WO2025233196A1

WO2025233196A1 - Container for pouches

Info

Publication number: WO2025233196A1
Application number: PCT/EP2025/061832
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacob DAHLBECK; Xavier FLAVARD
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2024-05-07
Filing date: 2025-04-30
Publication date: 2025-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2026-11-07

Abstract

A container (100) comprises a body (10), an intermediate lid (20) and an exterior lid (30), the intermediate and exterior lids (20, 30) delimiting together a waste disposal compartment (W). The intermediate lid (20) comprises an expandable part (21) configured to be moved between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration to adjust a volume of the waste disposal compartment (W). In particular, the expandable part (21) comprises at least one folded adjusting portion (40) configured to be folded or unfolded between the retracted and deployed configurations.

Description

CONTAINER FOR POUCHES

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to containers for storing smokeless tobacco products, in particular oral tobacco products such as snus or nicotine pouches.

Background of the invention

Oral tobacco products contain a moist powder mainly based on either shredded tobacco material or nicotine. The powder is either sold in loose form or in portions disposed in permeable bags, forming so-called pouches.

Oral tobacco products are packaged in resealable containers so as to keep the powder moist.

Such products are meant to be placed directly in the user’s mouth, between the upper lip and gum, during an extensive period. The product is then discarded by the user.

This, however, may create littering issues, especially in public places or when a proper waste disposal facility is not readily available to the user.

To solve this problem, containers have been developed which comprise a first compartment to store unused products, and a second compartment for waste disposal of used products.

The storage compartment is delimited between a body and an intermediate lid and the waste disposal compartment between the intermediate lid and an exterior lid. The user opens the intermediate lid to pick up a pouch inside the storage compartment and then recloses said compartment to preserve the freshness of the remaining products. Once the pouch has been used, the user then opens the exterior lid to discard said pouch in the waste disposal compartment. Summary of the invention

A first object of the present invention is to provide a container of the above-mentioned type, in which the space inside the container is more efficiently used.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved through the features of the claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments follow from the dependent claims and the following description.

According to the present invention, a container for snus or nicotine pouches comprises:

- a body having a bottom wall at a lower end and a side wall extending from this bottom wall towards an upper end opposite to the bottom end in an axial direction,

- an intermediate lid configured to be movably assembled on the body to delimit therewith a storage compartment, and

- an exterior lid configured to cover said intermediate lid and delimit therewith a waste disposal compartment, the container being characterized in that the intermediate lid comprises an expandable part configured to be moved between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration to adjust a volume of the waste disposal compartment, the expandable part including a folded adjusting portion configured to be folded or unfolded to move from the retracted to the deployed configuration or vice versa.

The intermediate lid, which forms an upper wall of the storage compartment and at the same time a bottom wall of the waste disposal compartment, comprises the expandable part with its folded adjusting portion configured to be folded/retracted and unfolded/deployed to adjust a volume of the waste disposal compartment.

In the present application, an axial direction of the container, the body, the intermediate lid and the exterior lid will be considered as the same direction, referring to an assembled condition of the container (i.e. with the storage compartment and waste disposal compartment closed). In this assembled condition, an axis of the body, of the intermediate lid and/or of the exterior lid all generally extend in the said axial direction and are usually aligned.

Unless otherwise stated, in the present application, a length is a dimension measured in the axial direction.

Also, herein, a radial direction or a radial plane is a direction or plane which is orthogonal to the axial direction.

In an assembled condition of the container, a length between the bottom wall and the exterior lid preferably remains unchanged between the retracted and deployed configuration of the expandable part. The total volume of the container thereby remains constant, with the proportion of the storage and waste disposal compartments being adjustable therein.

Unless otherwise stated, the container and the components thereof will be described and defined in an assembled condition.

In the claimed container, as the intermediate lid expands, the volume of the waste disposal compartment increases and that of the storage compartment correspondingly decreases. In particular, the volume of the waste disposal compartment can be enlarged and that of the storage compartment correspondingly decreased as the number of stored pouches lowers and that of discarded pouches increases. Thanks to this adaptative and efficient use of its inner volume, the container can be provided with a compact, more convenient, design.

Expansion may typically result from a force exerted by the products pushing on the intermediate lid from the interior of the waste disposal compartment once closed or it may result from a force intentionally exerted by the user.

The force triggering expansion of the expandable part may be an axial (pulling or pushing) force and/or a rotational force.

The container may further be configured so that, at least in its deployed position, the expandable part exerts a positioning force on the pouches stored in the storage compartment. Said positioning force may advantageously have at least a radial component. By doing so the pouches stored in the storage compartment may be positioned closer to, or at, the lateral wall of the storage compartment and the user may more easily extract the pouches from the storage compartment for consumption.

According to an embodiment, the retraction/deployment of the expandable part changes a length of the expandable part, with the length thereof being larger in the deployed configuration than in the retracted configuration.

Advantageously, the expandable part may be deployable up to the bottom wall of the body, to optimize the volume of the waste disposal compartment.

According to an embodiment, the expandable part per se may be deployable only up to this bottom wall. In other words, a maximal expansion range of the expandable part may be equal to the axial gap between the expandable part in its retracted configuration and the bottom surface of the body.

However, according to another embodiment, the expandable part may be so configured that its maximum expansion range is greater than the above- mentioned gap. In that case, the expandable part may be more deployed in a disassembled condition of the container than in an assembled condition. In other words, the intermediate lid with its expandable part along with the cover lid may form a separate container when separated from the body. When fully extended, the intermediate lid with its expandable part along with the cover lid may then form a separate container for storing used pouches, for example in a case where all unused pouches stored in the storage compartment have been used.

According to an embodiment, the adjusting portion may comprise wall sections folded one over the other and joined at at least one flexure zone, with an angle between adjacent wall sections being adjusted between the retracted configuration and the deployed configuration.

In the present application, a wall section is a portion of the expandable part that is configured to move for adjusting the volume of the waste disposal compartment. Wall sections do not encompass fix parts of the intermediate lid, such as a peripheral fixing part thereof. A wall section may be planar (two-dimensional) or curved (three- dimensional), and for example of generally annular, triangular or parallelogram shape.

At least in the retracted configuration, adjacent wall sections may form an acute angle, in particular an angle comprised between 0° and 20° (zero corresponding to a position where the two wall sections are contacting each other), preferably between 1 ° and 15°, more preferably between 1 ° and 10°. According to further possible embodiments in the retracted configuration, the adjacent wall sections may form an acute angle up to 45°, preferably up to 30°, more preferably up to 20°.

More specifically, adjacent wall sections may form an acute angle both in the retracted and in the deployed configurations.

According to an example, a protruding angle between two adjacent wall sections in the retracted position may remain a protruding angle in the deployed position.

A flexure zone may typically be a so-called living hinge, i.e. a hinge made of the same material as the wall sections that it connects. More specifically, a flexure zone may have a thickness lower than that of the wall sections that it connects.

According to an example, the expandable part may be adjustable to at least one fixed partially deployed configuration, preferably a plurality of fixed partially deployed configurations. In particular each flexure zone may be independently operatable.

According to an example, the adjusting portion may be a ridged adjusting portion, with several flexure zones forming alternating peaks and valleys.

Each flexure zone may be rectilinear or curved, in particular annular.

According to an example, at least some flexure zones may be parallel to each other. In particular, flexure zones may be arranged in radial planes (and may stay so during retraction or deployment of the expandable part).

Preferably, the wall sections may be regularly distributed around the axis of the container. In particular, the wall sections and flexure zones may be arranged with a rotational symmetry around the axis.

Wall sections may have a parallelogram or triangular shape.

As an alternative, each wall section may have an annular profile, at least in projection in a radial plane.

The expandable part may for example comprise a plurality of ring- shaped wall sections, all separated from each other by annular flexure zones.

Or the expandable part may comprise two helical wall sections joined at a helical flexure zone, and forming a thread.

The wall sections may either be aligned in the axial direction (i.e. they intersect a same axial line), or they may be arranged concentrically, typically around the axis of the container.

Upon deployment and/or retraction of the expandable part, a wall section may typically be translated axially and/or rotated around the container axis.

This movement within the adjusting portion may occur independently of the nature of a triggering force exerted on the expandable part. For example, the user may exert an axial pushing force on the expandable part (i.e. with no tangential component) and, as a result, the wall sections may be simultaneously translated and rotated.

According to an example, the intermediate lid may comprise polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid or a composition of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid with bio composites.

According to a particular embodiment, the intermediate lid may be a monolithic element made of one single material, typically polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid or a composition of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid with bio composites.

The expandable part may then be formed of the same material as the rest of the intermediate lid and possibly the body and exterior lid, facilitating the recycling process. This also opens up manufacturing possibilities to simpler processes such as single plastic injection (mono-injection), advantageously using techniques such as rotating-core molding or film blowing.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the intermediate lid may be made by mono-injection of one single material, typically polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid or a composition of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid with bio composites. According to an example, the intermediate lid may comprise a peripheral fixing part for its assembly to the side wall of the body, with said peripheral fixing part surrounding the expandable part.

According to an example, the expandable part may comprise a base portion and at least one folded adjusting portion formed of the wall sections joined at one or several flexure zone(s), arranged between said base and the peripheral fixing part. With such arrangement, the base forms a bottom wall of the waste disposal compartment, translatable in the axial direction upon moving the expandable part between the retracted and deployed configurations.

According to an example, the expandable part may further comprise a grasping portion, typically at a distal end thereof, to enable the user to easily exert a pulling and/or rotational force on said part. For example, such grasping portion may take the form of a reinforced (typically thickened) part of the base portion or adjusting portion, or of a dedicated grasping element attached to the base portion or adjusting portion.

A second object of the present invention, that can be used in alternative or in combination with the other objects herein disclosed and/or claimed, relates to a container for snus or nicotine pouches comprising: - a body having a bottom wall at a lower end and a side wall extending from this bottom wall towards an upper end opposite to the bottom end in an axial direction,

- an exterior lid configured to cover said intermediate lid and delimit therewith a waste disposal compartment, the container being characterized in that the intermediate lid is made of one single material. In other words, the intermediate lid is a monolithic element made of one single material.

A third object of the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a container according to the second object of the invention, comprising at least a step of forming the intermediate lid by mono-injection of one single material, typically polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid or a composition of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid with bio composites.

A fourth object of the present invention, that can be used in alternative or in combination with the other objects herein disclosed and/or claimed, relates to a container for snus or nicotine pouches comprising:

- an exterior lid configured to cover said intermediate lid and delimit therewith a waste disposal compartment, the container being characterized in that at least two elements among the body, the intermediate lid and the exterior lid, are made of one single material, preferably all elements among the body, the intermediate lid and the exterior lid are made of one single material.

A fifth object of the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a container according to the fourth object of the invention, comprising at least a step of forming at least two elements among the body, the intermediate lid and the exterior lid, preferably all elements among the body, the intermediate lid and the exterior lid, by mono-injection of one single material, typically polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid or a composition of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid with bio composites.

According to a possible embodiment, which is applicable to any objects of the inventions (any of first to fifth objects), the expandable part is formed of the same material as the rest of the intermediate lid.

According to a possible embodiment, which is applicable to any objects of the inventions (any of first to fifth objects), the expandable part is formed of the same material as the rest of the intermediate lid and also of the same material as at least one of, preferably both, the body and the exterior lid.

According to a possible embodiment, which is applicable to any objects of the inventions (any of first to fifth objects), at least two elements among the body, the intermediate lid and the exterior lid, are made of one single material.

According to a possible embodiment, which is applicable to any objects of the inventions (any of first to fifth objects), the single material is typically polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid or a composition of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid with bio composites.

According to a possible embodiment, which is applicable to any objects of the inventions (any of first to fifth objects), the intermediate lid comprises an expandable part configured to be moved between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration to adjust a volume of the waste disposal compartment, preferably the expandable part including a folded adjusting portion configured to be folded or unfolded to move from the retracted to the deployed configuration or vice versa.

According to a possible embodiment, which is applicable to any objects of the inventions (any of first to fifth objects) herein disclosed, the single material is applied by (in other words it is used in a manufacturing process of the one or more part(s) of the container) single plastic injection (mono-injection), advantageously using techniques such as rotating-core molding or film blowing.

It as to be also noted that features/aspects/embodiments disclosed and/or claimed in connection to any object of the invention can be applied to the other objects of the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a disassembled container according to a first embodiment of the present invention where the expandable part has axially stacked ring-shaped wall sections arranged in accordion-fashion,

Figure 2 is a sectional view along plane I of figure 1 , showing the expandable part of the intermediate lid in its retracted configuration,

Figure 3 is a sectional view along plane I of figure 1 , showing the expandable part of the intermediate lid in its deployed configuration,

Figure 4 is a sectional view of an intermediate lid according to a second embodiment of the invention where the expandable part has two helical wall sections that form a thread,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of an intermediate lid according to a third embodiment of the invention where the expandable part, which here is represented in its retracted configuration, has wall sections concentrically arranged so that one wall section radially surrounds a second one,

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the intermediate lid of figure 5, in its deployed configuration,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an intermediate lid according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention where the expandable part, which here is represented in its retracted configuration, has triangular wall sections folded as an origami,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the intermediate lid of figure 7, in a partially deployed configuration,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the intermediate lid of figure 7, in its deployed configuration,

Figure 10 is a perspective view of an intermediate lid according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention where the expandable part has parallelogram-shaped wall sections folded as an origami,

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the intermediate lid of figure 10, in its deployed configuration.

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention will be described with respect to embodiments and with reference to the appended drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto. The described drawings are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a container 100 for pouches 1 , such as nicotine or snus pouches, comprising a body 10, an intermediate lid 20 configured to be movably assembled on the body 10 to delimit therewith a storage compartment S, and an exterior lid 30 configured to cover said intermediate lid 20 and delimit therewith a waste disposal compartment W.

The body 10 has a substantially cylindrical shape centered on an axis Z1 defining the axial direction Z of the container 100. It comprises a bottom wall 11 at its lower end 10b and a peripheral side wall 12 extending from said bottom wall 11 up to an upper end 10a delimiting an opening 14. In figure 1 , the body 10 has a side wall 12 of circular section but this shall not be considered limiting and the container may have any other adapted section or shape, such as a square, oval shapes, etc. The intermediate lid 20 is arranged to be movably assembled on the body 10 to cover the opening 14. As appears in figure 1 , it has an axis Z2 which is aligned with the axis Z1 of the body 10, in an assembled position.

The intermediate lid 20 comprises a central expandable part 21 defining a receiving surface or recess for receiving used pouches 1 and a peripheral fixing part 23 surrounding said expandable part 21 and configured to cooperate with the body 10 for fixing. According to the invention, the expandable part 21 can be retracted or deployed to adjust a volume of the waste disposal compartment W, typically in correspondence with the amount of pouches 1 that need to be discarded, in a manner that will be disclosed in more detail hereafter.

Although not limiting, the intermediate lid 20 may for example be threadedly assembled to the body 10. The peripheral fixing part 23 may then comprise a lid skirt 24 configured to radially surround the upper portion of the body side wall 12 when the intermediate lid 20 is assembled and having an inner thread 25 configured to cooperate with an outer thread 15 of said side wall 12. When assembled, the intermediate lid 20 prevents products 1 stored in the storage compartment S from falling down and keeps said compartment S tightly closed, hence ensuring that the products keep their moist content.

The exterior lid 30 may be assembled to the intermediate lid 20 by a snap-fit arrangement, a thread, or any other adapted assembling means, to delimit and close the waste disposal compartment W.

In this first embodiment, the expandable part 21 comprises a folded adjusting portion 40 and a base portion 42 in the form of a transversal plate surrounded by the adjusting portion 40. The base portion 42 forms the bottom of the waste disposal compartment W and is translatable in the axial direction Z upon folding and unfolding the adjusting portion 40.

The adjusting portion 40 here is a ridged portion formed of angled annular wall sections 44 juxtaposed axially.

The separate wall sections 44 are centered on the axis Z2, and have all the same width d. The wall sections 44 are folded one over the other and joined at flexure zones 46 which are alternatively oriented towards the inside and the outside of the lid 20 (towards and away from the axis Z2), and so form alternating peaks and valleys.

Each flexure zone 46 may typically be a so-called living hinge, i.e. a hinge made of the same material as the wall sections 44 that it connects. More specifically, a flexure zone may have a thickness lower than that of the adjacent wall sections 44.

A living hinge may take various form, among which:

A flexure line connecting two adjacent flat wall sections 44, hence forming a so-called flat hinge, a rigid spacing stripe connecting together two adjacent wall sections 44, hence forming a so-called double hinge, a flexible stripe connecting together two adjacent wall sections 44, hence forming a so-called butterfly hinge, a main hinge element and an additional hinge element superimposed with or located on a side of the main hinge element, both arranged between two adjacent wall sections 44 and forming a so-called bistable hinge.

The adjusting portion 40 acts as a spring or an accordion that can be retracted or deployed by adjusting an angle between adjacent wall sections.

Figure 2 illustrates the expandable part 21 in its retracted configuration. The length of the part in this configuration is p1 . Adjacent wall sections 44 form an acute angle 91 .

Figure 3 illustrates the expandable part 21 in its most deployed configuration, where its length is p2, with p2 being greater than p1 and the difference between p2 and p1 being advantageously equal to the axial gap between the expandable part in its retracted configuration and the bottom surface of the body, in an assembled condition of the container. This, however, shall not be considered limiting and the expandable part 21 may also be so configured that its maximum length is smaller than the afore-mentioned gap or, on the contrary, greater than this gap.

The angle 02 between two adjacent wall sections is larger than 01 but remains a protruding angle, and here more specifically an acute angle.

Deployment of the expandable part 21 may either result from an increasing amount of products 1 pushing on the base portion 42 from the interior of the waste disposal compartment W or it may result from a force intentionally exerted thereon by the user, typically a pushing or pulling force in the axial direction Z.

Although not illustrated, the expandable part 21 may comprise a grasping portion, typically at a distal end thereof, to enable the user to easily exert such pulling force. The grasping portion may for example take the form of a reinforced (typically thickened) part of the base portion 42 or of the adjusting portion 40 or it may be formed by an additional dedicated grasping element attached to the base portion 42 or adjusting portion 40.

The intermediate lid 20 is advantageously a monolithic element made of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid or a composition of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid with bio composites.

The intermediate lid is then typically made by plastic injection of a single material (mono-injection).

Still more preferably, the intermediate lid 20 can be formed of the same material as the body 10 and exterior lid 30, hence facilitating the recycling process when the container 100 is finally discarded.

Figure 4 illustrates an intermediate lid 20 according to a second embodiment, comprising a ridged adjusting portion 40 here formed of two helical wall sections 44 joined at a helically-shaped flexure zone 46 to form a continuous thread 48. The thread 48 has at least one winding, preferably at least two windings, and the adjusting portion 40 preferably forms a spring or accordion of a type similar to that of figure 1 , that can be retracted or deployed by adjusting an angle between the adjacent wall sections 44.

The threaded shape of the adjusting portion 40 allows that the intermediate lid 20 be manufactured by rotating-core molding, which lowers the constraints applied to the wall elements 44 and corresponding flexure zone 46 and prevents that they get damaged during the unmolding process. At the end of the injection cycle, the lid 20 is simply unscrewed from its injection mold.

Figure 5 illustrates an intermediate lid 20 according to a third embodiment of the invention.

As in the first and second embodiments, the adjusting portion 40 is a ridged portion formed of angled annular wall sections 44 forming alternating peaks and valleys.

The wall sections 44 are however arranged concentrically around the axis Z2, that is with one wall section radially surrounding another wall section. In the retracted configuration illustrated in figure 5, the expandable part 21 has a substantially flat shape, the wall sections 44 being all aligned in a radial plane. In its deployed configuration, as illustrated in figure 6, the expandable part 21 then has a substantially flared, typically conical or tronconical shape.

Here, the expandable part 21 may advantageously be adjustable to at least one fixed partially deployed configuration, preferably a plurality of fixed partially deployed configurations. In particular each annular flexure zone 46 may be independently operatable.

Figures 7 to 9 are perspective views of an intermediate lid 20 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention where the expandable part 21 has triangular wall sections 44 separated by rectilinear flexure zones 46 and folded as an origami.

The unfolding process of the adjusting portion 40 is better understood when referring to three adjacent triangular wall sections 44a, 44b and 44b as pointed on the figures. The three wall sections 44a, 44b and 44b are juxtaposed, with wall section 44b arranged between sections 44a and 44c. Rectilinear flexure zones 46a and 46b are arranged respectively between wall sections 44a and 44b and wall sections 44b and 44c.

In figure 7, which illustrates the intermediate lid 20 with its expandable part 21 in the retracted position, the three wall sections are folded one over the other, with two adjacent sections being arranged with an acute angle . This acute angle is less than 45°, even less than 30°, and preferably less than 20°. Due to the folding, wall section 44b is hidden behind sections 44a and 44c and hence not visible.

In this configuration, the wall sections 44a, 44b and 44c, as well as the flexure zones 46, are almost contained in a radial plane orthogonal to the axis Z2, and parallel to the base portion 42.

In this embodiment, the expandable part may still be deployed due to an axial force exerted by the user, either by pushing or pulling on the base portion or the end of the adjusting portion. However, according to an alternative or in addition, the expansion may also result from a rotational force exerted by the user, typically on the base portion or the adjusting portion. In this latter case, the expandable part may advantageously comprise a grasping portion at the distal end thereof, either on the adjusting portion and or the base portion, to facilitate handling.

As the expandable part 21 is deployed, an angle between each wall section 44a, 44b and 44c or each flexure zone 46 and said radial plane is progressively increased. Eventually, in the deployed configuration illustrated in figure 9, the wall sections 44a, 44b, 44c are almost parallel to the axis Z2.

An angle between two adjacent wall sections has been considerably increased but remains a protruding angle.

Upon deployment and/or retraction of the expandable part 21 , the wall sections 44 are all at the same time translated axially, rotated around an axis orthogonal to the axis Z2, and rotated around the axis Z2. Figures 10 and 11 are perspective views of an intermediate lid 20 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention where the expandable part has parallelogram-shaped wall sections 44 folded as an origami, joined at rectilinear flexure zones 46. The unfolding process of the adjusting portion 40 is better understood when referring to four adjacent parallelogram-shaped wall sections 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d as pointed on the figures.

In figure 10, which illustrates the intermediate lid 20 with its expandable part 21 in the retracted position, the four wall sections 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d are folded one over the other, with two adjacent sections being arranged with an acute angle of less than 45°, and even less than 30°, preferably less than 20°.

As the expandable part 21 is deployed, an angle between each wall section and a radial plane orthogonal to the axis Z2 is progressively increased.

Eventually, in the deployed configuration illustrated in figure 11 , the wall sections 44a, 44b, 44c are almost parallel to the axis Z2.

Claims

1 . A container (100) for snus or nicotine pouches (1 ) comprising:

- a body (10) having a bottom wall (11 ) at a lower end (10b) and a side wall (12) extending from this bottom wall (11 ) towards an upper end (10a) opposite to the bottom end (10b) in an axial direction (Z),

- an intermediate lid (20) configured to be movably assembled on the body (10) to delimit therewith a storage compartment (S), and

- an exterior lid (30) configured to cover said intermediate lid (20) and delimit therewith a waste disposal compartment (W), the container (100) being characterized in that the intermediate lid (20) comprises an expandable part (21 ) configured to be moved between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration to adjust a volume of the waste disposal compartment (W), the expandable part (21 ) including a folded adjusting portion (40) configured to be folded or unfolded to move from the retracted to the deployed configuration or vice versa.

2. The container (100) according to claim 1 , wherein an axial dimension (p1 , p2) of the expandable part (21 ) is larger in the deployed configuration than in the retracted configuration.

3. The container (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adjusting portion (40) comprises wall sections (44) folded one over the other and joined at at least one flexure zone (46), with an angle (91 , 92) between adjacent wall sections (44) being adjusted between the retracted configuration and the deployed configuration.

4. The container (100) according to claim 3, wherein the adjusting portion (40) comprises several flexure zones (46) which form alternating peaks and valleys.

5. The container (100) according to 3 or 4, wherein in the retracted configuration, adjacent wall sections (44) form an acute angle (91 ), in particular an angle comprised between 0° and 20°, preferably between 1 ° and 15°, more preferably between 1 ° and 10°.

6. The container (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the wall sections (44) are aligned in the axial direction (Z).

7. The container (100) according to claim 6, wherein the wall sections (44) form a thread.

8. The container (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the wall sections (44) are arranged concentrically.

9. The container (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein wall sections (44) have an annular profile.

10. The container (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein wall sections (44) are planar wall sections.

11 . The container (100) according to claim 10, wherein wall sections (44) have a parallelogram shape.

12. The container (100) according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein wall sections (44) have a triangular shape.

13. The container (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 12, wherein a flexure zone (46) has a thickness lower than that of the adjacent wall sections (44).

14. The container (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the intermediate lid (20) is a monolithic element made of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid or a composition of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid with bio composites.

15. The container (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the intermediate lid (20), the body (10) and the exterior lid (30) are made of the same material.