Patent Application
20110240722
Generally, the inventive technology described herein relates to methods and apparatus for the placement and containment of food items. More specifically, the inventive technology may involve integrating both food item placement and food item containment in a single functionality. The inventive technology may be particularly suited for providing convenient transportation and consumption of various kinds of food items.
Food items may represent a challenge to move around and consume. The characteristics of food, such as messiness, tendency to spoil, and the like may require specialized containers for transportation and specialized accoutrements for consumption. A variety of such containers may have been developed, including for example boxes, bags, wraps, and the like. Similarly, food accoutrements often used when consuming food items may include placemats, napkins, and the like.
When food items are to be stored and transported, however, such as when prepared at home for later consumption at work, or the like, having separate containers and additional accoutrements may pose an inconvenience. For example, having to carry each of a container and perhaps napkins or placemats may tend to reduce the convenience afforded by making the food item portable in the first place. Moreover, conventional containers and accoutrements often may be designed for disposal after a single use, as may be the case with various kinds of plastic or paper products. This perhaps may create waste products that need to be disposed of Additionally, conventional containers and accoutrements may not be conveniently shaped to fit particular food items, as may be the case for rigid boxes or various kinds of bags. Sheet materials perhaps may be unwieldy to bend, fold, seal, or the like, for example perhaps where the sheet may become bunched or gathered, perhaps increasing the bulk of the container.
Accordingly, the foregoing problems regarding conventional food item containers and accoutrements may represent a long-felt need for an effective solution to the same. While implementing elements may have been available, actual attempts to meet this need to the degree now accomplished may have been lacking to some degree. This may have been due to a failure of those having ordinary skill in the art to fully appreciate or understand the nature of the problems and challenges involved. As a result of this lack of understanding, attempts to meet these long-felt needs may have failed to effectively solve one or more of the problems or challenges here identified. These attempts may even have led away from the technical directions taken by the present inventive technology and may even result in the achievements of the present inventive technology being considered to some degree an unexpected result of the approach taken by some in the field.
The inventive technology relates to methods and apparatus for placing and containing food items and may include one or more of the following features: techniques for integrating a food containment capability and a food placement capability into a single device; techniques for converting between a food containment capability and a food placement capability in a single process; techniques for reusing an integrated food containment and food placement device; techniques for utilizing one or more inside corners on an integrated food containment and food placement device; techniques for utilizing a layered structure of an integrated food containment and food placement device, and the like. Naturally, further objects of the inventive technology will become apparent from the description and drawings below.
The present inventive technology includes a variety of aspects, which may be combined in different ways. The following descriptions are provided to list elements and describe some of the embodiments of the present inventive technology. These elements are listed with initial embodiments, however it should be understood that they may be combined in any manner and in any number to create additional embodiments. The variously described examples and preferred embodiments should not be construed to limit the present inventive technology to only the explicitly described systems, techniques, and applications. Further, this description should be understood to support and encompass descriptions and claims of all the various embodiments, systems, techniques, methods, devices, and applications with any number of the disclosed elements, with each element alone, and also with any and all various permutations and combinations of all elements in this or any subsequent application.
Now referring primarily to
A foldable food item containment pouch (1) in various embodiments may be part of an integrated food containment and placement apparatus. For example, when the pouch is in an unfolded state, it may provide a relatively flat, wide surface on which a food item (3) may be placed. In this capacity, the unfolded pouch may function like a placemat. Moreover, when the pouch is in a folded state, it may serve to contain a food item (3) within the pouch. In this capacity, the folded pouch may function like a container. The pouch may be seen therefore to integrate food containment and placement functions in a single apparatus.
The interior food placement surface (4) may be selected in various embodiments to have properties conducive to placing a food item (3). Any suitable property for which such a surface is capable of retaining may be selected. For example, such properties may include providing a stain resistant surface, providing a leak-proof surface, providing a non-absorbent surface, providing a no-stick surface, and the like. Similarly, the exterior food protection surface (5) may be selected in various embodiments to have properties conducive to protecting a food item (3). Any suitable property for which such a surface is capable of retaining may be selected. For example such properties may include providing an airtight surface, providing an insulating material for said surface, providing a decorative surface, and the like. Naturally, a food item (3), such as a sandwich or the like, may be placed on the interior food placement surface (4), and embodiments may involve folding over the pouch material around the food item (3) to create the pouch. When the pouch is unfolded, the interior food placement surface (4) may serve as a placemat for the food item (3). When the pouch is folded, the interior food placement surface (4) may serve to contain the food item (3).
A foldable food item containment pouch (1) in various embodiments may include at least one closure (14). The closure (14) may serve to secure the pouch in a folded position after the pouch has been suitably folded. Of course, any suitable closure capable of so securing the pouch may be utilized, including for example mechanically securing with mechanical fasteners, magnetically securing with magnetic fasteners, adhesively securing with adhesive fasteners, securing with Velcro, or the like. Moreover, in various embodiments the pouch may be provided with more than one closure (1), for example to make the pouch more secure in its folded configuration. For example, each folding part of the pouch may be provided with its own closure (14), as for example to permit securing any or all fold panels (11) of the pouch. In some embodiments, each fold panel (11) of a pouch may be provided with its own closure (14). The pouch also may be provided with any suitable accessories that may be attached to or formed as part of the structure of the pouch, for example such as pockets to hold condiments, ice packs, silverware, napkins, clips or straps so that the pouch may be attached to other items, plastic windows that allow a name card or other card to be inserted, and the like.
In some embodiments, a foldable food item containment pouch (1) may have an inside corner (6). An inside corner (6) may be a point along the perimeter of the unfolded pouch wherein two edges of the pouch intersect such that the empty space within the corner forms an angle of less than 180 degrees. The empty space within the corner also may be seen to form a material-free fold zone (7), in as much as no pouch material may be present in this space to hinder, bulk, or otherwise interfere with folding of the pouch.
Moreover, an inside corner (6) may be understood to have a double-cut configuration (8). For example, the inside corner (6) may be formed by making two cuts along the perimeter of the unfolded pouch, each cut corresponding to one of the edges that intersect to form the inside corner (6). A double-cut configuration (8) in various embodiments also may include a compound double-cut configuration (9), for example as shown in one embodiment in
Embodiments of the foldable food item containment pouch (1) may have more than one inside corner (6). For example, the unfolded pouch may have at least a first inside corner (6), at least a second inside corner (6), at least a third inside corner (6), and at least a fourth inside corner (6). Moreover, each inside corner (6) may be part of a polygonal shape in which a foldable food item containment pouch (1) is established. For example, an unfolded pouch with four inside corners (6) in some embodiments may be established as rectangular in shape, or perhaps even square, wherein each point of the rectangle is replaced with an inside corner (6), for example as by double-cutting each outside corner of the rectangle to create an inside corner (6).
Additionally, inside corners (6) of course may be of any angle up to but not including 180 degrees, including greater than or lesser than 90 degrees. For example, embodiments may include an unfolded pouch having at least one inside corner (6) at a 90 degree angle, or perhaps even each inside corner at an angle of 90 degrees.
In various embodiments, a foldable food item containment pouch (1) may have one or more fold axes (10), about which a part or parts of the unfolded pouch may be folded. A fold axis (10) may be an actual structural component of the pouch itself, for example perhaps a weak zone in the pouch material susceptible to folding, created as by stitching, joining two different pouch materials together to form a joint, or the like. Alternatively, a fold axis (10) simply may be an imaginary line on the pouch about which parts of the pouch are folded.
Moreover, a fold axis (10) may be aligned to lie in-line with at least one cut of an inside corner (6) having a double-cut configuration (8).
A foldable food item containment pouch (1) also may include one or more fold panels (11). A fold panel (11) simply may be a part of the unfolded pouch capable of folding over, for example perhaps along a fold axis (10). A pouch may be configured to have any suitable number of fold panels (11), for example at least one, at least two, at least three, at least four, or perhaps even more than four. Selection of the number of fold panels, for example, may be made to accommodate different sizes or shapes of a food item (3) to be contained. In some embodiments, a fold panel (11) may be situated between two inside corners (6). The edges of the fold panel (11) in such configurations may include the cuts of the adjacent inside corners (6). The boundaries of a fold panel (11) further may include a fold axis (10).
Fold panels (11) also may be dimensioned in any suitable configuration to effect a desired fold. For example, embodiments may include uniformly dimensioning multiple fold panels (11) to have the same dimensions. For example,
In various embodiments, an inside corner (6) may be convertible into a folded outside corner (16). A folded outside corner (16) may be a point along the perimeter of the folded pouch wherein two edges of the pouch intersect such that the empty space outside of the corner forms an angle of greater than 180 degrees. Converting an inside corner (6) to a folded outside corner (16) may be accomplished by suitably folding over various parts of a foldable food item containment pouch (1). For example, each edge of an inside corner (6) may correspond to parts of a foldable food item containment pouch (1). Folding over these parts of the pouch may move the edges, such that when the parts have been folded and the edges have been moved, the edges are repositioned so that they no longer form the inside corner (6). In this manner, the inside corner (6) may be seen to be replaced by a folded outside corner (16). More specifically, in some embodiments an inside corner (6) may have a double-cut configuration (8), wherein each cut corresponds to the edge of a fold panel (11). When the fold panel (11) is folded over, the cuts may be moved to a position within the folded pouch, and the inside corner (6) may be replaced with a folded outside corner (16). In the foregoing manner, a convertible inside corner (6) may be seen as being able to be configured as either an inside corner (6) or a folded outside corner (16), depending on the state of fold of the pouch.
In various embodiments, a folded outside corner (16) may be a food item barrier. In particular, the folds of the folded outside corner (16) may form a food item barrier impeding a tendency of foodstuffs in the pouch from escaping through the folded edges of the pouch. Moreover, because folded outside corners (16) may be formed in part from inside corners (6) having material-free fold zones (7), the folded outside corner (16) may have reduced bulk by virtue of being formed without pouch material that otherwise would be present in the material-free fold zone (7). In this manner, the folded outside corner (16) may be seen to have a reduced bulk mass proportional to the material-free fold zone (7). In addition, various embodiments may involve forming folded outside corners (16), in which two or more folds overlap to form the outside corner. In this situation, at least one of the overlapping folds may serve to support in place at least one other of the overlapping folds, thereby perhaps adding stability to the folded outside corner (16) tending to keep its shape. In this manner, at least one fold of a folded outside corner (16) may be seen to be a support emplacement for at least one other fold of a folded outside corner (16).
Embodiments may include a corner seal situated at an inside corner (6). The corner seal may act to seal a folded outside corner (16), for example so as to prevent the passage of foodstuffs from the interior of the folded pouch to the exterior, or to prevent passage of contaminants from the exterior of the folded pouch to the interior. In some embodiments, a corner seal may be a wing (19), such as shown in one embodiment in
In some embodiments, a corner seal may be independently manipulable, such that any folded outside corner (16) may be sealed in a step independent from the steps required to form the folded outside corner (16). In some embodiments, an independently manipulable corner seal may be a clip (18) that can be positioned to cover a folded outside corner (16), such as shown in one embodiment in
Of course, the food item barriers, corner seals, wings, flaps, and the like discussed herein in various embodiments may contribute to forming the pouch of a foldable food item containment pouch (1). For example, these components may tend to create pouch-like structures when folded, such as bottoms, sidewalls, and similar enclosing structures. Functionally, a folded pouch having these components may serve some or all of the functions of a conventional pouch, such as securely holding a food item placed therein, preventing foodstuffs from leaking out of the pouch, preventing contaminants from entering the pouch, and the like.
Now with reference primarily to
Now referring primarily to
Each layer (13) may be made of any suitable material. Examples of suitable materials may include cloth, plastic, or other materials that are neither cloth nor plastic. For example, suitable cloth materials may include cotton, polyester, linen, blended cloths, or the like. Suitable plastics may include vinyl, vinyl coated fabric, LDPE, nylon, polypropylene, plastics having a thickness of about 3 mm, and the like. Suitable materials that are neither plastic nor cloth may include paper, rubber, and the like. The choice of material may be selected based on the use to which the foldable food item containment pouch (1) may be put. For example, embodiments may involve dimensioning a pouch to flex to a food item (3) utilizing a flexible food item dimensioned material, which may include materials having suitable flexibility to accommodate a food item (3) placed within the pouch while tending to rebound to the pouch's original configuration when the food item (3) is removed.
The layered structure (12) may be made of any number of layers (13) in any combination of materials as may be appropriate for the uses to which a foldable food item containment pouch (1) may be put. Selection of the specific number of layers (13) and the specific materials of which each layer (13) is made may be based on the decorative appearance of the pouch, preserving the freshness of a food item (3) to be contained, containing spills or other messiness of a food item (3) to be contained, and so forth. Examples may include at least one layer (13), at least two layers (13), at least three layers (13), or perhaps four or more layers (13), each layer (13) being made of any cloth, plastic, or other material as appropriate. For example, in some embodiments of a layered structure (12) having three contiguous layers (13), the three layers (13) may include two cloth layers (13) separate by one plastic layer (12), no layer (13) being made of plastic, no layer (13) being made of cloth, and at least one layer (13) being made of a material that is not plastic or cloth.
Now with reference primarily to
Of course, any number of inside corners (6) may be replaced by folded outside corners (16) in the foregoing manner For example, the first fold panel (11) and second fold panel (11) each may have both a left edge and a right edge corresponding to cuts of left adjacent and right adjacent inside corners (6) having at least a double-cut configuration (8). Moreover, a foldable food item containment pouch (1) may have a third fold panel (11), a fourth fold panel (11), and indeed as many fold panels (11) as may be necessary or desirable. When the fold panels (11) are folded over in the manner described herein, the inside corners (6) adjacent to the fold panels (11) may be converted into and replaced by folded outside corners (16). A food placement mat accordingly may be converted into a food storage container having an interior food placement surface (4) within the folds of the pouch, and an exterior food protection surface (5) outside of the folds of the pouch.
Where fold panels (11) have edges corresponding to cuts of inside corners (6) having at least double-cut configurations (8), it may be seen that panels adjacent to one another across an inside corner (6) will have an orientation relative to one another equal to the angle of the inside corners (6). At a 90 degree inside corner, for example, a fold panel (11) on one side of the inside corner (6) will be oriented at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the fold panel (11) on the other side of the inside corner (6). If the inside corner (6) has an angle of greater than 90 degrees, then the two fold panels will be oriented relative to each other at that greater angle. Similarly, if the inside corner (6) has an angle of less than 90 degrees, then the two fold panels will be oriented relative to each other at an angle of less than 90 degrees. Naturally, the edges of fold panels (11) may correspond to cuts of inside corners (6) having a compound double-cut configuration (8).
Naturally, with respect to the foregoing, all examples discussed herein are merely illustrative, and should not be construed to limit embodiments of the inventive technology consistent with the principles discussed herein.
As can be easily understood from the foregoing, the basic concepts of the present inventive technology may be embodied in a variety of ways. It involves both food item placement and containment techniques as well as devices to accomplish the appropriate food item placement and containment. In this application, the food item placement and containment techniques are disclosed as part of the results shown to be achieved by the various devices described and as steps which are inherent to utilization. They are simply the natural result of utilizing the devices as intended and described. In addition, while some devices are disclosed, it should be understood that these not only accomplish certain methods but also can be varied in a number of ways. Importantly, as to all of the foregoing, all of these facets should be understood to be encompassed by this disclosure.
The discussion included in this patent application is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible; many alternatives are implicit. It also may not fully explain the generic nature of the inventive technology and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative of a broader function or of a great variety of alternative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the inventive technology is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. Apparatus claims may not only be included for the device described, but also method or process claims may be included to address the functions the inventive technology and each element performs. Neither the description nor the terminology is intended to limit the scope of the claims that will be included in any subsequent patent application.
It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the inventive technology. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. They still fall within the scope of this inventive technology. A broad disclosure encompassing both the explicit embodiment(s) shown, the great variety of implicit alternative embodiments, and the broad methods or processes and the like are encompassed by this disclosure and may be relied upon when drafting the claims for any subsequent patent application. It should be understood that such language changes and broader or more detailed claiming may be accomplished at a later date (such as by any required deadline) or in the event the applicant subsequently seeks a patent filing based on this filing. With this understanding, the reader should be aware that this disclosure is to be understood to support any subsequently filed patent application that may seek examination of as broad a base of claims as deemed within the applicant's right and may be designed to yield a patent covering numerous aspects of the inventive technology both independently and as an overall system.
Further, each of the various elements of the inventive technology and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. Additionally, when used or implied, an element is to be understood as encompassing individual as well as plural structures that may or may not be physically connected. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of an embodiment of any apparatus embodiment, a method or process embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the inventive technology, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms or method terms—even if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this inventive technology is entitled. As but one example, it should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Regarding this last aspect, as but one example, the disclosure of a “fold” should be understood to encompass disclosure of the act of “folding”—whether explicitly discussed or not—and, conversely, were there effectively disclosure of the act of “folding”, such a disclosure should be understood to encompass disclosure of a “fold” and even a “means for folding.” Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.
Any patents, publications, or other references mentioned in this application for patent are hereby incorporated by reference. Any priority case(s) claimed by this application is hereby appended and hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, as to each term used it should be understood that unless its utilization in this application is inconsistent with a broadly supporting interpretation, common dictionary definitions should be understood as incorporated for each term and all definitions, alternative terms, and synonyms such as contained in the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, second edition are hereby incorporated by reference. Finally, all references listed in the following are hereby appended and hereby incorporated by reference, however, as to each of the above, to the extent that such information or statements incorporated by reference might be considered inconsistent with the patenting of this/these inventive technology such statements are expressly not to be considered as made by the applicant(s).
Thus, the applicant(s) should be understood to have support to claim and make a statement of invention to at least: i) each of the food item placement and containment devices as herein disclosed and described, ii) the related methods disclosed and described, iii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations of each of these devices and methods, iv) those alternative designs which accomplish each of the functions shown as are disclosed and described, v) those alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosed and described, vi) each feature, component, and step shown as separate and independent inventions, vii) the applications enhanced by the various systems or components disclosed, viii) the resulting products produced by such systems or components, ix) each system, method, and element shown or described as now applied to any specific field or devices mentioned, x) methods and apparatuses substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to any of the accompanying examples, xi) the various combinations and permutations of each of the elements disclosed, xii) each potentially dependent claim or concept as a dependency on each and every one of the independent claims or concepts presented, and xiii) all inventions described herein.
With regard to claims whether now or later presented for examination, it should be understood that for practical reasons and so as to avoid great expansion of the examination burden, the applicant may at any time present only initial claims or perhaps only initial claims with only initial dependencies. The office and any third persons interested in potential scope of this or subsequent applications should understand that broader claims may be presented at a later date in this case, in a case claiming the benefit of this case, or in any continuation in spite of any preliminary amendments, other amendments, claim language, or arguments presented, thus throughout the pendency of any case there is no intention to disclaim or surrender any potential subject matter. It should be understood that if or when broader claims are presented, such may require that any relevant prior art that may have been considered at any prior time may need to be re-visited since it is possible that to the extent any amendments, claim language, or arguments presented in this or any subsequent application are considered as made to avoid such prior art, such reasons may be eliminated by later presented claims or the like. Both the examiner and any person otherwise interested in existing or later potential coverage, or considering if there has at any time been any possibility of an indication of disclaimer or surrender of potential coverage, should be aware that no such surrender or disclaimer is ever intended or ever exists in this or any subsequent application. Limitations such as arose in Hakim v. Cannon Avent Group, PLC, 479 F.3d 1313 (Fed. Cir 2007), or the like are expressly not intended in this or any subsequent related matter. In addition, support should be understood to exist to the degree required under new matter laws—including but not limited to European Patent Convention Article 123(2) and United States Patent Law 35 USC 132 or other such laws—to permit the addition of any of the various dependencies or other elements presented under one independent claim or concept as dependencies or elements under any other independent claim or concept. In drafting any claims at any time whether in this application or in any subsequent application, it should also be understood that the applicant has intended to capture as full and broad a scope of coverage as legally available. To the extent that insubstantial substitutes are made, to the extent that the applicant did not in fact draft any claim so as to literally encompass any particular embodiment, and to the extent otherwise applicable, the applicant should not be understood to have in any way intended to or actually relinquished such coverage as the applicant simply may not have been able to anticipate all eventualities; one skilled in the art, should not be reasonably expected to have drafted a claim that would have literally encompassed such alternative embodiments.
Further, if or when used, the use of the transitional phrase “comprising” is used to maintain the “open-end” claims herein, according to traditional claim interpretation. Thus, unless the context requires otherwise, it should be understood that the term “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, are intended to imply the inclusion of a stated element or step or group of elements or steps but not the exclusion of any other element or step or group of elements or steps. Such terms should be interpreted in their most expansive form so as to afford the applicant the broadest coverage legally permissible.
Finally, any claims set forth at any time are hereby incorporated by reference as part of this description of the inventive technology, and the applicant expressly reserves the right to use all of or a portion of such incorporated content of such claims as additional description to support any of or all of the claims or any element or component thereof, and the applicant further expressly reserves the right to move any portion of or all of the incorporated content of such claims or any element or component thereof from the description into the claims or vice-versa as necessary to define the matter for which protection is sought by this application or by any subsequent continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof, or to obtain any benefit of, reduction in fees pursuant to, or to comply with the patent laws, rules, or regulations of any country or treaty, and such content incorporated by reference shall survive during the entire pendency of this application including any subsequent continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof or any reissue or extension thereon.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US08/82281 | 11/3/2008 | WO | 00 | 5/2/2011 |
