Not Applicable.
The present disclosure relates generally to food containers, and more specifically to a food container system having a container, a removable and resealable lid and a protective wrap.
Food containers are well known in the art. While such food containers according to the prior art provide a number of advantages, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present disclosure seeks to overcome certain of those limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present disclosure is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the disclosed subject technology relates to a food container system. The food container system has a lid with pivotable tabs that are pivotable between an open position and a locked position to secure the lid to the container.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system, comprising: a glass container having a first wall, a second wall opposing the first wall, a third wall joining a first end of the first wall and a first end of the second wall, and a fourth wall joining a second end of the first wall and a second end of the second wall, the fourth wall opposing the third wall, a bottom wall joining the first wall, second wall, third wall and fourth wall, wherein the first wall, second wall, third wall, fourth wall and bottom wall define a cavity of the glass container, the glass container further having a shoulder adjacent a perimeter of a top of the glass container opposite the bottom wall, wherein the shoulder has an undercut; a lid having a generally planar central portion and an exterior border, the lid further having a recess interior of its perimeter, and the lid having a plurality of receivers in the exterior border, the plurality of receivers each having openings and a stop; a gasket positioned within the recess in the lid; a separate tab for each of the plurality of receivers, each of the tabs having first and second pivot members extending therefrom that are pivotally retained in the openings in the respective receivers to allow the tabs to be independently pivoted between a first open position and a second locked position, a flange extending from each of the tabs, the flanges having a protrusion that engages the undercut of the shoulder of the glass container to secure the lid to the glass container when the tabs are in the second locked position, and each of the tabs having a wall that engages the stop of the respective plurality of receivers when the tabs are transitioned to the first open position, the stop preventing further pivoting movement of the tabs; and, a removable elastic protective sleeve engaging an exterior of the glass container, the removable elastic protective sleeve having a plurality of sidewalls engaging the first wall, second wall, third wall and fourth wall, respectively, of the glass container, and a footer extending from the plurality of sidewalls, the footer protecting the bottom wall of the glass container.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system, comprising: a glass container having a first wall, a second wall opposing the first wall, third wall joining a first end of the first wall and a first end of the second wall, and a fourth wall joining a second end of the first wall and a second end of the second wall, the fourth wall opposing the third wall, a bottom wall joining the first wall, second wall, third wall and fourth wall, wherein the first wall, second wall, third wall, fourth wall and bottom wall define a cavity of the glass container, the container further having a shoulder around a perimeter of a top of the glass container opposite the bottom wall, wherein the shoulder has an undercut; a lid having a central portion and an exterior border, the lid further having a plurality of receivers, each of the receivers having openings; a plurality of tabs for the plurality of receivers, each of the plurality of tabs having first and second pivot members extending therefrom that are pivotally retained in the openings in the respective plurality of receivers to allow the plurality of tabs to be independently pivoted between a first open position and a second locked position, a flange extending from each of the plurality of tabs, the flanges having a protrusion that engages the undercut of the shoulder of the glass container to secure the lid to the glass container when the plurality of tabs are in the second locked position; and, a removable silicone protective sleeve engaging an exterior of the glass container, the removable silicone protective sleeve having a plurality of sidewalls engaging the first wall, second wall, third wall and fourth wall, respectively, of the glass container, and a footer extending from the plurality of sidewalls, the footer protecting the bottom wall of the glass container.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system, comprising: a container having a first wall, a second wall opposing the first wall, third wall joining a first end of the first wall and a first end of the second wall, and a fourth wall joining a second end of the first wall and a second end of the second wall, the fourth wall opposing the third wall, a bottom wall joining the first wall, second wall, third wall and fourth wall, wherein the first wall, second wall, third wall, fourth wall and bottom wall define a cavity of the container, the container further having a shoulder around a perimeter of a top of the container opposite the bottom wall, wherein the shoulder has an undercut; a lid having a generally planar central portion and an exterior border, the lid having a recess interior of its perimeter, and the lid having further having a plurality of receivers in the exterior border, the plurality of receivers each having openings and a stop; a gasket positioned within the recess in the lid; and, a plurality of tabs for the plurality of receivers, each of the plurality of tabs having first and second pivot members extending therefrom that are pivotally retained in the openings in the respective plurality of receivers to allow the plurality of tabs to be independently pivoted between a first open position and a second locked position, a flange extending from each of the plurality of tabs, the flanges having a protrusion that engages the undercut of the shoulder of the container to secure the lid to the container when the plurality of tabs are in the second locked position.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system wherein the lid has a downwardly extending wall. In one embodiment, the downwardly extending wall of the lid being exterior of the shoulder of the container to assist in seating the lid on the container. In an alternate embodiment, the downwardly extending wall is provided between the plurality of receivers.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system wherein a rib extends from the container about the perimeter of the container, the rib engaging the gasket when the lid is secured to the container.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system wherein an inner surface of the removable elastic protective sleeve is a polished surface.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system wherein the plurality of sidewalls of the removable elastic protective sleeve have a plurality of openings therethrough to allow contents within the cavity of the container to be visible through the removable elastic protective sleeve.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system wherein the plurality of sidewalls of the removable elastic protective sleeve have a cutout adjacent a top of the sidewalls to provide clearance for the tabs when securing the lid to the container.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system wherein the protective sleeve has an opening in a bottom of the protective sleeve interior of the footer.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system wherein the lid is made of a clear plastic to allow the contents within the cavity of the container to be visible through the lid.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system wherein the plurality of receivers each has a stop, and wherein each of the plurality of tabs each have a wall that engages the stop of the respective plurality of receivers when the respective plurality of tabs is transitioned to the first open position, the stop preventing further pivoting movement of the respective plurality of tabs.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system wherein the lid has a recess interior of its perimeter, and wherein a gasket is positioned within the recess in the lid.
The disclosed technology further relates to a food container system wherein the pivot members comprise shafts at opposing ends of each tab. In one embodiment, the shafts of each of the tabs have a chamfered end.
It is understood that other configurations and embodiments of the subject technology will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various configurations of the subject technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the subject technology is capable of other and different configurations, and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
To understand the present disclosure, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments of the disclosures are illustrated and, together with the descriptions below are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, and serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.
In one or more implementations, not all of the depicted components in each figure may be required, and one or more implementations may include additional components not shown in a figure. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be utilized within the scope of the subject disclosure.
While the food container system discussed herein is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail, preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present description is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the wagon and foldable trailer and are not intended to limit the broad aspects of the disclosure to the embodiments illustrated. Thus, the detailed description set forth below is not intended to represent the only implementations in which the subject technology may be practiced. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described implementations may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
Referring now to the figures, and initially to
The container 12 is generally used to store and/or cook food. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment the container 12 is preferably able to be placed in the oven for cooking and in the dishwasher for washing. In one embodiment, the container 12 comprises a glass enclosure, however, the container 12 may be comprised of alternative materials in alternate embodiments. Having a glass container 12 allows for the user to see the contents within the cavity 18 of the container 12 even when the lid 14 is secured to the container 12. In one embodiment, as best shown in
As shown in
In one embodiment, as best shown in
Referring to
In one embodiment, the lid 14 comprises a generally planar central portion 52 and an exterior border 54. In one embodiment the central portion 52 and the exterior border 54 are integral, however, in alternate embodiments the central portion 52 of the lid 14 and the exterior border 54 are not integral components. In a preferred embodiment the lid 14 is made of a clear plastic to allow the contents within the cavity 18 of the container 12 to be visible through the central portion 52 when the lid 14 is secured to the container 12. The lid 14 has a upper surface 56 and a lower surface 58.
As shown in
Referring to
As explained above, each of the plurality of receivers 62 preferably houses a separate locking tab 20. As shown in
In one embodiment, as best shown in
The container system 10 preferably also includes a removable protective sleeve 16. In a preferred embodiment the protective sleeve 16 is an elastic member, and most preferably it is made of a silicone material so that it does not have to be removed from the container 12 when food is cooked in the container 12. The removable protective sleeve 16 engages an exterior of the container 12, and preferably the removable protective sleeve 16 has a plurality of sidewalls that engage, respectively, the first, second, third and fourth side walls 22, 24, 26, 28 of the container 12. In a preferred embodiment, the sidewalls of the removable protective sleeve 16 have a plurality of openings 80 therethrough so that the contents within the cavity 18 of the container 12 are visible through the protective sleeve 16. As shown in
In one embodiment the inner surface of the protective sleeve 16 comprises a polished surface. The polished inner surface assists to retain the protective sleeve 16 to outer surface of the container 12, especially when the container 12 is made of glass.
Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. Additionally, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and “fourth” as used herein are intended for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the embodiments in any way. Further, the term “plurality” as used herein indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Additionally, the term “having” as used herein in both the disclosure and claims, is utilized in an open-ended manner.
It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.
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Entry |
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Glasslock Product (2 pages). |
Pyrex Snapware Product (5 pages). |
Rubbermaid Tritan Container (5 pages). |
Sistema Container (3 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200339310 A1 | Oct 2020 | US |