Patent Application
20240409265
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to labelling devices and more particularly pertains to a new labelling device for labeling food items with an expiration date and storage instructions. The device includes a label printer incorporated into a binder and a plurality of data sheets disposed in the binder which contains a plurality of codes for storing various food items which can be entered into the label printer to print a label for a container storing food items.
The prior art relates to labelling devices including a variety of label printers that include handheld label printers and desktop label printers. In no instance does the prior art disclose a label printer mounted in a binder along with a plurality of data sheets that includes codes representing food items and storage instructions for the food items.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a binder that has a front cover, a back cover and a spine hingedly coupled between the front cover and the back cover. A label printer is attached to the back cover and the label printer has data storage for storing a database comprising a plurality of food which can be applied to a food storage container for identifying food contained within the food storage container. A plurality of pages is each disposed on the front cover of the binder and a table listing food items, numeric codes associated with the food items and the recommended method of storing the food items is printed on the pages. A plurality of dividers is interlaced between the plurality of pages for dividing the plurality of pages into food categories.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A label printer 52 is provided and the label printer 52 is attached to the back cover 16. The label printer 52 has a keyboard 54 and a printing output 56. Additionally, the label printer 52 has data storage 53 for storing a database which comprises a plurality of food items and instructions for freezing, refrigeration or storing at room temperature each of the food items. Furthermore, each of the plurality of food items is assigned a unique numeric code with respect to each other. The keyboard 54 is manipulated to enter the unique numeric code associated with a respective one of the food items such that the label printer 52 prints a label 58 that is released from the printing output 56. The label 58 can be applied to a food storage container 60 for identifying food contained within the food storage container 60. Additionally,
The label printer 52 comprises a housing 62 that is attached to the back surface 36 of the back cover 16. The housing 62 has a top wall 64 and the keyboard 54 is positioned on the top wall 64; the keyboard 54 includes a plurality of alpha-numeric keys 66. Furthermore, the housing 62 has a dome 68 which rises upwardly from the top wall 64 and the printing output 56 is integrated into the dome 68. The label printer 52 includes a control circuit 70 that is positioned in the housing 62 and the control circuit 70 includes an electronic memory 72 which defines the data storage 53 associated with the label printer 52. Additionally, the keyboard 54 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 70.
The label printer 52 includes a display 74 that is attached to the top wall 64 of the housing 62. The display 74 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 70 such that the display 74 displays indicia comprising letters and numbers. Additionally, the display 74 may comprise a liquid crystal display or other type of electronic display. The label printer 52 includes a printer 76 that is integrated into the housing 62 and the printer 76 is positioned beneath the dome 68. The printer 76 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 70 and the printer 76 prints indicia 78 onto the label 58 which includes a storage date, the name of the food item, whether the food item is cooked or uncooked, whether the food item is being frozen, refrigerated or stored at room temperature and an expiration date of the food item. The label printer 52 includes an electronic clock 80 that is electrically coupled to the control circuit 70. The electronic clock 80 tracks the date and the time of day thereby facilitating the control circuit 70 to calculate the storage date of the food item and the expiration date of the food item. The plurality of alpha-numeric keys 66 includes a custom button 81 that prints a label 58 which has the current date onto the label 58 and nothing else. In this way the label 58 with the current date can be applied to a filter for a water purifier, for example, to indicate the date that the filter was replaced. In this way the service life of the filter, or any other type of object that is intended to be replaced on a repeating basis, can be tracked.
The label printer 52 includes a power supply 82 that is integrated into the housing 62 and the power supply 82 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 70. The power supply 82 comprises a rechargeable battery 84 that is electrically coupled to the control circuit 70. A charge port 86 is recessed into the housing 62 thereby facilitating the charge port 86 to insertably receive a charge cord 88 and the charge port 86 is electrically coupled to the rechargeable battery 84 for charging the rechargeable battery 84. The charge port 86 is aligned with the hole 50 in the front side 38 of the perimeter wall 34 associated with the back cover 16 of the binder 12. The power supply 82 includes a power switch 90 that is slidably integrated into the top wall 64 of the housing 62. The power switch 90 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 70 and the power switch 90 is slidable between an on position and an off position for turning the control circuit 70 on and off. A charger 92 is included that is stored in the binder 12 and the charger 92 includes a male plug 94 that can be plugged into a female electrical outlet 96 and a charging plug 98 that is electrically matable to the charge port 86 for charging the rechargeable battery 84.
A plurality of page rings 100 is each attached to the rear surface 22 of the front cover 14 of the binder 12. A plurality of pages 102 is each disposed on the front cover 14 of the binder 12 and each of the plurality of pages 102 has indicia 104 that is applied to the plurality of pages 102. The indica 104 associated with the plurality of pages 102 comprises a table 106 listing food items, numeric codes associated with the food items and the recommended method of storing the food items. As is most clearly shown in
A plurality of dividers 120 is provided and each of the dividers 120 is interlaced between the plurality of pages 102 for dividing the plurality of pages 102 into food categories. Each of the plurality of dividers 120 has a plurality of holes 122 which each insertably receives a respective one of the plurality of page rings 100. Each of the dividers 120 has a cut out 124 located adjacent to a first lateral edge 126 of the dividers 120 and each of the plurality of dividers 120 has indicia 128 comprising words describing categories of food. The categories of food may include, but not be limited to, Meat Poultry, Fish, Seafood, Eggs, Dairy, Vegetable, Legumes, Fruits Nuts, Pasta, Grains, Desserts, Sweets, Condiments, Oils, Herbs/Spices and Beverages. The indicia 128 associated with each of the dividers 120 is positioned above the cut out 124 of the associated divider 120. Furthermore, the cut out 124 associated with each of the plurality of dividers 120 has a unique length with respect to each other such that the indicia 128 associated with each of the plurality of dividers 120 is visible.
A cover 130 is included which has a plurality of holes 132 that each insertably receives a respective one of the plurality of page rings 100. The cover 130 is positionable in a closed position having the cover 130 resting on a topmost one of the plurality of dividers 134. Additionally, the cover 130 is positionable in a closed position having the cover 130 exposing the topmost divider 134. A magnet 136 is attached to a bottom surface 138 of the cover 130 and the magnet 136 magnetically engages a ferromagnetic component 140 which is disposed on the topmost divider 134 for retaining the cover 130 in the closed position.
In use, the binder 12 is opened, the cover 130 is opened and a respective divider 120 is flipped up on the page rings 100 to expose the plurality of pages 102 that are related to the category of food items associated with the divider 120 that is flipped up on the page rings 100. The food item which corresponds to the food item in the food storage container 60 to locate the numeric code associated with the food item in the food storage container 60. The numeric code 110 associated with the food item in the food storage container 60 is entered with the alpha-numeric keys 66 on the keyboard 54. The label printer 52 subsequently prints a label 58 which includes the food item, the date the food item was placed in the food storage container 60 and the date by which the food item in the food storage container 60 should be consumed. The label 58 that is printed is placed on the food storage container 60 or bag or other type of package. In this way the food item that is stored in the food storage container 60 can be visually identified on the label 58 rather than having to open the food storage container 60. Thus, a plurality of food storage containers or bags or packages that are stored in a refrigerator, freezer or pantry can be readily identified as well as facilitating the expiration date of the food item in the food storage container 60, bag or package.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, device and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
