Patent Application
20240328697
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The disclosure relates to gel pack devices and more particularly pertains to a new gel pack device for enhancing freshness of a food product. The device includes a basket and a plurality of gel packs integrated into the basket. Each of the gel packs can be frozen such that the gel packs cool a food bowl positioned in the basket. In this way the gel packs enhance freshness of the food product in the food bowl.
The prior art relates to gel pack devices including a cooling device that includes a plurality of nestable bowls and a cooling member positioned between respective nestable bowls. The prior art discloses a cooling pack that includes a bowl shaped cap and a cooling substance positioned within the bowl shaped cap for cooling a head of a user. The prior art discloses a cooling divider that includes a plurality of intersecting panels and a cooling medium integrated into the intersecting panels for cooling a plurality of beverage containers. The prior art discloses a serving bowl device that includes a bowl with a plurality of recesses and a plurality of gel packs that are each positionable in a respective recess for cooling the bowl. The prior art discloses a food containing sleeve which is formed of a thermally insulating material.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a basket that is comprised of a plurality of intersecting members such that the basket can be positioned around a food bowl. A plurality of gel packs is each integrated into the basket and each of the plurality of gel packs abuts the food bowl when the food bowl is positioned in the basket. Each of the plurality of gel packs is comprised of a thermally conductive material thereby facilitating the plurality of gel packs to be frozen. In this way the plurality of gel packs can cool the bowl when the bowl is positioned in the basket.
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 plurality of gel packs 36 is included and each of the plurality of gel packs 36 is integrated into the basket 12. In this way each of the plurality of gel packs 36 abuts the food bowl 16 when the food bowl 16 is positioned in the basket 12. Each of the plurality of gel packs 36 is comprised of a thermally conductive material thereby facilitating the plurality of gel packs 36 to be frozen. In this way the plurality of gel packs 36 can cool the food bowl 16 when the food bowl 16 is positioned in the basket 12. Thus, a food product 38, such as mayonnaise or other perishable food item, can be kept cool in the food bowl 16 thereby extending freshness of the food product 38. Each of the plurality of gel packs 36 comprises a pouch 40 that has a front wall 42, a back wall 44 and an outer wall 46 extending between the front wall 42 and the back wall 44 and the outer wall 46 has a top side 48, a bottom side 50, a first lateral side 52 and a second lateral side 54. Each of the first lateral side 52 and the second lateral side 54 angles inwardly between the top side 48 and the bottom side 50 such that the pouch 40 has a trapezoidal shape. Additionally, as is most clearly shown in
Each of the first end 28 and the second end 30 of each of the plurality of horizontal members 26 associated with the basket 12 is attached to a respective one of a first lateral side 52 and a second lateral side 54 of the outer wall 46 of the pouch 40 associated with a respective pair of the gel packs 36. The distal end 22 of each of the bottom members 18 is attached to the bottom side 50 of the outer wall 46 of the pouch 40 associated with a respective one of the gel packs 36 such that the plurality of gel packs 36 is arranged to form a ring having the front wall 42 of the pouch 40 being directed toward the central connection point 20 of the basket 12. The outer wall 46 is comprised of a thermally conductive material thereby facilitating the pouch 40 to be in thermal communication with the food bowl 16 when the food bowl 16 is positioned in the basket 12.
Each of the gel packs 36 includes a gel 56 that is contained within the pouch 40. The gel 56 is comprised of a thermally conductive material thereby facilitating the gel 56 to be frozen. Additionally, the gel 56 is in thermal communication with the pouch 40 thereby facilitating the gel 56 to lower the temperature of the pouch 40. In this way the pouch 40 can cool the food bowl 16 when the food bowl 16 is positioned in the basket 12 thereby extending the freshness of the food product 38 in the food bowl 16. In an alternative embodiment 58 shown in
In use, the basket 12 and gel packs 36 are positioned in a freezer, for example, to facilitate the gel 56 in each of the gel packs 36 to be frozen. The food bowl 16 is subsequently positioned in the basket 12 such that the plurality of gel packs 36 encircles the food bowl 16 and rest against the food bowl 16. In this way the gel packs 36 cool the food bowl 16 thereby facilitating the food bowl 16 to cool the food product 38. Thus, the freshness of the food product 38 is extended while the food bowl 16 is placed on a table during a meal, for example. In this way the food product 38 can be safely consumed during the meal with minimal risk of spoiling.
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, assembly 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.
