Cylindrical container with pleated sidewall that converts into a serving bowl
A container for holding a product such as snack food, wherein the container is transformable from a cylindrical shape to a bowl shape adapted to hold and provide easy access to the product. The container has a pleated sidewall comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending rigid sidewall panels and pleats, with each sidewall panel connected to adjacent pleats by frangible lines extending in the longitudinal direction.
1. A container for holding a product, the container comprising:
a container body having a bottom wall and a pleated cylindrical sidewall, the sidewall having a top rim and defining a longitudinal central axis;
an overcap removably secured to the top rim, the container body and the overcap defining an interior for holding the product; and
a label encircling the sidewall: wherein
the pleated sidewall comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending rigid sidewall panels and pleats, each sidewall panel connected to adjacent sidewall panels by frangible lines extending in the longitudinal direction: and
the pleated sidewall is configured to splay outwardly away from the central axis after the label has been removed to form a bowl-like shaped structure large enough to hold the product of one or more containers.
2. The container of claim 1 wherein:
the top rim is beaded.
3. The container of claim 1 wherein:
the overcap is made from plastic.
4. The container of claim 1 wherein:
the bowl-like shaped structureis frustoconical shaped.
5. The container of claim 1 wherein:
the cylindrical sidewall comprises a polyfoil inner liner and a paperboard structural layer, the polyfoil inner liner comprising a moisture-proof thermoplastic layer, a metallic foil layer adjacent the thermoplastic layer, and an outer paper layer.
6. The container of claim 5 further comprising:
a membrane seal positioned under the overcap and sealed to the top rim.
7. A method of making the container of claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
Step 1: providing a flat body blank having a circular periphery;
Step 2: forming the body blank around a cylindrical mandrel to create a cylindrical container body having a pleated sidewall and a top rim;
Step 3: positioning an overcap onto the top rim; and
Step 4: applying a label to the pleated sidewall.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein:
prior to Step 1, the body blank is pre-folded into a plurality of substantially rectangular sidewall panels and a plurality of substantially triangular pleats.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the method comprises the additional step of:
forming a bead on the top rim of the sidewall.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein step 4 is accomplished using a convolute winding machine.