The present invention relates generally to food storage containers.
It is useful to include a piece of clay, often in the form of a terracotta disk, in a container for brown sugar. The terracotta can be soaked in water, and once placed in the container with brown sugar the moisture can release slowly to help prevent the brown sugar from drying out. Commonly, however, the disk becomes coated with sugar, or buried within the sugar, requiring a user to dig it out and clean it periodically to add moisture to it. The disk is also in the way of a spoon or scoop when attempting to take sugar from the container, so the disk frequently must be maneuvered out of the way to allow access to the sugar. While the use of such a disk is valuable, an improved structure for incorporating it is needed.
A preferred food keeper is configured with a container having a base and a sidewall extending upwardly from the base and terminating in a rim to define a container interior space. A lid is removably attached to the container and movable between an open position allowing access to the container interior space and a closed position enclosing the container interior space, the lid further having a lid opening arranged to allow air to travel from the container interior space through the lid opening when the lid is in the closed position. An access panel has an access panel internal space, the access panel being moveable between a closed position enclosing the lid opening and an open position allowing access to the container interior space through the lid opening. A moisture-retaining insert is removably retained between the lid and the access panel when the access panel is in the closed position.
In some versions, the lid further comprises a seat spaced below the access panel when the access panel is in the closed position, the moisture-retaining insert being supported by the seat.
In some versions, the seat is configured as a radially inward-directed flange, and the opening is positioned inwardly from the inward-directed flange.
In some versions, the seat is positioned downwardly from the lid and within the interior space when the lid is in the closed position.
In some versions, the lid is pivotally attached to the container at a pivot axis. The access panel may also be pivotally attached to the lid, and in some versions it is pivotally attached at the same pivot axis.
In some versions, the moisture-retaining insert is formed from a terracotta material and includes a base and a raised knob, the raised knob being received within the access panel internal space when the access panel is in the closed position.
In some versions, the preferred food keeper includes a lid having a compartment positioned on the lid, the compartment having an access panel moveable between a closed position enclosing the compartment and an open position allowing access to the compartment, the compartment further having an opening arranged to allow air to travel between the container and the compartment when the lid is in the closed position and the access panel is in the closed position.
The moisture-retaining insert, preferably terracotta, is removably enclosed within the compartment when the access panel is in the closed position.
In some versions, the compartment includes a seat spaced below the access panel when the access panel is in the closed position, the moisture-retaining insert being supported by the seat.
In some versions, the seat is configured as a radially inward-directed flange, and the opening is positioned inwardly from the inward-directed flange.
In some versions, the compartment extends downwardly from the lid and into the interior space when the lid is in the closed position.
In some versions, the access panel includes a lower annular projection having a concave interior, the lower annular projection having a resilient flange extending radially away from the lower annular projection.
In some versions, the moisture-retaining insert is received within the concave interior of the access panel when the access panel is in the closed position.
Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.
A preferred version of a container with a terracotta lid is shown in the accompanying figures. In general, the container is sized and arranged to hold a quantity of brown sugar, and includes a main lid which can selectively be opened and closed to allow access to the container to remove sugar. The main lid covers a main opening spanning the top of the container.
A second lid, or access panel, is also provided, and in a preferred version the access panel is much smaller, and most preferably just large enough to allow access to a moisture-retaining insert which is housed inside the container. In a preferred example, the moisture-retaining insert is housed in a compartment provided within the lid, in which the compartment has an opening which allows air to travel from the container into the compartment. A second opening is covered by the access panel, allowing insertion or removal of the insert by opening the access panel. In other versions, the access panel and compartment are located in a different position on the container, rather than on the main lid. It should be appreciated that the moisture-retaining insert, as used in this description refers generally solid porous materials such as terracotta, clay, stone, or similar materials which can absorb moisture in a manner similar to terracotta, and release the retained moisture slowly.
An access panel, or smaller lid 30, is provided. In the illustrated example, the access panel is pivotally attached to the same rod 40, or otherwise pivots about same pivot axis as that of the lid, which in the illustrated example is defined by the rod 40. Alternatively, the access panel may pivot about a separate axis, such as an axis defined on the lid, or may be frictionally and removably attached to the lid without a pivotal connection.
In one version, as illustrated, the access panel is centrally located within the lid, allowing access to the container through an opening in the lid by opening and closing the access panel. As shown in
As also seen in
In the preferred version, the lid 20 includes a recessed compartment 22 configured essentially as a cavity extending downwardly and away from the upper surface of the lid, to receive and hold a terracotta disk. When the lid is in the closed position, the cavity extends downwardly and into the interior space of the container.
As illustrated in
The preferred access panel is shown separately from the lid or container in
A preferred shape for a terracotta insert is shown in
The interior of the lid (or the lower side 29) is seen in
The compartment 22 preferably includes an inwardly-directed flange 23 defining a seat for supporting the terracotta insert 50. An opening 28 is provided in the lid, within the compartment (see
In most cases, the footprint of the compartment (that is, its area when looking down upon it such as in
In use, a user may gain access to the container by opening the lid together with the access panel, opening or rotating the entire structure in the manner as illustrated in
Alternatively, a user may open the access port and remove the terracotta insert, allowing for only a spoon to be inserted through the access port. Likewise, the insert may be removed and soaked in water by opening the access panel to remove it. The terracotta insert should be soaked in water before being seated in the compartment of the lid initially. Occasionally it will dry out, and then it should be removed, soaked, and replaced again.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims.
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Entry |
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Amazon, Product Page Review Oct. 20, 2018, Amazon.com: Progressive Brown Sugar ProKeeper And Powdered Sugar ProKeeper Combo : Home & Kitchen, Amazon—https://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Brown-Sugar-ProKeeper-Powdered/ (Year: 2018). |
OXO Pop Brown Sugar Keeper, OXO website, available at oxo.com/oxo-pop-brown-sugar-keeper.html#. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20220048683 A1 | Feb 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63064479 | Aug 2020 | US |