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DESCRIPTION

PRODUCT CONTAINER SHAPE RESTORATION SYSTEM

FIELD OF ART The invention relates to the field of product container art and more

5 particularly to the field of various viscosity liquid and fluid product containers and even more specifically to a system for restoring the shape of a product container to its original form.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

10 The product container shape restoration system disclosed in the present invention has not been disclosed in the prior art.

Since late 19th century when the toothpaste tubes were first introduced, there has been virtually no significant change in their shape. Over the years the only change that occurred concerned the construction material, as the 15 tubes until the middle of the 20th century were made of tin and lead, being gradually replaced by plastic materials. The fact that tubes made of flexible plastic are generally the only way for putting on the world market fluids of different viscosity, such as toothpaste, mustard and ketchup, mayonnaise and other edible materials or not, is indisputable. A major disadvantage of all 20 these containers is that they often lose their shape due to compression to extract their contents, making them unsightly to the consumer. In addition, they make it difficult for the consumer to extract the product, the consumer being forced to crumple and fold the container many times, which becomes tedious, especially when the product runs out. In addition, an unsightly sound is often produced while extracting the product, especially when it runs out, while it is not uncommon for the consumer to reject the package, while it still has a product amount to use.

To solve some of the above issues, bottles with a flat, relatively large, cap have been proposed, so that by placing them with the cap down, gravity leads the product to the outlet, trapping the air at the top the bottle. However, as a result of this solution, more product amount is often exported than the desired one, while if the consumer exerts a little more pressure on the bottle, the product is ejected and dispersed. Furthermore, the fact that the product accumulates in the mouth of the bottle, leads to the accumulation of residues on the mouth and inside the cap, which is rather unsightly for the consumer.

It is thus an object of the present invention to deal advantageously with the aforementioned disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art by proposing a product container restoration system with a smooth and stable product flow.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container which, consisting of two different tubes, always ensures that it retains its external shape, regardless of its residual contents. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container- shape restoration system having two non-return valves, both for product outflow and for balancing the pressure in the tubes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container-shape restoration system, which can operate smoothly in the case of both liquids and fluids with high viscosity.

A further object of the invention is to present a system for restoring the shape of a product container, which, thanks to its valves, achieves balancing the external atmospheric pressure with the internal pressure that exists between the tubes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container's original shape restoration system, which can be used in containers with both screw and detachable or openable cap.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the accompanying drawings in which it is illustrated in a non- limiting manner. Figure 1 shows an indicative illustration of the product container with a shape restoration system, one of its valves being visible.

Figures 2 (a) - (c) show the outer tube of the container, the inner tube and the elastic valve of the outer body of the container.

Figure 3 shows the holes in the body of the outer container, where the elastic valve fits internally.

Figure 4 shows the elastic valve that snaps internally into the holes of the outer container.

Figure 5 shows an alternative version of the invention, where the front valve of the system is visible in open position in the front mouth.

Figure 6 shows the front valve of the alternative embodiment of the invention, in open position, along with the Y-shaped construction, to which the valve rests when closing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, we will describe indicative embodiments of the product container's shape restoration system in order to make apparent its mode of operation and its advantages.

The purpose of the invention is to allow the container of the product to retain its original shape, regardless of the amount of its contents. The outer tube (1), Fig. 1, of the container is made of rubber, plastic and suitable material to regain its original shape. The product is not placed directly inside the tube (1), but there is a second inner tube (2), in which the product is placed. The inner tube (2) is made of elastic material, the latter being possible to completely shrink when emptied. The mouth of the outer tube (3) is stuck to the corresponding mouth of the inner tube (2), so that the container has a single mouth.

The container has an external non-return valve (4) in its outer tube (1). The external valve (4) consists of a rubber disc (5), Fig. 4, which is fastened from the inside of the outer tube (1) to a central hole (6), Fig. 3, which is opened in the body of the outer tube (1). Circumferentially of the central hole (6) there are at least two and advantageously three holes (7), the radius thereof from the centre of the central hole (6) being less than the radius of the rubber disc (5), so that they are completely overlapped.

Further, the container has a mouth non-return valve (8), Fig. 5, which is located at the mouth (3), from where the product is discharged. Indicatively, the mouth (3) has a Y-shaped base (9), Fig. 6, on which is placed a rubber cover (10), which consists of three separate parts, which close on the base (9) during the return phase for securing the product inside the inner tube (2).

The container is sealed with a cap (11), Fig. 2 (a), which screws onto the outer tube (1) by means of turns existing both in the cap (11) and the mouth (3) of the tube, protecting the contents of the container. Alternatively, the cap (11) may be integrated onto the outer tube (1) and may open and close snap-on or hinged, without affecting in any way the purpose of the invention.

The function of the invention does not differentiate in any way the consumer experience in the use of containers and tubes to date. The consumer presses the outer tube (1) and inevitably exerts pressure on the inner tube (2) of the container ensuring a smooth and quiet outflow of the product. Because the inner tube (2), Fig. 2 (b), is elastic and has the valve (8), when pressure is exerted by the consumer it shrinks resulting in a smooth flow of product for as long as pressure is exerted by the consumer. Immediately after, the outer container returns to its original shape, under the action of the outer valve (4) due to equalization of the atmospheric pressure with the pressure that exists in the space between the two chambers of the inner (2) and the outer (1) tube.

The external non-return valve (4) when pressing the outer tube (1) closes hermetically pressed on the inner wall of the outer tube (1), due to the pressure exerted on the rubber disc (5), Fig. 2 (c), of the valve from the increased air pressure that exists between the two chambers. As a result, the rubber covers (10) of the non-return valve (8) open, allowing a smooth and quiet outflow of product from the container.

When the pressure exerted on the outer tube (1) stops then during the process of recovering its original shape, the rubber covers (10) of the non return valve (8) rest on the base (9) and close. The rubber disc (5) then recedes by opening the holes (7) through which air enters and balances the external atmospheric pressure with the internal pressure between the tubes. The process is repeated each time the container is used by the consumer until the product has been completely removed and the inner tube (2) has shrunk, which will always be kept inside the outer tube ( 1 ) without being able to come out of it.

It should be noted at this point that the description of the invention has been made with reference to illustrative embodiments to which it is not limited. Therefore, any change or modification in terms of shape, dimensions, morphology, materials used and components of construction and assembly, as long as they are not a new inventive step and do not contribute to the technical development of the already known are considered contained in the purposes and aspirations of the present invention, as summarized in the following claims.