AU2007100998A4 - Container - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Venga Pty Ltd of Suite 103 Waterfront City 425 Docklands Drive Docklands, Victoria 3008 Australia Kelly Smith DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia Innovation Patent specification for the invention entitled: "Container" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: Q \OPERUPN\2007\OCTOBER\30368360 284 INNDIV DOC 11/10/07 P \OPERUPNgvcngannoailo,dl $mal doc-. I 1/10/2)7 -1- O CONTAINER Field of the Invention 00 This invention relates to a container, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a container for food.

SBackground of the Invention It is known to supply food items, for example hot chips, in a cardboard container in the form of a circular bucket. However, it is normal for condiments such as tomato sauce to be dispensed directly onto the food item at the time of sale. This may be disadvantageous as an incorrect amount of the condiment may be dispensed on the food item, or the condiment may be dispensed onto the food item unevenly or, more generally, in a manner other than that desired by the purchaser.

Examples of the invention seek to provide improved containers which overcome or at least alleviate one or more of the disadvantages associated with known containers.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with one aspect, there is provided a food container having a body which defines a storage space for holding a foodstuff, and seating means removably seating a container for condiment or the like adjacent to the storage space.

Preferably, the food container is arranged to provide access to the storage space while the container for condiment is seated in place.

Preferably, the container for condiment or the like is a cup, and the seating means is arranged to seat the cup adjacent an upper part of the storage space.

P V0PERVPMvmgannovat m~d-vma1 doc. I1/2(X)7 -2- O In a preferred example, the food container is erectable from a blank, and the seating means is formed by a folded part of the blank. More preferably, the folded part is displaceable relative to a wall portion of the body during erection to seat the cup within an 00oO interior of the container.

SPreferably, the storage space holds one or more Spanish donuts, and a cup containing chocolate condiment is seated by the seating means.

In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a food container having a body in the form of a tub open at its upper end for holding a food product, and a separate cup for condiment or the like, wherein the cup is retained in the interior of the tub by being seated in a part of the body, the container being arranged to provide access to the food product while the cup for condiment is seated in place.

In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a food container having a body which defines a storage space for holding a foodstuff, and seating means for seating a separate cup for condiment or the like, wherein the food container is erectable from a blank and part of the blank forms the seating means, the container being arranged to provide access to the storage space while the cup for condiment is seated in place.

One container has a body which defines a main storage space, and a band extending inwardly of the body so as to define a second storage space for holding an item. The band is formed from a wall portion of the body and is displaceable relative to the wall portion.

The body is tapered, as is a profile of the band, for seating the item.

In one particular form of the container, the band is intermediate the wall portion.

The item is a cup, and the container is dimensioned for seating a lip of the cup on a top edge of the body at the same time as seating a base of the cup on an intermediate edge of the wall portion. The container may hold a cup not having a lip, for example by the cup being supported by tapered sides of the second storage space.

P \OPERUPPJM-ga'nnoa1r-_d-vsi do- I{I 21(X)7 -3- In an alternative form, the band is at a top of the body.

According to an example, the container is supplied in a flat form so as to be erectable for use. The flat form is folded along pre-formed creases to form the container.

During erection, portions of the body overlap to form a "crash-bottom" type base of the container. The flat form is made of cardboard, and may be die-cut and pre-glued.

Brief Description of the Drawings 0 The invention is described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container in accordance with a first example; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 1, shown seating a cup; Figure 3 is an underside view of the container of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 shows the container of Figures 1 to 3 in a partially collapsed form; !0 Figure 5 is a perspective view of a container in accordance with a second example; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 5, shown seating a cup; Figure 7 shows the container of Figures 5 and 6 in a partially collapsed form; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a container in accordance with a third example; Figure 9 is a top view of the container shown in Figure 8; Figure 10 shows the container of Figures 8 and 9 in a flat form; and P QOPERUPMvmgalnovaism d-sswa1 do. I 1/10/2(X)7 -4-

C.)

2Figure 11 shows the shape of a blank used to form the container.

00 Detailed Description A food container 10 in accordance with a first example of the invention is shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings. The container 10 has a body 12 which defines a main Sstorage space 14, and a band 16 formed from a wall portion 18. The band 16 is displaceable relative to the wall portion 18 so as to define a second storage space 20 for holding an item. The particular containers shown in the drawings are for containing Spanish donuts or "Churros" in the main storage space 14 and an item in the form of a cup with chocolate condiment in the second storage space 20, however, the containers may equally be used for other items or foodstuffs such as, for example, hot chips and tomato sauce, dim sims and soy sauce, spring rolls and sweet chilli sauce, etc.

It will be seen that the body 12 is in the form of a tub open at its upper end and having four sidewalls 22, 24, 26 and 28 which are tapered inwardly toward the bottom of the tub. As is apparent from the drawings, the tapering of the sidewalls 22, 24, 26 and 28, together with the configuration of the band 16, assists in providing the second storage space 20 with seating means 30 arranged for removably supporting a cup 48 adjacent an upper part of the main storage space 14, so as to provide access to the storage space 14 while the cup is seated in place (see Figure The seating means 30 is formed by inwardly facing surfaces 32, 34 of upper wall portions 36, 38, and by surfaces 40, 42 of the band 16. Advantageously, with the relative lengths of cuts 44, 46 above and below the band 16, the profile of the band 16 is also tapered for seating the item.

With reference to Figure 2, the container 10 is dimensioned so as to conveniently seat the cup 48 within an interior of the container. The cup 48 is circular in cross section, is tapered inwardly toward a base 51 of the cup 48, and has a lip 50 about an upper edge thereof. The container 10 is dimensioned for seating the lip 50 on a top edge 52 of the body 12 at the same time as seating the base 51 of the cup 48 on an intermediate edge 54 P \OPER\PM mn 'nn Iond l.llo n l doi-l 1 I//2(X17 o of the wall portion 18. This provides for secure seating of the cup 48, whereby the cup 48 Sis supported at its lip 50 and its base 51, as well as by the tapered walls of the seat against the tapered sides of the cup 48.

00 Figure 3 shows a base 56 of the container 10 which is of the "crash-bottom" type, Ssuch that portions 58 of the body 12 overlap during erection to form the base 56.

SConveniently, the container 10 is supplied in a flat form, to which the container is able to be returned by flattening together the sidewalls 22, 24, 26 and 28, as shown by the partially collapsed container 10 in Figure 4. The container 10 is easily able to be erected into shape from the flat form by folding along pre-formed creases 60 by pushing together the sidewalls in the directions indicated by arrows 62. As will be apparent from the drawings, part of the blank corresponding to the band 16 is folded inwardly during erection of the container 10 to form the seating means 30. Advantageously, as the container 10 is supplied in the flat form, a multitude of containers 10 are able to be supplied within a small space. The flat form is die-cut and pre-glued such that no cutting or adhesion is required during erection of the containers which is likely to occur at the point of sale of the foodstuffs.

The container 10, as depicted in the drawings, is made from cardboard, however it is foreseen that in other examples of the invention the container may be made from alternative materials.

Figures 5 to 7 show a container 10 in accordance with a second example of the invention which is similar to the container shown in Figures 1 to 4, and like features are indicated with like reference numerals. The main difference between the container 10 of Figures 5 to 7 and the container 10 of Figures 1 to 4, is that, in the container 10 of Figures to 7 the band 16 is at a top of the body 12. Accordingly, with reference to Figure 6, the cup 48 does not sit in the second storage space 20 with the lip 50 of the cup 48 sitting on a top edge 52 of the container 10 (as shown in Figure rather, in the second example, the cup 48 sits in the second storage space 20 either with the lip 50 resting on edges 64 of the P \OPERVPMv dgvjnoa1- di-ma d.I I1/1/2(X)7 -6- 0 wall portions 18 or, it sits simply by virtue of the tapered body 12 of the container supporting the tapered sides of the cup 48.

00 Both the containers of the first and second examples are provided with a second band 66 which is inwardly or outwardly displaceable relative to the wall portion 18 for holding an item such as a napkin, fork, spoon or the like. The wall portion 18 may be provided with a pre-formed fold line on either side of the second band 66, preferably Srunning substantially perpendicular to the length of the band, so as to facilitate indentation of the wall portion 18 for inserting a napkin or the like behind the second band 66. Such a pre-formed fold line allows easy access to the band 66 without damaging the container. In contrast, if the fold line were not present, it would be difficult to insert an item behind the second band 66 because of the narrow space between the band 66 and the wall portion 18.

By pressing on a top part of the wall portion 18 the band 66 can be made to sit outward, thus allowing a napkin or the like to be inserted between the band 66 and the wall portion 18.

Figures 8 to 11 illustrate a further, third example of a container 10 which is similar to the container 10 of the first example in so far as the band 16 is intermediate the wall portion 18, the band 16 being formed by cuts 44, 46 above and below the band 16. Like features are indicated with like reference numerals. The container 10 of the third example differs from the container 10 of the first example by having upper edges of the sidewalls 22, 24, 26, 28 cut in an ornamental design.

The top view of the erected container 10 in Figure 9 shows the band 16 displaced inwardly relative to the wall portion 18, and portions 58 of the body 12 overlapped to form the base 56. Figure 10 shows the container 10 in the flat form in which it is supplied so as to be easily erected at the point of sale of the foodstuffs.

Figure 11 shows a blank 68 used for forming the container 10 shown in Figures 8 and 9, and depicts a tab 70 which is adhered to an inner surface of sidewall 26 (as shown in Figure 8) so as to form the container P \OPERUPNvngaI\annoall(lO_dviinaI do- I /llllV2(X7 -7- C) 0 The container has been described above by way of examples only, and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

00 5 The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken Sas, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated step or integer or group of steps or integers but not the exclusion of any other step or integer or group of steps or integers.

Claims (8)

1. A food container having a body which defines a storage space for holding a 00 foodstuff, and seating means removably seating a container for condiment or the like adjacent to the storage space.

2. A food container as claimed in claim 1, arranged to provide access to the storage space while the container for condiment is seated in place.

3. A food container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the container for condiment or the like is a cup, and the seating means is arranged to seat the cup adjacent an upper part of the storage space.

4. A food container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the food container is erectable from a blank, and the seating means is formed by a folded part of the blank.

A food container as claimed in claim 4, when dependent on claim 3, wherein the folded part is displaceable relative to a wall portion of the body during erection to seat the cup within an interior of the container.

6. A food container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the storage space holds one or more Spanish donuts, and a cup containing chocolate condiment is seated by the seating means.

7. A food container having a body in the form of a tub open at its upper end for holding a food product, and a separate cup for condiment or the like, wherein the cup is retained in the interior of the tub by being seated in a part of the body, the container being arranged to provide access to the food product while the cup for condiment is seated in place. I P kOPERUPMmgalnn-Isom-dl a docI /I m7 -9- O

8. A food container having a body which defines a storage space for holding a foodstuff, and seating means for seating a separate cup for condiment or the like, wherein the food container is erectable from a blank and part of the blank forms the 00 seating means, the container being arranged to provide access to the storage space while the cup for condiment is seated in place.