COLLAPSIBLE AND ASSEMBLABLE CONTAINER FOR THE COLLECTION OF RECYCLABLE MATERIAL

Technical Field

This invention relates to the process of categorization and collection of recyclable material, suitable for use in a house, office, store.

Background Art

Present day containers are integral, non collapsible and non assemblable. Their fixed volume and excessive weight make them difficult to handle and traffic, awkward in shelf storage, and result in an end product of high cost. Additionally, their fixed volume make them disfunctional when they stay out of use for long periods of time. Often they are manufactured from materials that are hardly or not at all recyclable.

This invention relates to containers that have minimum weight and take up minimum volume during transportation and storage, that can be easily setup and used, that allow for the distinct categorization of recyclable material, that are recyclable themselves, that require minimum raw material for their manufacture and have low cost.

The container of this invention comprises a tubular multisided surface, with an integrated, foldable bottom, and a lid with surrounding folding flaps that latch onto the top of the aforementioned multisided surface. When the container is too small, the lid is omitted. During transportation or storage, the tubular multisided surface and the inwardly folding bottom, fold and collapse into a flattened configuration, while the flaps of the lid spring out to a flattened configuration as well, thus minimizing the overall volume of the container. The folding and collapse of the tubular multisided surface, the inwardly folding of the bottom and the folding of the lid flaps, are due to the fact that the thickness of the material along the respective folding edges has been reduced by means of compression, thus achieving the required elasticity for the desired folding action.

For the resetting of the container to its operational status, we gently force the core open to its expanded configuration and we press the inwardly folded bottom outwards, until the latter attains its flattened configuration and automatically latches onto the base section of the tubular multisided core surface, while on the top part of the latter we place the lid by folding its flaps downwards and latching them onto the sides of the tubular multisided surface.

The automatic latching of the bottom to the base section of the tubular multisided surface, is achieved via specially designed protrusions in specific points around the bottom's circumference, that are tucked into specially designed slots in the base section of the tubular multisided surface.

All latching is achieved via protrusions and slots of the container's building material itself. The latter possesses the required elasticity for the aforementioned protrusions to be able to bend and slide into the respective slots.

In order to achieve containers of greater size, the otherwise integrated foldable bottom can be replaced by a separate bottom, whose foldable flaps latch onto the base section of the tubular multisided surface, in a manner identical to that of the lid's, whilst leaving unaffected and unaltered all of the container's characteristics.

The containers themselves can be recycled due to the fact that they are manufactured from 100% recyclable material (e.g. polypropylene). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing as well as other objects and advantages of the invention, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The technical manufacturing details of the invention are indicative.

Fig.1 graphically presents three editions of a fully assembled container in its expanded, operational configuration, one with an embodied foldable bottom without a lid, one with an embodied foldable bottom and a lid, and one with a separate bottom and a lid.

Fig.2 graphically presents a longitudinal cross section of three editions of a fully assembled container in its expanded, operational configuration, one with an embodied foldable bottom without a lid, one with an embodied foldable bottom and a lid, and one with a separate bottom and a lid.

Fig.3 graphically presents three editions of a disassembled container in its flattened configuration, for transportation and storage, one with an embodied foldable bottom without a lid, one with an embodied foldable bottom and a lid, and one with a separate bottom and a lid. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter lies a description of the main parts of the container with corresponding reference to the attached drawings (where applicable), with an indicative visual representation, without scale and without binding restrictions of the invention.

Fig.1 presents a three dimensional graphical representation of a fully assembled container in its expanded configuration, in three editions: one with an embodied foldable bottom without a lid, one with an embodied foldable bottom and a lid, and one with a separate bottom and a lid. In the case of a container with an embodied foldable bottom without a lid, the bottom (5), which is integrally attached to the tubular multisided surface (4), latches onto the base section of the latter by means of protrusions (7) that are tucked into corresponding slots (8), already existing in the base section of the tubular multisided surface.

In the case of a container, with an embodied foldable bottom and a lid, there exists a lid with an opening (6), whose flaps fold downwards and latch onto the top section of the multisided core by means of clips (9) already cut out on the lid, which are tucked into corresponding slots (10) on the top section of the multi sided core (4). In the case of a container with a separate bottom and a lid, the lid .which bears an opening (3), and the bottom (2) latch onto the upper and lower sections of the tubular multisided surface (1) respectively, by means of clips (11) already cut out onto the material itself, which are tucked into corresponding slots (12) already cut out on the tubular multisided surface (1).

Fig.2 shows a longitudinal cross section of the container, in its three editions, one with an embodied foldable bottom without a lid, one with an embodied foldable bottom and a lid, and one with a separate bottom and a lid, where there become apparent the latching technique of the bottom (5) and lid (6) onto the tubular multisided surface (4), as well as the latching technique of the bottom (2) and lid (3) onto the tubular multisided surface (1). Fig.3 shows the parts of a disassembled container, in three editions: one with an embodied foldable bottom without a lid, one with an embodied foldable bottom and a lid, and one with a separate bottom and a lid. In the case of a container with an embodied foldable bottom without a lid, the tubular multisided surface (4) along with the inwardly folding bottom (5), fold and collapse into a flattened configuration, due to the fact that the reduction in material thickness along the folding edges allows for the material to yield elastically under load, thus minimizing the container's volume.

In the case of a container, with an embodied foldable bottom and a lid, within the collapsed tubular multisided surface (1) and the inwardly folded bottom (5), the lid (6) is also inserted in a flattened configuration.

In the case of a container with a separate bottom and a lid, the tubular multisided surface (1) folds and collapses into a flattened configuration, while the separate bottom (2) and lid (3) are inserted inside the collapsed tubular multisided surface, with their flaps opened in a flattened configuration.

By using transparent material for the manufacture of the tubular multisided surface (1) and (4), one can have a clear view of the recyclable content of the container's interior.