Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 2019/233618 PCT/EP2018/078354
TITLE
Collapsible article comprising a plurality of foldably interconnected foldable
sections
BACKGROUND
The main problems of currently known foldable tubular structures used for
collapsible
articles are that they are not very stable in unfolded position, they require
to be made
of very soft materials, they can not provide smooth cylindrical or conical
surfaces.
The folding principles that are currently used do not offer universal
solutions that can
work with different material types and different production methods. They do
not offer
variability in shape and usually involve intensive corrugation of the surface
that can
make the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of such articles a difficult
task.
SUMMARY
The disclosed structures of collapsible articles comprising a plurality of
foldable sections
can be both stable and compact. They can be made of different materials
including
harder ones and can be manufactured using different production methods. They
can
comprise both cylindrical and conical portions which gives much more freedom
in shape
compared to the widely used collapsible technologies. The articles can be both
single
use and reusable ones. The single use products can be easily collapsed and
disposed
more effectively and reduce significantly the waste volume. Collapsible
reusable
products based on the disclosed combinations and multiplications of foldable
sections
can be very practical by being very compact and fully functional at the same
time.
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WO 2019/233618 PCT/EP2018/078354
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows examples of cylindrical and conical combinations of foldable
sections/
modules.
FIG. 2 shows a very simple and very symmetrical type of foldable section
composed of
four identical isosceles right-angled triangular segments.
FIG. 3 depicts a simple collapsible unit made of four identical non-isosceles
right-angled
triangular segments.
FIG. 4 shows a foldable cylindrical section composed of sets of two right-
angled
triangular segments and two trapezoid segments.
FIG. 5 depicts a foldable cylindrical section composed of four trapezoid
segments.
FIG. 6 shows general and/or asymmetric combinations and multiplications of
foldable
cylindrical units composed of four triangular segments.
FIG. 7 depicts general and/or more asymmetric constructions of foldable
cylindrical
sections and their combinations composed of four quadrilateral segments or
mixture
between quadrilateral segments and triangular segments.
FIG. 8 demonstrates foldable combinations of sections built by mirroring
sections
depicted in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
FIG. 9 shows combinations of sections built by mirroring sections depicted in
FIG. 4.
FIG. 10 shows combinations of sections built by mirroring sections depicted in
FIG. 5.
FIG. 11 demonstrates a simple and symmetrical section and its combination/
multiplication composed of isosceles triangular segments.
FIG. 12 demonstrates a simple section and its combination/multiplication
composed of
non-isosceles triangular segments.
FIG. 13 depicts a conical section and its combination/multiplication composed
of
triangular segments and trapezoid segments.
FIG. 14 depicts a conical section and its combination/multiplication composed
of
triangular segments and trapezoid segments.
FIG. 15 depicts a conical section and its combination/multiplication composed
of
trapezoid segments.
FIG. 16 shows general and/or asymmetric combinations and multiplications of
foldable
conical units composed of four triangular segments.
FIG. 17 depicts general and/or more asymmetric constructions of foldable
conical
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WO 2019/233618 PCT/EP2018/078354
sections and their combinations composed of four quadrilateral segments or
mixture
between quadrilateral segments and triangular ones.
FIG. 18 depicts a practical way to build a rolled version from an unrolled one
and vice-
versa of any cylindrical or conical foldable sections and their combinations.
FIG. 19 demonstrates the need of correction of outer edges when mixing
foldable
sections defining different surfaces.
FIG. 20 shows trimming and mirroring of cylindrical or conical foldable
sections and/or
combinations between such sections.
FIG. 21 shows trimming and mirroring of cylindrical or conical foldable
sections and/or
combinations between such sections.
FIG. 22 shows trimming and mirroring of extended cylindrical or conical
foldable
sections and/or combinations between such sections.
FIG. 23 depicts a very simple round collapsible closing section appropriate
for cylindrical
surfaces.
FIG. 24 depicts a very simple round collapsible closing section appropriate
for conical
surfaces.
FIG. 25 depicts a very simple round collapsible closing section appropriate
for conical
surfaces.
FIG. 26 shows an asymmetrical closing section for cylindrical or conical
surfaces.
FIG. 27 shows a trimmed round collapsible closing section appropriate for
cylindrical
surfaces.
FIG. 28 demonstrates a trimmed round collapsible closing section appropriate
for
conical surfaces.
FIG. 29 demonstrates a trimmed round collapsible closing section appropriate
for
conical surfaces.
FIG. 30 depicts a very simple flat collapsible closing section appropriate for
cylindrical
surfaces.
FIG. 31 depicts a very simple flat collapsible closing section appropriate for
conical
surfaces.
FIG. 32 depicts a very simple flat collapsible closing section appropriate for
conical
surfaces.
FIG. 33 shows a trimmed flat collapsible closing section appropriate for
cylindrical
surfaces.
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WO 2019/233618 PCT/EP2018/078354
FIG. 34 shows a trimmed flat collapsible closing section appropriate for
conical
surfaces.
FIG. 35 shows a trimmed flat collapsible closing section appropriate for
conical
surfaces.
FIG. 36 depicts a very simple filleted flat collapsible closing section
appropriate for
cylindrical surfaces.
FIG. 37 depicts a trimmed and filleted flat collapsible closing section
appropriate for
cylindrical surfaces.
FIG. 38 depicts a very simple filleted flat collapsible closing section
appropriate for
conical surfaces.
FIG. 39 depicts a very simple filleted flat collapsible closing section
appropriate for
conical surfaces.
FIG. 40 depicts a trimmed and filleted flat collapsible closing section
appropriate for
conical surfaces.
FIG. 41 depicts a trimmed and filleted flat collapsible closing section
appropriate for
conical surfaces.
FIG. 42 shows a sharp collapsible closing section appropriate for cylindrical
or conical
surfaces.
FIG. 43 shows a trimmed sharp collapsible closing section appropriate for
cylindrical or
conical surfaces.
FIG. 44 depicts mirroring of closing sections appropriate for cylindrical
surfaces.
FIG. 45 depicts trimming and mirroring of closing sections.
FIG. 46 depicts trimming and mirroring of closing sections.
FIG. 47 depicts combining trimmed and mirrored closing sections with tubular
foldable
surfaces.
FIG. 48 depicts mirroring of flat closing sections.
FIG. 49 depicts face removal and mirroring of flat closing sections.
FIG. 50 shows combining of mirrored flat closing sections with tubular
foldable sections.
FIG. 51 shows combining of different closing sections.
FIG. 52 demonstrates merging of round and sharp cylindrical and conical
closing
sections with appropriate cylindrical and conical tubular sections.
FIG. 53 demonstrates merging of round and sharp cylindrical and conical
closing
sections with appropriate cylindrical and conical tubular sections with
removed
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intersecting edges on the tubular surface.
FIG. 54 depicts extension or removal of faces.
FIG. 55 shows shape stretching of symmetrical tubular and closing sections and
their
symmetrical combinations.
FIG. 56 depicts simple cylindrical and conical sections composed of two faces.
FIG. 57 demonstrates foldable junctions between two or more tubular
structures.
FIG. 58 shows flattening and merging of outer edges of tubular structures.
FIG. 59 shows flattening of outer edges of tubular structures.
FIG. 60 demonstrates closing of flattened outer edges of tubular structures.
FIG. 61 demonstrates closing of flattened outer edges of tubular structures.
FIG. 62 shows thicker shell modifications of foldable sections.
FIG. 63 shows a thicker shell modification of foldable sections.
FIG. 64 depicts a rigid material modification of foldable sections.
FIG. 65 shows partly folded states of structures comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 66 demonstrates possible geometry of folding edges/hinges.
FIG. 67 depicts modified foldable sections that fill cavities in the folded
structure.
FIG. 68 depicts modified foldable sections that fill cavities in the folded
structure.
FIG. 69 depicts a collapsible container comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 70 depicts a collapsible container comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 71 depicts a collapsible container comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 72 depicts a collapsible container comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 73 depicts a collapsible container comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 74 depicts a collapsible container comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 75 depicts a collapsible container comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 76 depicts a collapsible container comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 77 depicts a collapsible container comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 78 depicts a collapsible container comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 79 shows a collapsible pipe structure comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 80 shows a collapsible pipe structure comprising foldable sections.
FIG. 81 shows a foldable structure with convex and concave foldable edges.
FIG. 82 depicts a foldable structure with convex foldable edges.
FIG. 83 depicts a foldable structure with concave foldable edges.
FIG. 84 depicts a foldable structure with corrugated surface of the segments.
WO 2019/233618 PCT/EP2018/078354
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The advantages of the foldable structures of articles comprising described
collapsible
sections/modules are:
- They are self supporting and stable in unfolded position
- They can form smooth and round surfaces
- They can be made of variety of different materials including more rigid
ones
- They can be produced by different methods and technologies
- They can be very compact in folded position
- They can comprise both cylindrical and/or conical surfaces
- They can operate also in partly folded states, giving variability in
shape and size
Tubular articles comprising a plurality of foldable sections/modules and their
modifications described in this specification keep their round/curved shape
naturally
in unfolded position and usually are almost as stable as non-folding tubular
structures
when axially compressed until additional force is applied on particular spots
along the
mutual foldable edges that connect the sections/modules. The folding process
usually
involves an abrupt transition between unfolded (curved/round-shaped) and semi
folded
(flat-shaped) states giving different behaviour of the structure in the two
states. In
the flat-shaped state these structures usually behave like springs. On the
contrary, in
unfolded position they behave like regular non-folding equivalents.
The abovementioned qualities give the option of taking advantage of
foldability without
compromising with stability and the general performance of products comprising
such
foldable sections. Moreover, even harder and non-rubber-like materials can be
used
reducing the thickness and the weight of the described foldable structures.
Examples of cylindrical and conical combinations of foldable sections/modules
described below are shown in FIG. 1. The cylindrical example demonstrates that
the
tubular portion of such collapsible structures can contain different types of
foldable
sections.
An extremely simple and symmetrical type of foldable section is shown in FIG.
2. It
is composed of four identical isosceles right-angled triangular segments and
folds in
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a square shape. The edges coinciding the hypotenuses 101, 102, 103, and 104 of
the triangular segments form valley creases during folding when combined with
other
collapsible sections. The edges that coincide with the catheti 105, 106, 107,
108, and
109 (the internal edges) form mountain creases during folding. Foldable
tessellations
based on this collapsible portion are similar to the so called Yoshimura
pattern that
describes the behaviour of buckling of thin cylindrical shell structures. The
big difference
is that the number of triangular segments in the looped strip they are
composed of are
reduced to four. This reduction brings the qualities explained in the previous
paragraph,
because in general, it is not the natural way a thin cylindrical shell
collapses when
exposed only to axial pressure. It requires extra force to be applied on the
edges that
form valley creases during folding in order to start the collapsing process.
To unfold a
structure composed of this type of folding sections it can be axially pulled
or force can
be applied on any two opposing convex vertices in unfolded or semi-folded
state.
Another simple collapsible portion can be made of four identical non-isosceles
right-
angled triangular segments 110, 111, 112, 113 shown with bold continuous lines
in FIG.
3. In this case it folds in a rectangular shape. It can be multiplied and
combined with
itself represented by triangular segments 114, 115, 116, 117 shown with thin
continuous
lines, with a mirrored version of itself represented by triangular segments
118, 119, 120,
121 shown with thin dashed lines, or it can be combined with a different set
of identical
right-angled triangular segments, including the one in FIG. 2.
The foldable portions shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 can be modified by trimming
them in
rolled/looped state with a plane 122 that is perpendicular to the axis of the
cylindrical
surfaces they form giving sets of two right-angled triangular segments and two
trapezoid
segments FIG. 4. The same result can be achieved by cutting the unrolled
section by a
straight line 123 parallel to the hypotenuses.
By trimming these portions with one more different plane 124 or line 125 of
this type
a foldable portion composed of two pairs of trapezoid segments can be achieved
FIG. 5. The two types of trapezoid segments can be identical or they can be
different,
depending on the place of the two cutting planes/lines. If the four trapezoid
segments
are isosceles the tessellations that this section can form are similar to the
so called
"chicken wire tessellation". The main difference again is that the number of
trapezoid
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segments in the looped strip are reduced to just four, keeping the round shape
of the
tubular structure naturally in unfolded position when combined with another
appropriate
foldable section. Such structures are often used in their folded and semi-
folded states
for filters, bellows, or pumps with a limited range of unfolding. In the case
of the
disclosed structures it is used not only in semi-folded and folded states but
also in its
fully unfolded state to form stable and self supporting tubular articles with
predefined
edges of folding. In the particular section depicted in FIG. 5 the edges that
coincide with
the big bases of the trapezoid segments 126, 127, 128, and 129 form valley
creases
during folding when combined with other collapsible sections. On the contrary,
the
edges coinciding with the small bases of the trapezoid segments 130, 131, 132,
and
133 form mountain creases when combined with other collapsible sections. These
are
the edges/hinges 130, 131, 132, and 133 that can be pressed to unfold the
structure.
Structures composed of such sections experience less deformation of the
material
during folding and unfolding compared to the sections composed of triangular
segments
which makes them more appropriate when stiffer and harder materials are used.
It is important to be known that trimmed sides of sections depicted in FIG. 3
can
not be combined with cut modifications of sections depicted in FIG. 2 because
their
outer looped edges (in rolled state) do not coincide in folded position. They
form a
parallelograms in the first case and rectangles in the second. Trimmed
sections of the
type shown in FIG_ 3 can not combine with themselves but they can be combined
with
mirrored versions of themselves.
More general and/or asymmetric structures comprising combinations and
multiplications
of foldable sections consisting of four triangular segments that are not
necessarily
right-angled can be built (FIG. 6). The general rule in this case is that
every angle in
any of the four triangular segments that is between two angles from other two
triangular
sections must equal the sum of these two angles. The dependences of this type
in FIG.
6 are: a2=a4+a1 2 ; a5=a3+a7 ; a8=a6 +al 0 ; al 1=a 1 +a9 for the basic
section shown
in bold continuous lines in the upper drawing depicting an example in an
unrolled state.
Following the same rule the dependences between the angles in an appropriate
section
for combination shown with thin continuous lines are: a13=a16+a24 ;
a17=a15+a20 ;
a19=a18+a22 ; a23=a14+a21. Another important dependence is that the
corresponding
edges overlapping in rolled position 134 and 135, 136 and 137 or in folded
position 138
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and 139, 140 and 141, 142 and 143 have equal lengths. The edges coinciding in
rolled/
looped position 134 and 135, 136 and 137 are parallel. The geodesic lines 144,
145,
and 146 connecting the vertices which overlap in rolled/looped position all
have equal
lengths, they are parallel when unrolled and are shown with thin dashed lines
in the
same upper drawing in FIG. 6.
The foldable sections depicted in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 can be considered as
special cases
of this general geometric construction.
General and/or more asymmetric constructions of foldable sections and their
combinations composed of four quadrilateral segments or mixture between
quadrilateral
and triangular segments are also possible (FIG. 7). They can be built by
trimming one
set of four triangular segments that satisfy the dependences in FIG. 6 by one
or two
non-intersecting polylines. Every endpoint of every line segment of such a
polyline must
lie on an edge/hinge that is common for two of the four triangular segments
(an internal
edge in rolled state). It can also coincide with an intersection of two
edges/hinges of this
type leaving a triangle not cut. A line segment of such polylines can not
overlap these
edges/hinges but they can overlap the outer looped (in rolled state) edges
leaving a
triangle not trimmed again.
The geodesic lines that connect the two endpoints of the whole polyline 147
and 148
are parallel to the geodesic lines connecting the vertices of the triangular
segments
which overlap in rolled position 149 and 150, they also have the same length
and are
shown with thin dashed lines in the upper two drawings in FIG. 7. The lengths
of the
corresponding segments that overlap in rolled state 151 and 152, 153 and 154,
155 and
156 are equal.
Using the endpoints of the segments of the polyline a new set of triangular
segments
satisfying the rules in FIG. 6 can be build. The geodesic lines that connect
the two
endpoints of the whole polyline 157 and 158 are again parallel to the geodesic
lines
connecting the vertices of the triangular segments which overlap in rolled
position 159
and 160, they again have the same length. The lengths of the corresponding
polyline
segments that overlap in rolled state 161 and 162, 163 and 164, 165 and 166
are again
equal.
The internal edges/creases must not only go through the endpoints of the
segments
of the polyline, but also follow the rule of foldability of patterns composed
of vertices
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incident to four edges - the sum of opposite sector angles equals 1800. This
rule can be
used when an endpoint along the polyline does not coincide with a vertex of
any of the
auxiliary (in this case) triangular segments. In FIG. 7 the dependences are:
133+$5=164-1136=137+139=138+$10=1311 +/313=P12+1314 =P15+,62=1316+-1-151=180 .
The foldable sections described in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 can be considered as
special
cases of this general geometric construction. Even the general construction in
FIG. 6
can be considered as a special case of one following the rules from FIG. 7 if
the cutting
polylines coincide and overlap the outer looped (in rolled state) edges of the
triangular
segments in the set. And vice-versa, the construction in FIG. 7 can be
considered as
a combination of modified/trimmed versions of foldable sections composed of
four
triangular segments.
The simple foldable sections depicted in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 can form foldable
structures
by mirroring them FIG. 8. This is valid also for their cut modifications
depicted in FIG. 4
and FIG. 5. This is demonstrated in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10.
Foldable asymmetrical tubular sections composed of triangular segments, by a
mixture
of triangular and quadrilateral segments, or only of quadrilateral segments
can also be
modified by trimming them by planes perpendicular to their longitudinal axis
and then
mirrored. The planes must intersect all four internal edges/hinges in a
foldable section.
Not only cylindrical but also conical foldable sections composed of four
polygonal
segments are possible.
A simple and symmetrical one is shown in FIG. 11. It is composed of two pairs
of
isosceles triangular segments and is similar to the cylindrical foldable
portion shown
in FIG. 2. The main difference is that the 450 angles are decreased in one of
the pairs
169 and 170 and respectively increased with the same degree in the other pair
of
triangular segments 167 and 168_ Angle a25= 45 + Al and angle a26= 450-Al . It
folds in rhomboidal shape. This type of foldable section can be combined with
a scaled
version of itself where triangular segments 173 and 174 are similar to 167 and
168 and
triangular segments 171 and 172 are similar to 169 and 170. These types of
foldable
patterns can also be combined with the next type of foldable section described
below.
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The simple foldable conical section presented in FIG. 12 is similar to the
cylindrical one
shown in FIG_ 3. The main difference is that the 90 angles are increased in
pairs 175
and 176 in the first section and 179 and 180 in the second section and
respectively
decreased with the same degree in pairs 177 and 178 in the first section and
181 and
182 in the second section. Angle a27= 900+ A2 and angle a28= 90 -A2. Such
sections
fold in parallelograms. All of the vertices of the four triangular segments in
a section lie
on concentric arcs 183, 184, 185 when unrolled, their center is the apex of
the unrolled
conical surface.
Foldable structures can be built by trimming the four triangular segments in
the
conical constructions shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 by polylines 186, 192
composed
of segments parallel to the outer edges, looped in rolled state (FIG. 13 and
FIG. 14).
The endpoints of the polyline segments must lie on the edges/hinges that are
common
for two corresponding triangular sections from the same set (the internal
edges/
hinges) 187, 188, 189, 190, 191 and 193, 194, 195, 196, 197. Similar to the
cylindrical
equivalents, the trimmed sections in FIG. 12 can not combine with trimmed and
scaled
versions of themselves and with the ones from FIG. 11 but they can combine
with
constructions that satisfy the rule of foldability of patterns composed of
vertices incident
to four edges explained in FIG. 7 - the sum of opposite sector angles equals
180 .
Sections composed of four trapezoid segments are also possible if the
triangular
segments are cut by two different polylines 198, 199 (FIG. 15).
More general foldable conical constructions composed of four triangular
segments can
be built (FIG. 16). They are similar to the cylindrical ones (FIG. 6). The
main difference
is that the edges/hinges that coincide in rolled position 200 and 201, 202 and
203 are
not parallel in the unrolled one. They are rotated relative to one another
around the
apex of the unrolled conical surface. Their endpoints lie on concentric arcs
204, 205,
206 with centers the apex too. The dependences between the angles follow the
same
rule: a30=a32+a39 ; a34=a31+a35 ; a36=a33+a38 ; a40=a37+a29 for the initial
section
shown with bold continuous lines and a41=a44+a52 ; a45=a43+a48 ; a47=a46+a50 ;
a51=a42+a49 for the appropriate foldable set of four triangular segments it is
combined
with. Edges that overlap in folded position have equal lengths. The
constructions in FIG.
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11 and FIG. 12 can be considered as special cases of this general
construction.
More general constructions and combinations of foldable conical sections
composed
of quadrilateral segments or mixture between quadrilateral and triangular
segments,
similar to the cylindrical ones depicted in FIG. 7, are possible too (FIG.
17). They
can be built following the same procedures. An initial foldable section
composed of
four triangular segments following the rules in FIG. 16 is then cut by one or
two non-
intersecting polylines. The endpoints of the sections of the polylines must
lie on the
internal edges/hinges in the set 207, 208, 209, 210, 211. They can also
coincide with
the intersection of two edges leaving a triangular segment not cut. The two
endpoints
of the whole polyline must lie on an arc with center the apex of the unrolled
conical
surface. Using the endpoints of the sections of the initial polyline a new set
of four
foldable triangular segments can be built where the internal edges/hinges of
the new
set 216, 217, 218, 219, 220 must go through the endpoints of the initial
polyline and the
general rule of foldability of patterns composed of vertices incident to four
edges can be
used again - the sum of opposite sector angles equals 180 . In this case the
equations
are:
017+032=1318+031 =01 9+021 =020+022=023+025=024+026=027+029=028+1330=180 .
The foldable sections in FIG. 13, FIG. 14, and FIG. 15 can be considered as
special
cases of this general construction.
The general construction in FIG. 16 can also be considered as a special case
of the
one in FIG. 17 if the cutting polylines coincide and overlap the outer looped
(in rolled
state) edges of the triangular segments in the particular set 212, 213, 214,
215 and
221, 222, 223, 224. And vice-versa, the construction in FIG. 17 can be
considered as
a combination of modified/trimmed versions of foldable conical sections
composed of
four triangular segments. Moreover, cylindrical foldable sections can be
considered
as special cases of their conical modifications with apexes at infinity. This
way all
conical and cylindrical sections described can be considered as special cases
of the
construction shown in FIG_ 17 or as modifications of the one depicted in FIG.
16.
Mirrored versions of the general cylindrical and conical sections are also
foldable.
Rolling the tessellations in opposite direction will also result in mirrored
versions.
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A practical way to build a rolled version from an unrolled one and vice-versa
of any
of the described cylindrical or conical foldable sections and their
combinations is by
drawing a net of lines and finding the corresponding points of intersection
between them
and the edges/hinges (FIG. 18). Straight lines in unrolled state appear as
geodesic ones
in the rolled state and vice-versa.
When two sections with different surfaces are combined the shape of the
corresponding
edges must be corrected. When the new common edge/hinge is a mountain one 225
the two surfaces must be extended equally. On the contrary, if it is a valley
one 226 they
must be contracted equally (FIG_ 19).
Every cylindrical or conical foldable section described above can be trimmed
and
mirrored by a free plane 227, 228, 229, 236, 237 intersecting all of its four
internal
edges/hinges in a foldable section 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 238, 239,
240, 241
giving new foldable structures (FIG. 20 and FIG. 21). The plane can be
inclined with
respect to only one of the planes of symmetry, as shown in the examples, or it
can be a
random plane intersecting all of the internal edges/hinges. If needed, a
surface 242 can
be extended first 243 and then trimmed and mirrored (FIG. 22). The cutting
plane can
also go through the endpoints of the internal edges/hinges 244, 245.
Several types of closing foldable portions can be combined with the described
cylindrical and conical sections and their modifications.
A round and simple section is shown in FIG. 23. It can be built as an
intersection of the
sections in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 with an identical longitudinally halved
cylindrical surface 246
with an axis going through the midpoints of the hypotenuses of the rolled
right-angled
triangular segments 247. It can also be built by drawing a parallel net of
pairing lines
248 and 252, 249 and 253, 250 and 254, 251 and 255 having equal lengths that
overlap
in folded position as shown in the upper drawings of FIG. 23.
With some approximation the pairing line strategy can be used to build closing
foldable
sections for conical surfaces (FIG. 24 and FIG. 25).
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More asymmetrical closing portions for tubular surfaces can also be built
(FIG. 26).
In this case the lengths of the line segments lying on the closing surface
equal the
sum of the lengths of the corresponding segments lying on the looped tubular
surface
or its close approximation. If the cross section of the tubular surface they
close is
not symmetrical this type of closing section will also be more asymmetrical
than the
example in FIG. 26.
The foldable closing portions explained above can be trimmed and combined with
trimmed cylindrical and conical sections (FIG. 27, FIG. 28, FIG. 29). The
general rule
is that the corresponding outer edges of the two sections that are combined
must have
equal lengths and same shapes in folded and unfolded position.
Flat rectangular closing sections are also possible (FIG. 30, FIG. 31, FIG.
32). The
equality of angles in FIG. 31 and FIG. 32 is shown with a53 and a54. The
examples
shown are for square flat closing surfaces but keeping the angle dependencies
nonsquare rectangular portions can be built.
Trimmed modifications of the flat closing sections are possible too (FIG. 33,
FIG. 34,
FIG. 35). The equality of angles in FIG. 34 and FIG. 35 is shown with a55 and
a56.
The flat sections can also be filleted in order to be smoother (FIG. 36, FIG.
37, FIG. 38,
FIG. 39, FIG. 40, FIG. 41).
Sharp foldable closing sections for cylindrical and conical sections can be
built (FIG. 42
and FIG. 43). They can be constructed using the same auxiliary pairing lines
that can be
used to build a round/curved closing section for the continuation of the same
cylindrical
or conical looped surface 256, 257.
Every closing section for cylindrical surfaces described can be mirrored in a
foldable
structure FIG. 44.
Cylindrical and conical closing units can also be cut and mirrored by planes
FIG. 45,
FIG. 46, FIG. 47. These planes can be perpendicular to the planes of symmetry
or they
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can be inclined.
The flat closing sections can be mirrored by a plane that coincides with the
flat portion
258 of the closing surface FIG. 48. The flat face/segment can be removed fully
or partly
if needed FIG. 49. They can be combined with tubular surfaces, cylindrical or
conical,
depending on the type of the flat closing sections FIG. 50.
Different closing sections or their trimmed modifications can be combined and
form
foldable structures FIG. 51. The general rule again is that the corresponding
outer
edges of the two sections that are combined must have equal lengths and same
shapes
in folded and unfolded position.
Round and sharp cylindrical and conical closing sections and their cut
modifications can
be merged with their corresponding cylindrical and conical tubular sections
FIG. 52 and
FIG. 53.
Combinations of two or more foldable sections can be modified by removing
partly or
fully faces/segments or by extending them without making the whole structure
unstable
and without interfering with the folding process (FIG. 54). Such
faces/segments can be
part of both tubular and closing sections.
The shape of all symmetrical tubular and closing sections and their
symmetrical
combinations can be stretched as shown in FIG. 55. If they have two planes of
symmetry they can be stretched both directions.
Both, tubular and closing sections, can form structures by combining with a
simple type
of tubular foldable portions as shown in FIG. 56.
A simple foldable section from FIG. 56 can be combined with the sharp
cylindrical and
conical foldable closing sections depicted in FIG. 42 and FIG. 43 and form
foldable
junctions between two or more tubular structures (FIG. 57). The closing
face/segment
of the sharp section can be removed fully or partly and the corresponding
portion of the
surface of the simple section can also be removed fully or partly in order to
connect the
WO 2019/233618 PCT/EP2018/078354
spaces inside the tubes.
Structures composed of combinations of cylindrical and/or conical tubular
sections can
be modified by flattening the outer edges 259, 260, 261, 262, 263 as shown in
FIG. 58,
FIG. 59, FIG. 61.
If the end sections/modules are cut they can be closed fully or partly with
additional
faces/segments 264, 265 as shown in FIG. 60 and FIG. 61.
The shell of the folding sections can be thicker if the material allows enough
flexibility
(FIG. 62 and FIG. 63).
Using rigid materials is also possible in combinations of two tubular sections
if the thick
subsections are oriented in a way that they do not block the bending of the
shell FIG.
64. Additional transverse division of the thick subsections or living hinge
patterns can
also be used to provide bending capabilities to a rigid shell.
Structures composed of cylindrical and conical collapsible sections can
function in partly
folded states (FIG. 65) giving either symmetrical or asymmetrical solutions.
This also
can provide interactivity to the articles they are used for by giving the
option to sculpture
them.
Examples of possible geometry of the folding edges/hinges are shown in FIG.
66. They
can be achieved by either making the edges more flexible than the surface
material or
by making them stiffer than it but flexible enough at the zones of
intersection. Flexibility
can usually be achieved by reducing the thickness of the material along the
edges/
hinges or by making them convex or concave.
The edges/hinges can be made of the same material as the surface or they can
be
made of a different one. If the materials used for the edges/hinges have
enough
elasticity and the materials used for the surface offer enough flexibility
structures
composed of combinations of the foldable sections disclosed can also be self
deployable or self-folding depending on which is the natural state of its
elements/
segments.
16
WO 2019/233618 PCT/EP2018/078354
The edges/hinges can be continuous or broken into sections leaving bridges
connecting
the surface elements. The flexibility of the edges/hinges can also be achieved
by
making sequences of wholes along them. Some edges can even be fully cut to
serve as
openings when appropriate.
The geometry of the edges or their sections that do not serve as hinges can be
modified
if the achieved modification does not interfere undesirably with the folding
process.
Openings can be placed on the surface elements and even over the edges/hinges.
The shape of the surface elements/segments can be modified in order to follow
the
shape of another element in folded position, for example, when in folded
position a
container is needed to be completely empty (FIG. 67 and FIG. 68).
Articles composed of combinations of foldable sections can be made of one
material or
by multiple materials for the different sections or parts of them.
Examples of possible material options for the sections or parts of them can
be: plastic
(polymers), rubber and silicone (elastomers), paper, cardboard, leather,
fabric, foam
materials, metal, and any other appropriate type of material. A wide range of
production
techniques can be used: molding, casting, thermoforming, vacuum forming,
rolling sheet
materials, welding, gluing, sewing, and any other appropriate method.
They can be manufactured in unfolded, folded, and partly-folded or semi-folded
states.
If the initial shape of the segments composing the foldable sections is flat
or close to
flat it can help the gradual folding of the whole structure - section by
section. If the initial
shape of the segments is round/curved it is more likely that the folded or
semi-folded
structure will behave as a self deployable one. The articles can be produced
as one part
or they can be produced as an assembly of different parts.
The foldable structures can be used not only for articles that are designed to
be used
multiple times but also for articles that are designed to be used just once,
making their
disposal, storage, and transportation more effective or even making them
reusable.
17
WO 2019/233618 PCT/EP2018/078354
The structures composed of combinations of the foldable sections described can
be
used not only for fully collapsible articles but also for parts and portions
of articles. They
can also combine with other appropriate folding patterns.
The cross sections of the cylindrical and conical sections/modules are not
required
to be symmetrical curves. They can be asymmetrical and even have abrupt bends
if
these bends coincide with the internal edges/hinges in a section. They can
also have
straight sections. The main requirement is to have the appropriate
circumferences
for the particular sections_ Their shape can also vary along the tubular
structure if the
required length of the sections does not change significantly and the
resulting surface is
developable or a close enough approximation of a developable surface.
The surface elements/segments are not required to be part of fully developable
surfaces. They can be deformed in order to have double curvature especially
when
more smooth shape is needed but not maximum contraction is required. They can
also
be divided by adding extra edges/hinges if needed.
Approximations of the shape of the surface elements and the edges/hinges are
also
acceptable, depending on the desired qualities of the product.
Some examples of collapsible containers comprising combinations of the
foldable
sections presented are shown from FIG. 6910 FIG. 78. Examples of foldable pipe
structures are shown in FIG. 79 and FIG. 80.
Alternative applications are also possible. Foldable structures comprising the
described
sections can be used as pumps, syringes, and cookie presses. The fact that
they
are interactive and can provide different shapes in folded and partly folded
states
makes them appropriate for toys and modular construction games. Foldable
coverage
or insulation for pipes and containers can also be an alternative application.
Other
applications can be packaging, funnels, straws, dust and powder puffers,
inflatable
structures, bags, clothes, lampshades, collapsible furniture and shelter
structures and
parts for them. Different applications can be even combined in one task
unification
18
article. Even the qualities of objects made of rigid and solid materials are
possible if a
closed unfolded article is filled with a fluid or a powder-like substance in
order to block
the folding process which can make it appropriate for handles, sticks, rolling
pins and
other appropriate products.
The described foldable tubular structures can also operate as apparatuses and
machines or parts of them in the field of pneumatics, also for the purpose of
pressure
and stress reduction, expandable mechanisms and any other appropriate
application.
As it can be seen form FIG. 66, collapsible articles containing described
foldable
cylindrical and/or conical portions can also be achieved with uniform
thickness of their
surface. It can be done by making the edges/hinges either convex or concave.
In such
cases the articles usually can be collapsed applying only axial pressure,
without the
need to press the edges that form valley creases during folding. Some examples
are
shown in FIG. 81, FIG. 82, and FIG. 83. Both convex and concave shapes can be
used for either valley or mountain creases during folding. If needed, the
surface of
the segments between the edges/hinges can be corrugated to strengthen them.
The
example in FIG. 84 shows a corrugation that is parallel to the axis of the
whole structure
but if needed it can be oriented in another direction or in multiple
directions, depending
on the desired performance of the article.
Such foldable constant thickness structures are very appropriate for products
that are
produced with blow molding, rotational casting, or any other appropriate
technology. The
fact that they can become easily foldable is very appropriate for single-use
containers
and packaging, stimulating the users, for example, to collapse them before
disposal and
optimizing the waste management by significant volume reduction. They can be
used
for reusable articles too.
In an embodiment a collapsible article can be provided which comprises a
plurality of foldably
interconnected foldable sections that are capable of being in an unfolded or a
folded state, where
at least one of said foldable sections is looped and consists of four curved
segments that are
polygonal in shape in the folded state. A collapsed (folded) state is a state
where the said one
foldable section is collapsed and the said four segments are parts of separate
substantially flat
surfaces that are substantially parallel to each other. A non-collapsed
(unfolded) state is a state
where the said one foldable section is completely deployed and the said four
segments are
substantially parts of a common curved surface. The article may further
comprise foldable edges
connecting the foldable sections and the curved segments.
19
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-28
