Patent Application
20090308870
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates generally to kitchen tools. More specifically, the present invention relates to utensils for storing cooking necessities.
Most utensils for storing cooking necessities like sugar, spices, sprinkles have some short coming when it comes to covering the food inside when not immediately needed for cooking. These utensils, often referred to as “Salt Pigs” are, for example, often open mouthed without a cover making it possible to spill or splash liquids into the opening and spoiling the contents. While some models have a hood to prevent this type of mishap, none of the existing salt pigs have the ability to completely cover their contents.
The other types of containers such as spice jars and larger storage canisters typically have a sealing covered lid that either screws or pops onto the top of the container. This lid solves the problem of covering and protecting the food inside, but it creates a different problem. Now every time you want to use the food inside the container you must remove the lid and keep track of it while you use the food inside the container, so that the container can be resealed after use. This creates a situation where the food stored inside the container is not easily accessible and slows down the cooking or preparation process.
The present invention addresses the shortcomings in the prior art by having a flexible and collapsible silicone hood. This hood allows for easy opening and closing without popping off or unscrewing a lid. It also ensures that when closed the food inside is fully covered from spills and splashes. Additionally as the flexible hood remains permanently attached to the base of our invention it cannot be misplaced. All of this combines to create a food storage container that is both very accessible for use while cooking but that also fully protects the food making it far superior to the existing products.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present invention and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.
In the following detailed description of the invention of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings (where like numbers represent like elements), which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, but other embodiments may be utilized and logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it is understood that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention.
Referring to the figures, it is possible to see the various major elements constituting the apparatus of the present invention. The present invention is storage container 10 with collapsible lid 11 and utensil 12. The present invention consists of a base 13 having a flexible and collapsible silicone lid or hood 11. This hood or lid 11 allows for easy opening and closing without popping off or unscrewing. This hood or lid 11 also ensures that when closed the food inside is fully covered from spills and splashes. Additionally as the flexible hood or lid 11 remains permanently attached to the base 13 of the container 10, it cannot be misplaced.
Referring to
In another embodiment, the base 13, lid 11, or both is also provided with an attachment means 19 for securing a ladle 20 to the container body 13 or lid 11. The folding ladle's primary function is similar to many other ladles found in the market today, it can be used to scoop a standard size portion of liquid or powered solids from one storage container to another. The flexible scoop 21, like the flexible and closable lid 11, allows the large scooping scoop 21 of the ladle 20 to fold in half for more compact storage. Once folded, the ladle 20 will hold this smaller position indefinitely until it is snapped back to its open position. This is achieved through the special shape of the ladle's scoop 21.
Referring to
Inside the flexible scoop 21 a piece of strong inflexible material 30 is shaped to support the rear half 27 of the flexible scoop. This support 30 also flows into the handle 28 and acts to connect the handle 28 and scoop 21 forming a functioning tool. The support 30 is molded so that inside the scoop its support extends to just short of the recess 26 in the flexible material.
Because of this support structure 30, when force is applied to the front edge of the flexible scoop 20, pushing the scoop back toward the handle 28, the front half of the scoop 31 will deform, and fold into the supported back half 27. Once the front edge of the scoop moves far enough past the center of the scoop (apex of the concave surface) the recess 26 in its outside face folds over and snaps the front half of the scoop 31 against, and inside the back half 27. Because of the recess 26 shape the scoop will not unfold until an opposite force is applied to move the front edge of the scoop back to its open position. When snapped into the closed position the size of the tool is greatly reduced in size and it fits more easily into drawers for storage or when attached to the storage container 10 of the present invention reduces the shelf space or footprint of the combined device.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, closure means to seal the contents inside and keep them fresh are provided. In this embodiment the top wall 17 of the lid 11 is inwardly foldable toward said bottom wall 16, such that said container 11 is collapsible in a direction normal to said container body 13 and said bottom panel 14 closing the planar opening 18 while being substantially self-supporting while said top wall 17 is in its unfolded orientation as previously disclosed. Additionally, to enable an air tight seal between the top and bottom flaps of the collapsing lid the edges of the top and bottom flaps are provides with means to ensure a sealed intersection. This sealed intersection of the edges functions to seal the contents inside and keep them fresh. Functionally, the sealing means could be similarly to a ZIPLOCK bag, sealing the edges across the opening when the lid is in the closed position.
Furthermore, other areas of art may benefit from this method and adjustments to the design are anticipated. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/061,638, entitled “Folding Ladle Utensil”, filed on Jun. 15, 2008.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61061638 | Jun 2008 | US |
