Patent Application
20180222646
This invention relates generally to a lid for a food container, and in particular, to a lid having a dressing storage compartment and a food container comprising such a lid.
Various portable food and condiment kits are currently available for on-the-go use. In conventional kits for this purpose, the food stuffs such as salads or other food products are stored in a container and packaged together with a separate packet or sachet of salad dressing or other condiments. A user opens the salad dressing packet or sachet to dispense the salad dressing into the salad container. This arrangement is cumbersome and might be messy if the dressing is not handled carefully. Also disposal of the dressing packaging is problematic, which is detrimental to the environment.
Attempts have been made to propose other portable food container and condiment kits, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,671, US 2006/0185990A1, and CN106429000.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,671 issued to Greydon Wesley Nedblake discloses a combination container including an upper container adapted for holding a beverage or a soup, and a lower container adapted for holding an edible solid food e.g. sandwich or salad, wherein the upper and lower containers are oriented in a superposed relationship. The combination container further comprises coupling means detachably interconnecting the upper and lower containers. This type of combination container requires to dispense the beverage and the food separately from the two different containers.
US 2006/0185990A1 discloses a disposable salad container assembly including a container base, a cover removably mounted on the base, and a sealed salad dressing insert for nesting within the cover. The insert has a flexible top, a salad dressing reservoir, an opening, a breakable seal over the opening, and a puncturing mechanism capable of breaking the seal on application of sufficient pressure to the flexible top thereby allowing the contents of the reservoir to dispense into the base. To dispense the salad dressing into the container base, the puncturing mechanism is depressed to pierce the breakable seal to allow the salad dressing to flow into the container base. This type of salad container assembly is disposable with a single use.
CN106429000 discloses a salad container comprising a salad bowl and a sealing cap portion made of aluminum foil and heat-sealed on the salad bowl. The sealing cap portion has a compartment for holding a salad dressing, and a tearable part at the bottom of the salad dressing compartment. After the tearable part is torn off, the salad dressing flows onto the salad bowl.
The above patents or patent applications teach respective combination containers of different structures. Still, there is a need for the provision of a container for on-the-go use and capable of separately storing the salad and the salad dressing in a leakproof manner to prevent unwanted leaks and spills, which enables the two food stuffs to be mixed easily before being consumed.
The present invention has been developed to fulfill the needs noted above. Therefore, the present invention has a principle object of providing a container which provides an easy and convenient way to transport a user's favorite dressing on-the-go.
A further object of the invention is to provide a container which has a simple way of releasing a salad dressing into the salad without the need of human intervention to avoid the mess of dispensing the dressing.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a container which is light to carry, easy to dispense the salad dressing, and a cinch to clean.
A first aspect of the present invention is to provide a lid for a food container, comprising:
a cover having a window formed therethrough,
a dressing storage compartment received in the window of the cover for holding a first foodstuff and having an open bottom, and
a shutter attached to the cover or the dressing storage compartment for sealingly closing the open bottom of the dressing storage compartment,
wherein the shutter is configured to allow to dispense the first foodstuff contained in the dressing storage compartment through the open bottom when the dressing storage compartment is caused to move up relative to the cover.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the dressing storage compartment may be movable between a ready-to-use position wherein the shutter engages with the dressing storage compartment in a manner that the open bottom of the dressing storage compartment is sealingly closed by the shutter, and a pull-up position wherein the shutter disengages from the open bottom of the dressing storage compartment to allow the dispensing of the first foodstuff. Preferably, the dressing storage compartment may be flush with the cover in the ready-to-use position, and the dressing storage compartment may be forced to move up to the pull-up position where at least part of the dressing storage compartment protrudes beyond the cover so as to disengage the shutter from the open bottom of the dressing storage compartment.
In one specific embodiment of the invention, the dressing storage compartment may comprise an upper wall, a side wall extending downwardly from an edge of the upper wall, and a flange extending outwardly from a lower section of the side wall and connected to the cover, wherein the flange is depressed and forms together with the side wall a depressed portion in the ready-to-use position. In some cases, the shutter may be pivotally attached to the cover or the dressing storage compartment, and is caused to automatically disengage from the open bottom of the dressing storage compartment after the dressing storage compartment is moved up and/or subject to a squeeze action. The shutter may comprise two tabs in a spaced-apart fashion, and the two tabs are positioned to be releasably attached to an inner surface of the lower section of the side wall. Preferably each of the tabs may comprise a lateral coupling which is releasably snap-fitted into a groove formed in the lower section of the side wall.
In one embodiment of the invention, the cover may be pivotally coupled to a side wall of a top of a container portion of the food container. The cover may also comprise a lid latch which releasably engages with a corresponding container latch formed on the side wall of the top of the container portion.
In another specific embodiment of the invention, the shutter may be secured to the cover and formed with a plurality of through holes extending therethough, and the shutter may further comprise a central protrusion which is sized and shaped to releasably and sealingly engage with the open bottom of the dressing storage compartment. In some cases, the upward movement of the dressing storage compartment may drive disengagement of the central protrusion from the open bottom of the dressing storage compartment, with a gap created between the shutter and the dressing storage compartment to allow the dispensing of the first foodstuff through the open bottom, the gap and the plurality of through holes.
In some cases the cover may comprise a lower cover portion threaded to a side wall of a top of a container portion, and a top cover portion pivotally coupled to the lower cover portion. The lower cover portion and the top cover portion may be configured to have respective coaxial windows for passage of the dressing storage compartment therethrough. The top cover portion may comprise a top latch which releasably engages with a corresponding lower latch formed on the lower cover portion.
Preferably, a first sealing ring may be arranged between the lower cover portion and the top of the container portion so that they are sealingly coupled with each other.
In some cases, a neck may extend downwardly from the top cover portion and threaded into the lower cover portion. Preferably a second sealing ring may be arranged between the neck and the lower cover portion so that they are sealingly coupled with each other.
According to the invention, the dressing storage compartment may be made of an elastic and deformable material, and the shutter may be made of a non-elastic material. As an alternative, the dressing storage compartment may be made of a non-elastic material, and the dressing storage compartment may further comprise a mechanical sliding device which is configured to slide the non-elastic dressing storage compartment upwards and downwards. The sliding device may be similar in structure to a coffee cup having a slidable inner cup.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a food container comprising a lid according to the invention, and a container portion having an open top over which the lid is placed and configured to hold a second foodstuff.
The food container may be provided a salad container having a dressing contained in the dressing storage compartment, and the salad contained in the container portion.
In some cases, a holder may be provided on an outer wall of the container portion for holding food serving utensils, for example salad tossers.
To have a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention and embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the various figures of the drawings, like reference numbers are used to designate like parts.
While this invention is illustrated and described in preferred embodiments, the lid of the invention and the food container comprising the lid may be produced in many different configurations, sizes, forms and materials.
Referring now to the drawings,
The container portion 200 may be of a dual wall construction as shown in
A holder 212 may be provided on the outer wall of the container portion 200 for holding salad tossers or a fork 214 for the purpose of mixing or consuming the foodstuff contained in the container portion 200, such as salad.
The lid 100 comprises a cover 110 pivotally coupled to a side wall of the top of the container portion 200 and configured to have a central window 112. The lid 100 also includes a lid-latch 114 that releasably engages with a corresponding container-latch 210. In operation, the lid-latch 114 engages with the container-latch 210 to maintain the container in a closed position. When a force is applied to bias the lid-latch 114 away outwardly to disengage the container-latch 210, the lid 100 is allowed to be opened and the open top of the container portion 200 is exposed, and the user is able to access to and consume the salad contained in the container portion 200.
The lid 100 further comprises a dressing storage compartment 120 received in the window 112 of the cover 110, and a shutter 140 pivotally attached to the cover 110 at a position adjacent to the lid-latch 114. The dressing storage compartment 120 has an open bottom 126. The shutter 140 is configured to releasably close the open bottom 126 of the dressing storage compartment 120 which is filled with a salad dressing or other food stuff.
The dressing storage compartment 120 is typically made out of an elastic and deformable material such as silicon. In the embodiment shown in
The dressing storage compartment 120 has a circular upper wall 121, and a side wall 122 extending downward from a circumferential outer edge of the upper wall 121, and a flange 123 extending outwardly from a lower section of the side wall 122. The side wall 122 completely surrounds the circumference of the upper wall to form a cavity for receiving the dressing or other food stuffs. The flange 123 is pivotally connected to the cover 110, for example by a hinge, to allow for pivotal movement of the shutter 140 with respect to the dressing storage compartment 120. When the dressing storage compartment 120 is in the ready-to-use position, the flange 123 is depressed and forms together with the side wall 122 a depressed portion 124. When the dressing storage compartment 120 is pulled upwards to the pull-up position, the upper wall 121, the side wall 122 and the flange 123 would become a domed structure.
The shutter 140 is made out of a non-elastic material and used to seal the dressing. The dressing storage compartment 120 and the shutter 140 are attached with each other in a fluid-sealing manner to prevent any leakage of the dressing. In this embodiment, the shutter 140 has two tabs 141 in a spaced-apart fashion. The tabs 141 are positioned to be releasably attached to an inner surface of the lower section of the side wall 122.
A skilled person in the art would appreciate that alternative methods of releasably attaching the shutter 140 onto the side wall 122 are available.
To fill the container 10 with food stuffs such as the salad dressing, the dressing storage compartment 120 is first uncovered by removing the shutter 140 and filled with the dressing. The shutter 140 is then snap-fitted into the lower section of the side wall 122 to seal the dressing.
To dispense the dressing onto the salad contained in the container portion 200, an upward pull force is applied to the upper wall 121 and/or the side wall 122, for example by a user's fingers, with respect to the cover 110 as shown in
In particular, the lid 300 comprises a cover 310 having a top cover portion 326 and a lower cover portion 316 pivotally coupled to the top cover portion 326. The lower cover portion 316 is threaded to a side wall of the top of the container portion 400. A first sealing ring 315 is arranged between the lower cover portion 316 and the top of the container portion 400 to create a sealing action therebetween. Each of the top and lower cover portions 326 and 316 is configured to have a central respective window. The top cover portion 326 includes a top latch 314 that releasably engages with a corresponding lower latch 318 formed on the lower cover portion 316. In operation, the top latch 314 engages with the lower latch 318 to maintain the container in a closed position. When the top latch 314 is biased away to disengage from the lower latch 318, the top cover portion 326 is opened to expose the open top of the container portion 400 for a user to consume the contents contained therein.
The dressing storage compartment 320 runs through the respective central windows of the top and lower cover portions 326 and 316, and is also constructed to be flush with a top of the top cover portion 326 in the ready-to-use position. The dressing storage compartment 320 is elastic and deformable and can be pulled upwards into a pull-up position where it protrudes beyond the top of the top cover portion 326 for releasing and dispensing the dressing. In this embodiment, the dressing storage compartment 320 has a domed upper wall 321 to form a cavity for receiving a first foodstuff, such as a dressing, a side wall 322 extending downward from a lower edge of the domed upper wall 321, and a flange 323 extending outwardly from a lower section of the side wall 322. The side wall 322 completely surrounds the circumference of the upper wall 321 to form a channel. The flange 323 may be pivotally or fixedly connected to the top cover portion 326.
A neck 317 extends downwards from the top cover portion 326 and is received in the central window of the lower cover portion 316. A second sealing ring 325 is arranged between the neck 317 and the lower cover portion 316 to create a sealing action therebetween.
The shutter 340 is used to seal the dressing. In this embodiment, the shutter 340 is secured onto the top cover portion 326 or the lower cover portion 316 by, for example, screws. The shutter 340 has a plurality of through holes (not shown) extending therethrough, and further has a central protrusion 341 which is sized and shaped to be releasably received in the channel formed by the side wall 322 in a fluid-sealing manner, thereby sealingly closing the open bottom of the dressing storage compartment 320 in its ready-to-use position. The central protrusion 341 has a snap-fit feature that allows to release the protrusion 341 from the channel when the domed upper wall 321 is grasped and moved upwards to the pull-up position. For instance, the central protrusion 341 may be configured to have the snap-fitting features as shown in
When the dressing storage compartment 320 is in the ready-to-use position, the flange 323 is depressed and forms together with the side wall 322 and the domed upper wall 321 a depressed portion 324. This depressed portion 324 provides the convenience of grasping and moving upwards the domed upper wall 322. In use, when the dressing storage compartment 320 is pulled upwards to the pull-up position, the domed upper wall 321, the side wall 322 and the flange 323 would become a domed structure.
After the salad dressing is dispensed, the user may tilt and/or shake the container so that the salad and the dressing are mixed evenly to be consumed by the user.
As illustrated in
In
In
After that, the container may be tilted and/or shook to mix the salad and the dressing evenly (
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the dressing storage compartment may be made of a non-elastic material. In this case, the dressing storage compartment is configured to slide upwards and downwards by a mechanical sliding device, which is similar in structure to a coffee cup having a slidable inner cup.
In summary, the container of the invention, which comprises a lid as discussed above, is characterized by providing a dressing storage compartment disposed in the lid, and automatically opening the dressing storage compartment to dispense the dressing contained therein without any intervention of a user. Another characterizing feature of the invention is the arrangement of the dressing storage compartment, which lies in flush with the top of the lid in non-use and can be pulled upwards in use. The upward movement forces the shutter to disengage from the dressing storage compartment.
Thus, the present invention provides an easy and convenient way to transport favorite dressing and salad on-the-go. The container of the invention is easy to squeeze the dressing storage compartment with a leak proof shutter.
While the embodiments described herein are intended as exemplary container lids and containers, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated. Those skilled in the art will envision many other possible variations and modifications by means of the skilled person's common knowledge without departing from the scope of the invention, however, such variations and modifications should fall into the scope of this invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62455847 | Feb 2017 | US |
