Container with elevating inner wall
A container, for example for a food product or the like, provides an elevating lower inner surface that may sealably support a contained food product to raise the upper surface of the food product as it is consumed. Importantly, the container avoids an extension of the elevating mechanism into the product itself, reducing problems of contamination and leakage.
1. A container comprising:
a base surrounded by substantially rigid upstanding outer sidewalls terminating at an upper lip for receiving a lid, the base movably held within the outer sidewalls to move upward within the outer sidewalls and engaging with an inner surface of the outer sidewalls at a plurality of different selected heights to retain the base at the selected heights as the base moves upward; and
inner collapsible sidewalls having an upper end elevationally fixed with respect to the upper lip and a lower end elevationally movable with but separate from the base so the base may push upward on the inner collapsible sidewall to collapse the inner collapsible sidewalls
wherein when the base is fully downward, an inner volume defined by a space within the inner collapsible sidewalls is a preponderance of the volume defined by the space between the outer sidewalls and greater than a volume between the inner collapsible sidewalls and the outer sidewalls and wherein the space between the inner collapsible sidewalls and the outer sidewall is substantially blocked from access at the upper lip within a portion receiving the lid.
2. The container of claim 1 wherein the inner collapsible sidewalls comprise a set of telescoping rings.
3. The container of claim 1 further including a set of inter-engaging thread elements having a first portion attached to the base so that relative rotation of the inter-engaging thread elements causes upward movement of the base.
4. The container of claim 3 wherein a second portion of the inter-engaging thread elements is a helical groove attached to an inner wall of the upstanding outer sidewalls so that rotation of the base causes it to climb upward within the outer sidewalls.
5. The container of claim 3 further including a knob rotatable about a vertical axis and communicating with the base to rotate the base with rotation of the knob.
6. The container of claim 5 wherein the knob provides an outer base to the container.
7. The container of claim 5 wherein the knob further includes upwardly extending pins positioned between the upstanding outer sidewalls and the inner collapsible sidewalls to be received within channels in the base to cause rotation of the base while permitting separation of the base and knob with rotation of the knob.
8. The container of claim 3 wherein the thread elements comprise a helical groove and a tooth fitting within the helical groove.
9. The container of claim 1 further including a lid releasably attaching to the upper lip to sealingly hold contents within the inner collapsible sidewall.
10. A method of dispensing a non-rigid product from a container, the container being of a type having a base surrounded by substantially rigid upstanding outer sidewalls terminating at an upper lip for receiving a lid, the base movably held within the outer sidewalls to move upward within the outer sidewalls and engaging with an inner surface of the outer sidewalls at selected heights to retain the base at the selected heights as the base moves upward and further having inner collapsible sidewalls having an upper edge elevationally fixed with respect to the upper lip and a lower edge elevationally movable with but separate from the base so the base may push upward on the inner collapsible sidewall to collapse the inner collapsible sidewalls, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) positioning the base at a lower most position within the outer sidewalls;
(b) filling the inner collapsible sidewalls with the substantially non-rigid product; and
(c) repeating the steps of removing the product from an upper portion of the container, and pushing upward on the base to collapse the inner collapsible sidewalls and raise a level of the product within a container
wherein when the base is fully downward, an inner volume defined by a space within the inner collapsible sidewalls is a preponderance of the volume defined by the space between the outer sidewalls and greater than a volume between the inner collapsible sidewalls and the outer sidewalls and wherein the space between the inner collapsible sidewalls and the outer sidewall is substantially blocked from access at the upper lip within a portion receiving the lid.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the inner collapsible sidewalls comprise a set of telescoping rings.
12. The method of claim 10 further including a set of inter-engaging thread elements having a first portion attached to the base so that relative rotation of the inter-engaging thread elements causes upward movement of the base.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein a second portion of the inter-engaging thread elements is a helical groove attached to an inner wall of the upstanding outer sidewalls so that rotation of the base causes it to climb upward within the outer sidewalls.
14. The method of claim 12 further including a knob rotatable about a vertical axis and communicating with the base to rotate the base with rotation of the knob.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the knob provides an outer base to the container.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein the knob further includes upwardly extending pins positioned between the upstanding outer sidewalls and the inner collapsible sidewalls to be received within channels in the base to cause rotation of the base while permitting separation of the base and knob with rotation of the knob.
17. The method of claim 12 wherein the thread elements comprise a helical groove and a tooth fitting within the helical groove.
18. The method of claim 10 further including a lid releasably attaching to the upper lip to sealingly hold contents within the inner collapsible sidewall.