Patent Application
20100034930
This invention relates to an edible, flour based, raised bread food cup adapted to receive and contain food filling thereby providing for greatly enhanced portability and facilitating automated meal assembly.
The need for portability in food is well recognized. Surveys of motor vehicle drivers have revealed that as many as twenty-five percent of drivers are eating or drinking while driving at any given time. The importance of food portability for drivers is heightened by safety concerns that food can distract drivers from paying attention to the road. Given modern fast paced lifestyles, it appears unlikely that drivers can be convinced to avoid eating while driving. A more practical solution can be found by increasing the portability of foods to minimize the spilling and mess that pose the greatest distraction hazard of eating while driving.
The need for enhanced portability of food in heightened by the fact that the most popular foods can also be among the messiest to take on the go. Burgers and sandwiches pose the ever present risk of dirtying one's clothes particularly because these foods are commonly consumed with liquid condiments that easily squeeze out from between two pieces of bread or bun.
A further need exists to automate food preparation. In particularly busy locations such as airports, sporting events and music theaters, manual food preparation often fails to keep up with consumer demand resulting in long wait times and lost business. The automation of food preparation can also reduce the cost of the prepared foods to the consumer by decreasing the production cost. Buns and bread generally having two separate parts (slices) for the containment of the food fillings present automation problems because food contents can easily slip out from between the bun or bread slices. The incomplete containment of the food contents results in greater automation complexity.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.
The invention is directed to a food cup comprising a body formed of an edible, flour based, raised bread composition, the body comprising a bottom wall having a periphery, a sidewall extending from the periphery of the bottom wall and an opening defined by the top of the sidewall. The bottom wall and the sidewall define a cavity therein accessible by the opening, the cavity being adapted to receive and contain food. The invention is also directed to a food cup serving wherein a food cup is at least partially filled with a food filling. The invention is further directed to a food cup delivery system comprising a container comprising a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle being configured to receive a food cup such that the food cup is supported in an approximately vertical position by the receptacle. At least one food cup is provided in a receptacle, the cavity of the food cup being filled to at least partial capacity with an edible food filling.
The device of the invention is illustrated in greater detail in the attached Figures, in which:
The term “condiment” is used to mean a preparation to enhance enjoyment of accompanying food including but not limited to, individually or in combination, cut vegetables, sauces, relishes and spices.
The term “cup-like” is used to mean a surface with concavity sufficient to receive a food cup such that food cup is supported in an approximately vertical position.
The term “cut-out” is used to mean that a part of the receptacle platform has been removed such that the self supporting sheet material present on the periphery of the cut-out space supports the food cup in an approximately vertical position.
The term “flap” is used to mean a portion of the self supporting sheet material amenable to folding and optionally connecting for the purpose of assembling the container of the food cup delivery system.
The term “nut flour” is used to mean flour made at least partially from almonds, hazelnuts, chestnuts, acorns or other nuts.
The term “receptacle” is used to mean the part of the container of the food cup delivery system designed to receive and contain a food cup.
The term “receptacle platform” is used to mean the part of the container of the food cup delivery system surface that comprises the receptacles as features of its surface.
The term “self supporting sheet material” is used to mean a planar material with the stiffness to maintain a three dimensional shape including but not limited to paperboard, foam, and cardboard.
The term “tapered” is used to mean gradually narrower or thinner toward one end.
The term “white flour” is used to mean flour made from only the endosperm of the wheat grain.
A first alternative embodiment of the food cup 10 is illustrated in
A second alternative embodiment of the food cup 10 is illustrated in
The food cup can comprise any of the following flours, individually or in combination: white flour, wheat flour, rye flour, spelt flour, corn flour, tapioca flour, rice flour, buckwheat flour, chestnut flour, chickpea flour, teff flour, pea flour, bean flour, potato flour, amaranth flour, arrowroot flour, taro flour, cattail flower and nut flour. The flour is raised with a raising agent, including but not limited to, yeast, baking powder and baking soda. Other ingredients used in bread making known in the art such as salt, eggs, water, etc., may be included in food cup composition. After making a desired dough, the dough is formed into a cup-like configuration and baked.
In one embodiment as depicted in
Various embodiments of the disclosure could also include permutations of the various elements recited in the claims as if each dependent claim was a multiple dependent claim incorporating the limitations of each of the preceding dependent claims as well as the independent claims. Such permutations are expressly within the scope of this disclosure.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a number of embodiments, it would be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in the form and details may be made to the various embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and that the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to act as limitations on the scope of the claims. All references cited herein are incorporated in their entirety by reference.
