Patent Application
20160106208
The embodiments described herein relate to a device useful for holding packaged foodstuffs, in particular snack bags, and a method of using same to hold both opened food stuff bags, unopened foodstuff bags, and/or a combination thereof.
Pre-packaged snacks are a major industry worldwide. Conventional supermarkets contain entire rows devoted to various pre-packaged snacks and other foodstuffs. This includes potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, cookies, etc.
Pre-packaged snacks are typically stored in plastic or aluminum foil bags. Upon opening the snack bag, the snacks will lose their freshness upon exposure to air after the passage of time. This causes the snacks to become less appetizing and, in case of prolonged exposure to air, to go stale.
In addition, it has been discovered that snack bags can become “lost” in a crowded pantry. In particular, “lost” open snack bags are exposed to the air longer than desirable due to the owner of the pantry being unaware of their presence. This results in spoliation and waste. Furthermore, “lost” unopened snack bags can result in increased purchases of an item due to the owner being unaware of their presence. This results in increased expenditure to the consumer and wasted money.
It has been surprisingly found that a snack bag holder in accordance with the embodiments described herein provides several significant benefits. These include an ability to maintain open snack bags in an increased state of freshness; an ability to organize snack bags in a convenient location in a house (especially in a pantry); and an ability to conserve shelf space in a house (especially in a pantry).
In one embodiment, the snack bag holder comprises a base shaped so as to be capable of being attached to a surface; a plurality of cords attached to the base at one end of each of the respective cords; and a plurality of clips attached to each cord at the end opposite to the end attached to the base. In a preferred embodiment, the cords are elastic.
The snack bag holder described herein can be attached to a variety of surfaces. In a preferred embodiment, the surface to which the snack bag holder is attached is a wall. In another preferred embodiment, the surface is the underside of a shelf. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the snack bag holder is attached to either a wall or the underside of a shelf in a closet or cabinet, most preferably a pantry.
The base of the snack bag holder can be attached to the surface by a variety of methods. In a preferred embodiment, the snack bag holder is attached by an adhesive. The adhesive can be permanent and/or semi-permanent. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive is on one side of the base. In a further preferred embodiment, the adhesive is a self-stick type of adhesive where the user of the snack bag holder peels off a protective coating from the adhesive before mounting the holder to a surface. Alternatively, the base of the snack bag holder can be attached to a surface via mechanical devices such as a nail, a screw, a hook or a combination thereof.
The base of the snack bag holder can take a variety of shapes. It may be rectangular, square, circular, oval, or trapezoidal. In a preferred embodiment, the base is rectangular. In another preferred embodiment, the base has a flat portion that includes a side adapted to be contacted to a surface and a flange on each end of the flat portion that are essentially perpendicular to the flat portion and protrude away for the side adapted to be contact to the surface. In this embodiment, a plurality of cords are attached to each flange.
The base may be made of a variety of materials. In preferred embodiments, the base is made of either plastic, metal, or wood. Plastic is especially preferred.
The base may be solid. Alternatively, the base may be hollow. The cords may be attached to the base using a variety of methods. For example, in embodiments where the base is solid, the cords may be glued onto the base or otherwise fixedly attached The base could also have holes in it to permit the cord to be threaded through the hole and held in place via a knot and/or a stopper on the side of the base opposite to which the cord hangs. The base could also have a channel in it that holds the cord in place by friction.
In embodiments where the base is hollow, the cords may be attached to the base by stoppers, hooks, knots, or any other device for holding the cords in place that are located inside the base. In a manner similar to the embodiments where the base is solid, a hollow base may have holes in it so as to permit the cords to be threaded through them and attached to the base on the side opposite to which the cord hangs. As mentioned above, the base could have a channel that holds the cord in place by friction.
It should be further noted that the base could be of multi-part construction. Thus, the base could have a front side and a back side that are fixedly attached to each other by, for example, glue.
The cords attached to the base at one end of each of the respective cords may take a variety of forms. In a preferred embodiment, the cords are elastic. In a still further preferred embodiment, the cords may be made of cloth such as elastic fibers or rubber. The cords may be made of a combination of elastic materials.
In an alternative embodiment, the cords are not elastic. The cords may be made of non-stretchable material such as certain types of cloth, leather, or plastic. A combination of inelastic materials may be used.
The snack bag holder as described herein contains a plurality of cords. In a preferred embodiment, there are 6 to 10 cords. In a most preferred embodiment, there are 8 cords.
It should be noted that a single cord could function to hold two clips (i.e., one on each end of the cord). For example, in an embodiment where the base is made of multiple parts (e.g., front and back) and employs a hole and channel configuration in the bottom of the base for the cords, a single cord could be threaded through each channel and have a hook on each end. In this embodiment, the cord could be pulled at one end to vary the length of the cord usable for holding snacks (e.g., one end of the cord hangs below the other end of the cord).
The clips of the snack bag holder can take a variety of forms. It should be recognized that the clip should be of sufficient size, strength, and capacity to hold either an open or an unopened snack bag. For example, the clips can be spring clips. In a preferred embodiment, the clips are made of plastic. Alternatively, the clips could be made of wood or metal.
In an alternative embodiment, loops can be attached to one of the cord to hold a snack bag in lieu of a clip. The loops can take a variety of formats and may be rubber bands. A combination of clips and loops may also be used.
In light of the foregoing, the snack bag holder may comprise a means for holding a snack bag at the end of each cord. The means for holding the snack bag include a clip and a loop.
Another aspect of the embodiments described herein involves a method of using a snack bag holder to hold snack bags. The method comprises: affixing to a surface a snack bag holder wherein the snack bag holder comprises a base adapted to be attached to a surface; a plurality of cords attached at one end to the base wherein each cord has a clip attached to the other end and wherein the clip is adapted to hold a foodstuff bag; and clipping a foodstuff bag in at least one clip. Alternatively, the method further comprises clipping an open foodstuff bag in at least one clip. The method may also comprise clipping a combination of open and unopened foodstuff bags in the clips of the snack bag holder.
Another aspect of the embodiments described herein involves a method for using the snack bag holder which has loops at one end of the cords to hold a foodstuff bag in at least one loop. As with the method employing clips, the foodstuff bag may be opened, unopened, and/or a combination thereof.
With regard to the figures,
In the embodiment shown, the base 2 is made of molded plastic, is approximately 6 inches long, 2 inches wide, and ¼ inch thick. The elastic cords 3 are secured inside and are hanging out the bottom of base 2 through holes in the bottom of the base.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
This application claims priority to provisional application 62/051,528, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62051528 | Sep 2014 | US |
