder of the film. In one example, each folded portion comprises several alternating convex and concave ridges around the entire perimeter of the film. Alternatively, the folded portion may be a region of thinner material, may be folded, have a surrounding thickened region, or otherwise be shaped to encourage the film to fold in the vicinity of the fold region. In this way, each folded portion acts as a living hinge configured to fold more easily than the substantially uniform portions 21, 23.

To collapse the container, a force is applied to the rim 12, generally in a direction from the rim toward the base. To extend the container, a force is applied to urge the rim upward while the base is held substantially stationary.

In an alternative example, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the membrane 14 may also include holes for drainage. In this example, the vessel is the same as in fig. 1-4, except that a plurality of drain holes 40 are provided. Although the pores of the membrane are possible, the inventors have found that the inclusion of the pores adds unnecessary complexity to the structure of the device and, in addition, the filter drains equally well without adding pores to the membrane.

In yet another example, the collapsible container may be configured to rest an edge of the container on an edge of a sink such that the container is suspended above the sink. An exemplary container of this type is shown in fig. 7-9. The container as shown includes a rim, a central membrane, and a base as described above with respect to fig. 1-4. The essential difference is that the rim can be stretched to suspend the container above the sink 52. Thus, the edge includes a first side 54, a second side 55, and a pair of arms 56. The arms are slidably retained within sleeves defined by the forward and rearward portions of rim 58, thereby allowing the width between the first side of rim 54 and the second side of rim 55 to be adjusted to accommodate sinks of various sizes.

As shown in fig. 8, with the arm 56 extended to the desired width, a first side of the rim rides on a first side of the countertop 50a (or sink rim) and a second side of the rim of the container rides on a second side of the countertop 50b (or sink rim). The container is thereby suspended above the sink so as to allow a user to place a large number of items within the container. Since this example also includes a plurality of drain holes on the base as described above, this container can be used as a colander, with water from the faucet being used to rinse food such as fruits and vegetables.

When the variant of the invention resting on the sink is used, the arms can be retracted as shown in fig. 9. The container may also be folded as described above and illustrated in fig. 4. In alternative examples, the extendable arms may be telescoping, collapsible, or otherwise configured to extend from a retracted position to an extended position.

Fig. 10 shows another example of the present invention. In this example, the container includes a handle 60 attached to the rim, in this case by forming the rim with an integral handle. However, this handle may be attached to any of the variations of the invention which is useful for somewhat smaller container sizes where the user may support the container by the handle when placing the items to be drained within the container. The container illustrated in fig. 10 is otherwise functionally similar to the container of fig. 1-4, except for the handle 60.

In some versions of the invention, the base does not include drainage holes. Examples of the invention are shown in fig. 11 and 12. In this form, the container is a bowl rather than a colander, and thus the base 20 does not include a well. Because the container does not act as a colander, the base 20 need not include an arcuate portion, but may simply include an annular base configured to rest on a surface. As described with reference to fig. 1-4, the central membrane is configured to be foldable to enable the bowl to be folded as shown in fig. 11 or extended as shown in fig. 12.

Instead of relatively large drain holes in the base, the base may comprise metal or other mesh material so that the container is suitable for use as a sieve rather than a colander. An example of this form of the invention is shown in fig. 13 and 14, in which the container comprises an upper rim 12, a handle 60, a central membrane 14, and a base 20. The base in this case comprises a ring formed of a substantially rigid plastic, with a mesh material 70 secured to the ring and filling the area within the ring. The mesh is preferably a wire mesh, but may alternatively be formed of other materials.

As best seen in fig. 14, the exterior of the base 20 may optionally include a plurality of peripheral feet 29 and cut-out arches 28 in the manner described with reference to fig. 1. The sieve may be folded in the manner of the other container described above by including a flexible membrane with a living hinge.

Additional examples of the present invention are illustrated in fig. 15 and 16. In this example, the container is a funnel defined by an upper rim 12, a flexible central membrane 14, and a base 80. The base of the funnel is substantially tubular, wherein the diameter of the tubular base is much smaller than the diameter of the upper rim. In versions of the other containers described above, the funnel may be folded in the manner of the other containers described above by including a flexible membrane with a living hinge.

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the collapsible container, with the container depicted in fig. 9. Thus, the view of FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 9. However, each of the collapsible containers described above has a similar cross-sectional configuration, and thus this image may also be a general representation of the other embodiments described above.

As shown, the collapsible container includes a flexible film 14 having a first folded portion 22, a relatively uniform portion 23, and a second folded portion 24. Each of the first and second folded portions is a living hinge in which the elastomeric material forming the film 14 is slightly thinner than the surrounding material so that the material on the living hinge is more easily folded than the surrounding material. Although the living hinge is formed by using a thinner portion of the material in the preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated that the folded portion may be produced in other ways in order to create a location that is more easily bent or folded than other areas.

The relatively uniform portion 23 is described as having a substantially uniform thickness over the length between the first and second folded portions. Alternatively, this central portion need not be uniform, but is preferably formed to be generally more resistant to folding than the first and second folded portions.

Each of the collapsible containers is preferably sized as depicted in fig. 17. Whereby the distance between the top of the rim of the container and the first folded part 22 is defined as a first vertical length l₁. The distance between the first and second folded portions is defined as a second vertical length l₂. The distance between the lowest part of the base and the second folded part is defined as a third vertical length l₃. Each of these lengths, when expressed as a "vertical length," is measured as a vertical distance above a horizontal surface on which the container rests.

In a preferred form, the length l₁、l₂、l₃Each of which is about the same in number, and the container is divided into 3 portions. Thus, when the container is folded, the height of the container is about one third of its original height. In other forms of the invention, each of the three vertical heights is at least one quarter of the full height of the container when it is extended.

In addition, the position of the second folded portion 24 and the length of the central portion 23 are represented by l₂Such that at least a portion of the base 20 extends under the flexible film 14 when the container is in its folded position. This relationship ensures that the container can rest on the base even when the container is folded, thereby reducing stress on the living hinge during storage.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the preferred embodiments disclosed herein. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.

Claims (20)

1. A collapsible container comprising:

a substantially rigid rim;

a substantially rigid base; and

a flexible membrane having an upper end secured to the rim and a bottom end secured to the base, the flexible membrane having a central portion of substantially uniform thickness and no more than two living hinges, the living hinges comprising a first living hinge adjacent a lower edge of the rim and a second living hinge adjacent an upper edge of the base;

the container further defines a height from a lowest portion of the base to a highest point on the rim, the first and second living hinges being positioned to divide the height into three portions of substantially equal length, the three portions including: a first portion between a highest point on the edge and the first living hinge, a second portion between the first living hinge and the second living hinge, a third portion between the second living hinge and a lowest portion of the base; whereby the container can be disposed in a first position in which the container is extended and in a second position in which the container is fully collapsed, the container in the fully collapsed position being collapsed at the first and second living hinges, the uniform portion of the flexible film being unfolded.

2. The collapsible container of claim 1, wherein the base further comprises a plurality of apertures configured to allow liquid to drain from the container through the base.

3. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 2 wherein the flexible film is free of apertures.

4. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible film is formed from a single material.

5. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible membrane is formed from silicone.

6. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible membrane comprises a height and the central portion comprises a height, the height of the central portion being at least one half of the height of the flexible membrane.

7. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base defines a periphery around the bottom end of the flexible membrane, the base further having a central region within the periphery and a mesh material secured within the central region.

8. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a handle extending from the rim.

9. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a handle extending from the rim.

10. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base comprises a tube having a first end secured to the bottom end of the flexible film and a second end extending away from the bottom end of the flexible film, the tube having a diameter and the rim having a diameter, wherein the diameter of the tube is less than the diameter of the rim.

11. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a handle extending from the rim.

12. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rim comprises a first side and a second side, the second side being collapsible.

13. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 12 wherein the second side of the rim is slidably extendable between a first position relatively closer to the first side of the rim and a second position relatively further from the first side of the rim.

14. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 13 wherein the base further comprises a plurality of apertures configured to allow liquid to drain from the container through the base.

15. A collapsible container comprising:

a substantially rigid rim formed from a plastics material;

a substantially rigid base formed from a plastics material; and

a flexible film having an upper end secured to a rim and a bottom end secured to a base, the flexible film being formed of a silicone material, the flexible film having a central portion, a first folded portion immediately adjacent the rim, and a second folded portion immediately adjacent the base, the rim, film and base cooperating to divide the container into three portions, the three portions comprising: a first portion between the top of the edge and the first folded portion, a second portion between the first folded portion and the second folded portion, a third portion between the second folded portion and the bottom of the base;

thereby, the container can be arranged in a first position in which the container is extended and in a second position in which the container is fully folded, the container being folded in its folded position into only three sections, the uniform section of the flexible film being unfolded.

16. The collapsible container of claim 15, further comprising a first vertical length between the rim and the first fold, a second vertical length between the first fold and the second fold, and a third vertical length between the second fold and the base, wherein each of the first vertical length, the second vertical length, and the third vertical length are about equal.

17. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 15 wherein the container has a first height in the extended position and a second height in the collapsed position, the second height being about one third of the first height.

18. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 17 wherein the base further comprises a plurality of apertures configured to allow liquid to drain from the container through the base.

19. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 15 wherein the central portion has a lowermost level in the collapsed position and at least a portion of the base extends below the lowermost level of the central portion when the container is in the collapsed position.

20. The collapsible container of claim 15, further comprising a first vertical length between the rim and the first folded portion, a second vertical length between the first folded portion and the second folded portion, and a third vertical length between the second folded portion and the base, wherein each of the first vertical length, the second vertical length, and the third vertical length is greater than one-quarter of a height of the container in its extended position.