Food container and sauce reservoir arrangement

Details Food container and sauce reservoir arrangement Food container and sauce reservoir arrangement

2000-03-14

2001-05-15

Elkins, Gary E. (Department: 3727)

Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes

Paper or paperboard cup

C220S023400, C220S023830, C229S904000, C229S906000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06230969

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to condiment reservoirs and food containers typically used in the “fast-food” industry. More particularly, the invention is directed to food containers and condiment reservoirs for containing a variety of condiments including sauces which are compatible with the food held in the companion food container, such as catsup for French fries, sweet and sour sauce for chicken nuggets, etc.
2. State of the Art
The quick-service (also known as “fast-food”) restaurant industry is intensely competitive. This competition is primarily through quality, variety, and value perception of food products offered. In addition, location, speed of service, and effective marketing of new products are included among other important factors that yield a competitive advantage. Further, it is universally accepted in the industry that menu variety is an important part of customer satisfaction and that competitive advantage can also be established through a unique and diverse menu including a wide choice of condiments/sauces.
High sales are achieved in this highly competitive arena by providing quality products at everyday values. Earnings, on the other hand, are derived through careful control of food costs, labor costs, and other operating costs. Therefore, while “fast-food” restaurants constantly research new ways to gain market share, the most valuable changes are those that are made through low additional costs.
“Fast-food” restaurants were created to meet the demands of a mobile society. A principle requirement of the “fast-food” consumer is the ease in eating “fast-food” products while engaged in another activity, such as driving a car, walking, standing-waiting for a bus, etc. This is illustrated in part by the concept of the “drive up window” wherein consumers can purchase food and then actually eat while driving as they continue running errands. Presently, “fast-food” restaurants provide small packages and cups of catsup and other sauces (e.g., sweet and sour, honey mustard, etc.) that can be combined with “fast-food” products (e.g., French fries, chicken nuggets, buffalo wings, etc.). One method of combining sauce to food products is to squeeze out the sauce from said package onto a surplus food wrapper where the consumer can then begin to dip their food into the sauce. Another method is to squeeze the sauce from said package directly onto the food, a third method is to dip the food into a small cup of sauce. At the very least these options are inconvenient, in some cases not terribly appetizing and often messy. If one is not at a table, driving in one's car for instance, using the sauce on a surplus wrapper is not practical. The method of applying the sauce directly onto the food is very messy and using a cup of sauce is very awkward. As described above, most “fast-food” restaurants have drive-up windows where consumers are invited to speedily purchase a meal and eat on the run. Sometimes consumers will simply stop and eat in their car, others might stop and sit on a park bench while still others will continue on their way and must negotiate the inconvenience of eating while driving. In each scenario attempting to eat food with sauce is very inconvenient often times causing the consumer to preclude the use of any sauce, thus diminishing the culinary experience of consuming the food product.
Referring to drawing
FIG. 1
, the McDonald's Corporation (among others) has introduced a cardboard French fries container
10
having an enlarged opening
12
for receiving French fries (not shown). A side structure
16
having a flat lower most portion
18
forming a stable base to permit the container to be freestanding when placed on a horizontal surface. The container further includes a curved rear structure
22
and a curved frontal structure
24
, wherein both structures are convex to the enlarged opening
12
. A bottom structure
26
having a curved shape
28
forms the curves of curved rear structure
22
and of curved frontal structure
24
when pressed up inside the container from outside to inside. Typically fries containers are stored flat until needed. When needed, the bottom structure
26
is pressed (snapped) up into the underside of the fries container creating the enlarged opening
12
thus forming the shape of the curved rear structure
22
and the curved frontal structure
24
.
The McDonald's Corporation (among others) has introduced a vacuum-formed sauce container
30
as shown in FIG.
2
. This embodiment provides an upwardly projecting cup shape
32
defining a horizontally projecting plane
34
at the full perimeter of the upper most portion of the cup
32
. The plane
34
is the by-product of the manufacturing method known as vacuum-forming and historically has been used only as a surface to adhere a mylar/foil seal
36
thereto to provide a hermetically sealed container for the preservation of the enclosed sauce (not shown). The seal
36
is used to maintain food safety and consumer's perception of same.
The Wendy's Corporation (among others) has introduced a folded paper sauce container
31
as shown in drawing FIG.
2
A. The shape of the sauce container is generally a truncated cone, tapering to a smaller diameter in the downward direction. This container
31
provides an upwardly projecting cup shape
33
having a lip
35
around the entire perimeter of the upwardly projecting cup shape
33
.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, the McDonald's Corporation (among others) has introduced a mylar/foil sauce package
38
. The package
38
is a pillow shaped package of sauce having serrated edges
40
at two sides of said package
38
. The serrations
40
are designed to simplify opening of the sauce package
38
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and structure for coupling a condiment reservoir to a food container to improve the convenience of eating food from such a container with a condiment. The invention enables the condiment and food container to be easily held in one hand and reduces the mess associated with eating food from such a container with a condiment. The invention is especially beneficial to a user engaged in an activity such as driving a car, walking, standing-waiting a bus, etc. In one embodiment of the present invention, a food container is adapted with structure for attaching a condiment reservoir thereto. In a second embodiment, a condiment reservoir is adapted with structure adapted for attaching the condiment reservoir to a food container. In yet another embodiment, a coupling structure is mechanically associated with a condiment reservoir and a food container, the coupling structure being adapted for attaching the reservoir to the food container.
The present invention contemplates various structures for interconnecting a condiment reservoir and a food container, such structures may include adhesive strips, an integral carriage formed as part of the fries container, and mechanical structure formed in the condiment reservoir. The present invention also contemplates some embodiments wherein the attachment of the reservoir to the food container is a permanent attachment. In other embodiments, the attachment is a detachable or removable attachment. In some embodiments the food container and the condiment reservoir may form an integral structure, while in other embodiments the reservoir is a separate element distinct from the food container.
A condiment reservoir is an important aspect of the invention because it simplifies storage considerations and offers the flexibility of numerous condiment options to the consumer, provided that whatever the means of attachment, the attachment couples the condiment reservoir to the food container.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3442435 (1969-05-01), Ludder et al.
patent: 4854466 (1989-08-01), Lane, Jr.
patent: 5429262 (1995-07-01), Sharkey
patent: 5540333 (1996-07-01), Gonzalez et al.
patent: 5630544 (1997-05-01), Shane
patent: 5799794 (1998-09-01), Whitnell
patent: 5842631 (1998-12-01), Berger
patent: 60624

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