Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Packaged or wrapped product – Having consumer oriented diverse utility
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-03
2004-04-20
Becker, Drew (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Packaged or wrapped product
Having consumer oriented diverse utility
C426S115000, C426S120000, C426S131000, C206S218000, C206S430000, C206S209000, C206S541000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06723360
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to the containing and dispensing of food products, and more particularly to a food container holding a combination of food products, and methods of forming and using thereof.
BACKGROUND
Prior art food products, particularly snack products, are packaged in a wide variety of containers, including cans, bags, boxes and so forth. Generally, each of these containers shares a common attribute in that the food product contained therein is dispensed from the top of the container. This attribute generally precludes the ability to combine food products such that they may be conveniently dispensed from a single container and eaten together.
One of the attempts to package multiple ready-to-eat products in a single container is a lunch or snack kit that has various food products, such as crackers, meats, cheeses or spreads. Generally, each of these packages is intended for a single use because the packages are not re-sealable. The food products generally require two hands to eat (e.g., to put the cheese or meat on a cracker) and therefore require a flat surface or other stable support for them to be consumed conveniently. Each package is generally disposed of after the single use, even if the consumer has not eaten all of the food products contained in the package, thereby possibly wasting food and some of the consumer's money.
Another example of a multiple food product container is a tray containing chips and dip. This type of container generally has the same problems as the lunch kits discussed above. This container also is intended as a single use food dispenser. Both of the food products are accessed from the top of the tray, and once the container is opened, if all the chips are not consumed in a single sitting, there is no convenient mechanism for resealing and saving the chips for a future snack or meal. The same problem may also apply to the dip; once the dip container is opened, the dip is generally consumed in a single sitting because the dip container may not be resealable. In addition, the chips and dip may be subject to spillage if the consumer attempts to hold the tray with one hand and eat with the other, because a tray typically is a difficult type of container to hold in one relative to other types of containers such as canisters. Therefore a flat surface or other stable support is generally used to support the tray while consuming the food products contained in the tray.
In summary, there are several disadvantages to prior art food containers. For single-food-product containers that provide top access to the contents, such as a bag of potato chips, a consumer typically reaches into the bag and gets oils or seasonings or the like on the consumer's hand. This requires extra care by the consumer to not spread the oils and the like to the local surroundings, and generally requires some type of cleanup afterward.
As for canister type single product containers, in which the consumer generally tips the canister to dispense product into the consumer's hand, there is generally a tendency for excess salt, spices, food product fragments, and other undesirable debris to spill out, along with the desired food product. The consumer is then faced with the options of consuming the debris or of disposing of it in some way.
With respect to multiple-food-product containers, such containers in prior art generally are intended for a single use only, and the food products are packaged in a one-size-fits-all portion size. Generally, if a consumer does not want to eat the entire portion, the consumer either throws the remainder away, or eats more than intended so as not to waste food or money. In addition, prior art containers generally do not provide any options for re-sealing so that excess food may be consumed at a later time, or transported easily without the risk of spillage or contamination.
Furthermore, prior art multiple-food-product containers generally require some type of stationary or stable surface to enable the user to conveniently consume the food products. Prior art containers therefore are not conducive to dispensing multiple food products for consumption while walking or during other activities where a stable surface is not readily available.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other problems are generally solved or circumvented, and technical advantages are generally achieved, by preferred embodiments of the present invention in which a multiple-food-product container dispenses one food product from at or near one region of the container, and dispenses another food product at or near the other region of the container.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a container for dispensing multiple food products comprises a first compartment for holding a first food product, the first compartment having a first access region and a first coupling region opposite the first access region, the first access region having a first opening providing access to an interior of the first compartment, and a second compartment for holding a second food product, the second compartment having a second access region and a second coupling region opposite the second access region, the second coupling region coupled to the first coupling region of the first compartment, the second access region having a second opening providing access to an interior of the second compartment. The first food product may be dispensed through the first opening at the first access region of the container, and the second food product may be dispensed through the second opening at the second access region of the container.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a container for dispensing multiple food products comprises a first food chamber, a second food chamber, the second food chamber coupled to the first chamber, a first opening at a first region of the first food chamber, the first region opposite the second food chamber, a first moveable lid sealing the first opening, a second opening at a second region of the second food chamber, the second region opposite the first food chamber, a flap sealing the second opening, a first food disposed in the first chamber, and a second food disposed in the second chamber.
In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a container for dispensing multiple food products comprises an upper food compartment, a lower food compartment, wherein a top of the lower food compartment is coupled to a bottom of the upper food compartment, a resealable opening disposed at a top of the first food compartment, a resealable second opening disposed proximate a bottom of the second food compartment, a first food disposed in the upper food compartment, and a second food disposed in the lower food compartment.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a multiple-food container comprises forming a first section having a first compartment, and having a first opening at a top of the first section, filling the first compartment with a first food, sealing the first opening at the top of the first compartment with a removable lid, forming a second section having a second compartment, forming a second opening having a moveable seal proximate a bottom of the second compartment, filling the second compartment with a second food, sealing the second compartment; and coupling a top of the second section to a bottom of the first section.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of dispensing multiple food products from a single container comprises moving a seal to expose a first opening to a first chamber at a top of the container, moving a seal to expose a second opening to a second chamber proximate a bottom of the container, extracting a first portion of a first food product from the second chamber through the second opening, and extracting a second portion of a second food product from the first chamber through the first opening.
One advantage of a preferred e
Becker Drew
Slater & Matsil LLP
LandOfFree
Food container and methods of forming and using thereof does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Food container and methods of forming and using thereof, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Food container and methods of forming and using thereof will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3201725